Chapter 240: Chapter 240

Hua Xiaomo, are you still the free-spirited, unfettered, and carefree Hua Xiaomo? All of that seems to be lost; this place is filled only with falsehood, pretense, fickleness, and endless deception and conspiracy. It’s so painful, so sad. How can I end this state? How can I live and be happy according to my own desires? Happiness... where exactly is happiness? Brother Long, if you knew all this, would you still want Xiao Mo? Would you still cherish Xiao Mo as you did at the beginning?

But the more she thought about it, the tears kept falling uncontrollably. In the end, Hua Xiaomo cried very hard.

"Being with me, does it make you feel very insecure?" Qi Longbing asked. Seeing her pained his heart terribly.

She hadn’t cried the previous few times, but this time, she cried so hard when he wanted her?

Hua Xiaomo quickly adjusted her mindset and, with reluctance, mustered a smile. "...No."

Immersed in his happy and relaxed state, Hua Xiaomo felt a faint, hesitant smile touch her lips. "I’m so tired. Let’s just rest here, shall we?"

"Sure!" Qi Longbing responded with a smile. "Wait for me; I’ll go get a blanket from that cabinet over there."

"Mm." Hua Xiaomo nodded with a smile. As she watched him get up to fetch the blanket, his shoulders slightly reddened, she quickly took out her phone from the bag next to her and, CLICK, snapped a photo of his retreating figure.

But his back alone wasn’t clearly identifiable. Quickly, as he turned sideways, she aimed her phone at his distant figure and, CLICK, took another picture.

However, just as she was about to take a third frontal shot, he suddenly looked in her direction. Hua Xiaomo hurriedly put the phone to her ear, pretending to be on a call.

Qi Longbing smiled from afar and walked over with a heap of blankets and pajamas, still smiling. "Is that your mom on the phone?"

"Mm-hmm, it’s my mom. I just told her I’m working late tonight and won’t be going back home," Hua Xiaomo said with a composed expression, the phone in her palm growing hot.

It’s been a long time since I’ve had this guilty feeling, like a thief. This sudden act of thievery is making me feel rather uncomfortable all over.

Qi Longbing spread the blanket over her, grinning mischievously. "If you tell your mom that, will she believe you?"

After speaking, he moved her to the inside of the sofa bed. Fresh chapters posted on 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵※𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾※𝙣𝙚𝙩

"You should sleep on the inside. I have a habit of getting up at night, so it’s better if I sleep on the outside," Hua Xiaomo said, immediately making room on the inside of the sofa.

"You need to get up during the night? If you do, just call me, and I’ll get up with you," Qi Longbing said, his shoulder moving nimbly like a loach as he quickly slipped under the covers.

"What’s there to accompany someone for a nighttime bathroom break?" Hua Xiaomo retorted.

"I’m afraid you might..." Qi Longbing looked at her, a mischievous gleam in his eyes, speaking with a mix of seventy percent jest and thirty percent seriousness, "...sneak off without anyone noticing... Xiao Mo, it wasn’t easy finding you. I can’t let you slip away."

"..." Hua Xiaomo was taken aback for a moment, seemingly not expecting him to say such a thing.

However, she soon smiled softly. "President Qi, don’t be too sensitive. Where could I possibly run off to? This is the tower, your domain."

"Since you’re so understanding, then tomorrow, let’s arrange for you and your mother to move!" Qi Longbing said with a laugh, his eyes shining brightly as he looked at her.

"Uh, moving? I’d rather not think about that now; I feel like moving is such a hassle," Hua Xiaomo said with a laugh. Looking at Qi Longbing, she suddenly felt bored and said, "By the way, I’m not sleepy yet. Would it be okay if I watch a movie?"

"Sure, what kind of movie do you want to watch? Let’s watch it together. There are a lot of great new releases right now. Why don’t we check them out? I’ve heard there are quite a few films that would be even more suitable for just the two of us to watch. How about a romance? It might even deepen our connection. What do you think?" Qi Longbing looked at Hua Xiaomo, a warm light in his eyes.

He felt that he and Hua Xiaomo were developing more of an understanding. He had discovered that they had many common interests. For example, they both liked shopping, and he liked eating noodles, which Hua Xiaomo would happily prepare for him.

She always enjoyed the noodles she cooked for him. Lately, Hua Xiaomo had taken a liking to watching movies, and he, too, had grown fond of it.

Well, he hadn’t been very interested in watching movies before, but now things were different. He felt he spent more time with Hua Xiaomo, and whatever she enjoyed doing, he would accompany her. It always seemed so fun and meaningful. More importantly, he felt he could build a relationship with her through these shared experiences.

Isn’t that what’s truly important? Yes, he liked Hua Xiaomo now, and he wanted her to like him back. So, he usually went along with her wishes, eager to fulfill whatever she liked, and then joined her in making it happen.

It felt incredibly meaningful!

He found himself growing more and more fond of Hua Xiaomo. This girl was indeed very likable. Not only was she incredibly humble, but she also wasn’t materialistic; previously, when he had given her a lot of money, she had never squandered it.

He felt there was a real understanding between them. More importantly, Hua Xiaomo had a very kind heart, which he thought was very rare. He liked her a lot and truly wanted to marry her, but of course, he would have to get her consent first.

"A romance movie, huh? Okay, let’s watch a romance. But I always feel romance movies nowadays seem so artificial, like those Korean dramas, which I don’t really like," Hua Xiaomo said, her eyes sparkling clearly as she looked at Qi Longbing.

She hadn’t expected him to be willing to watch a movie with her; it was really nice of him. Sometimes, when she felt lonely, she wanted to watch a movie by herself to feel better, but watching alone also felt too solitary. She hoped for someone to join her.

She had never found that person, until now.

She realized it was Qi Longbing. Having him by her side always made her feel safe. She felt happy and wanted to smile because she believed she could find common ground with him, common points.

"Haha, you don’t like Korean dramas? I find that many girls enjoy watching them. I wonder why you don’t? But it doesn’t matter; we can watch other genres instead," Qi Longbing said.

"There are many other movies out now: Court dramas, fantasy, adventure, tomb-raiding... There’s a whole variety for you to choose from. Whatever you’d like to watch is fine."