Chapter 222 - 190: Like an Old Acquaintance Returning (6)

As the New Year drew near, Su Mo’s small clinic was quite busy.

She had hired a doctor and two nurses to help, but she was still swamped. It only started to ease up two days before the end of the year.

Early on New Year’s Eve morning, Fu Ying hung up a "Temporarily Closed" sign, planning to let Su Mo get a few days of proper rest.

After all, there were plenty of other clinics in South City. If theirs wasn’t open, another one would be.

At noon, the three of them gathered at Su Mo’s home to make dumplings. Besides them, there were also Fu Ying’s three Enchanting Demon husbands and some other friends, including Xuan Qing and He Yuan.

The house was bustling with people.

Once everyone had arrived, Fu Ying was in charge of chatting with the guests while Little Jiu served tea and water.

Su Mo was in the kitchen, preparing to boil the dumplings.

Xuan Qing came over to help. Standing beside her, he asked, "Do you celebrate like this every year?"

Su Mo smiled. "Not always, just for the past few years. When I first opened my clinic, things weren’t very stable. They helped me out, getting into arguments and even fights on my behalf. We gradually got to know each other better and naturally became close."

Xuan Qing understood. ’Perhaps we reunited too late.’

’Thankfully, with her personality, she can make friends wherever she goes.’

’She has a kind of magic about her that unconsciously draws people in. Standing beside her right now, I feel like I can truly experience the warmth of everyday life.’

In the afternoon, everyone gathered to chat and play cards. As evening fell, they helped clean up and then headed to a restaurant.

For the past few years, they had always eaten their reunion dinner at this restaurant. They also frequented it in smaller groups, so the proprietress knew them all very well.

Noticing two new faces in the crowd, she couldn’t help but smile. "New members this year?"

Xuan Qing and He Yuan smiled and greeted her.

After seating them, the proprietress brought out some appetizers. "Snack on these for now. I’ll have the main courses sent out in a bit."

As she passed by Su Mo, she whispered, "Hasn’t Long Yan come back yet?"

"Soon."

Su Mo’s eyes crinkled with her smile.

’He was supposed to be back by the end of the year, but he got a last-minute mission, so I just have to wait a little longer.’

Soon, the dishes began to arrive one after another, followed by the drinks.

At a gathering like this, a few drinks were unavoidable. However, Su Mo’s alcohol tolerance was as poor as ever.

She quickly became tipsy, and someone beside her started to heckle, "Doctor Su, what exactly are your standards for a partner? Lay them out for us, we can all help you vet them!"

Fu Ying held her wine glass, shot a glance at Xuan Qing next to Su Mo, and deliberately declared, "Under twenty-five, handsome, and must have abs! He has to be obedient and well-behaved, gentle and sensible. Presentable enough to be seen with, but also knows his way around a kitchen!"

Su Mo squinted and smiled, slurring drunkenly, "That’s right! Young in age... big in abs! Anyone over twenty-five... is out of the question!"

Someone laughed. "You really aren’t willing to compromise one bit, are you?"

"Of—Of course!" Su Mo was completely drunk now. She cupped her face and rambled, "Someone as gorgeous as me shouldn’t have to compromise! From now on, you’ll—you’ll find one for me based on these standards. You hear me!"

"Heard you, loud and clear!" Fu Ying’s gaze swept over Xuan Qing’s still-impassive eyes as she stuffed a piece of fruit into Su Mo’s mouth. "I’ll set it up for you right after the New Year!"

’I just want to piss this block of wood off!’

He Yuan sidled up to Xuan Qing and mocked him mercilessly. "What a shame. You don’t meet a single one of Doctor Su’s criteria, do you? Tsk, so tragic..."

Xuan Qing shot him a look, the pressure in it palpable.

He Yuan suppressed a laugh and corrected himself. "My mistake, you do meet two criteria! Your abs are big enough... and you’re presentable enough to be taken out... But unfortunately, you’re stuck on the age requirement! That’s a fatal flaw! A hard requirement, no way around it!"

After dinner ended, everyone went their separate ways.

In previous years, Little Jiu always spent this day with Su Mo, and she had planned to do the same this year.

However, just as she started walking toward Su Mo, Fu Ying stopped her.

"Read the room, will you? Don’t be a third wheel."

Little Jiu glanced at the pair in the distance and had a moment of realization.

