Chapter 364 - 169: Love’s Origin Unknown, Yet It Grows Ever Deeper

Chapter 364: Chapter 169: Love’s Origin Unknown, Yet It Grows Ever Deeper

"Of course."

"So you’d still love me even if I died."

"What is with you girls and these questions? I don’t get it. You’re always asking things like ’would you still love me if I died?’ Using death to test love is really stupid, you know?"

"Alright, alright, I get it. Don’t be mad, okay?"

She let go of Su Ran’s sleeve and wrapped her arms around his neck instead. Looking into his eyes, she broke into a smile. After being together for so long, they understood each other perfectly. The look in her eyes could only mean one thing: ’You can kiss me now.’

Su Ran glanced left and right to make sure no one was around, then cautioned, "We agreed, just one kiss. Don’t get carried away..."

"You talk too much. Get over here."

Xiao Wanqing had no patience for Su Ran’s rambling. She pulled him in with both hands and pressed her lips to his.

A few minutes later.

"No more."

She weakly pushed Su Ran away and leaned against the wall, her face flushed crimson. Her lip gloss was smudged. She pressed her lips together, but it seemed Su Ran hadn’t had his fill of their strawberry flavor. He pulled her back in to keep kissing...

Finally, when she truly couldn’t take it anymore, feeling she’d lose control if they continued, she stomped on Su Ran’s foot, shoved him away, and bolted toward the village entrance.

Su Ran touched the corner of his mouth and smiled. ’So much for her "big sister" act. At the end of the day, she’s still just a girl.’

"Hey, Sister Wanqing! I still want some more strawberries!"

Su Ran yelled teasingly down the alley after her.

Xiao Wanqing glanced back as she ran. "No more for you! You always take things too far!"

...

The starry night sky over the loess plateau was spectacular. After dinner, the group sat around a fire in the courtyard, chatting. Aunt Luo took a sip of water, cradling her cup as she gazed out at the desolate landscape. "...Back then, I had no idea Liheng’s hometown was so remote. It wasn’t until the deed was done that he finally brought me back. The moment I saw this place, my heart just sank."

"Heh... so you must have really regretted it back then, huh?"

"I regretted it for two days, but he was good to me, so I accepted it. Besides, it’s not like we live here, right? Later on, we’d come back once or twice for holidays, and over time, I actually grew to like this place."

As the four young women and Aunt Luo chatted away, they all noticed Su Ran distractedly poking the fire with a stick, looking like he had something on his mind...

"What are you thinking about?" Liu Jinyu asked from across the fire.

Su Ran’s seating choice was strategic. He sat apart from both Aunt Luo and the four girls, creating a clear buffer zone.

’The main reason is, if I sit next to them, what if Liu Jinyu grabs my arm, and then Xiao Wanqing does the same from the other side? That’d be way too awkward. Better to claim my own space and avoid making things weird for anyone.’

"Nothing much," Su Ran answered casually.

’Actually, I was mulling over a problem: tonight’s sleeping arrangements.’

’The cave dwelling had two chambers, both filled by a large, communal heated brick bed—a *kang*. We’d ’shared a bed’ before, but now we were facing the real deal.’

’We’d all slept in the same room twice before, but this time was different. I’m involved with two of the girls, I almost got involved with a third, and I have no connection to the fourth. Things weren’t so simple anymore. It was just awkward.’

’I don’t know if they’ve realized the problem yet. Or maybe they have, and they’re just pretending not to, leaving me to deal with the awkwardness?’

Aunt Luo glanced at Su Ran with a knowing smile. She stood up and said, "It’s getting late, everyone should get some rest. Hey, Su Ran, how are you all planning to sleep?"

"Huh? I... AHEM..." ’This old woman is trying to stir up trouble, isn’t she?’ Su Ran fumed internally. ’And after all those years I spent taking care of Uncle Qin, she pulls this stunt.’ "How about this," he said, "the five of you ladies can take one *kang*, and I’ll take the other one. Sound good?"

’This seems like the best arrangement.’

’If I suggest sleeping with Sister Jinyu to give the others more room, Xiao Wanqing’s face would turn green. It’d be like she was being hit with NTR, watching her boyfriend sleep with someone else in the next room...’

’And if I said I’d sleep with Sister Wanqing, Liu Jinyu would probably throw a fit, as if her ’sister’ status meant nothing.’

’So, sleeping alone is the safest option.’

Aunt Luo smiled. "That *kang* of mine is too small. It won’t fit five people. You’ll have to take two of them."

PFFT—

Su Ran felt like he was about to cough up blood.

The four younger girls were completely bewildered.

With great difficulty, Su Ran made his choice. He reached out and pulled Liu Jinyu and Xiao Wanqing to his side. "There, this works, right?"

’Actually, the arrangement was quite logical.’

’Aunt Luo would take Xie Yiren and Aina. I would take the two ’sisters,’ Xiao Wanqing and Liu Jinyu. One group had no romantic entanglements. The other one definitely did.’

’Besides, they were the only two I could have possibly chosen. Pulling either of the other two would have been awkward.’

Liu Jinyu and Xiao Wanqing didn’t refuse.

"Alright, it’s settled. Time for bed." With their arms crossed, the two ’sisters’ gave Su Ran an imperious command. "Get in here!" Then they walked straight into the room.

Aunt Luo led Xie Yiren and Aina back to her cave dwelling. Su Ran sighed and pushed open the door to the one next door. Inside, he saw the two ’sisters’ in perfect unison. Each had their hands crossed, lifting the hems of their woolen sweaters to reveal slender waists. Their waists were stunning—toned and flat without a hint of excess fat, looking incredibly soft and smooth.

’Of course, I’m the only one who has ever touched those two slender waists, a fact that makes me quite smug. The ladies of Demon Dance all had incredible figures to begin with, and after the enhancements from my Finger Technique Fragrance, their skin became even more exquisite to the touch.’

’Have my cake and eat it too?’

’I want both.’

When they saw Su Ran push open the door, the two ’sisters’ froze. They had just lifted their sweaters to the lower edge of their lacy bras. They stopped and turned their heads to look at him.

"What are you gawking at? Go get the hot water. We need to bathe."

"Right away."

"..."

Soon, Su Ran brought in the hot water and poured it into a tub, adding some cold water to temper it. He dipped his hand in and flinched—it was scalding. ’Mmm, this should be about right,’ he thought. He was beginning to form a new theory about bathwater temperatures for women. ’If the water feels just right for a guy, a girl will think it’s cold. It has to feel scalding to the touch for it to be perfect for them. I’ll just assume they have thicker skin for now.’