Chapter Thirty-Five: Guo Xiangqing's Humiliation and Rage

"Alright, let's watch this one. Aunt hid it so carefully—it must be really good." Guo Xiangqing brushed the dust from her knees, which had picked up grime from kneeling on the floor, then took out a disc and walked over.

Zhang Ye's face was full of astonishment. "Are you sure?" His eyes widened in disbelief.

"Is there a problem?" Guo Xiangqing blinked and asked.

"Ahem, no, no problem at all. Let's watch this one." Zhang Ye suppressed his laughter, coughed a few times, and shook his head repeatedly, pretending he had no objections.

He hadn't expected Guo Xiangqing to pull out such a popular Category III "action" film. Zhang Ye had seen this movie in his previous life, though he couldn't recall exactly when. He remembered watching it with Zhao Haidong, and the excitement they felt still lingered in his memory.

Now, of course, he couldn't admit he'd seen it before, nor could he betray the slightest hint of familiarity, lest Guo Xiangqing discover it and scorn him forever.

Even if he wanted to stop her, there was nothing he could do—every disc in Guo Xiangqing's hand was of the same genre.

Thinking of this, Zhang Ye felt a surge of anticipation. The idea of a girl and a boy watching an erotic film together was enough to make his heart race.

"Peach Blossoms in Full Bloom"—that was the film's title. When the disc slid into the player, Guo Xiangqing sat expectantly on the bed, quietly watching.

At that moment, Zhang Ye felt a little lost. The sensible move would have been to leave the room and avoid the awkwardness, but he couldn't help but look forward to Guo Xiangqing's reaction to those scenes.

She was always so reserved and cool at school—how would she respond to something like this? Zhang Ye was eager to find out.

At first, before the plot began, Guo Xiangqing watched with keen interest. But soon, as naked bodies appeared on the screen, her cheeks flushed as pink as ripe peaches.

Her breathing quickened, and she hurriedly pressed the fast-forward button, trying to skip the scene. Yet, as the film progressed, the explicit content increased, and she finally realized what kind of movie it was. Her face burned crimson, mortified and furious.

She quickly shut off the video, trembling as she tried to regain her composure. Then she noticed Zhang Ye watching her with a curious gaze, and she shrieked, "Zhang Ye—!"

At that moment, Guo Xiangqing wished she could disappear beneath the covers. It was simply too humiliating.

"Ahem, I didn't see anything," Zhang Ye said quickly, noticing the murderous look in her eyes.

"You knew about this, didn't you?" Guo Xiangqing ignored his words and strode over, her eyes fierce.

Zhang Ye shook his head vigorously. "No, absolutely not. It was my first time watching it."

"Really?" Guo Xiangqing came closer, raising her cotton pillow as if to strike.

"Really, as true as gold," Zhang Ye retreated a few steps and nodded fervently.

"As if I'd believe you!" Guo Xiangqing swung the pillow at him with all her might.

...

The result of this incident was that for the next several hours, Guo Xiangqing didn't say a single word to Zhang Ye, occasionally casting him murderous glances, as if she might swallow him whole.

Even after Yuan Yuqing came home from work, Guo Xiangqing's attitude remained unchanged. Of course, a woman's thoughts are unfathomable—perhaps she was shaken by the film, or perhaps she couldn't believe Aunt had such a movie hidden away, or maybe her mind was simply in turmoil. Who could say?

Noticing the strange atmosphere between them, Yuan Yuqing put the groceries in the kitchen and asked, "What's going on with you two? You seem odd!"

Indeed, it was odd, though it was Guo Xiangqing's gaze that was especially strange, as if she were astonished, and more so, incredulous.

Zhang Ye understood what Guo Xiangqing's look meant, and he sympathized. After all, Yuan Yuqing was a normal woman; at twenty-eight, such needs were only natural. Moreover, in the world to come, such things were commonplace, and some were downright shameless.

"Ahem, it's nothing. I just grabbed the remote from her this afternoon, and she's still mad," Zhang Ye said, knowing it was up to him to smooth things over. If Guo Xiangqing brought it up, everyone would be embarrassed.

"Oh? Let Xiangqing speak for herself," Yuan Yuqing obviously didn't believe him. She knew her niece well—she wouldn't get angry over something so trivial.

"I saw it," Guo Xiangqing blurted out, straightforward as always.

"Saw what?"

"I saw the discs in the box under your bed," Guo Xiangqing repeated.

A subtle change flickered across Yuan Yuqing's face.

Zhang Ye hurried to stand up again. "Ahem, we just watched a bit of TV this afternoon, not a movie," he said, though his attempt to cover it up was obvious.

"Quiet," Yuan Yuqing shot him a fierce look, then smiled at Guo Xiangqing. "Did you like it?"

Suddenly, Zhang Ye felt a chill, as if a storm of arrows were about to descend upon him.

"I didn't finish it." Guo Xiangqing shook her head, biting her lip. "Aunt, why don't you find me an uncle?" Clearly, she'd been brooding over this all afternoon.

"None caught my eye."

"You could look. What about Uncle Deng?"

"Do you want to eat here or not? If not, go home." Yuan Yuqing's smiling face finally changed, her tone unusually stern.

"Alright, alright, I won't mention him. What's wrong with him, anyway? Fine, I don't blame you." Guo Xiangqing rushed over, grabbing Yuan Yuqing's hand to placate her.

Soon, laughter echoed between the two women.

"That's it? Where's the promised battle? Where's the clash of swords?" Zhang Ye was bewildered. Just moments ago, a storm seemed imminent, and now the skies had cleared.

In his heart, he made a note of this so-called Uncle Deng mentioned by Guo Xiangqing.

Originally, Zhang Ye had assumed that someone as busy as Yuan Yuqing wouldn't be much of a cook, but to his surprise, her culinary skills were on par with top chefs. Compared to Liu Dong's restaurant, Zhang Ye felt there was little difference.

Dinner passed amid Zhang Ye's endless praise, and by then Guo Xiangqing had thawed toward him, no longer cold and distant as before—a demeanor she usually reserved for strangers at school.

"By the way, I've already made arrangements for your situation. The next two days are off, and it'll probably be handled by Monday. I'll let you know by phone," Yuan Yuqing said during the meal. She seemed entirely unembarrassed by her secret being discovered, completely at ease.

"Understood. Thank you, Aunt Yuan." Zhang Ye nodded gratefully.

"Actually, I don't feel much older than you."

"Oh, oh—thank you, Sister Yuan! Thank you, Sister Yuan!" Zhang Ye quickly adapted.

"No, then I'm even lower in seniority! You must call me Aunt, or I'll get mad at you."

"Little brat, just teasing—you make such a fuss."

...

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