Among the nine people at the gathering, there was neither the pressure of working on a case nor the stress of office work. Being in the suburbs with no one around to disturb them, even if Qi Bai drank too much and sang at the top of his lungs, it wouldn't bother any nearby residents or lead to complaints. So, although it was already late at night, everyone was all smiles, growing more excited with each drink, with no intention of calling it a night.
Especially Qi Bai and Zhong Xiaoyu, those two live wires, who had gotten so worked up from drinking that they had taken off their jackets, rolled up their sleeves, and stood on stools as if competing, practically shouting their guesses for the drinking game.
Jiang Yingyao and Ji An, full of concern, followed beside them, constantly trying to drape the jackets back over their shoulders. But the two, locked in their heated battle, seemed completely oblivious to the cold. With a bold lift of an arm, the just-draped jacket would fall right off again, leaving Jiang Yingyao and Ji An busy, amused, and helpless.
Whether Qi Bai and Zhong Xiaoyu felt cold or not, Guan Xia didn't know, but watching their exposed arms and necks, she shivered and suddenly felt quite cold herself. Subconsciously, she pulled her overcoat tighter around her.
Xu Nian hadn't left Guan Xia's side since the gathering began and naturally noticed her movement. A bit worried, he first went to pour a cup of hot water and pressed it into her hands. Then, naturally and gentlemanly, he used the back of his hand to touch her fingers. Finding them warm and not the least bit cold, he finally relaxed.
Guan Xia rested her head on her hand, watching Xu Nian bustle about for her. For some reason, a wave of warmth suddenly rose from her heart. In a daze, she thought it would be nice to have someone like this by her side—good-looking, not overly talkative, and considerate.
Perhaps she really had drunk a bit too much. As Guan Xia watched Xu Nian's figure, a montage of details she had never paid attention to before suddenly flashed through her mind.
For instance, during every meal, Xu Nian always sat to her left. He would also always, without her noticing, quietly place a full cup of water by her hand. She had grown so accustomed to Xu Nian's presence and her seemingly never-empty cup that when she first returned home after being apart from him, she always felt like something was missing, though upon careful thought, nothing seemed to be gone.
Or, whenever they went out on a case, as long as they weren't split into separate teams, she never had to search carefully. Just by looking up or turning around, she would find Xu Nian always standing at a distance that was neither too far nor too close.
Also, Xu Nian seemed to always be able to follow her train of thought. No matter how jumpy her logic was during an investigation, without her needing much explanation, Xu Nian would almost immediately understand her meaning. Guan Xia had grown accustomed to and enjoyed this tacit understanding very early on. Thinking about it now, she suddenly realized how precious this tacit understanding was.
Furthermore, Xu Nian seemed to have trusted her exceptionally from the very beginning, never questioning any decision she made.
And then, the smiles on Xu Nian's face seemed to be increasingly more. Whenever Guan Xia looked at him, he would always instinctively offer a smile, his gaze always gentle.
As Guan Xia recalled their first meeting, she suddenly realized that, unconsciously, she hadn't changed much, but Xu Nian had changed a lot.
After pouring the water, Xu Nian sat back down beside Guan Xia. He naturally noticed that Guan Xia was staring at him lost in thought. He couldn't help feeling a secret delight in his heart, but remembering the scenes of being repeatedly rebuffed by Guan Xia before, his delight wasn't so unbridled. He allowed himself only a cautious bit of happiness and even adjusted his sitting posture, striving to present his best angle.
He wasn't sure if Guan Xia was really looking at him, but even if it was just a possibility, he had to seize every sliver of opportunity.
As for Xu Nian's little scheme, Guan Xia still didn't notice a thing. She just kept looking at Xu Nian's profile, which seemed more and more handsome the more she looked. Her heart stirred, and she remembered the words Pang Le had repeated in her ear several times. Her mouth moved faster than her brain, and carried away by the moment, she blurted out a question, "Do you like me?"
The moment the words left her mouth, Guan Xia instantly sobered up. Along with the nervousness and embarrassment, she cursed herself inwardly: why show off when you can't hold your liquor? And now talking nonsense? See what happened? Bringing up such an awkward topic, how are we supposed to work together on cases in the future?
Guan Xia was so embarrassed she could have dug a hole with her toes, desperately thinking of how to change the subject, regretting it to the point of wishing she could turn back time, or simply have the earth explode.
But for Xu Nian, Guan Xia's words were like music to his ears. The unexpected surprise left him stunned for two seconds before he reacted. Then, his heart blossomed with such joy that he wished he could jump up and shout twice.
Even at such a thrilling moment, Xu Nian didn't miss a single subtle expression on Guan Xia's face. He immediately saw the regret and embarrassment on her face.
Fearing he might miss such a golden opportunity, Xu Nian hurriedly, before Guan Xia could speak again to change the subject, frankly and readily admitted, "Yes."
Qi Bai and Zhong Xiaoyu were a bit noisy. After admitting, Xu Nian, afraid Guan Xia hadn't heard clearly, urgently and quickly repeated it. Word by word, his voice not loud but extremely clear, he looked at Guan Xia seriously and said, "I do like you."
