Grab The Heroine and Run Away Ch.28.1
“Bang.”
Xu Heran nearly jumped out of her seat, plopping back down with a thud. Cui Qi only saw the gray blanket flying up, and with a “plop,” it landed on Xu Heran’s head. One corner of the blanket hung limply around her waist, while her two long legs curled up pitifully.
Cui Qi: “…?”
“I’m getting off to check. You two stay in the car,” Cui Qi instructed.
The two in the car remained silent.
Once the driver and Cui Qi had gotten out of the car, the girl on the left side stirred. Xin Nuo removed the blanket, taking in a silent deep breath. Her long black hair was disheveled, a few strands lifting slightly due to static electricity, making her slightly flushed face appear somewhat innocent.
“…”
Xin Nuo raised her hand and rubbed her face, then glanced at the person lying next to her, feigning death. Annoyance crept onto her face as she pursed her lips, and a hint of moisture appeared in her jet-black eyes.
But when something like this happened between her and Xu Heran, she felt… unsure whether she was at a disadvantage or not.
She desperately tried to find reasons in her mind, attempting to forget what had just happened. However, she noticed that Xu Heran was still pretending to be unconscious, sitting stiffly in her place.
In some situations, when one person’s reaction surpasses the other’s, the other person strangely calms down. At least, that’s how Xin Nuo felt at the moment. She even felt like laughing a little.
“Xu Heran?” She raised her voice, “What’s going on with you?”
Xu Heran remained motionless.
“Well, it turns out you like me this much…” Xin Nuo deliberately elongated her tone, speaking with a mournful tone, “Shouldn’t most people be ecstatic in this situation?”
“You’re not fond of Sister Nuo Nuo?”
“Ah, as expected, a certain Pearl is just all talk.” She imitated the tone of Xu Heran’s internet fans, “Truly a flaky Little Pearl.”
Xu Heran continued to show no reaction, as if she were a lifeless pearl.
Xin Nuo felt puzzled. She slightly leaned forward, pinching a corner of the thin blanket that hung on her shoulder with her fair fingertips. With a slight exertion of her arm, she forcefully pulled the thin blanket away.
“Whoosh—”
Xu Heran’s face flickered within the thin blanket, and then a hand suddenly shot out, grabbing the other corner of the flying blanket.
Separated by the aisle, the two of them each held onto one corner of the blanket, pulling it taut.
Xin Nuo arched an eyebrow, the corners of her eyes tinged with a reddish hue, looking at the bright light.
The person nestled in the seat made a faint sound, but their expression wasn’t the embarrassed embarrassment Xin Nuo had anticipated. Unexpectedly, Xu Heran’s face bore a solemn expression, and she even reached out to touch her chin.
A few seconds later, Xu Heran, who had been immersed in her own thoughts, turned her profile back to Xin Nuo. Her gaze was like a soft brush, tracing the blanket that connected them as it fell against Xin Nuo’s neck, then gliding up her slightly flushed skin with gentleness, finally pausing on her dewy, pink lips untouched by any color.
“Um…” Xu Heran let out an indistinct sigh from her throat.
Xin Nuo’s fingers twitched under Xu Heran’s scrutinizing gaze, feeling an odd sensation spreading through half her body. She cleared her throat and calmly chuckled, “What are you looking at me for? Did I say something wrong?”
“I was wrong,” Xu Heran proactively admitted.
Xin Nuo was taken aback.
Xu Heran tightened her grip on the blanket, twisted her wrist, and slowly wound the blanket around her hand. The person at the other end of the blanket had no choice but to move closer to her direction.
“I was thinking about something just now,” Xu Heran furrowed her brows in distress.
A strange atmosphere pervaded the cabin with only the two of them. Xin Nuo sensed a hint of being controlled, a feeling that the initiative was in Xu Heran’s hands. She was curious and perplexed about this sensation, so she followed Xu Heran’s lead and asked, “What is it?”
“It’s just…” Xu Heran suddenly exerted force with her hand. Next to her, the black-haired girl was caught off guard and propelled forward, her upper body landing in Xu Heran’s embrace.
