Chapter 90 (Grand Finale)
To prevent Zhuo Zhi from moving her injured arm, Li Qinyue stopped halfway through and got up to retrieve a few silk scarves from the closet.
They were beautifully patterned, and Zhuo Zhi recognized one of them from a magazine, the price exorbitant.
These expensive scarves became ropes in Li Qinyue’s hands. She gently tied Zhuo Zhi’s right arm to the bedpost, starting from her upper arm.
It wasn’t tight enough to hurt, but not loose enough to allow her to move her injured arm.
Suspended like this, looking at Li Qinyue, clad only in a silk nightgown, Zhuo Zhi felt like she was being roasted over a fire.
The air around her was scorching.
It was that rare time of year in Nanhai City, a brief spring when air conditioning wasn’t needed, and soon, Zhuo Zhi was covered in sweat, longing for a dip in the ocean.
Li Qinyue’s fingers, her lips, her tongue, every inch of her soft skin, was torture.
“Sister…” She couldn’t form a coherent sentence, her mind filled with molten lava.
“Hmm,” Li Qinyue responded, her movements continuing, her eyes seductive.
“You said before…” Zhuo Zhi struggled to recall her last remaining shred of logic, “That doing this can… help you lose weight… I believe you now…”
“You’re still thinking about that?” Li Qinyue’s voice lilted playfully.
“I’m burning up,” Zhuo Zhi thought, The sheets will have to be changed.
Li Qinyue raised an eyebrow and sighed softly, “Then I’ll have to work harder.”
Li Qinyue, although usually lazy, was a force to be reckoned with when she was motivated. When she was serious, she excelled at everything.
And in certain areas, she was naturally gifted, knowing which touch, which sound, which temperature would drive someone wild.
The next morning, Li Qinyue went to work as usual, while the usually diligent Zhuo Zhi slept in, her head heavy, her eyes puffy.
She stumbled to the bathroom, washed her face, brushed her teeth, then sniffled, noticing the red marks on her body.
Li Qinyue had left a trail of hickeys around her heart, a sight that made Zhuo Zhi blush.
Her body ached, a pleasant ache, reminding her of last night.
Li Qinyue usually helped her shower, but last night, they had both been too exhausted to move.
So now, Li Qinyue had gone to work, fresh and clean, leaving her a sweaty mess.
Zhuo Zhi went to fill the bathtub, thinking about the steps involved. Even with her injured arm, she could still manage, she had just become too used to being pampered by Li Qinyue.
As the tub was filling, the phone rang. Zhuo Zhi went to answer it, and as expected, it was Li Qinyue.
“You’re up?” Li Qinyue asked.
“Yes,” Zhuo Zhi said, “Are you at the office already, Sister?”
“I arrived early,” Li Qinyue said, “I’ll have Aunt Zhang warm up breakfast for you.”
“I can tell her myself,” Zhuo Zhi chuckled, “I have a mouth, you know.”
Li Qinyue also chuckled, “You have a mouth now? Last night when I asked if you were enjoying it, your mouth was shut tight.”
“Oh, Sister!” Zhuo Zhi looked around, feeling self-conscious talking about this on the phone, as if someone might overhear.
Li Qinyue chuckled softly, then said, “Don’t shower yet, I’ll be done with my meetings soon, I might be back in time for lunch.”
“I can manage by myself,” Zhuo Zhi said, “I’m all sweaty, I feel dirty.”
“Heh, you think I’m dirty?” Li Qinyue scoffed playfully.
“No! I’m the dirty one!” Zhuo Zhi quickly corrected herself.
“And who made you dirty?” Li Qinyue said, laughing.
Miss Li was clearly in a good mood, and when she was happy, she loved teasing Zhuo Zhi, saying the most outrageous things.
Zhuo Zhi hung up the phone, her face burning. She stood there for a moment, then remembered that the bathtub was still filling.
She hurried back to the bathroom, turned off the water, and thinking about Li Qinyue coming back for lunch, frowned and muttered, “Guess all this hot water is wasted…”
Zhuo Zhi finally waited for Li Qinyue’s return at one o’clock.
Not only was the hot water wasted, but the bathroom also looked like a disaster zone after Li Qinyue’s hour-long bath.
