Chapter 89

The taxi had the air conditioning on, and compared to outside, a slight warmth occasionally brushed against her face or hands, but it wasn't particularly comfortable.

Yang Jingxing looked at Tao Meng, who was staring at the back of the seat in front of her, and asked, "Did you hang up your stockings at home?"

Tao Meng's lips moved slightly, "Don't talk now."

So they sat in silence for the rest of the ride. After a little over a minute, they were close to Tao Meng's house. She told the driver to stop, and Yang Jingxing got out of the car as well. This area was still brightly lit, with many people on the streets, some holding balloons, others wearing Santa hats.

Tao Meng started walking towards her home after Yang Jingxing took the change from the driver. Yang Jingxing hurried to catch up and said, "Are you cold? Put on your gloves."

Tao Meng continued walking slowly, looking ahead, and said, "I came to find you tonight to clear things up. Whether you care or not, I need to take responsibility."

Yang Jingxing nodded, "What's going on?"

Tao Meng stopped and looked at Yang Jingxing, "The friend my father met tonight was the one we encountered at the last party, but they've known each other for a long time. Last time, they brought their daughter. Today, my father said we should have dinner together, and he insisted I come along. I didn't know they had a son until we got there. You might think I lied to you, but I didn't. We finished dinner around eight, and they wanted to chat more... The guy had just returned from abroad, and my father asked me to show him around. So I took him to the mall, planning to buy something and then find you. I didn't expect to run into you all..." Tao Meng's expression and tone remained calm.

Yang Jingxing nodded again, "I understand."

Tao Meng continued, "Even if we hadn't met, I would have told you later."

"Okay," Yang Jingxing smiled.

Tao Meng waited for a moment and asked, "Is there anything you want to say?"

Yang Jingxing shook his head, "No."

"Alright," Tao Meng took a step, and after walking for a while, she said, "But it's for the best. Today's events made me realize that I don't really know you at all."

Yang Jingxing smiled bitterly, "What do I need to do for you to know me?"

Tao Meng said coldly, "You don't need to do anything, and there's no need to. You can have fun with them; it's none of my business."

Yang Jingxing said, "I wasn't really having fun tonight."

Tao Meng said, "I can see for myself. But if you were having fun, it's my fault for interrupting. I shouldn't have meddled."

Yang Jingxing asked, "Is this all you thought about after so long?"

Tao Meng countered, "What else could I think? I'm telling the truth. But I have one more piece of advice: next time, don't be so reckless and childish. Violence doesn't solve problems."

Yang Jingxing argued, "I was just standing up for you!"

Tao Meng said, "I wouldn't get angry over those people. You were just helping them."

Yang Jingxing asked, "Then who are you angry at? Me? Alright." He raised his right hand and punched himself in the face a few times.

Tao Meng didn't smile, "I'm not angry anymore, no need to."

Yang Jingxing put his hand down and complained, "You could have said that earlier."

Tao Meng added, "In the future, save those words for making others laugh."

Yang Jingxing worried, "Are you annoyed with me?"

Tao Meng said, "Not really... I don't want to go on the 29th. If you want to go with someone else, I'll send you the ticket."

Yang Jingxing said, "No need, you can go with someone else."

Tao Meng said, "I'm not going."

Yang Jingxing said, "Neither am I."

Tao Meng said, "Alright, and... " She opened her bag and took out a rectangular gift box, "Here's your Christmas gift back."

Yang Jingxing pouted, "I don't want it!"

Tao Meng hesitated, then pulled down the high collar of her coat to take off the bell necklace Yang Jingxing had given her, "Then I'll give this back to you."

Yang Jingxing grabbed Tao Meng's wrist, "Don't... I'll take the gift."

But Tao Meng continued trying to take off the necklace. It was worn outside her sweater, making it hard to remove. Yang Jingxing grabbed her hand again, "I've already taken it, you can't give it back."

Tao Meng said, "I don't want to wear it anymore... Let go!" She glared at Yang Jingxing.

Yang Jingxing said, "Just a little longer, we'll take it off when we get home."

"No!" Tao Meng struggled with her arm.

Yang Jingxing pleaded, "Wait, just a moment." He quickly opened the gift Tao Meng had given him and found a pair of black leather gloves. He was delighted, "Gloves, I've always wanted a pair. They look great and feel so soft." He put them on, "They fit perfectly, so warm. No wonder they're called 'Warmth' brand. I love them so much, I won't want to take them off in summer!"

Tao Meng scolded, "You're so fake!"

Yang Jingxing rubbed his hands together, "So comfortable! Let me use these gloves to take off your necklace."

Tao Meng was taken aback, looking at Yang Jingxing. But his hand was already at her neck, so she lifted her chin and looked up to cooperate.

