Gu Nianzhi had mesmerizing eyes and dark pupils that practically took up her entire face; those same eyes were now directing an incredibly alluring gaze at him. Huo Shaoheng was about to get up, but Gu Nianzhi suddenly hugged his neck. This position forced him to keep balance while straddling over her upper half. He was silent and quietly watched her. Gu Nianzhi was drifting in and out of consciousness, but she still remembered what she had to do.
“Huo… Huo Shao…” She finally spoke, her soft voice had a trace of drunkenness that sounded especially intoxicating.
“Yeah?” Huo Shaoheng replied as he supported himself, with his hands on either side her head. His dark jade-like eyes stared at her so intensely she could see her own reflection in them.
“Huo Shao…” Gu Nianzhi called again, her eyes blurred, “You…you… I…I want to ask you something.”
“What is it?”
Gu Nianzhi’s tongue felt parched and couldn’t help licking her lips as she muttered, “Do… do you have a girlfriend?” She finally asked the crucial question. Compared to all the seduction methods Little Temptress was telling her, Gu Nianzhi thought that this was more important. She had to figure out whether or not Huo Shaoheng had a girlfriend before she decided what she would do.
Huo Shaoheng froze. “Girlfriend?” He frowned deeply. “Why are you asking that?” Hadn’t he told Big Xiong a long time ago that he didn’t have a girlfriend? Had he not told her? His expression was getting increasingly serious.
Gu Nianzhi didn’t know what Huo Shaoheng was thinking and quickly clung onto his neck, terrified he might leave her. “I…I just wanted to know.”
“So what if you knew?” Huo Shaoheng’s eyes grew darker, as though they were hiding secrets Gu Nianzhi wouldn’t understand. She reached a hand out to gently caress around Huo Shaoheng’s eyes, her face open and worried. “Then you say it first: do you have one or not?”
“So what if I have one? And so what if I don’t?”
“You’re so annoying! Just tell me straight! This is not a multiple choice question!” Gu Nianzhi pouted. She was speaking in a flirty way and acting much bolder than usual. Huo Shaoheng laughed when he realized alcohol was truly liquid courage—Gu Nianzhi would never touch his face when she was sober, let alone talk back at him. She was always extremely obedient in front of him.
“Mmm, no.” Huo Shaoheng humored her and gripped the hands that were wandering on his face, pressing them back onto the pillow.
Gu Nianzhi giggled, her eyes sparkling as though a starlit sky was reflecting in them.”No? That’s great.”
“Great how?” Huo Shaoheng pressed down a little to gradually move close to Gu Nianzhi on the bed.
Gu Nianzhi concentrated on staring at Huo Shaoheng’s despairingly handsome face and sighed with satisfaction. “Of course it’s great that you don’t. Now I’ll ask, have you ever liked anyone?”
Huo Shaoheng was speechless.
“Tell me… do you like anyone?” Gu Nianzhi was still cradling Huo Shaoheng’s head and gave it a shake.
It was rare that Huo Shaoheng saw Gu Nianzhi be so affectionate. She hadn’t acted this way since she turned 15 and couldn’t bear letting go. He sank his body lower and held Gu Nianzhi to flip them both over so that he was sitting on the bed. Now Gu Nianzhi was lying on his body and his characteristically deadpan face broke into a small smile; the magnetism in his voice was enough to tug at her heart. “Are we talking about people we like? Ok, you go first.”
Gu Nianzhi’s mind refused to work for a moment. “I go first? Talk about what?”
“The person you like. Didn’t you say we’re going to talk about that?” Huo Shaoheng smiled at Gu Nianzhi.
Gu Nianzhi supported herself on her arms and looked up, her delicate eyebrows scrunched up. “I have to talk about the person I like? That’s not right. Wasn’t I asking you about the person you like?” She poked at Huo Shaoheng’s chest. “Don’t change the subject, Tell me… tell me about the person you like.”
“You say it first.”
“But you don’t even care about the person I like! Why do I have to go first?”
It was obvious that Gu Nianzhi had a tight lip even when she was drunk; she refused to say anything. “So you’ll say it if I care?” Huo Shaoheng teased.
“Yep.” Gu Nianzhi nodded seriously. “Of course.”
“Ok, then I do care.” Huo Shaoheng continued to humor her.
“What do you mean you care?” Gu Nianzhi muttered unhappily, then counted off with her fingers as she talked about the person she liked. “He has to be handsome, has to be tall, good looking, be amazing, know everything there is to know, and be good to me and respect me, most importantly.”
Huo Shaoheng suddenly felt hopeless. That was the type of person she liked? According to these standards, there were at least a thousand or even ten thousand candidates in all of the Empire; The young lady could fool people even when drunk; had he, Big Xiong, and Little Ze taught her to resist leading questions too well?
“Mhmm, me too.” Huo Shaoheng began to repeat her words, “The person I like has to be pretty, know how to be coy, be powerful, know everything about everything, and be good to me.”
Gu Nianzhi’s brain froze again as she looked at Huo Shaoheng in a daze. “What a coincidence! We like the same type?”
“That’s not a coincidence. You grew up with me, so what’s strange about us liking the same type.” Huo Shaoheng put his hands behind his head and sat casually on the bed.
Gu Nianzhi rubbed her head; she felt that she still had something to say. She squatted forward and climbed up Huo Shaoheng’s body to lay on his chest. Her dewy eyes sparkled right in front of his face. “Huo Shao, have you thought about getting a girlfriend?”
“What are you so interested in my girlfriend today?” Huo Shaoheng squinted at her and circled his arms around her slender waist so that she wouldn’t tumble off the bed.
“Your girlfriend? Didn’t you just say that you didn’t have one?” Gu Nianzhi’s heart wrenched. “How can you lie? You’re a liar! Big! Fat! Liar!” She was so upset she started bawling.
Huo Shaoheng looked up at the top of the bed, speechless. This young lady was even harder to deal with she was drunk. He took a few deep breaths and shifted his body to move a certain “reacting” body part away. He grabbed a few tissues from the nightstand and handed them to Gu Nianzhi. “Don’t cry so easily. I already said I didn’t have one! Ok? So stop crying.”
“You really don’t have one?” Gu Nianzhi took the tissue and blew her nose.”You really can’t lie to me; this is really important to me.”
Huo Shaoheng was silent for a long moment before asking, “Why would whether not I have a girlfriend be important to you?”
“Nevermind that.” Gu Nianzhi dried her tears and seemed to feel much better she laid on his chest again and stared adoringly at him.
Huo Shaoheng remained motionless and let her stare for a long time before picking her up to have her lay beside him. He asked casually, “Did you not end up with Mei Xiawen because you already liked someone else?”
Gu Nianzhi let her guard down and accidentally spoke from her heart. “Yes, I do love someone. I’ll only love him for the rest of my life and I won’t be with anyone else even if I can’t be with him. I’d rather be alone forever.”
“Is there someone that great?” Huo Shaoheng tried asking calmly, his expression still deadpan.
“Of course he’s great, everything’s great about him. He’s basically perfect…” Gu Nianzhi sighed as she leaned her head against Huo Shaoheng’s shoulder. She felt very satisfied.
“There’s so such thing as a perfect person.” Huo Shaoheng laughed. “Nianzhi, don’t put too much hope into a man.” He paused before he asked, “Who is he?”