Chapter 219: Chapter 219: A Kiss Seals the Deal

She was a straightforward person. Now that she’d decided to accept Xu Huaian, she wasn’t going to be coy about anything else.

If she liked him, she liked him—might as well enjoy it first and worry about the rest later.

Xu Huaian watched as Gu Qinghuan carefully wiped the sweat from his brow, and couldn’t help but let his mind wander. The distance between them was closer than ever before—so close he could see the fine fuzz on her cheeks and the way her big, sparkling eyes reflected his own image. A scent unique to her drifted to his nose along her hair, making Xu Huaian swallow hard.

Whether intentional or not, Gu Qinghuan’s hand brushed against the muscles of his lower abdomen, sending a jolt through him like scalding water, tinged with a ticklish sensation.

To him, this was the ultimate temptation. He was absolutely crazy about this woman in front of him.

Gu Qinghuan’s heart was pounding. She’d fantasized about Xu Huaian’s abs for a long time, but she really hadn’t done it on purpose. It was just that he was so tall, and when she lost her balance, she accidentally touched him.

He’s a grown man—getting touched a little shouldn’t be a big deal!

Sweat beaded even more on Xu Huaian’s forehead. Only heaven knew how hard he was trying to restrain himself from just pulling Gu Qinghuan into his arms right then and there.

He gritted his teeth, sounding a little aggrieved: “Huanhuan, you did that on purpose!”

Gu Qinghuan could see how hard he was holding back. She knew he wanted to but didn’t dare, and couldn’t help but smile.

“So what if I did? What are you going to do about it?” she teased, deliberately provoking him to see how far he’d go. This man was unexpectedly pure.

Xu Huaian’s gaze lingered briefly on Gu Qinghuan’s rosy lips, but in the end, he only pressed a reverent kiss to her forehead.

“There, now we’re even!”

Gu Qinghuan was amused by his innocence, her lips curving into a beautiful smile.

“Come down here a bit,” she beckoned with her finger.

Xu Huaian, not understanding, lowered his head.

The next second, her lips—ones he’d just been fantasizing about—lightly brushed his.

It was as if he’d been struck by a wave of joy, his eyes going wide with surprise.

Gu Qinghuan’s kiss was a little clumsy, but once Xu Huaian realized what was happening, he quickly took the lead. Still, neither of them had much experience, so their kiss was tentative and careful.

Desire is human nature, and men are born hunters. Xu Huaian soon got the hang of it, guiding Gu Qinghuan into a long, French kiss. Only when they were both breathless did he reluctantly let her go.

Gu Qinghuan’s delicate skin was tingling, and after such a passionate kiss, her lips were noticeably swollen and a little sore.

To Xu Huaian, this was even more enticing, but he managed to hold himself back—he didn’t want to scare her.

Today was already a big step forward. There would be plenty of time in the future.

It only dawned on him now: Gu Qinghuan had kissed him first—did that mean she was willing to accept him?

Fantastic! This was the best gift he’d received this New Year.

Xu Huaian looked at her with sparkling eyes, like a big, gentle dog.

“Huanhuan, does it hurt? I’m sorry, I got too excited. Want me to blow on it for you?”

Gu Qinghuan shot him a glare. If he blew on it, wouldn’t her lips swell up even more?

How was she supposed to face anyone later?

With that kiss, their feelings were set, and Xu Huaian couldn’t stop smiling.

Especially when he saw the beef jerky Gu Qinghuan had specially prepared for him—he was so excited he picked her up and spun her around on the spot.

“Huanhuan, I’m so happy. I haven’t been this happy in years. From now on, I won’t be alone anymore.

Thank you for accepting me. I know I’m not perfect right now, but I’ll work hard to become a better man and protect you from all harm. I, Xu Huaian, always keep my word!” he promised earnestly.

Gu Qinghuan didn’t really need such flowery promises, but it didn’t stop her from feeling happy.

The two of them took turns feeding each other beef jerky, their hearts filled with sweetness.

Gu Qinghuan finally understood those lovesick characters in old TV dramas. So this is what being in love feels like—especially when the person you like likes you back. The emotional satisfaction was off the charts.

They lingered in the space for a long time, only heading out after finishing their work together.

As for the origin of the beef jerky, Gu Qinghuan couldn’t explain it, so she just went out for a bit and had Xu Huaian pretend to haul it in, saying she’d bought it from someone else.

No one doubted her—after all, getting so much beef these days wasn’t easy.

Once everyone tasted the beef jerky, they were hooked. It was just too delicious.

Ming Ruxue even asked about the price, and Gu Qinghuan made up a number: five yuan a jin.

Fresh beef was about two yuan a jin, so beef jerky would naturally cost more.

Ming Ruxue, without hesitation, pulled out five hundred yuan and asked Gu Qinghuan to buy another hundred jin for her. She wanted to take some back to Beijing and savor it slowly—it was just that good.

Gu Qinghuan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She felt like she’d shot herself in the foot.

There was no way she could make another hundred jin of beef jerky right now. Her arms were still sore from making this batch.

She could only tell Ming Ruxue that she’d set aside some of this batch for her to take back to Beijing.

As for the supplier, she claimed they were out of stock, but promised to buy more and mail it to her next time.

Ming Ruxue had no choice but to put her money away, a little disappointed.

But that was understandable—good things are always worth waiting for.

Gu Qinghuan divided the beef jerky into six portions.

She sent twenty jin to her uncle’s family in the far northwest—they lived far away and meat was hard to come by, so she gave them more.

Xu Huaian was moving to Beijing for a new job, and might want to share some with new colleagues or superiors. Plus, who knew how easy it would be to stay in touch in the future, so she gave him thirty jin.

The remaining fifty jin, she split among Zhong Luoning, Ming Ruxue, and Gu Lanting—thirty jin for the three of them to share, since they lived together and could divide it up. She promised to send more next time she made a new batch.

Thirty jin was no small amount—after all, it wasn’t fresh meat, and even a small piece could be chewed for ages.

As for the last twenty jin, Gu Qinghuan gave five jin to Zhong Zijun’s family, five jin to the Ji family, and kept less than ten jin for herself—they’d need some for the next couple of days.

Zhong Zijun’s and the Ji family’s portions were smaller because there were elderly people with poor teeth who wouldn’t eat much, and since Gu Qinghuan could always make more and bring it over, this arrangement made sense for now.

As for a few other families in Beijing she kept in touch with, Gu Qinghuan planned to make more next time and mail it to them then.

No one objected—after all, Gu Qinghuan had bought the beef jerky, and they were lucky just to get a taste."