Wearing gloves made it hard to handle, and Yang Jingxing was careful not to pull Tao Meng's hair. Tao Meng was impatient, "Hurry up!"

Their current position made it unclear whether they were putting on or taking off the necklace. Tao Meng's head was turned to the side, and Yang Jingxing stood very close to her, using his height advantage to look at the back of her head, with his hands behind her neck.

Finally, he took it off. Yang Jingxing held the necklace by both ends and showed it to Tao Meng, "Look, it actually goes well with your clothes."

Tao Meng pursed her lips and glared at Yang Jingxing, ignoring him.

Yang Jingxing said, "It's midnight, I'm giving it back to you. Merry Christmas, always be happy." He then put his hands behind Tao Meng's head again.

Tao Meng remained in that position, motionless. Yang Jingxing put the necklace back on her, adjusted it slightly, and then pulled up her coat collar and buttoned it up for her.

Yang Jingxing suddenly realized, "Ah, the gloves you gave me can control my actions!?"

Tao Meng stomped her feet and shouted, "I hate you!"

Yang Jingxing, being a bit of a jerk, looked at his hands, "It must be the gloves that made me so annoying!"

Tao Meng shouted, "You were already annoying!"

Yang Jingxing covered his face with the gloves and asked, "How about now? Am I cuter?"

Tao Meng turned and walked away.

Yang Jingxing caught up and said, "Thank you, they're really warm."

Tao Meng regained her composure, "You're welcome, but I'm giving them back."

Yang Jingxing was petty, "You haven't given me the card yet, I want it!"

Tao Meng was annoyed, "I bought it tonight, didn't have time. After running into you all... I didn't even want to buy it!"

Yang Jingxing laughed, "Was it a struggle in your heart between Angel Tao Meng and Devil Tao Meng? Angel Tao Meng said, 'Yang Jingxing isn't that bad,' and Devil Tao Meng said, 'He's awful.' In the end, Angel Tao Meng won... I should thank Angel Tao Meng."

Tao Meng's face twisted in disgust, unable to speak, and she shuddered as if trying to shake off the feeling.

Yang Jingxing continued, "Anyway, no matter what, don't be angry. Let's have a happy Christmas."

Tao Meng refused, stopping and looking at Yang Jingxing, gathering her courage to ask, "Then explain, why did you act like that? You just left without saying anything, without asking anything!" Her chin trembled.

Yang Jingxing was helpless, "What could I do? Should I have... " He grabbed Tao Meng's shoulders and gently shook her, lowering his voice, "Tell me, who is he? What were you doing? I was so angry, I wanted to curse!"

Tao Meng pouted, "You shouldn't have done that... You left me behind."

Yang Jingxing asked, "Or should I have done this?" He pulled Tao Meng close to his chest.

Tao Meng's head rested on Yang Jingxing's shirt, waiting for him to say something, but he remained silent. After a while, Tao Meng moved her feet slightly, getting a bit closer to Yang Jingxing.

Yang Jingxing let go of Tao Meng and said, "Or should I have done this..." He grabbed a clump of air and glared at it, "Who are you? What are you doing? Why are you with Tao Meng so late? What are your intentions?"

Tao Meng finally smiled, but it quickly disappeared, "None of these are good, but you shouldn't have left so quickly. At least let me introduce you."

Yang Jingxing said, "I wanted to, but it looked like you weren't going to introduce me."

Tao Meng was hurt, "The situation was so complicated and sudden, I hadn't figured out how to explain it!"

Yang Jingxing said, "Alright, let's do it again... let's pretend this tree is that guy!"

Tao Meng giggled and then asked, "How do we do it again?"

Yang Jingxing stepped back and said, "Oh, what a coincidence."

Tao Meng looked at Yang Jingxing, thought for a moment, and added a smile she hadn't had before, "Yeah, weren't you going to sing?"

Yang Jingxing pointed to a nearby billboard and said, "She finished work, and we came to pick her up."

Tao Meng nodded and said, "Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh... Good job... This is a friend I just met, the son of my father's friend, no, his name is Zhou Hanli, the son of my father's friend. We just met, and the adults were chatting, so we came out to buy something... And this is Yang Jingxing, my high school classmate and good friend. That's his classmate from the music college. They were singing tonight, and I was planning to go too."

Yang Jingxing kicked the poor little tree twice, "Get lost!"

Tao Meng laughed for a while and then stopped, pulling Yang Jingxing and scolding him, "You're being ridiculous!"

Yang Jingxing said, "This is what I imagined." Then he got serious and shook hands with the tree, "Hello, yes, that's right, very nice, very nice, very correct... Tao Meng is a beautiful girl, I've known her for three or four years longer than you, jealous?"

