This was a rare occasion when Mark took the initiative to talk about personal matters. Natalie took a deep breath and did not interrupt her.
"Before high school, I had never left the village." Mark stated simply, as if he was telling someone else's story: "Although my grandmother was only the retired principal of the village elementary school, she was very open-minded, knowledgeable, and down-to-earth. She taught me to read when I was three years old, told me stories, and coaxed me to sleep at night."
"She is an intellectual of the older generation. She is more than qualified to be a professor, let alone teach me. So I left home three years earlier than others since I was a child, and I also know how to use my time. Our principal and she are old friends, so I came to the city to attend high school."
"So, I'm not a top student, I just learned to study earlier." Mark sighed, collected his thoughts and stopped talking.
Natalie hesitated for a while and asked softly: "Then your name was also given by your grandma, right?"
"Well, I have the same surname as my grandmother, 'Living in the Mark of the Emperor's son, and in the old residence of the gods.'" Mark opened the car window, stretched out a hand, and let the cold wind blow his palm until it was cold.
Natalie fell silent. She could feel the yearning that was welling up in Mark's heart, and since he had kept her away from home for several years, it was obvious that the elders had probably passed away long ago.
"My grandmother likes "Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng" very much and she would copy it three or five times every year. Unfortunately, my talent is too poor. After I get started, no matter how solid my foundation is, I can't improve." Mark looked at her stiff fingers, and there was no sadness or joy in her words, just stating a fact. She withdrew her hand and closed the window, smiling: "I heard that your handwriting is very good. Can you show it to me when you are free?"
Natalie had won the gold medal in the city's high school calligraphy competition, but she didn't know that Mark still remembered it. She nodded happily, agreed, and smiled: "I wrote a few years ago, but I haven't picked up the pen in recent years. But if you like, I can pick it up and practice again."
"Why waste time if you're busy?" Mark didn't understand romance. He felt cold and hard after he finished speaking, and didn't say anything to show his meekness.
Natalie pursed his lips, obviously unhappy, but didn't say much. It was almost nine o'clock, and the car turned into the road near the bar. There happened to be a parking space, so Natalie parked it.
The two of them got out of the car one after another. Mark was on the phone and hung up after a few words. She walked in front and looked back to make sure Natalie was following her. She hesitated and said, "If you don't want to see her, you can wait for me on the first floor. The non-alcoholic mojito tastes good. Do you want to drink it?"
"If I don't go up, won't that person come down?" Natalie couldn't help but retorted.
Mark thought for a moment and admitted: "She wanted to meet you."
It was already past Christmas, but there were still many people. The doorman saw that it was Mark, walked up to her, opened the door, and asked her what she wanted to drink.
"Two strawberry mojitos, one non-alcoholic one for her." Mark ordered the drinks and took Natalie to the elevator and went directly to the private room.
Easter was standing at the door waiting for them. His eyes stayed on Natalie. From her hair to her shoes, he smiled heartily: "Zhou, your taste is getting better and better."
Mark had no extra expression, and briefly introduced himself, then held out his hand: "Give me the key, what's the address?"
"I wanted to keep one in case you couldn't get in without it, but now it seems unnecessary." There were three keys in a string. Easter held the keychain and handed it to Natalie, winking and saying, "Natalie, here you go."
Natalie took it and thanked him. The three of them returned to the room and sat down. Mark crossed his legs, held his forehead, and asked, "What else do you want?"
"Aren't you suffering from jet lag? Why do you look so sleepy?" Easter understood the reason after asking and pushed the brand new fruit plate towards Natalie.
"That's great." Mark refused to say more. He curled up on the sofa, leaning towards Natalie.
Easter wanted to ask a few more questions, and two glasses of mojito were brought in. The colors were naturally pleasing to the eye, but different cup shapes were used to distinguish whether there was alcohol or not.
The handle of the non-alcoholic cup was made of a cut orange, a realistic color, and comfortable to hold. Natalie was very unhappy, so he took a look and drank it. It was very icy, and tasted sweet like strawberries. It was really delicious. He drank half a cup in one breath, and the mint took over.
"Do you like it?" Mark bumped her shoulder, his eyes filled with smile.
Natalie nodded and asked, "Are there any other flavors?"
Mark leaned over, almost biting his ear, rubbing it faintly, and whispered: "I've only had strawberry, there seems to be sea salt on the wine list? Do you want to try it?"
Natalie suddenly relaxed, looked back and shook his head: "No, I can't drink it, it's too cold."
"Who told you to drink so fast? Your stomach will feel uncomfortable soon." Mark muttered softly.
Easter couldn't bear it any longer and interrupted in a gruff voice: "Zhou, are you really in a relationship?"
Mark looked at Natalie sideways and found that his girlfriend had a teasing look on her face, as if she was watching a good show. After agreeing to it, she replied seriously: "I am taking a relationship seriously. It's not a joke, and it's not a one-night stand."
