My Wife Came From A Thousand Years Ago

Chapter 117: Changes always happen quietly

The quiet and reserved Jiang He turned out to be the dominant one. In the eyes of Wang Zijun and Qin Hao, his image shifted instantly.

After digging into Xu Qing’s embarrassing past, they drank enough to get tipsy. One bottle was mostly shared between Xu Qing and Wang Zijun, with the remainder going to Qin Hao—barely two liang (around 100 ml) in total.

"I’m thinking of starting a gaming team, the kind that competes in tournaments. That friend of yours seems reliable. Give me his contact info, and I’ll see when he can help me get a few computers together," Wang Zijun said, fiddling with his phone as he turned to Xu Qing.

Xu Qing paused for a moment before realizing he meant Li Gaobo. Smiling, he replied, "A team of cheaters?"

"It’s just for fun."

"Li Gaobo, he has a shop on the fourth floor of the Electronics Market in Jiang City Plaza. You can find him there if you like," Xu Qing said while forwarding Li Gaobo's WeChat contact. He didn’t pry further, leaving them to figure it out on their own.

Jiang He’s cooking was impressive. Everyone ate their fill, leaving only a few scraps. Qin Hao, through their casual chatting, loosened up considerably. Earlier, he had been worried Xu Qing might be on the run for something serious. But realizing it was just the "black household" issue, he accepted Xu Qing’s explanation that he was just avoiding trouble.

Bringing someone home for New Year’s and hosting them like family made a strong statement. It was more convincing than any verbal explanation.

... If Xu Qing had been a burly "black household" man lounging around at home, ordering takeout, drinking, and living in chaos, Qin Hao might have seriously questioned what kind of shady business the two were involved in.

"Alright, I’m off. Can’t drink much these days. I’ll drink more with you guys next time," Qin Hao said after chatting a while longer, grabbing his jacket.

Wang Zijun also got up, not forgetting to mention, "I’ll make it up double next time."

"Not staying a bit longer?" Xu Qing asked.

"Nah, wouldn’t want to interrupt your cozy life here."

"..."

Xu Qing realized something strange: in Jiang He’s eyes, he was a weirdo with a shoe fetish; in Wang Zijun and Qin Hao’s eyes, he was an M (masochist).

After seeing the two out, Xu Qing returned to help the over-1,000-year-old "granny" tidy up the table before slumping back on the couch.

A lifetime’s reputation, ruined.

Luckily, a few days had passed, and the mark on his wrist was now just a faint scar. Otherwise, Qin Hao would’ve immediately recognized it as a hand-grip bruise.

Hearing Jiang He’s footsteps approaching, Xu Qing raised his wrist and shook it. "Look what you did."

Feeling guilty, Jiang He lowered her head. "... Why didn’t you resist?"

??

"If I hadn’t been dulled by the alcohol, I might’ve screamed for help."

Leaning back and closing his eyes to rest, Xu Qing murmured, "I only had about four liang (200 ml). Not drunk, but just tipsy."

With half the New Year gone, Xu Qing didn’t really think in terms of holidays. Work could be done anytime—whether sitting at his computer, lying in bed, or taking a walk—his mind was always working.

He needed to figure out his next steps.

Xu Wenbin had been shocked to learn one of Xu Qing’s videos could earn a few hundred yuan, thinking it seemed easy. But the reality was far from simple. Producing one episode in three to four days was considered highly productive. If every video hit that kind of viewership, it would still only amount to ten videos a month, bringing in four to five thousand yuan.

As an uploader, fans often urged him not to chase trends, use clickbait, or make borderline inappropriate content.

But... that’s the secret formula for success.

Avoiding all three while focusing solely on quality content would attract barely any viewers. Good content often wasn’t popular.

Xu Qing’s chosen subcategory was a blessing; it allowed him to balance his interests while earning a living. But taking it further...

It was tough.

Jiang He poured him some warm water and asked, "Do you want some water?"

"I don’t want water; I want a hug," Xu Qing replied, leaning closer to her and wrapping her in a tight embrace. With his eyes closed, he murmured, "I like you."

"... Mm."

"You smell really nice."

Jiang He sniffed and turned to look at him as he inhaled next to her. "I have a smell?"

"Everyone has a smell."

"You just smell like alcohol."

"It’ll be gone after I shower, leaving only my natural scent," Xu Qing chuckled, inhaling softly by her neck. "Everyone has their own unique scent. If you like someone, you’ll find it pleasant. That’s what they call a personal fragrance."

"Really?" Jiang He asked, her nose twitching as his breathing tickled her.

"Yeah. Men are visual creatures, so they often think attractive women have a sweet fragrance, but with less attractive ones, they don’t notice anything."

"You said I’m attractive."

"Yes, I’m very visual."

"..."

Jiang He had an urge to roll her eyes.

"But being visual for just one person is love," Xu Qing said, opening his eyes to look at her. Slowly leaning closer, he asked, "Can I kiss you?"

"You still smell like alcohol."

"Just one kiss then."

Jiang He blushed and closed her eyes. Ever since being taught last time, she’d realized... this was...

An indescribable feeling.

It made her heart race.

A moment later, she opened her eyes to glance down. Embarrassed, Xu Qing muttered, "Could you stop focusing on that...?"

Ignoring him, Jiang He thought for a moment, then grabbed his hands and leaned closer again.

"What are you doing?" Xu Qing protested this time. "Let go of me!"

Weak, pitiful, and helpless.

...

Always being overpowered left Xu Qing feeling defeated. He disliked being pinned down. Thinking about the possibility of this becoming a habit for Jiang He left him feeling bleak.

He couldn’t let her develop this tendency.

A knock on the door finally freed him. Jiang He released him, pressed her lips together, and got up. She felt proud of her cleverness—this way, she could enjoy the perks of dating without letting things escalate to having children.

"Jiang He, sis!" A cheerful Xiao Yan stood at the door, holding her homework. Seeing Jiang He’s flushed face, she blinked. "What’s wrong with you?"

"Nothing," Jiang He said, turning her face away. "Come in quickly."

"Why are you smiling, sis?"

"Huh?"

Jiang He froze. "Am I... smiling?"

"You totally are," Xu Qing called out weakly from the couch.

He realized he was doomed.

For so long, he’d been guiding Jiang He through modern life while building rapport. Now she was adapting to modernity while learning to assert herself physically over him?

This wasn’t in the script.

"Brother Xu, did you drink?" Xiao Yan asked, wrinkling her nose at the smell of alcohol as she put her homework on the far side of the table, avoiding him entirely before going to find Winter Melon (the cat).

Winter Melon, who had hidden in its nest upon hearing Xiao Yan’s voice, was no match for her enthusiasm and soon found itself being hugged and recruited for addition and subtraction practice.

After closing the door, Jiang He sat back on the couch and took a sip of the warm water she had poured for Xu Qing. She pondered the earlier moment carefully.

"I think... I feel... different," she said, holding the cup and sitting on the couch. Her expression had softened, and her eyebrows were relaxed.

"A long accumulation of experiences leading to change. This is just the beginning—enjoying things that make you happy but aren’t strictly necessary, like..."

Xu Qing rubbed his face, unsure of what to do.

"You’ve learned to like someone."

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