Fu Ying called out to Xuan Qing in the distance, "Hey, Xuan Qing! I’m leaving Su Mo to you. We’re heading out!"

With that, she pulled Little Jiu away, saying, "You’re staying at my place tonight."

Little Jiu glanced back reluctantly and saw Xuan Qing striding away under the dim yellow streetlights, carrying Su Mo in his arms.

Under the faint yellow light, Su Mo’s long, wavy, ink-black hair swung in a gentle arc.

’Is it my imagination, or is this scene... strangely familiar?’

When Xuan Qing carried Su Mo to her door, she suddenly woke up.

She struggled out of his arms and jumped down, staggering inside.

Then, she leaned against the doorframe, her face flushed, and thanked him adorably. "Thank you, Xuan Qing~ Good night~"

Just as the door was about to swing shut, the man outside suddenly reached out a hand to push it back open, striding inside.

Su Mo frowned at him in a daze. "You’re... not going home?"

"I want to talk to you."

"Talk... talk about what?" She suddenly took a step forward, grabbed his collar, and asked drunkenly, "A relationship? Pfft, I wouldn’t touch that crap!"

With that, she turned to leave, but the man behind her simply hooked an arm around her waist, lifted her effortlessly, and set her down on a nearby cabinet.

Su Mo struggled to jump down, but the man in front of her held her fast by the waist.

His searing palms held her captive, forcing her to look at him.

Xuan Qing’s dark eyes bore into hers as he asked, "You only like men under twenty-five? Handsome, with big abs? Presentable enough to be seen with, and also a master in the kitchen?"

Su Mo squinted and nodded emphatically.

"Why don’t you like anyone over twenty-five?"

"Who—who doesn’t like someone young and full of life? Don’t... don’t you?"

Xuan Qing was silent for a few seconds. Then, staring into her hazy, drunken eyes, he said, enunciating each word.

"I don’t. Other than you... I don’t like anyone."

Su Mo frowned and pointed at herself. "Me?"

"Yes. I like you. Only you."

Afraid she hadn’t understood, he repeated himself.

"I meet all your criteria, except for the age. So... could Doctor Su perhaps relax her requirements a little?" His Adam’s apple bobbed, his voice low and restrained. "This time, before you consider anyone else, could you please give me priority?"

The light and shadows flickered. For a moment, Su Mo couldn’t tell if it was the swaying light that was dazzling her eyes, or if it was the man standing in its halo who was making her lose all composure.

She mumbled in a daze, "Then... can I inspect the abs first?"

"Okay."

Xuan Qing carried her to the sofa. Then, he slowly and deliberately unbuttoned his shirt, revealing the captivating sight beneath.

Although Su Mo was drunk, she had the vague sense that... ’This seems a bit wrong, doesn’t it?’

She turned to flee.

He stepped forward and gently pushed her back.

Before Su Mo could react, he pulled her up... and onto his lap.

"Didn’t you want to inspect them? Go ahead."

He took her hand, guiding it to wander freely over his body. His voice was seductive. "Where do you want to start the inspection? I’ll cooperate completely. Here? Or here?"

On the sofa, Su Mo’s face was flushed as she... knelt on his lap in an intimate position.

At first, she retained a shred of sanity... but soon, she lost it completely, her hands starting to misbehave.

From between her flushed lips, some... shocking words would occasionally spill out.

Seeing her hand moving in an increasingly wild direction, Xuan Qing caught her mischievous wrist. The corners of his eyes were red as he asked in a hoarse voice, "Finished your inspection? What’s the verdict?"

"The... feel is pretty good... but the owner isn’t very obedient..." She pulled her hand from his grasp. "If you’re going to be so stingy, I don’t want you after all..."

Blushing angrily, she tried to move away, but in the next second, he gave a tug and pulled her into his embrace.

Xuan Qing cradled the back of her head, pressing her into a corner of the sofa as his lips found hers.

Su Mo felt breathless, her head spinning.

A dark undercurrent swirled in his eyes. He gazed at her flushed lips, then met her hazy eyes and asked, "Doctor Su, you’ve touched and you’ve kissed. Are you going to take responsibility?"

Su Mo opened her mouth, just about to speak, when he bent his head and kissed her again.

He panted, nuzzling her neck as he asked, "Will you take responsibility?"

"I’ll... take responsibility..."

"As long as you take responsibility."