Chen Jie's question was difficult for Luo Yang to answer.
"Not to miss," that would be a lie.
If he said outright that he missed, it might stir up trouble again.
"Sister Chen, I've got a question for you," Luo Yang quickly changed the subject.
"No way. Answer mine first. Come on, quick," Chen Jie's large hand swept over and slapped Luo Yang's shoulder, making a smacking sound.
"Sister Kick is so pretty, which man wouldn't miss her? But I don't dare," Luo Yang said with a smile.
With that, Chen Jie had her answer and could go tell Zhu Li now.
"So what's your question? Ask away."
"It's just... hehe."
Some questions are hard to ask when there are few people around; it's easier when there's a crowd.
Seeing Luo Yang hesitate to ask the question, Chen Jie laughed and said, "If you dare keep me in suspense any longer, I'll have you clean for me for a month. Scared yet?"
As she spoke, she swayed her body slightly.
Luo Yang quickly steadied her hips and, plucking up the courage, asked, "Sister Chen, have you gotten your period yet?"
Chen Jie was first taken aback, then threw Luo Yang a sarcastic smile.
"Oh, the fox finally shows its tail! Do you want it?" Chen Jie drawled in a drawn-out voice.
"Sister Chen, you misunderstand..."
Before Luo Yang could finish speaking, Chen Jie cut him off.
"It seems I have been won over by you as have my two cousins. Speak up, have you or haven't you?" Chen Jie pushed Luo Yang with her hand.
"Sister Chen, listen to me," Luo Yang was extremely embarrassed.
They were supposed to be discussing serious matters, yet she twisted it into something else.
Chen Jie pressed on to ask if Shuang Qiao had been to bed with him, not allowing any further explanation and only wanting to hear the answer.
After a good while of this back and forth, they finally stopped to rest.
Chen Jie panted heavily and scoffed, "You don't have to say it; I can guess that you've had your way. Now you're trying to take advantage of me, aren't you?"
Saying so, she poked Luo Yang's forehead lightly with her index finger.
"Sister Chen, can you let me finish, please?" Luo Yang said helplessly with a smile.
"Go on," she said disdainfully.
Talking about menstruation with an older sister figure was indeed awkward.
But if he didn't continue, the real issue he wanted to discuss would remain unclear.
Luo Yang laughed for a while, then lit up a cigarette, using smoking like drinking for some liquid courage.
"Come on, let's keep playing. Blow it into my mouth," Chen Jie opened her mouth again.
"Sister Chen, listen to me first, okay?"
Having taken a puff of the cigarette, his thoughts were clearer and his courage seemed replenished. It was time to speak his mind.
Chen Jie snatched the cigarette from him, pinching it elegantly between two fingers. Her corner-of-the-mouth inhale was practiced, with a hint of world-weariness.
"Come on, spit it out," she exhaled a cloud of smoke onto Luo Yang's face.
"Sister Chen, tell me, did you get your period these past few days?" Luo Yang asked bravely.
Before she could respond, Chen Jie already started laughing.
The smoke spilled from her mouth like the warm breath on a cold winter's day.
At her laugh, Luo Yang had no choice but to firmly grasp her hips.
After her laughter subsided, she retorted, "Eh, you know quite a bit. A woman can't do that during her period, you know."
With that said, Luo Yang felt a hot rush envelop his face, a burning sensation that travelled all the way down to his neck.
"Sister Chen, I... I... I didn't mean it like that. I meant to say..."
"Hehe, just admit you want it!"
Having said that, Chen Jie took a deep drag of her cigarette and blew it straight into Luo Yang's mouth.
Luo Yang squinted and smiled wryly, "Sister Chen, can you tell me whether you have or haven't?"
Seeing him insist on a clear answer, Chen Jie scoffed, "It might be fate's arrangement, but I am on my period. Are you disappointed?"
Luo Yang's face was burning as he laughed and said, "Sister Chen, I asked you about your period because I want to confirm something."
While speaking, he gently touched Chen Jie's chest where she had said it hurt.
