Chapter 361: Chapter 296: Warm Moments (Request for subscription!)_1
He hung up the phone.
Tang Qing sneakily opened the door, scoping out the room with shifty eyes. His uncle and aunt had already left after breakfast, and his two cousins were busy doing their homework in their own room. If they found that he was going to buy a house, Qin Shiqi would definitely want to tag along.
Of course, he didn’t agree to that.
He even planned to bring Lin Jiaxue along. If Qin Shiqi did come, she would undoubtedly cause a ruckus, making a fuss even if they held hands, probably ruining his rare weekend off.
Tang Qing quickly put on his clothes and snuck out of the room. Luckily, Qin Shiqi was playing music loudly and singing along. Come to think of it, her singing wasn’t too bad. She’d probably be a karaoke queen in the future.
The closing of the door should be quiet enough that she wouldn’t hear.
Outside the door.
"Click..." Tang Qing carefully pushed the door, creating a tiny sound.
Perfect, undetectable.
Tang Qing shook his head helplessly.
Was it good to be so cautious around his cousin?
But his rationality told him...it was entirely necessary.
He descended the stairs, drove his car out of the neighborhood, and dialed the home landline of Lin Jiaxue.
"Tangtang?"
There were two beeps before a soft voice came from the phone.
"It’s me, Jiaxue, what are you doing?" Tang Qing asked happily. Whenever he heard her voice, he was reminded of their past life. Perhaps this was the flavor of missing someone.
"I’m reading a book. What’s up? Are you coming over today?" Lin Jiaxue’s voice was soft and gentle.
Tang Qing said in a hurry: "Yes, don’t read this morning. Let’s go house hunting. Auntie is coming too. There is still room in the car. I’m already on the way and will be at your house in a bit."
"Well...okay, let me get ready," Lin Jiaxue agreed hesitantly after a moment. She missed Tang Qing after not seeing him for two weeks, but she wasn’t very good at expressing her feelings with words. She usually showed it through her actions and eyes. n𝚘𝚟pub.𝚌o𝚖
"Okay, get ready quickly. I’ll be there soon," said Tang Qing.
"Okay," Lin Jiaxue replied softly.
Ten minutes later.
Tang Qing drove into Lin Jiaxue’s neighborhood.
From afar, he saw a familiar, beautiful figure standing in the distance.
If not Lin Jiaxue, who else could it be?
He didn’t expect Lin Jiaxue to be waiting at the gate of the neighborhood. It had only been ten minutes. She was so fast. However, he wasn’t surprised; Lin Jiaxue wasn’t the type to spend time dressing and applying makeup. Even at home, she always appeared tidy. She wouldn’t be the type to not wash her face or brush her teeth unless she was going out. For Lin Jiaxue, preparing to go out just meant changing into outdoor clothes.
The weather was nice today, moderate temperature. Lin Jiaxue wore simple jeans and a white shirt, with a small jacket on top. Presumably for lack of time, Lin Jiaxue, who was not a dawdling person, had her hair in a simple ponytail. She appeared slightly casual, yet homely, and looked adorable.
No matter how Lin Jiaxue dressed, Tang Qing thought she looked great.
Tang Qing parked the car on the side of the road and walked over to Lin Jiaxue. He gave her a gentle smile, then couldn’t help but step forward to hug her tightly.
Lin Jiaxue didn’t struggle but returned the hug, lightly patted his back and whispered, "What are you doing? There are so many people around."
"Nothing. I just want to hold you. Let me hug you a little bit longer," Tang Qing murmured, eyes closed, buried in her hair. His wealth and power grew, so did his business. However, he couldn’t share these achievements with anyone. Naturally, he felt lonely. He usually drew and found hobbies to distract himself from his loneliness. When he saw Lin Jiaxue, he just wanted to hold her tightly, with no other thoughts.
"Hmm," Lin Jiaxue answered obediently.
Inhaling the unique scent of Lin Jiaxue’s hair.
He couldn’t bear to let go for more than ten minutes.
Their actions caught the attention of the bystanders. Some were envious, some pointed fingers with criticism, but Tang Qing remained undisturbed. So did Lin Jiaxue. She felt Tang Qing’s loneliness and gripped him even tighter.
