Running Over The Head Of My Ex [Rebirth]

Chapter 71

“Do you like me?”

It was supposed to be a question, but Zhuo Zhiwei uttered it with such certainty, like a clap of thunder that left He Qingqi dazed, her mind reeling.

The deepest, most secret feelings she had hidden away in her heart were now exposed, spoken out loud by none other than the person involved. Shock quickly followed by a wave of embarrassment and panic.

Instinctively, she took a step back.

There was no escape. Behind her was only a water cooler, which wobbled as she bumped into it.

Zhuo Zhiwei had anticipated this and swiftly moved closer, blocking any path of retreat, pressing her for an answer.

He Qingqi leaned backward, her mind repeating one thought: *Zhiwei knows!*

Her face flushed red with embarrassment, then quickly turned pale, red and white mingling like the shifting hues of a chameleon.

Half of her body was bathed in the harsh fluorescent light, leaving her with nowhere to hide, while the other half remained in shadow. On her face, half-lit and half-obscured, there flickered an indescribable mixture of relief and anxiety.

Relief because she no longer had to hide her feelings. She no longer had to wrestle with the decision of whether to remain just friends or whether her admiration might burden the person she liked.

But anxiety, too—her secret had been exposed, yet Zhuo Zhiwei’s tone was unclear. Was it happiness she heard, or disdain?

What about you?

He Qingqi asked inwardly.

Do you like me too?

Will you despise me, avoid me, or hate me because I like you?

Her lips moved, the words on the tip of her tongue. She wanted to speak, but the person in front of her was so captivating; standing there in the quiet, empty night, her heartbeat surged uncontrollably, as if it might break free from her chest.

She hurriedly averted her gaze. With Zhuo Zhiwei already aware of her thoughts yet still not expressing a clear stance, it felt too shameless to show such emotion.

But no matter where He Qingqi looked, Zhuo Zhiwei’s clear, bright eyes always seemed to catch her in the corner of her vision.

*So beautiful.*

Her heart beat wildly.

She sneaked another glance, and it finally dawned on her: if Zhuo Zhiwei intended to reject her, there would have been no need to say everything out loud, much less in this manner…

To confront her.

He Qingqi’s eyes suddenly lit up. The earlier thunder seemed to have sparked the fuse of a forgotten firework in her heart, and now it exploded, lighting up the entire sky.

Lowering her head slightly, she met Zhuo Zhiwei’s dark, inky eyes, and an unexpected wave of courage surged within her.

Zhuo Zhiwei, who had been waiting for a response, had nearly run out of the courage she had mustered. The faint intoxication from the night had evaporated entirely.

Rationality returned, and the hand that had been pinning He Qingqi to the water cooler slackened, losing its resolve.

At that moment, He Qingqi, with eyes as clear as a mountain spring, gazed at her, and Zhuo Zhiwei’s face suddenly flushed red. She averted her eyes, embarrassed.

Yet, unwilling to let this impulsive but heartfelt confession slip away unanswered, she mustered her courage and looked directly at He Qingqi. Her gaze, usually as cold as the moon, now resembled a startled deer.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?” Her breathing quickened.

She was still struggling to suppress her embarrassment.

The old hotel’s poor soundproofing allowed them to hear the joyful revelry outside, making the silence in the room even more pronounced.

In the stillness of the room, only their strong, pounding heartbeats remained. The two of them were so close that it was hard to tell whose heartbeat was whose.

*Is it hers?*

*Or mine?*

Entwined together, it was impossible to know.

He Qingqi found herself lost in Zhuo Zhiwei’s gaze, as if she were experiencing an endless cycle of rebirth.

Her gaze lowered, lingering on the delicate collarbone she had long admired, and then moved downward to the soft chest she had once buried her face in and the slender waist that seemed barely enough to hold in one hand.

Her expression darkened.

She clenched her fingers, fighting the urge bubbling inside her, her eyes heavy, but she didn’t answer.

Instead, she asked, “What about you?”

In an instant, the roles reversed.

For a moment, the struggle He Qingqi had just gone through, Zhuo Zhiwei now experienced.

After a pause, her thoughts slowly settled, like fluttering butterflies returning to rest.

“I asked you first,” she said, frowning slightly and pouting a little, her words tinged with the stubbornness of a child.

It was unexpectedly adorable.

He Qingqi’s eyelashes trembled as she lowered her head and smiled.

Seeing this, Zhuo Zhiwei realized what He Qingqi meant, and she couldn’t help but smile in return.

