Chapter 28
Li Qinyue slept for two hours, changing positions several times, but whether she was lying flat, on her side, or curled up, her hand never left Zhuo Zhi’s body.
Zhuo Zhi didn’t dare to move, afraid of disturbing her rest. The hand felt like a torch burning against her skin, and she couldn’t fall asleep.
So, she listened to Li Qinyue’s breathing, enduring it for two hours straight.
When Li Qinyue opened her eyes, she slapped Zhuo Zhi’s stomach, the sound crisp and clear.
Zhuo Zhi flinched and whispered, “Sister Qinyue…”
Li Qinyue hummed in response, then threw off the covers and walked towards the bathroom in a daze.
Zhuo Zhi quickly sat up and asked, “Where are you going, Sister?”
Li Qinyue mumbled “Bathroom” impatiently, then walked in the right direction.
Zhuo Zhi let out a long sigh of relief and tried to get out of bed, only to realize that half of her body was completely numb.
The numbness started from her arm and quickly spread to her shoulder, waist, and all the way to her toes and scalp.
Most people, in this situation, would wait patiently for the numbness to subside. But Zhuo Zhi was Zhuo Zhi, she wasn’t afraid of physical pain. She jumped out of bed, suppressing a scream as her feet touched the ground.
Then, frowning and gritting her teeth, she started jumping around, as if the floor was burning.
This was the scene Li Qinyue saw when she came out of the bathroom.
Her vision was still blurry. She rubbed her eyes and said in disbelief, “Did sleeping with me make you regress to your primal instincts?!”
Zhuo Zhi wanted to laugh, but the intense numbness and tingling weren’t pleasant, so her laughter came out distorted, “I’m just… waking myself up.”
Li Qinyue rubbed her eyes again, took two steps forward, and looked her up and down, “Is this how you wake yourself up? Jumping around in the villa every day?”
Zhuo Zhi laughed awkwardly, stopping her jumping and rubbing her legs, “It’s fine now, I’m good.”
Li Qinyue said, “I was going to sleep a little longer, but you woke me up with your monkey business.”
“See, jumping around after waking up can not only wake yourself up, but also others,” Zhuo Zhi joked.
Li Qinyue smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes, “I’m hungry.”
“What do you want to eat, Sister?” Zhuo Zhi walked over to the phone, ready to call room service.
“What good food could there be in a hotel?” Li Qinyue plopped onto the bed and found her phone under the pillow, “Let me see…”
She looked at her phone for a while.
Li Qinyue wasn’t picky about food. She usually ate whatever Zhuo Zhi made, and when ordering takeout, she would just order whatever came to mind.
But today, perhaps because she had just woken up and her mind wasn’t clear yet, she scrolled through her phone for a long time, unable to decide.
Zhuo Zhi stood by the bed, feeling a little anxious.
She wasn’t looking at Li Qinyue, but she was very aware of her current state.
When she went to the bathroom earlier, Li Qinyue had just thrown off the covers and left. Now that she was back, lying on the bed, she still hadn’t bothered to put on any clothes.
She was just lying there in her underwear, the thin fabric revealing most of her skin. Even from the corner of her eye, Zhuo Zhi could see its beautiful sheen.
The air conditioner was running, and the room wasn’t cold, but she had just woken up. It was too easy to catch a cold like this.
Zhuo Zhi waited for another minute, but Li Qinyue still hadn’t decided what to eat. She turned her head and said, unable to bear it any longer, “Sister, please put on some clothes.”
“Hmm?” Li Qinyue’s eyes were glued to her phone, “Am I not wearing any clothes?”
“You’ll catch a cold like this.” Zhuo Zhi looked around, spotted Li Qinyue’s sweater on the table, and quickly went to get it for her.
“Here,” Zhuo Zhi handed it to her, “Put this on first before you choose your food.”
Li Qinyue put down her phone, rolled over to face Zhuo Zhi, glanced at her hand, and frowned in disgust, “I’m hot.”
Her figure was really good. Lying on the white bed, she looked like a model in a lingerie ad. Zhuo Zhi felt inferior and agreed sincerely, “It is a little hot.”
“Then why are you asking me to put on clothes?” Li Qinyue said.
“No, it’s just…” Zhuo Zhi persistently offered the sweater, “Don’t lie around like this after just waking up. I’ll turn down the air conditioning, you put on your clothes.”
Li Qinyue sat up and spread her arms, “Then help me put it on.”
Zhuo Zhi was completely helpless, “Sister, stop teasing me.”
