Chapter 141: First Kiss Gone

"Time to go home."

Seeing both of them slumped over the table, Zhang Mingyang quickly urged Xu Yuqing to drag her sister away.

Zhang Mingyang took responsibility for Bai Muqing, while Xu Yuqing took care of Xu Zihan.

"Why is she so heavy?"

After finally managing to hoist Bai Muqing up, Zhang Mingyang watched as she immediately collapsed back to the floor like a pile of mud.

"You might as well just carry her on your back."

With this piece of advice from Xu Yuqing, she proceeded to prop up Xu Zihan and slowly inch her way out.

Seeing Xu Yuqing leave, Zhang Mingyang reminded her to be careful and send him a text message once she got home.

"Two of them are gone, what am I supposed to do with the one left on the floor?"

Gazing down at Bai Muqing, who was sleeping soundly on the floor, Zhang Mingyang sighed. "If you can't hold your liquor, you shouldn't drink this much."

"Sigh!"

He tried once more, but the moment he got her upright, she went limp again. "Don't tell me I actually have to carry her all the way back on my back?"

Weighing his options, Zhang Mingyang decided that instead of dragging this out, it would be better to get her back home sooner so she could sleep in a proper bed.

He wrapped his arms around Bai Muqing's underarms, hoisted her onto a chair, and quickly hurried around to the front to squat down.

"How did this shoe fall off?" He bent down again to pick up her high heel.

"Hey!"

He bounced Bai Muqing slightly to test her weight, looked back over his shoulder, and said, "Hold on tight, we're heading out."

Since Bai Muqing was wearing a dress, a gust of wind blew it aside, causing Zhang Mingyang's hand to press directly against her smooth thigh.

"Holy crap! So smooth!"

Blushing fiercely, Zhang Mingyang hastily adjusted his grip further back. "I hope I didn't leave a handprint. If she wakes up tomorrow and finds a mark on her thigh, that's going to be so awkward."

After weighing the pros and cons, he gathered up the fabric of her dress and gripped that instead.

"Why are you grabbing that? Grab my leg!"

Whether Bai Muqing actually felt it or was operating purely on instinct, she suddenly spoke up, demanding that he grab her thigh. The command startled Zhang Mingyang out of his wits.

"You're awake?"

Zhang Mingyang turned his head to look at her, only to see her resting her head against his neck, drooling softly.

"Oh no! Crap! I'm definitely going to have to take a shower when we get back!"

Stepping out of the hot pot restaurant, Zhang Mingyang checked for nearby taxi stands. Since he was carrying Bai Muqing on his back, he couldn't take out his phone to hail a ride and had to look for a cab parked along the street.

"Where are the cars?"

He scanned the surroundings but couldn't find a single parked taxi.

"Whatever, I'll just walk forward and look for one."

Carrying Bai Muqing, he headed north. After walking for a short while, Zhang Mingyang began to feel the heat radiating from behind him. Bai Muqing's feverish, burning body was a severe test of his willpower.

"Good grief!"

Zhang Mingyang tugged at his collar; he was already breaking out in a sweat.

"Zhang Mingyang, don't you leave!" Bai Muqing muttered in her sleep again.

"Fine! I won't leave."

Spotting a taxi pulling over ahead, he hurried over toward it.

A young man and woman got out of the cab, and the man, seeing Zhang Mingyang running up with someone on his back, kindly held the door open for him.

"Thanks, brother."

Zhang Mingyang carefully settled Bai Muqing onto the backseat. "My lower back!"

Once she was down, Zhang Mingyang stretched his back. "That nearly killed me. She didn't feel that heavy just picking her up, so why was she so heavy to carry?"

Climbing into the backseat, Zhang Mingyang entered the destination into the driver's interface, and the car started moving toward home.

Pressing the window control button to lower the glass, Zhang Mingyang felt a rush of cool night air that was exceptionally refreshing.

"Zhang Mingyang, do you actually like me or not?"

Bai Muqing blurted out another sentence, this time pressing herself directly against his chest.

Fortunately, the taxi was fully automated with no driver present, otherwise, Zhang Mingyang would have died of embarrassment. His initial impulse was to push Bai Muqing away, but after a moment's thought, he let it be.

