My Wife Came From A Thousand Years Ago

Chapter 108: Still innocent?

"Feeling guilty definitely means there's guilt involved.

But are you still innocent?"

Jiang He stared at him with her bright, piercing eyes.

She liked days like these. She wanted to cling to him.

She didn't want to go back.

That remote mountain valley in the Tang Dynasty—there was nothing there. The food was tough, the water was dirty...

"Innocent?"

Xu Qing asked back, steadying himself and trying not to let the alcohol cloud his mind. He felt that Jiang He seemed a little tipsy. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes sparkled.

This girl seemed to be feeling something special.

Xu Qing touched the small box in his pocket and froze. Could it really come into play now? If she sobered up tomorrow, she'd probably rip his head off.

"Complicated?"

"Yeah, very complicated. We'll talk later."

They walked into the Qin house. Qin Maocai had already set the pot on the table, the bubbling liquid rolling with foam.

A bottle of Ocean Blue and three pairs of chopsticks sat on the table.

On the TV, the Spring Festival Gala was showing a comedy skit with perfect timing and harmony.

"Uncle, why not find someone else?"

After two drinks, Xu Qing looked around the room. A year had passed, but it was still so simple, unchanged.

Just a couch, a coffee table, a TV mounted on the wall, and a dog cage on the balcony. It wasn't messy, but it was sparse.

Qin Hao and his father, Qin Maocai, lived here. They didn’t care much about anything. It was just a place to eat and sleep.

"Where would I even look? Who would be interested in me?"

"Well, you never know," Xu Qing said, glancing at the pig's head on the table. "You see those seniors dancing at the plazas, getting together even in their sixties and seventies..."

"Alright, stop it!" Qin Maocai scolded, half-laughing. He turned to Jiang He and urged, "Eat, girl."

"Okay."

Jiang He examined the room too. Several photos were hanging on the wall, and she recognized Qin Hao in a few—he was a police officer.

Turning to Xu Qing, she felt like she was beginning to understand something.

"You're spending the New Year at your place this year. So, when are you planning to get married?" Qin Maocai raised his glass to Xu Qing.

"We haven't thought about it yet. We’re taking our time."

"Is she from Jiang City?"

Qin Maocai asked, but Xu Qing didn’t answer. He looked at Jiang He instead.

"I'm not... I'm from Zhejiang," Jiang He replied.

"Zhejiang, huh? It’s a nice place. I went there years ago to source tea leaves." A nostalgic smile appeared on Qin Maocai’s face. "It rained the whole two weeks I was there... Are you here for school?"

"No, I came for work."

"So young and already working?" Qin Maocai looked surprised. "You look pretty young."

"I didn't go to school."

"Oh, I see. That’s fine too. Let this kid take care of you."

"…Okay."

Seeing her seriousness, Qin Maocai didn’t press further. He raised his glass to Xu Qing.

Taking a sip, Qin Maocai smacked his lips and suddenly sighed. "Time flies. You’re almost ready to settle down. It’s so... incredibly fast."

"Even Haozi is dating someone now. It’s bound to happen," Xu Qing chuckled, pouring him another drink. Chatting with the old man was much more enjoyable than drinking with Xu Wenbin.

"He’s been dating for months, and I haven’t even seen a shadow of her. If he hadn’t sent me a photo, I’d think he was dating a ghost!"

Qin Maocai clicked his tongue. People truly were incomparable.

"At least he has someone. You can’t rush these things. Look at me—I’m not in a hurry."

Xu Qing and Qin Maocai continued chatting, killing time. Jiang He quietly watched TV, sensing something was off but couldn’t quite place it.

The TV alternated between songs, dances, and comedy skits until 9:30. The old man, tipsy, started reminiscing about the past. Seeing that it was getting late, Xu Qing stood up.

"Uncle, it’s late. You should rest."

"Hey… don’t bother. I’ll clean up myself later," Qin Maocai said as he saw Xu Qing tidying up.

"It’s no trouble. Sit down."

Xu Qing pressed him back onto the couch, packed the leftover food into the fridge, and brought the dishes to the kitchen to wash. Jiang He followed to help but was waved off.

"What do you think?" he asked.

"About what?" Jiang He didn’t understand his question.

"Your gap with modern people."

"…"

Jiang He froze.

After cleaning up, Xu Qing helped Qin Maocai to his room, shut the door, and left with Jiang He.

…

The night deepened, and the wind turned icy.

In the distance, fireworks flickered in the sky.

They walked silently through the complex. Occasionally, laughter from nearby buildings broke the quiet.

The New Year’s Eve lights from thousands of homes were mostly cheerful.

"Did you enjoy the Gala?" Xu Qing asked, bundling himself tighter against the cold wind. It cleared his head a little as he glanced at Jiang He.

"It was good," she replied, snapping out of her thoughts.

"Do I seem different in some way?"

"You should figure it out yourself. It’s better than me telling you."

"Oh."

Jiang He fell silent, glancing at Xu Qing's hand. Just as she hesitated, he reached out and grabbed hers.

Yeah... this was the feeling.

Her eyelids fluttered, and she bit her lip.

Finding a cab on New Year’s Eve was tough. They stood outside for over half an hour and got home close to eleven.

Before leaving earlier, Jiang He had put out enough food for Winter Melon. The cat didn’t meow for attention this time, only wagged its tail lazily when they returned.

"We can stay up all night, or just shower and go straight to bed," Xu Qing said, flopping onto the couch. He shook his head and then got up to grab some water.

"Tomorrow’s the first day of the New Year. Remember to change into all new clothes."

Jiang He sat quietly on the couch for a while, struggling internally. The words she had planned to say now stuck in her throat.

Xu Qing showed no intention of starting a conversation. After finishing his water, he dozed off on the couch, leaving Jiang He in a whirlwind of emotions.

Benefactor… scoundrel… affection… life…

After a long while, Jiang He’s gaze shifted from Xu Qing’s face to the kitchen. She hesitated before heading there.

"What are you doing?" Xu Qing asked, hearing movement. When no reply came, he closed his eyes and pondered Jiang He’s recent changes.

Time passed.

"Are we still innocent?"

Her voice snapped Xu Qing back to reality. He looked at her, stunned. His gaze dropped to her right hand, which held a bottle of Erguotou.

"Why are you drinking?" Xu Qing instantly sobered up.

Jiang He didn’t speak, only stared at him intently.

"Let’s talk this through. Don’t... do anything rash," Xu Qing said, cautiously trying to take the bottle from her. Jiang He let go, her gaze never wavering.

"Are we still innocent?"

"...Yes," Xu Qing stammered.

Suddenly, Jiang He pushed him onto the couch.

"We’re innocent!" Xu Qing yelped, startled and struggling to move but couldn’t.

"Really?"

"We’re absolutely innocent!"

Jiang He leaned closer, her hair falling and casting shadows across her face.

Cling to him...

Cling to him...

The thought echoed wildly in her mind.

"We…" Xu Qing started to speak but stopped when he saw the fierceness flash in her eyes. His heart sank.

Jiang He narrowed her eyes, then leaned down—

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