“Fine~” Li Qinyue sighed dramatically, taking the sweater, “The life of the rejected Qinyue…”
Zhuo Zhi smiled, went to turn down the air conditioning, and then put on her own shirt and jacket.
When she was done and looked at the bed, Li Qinyue was sitting cross-legged, playing with her phone. She had put on the sweater, but her legs were still bare, making them look even longer and more slender under the loose sweater, creating a strangely alluring aesthetic.
Zhuo Zhi coughed, looking around, and found Li Qinyue’s pants under a pillow in a corner of the sofa.
She handed the pants to Li Qinyue, “Sister…”
Li Qinyue rolled her eyes and pulled the pants under her legs.
“Sister,” Zhuo Zhi sat down on the edge of the bed and said softly, “Put them on.”
Li Qinyue slammed her phone on the bed, grabbed the pants, and said impatiently, “Okay, okay, okay, I’ll put them on. Why are you more annoying than my grandma at such a young age…”
“I’m just concerned about you,” Zhuo Zhi said with a smile.
“Even my grandma never cared about me…” Li Qinyue paused and thought for a moment, “I don’t think I’ve ever met my grandma.”
“Sorry…” Zhuo Zhi said.
“What are you sorry for?” Li Qinyue pulled on her pants forcefully, “I should be the one apologizing. Sorry, Grandma, I wronged you.”
It should have been a sad moment, but Li Qinyue started laughing after saying that.
Zhuo Zhi also chuckled. Li Qinyue picked up her phone again and jumped off the bed, “Let’s go home!”
“Didn’t you say we were going to eat?” Zhuo Zhi quickly followed.
“There’s nothing good to eat around here.” Once Li Qinyue started moving, she was incredibly fast. She went into the bathroom and splashed water on her face, “I want to eat the steamed eggs you make.”
“Okay,” Zhuo Zhi saw that Li Qinyue was already wiping her face with a tissue and quickly washed her face too.
Li Qinyue left the bathroom like a whirlwind, putting on her coat and shoes. Zhuo Zhi got her bag, and the two of them left the room like a gust of wind.
When they checked out, it was the same receptionist from before. She looked at Zhuo Zhi several times.
They left the hotel, and the car they had called was already waiting. Li Qinyue pulled Zhuo Zhi into the back seat and whispered in her ear, “Guess why that girl kept looking at you?”
“Hmm?” Zhuo Zhi touched her face, “Did I not wash it clean?”
“It’s clean,” Li Qinyue glanced at her face, then reached out to touch it, “Very clean.”
“Then why did she keep looking at me?” Zhuo Zhi looked at Li Qinyue.
“Because you’re too clean,” Li Qinyue smiled suggestively, “Tsk, such a clean girl, I didn’t expect you to do such a thing.”
“What thing?” Zhuo Zhi’s eyes widened.
Li Qinyue didn’t answer, leaning back in her seat and just laughing.
Although Zhuo Zhi was still a little confused, seeing Li Qinyue’s expression, she knew it wasn’t anything good. She blushed silently and looked out the window.
After a while, Li Qinyue nudged her arm, “Hey, why aren’t you talking?”
Zhuo Zhi said, “I don’t know what to say.”
“Aren’t you going to ask what I was talking about?” Li Qinyue reminded her, “The thing I just mentioned.”
“I don’t want to ask anymore.”
“Hey,” Li Qinyue leaned closer to her, poking her cheek, “Turn around.”
Zhuo Zhi turned her head. Li Qinyue said, “You really don’t want to know, or have you guessed it?”
Zhuo Zhi didn’t know how to answer and remained silent.
Li Qinyue stared at her. Zhuo Zhi’s cheeks flushed visibly. This girl usually didn’t wear makeup, and her body ran hot, so when she blushed, it was like someone had flipped a switch. Li Qinyue’s heart softened, but her urge to tease only grew stronger.
These days, it was rare to find someone who blushed so easily, like a precious treasure. Every opportunity to tease her was one less opportunity, she had to seize the moment.
So, she didn’t spare the pitiful girl in front of her and said softly, “The time we spent in the hotel room, it was quite suggestive, wasn’t it?”
Zhuo Zhi’s blush deepened.
Li Qinyue leaned closer, her shoulder bumping against Zhuo Zhi’s body before moving away, “But she underestimated you. With your stamina, if we were really doing something, that amount of time wouldn’t be enough, would it?”
Zhuo Zhi’s head felt like it was about to explode. She abruptly turned her head, moved to the side, and stared out the window, ignoring Li Qinyue’s calls.