Under the quiet, flowing moonlight, they gazed at each other, their hearts pounding with a strange excitement. Nothing was said, yet everything had been spoken.

Biting her lip, Zhuo Zhiwei’s gaze fell several times on He Qingqi’s flushed lips, and her collarbone twitched again.

Shamelessly, she thought: Will she kiss me? Anticipation and nervousness intermingled.

Now that everything had been said, there was no need for shame or restraint. He Qingqi, her eyes burning, stared boldly at her lips.

A spark of desire flickered deep in her gaze.

Looking up, she met Zhuo Zhiwei’s eyes, her boldness growing.

Her throat moved as she said, in a soft but serious voice, “Leaning back like this is tiring.”

The kiss that Zhuo Zhiwei anticipated didn’t come. Instead, she froze, clearly caught off guard. “Huh? What?”

Before she could say anything more, He Qingqi grabbed her wrist, gently pressed her hand down, bent over, and kissed her.

No more leaning back.

Zhuo Zhiwei’s pupils shrank, her body tensing, her arms instinctively pulling down. She arched her neck, pushing her collarbone out further, now entirely claimed by He Qingqi’s lips.

She felt the warm, wet sensation circle there, and the little deer in her chest was completely disoriented.

Her feet seemed to float off the ground, and she felt as though she might collapse into He Qingqi’s arms at any moment. He Qingqi, sensing this, let go of her arm and encircled her waist instead.

The touch made Zhuo Zhiwei shiver, her eyes widening as she stared blankly out the window.

The night outside was dark and misty, creating an intimate atmosphere.

He Qingqi stood up, licking her lips with the satisfaction of a long-awaited taste. She gently caressed the spot she had kissed with her fingers.

Finally, her tongue brushed against that small collarbone, fulfilling her wish. He Qingqi, filled with pride, was no longer afraid, and her words began to flow.

She stared at Zhuo Zhiwei’s lips, murmuring softly to herself, or perhaps to Zhuo Zhiwei, “I’ve wanted this for so long.”

“It’s truly… delicious.”

Her voice was low, oddly alluring.

As she spoke, she ran her finger lightly over her lips, rubbing them gently.

Zhuo Zhiwei raised her eyes to look at her, her gaze pure and confused.

“You…you…”

She stammered, unable to form a sentence.

“You tricked me!” she blurted out, like a little girl.

He Qingqi paused, slightly puzzled. “I tricked you.”

Zhuo Zhiwei’s face turned red as she continued to stammer, unable to complete her sentence.

Where was the shy little lion she knew? How could she be so…

Seductive.

It felt like everything before had been an act.

She had seemed so easy to fool, so adorably naive.

But that was all a lie.

Zhuo Zhiwei looked at her in disbelief, her eyes tinged with sorrow.

He Qingqi caught the shift in her expression, tilting her head slightly. “??”

Zhuo Zhiwei could only watch as He Qingqi transformed before her eyes from the soft, pastel colors she had known into something bolder—more intense.

*So delicious…*

A mix of shame and joy rose in her heart, her pulse racing uncontrollably.

But she…wasn’t as adorable anymore!

With that thought, she turned abruptly, intending to leave. However, her legs, still weak, buckled beneath her, and she nearly collapsed to the floor.

He Qingqi quickly caught her by the waist.

The moment their bodies touched, He Qingqi felt a rush of euphoria, her lips curving into a satisfied smile as she wrapped her other arm around her, holding her tightly.

She blinked her bright eyes and nuzzled against Zhuo Zhiwei’s neck like an affectionate kitten.

The damp, heated sensation of their touch wasn’t pleasant, but Zhuo Zhiwei didn’t seem to mind.

Her boundaries were crossed again and again, but she had long forgotten her earlier irritation. Her heart softened into a pool of water.

Her arms wrapped around He Qingqi’s shoulders, her lips pressed together, unable to suppress the rising joy.

As He Qingqi reveled in her embrace, she couldn’t help but let her smugness show.

“When did you start liking me, Weiwei?” He Qingqi asked playfully.

“Was it recent? During the filming of The Miracle Journey, or maybe when you visited my house?”

“Could it be… love at first sight?”

He Qingqi suddenly stood up, her eyes shining like stars, tugging at Zhuo Zhiwei’s hand, demanding answers. “Is it? Is it?”

Zhuo Zhiwei, with a barely noticeable curl of her lips, pretended to think seriously for a moment.

He Qingqi waited expectantly, her heart racing.

Zhuo Zhiwei’s expression suddenly shifted into one of feigned confusion. After a long pause, she said, “Did I… like you?”