Xin Nuo’s pitch-black eyes slowly widened as she gazed at Xu Heran, who still wore a troubled expression. Her blue-purple gemstone-like eyes shimmered brightly.
“I was thinking, if we’re separated by a blanket, would that still count as a kiss?”
Xu Heran spoke softly, tilting her head downward, her tone gentle even as she looked down from a higher vantage point. She released her grip on Xin Nuo’s arm, lifted her right hand slightly, and her tender palm landed on Xin Nuo’s smooth face. It slid along the graceful contour until her slender fingers could easily knead her soft, slightly cool lips.
“Xin Nuo, is that your first kiss?” she calmly inquired, “For me, it should count as my first kiss.”
“Can we consider it a first kiss if we’re separated by a blanket?”
“I don’t know why, but just the thought of my first kiss being with Xin Nuo… makes me so happy. But this blanket is quite a hindrance,” Xu Heran’s eyes curved, and her thumb lightly slid up and down between Xin Nuo’s upper and lower lips, gently brushing against them.
The immediate sensation of warmth and moisture surrounded her. Xu Heran’s throat slid up and down, her gaze dispersing as if entranced. She slightly lowered her head, drawing closer to Xin Nuo’s face.
“I want… to kiss Nuo Nuo again, just like this.”
“…”
Xin Nuo remained silent, her pitch-black eyes watching Xu Heran calmly. She continued to watch until she could feel Xu Heran’s breath against her nose, until their gemstone-like eyes were as close as possible, until their equally beautiful lips were almost about to touch. At that moment, the black-haired girl narrowed her eyes slightly, a hint of a smile flashing in the depths of her gaze.
Without hesitation, she parted her lips, and her white teeth gently caught the invading fingertip.
And then, she exerted force.
“Ah—”
When Cui Qi got in the car, she saw Xin Nuo sitting leisurely in her seat. On the seat next to her, someone was entangled with a thin blanket, holding Xu Heran who was whimpering.
Cui Qi: “…”
There was no need to think, it was clear.
“Xu Heran, did you provoke Xin Nuo again?”
“I didn’t!” Xu Heran immediately denied, but after thinking for a moment, she realized she did provoke her, albeit just a bit.
She was just carried away by the moment!
“Um… just a little, but she bit me!”
Bit you?
Cui Qi raised an eyebrow and looked at Xin Nuo.
The girl who now exuded a somewhat mature aura tucked her hair behind her ear, looked back gently, and sighed with resignation. Cui Qi immediately understood, turned to Xu Heran, and said, “If you didn’t provoke her, why would she bite you?”
“Hmph!” Xu Heran knew she was in the wrong and begrudgingly pulled herself out of the blanket.
After a while, she began to feel embarrassed and turned to look at Xin Nuo.
Xin Nuo deliberately turned her head to look out the window. The white rose that had fallen to the ground when they were messing around was now back in its owner’s arms, the beauty embracing the flower with a cold expression. Xu Heran scratched her head, a lightbulb seemingly lit above her head. She quickly took out her phone.
“Ding dong.”
Xin Nuo’s phone chimed, and she raised an eyebrow, taking out her phone.
“Ding dong, ding dong, ding dong.”
“Xiu Goutan.jpg”
“Nuo Nuo, you bit me just now.”
“Was it because…”
“Earlier, I bit your neck?”
“Wrinkles eyebrows in confusion, shakes head from side to side.gif. Nuo Nuo, you’re good at holding grudges!”
Xin Nuo smiled slightly.
“Do you want to see how good I am at holding grudges, hmm?”
A chill ran down Xu Heran’s neck, and she immediately pulled her neck back, fingertips flying.
“I’m sorry, I provoked you—please forgive me!”
“I was carried away by the moment… here’s a heart for you.”
Xin Nuo curved her lips, set down her phone, and the previously awkward kiss between them passed by as if both of them understood and let it go, as if it didn’t matter to either of them.