Li Qinyue sighed, but she was genuinely happy. She sat in the car, amused, not even bothering with her phone, and just laughed all the way home.
It was already late at night. As soon as they arrived, Zhuo Zhi went straight to the kitchen and made the steamed eggs Li Qinyue wanted. She also heated up the steamed buns she had prepared earlier and made two simple side dishes, one meat and one vegetable. It was a simple yet delicious dinner.
However, as soon as Li Qinyue sat down at the table, Zhuo Zhi left a message and dashed upstairs.
“Take your time, Sister, I’ll wash the dishes tomorrow.”
Li Qinyue took a spoonful of the smooth, tender eggs and was reminded of how she felt when she first met Zhuo Zhi. It was similar to the taste, soft, tender, warm, and fragrant.
“Tsk,” Li Qinyue chuckled, as if laughing at Zhuo Zhi’s timidity, or perhaps at herself.
She had met all kinds of people, but she just had to fall for this one.
For the next few days, Li Qinyue didn’t pretend to take the bus to work anymore.
Mainly because she had gone a bit too far with her teasing during their outing, and now Zhuo Zhi avoided her, refusing to speak to her more than necessary.
Li Qinyue knew she couldn’t kill the goose that laid the golden eggs, so she gave her little chick some space, letting her run around freely and calm her nerves.
Zhuo Zhi loved going into the mountains. Even in the middle of winter, she would go for a run in the morning, find a spot to sunbathe at noon, and in the afternoon, she would come back with a piece of wood she had found somewhere, asking Li Qinyue timidly if she could bring it into the house.
Li Qinyue naturally indulged her little chick in this small matter.
“Go ahead,” she tilted her chin, “See that room over there?”
“Hmm?” Zhuo Zhi looked towards the room, “Yes.”
“You want to make something, right?” Li Qinyue said, “There are tools in that room, everything you need.”
Zhuo Zhi’s eyes lit up, “Thank you, Sister Qinyue!”
Carrying the wood into the workshop, Zhuo Zhi was as happy as a clam.
Li Qinyue finished playing games in the living room and flipped through several TV channels. It was almost dinner time, but Zhuo Zhi still hadn’t come out of the workshop.
Li Qinyue was bored. She, a city dweller with access to countless modern technological devices and a wide social circle, was bored. Zhuo Zhi, on the other hand, was happily busy in the workshop, which made her feel even more restless.
Li Qinyue threw down the remote control and tiptoed towards the workshop. The door was closed.
Based on her understanding of Zhuo Zhi, the little girl wouldn’t lock the door in her own house. So she grabbed the doorknob, twisted it forcefully, and jumped inside.
She had intended to scare Zhuo Zhi, but the sudden noise startled her instead, and she almost slammed the door shut and ran out.
Zhuo Zhi, holding a power drill, turned around abruptly, her eyes fierce. Against the backdrop of the industrial workshop, Li Qinyue’s heart skipped a beat.
“Holy shit, what are you doing?” Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke.
Seeing that it was Li Qinyue, Zhuo Zhi’s expression immediately softened, transforming from a wolf back into a puppy. She turned off the drill and said cheerfully, “I’m making a little something, Sister.”
“You need such a loud thing for a little something?” Li Qinyue looked at the drill, then at the chainsaw, then back at the door, exclaiming in shock, “The soundproofing in this room is so good?”
“It’s alright,” Zhuo Zhi tapped the wall, “It’s been professionally soundproofed.”
“But there’s no sound at all, it’s so close to the living room, I didn’t hear anything.”
“I just started,” Zhuo Zhi gestured towards the workbench, “I was using hand tools before.”
Li Qinyue saw that the wood had been stripped clean, lying white and smooth on the table.
“You even have these skills?” Li Qinyue smiled.
“I just know how to play around. There’s an old monk at the temple on the mountaintop who renovated their entire ancient pagoda.”
“Truly two different worlds,” Li Qinyue muttered, then beckoned to Zhuo Zhi, “Stop drilling for now, buy some dust masks or something before you continue.”
“Okay,” Zhuo Zhi obediently put down the drill and organized the tools and materials.
Li Qinyue leaned against the door, watching her clean up. Zhuo Zhi’s movements were quick and efficient, bending and reaching without any hesitation, a graceful fluidity to her actions.
As she watched, Li Qinyue felt her heart itch.
After cleaning up, Zhuo Zhi came to Li Qinyue and asked, “Sister, are you hungry? What do you want to eat tonight?”
“I want some junk food tonight,” Li Qinyue said, “I’ll order some fried chicken.”
“I can make you fried chicken,” Zhuo Zhi said.