He Qingqi froze on the spot, her expression gradually stiffening as if turning to stone, her face drained of color.

Thankfully, after all the passionate moments they’d just shared, she quickly realized that Zhuo Zhiwei was teasing her. Still, she pouted pitifully, her eyes drooping in exaggerated disappointment.

“So… when did you start liking me then?” Zhuo Zhiwei asked, her icy demeanor now soft and gentle, her gaze warm as spring snow melting.

The question was tossed back to He Qingqi, just as she had done to Zhuo Zhiwei earlier.

But He Qingqi wasn’t upset. In fact, she seemed more excited, eager to answer.

“I…”

Just as she was about to speak, a noise interrupted them from the hallway—a burst of laughter.

“Hahaha! Lin, you’re too funny!” came the bright, youthful voice of Chai Xu.

He Qingqi stood there, stunned, looking at Zhuo Zhiwei.

Zhuo Zhiwei’s gaze reflected a hint of reluctance, a serene warmth flowing between them.

She sighed softly, reaching out to ruffle He Qingqi’s hair in a comforting gesture. “I need to go.”

“No,” He Qingqi responded stubbornly, clinging to her, refusing to let go.

The footsteps outside grew louder, and they could faintly hear the sound of a key being inserted into the door.

Zhuo Zhiwei quickly disentangled herself, but not before leaving a sweet parting gesture—she pressed a soft kiss to He Qingqi’s cheek.

He Qingqi immediately loosened her grip, standing there in a daze. She instinctively reached up to touch the spot Zhuo Zhiwei had kissed, and only then did her heart begin to race again.

Zhuo Zhiwei headed toward the door, her usual steady steps carrying an uncharacteristic lightness. Everything that had transpired tonight felt surreal, like a dream.

At that moment, Jiang Shan opened the door.

Their eyes met. Jiang Shan paused, surprised. “Zhiwei, you’re here too.”

Zhuo Zhiwei nodded calmly, as if nothing unusual had happened. “I was just chatting with Qingqi.”

Her expression was so composed that Jiang Shan believed her immediately, smiling warmly. “Do you want to stay and chat a bit more?”

Out of Jiang Shan’s sight, He Qingqi’s eyes lit up with anticipation.

But Zhuo Zhiwei shook her head, smiling politely. “No, it’s been a long day, and I’d like to get some rest.”

He Qingqi pouted slightly, but her disappointment went unnoticed.

Tonight had been so sudden, Zhuo Zhiwei felt the need to process it all. She worried that if she stayed any longer, she might pass out from happiness. In fact, her legs still hadn’t fully recovered their strength.

As she recalled the moment she had He Qingqi pinned to the water cooler, Zhuo Zhiwei blushed, wondering where she had found the courage.

With a shy smile, she lowered her eyes and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Good night, Ms. Jiang.”

Jiang Shan nodded. “Good night.”

As Zhuo Zhiwei passed by her, He Qingqi suddenly called out, “Weiwei.”

She took two quick steps to catch up.

“I’ll walk you to your room,” He Qingqi said, her eyes filled with reluctance.

“It’s just down the hall,” Zhuo Zhiwei replied with a helpless smile, giving He Qingqi a playful look, though she was clearly pleased.

When they reached Zhuo Zhiwei’s door, Zhuo Zhiwei stopped. “I’m here.”

He Qingqi looked at her with an expression as if they were parting forever.

Zhuo Zhiwei couldn’t help but feel a bit amused. She glanced around to make sure no one was nearby, then lowered her voice to a soft, coaxing tone. “Be good. We’ll see each other tomorrow.”

“But we just… ” He Qingqi began to protest.

“I’ll miss you,” He Qingqi whined, her voice filled with affection.

Thinking of what she’d come here to say, He Qingqi gathered her courage and gently grabbed Zhuo Zhiwei’s hand.

“Zhiwei,” she whispered.

“Hmm?” Zhuo Zhiwei turned to look at her.

He Qingqi leaned close to Zhuo Zhiwei’s ear, her breath warm and slow against her skin.

Zhuo Zhiwei’s ears turned red.

In a soft, clear voice, filled with the sweetness and slight stickiness of youthful affection, He Qingqi whispered in her ear:

“I like you, Weiwei.”

As if answering the question Zhuo Zhiwei had asked earlier.

“I’ve liked you… for a long time.”

Perhaps the alcohol from earlier was hitting her harder now.

Zhuo Zhiwei blinked slowly, her legs feeling weak again.