"During your period, hormones can cause pain here. Once it's over, it should naturally stop hurting," Luo Yang explained.
Only then did Chen Jie realize he wasn't trying to take advantage of her, and her cheeks flushed even redder.
"Why didn't you say so earlier?" Chen Jie exhaled an aggressive puff of smoke.
"I want to say something, but you won't let me talk," Luo Yang turned his head away.
Both of them felt somewhat awkward.
So, Chen Jie incessantly smoked and blew the smoke in Luo Yang's face, playing with him.
Just then, Luo Yang's cellphone ringtone sounded.
"only you, can take me to get the Journey to the West..."
He took out his phone, and seeing the caller ID, it was Shi Long calling.
While Luo Yang answered the call, Chen Jie still wouldn't let him off, silently laughing while she continued to blow smoke towards him.
Luo Yang had no choice but to close his eyes and answer the phone, asking, "What's the matter?"
He only heard Shi Long's anxious voice, "Master, are you still in the county town?"
Hearing this, he knew it couldn't be good news.
Having taken him as a disciple, he couldn't just ignore him.
Luo Yang replied, "I am."
Then he heard Shi Long say, "Master, someone's going to beat me up, can you come to the technical college now?"
After talking for a bit, he learned that Shi Long didn't want to go to school anymore and planned to move his things back home from the technical college.
As it turned out, his enemies had blocked him and his friends, and both sides were ready to fight.
"Wait there for me," Luo Yang instructed.
Once Luo Yang hung up, Chen Jie asked what was the matter, and Luo Yang told her the truth.
It wasn't just for Shi Long's sake, but also for Shi Nan's.
Chen Jie, holding a cigarette in her mouth, asked, "Do you need my help?"
She could indeed call quite a few helpers.
However, her foot had just healed, and her chest was still sore.
Luo Yang said with concern, "Sister Chen, I can handle it. You just rest well. By the way, during your period, don't drink so much alcohol and cold drinks, eat more mutton, chestnuts, spinach, carrots, and other such foods."
Chen Jie gently blew a stream of smoke onto Luo Yang's face with a tender smile and said playfully, "You really care about me, huh? You must have some ideas, right?"
How could he not care about Sister Kick?
Luo Yang was actually just genuinely concerned, but her counter-question unsettled him.
Seeing Luo Yang's face turn even redder, Chen Jie giggled coquettishly.
"Sister Chen, I'll carry you back to your room, okay?"
So Luo Yang lifted Chen Jie horizontally and walked into her room, placing her on the bed.
At that moment, Chen Jie's hands were still hanging around Luo Yang's neck, and although her body was lying on the bed, she refused to let go, still holding her cigarette in her mouth.
"What if I can't sleep tonight?" she asked.
"Count stars," Luo Yang replied with a smile.
Chen Jie laughed too.
"Your cigarette, take it back," she said, with half of the cigarette still in her mouth.
When Luo Yang reached out to take it, Chen Jie wouldn't allow it.
"The old way, use your mouth," Chen Jie requested.
Her hands were still wrapped around his neck, forcing him to bend down.
"Sister Chen, I'm in a hurry," Luo Yang found an excuse.
But Chen Jie stubbornly insisted that he take the cigarette with his mouth.
So Luo Yang bent down and first faced her mouth and moved towards it.
Chen Jie pushed the cigarette out with her tongue.
In this way, the cigarette end was between their lips.
Luo Yang then used his upper and lower lips to hold the cigarette, but as it kept slipping, he resorted to using his upper and lower front teeth to grip the cigarette.
After successfully transferring the cigarette to his mouth, Chen Jie giggled merrily and finally released her hands.
Luo Yang picked up the blanket to cover her and said his goodbye, "Sister Chen, I'm off now."
Chen Jie grabbed Luo Yang's arm and said, "About us opening the bar, when will you give me an answer?"
Actually, Luo Yang had other important things to do and wasn't eager to open a bar so soon.
But if Chen Jie wanted to open one, he could consider it.
"Tomorrow," Luo Yang said.
"Make sure you close the door when you leave," Chen Jie reminded him.