“That homeless person’s mental state wasn’t great. He was wandering around the hospital earlier, and the hospital was planning to send him to a mental hospital. But when he saw the security guards, he ran away.” Cui Qi briefly explained what had happened just now. “However, our bodyguards and the hospital security guards managed to control him and take him away.”
“Oh,” Xu Heran nodded.
Xin Nuo reclined her seat, leaning back against the soft and spacious backrest, looking through the clear window at the tall building not far away.
City General Hospital, Inpatient Department.
Three custom-made luxury cars came to a slow stop. The logos on their bodies drew the attention of pedestrians. As the bodyguards, dressed in black and expressionless, got out of the cars, pedestrians turned their heads and quickened their pace.
Xu Heran put on her hat and casually said, “I hope they don’t mistake us for bad guys.”
“They’re not that foolish,” Xin Nuo replied.
“Not attracting attention now is a good thing, but in the future, hoping not to be noticed is wishful thinking.” Cui Qi laughed. “As a manager, I don’t want to see that kind of scene. Let’s go.”
Xin Nuo’s mother was in a regular hospital room. The group of people entered the elevator and arrived on the tenth floor.
The elevator door opened, and the cacophony of voices reached their ears. A few children were playing around in the corridor, with no adults in sight to stop them.
Xu Heran frowned, displeased. “Why is it like this?”
“Sometimes, bustling can be a good thing,” Xin Nuo smiled briefly, her smile fleeting. Her gaze turned serious as she took a step forward, leading the way.
Xin Nuo’s mother sat on the hospital bed, a faint smile on her face. A television hung on the wall opposite the bed, playing exaggerated and melodramatic family dramas day in and day out.
“Hey, your daughter hasn’t come to see you today?” A woman who was more than ten years older than her began her daily ritual of nagging. “Let me tell you, it’s still better to have sons. You don’t need a man for anything inside and outside the house.”
Xin Nuo’s mother awkwardly smiled. She used to argue back, but some people couldn’t be changed with words alone. Sometimes, it is best to say nothing.
“Do you really not want to meet the person I introduced to you? He’s about the same age as me, has two sons, and even the older son has grandchildren already! You can go over and hold your grandchild!” The auntie spoke excitedly, “This guy is clearly destined for a good life. You can enjoy a comfortable life by going over there!”
Xin Nuo’s mother couldn’t force a smile. “No need.”
“Mom, are you done yet?” The Auntie’s daughter came back with water, immediately sensing the atmosphere and knowing what was going on. She said irritably, “Can’t you just watch TV quietly?”
The woman was provoked by her daughter and immediately got angry. “What’s wrong with me! I introduced someone with good intentions, did I do something wrong? This is accumulating good karma. Even the bodhisattvas would give me a couple more years of life! Her daughter is an outsider, and when her daughter gets married and leaves, she’ll be all alone and die in this house. She’ll regret not finding another person sooner!”
“Mom—” The auntie’s daughter was so frustrated that her chest hurt. She looked apologetically at Xin Nuo’s mom. Her mom was becoming unbearable, talking about dying alone at home!
“Don’t call me ‘mom’!” The woman was still angry about what she had said to herself.
“Fine, I won’t call you ‘mom.’ I also don’t need to serve you here. After all, I’m an outsider, right? Let your biological son take care of you himself!” The auntie’s daughter sneered, picked up her bag, and turned to leave.
The woman was equally angry, deliberately clutching her chest and shouting loudly on the bed, “Ah, I should just die! I should just die already! What’s the use of giving birth to you? What’s wrong with what I said? Now you all don’t care about me, what can I expect from you?”
“Do you all wish for me to die? Can’t count on you all, can’t count on you!”
In the hospital room with only three beds, there was only the woman’s ear-piercing shouting, mingled with the same raucous shouting from the television. On the leftmost bed lay a young boy with his foot in a cast. He grimaced in pain, burying himself under the covers.
When the woman grew tired of scolding and realized her daughter hadn’t returned, she quickly called her son. The phone rang for a while, and as soon as it connected, she began complaining to her daughter. Her phone was an old model, and the voice on the other end was quite loud.
“I have to go to work. I can only take leave tomorrow to come see you. Didn’t my sister take care of you today?”