Li Qinyue, holding Zhuo Zhi’s hand, sat her down and started trimming her nails. Their hair was still damp, creating a subtle, intimate atmosphere.
Zhuo Zhi watched her intently, her gaze lingering on the strands of hair falling around Li Qinyue’s face, her beautiful nose, her long eyelashes.
Li Qinyue’s movements were gentle. She glanced up at Zhuo Zhi and asked, “Do you understand what I meant last night?”
“Hmm?” Li Qinyue had said a lot of things last night, mostly suggestive questions, and Zhuo Zhi wasn’t sure which one she was referring to.
“I can’t hold back anymore,” Li Qinyue prompted, knowing what Zhuo Zhi was thinking without even looking at her.
“Oh,” Zhuo Zhi didn’t think she was that irresistible. She asked, a little dazed, “Really?”
“Would I lie to you?” Li Qinyue looked at her, her expression a mix of amusement and exasperation, “I’ve been bathing you every day, haven’t you noticed anything?”
Of course, she had noticed, especially during the first few days, but she had gotten used to it. And even if she had noticed, she had a different scenario in mind.
She paused, then said, “I’ll work hard too, Sister.”
“Huh?” Li Qinyue stared at her.
Zhuo Zhi smiled, a little embarrassed but also determined, “I’ll learn everything you teach me, I’ll make you feel good too.”
“Heh,” Li Qinyue’s lips curved into a smile, “Look at you.”
“It’s only fair,” Zhuo Zhi said, feeling a little bold.
As it turned out, Li Qinyue wasn’t concerned about who was on top or bottom.
As long as they were both happy, it was a successful experience.
The only problem was that Zhuo Zhi had a lot of stamina, and Li Qinyue had a high libido. They had little self-control, and their activities often interfered with either Zhuo Zhi’s studies or Li Qinyue’s work.
Li Qinyue didn’t mind her work being affected, most of her job involved supervision and decision-making, the rest was handled by her capable staff.
But it was different for Zhuo Zhi. With the college entrance exam approaching, time was precious.
With the Master gone, Li Qinyue had become Zhuo Zhi’s full-time guardian. She created a schedule, balancing study and leisure, which amused Zhuo Zhi.
The weekly therapy sessions with her father and brother were proving to be very effective for Li Qinyue.
Under the therapist’s guidance, she started to analyze interpersonal conflicts from different perspectives. Her latest test subject was Zhuo Zhi, who was both her lover and her “child”. Li Qinyue felt a sense of responsibility, she had to handle this relationship carefully, to build a strong foundation for their future happiness.
Personal growth could be transformative.
After his confession, Li Hanyang often cried during therapy sessions, complaining about his grievances. Li Qinyue maintained a stoic expression, but her heart ached for him, either because she truly cared about her brother, or because his experiences resonated with her own.
Their family issues stemmed from the loss of their mother during their formative years. Their father, consumed by grief, had buried himself in work to escape reality.
Elite schools, expensive tutors, and a luxurious lifestyle couldn’t replace the love and care of their parents. They had grown up emotionally stunted, unable to trust or rely on each other, resorting to all sorts of reckless behavior.
Li Hanyang had said that he couldn’t handle the sudden weight of family responsibility, so he had pretended to be gay to avoid inheriting the family business, so he could continue his rebellious lifestyle.
It wasn’t until his sister had done the same thing that he started to reflect on their actions, deciding to come back and see for himself.
He stayed for two months. Before returning to school, he had a video call with his girlfriend, introducing her to his father and sister. The girl was excellent, and Li Qinyue was relieved. Li Shangyi seemed calm, but his repeated “Welcome to Nanhai City” revealed his excitement.
Li Hanyang had finally resolved his relationship and family issues, and he returned to school with a light heart.
It was different for Li Qinyue. Her pretense had become reality, or perhaps it was fate. She couldn’t imagine breaking up with Zhuo Zhi and finding a boyfriend.
She and Zhuo Zhi were in this for the long haul.
The day before their next therapy session, Li Qinyue called her father and asked if he was still going.
Li Shangyi asked in a surprised tone, “Why wouldn’t we?”
“Hanyang is back at school.”