After finishing her words, Mark took out her mobile phone, logged into her overseas social account, and changed it to "in love". She showed it to Easter, helpless and speechless: "I don't like to be ostentatious, but you are right to remind me that we have to avoid some troubles."
After all, Mark earned a lot of bed partners by doing this. Just a few minutes after changing his status, he already received dozens of messages.
Easter then turned to look at Natalie, and after looking at her for a long time, he asked, "Ms. Ning, how did you do it?"
Natalie felt the straightforwardness in Easter's character, and he let go of half of his vigilance and suppressed his previous dissatisfaction. He smiled and said, "Good luck."
"I don't believe it." Easter moved his seat and sat down next to Natalie, holding his arm, almost kissing him like a close friend: "Natalie, how did you win Zhou?"
Mark couldn't help laughing. He sat up, took his own cup, moved a little further away from the two women, and drank slowly. He could vaguely hear that the conversation was becoming more and more outrageous.
It seems that having a girlfriend is not a bad thing.
This thought quickly crossed her mind, and Mark felt dazed. After high school, she had never thought that she would have the opportunity to get along with anyone like this, or to have a slightly intimate relationship with anyone.
The conversation was already in the direction of the car, Natalie's eyes were red, and he whispered softly: "Really?"
"It's absolutely true. When I went there, the two girls were lying naked on the sofa, and she occupied the bed and couldn't be woken up at all." Easter was speechless and looked down on Mark's selfish behavior.
Natalie's eyes naturally became playful. He looked at Mark and said after a while: "What should I do? I'm very curious."
When I got home, the meaning of that sentence changed.
With her legs around her waist, Natalie bit her ear and said, "I'm jealous."
Mark satisfied her and asked, "Jealous? Who? Easter?"
"No." Natalie found her lips and kissed her desperately.
The glaciers melted and formed a stream. Mark's face finally turned red and he kissed back in a competitive manner.
Natalie could no longer hold on and gave back to Mark as much as she had given.
Her breathing was not steady for a long time, the corners of her eyes and cheeks were pink, she looked up into Mark's eyes and repeated: "I am jealous."
Her voice was fragile, but her legs refused to let go.
It only takes less than a second to exit from the center of the earth. But what rose in her heart was a long-lost throbbing. Mark comforted her and helped her relax a little bit. He lay down flat and let Natalie lie on him.
"Listen." Stroking Natalie's eyebrows with his fingers, Mark took a deep breath: "At this moment, because of you, it is speeding up."
Natalie closed his eyes and let the tears flow from his left eye, across the socket of his right eye, and onto his chest.
How could she not be jealous? They had missed out on twelve years of their youth, from their 18 or 19 years old.
Commercialism has penetrated into people's hearts, shrewdness has climbed into their eyes, and the heartbeat is no longer pure.
The brain stopped thinking. Mark gently wiped away the tears, and many words were stuck in his throat: "Is it because of what I said on the way there that made you unhappy?"
Natalie shook his head and said nasally, "No, it's not. I... am just jealous."
"Humans have seven emotions and six desires. You have them, and so do I. I..." Mark recalled his first time, and told the story as skillfully as if he had done it every night.
Natalie listened quietly, listening to her describe every detail one by one, and secretly sighed that Mark's psychological quality was really strong.
"At that time, I didn't know what satisfaction and happiness meant. I was under too much pressure and suffered from severe insomnia. I hadn't slept for more than two hours in a row for more than half a year. I didn't expect Easter's method to work. At least that night, I drove him to the sofa, went back to bed, and slept for a long time before waking up." Mark played with Natalie's hair, and laughed at himself when he said this, "Natalie, I have never been in a relationship, and I have never been with anyone other than you more than twice. How should I put it? I guess I am a short-circuited person in this regard. If you have anything, just tell me directly."
"Mark." Natalie just looked up at her, staring at her intently in the light from the window that had not been completely closed yet.
The kiss came as promised, soft and affectionate. Mark's thin lips were soft, and when he kissed Natalie, he would always trace her lip beads over and over again, reluctant to leave.
Jealous of the time we missed.
I regret it even more.
I regret.
Natalie swallowed these words and wanted to tell her how much he regretted not having the courage to express himself when he was a student, not taking the initiative to contact her after graduating from high school, and not being persistent after they met again, which was why he missed her all the time.
But she didn't say it.
Easter said so much, but he was just expressing his admiration for Mark's willingness to develop a relationship, but he didn't mention at all that it was because of love.
Natalie understood that Mark liked her face and body, and liked the tacit understanding between the two of them. It was just a pleasure. But for Natalie herself, it was not a matter of liking or not liking her.
Natalie couldn't understand why Mark was willing to be her boyfriend. It was just jealousy that gave rise to regret, and regret made her dare not easily express her attachment and deep love.
She seemed to have pushed herself into a dead end, and the initiative was entirely in Mark's hands.
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