“She clearly doesn’t want to take care of me. I said a few words to her, and she just left! How did I end up with such a stubborn child?”
“Did you speak inappropriately in front of my sister again? Mom, can’t you just live peacefully?”
Before he could finish speaking, the woman immediately started another round of yelling, crying and wailing. The call was abruptly cut off on the other end, and the woman collapsed on the bed in sorrow, crying.
Xin Nuo’s mother exchanged a glance with the young man, both of them showing relief that the ordeal was finally over. This scene played out every few days. Amidst the miserable cries in the hospital room, the corridor suddenly filled with excited clamor.
The noise grew louder and closer, stopping right outside their closed door.
“Flowers! So many beautiful flowers!”
“Mom, mom, look! Uncle brought such big flowers!”
The bodyguard, carrying a bouquet nearly half his size, remained expressionless, as if he were holding a bundle of wood instead of fresh flowers.
Xu Heran stood behind Xin Nuo, watching as she suddenly halted her steps, standing quietly at the door of the hospital room.
“Hmm?”
She leaned her head on Xin Nuo’s shoulder, glancing at her expression. Both of them were wearing masks and hats. Under the shadow of the hat brim, Xin Nuo’s deep black eyes were like still, dark water, devoid of emotion.
Xu Heran raised her hand, embracing Xin Nuo’s shoulder and gently guiding her to stand behind her. She then stepped out from Xin Nuo’s side and positioned herself at the door, rolling up her sleeves.
“Knock knock knock.”
She confidently knocked on the door and called out, “I’m coming in!”
Inside the hospital room, the tearful woman didn’t catch the voice clearly, only hearing the girl’s voice. She thought her “unfilial daughter” had suddenly realized her mistakes, repented, and returned to serve her. She immediately straightened her face, lifted her head, and menacingly said, “You little scoundrel, you finally came back—wait, who are you?”
Tall and slender, wearing a loose coat with hands in her pockets, the girl tilted her head. Her hat was turned backward, and her hair cascaded down her back, while a black mask covered her face. Her striking features, the eyes and eyebrows, were vividly revealed. The girl stared at the woman for a couple of seconds with her blue-purple eyes before quickly averting her gaze.
Hmm, this stern and intimidating aunt who doesn’t seem easy to get along with definitely isn’t Nuo Nuo’s mom, so…
“Mom!!”
Xu Heran removed her mask, opened her arms, and enthusiastically lunged toward the middle bed where a slender figure with a gentle expression lay. Time had not defeated this beauty. Although Xin Nuo’s mom had fine lines at the corners of her eyes, her composed demeanor and exquisite features still stood out.
“Mom—” Xu Heran sat on the bed, fervently embracing Xin Nuo’s mom, who seemed a bit bewildered, and planted a warm kiss on her cheek.
“Sister Nuo Nuo bullied me! She called me a little dummy! And she even bit me!” Xu Heran immediately tattled, extending her hand to show Xin Nuo’s mom her bite-free fingers. Someone frowned with a hurt expression, pointing at her fingers and saying, “It’s right here!”
Is this Heran?
Xin Nuo’s mom, feeling a bit dizzy, held her fingers and instinctively said, “It doesn’t hurt, it doesn’t hurt. Let Mom blow on it for you.”
Xin Nuo, standing outside the door: “…”
The aunt beside her looked uncertain, and the young man had a shocked expression on his face: “…”
“Nuo Nuo’s mom, is this your reluctant-to-visit daughter?” The aunt said sarcastically with an odd tone.
The young person who was immersed in the online world to escape the pain of hospitalization: “…………”
Wait a minute, isn’t this—
“Xu Heran!”
Xin Nuo’s voice was icy as she called her, stepping into the room, followed by her manager Cui Qi and six bodyguards.
The already not-so-spacious hospital room became even more crowded. The bodyguards leaned against the walls with cold expressions. They were the seasoned members of the Xu family sent from abroad, some of them towering foreigners. With their tall stature inside the room, it felt like the ceiling was being pulled down.