Tao Meng was visibly unhappy, "You wouldn't say that!"

Yang Jingxing was at a loss, "I really don't know what to say, I can only say, take your time, we'll leave first."

Tao Meng immediately got into character, "Sure, I'll call you when they leave."

"Okay, bye." Yang Jingxing kicked the tree again, and Tao Meng held him back, "See, this is much better."

Yang Jingxing nodded, "Yeah, you did better than me."

Tao Meng thought for a moment and said, "Actually, I should have called you first, but... my father was introducing me to a friend, but he could tell I didn't like him, so he didn't say much after that."

Yang Jingxing nodded, "Alright, is that all?"

Tao Meng glared, "No! This is just the beginning... tell me, what were you thinking at the time?"

Yang Jingxing said, "I forgot, I probably thought it was someone you knew, or someone your family introduced you to. Since it was so late and you were still out shopping, I thought it was best to disappear early."

Tao Meng was hurt again, "Did you think about how I felt?"

Yang Jingxing said, "I was selfish, I only thought about myself."

Tao Meng was even more hurt, "You even know you're selfish! When I called you..."

Yang Jingxing quickly comforted her, "Don't cry, next time I'll follow you and them."

Tao Meng was speechless, "There won't be a next time. He's on Christmas break and will return to the U.S. when school starts."

Yang Jingxing said, "Alright, let's pretend this never happened."

Tao Meng refused, "No! Why were you so happy with them after you left?"

Yang Jingxing was helpless, "I couldn't make them unhappy, could I?"

Tao Meng asked, "Did Qi Qingnuo and He Peiyuan say anything?"

Yang Jingxing shook his head, "Of course not."

Tao Meng looked at Yang Jingxing's eyes for a while and then asked suspiciously, "Why did you fight? Were you trying to upset me?"

Yang Jingxing sighed, "Now, I think I was angry with myself... I wasn't calm enough, I need to apologize to them."

Tao Meng was about to cry, "No matter who you were angry at, you shouldn't have done that. I hate violence... and it was so scary! Using violence is the most immature and low-level thing you can do!"

Yang Jingxing defended himself, "I only used a little."

Tao Meng sympathized, "You beat them up so badly... I felt like you were venting... If there's something bothering you, we should talk it out, not just resort to violence!"

Yang Jingxing accepted the criticism, "You're right, I won't use violence so easily in the future."

Tao Meng added, "And it's very dangerous... what if you couldn't beat them? What if they had weapons?"

Yang Jingxing said, "I held back, but that guy tried to touch you..."

Tao Meng knew, "I didn't let him... no matter how annoying they are, you shouldn't hit people... it made me feel like I didn't know you at all."

Yang Jingxing shouted, "Is anyone going to hit me? I won't fight back."

Tao Meng grabbed Yang Jingxing's shirt and pushed him, "You're so annoying!"

Yang Jingxing said, "If you had given me the gloves earlier, I wouldn't have hit anyone."

Tao Meng suggested, "You can take them off." At that moment, her phone rang, and she quickly answered, "I'm almost there... soon... no, I'm not hungry... I'll hang up now."

After hanging up, Tao Meng was a bit happier, "My father and grandmother haven't given me my gifts yet, they're waiting for me."

Yang Jingxing was envious, "Let's go, hurry back."

On the way back, Tao Meng told Yang Jingxing about her activities that night. She had been with her father and stepmother, and the other side was a family of four, including a daughter. They met at a hotel at seven, and dinner lasted until after eight. Then the adults wanted to chat and drink tea, and Tao Meng took the opportunity to buy a gift for Yang Jingxing, so she went shopping with Zhou Hanli.

Tao Meng said, "Actually, we didn't talk much. His sister kept talking, and it was the first time my father met him... his sister is pretty, but I didn't expect the son to look like that."

Yang Jingxing said, "You can't judge a book by its cover."

Tao Meng said, "But he shouldn't be so disappointing... he even asked about you."

Yang Jingxing was curious, "What did you say?"

Tao Meng tilted her head, "I just said you were a friend... you left, and I waited a long time before going back, so my face must have looked bad."

Yang Jingxing chuckled, "Was it my subconscious?"

Tao Meng lectured, "No matter what, it's wrong."

The walk was particularly short, and they arrived soon. Tao Meng said, "I'll go in after you call a car."

Yang Jingxing said, "I'll call a car after you go in."

"You're so annoying."

Yang Jingxing asked, "By the way, are we still going on the 29th?"

Tao Meng was unhappy again, "What do you think?"

Yang Jingxing said, "If you go, I'll go."

Tao Meng hesitated for a long time and reluctantly agreed, "Then you can pick me up."

Yang Jingxing clapped happily, "Angel Tao Meng won again!"

"Annoying!"

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