"Are you actually asleep or not?"

Zhang Mingyang lowered his gaze to look at Bai Muqing resting against his chest. Her long eyelashes, flushed cheeks, and supple lips made his heart race.

"Damn it! Why is it that every time I look at her up close, I feel like I can't control myself? Could it be that I've been single for too long?"

"Ugh...!"

He shook his head vigorously to banish the thought.

"Hey grandpa! Your grandson sent you a text message."

Zhang Mingyang quickly pulled out his phone and saw a message from Xu Yuqing: "We're already home safe. You guys be careful on your way back."

"That fast?"

Seeing that the two of them had made it home safely, Zhang Mingyang breathed a sigh of relief. Now, all he had to do was get this one home.

"Wait! If I bring her home and my grandparents see this, what am I supposed to say? The guy is completely sober while the girl is dead drunk! Doesn't that just invite people to jump to conclusions?"

"No way! I need to call home and find out if the two old folks are there or not."

"Beep, beep..."

"Hello? Mingyang, did you get home?"

Hearing his grandmother's voice, Zhang Mingyang realized she wasn't home yet. He hurriedly asked, "Grandma, are you not at home?"

His grandmother replied, "I forgot to tell you. Your grandfather and I went to your aunt's place. Your aunt has to go on a business trip for a few days, so she asked us to come over and look after your younger cousins for a bit."

"Huh? You went to my aunt's house?"

Zhang Mingyang quickly asked, "Wait! Why is my aunt suddenly going on a business trip? Isn't my uncle at home?"

"Your uncle went away for training too. Neither of them is home. I won't chat anymore, the bus is here. Mingyang, if you don't feel like cooking these next few days, just take the young lady out to eat. Your grandfather and I will be back in a few days. Gotta go, I'm hanging up."

With that, his grandmother abruptly disconnected the call, leaving Zhang Mingyang utterly dazed.

"Since the two of them aren't home, that means there's only me and Bai Muqing in the entire house!"

Looking at Bai Muqing, who was still fast asleep, he had a lingering sense that something wasn't quite right.

"Hold me in your arms when we sleep tonight."

Bai Muqing suddenly shifted her position, wrapping her arms around Zhang Mingyang's neck, pressing her cheek directly against his.

"I...!"

Zhang Mingyang stiffened, turning completely rigid. Bai Muqing's face was pressed so close that he could hear her breathing and smell the scent of alcohol on her breath.

"Good grief! This smell is way too strong!"

He tried to pry Bai Muqing's arms apart, but she seemed imbued with some mysterious strength; the harder he tried to push her away, the tighter she held on.

Suddenly!

Bai Muqing's lips pressed firmly against Zhang Mingyang's mouth, sending his heart rate soaring to 180 in an instant.

"Mph...! My first kiss!"

He hurriedly pushed her head back. "Ugh...!" He spat out a mouthful, his mouth tasting entirely of alcohol.

"Great! My first kiss is gone!"

Once his heart rate finally settled, Zhang Mingyang looked down at Bai Muqing, who was curled up in his arms like a little cat, and surprisingly found himself reminiscing about the sensation from a moment ago.

Soft, warm, just like jelly. The feeling was indescribably wondrous.

"We have arrived at Princeton Gardens. Passengers, please mind your safety when alighting."

The car stopped at the entrance of the residential complex. Refusing to let his mind wander any further, Zhang Mingyang paid the fare, opened the car door, and hoisted Bai Muqing onto his back once again.

Carrying her now, Zhang Mingyang suddenly felt that this time was completely different from before. He couldn't quite put his finger on the feeling, but it suddenly dawned on him that he was no longer carrying a mere stranger, but rather—

Walking through the neighborhood, Zhang Mingyang exchanged greetings with a few neighbors he passed.

"Oh my! Mingyang, who is this you're carrying on your back? Your girlfriend?"

Zhang Mingyang merely smiled and didn't offer a reply.

Listening to the curious inquiries of the nearby neighbors, Zhang Mingyang was struck by the sudden realization that it really felt as though he were carrying his girlfriend home. The sensation was truly wonderful.