Chapter 167: An Ambiguous Atmosphere

Standing beside Zhou Jinfan, Li Zhao did not speak, but secretly raised his phone to snap a photo of the painting. He forgot to mute the camera, however, and the sharp click instantly broke the tender atmosphere. Gu Xiujin turned his head sharply, casting a freezing, icy glare in their direction.

Shivering under the sub-zero gaze, both Li Zhao and Zhou Jinfan shuddered involuntarily.

"It's all your fault! Why didn't you put your phone on silent when taking pictures?" Zhou Jinfan whispered through gritted teeth with a fake smile.

Looking embarrassed, Li Zhao quickly put his phone away as if nothing had happened. He gave a dry cough, pointed out the window, and said, "The weather outside is really nice today!"

Noticing that it was already dusk and the sky outside was growing dim and gloomy, Zhou Jinfan's mouth twitched. Speechless, he retorted, "I must say, that excuse is older than the hills. Can you stop using it?"

Seeing the two of them bickering among themselves, Gu Xiujin dropped the matter. But as he turned back, he was surprised to find that Xie Qingtang, who had been resting with her head on the desk, had woken up. As their eyes met, the two of them blinked simultaneously.

*What is going on? Am I still dreaming?* Xie Qingtang tilted her head in confusion, lazily scratched her hair, and stood up. She walked right over to Gu Xiujin and did something that completely shocked everyone present.

Approaching Gu Xiujin, Xie Qingtang reached out her hands and, amid the collective gasps of the onlookers, grabbed both of his cheeks and pinched them hard several times.

"Oh my god, the tactile sensation in dreams is so realistic! This feels amazing. I've always wanted to pinch your face, but you always look so unapproachable that I never dared to get close to you."

With an expression of pure satisfaction, Xie Qingtang continued kneading Gu Xiujin's face. Seeing the man's face turn dark, stern, and freezing cold, she burst out laughing. "That's it, exactly that expression! I never expected you'd still look like this in my dream. Whenever you made that face before, I wouldn't dare go near you. But now that we're in my dream, do you really think I'll let you bully me? If you can look fierce, I can look even fiercer!"

With that, Xie Qingtang bared a row of neat, white little teeth and made a fierce face. That fiercely adorable look instantly pierced straight through Gu Xiujin's heart, leaving him momentarily dazed.

That naive and endearing expression made Xie Qingtang even more uninhibited in her actions.

"The texture is so real and delicate! I never imagined a grown man could have skin this smooth. It seems he takes really good care of himself," she muttered, offering a running commentary as she pinched. Glancing back by chance, she caught sight of the two people standing behind the counter, frozen stiff like wooden chickens.

Having fulfilled a long-held wish, Xie Qingtang cheerfully waved at them and greeted them brightly, "Oh, Zhou Jinfan, Li Zhao! I didn't expect the two of you to make it into my dream too. Looks like I'm dreaming about quite a few people today. Wait, no..."

After greeting them, Xie Qingtang finally sensed that something was amiss. Her hands froze mid-motion, and she slowly, stiffly retracted them like a rusted robot. Turning her body around at a snail's pace, she offered a stiff, awkward smile to Zhou Jinfan and asked, "I'm not dreaming, am I?"

Behind the counter, Zhou Jinfan shook his head with a look of profound sorrow, then slowly lowered himself down until he completely vanished behind the counter. Li Zhao threw Xie Qingtang a look that clearly said "may the gods save you," and similarly ducked out of sight.

At that moment, the human glacier standing beside her, radiating freezing coldness, spoke in a calm, detached tone: "So, Miss Xie does such uninhibited things to me in her dreams."

"It's a misunderstanding! Purely a misunderstanding!" Xie Qingtang jumped backward like a startled guinea pig, then raised both hands with a ingratiating smile.

Gu Xiujin wore a look of utter disdain as he slowly advanced toward her. Xie Qingtang had no choice but to keep smiling and retreating until her back hit the medical consultation desk, leaving her with nowhere left to run.

Pressing her hips against the desk, she flashed a sheepish grin at Gu Xiujin. "I was just half-asleep a moment ago and couldn't tell the difference between a dream and reality. Offending you like that—I am truly, terribly sorry."

"Offending?" Gu Xiujin said, a hint of curiosity suddenly coloring his voice. "So you know it was an offense. Is there anything else even more offensive you would have done to me in your dream?" Before she could reply, he abruptly stepped forward, resting both arms on either side of the desk to completely trap Xie Qingtang within his embrace.

Their distance was forcibly shortened, and Xie Qingtang could even perceive the faint scent of Chinese herbal medicine drifting from Gu Xiujin. It must have been from the herbal decoctions he had been drinking lately to regulate his health, which left this distinct fragrance on him.

She did not dislike the scent; if anything, she found herself somewhat intoxicated by it. Her professional instincts kicking in, she unconsciously twitched her little nose and sniffed at Gu Xiujin, trying to discern the medicinal ingredients from the aroma.

This subconscious action of hers caused Gu Xiujin's entire body to stiffen. The little woman in his arms was acting rather restlessly, wriggling back and forth against him like an elusive little beast, as if searching for something—or perhaps deliberately teasing him.

Finally, Gu Xiujin could no longer restrain himself. He tightened his arms and pulled Xie Qingtang directly into his embrace. The air between them was instantly squeezed out, leaving no space and pressing their bodies flush against each other without an inch of distance.

The move startled Xie Qingtang, forcing her to lift her head and look up at the man before her.

Gu Xiujin gazed down at her. She blinked her pure, innocent eyes, looking back at him with a mixture of confusion and curiosity, seemingly failing to understand why he had done such a thing.

Perhaps swept away by the atmosphere, or perhaps driven by feelings that had finally reached their natural climax, Gu Xiujin slowly lowered his head, eagerly longing to capture those red lips he had dreamed of so many times.

Yet right at that moment, the startled Xie Qingtang let out a loud hiccup. In the quiet herb shop, that single hiccup sounded like a clap of thunder echoing through the entire room, impossible to ignore.

Hearing the hiccup, Zhou Jinfan and Li Zhao, hiding behind the counter, could not help but burst into laughter.