Push Me Away When I Come, Don't Hold Me Back When I Leave - Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Burning with Jealousy

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As the cool breeze rose, the intoxication gradually dispersed with the chill.

After deciding to have a designated driver take Xiao Qinghan home later, the well-fed and drunk Xiao Qinghan and Xia Ruoming walked arm in arm down the street. For some reason, that previous kiss seemed to have stirred different feelings in Xia Ruoming’s heart. At this moment, the two seemed like a real couple taking a stroll together.

Xiao Qinghan shook Xia Ruoming’s hand, pointing at the purple baby’s breath displayed in the flower shop next to them with a drunken expression.

“Ruoming… look, those flowers are so beautiful.”

The helplessness was almost written all over Xia Ruoming’s face. She was already calling her by first name, what happened to maintaining proper boundaries? You’re a teacher, and I’m just a student! Two cans of beer were enough to get Xiao Qinghan this drunk. She couldn’t let her drink anymore in the future, or she might cause a scene in public.

“Yes, they’re very pretty. Does Sister Qinghan want them?” Xia Ruoming asked, seeing Xiao Qinghan’s somewhat sparkling eyes.

“Ruoming… if you give them… to me… I want them.” Xiao Qinghan looked into Xia Ruoming’s eyes, her words somewhat unclear.

“Boss! Please wrap up a bunch of purple baby’s breath!” Xia Ruoming didn’t hesitate much and directly asked the flower shop to wrap up a bouquet.

“You have good taste. Baby’s breath usually only blooms in May. These are freshly bloomed baby’s breath. That’ll be 60 yuan.” The flower shop owner was a young woman who came out with a bouquet of about 12 stems of baby’s breath and handed it to Xia Ruoming.

Upon seeing Xia Ruoming and Xiao Qinghan, the flower shop owner feigned surprise and covered her mouth: “Wow, ladies, are you a couple? Your girlfriend is really beautiful, you two match so well. I’ll give you these flowers for 40 yuan.”

Hearing this, Xiao Qinghan immediately burst into laughter, extremely happy. Even knowing it was just the shop’s customer service tactic, she was still very pleased.

“Ruoming, she said we look like a well-matched couple!” Xiao Qinghan held up the bouquet, waving it in the air, unable to hide the smile on her face.

“Yes, yes, yes, Sister Qinghan matches well with any girl.” Looking at the drunk person in front of her, she could only keep agreeing. How could one have a normal conversation with someone who’s drunk?

Unexpectedly, Xiao Qinghan pinched Xia Ruoming’s face and looked into her eyes: “Not with any girl, but with you, Ruoming.”

Fortunately, the designated driver’s call came just in time. Otherwise, in this ambiguous situation that was nearly a confession, Xia Ruoming wouldn’t have known how to handle it. Despite Xiao Qinghan’s reluctant and pitiful expression, Xia Ruoming still pushed her into the car, making sure it was a female driver before feeling relieved. Otherwise, she would have had to accompany Xiao Qinghan home.

“Ah! I should head back too.” Xia Ruoming stretched her body and prepared to call a taxi home. Her bicycle was still parked at school.

“Why did you buy flowers for Teacher Xiao?”

A cool voice came from behind, and a jade-like hand rested on her shoulder.

When Xia Ruoming turned her head, she saw Xu Fengwu looking at her with a pitiful expression, tears glistening in her eyes.

At first, she thought this crazy woman had followed her, but then her peripheral vision caught the nameplate of the residential complex across the street.

【Jinxiang Garden】

“Pff…” Xia Ruoming nearly spat out blood. No wonder she felt like she had seen that restaurant before, and the surrounding environment seemed somewhat familiar. It turned out the Southeast Asian restaurant where Xiao Qinghan had taken her was near Xu Fengwu’s home.

Walking into a trap, bird entering a cage, digging one’s own grave, reaping what one sows… many idioms describing the current situation popped up in Xia Ruoming’s head. She had been trying to avoid Xu Fengwu, but this time she delivered herself right to her doorstep.

The pride hidden in Xu Fengwu’s nature wouldn’t easily dissipate. Even after being made unusually emotional by Xia Ruoming in the afternoon, she could adjust those abnormal feelings.

But after seeing Xia Ruoming buy flowers for Xiao Qinghan, Xu Fengwu felt her rationality was like a candle in the wind after facing the King in Yellow, about to disappear.

Over these years, Xia Ruoming had only given flowers to her.

Whether it was pink roses symbolizing first love, lilac, butterfly orchids, daisies, primroses, or star flowers symbolizing unchanging love, white bellflowers, forget-me-nots, violets, Xia Ruoming had given them all to her.

Although Xu Fengwu did accept them, those flowers would be thrown away somewhere unknown right after.

To please Xu Fengwu, Xia Ruoming even learned flower arrangement from Ji Chuan’s mother Zhong Hui for several months, just to create a “refined art piece” worthy of her temperament.

Actually, Xia Ruoming knew that Xu Fengwu didn’t like those flowers; it was obvious from her expression when receiving them. But she persisted tirelessly, thinking maybe she would like this type of flower? Maybe she just wasn’t in a good mood last time, but would like them when she’s in a better mood?

Someone who likes you will be happy even receiving wildflowers from a roadside green belt.

Someone who doesn’t like you won’t like you even if you give them Juliet roses and Sri Lankan cactus flowers.

At that time, Xia Ruoming didn’t understand that what she didn’t like wasn’t the flowers, but Xia Ruoming herself.

Xu Fengwu not only saw Xia Ruoming giving flowers to Xiao Qinghan, but also saw the scene in the Southeast Asian restaurant where Xiao Qinghan was being fed by Xia Ruoming’s spoon, the scene where Xiao Qinghan cried on Xia Ruoming’s shoulder, the scene where they locked pinkies and gazed into each other’s eyes, the scene where Xia Ruoming wiped away Xiao Qinghan’s tears, and that scene where Xia Ruoming was pressed against the chair and deeply kissed by Xiao Qinghan.

Because Xu Yihan was coming home very late today, she had originally planned to eat there.

She saw the two walking arm in arm on the street, drawing frequent glances from passersby.

She saw Xia Ruoming wrap up a bunch of baby’s breath at the flower shop for Xiao Qinghan, symbolizing pure and unblemished love, and the shop owner praised how well-matched they were.

She saw the drunk Xiao Qinghan constantly staying close to Xia Ruoming like a dependent bird, the two of them flirting openly.

When Xia Ruoming ate with her and gave her flowers, she never felt any emotional movement, nor did she develop any good feelings towards Xia Ruoming. She just thought she was like those characters in trashy romance novels, somewhat naive and somewhat amusing, capable of nothing except moving herself.

But when witnessing Xia Ruoming constantly ignoring herself and unreservedly giving all the tenderness that should have belonged to her to someone else, that nameless jealous fire burned fiercely in her heart again, especially since that “someone else” was a woman approaching 30 who was far inferior to herself, only having the tail end of her youth left!

After the jealousy came endless grievance.