"Not bad, Stinky."
Ning Ruoxi looked at Ye Ling and blinked.
"Well, I am your boyfriend, after all."
Ye Ling said smugly.
"So shameless!"
Ning Ruoxi huffed softly.
CLICK!
The middle-aged woman suddenly tapped the screen, capturing the incredibly sweet moment.
In the frame, the girl, as gorgeous as a rose, glared coquettishly at the boy, while he wore a smile, his eyes filled with doting love.
"Oh, have you started taking them?"
Ning Ruoxi and Ye Ling were both taken aback for a moment, then hurriedly struck a few poses.
Suddenly, a mischievous smirk touched Ye Lingâs lips. He abruptly turned his head and pressed a kiss to Ning Ruoxiâs lips.
"CLICK!"
The moment was captured on camera.
"Mmph! What was that for?!"
Ning Ruoxi immediately pushed Ye Ling away, her face a mask of feigned anger.
âI canât believe that guy Ye Ling is so bold... And the woman is still taking our picture!â
"Oh my, young man, youâre really making all the single people jealous!"
The middle-aged woman walked over, chuckling.
There wasnât a trace of disgust on her face; on the contrary, she was beaming with the fond smile of an older woman watching young love.
Seeing such a sweet couple like Ye Ling and Ning Ruoxi, she suddenly found herself reminiscing about her own bygone youth.
Once upon a time... she seemed to recall having a love that sweet, too. It was just a shame that after so many years, all she had at home now was a grumpy old husband and a little rascal. Her life was a monotonous routine, and this trip was a rare holiday from her company.
"Thank you, Miss."
Ye Ling said, his words sweet as honey.
"Hmph! With a silver tongue like that, I bet youâve hit on plenty of other girls."
The moment the middle-aged woman was gone, Ning Ruoxi huffed.
"You wound me!"
Ye Ling immediately cried out in mock injustice.
âIf I hadnât been so sweet and called her âMiss,â would she have taken so many pictures for us?â
"Howâd they turn out?"
Ning Ruoxi leaned in, looking at the photos in the gallery on Ye Lingâs phone.
They had taken seven or eight shots in total. There were pictures of Ning Ruoxi pouting cutely, pictures of her with her arms around Ye Lingâs neck... They were all incredibly sweet.
Of course.
But if she had to pick the sweetest, it would be the first and the last ones.
In one, Ning Ruoxi glared at Ye Ling with feigned annoyance while he just smiled dotingly.
In the other, Ye Ling had launched his surprise kiss on Ning Ruoxi, and the shock on her face perfectly captured her girlish innocence.
"Send these two to me later,"
Ning Ruoxi said, her pretty face blushing slightly.
"See? Thatâs why my kiss had a purpose. Get it now?"
Ye Ling snorted.
âDid you think I was just after your body?â
âAhem, okay, maybe just a little...â
"Hmph."
Ning Ruoxi huffed, but she looped her arm through Ye Lingâs anyway.
âThis stinky guy... heâs so infuriating and so lovable at the same time!â
"Ruoruo, letâs go see the aurora at the poles someday, okay?"
Ye Ling hugged Ning Ruoxi back. Watching the multicolored lights refract in a dazzling display across the ice, he couldnât help but ask.
"The aurora?"
Ning Ruoxi paused for a second, then smiled sweetly. "Okay! But going to see the aurora would cost a lot of money, you know."
"Hm? You dare underestimate your man?"
Ye Ling raised an eyebrow and reached out to pinch her soft cheeks.
"Mmph... N-no, I didnât..."
Her voice came out as a muffled mumble, since Ye Ling was pinching her cheeks.
"Give me a kiss, and Iâll spare you."
Ye Ling said with a quirk of his brow.
"???"
Ning Ruoxiâs eyes widened, and she glared at him indignantly. "Didnât you just kiss me a minute ago?"
In her eyes, the Ye Ling of this moment was like a big bad wolf, trying to lure in a little white rabbit!
"Then Iâll just help myself."
With that, Ye Ling lowered his head without warning and kissed her.
Ning Ruoxiâs eyes flew wide open. She subconsciously tried to push Ye Ling away, but his arms were like iron clamps, holding her tight.
Ning Ruoxiâs face flushed. She glanced around, and only after confirming no one was watching did she secretly breathe a sigh of relief.
One attacked fiercely.
The other defended clumsily.
Gradually, Ning Ruoxi seemed to melt in Ye Lingâs embrace. Her eyes, shimmering with gentle ripples of emotion, held an alluring look.
After a moment, Ye Ling released Ning Ruoxi. He licked his lips and said, "There. Now Iâm satisfied."
"You villain!"
Ning Ruoxi immediately started hammering Ye Lingâs chest with her little fists.
âSo frustrating! So, so frustrating!â
âThis is infuriating!â
âCanât this guy be like other boyfriends and just dote on his girlfriend?â
âWhy does he always have to tease me!â
Seeing this, Ye Ling just smiled, letting her pound on his chest.
âWith this little girlâs strength, her blows wouldnât even be enough to scratch an itch, let alone actually hurt him. Besides, she wasnât using any real force, turning the whole thing into a kind of playful banter.â
âAt this moment, Ye Ling felt that this was perhaps the most wonderful part of a relationship.â
âYou cause a ruckus, and I just smile.â
As he thought this, he couldnât help but reach out and hug Ning Ruoxi again, burying his face in her hair and taking a deep breath.
"Ruoruo, promise youâll always stay by my side, okay?"
Ye Lingâs voice was a little low and raspy, giving it a magnetic quality.
"Alright... Iâm not going to leave you. Why are you saying things like that?"
Ning Ruoxiâs heart stirred. The small fists that had been hitting him paused, and then she wrapped her arms around Ye Ling, holding him very, very tightly.
âAfter all this time together, she felt herself growing more and more dependent on Ye Ling.â
âEven though she always called him a villain and said he bullied her, she actually loved hugging him, and their kisses always felt so sweet.â
âSometimes, she even felt a little guilty. She couldnât give Ye Ling... more, the way many modern couples could. That was because Ye Ling still hadnât completely earned Ning Tianliangâs approval.â
"I just want to tell you, youâre mine. I love you so much. So, so much. Always."
Ye Ling said in a low voice.
"Mhm, me too. I love you, too. A super, super, super kind of love!"
At his words, the trace of worry on Ning Ruoxiâs face vanished as she murmured gently.
âAs long as they loved each other, she believed, nothing else would be a problem!â
As the two embraced, many of the people passing by fell silent and began to walk on tiptoe, as if afraid of disturbing them.
This was simply...
Too sweet!
"Um, I think a lot of people are watching us,"
Ning Ruoxi said, having suddenly become aware of all the gazes and feeling a little embarrassed.