This time, it was Guan Xia's turn to be stunned. She looked into Xu Nian's eyes, which reflected her own image, and for a moment thought she was hearing things. It wasn't until Zhong Xiaoyu's excited shout of victory over Qi Bai suddenly came from nearby that she snapped back to reality, looking at Xu Nian, shocked and incredulous, "What did you say? You really like me?"
Without waiting for Xu Nian to repeat it again, Guan Xia, shocked, muttered to herself, "So it's true? Pang Le wasn't mistaken?"
Patiently giving Guan Xia a few seconds to think, the moment she came back to her senses, Xu Nian sincerely and earnestly repeated, "It's true. Pang Le wasn't mistaken. I really do like you. Perhaps even earlier than you might think."
With Xu Nian repeatedly saying he liked her, Guan Xia truly had no experience with this. She was made to feel somewhat embarrassed. Whether it was shyness or having drunk a bit too much, Guan Xia only felt her cheeks were somewhat hot. Afraid Xu Nian might notice, she tried hard to bury her face into her overcoat collar. Unfortunately, the coat had no hood. No matter how hard Guan Xia tried, it was useless. In Xu Nian's eyes, her cheeks were still flushed red, her eyes bright as if filled with stars, exceptionally lovely.
When the dream finally came true, Xu Nian found himself oddly not so nervous anymore. He just felt blissful to the point where his head was somewhat muddled, completely unable to think. He just instinctively kept looking at Guan Xia, feeling she was perfect from every angle, and he wanted to keep looking at her just like this.
Whether it was because they had pierced that layer of window paper, or it was Guan Xia's illusion, she always felt Xu Nian's gaze was completely different from before, intense to the point where his line of sight seemed to have temperature.
Guan Xia really wanted the heat on her face to subside, but she simply couldn't control it. It was also impolite to keep talking to someone with her head down. Guan Xia hesitated and hesitated, finally mustering the courage to boldly meet Xu Nian's gaze. Softly yet firmly, she asked, "Earlier than I might think? When?"
As Guan Xia asked the question, several moments she could think of flashed rapidly through her mind. For instance, when they were investigating Ji An's case in Shangshuang City, or even earlier, when they were looking into Meng Lan's case in Jianshui City. Surely it couldn't be earlier than Jianshui City... maybe from the time in Daqu County?
Just as she was thinking this, she heard Xu Nian say with great sincerity, "It was when we were investigating Zhang Weiyan's case. You already had a good life, having achieved everything you dreamed of, yet you still threw yourself into that case, busy all day long, running around with us. I thought to myself then, how could there be such a special and kind-hearted girl in the world?"
Although Xu Nian didn't have much experience, he could still recognize that moment of sudden affection. What he didn't say was that the initial spark was just the beginning. As the two of them spent more and more time together, that momentary feeling turned into a constant presence. However, faced with Guan Xia's utterly clear eyes, he didn't dare say anything, and only dared to act very subtly, afraid of causing her any trouble.
This was indeed earlier than Guan Xia had imagined. But hearing the word "kind," Guan Xia felt a bit embarrassed and scratched her cheek. She considered herself a reasonably kind and non-malicious person, but not to the extent Xu Nian seemed to believe.
Most importantly, if it hadn't been for the system—that Sword of Damocles hanging over her head back then—she truly wouldn't have stepped into that whirlpool. So, she felt genuinely guilty about Xu Nian's praise and special regard.
Guan Xia thought for a moment. While she couldn't reveal the system, her biggest secret, she also couldn't let Xu Nian continue with this misunderstanding. After just two seconds of thought, she said very seriously, "Actually, I'm not as kind as you imagine, really. I didn't actively want to solve that case at the time; everything was an accident."
Guan Xia spoke earnestly, and Xu Nian replied with equal sincerity. He smiled and looked at her gently, saying, "I've always believed that judging a person should be based on their actions, not their intentions. Whether you actively chose to be involved in that case or not, the fact remains that it was you who single-handedly solved Zhang Weiyan's case, and all the other cases. So, you are that kind. There's no doubt about it."
Guan Xia still felt a little embarrassed, but listening to Xu Nian's words, she also felt reassured. She even thought with a touch of pride, looking at the results of her hard work over the past six months or so, she did seem pretty kind after all.
Guan Xia couldn't help but smile.
Seeing Guan Xia smile, Xu Nian felt everything was so wonderful that he couldn't help but smile too.
However, Xu Nian hadn't forgotten the most important matter. Seizing the right atmosphere and the right moment, he decisively and seriously asked Guan Xia, "What about you? Do you like me? Even just a little bit?"
Xu Nian wasn't greedy. Just a little liking, even just a favorable impression, would satisfy and reassure him. He understood Guan Xia and had the confidence and patience to let that small bit of fondness grow into mutual affection. After all, there was a long life ahead. Besides solving cases, he didn't have many other hobbies; he was quite willing to just stay by Guan Xia's side like this.