“It’s too greasy,” Li Qinyue found an excuse.
“You can reuse the oil for frying chicken,” Zhuo Zhi looked at her sincerely.
“I just want takeout, is that okay?” Li Qinyue ruffled her hair, “You like cooking so much, should I find you a job as a chef?”
“I don’t really like cooking,” Zhuo Zhi grinned, “But it saves money.”
“Do I look like someone who needs to save money?” Li Qinyue pointed at her clothes, “You’re all dirty, go wash up. Come to the living room later, I have something important to tell you.”
“Okay!” Zhuo Zhi responded and quickly went upstairs.
Li Qinyue ordered takeout and sat on the sofa, lost in thought.
What important thing? What important thing could she possibly have?
What could she do with Zhuo Zhi? Something that would take a long time, allow for natural physical contact, and wouldn’t leave the little girl happily doing her own thing while Li Qinyue was left alone…
The TV was a little loud. Li Qinyue stared at it blankly, then had a sudden inspiration.
When Zhuo Zhi came downstairs, she was dressed neatly.
Li Qinyue was still sitting cross-legged on the sofa. She turned to glance at Zhuo Zhi and asked, “Where are you going?”
“Didn’t you say you had something important to tell me, Sister?” Zhuo Zhi walked over to her.
“Go change into some loungewear,” Li Qinyue pointed at her own clothes, “Like this, fluffy and soft.”
Zhuo Zhi felt a little embarrassed, “I don’t have anything like that…”
“My closet, the one on the left, at the bottom…” Li Qinyue stopped and jumped off the sofa, “I’ll get it for you.”
Zhuo Zhi followed her, “Sister, this isn’t appropriate.”
“What’s not appropriate?” Li Qinyue said, “You’re already eating my food and living in my house, what’s wrong with wearing my clothes?”
Zhuo Zhi thought for a moment, finding her logic sound, “Then Sister, please deduct these expenses from my salary.”
Li Qinyue laughed, “You haven’t even received your first paycheck, and you’re already spending it in advance.”
Zhuo Zhi also chuckled, “I’ll have money.”
They entered Li Qinyue’s room. Zhuo Zhi obediently stood behind her, her eyes wide as she looked at Li Qinyue’s luxurious closet.
It wasn’t even a closet, it was a separate room, with warm lights and filled with beautiful clothes.
Zhuo Zhi carefully recalled. Since meeting Li Qinyue, she hadn’t seen her wear the same outfit twice. It wasn’t surprising that her closet was this big.
But Li Qinyue didn’t choose anything from this readily available pile of clothes for Zhuo Zhi.
She went to the back of the room, bent down, and rummaged through a storage cabinet for a long time before pulling out a large garment bag.
Li Qinyue opened it, took a look, and smiled, “This is it, perfect.”
Zhuo Zhi took the bag, thinking that Li Qinyue’s old habits were acting up again, that she would make things difficult for her even with something as simple as changing clothes.
But after handing her the bag, Li Qinyue immediately turned and left the room, thoughtfully closing the door behind her and saying gently, “I’ll wait for you.”
Zhuo Zhi rarely entered Li Qinyue’s bedroom, and being alone in here was a first.
The room was filled with Li Qinyue’s scent, rich and fragrant, making her inexplicably nervous.
She opened the garment bag. The clothes inside were indeed fluffy and soft, just as Li Qinyue had described.
But she didn’t understand why the loungewear was designed as a giant chicken, with a big head, a big tail, and big feet. It was bright yellow and heavy.
Zhuo Zhi shook out the clothes and stood in front of the mirror, studying them for three minutes before figuring out how to wear the chicken costume.
She took off her jacket and started changing, realizing that Li Qinyue’s old habits were indeed acting up again. But it wasn’t a big deal, it was just a costume, she found it quite fun.
There was a knock on the bedroom door. Li Qinyue called out, “Are you done yet?”
Zhuo Zhi replied, “I’m changing, be right there.”
Li Qinyue knocked on the door again and emphasized, “Don’t wear it wrong.”
“I won’t, don’t worry,” Zhuo Zhi was confident in her intelligence.
“Wear it without anything underneath!” Li Qinyue shouted, “It’s loungewear, it’s for comfort! Wear it without anything underneath! Did you hear me?”
Zhuo Zhi, who had just put her foot into the chicken claw, turned around, touched her butt, and swore that if Li Qinyue weren’t her employer, she would have rushed out and punched her.
Wear it without anything underneath, my ass! The chicken butt had a slit, if she really wore it naked, she could lay an egg with a couple of clucks.
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