The chattering aunt immediately shut her mouth, her expression not looking too good, her gaze shrinking as she glanced at the bodyguards.
“Mom!” Xu Heran hid behind Xin Nuo’s mom, extending both hands to hug her waist. She squinted and winked at Xin Nuo, feeling confident and audacious due to having a strong backing.
“Do you know there’s a term that suits you perfectly?” Xin Nuo said.
Xu Heran immediately replied, “Beautiful and sweet?”
Xin Nuo sneered, “Using one’s power to bully the weak.”
Xu Heran: “…”
“Mom—”
Xin Nuo’s mother realized the situation and quickly interjected, “You shouldn’t say that, Xin Nuo.”
“Why not?” Xin Nuo removed her hat and mask, revealing her flawless and beautiful face. Her appearance caught the attention of everyone in the room, and the young person’s eyes widened even further. Even the woman who used to mutter to Xin Nuo’s mom daily was momentarily stunned.
“Do you remember the little dog Uncle Li brought home next door? A Pekingese. When it first came, it was just the size of a palm. Whenever Uncle Li wasn’t around, it would sit quietly in a corner, trembling with fear. But the moment Uncle Li returned, it would become lively, jumping around and barking. Isn’t that using one’s power to bully the weak?”
After finishing her words, Xin Nuo walked over to Xu Heran’s side, casually removing her hat and mask and placing them neatly on the table.
Xu Heran looked up with suspicion at Xin Nuo. “I suspect you wanted to say another word, but I have no evidence.”
“Dog pretending to be a tiger.”
“Well, you’ve learned Chinese well,” Xin Nuo said, patting her head and smiling indulgently.
“…Mom!” Xu Heran pouted in grievance.
“Nuo Nuo, don’t bully your sister.”
Xin Nuo glanced at the triumphant Xu Heran, smirked, and sat by the bedside. As she moved aside, the woman on the bed got a clear view of Xu Heran’s face.
“Fairy!” She blurted out involuntarily.
Suddenly, everyone’s gaze in the hospital room fell on her at once. The woman shivered and shrunk her head.
“Oh, Auntie, were you trying to say I’m good-looking?” Xu Heran said cheerfully, “Aren’t Fairies in China supposed to be beautiful?”
Seeing her attitude was good, the woman’s fear of the bodyguards gradually faded. She climbed the pole and continued, “Why are your eyes this color!”
Xu Heran playfully asked, “What’s wrong with my eyes? Don’t you like them?”
“Fancy and flashy,” the woman replied.
“Oh~ you don’t understand. This is called colored contact lenses,” Xu Heran began to babble, “They’re so pretty, they’re fashionable, chic! Silk ribbon lotus root!”
The woman furrowed her brows. “Lotus root and garlic? Why isn’t anyone at your home guiding you? And your hair, it’s all over the place. At such a young age, not studying properly!”
She then looked at the shorts above Xu Heran’s knees, her brows furrowing even tighter.
Xin Nuo glanced over, about to speak, when she heard Xu Heran’s laughter.
“Auntie, how many kids do you have in your family?” She showed no sign of anger on her face.
Talking about her children, the woman’s tone became proud. “I have a young son and a daughter.”
When mentioning her daughter, her tone softened.
“Oh~ a son and a daughter, that’s nice,” Xu Heran said cheerfully, “I have an older sister and I’m twins with a brother.”
The woman’s eyes lit up. “Then your family must dote on your younger brother.”
“They do! But they doted on me even more because I’m the one who wasn’t a good student in our family, rebellious and hard to manage. So, they put more effort into taking care of me, and my younger brother was bullied by me every day.”
The woman’s expression turned uncomfortable at once, but Xu Heran seemed eager to talk to her. She got up and fetched a small stool to sit beside the woman and engage in conversation.
“Auntie, both your children must be very well-behaved, right? Oh, they’re working now, have they taken over the family business?”
“Uh, your family doesn’t have a company?” Xu Heran immediately frowned in distress. “Why haven’t you started a company for your children?”
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Translator: Glariosa
Editor: Sinensis