Faced with Xu Nian's question, Guan Xia first felt nervous, then somewhat bewildered. She really wasn't sure if she liked him or not. She just felt that living alone was fine, but having someone like Xu Nian always accompanying her would also be okay. She didn't have any strong desire or longing.
Guan Xia was used to being alone. When she first met Pang Le and saw her full of energy every day, sweet and affectionate with each boyfriend, missing each other and being missed, Guan Xia had also wondered if, now that she had money and free time, she should find someone she fancied to have a relationship with. But whenever this thought arose, upon further reflection, it just seemed troublesome.
However, when this thought arose again now, perhaps because she had grown accustomed to Xu Nian's low-key presence by her side, Guan Xia didn't feel the previous annoyance or the urge to just forget about it. Instead, a strange sense of delight emerged. If she really were with Xu Nian, it might actually be nice. At least then, whether for meals, going out for walks, or spontaneously wanting to visit the library in her free time, she'd have someone to accompany her?
Thinking this, Guan Xia felt a shameless flutter in her heart. Looking at Xu Nian with the same serious and sincere attitude, she said, "I've thought about it carefully. I'm not sure how much I like you. I just feel that having you by my side is quite nice. If you think you can accept that, we could give it a try."
Guan Xia thought to herself that now she had both money and time, giving her the confidence to try a different kind of life. She finally made up her mind.
Xu Nian had been holding his breath nervously, and only now did he begin to breathe again with delight. He didn't even have time to quietly catch his breath, afraid Guan Xia might change her mind, and said eagerly, "Good, that's enough. It's enough that you're willing to let me stay by your side."
Xu Nian knew he would surely grow greedy for more in the future, but at least at this moment, he sincerely felt this way. Even if Guan Xia's liking for him was much less than his for her, he was still very satisfied. From now on, he could rightfully stay by Guan Xia's side. He wouldn't need to weigh his words and actions so carefully anymore; he could freely care for her, cherish her, and finally dare to openly compete with Pang Le for the most important position by her side.
To be honest, Xu Nian had been envious and jealous of Pang Le sticking so close to Guan Xia for a long time. Now it was great. He lived right across the hall, and he was her nominal boyfriend. He had more time and more reasons to be by Guan Xia's side than Pang Le did.
Remembering the days of inner envy and jealousy while not daring to show a hint of it on the surface, Xu Nian couldn't help but reveal a smug expression. He even shot a rather provocative look at Lu Tingfeng.
Weren't you always mocking me before? Well, now my progress is the one that's truly leaped forward by miles.
But provocations aside, Xu Nian sincerely wished for Lu Tingfeng and Pang Le to achieve a happy outcome as soon as possible.
After all, that way Pang Le wouldn't have as much time to cling to Guan Xia. And even if she did, he could easily turn their duo outings into group outings for four. That way, the one who could rightfully stand by Guan Xia's side would be him alone.
However, he remembered seeing some short videos before. As a boyfriend, even if reluctantly, one should leave some personal space for their partner, especially making sure to leave space for her and her friends. After all, besides love, there are many other things in life that bring joy and happiness.
It had been a while, and Xu Nian couldn't remember clearly. He secretly resolved to brush up on it tonight. Having finally achieved his wish, he absolutely would not allow Guan Xia to feel any discomfort or unhappiness during their time together in the future.
Guan Xia had no idea that while for her they had just started, Xu Nian was already planning far into the future. She shifted her sitting position and looked at Xu Nian, who had newly become her boyfriend, feeling that since their relationship had leveled up, there should be some different way of interacting.
A kiss? Too early. A hug? She was sitting quite comfortably and felt too lazy to move. Then, how about holding hands?
Guan Xia's gaze drifted down, moving from Xu Nian's face to his hands.
Compared to Guan Xia's, Xu Nian's hand was much larger, with a thin layer of callus and some fine, old scars. It wasn't particularly ugly, nor was it especially handsome, but in Guan Xia's eyes, it felt extraordinarily steady and reliable.
Guan Xia was always annoyingly indecisive when she hadn't made up her mind, but once she did, her decisiveness and speed of action could be startling.
This time was no different. The thought to hold his hand crossed Guan Xia's mind, and without a second's hesitation, before Xu Nian could even react, she had already placed her hand in his.
Xu Nian's mind was still pondering the future, but his hand reacted swiftly. The moment Guan Xia's hand touched his, he reflexively curled his fingers around hers, tightening his grip just enough—not enough to hurt, but firm enough that she couldn't easily pull away. He held on securely.
Only after completing this instinctive series of actions did Xu Nian fully realize what had happened. He then looked at Guan Xia, a mix of surprise and delight washing over him.
Guan Xia had placed her left hand in Xu Nian's palm, while her right hand still propped up her head. She tilted her head, looking at him with a beaming smile and said, "Hello there, boyfriend."
Seeing Guan Xia's smiling eyes, Xu Nian felt his heart melt completely. An instinctive, gentle, and tender smile spread across his face as he gazed intently at her and said softly, "Hello, girlfriend."