"Not done yet?" Lin Jiaxue asked softly.
"No." Tang Qing slowly stroked her hair, replying soothingly.
"But my aunt and others are probably getting anxious." Lin Jiaxue added.
Tang Qing thought the same.
So he let go of Lin Jiaxue, seeing her tender expression, Tang Qing wanted to play the kissing game, but under the public eye, such behavior would probably embarrass Lin Jiaxue, so it was better to wait until they were alone.
"Alright, let’s go." Tang Qing smoothed Lin Jiaxue’s hair, feeling the warmth of her ear, lightly pinching her soft earlobe, Tang Qing found it hard to let go.
He opened the car door for Lin Jiaxue and gently closed the door after she got in.
Once in the car, he fastened his seatbelt, stepped on the brakes, and shifted into drive.
Tang Qing then held Lin Jiaxue’s hand with his right, ready to go.
Once on the road, Tang Qing didn’t let go.
"Focus on driving." Lin Jiaxue subtly moved her hand, but Tang Qing still held on to it.
"It’s okay, it’s an automatic car. I just need to keep my foot on the brake, no need to switch gears." Tang Qing replied.
"Still, be careful."
Lin Jiaxue didn’t say anything else, she trusted Tang Qing.
"Mhm." Tang Qing responded.
Tang Qing then picked up Lin Jiaxue’s mother and his own. Lin Jiaxue took the front seat while the two elderly women sat in the back, engaging in friendly chatter. They looked radiant, all thanks to the flourishing business that allowed them to earn money beyond their imagination. Listening to them in the front seat, surrounded by his family, Tang Qing couldn’t help but smile.
"Tangtang, be careful." Mother Tang couldn’t help but caution seeing Tang Qing holding Lin Jiaxue’s hand while driving.
"It’s fine, Mom. Trust my driving skills. I’m not driving fast." Tang Qing responded with a smile.
"This child.." Mother Tang said nothing else. She had been in Tang Qing’s car before and knew he rarely switched gears, even when parking, leaving one hand free most of the time, so she didn’t comment.
Meanwhile, Lin Jiaxue’s mother looked on with satisfaction at the sweet display of affection between the two in the front. What could she possibly say about her daughter and son-in-law being affectionate in her presence? Lin Jiaxue, however, blushed the entire journey, since Tang Qing’s hand wasn’t exactly being still, rubbing hers constantly, making her feel ticklish.
About ten minutes later, Tang Qing and the others arrived at Liu Qian’s property on sale.
It was...like a marketplace.
The sound of gongs and drums filled the air.
Firecrackers crackled.
Flags fluttered.
It was packed with people.
All of the above was not at all an exaggeration.
Damn, Liu Qian went all out. Was it necessary to hire so many ’extras’? These are luxury residences on sale, priced higher than average, even with the promotion, there wouldn’t be this many people, normally.
With the security guard’s assistance, Tang Qing found a parking spot. Initially, there wasn’t any, but...he was the main attraction for the day, so naturally, a spot would be reserved for him, in fact, two spots.
The event wasn’t solely for Tang Qing and his family; it had been planned as a promotional strategy for the property. It’s the beginning of 2005, and it’s not a first-tier city where properties sell out before they’re even built, especially considering the fact that this is a high-end residential area with unnervingly high prices, hence the unsold duplex apartments.
As the final big promotion, coupled with live singers, acrobatics performances, model shows, and the likes, it attracted quite a lot of people to come and gawk.
The group arrived at the ’marketplace’ outside the Sales Office.
"There are so many people." Mother Tang remarked.
"Yes, this is the last big promotion for this property. There is also a ’thank you’ event for the customers who have purchased houses, so many people were invited to watch the performance. Let’s go, we’ll go check out the house." Tang Qing informed her, having just learned from banners that many of the attendees had already bought houses. The event was a three-in-one – a performance for the guests, Tang Qing’s property purchase, and customer appreciation – all rolled into one.
"What a swindler." Tang Qing couldn’t resist complaining.
PS: Arrived late.