“Our issues haven’t been resolved,” Li Shangyi said quickly.
Li Qinyue asked with a smile, “Do you think our issues can be resolved in that therapy room?”
“Yes,” Li Shangyi said, “Nothing is impossible if you set your mind to it.”
“Okay,” Li Qinyue certainly hoped so.
But after that day’s session, Li Qinyue came out crying.
Li Shangyi wasn’t much better. He had stopped crying, but his eyes were red and swollen.
He got into his car immediately, refusing to get out, waved goodbye to Li Qinyue, and told the driver to leave.
Li Qinyue stood there for a while, letting the warm breeze dry her tears, then took out her phone and called Zhuo Zhi.
“Little thing, what are you doing?”
“Doing practice problems!” Zhuo Zhi’s voice was bright and cheerful. “I only got one multiple-choice question wrong on my math quiz!”
“That’s amazing,” Li Qinyue chuckled and sniffled.
Zhuo Zhi, with her sharp intuition, asked, “What’s wrong, Sister? Is it cold outside? Do you have a cold?”
“It is a bit cold,” Li Qinyue looked up at the sky, the sunlight making her slightly dizzy. “Didn’t you say you wanted to see the flowers? If you don’t come out soon, they’ll all be gone.”
“If we miss them this year, there’s always next year. The flowers will bloom again…” Zhuo Zhi said, but there were rustling sounds on the other end of the phone, “…but people stay the same.”
“Call Xiao Zhang, I’ll be waiting for you on the mountain,” Li Qinyue said.
“Which mountain?” Zhuo Zhi asked.
“Your mountain.”
“My home!” Zhuo Zhi’s voice was suddenly quiet, “I can’t go today, I won’t be able to get back in time.”
“Come the day after tomorrow, bring your homework.”
“What’s wrong, Sister? What are you planning?” Zhuo Zhi was confused.
“Going home to see Master. My father is going tomorrow, we’ll have dinner together, and then…” Li Qinyue paused, “See the flowers on the mountain.”
Zhuo Zhi didn’t know where to start with her questions. There was a lot to unpack, but she couldn’t wait, she had to know.
“Did Uncle Li… agree to let us be together?” She asked the most important question first.
“Yes,” Li Qinyue’s voice was a little hoarse.
“Why?” Zhuo Zhi was both shocked and apprehensive.
Standing on the street, discussing this on the phone, felt a bit too casual.
But just as Zhuo Zhi couldn’t wait to know, Li Qinyue also couldn’t wait to tell her everything.
She had spent two hours in the therapy room, crying and laughing, and now, it all seemed so simple.
“My father suddenly wanted me to take over the company and get married because he went for a checkup and found out he’s sick,” Li Qinyue didn’t pause, afraid that if she did, her emotions would overwhelm her, and she would start crying on the street. “And my brother lied to him about being gay, he panicked. He apologized to me today, he said he wasn’t angry at me, he was angry at himself. He said that even if we didn’t want to take over the company, he shouldn’t have forced us…”
Li Qinyue’s voice cracked, “He was just scared, and I didn’t even know, I wasn’t there for him.”
“How is he now, Sister?” Zhuo Zhi’s voice was choked with emotion, “Our family is rich, he’ll be fine.”
“He’s getting treatment, he’ll have surgery after this phase, the prognosis is good.”
“It’ll be successful.”
“It will be successful,” Li Qinyue repeated.
“I’ll be there for you, for him,” Zhuo Zhi said.
“Okay.”
“Master and Uncle Li knew each other before, right? I’ll call Master and ask her to prepare his favorite dishes,” Zhuo Zhi said.
“Okay.”
“Don’t be afraid, Sister…”
“I’m not afraid.”
“Let’s…” Zhuo Zhi took a deep breath, her voice trembling slightly, “Let’s get married after the college entrance exam.”
“Okay,” Li Qinyue covered her eyes with her hand, then after a few seconds, said with a smile, “You’re still so young…”
“I’ll grow up,” Zhuo Zhi’s voice was filled with certainty, “And you’ll grow up too, we’ll become invincible together.”
“Okay,” Li Qinyue’s heart settled, her feet firmly planted on the ground, on the path they would walk together.
“I’m coming,” there were rustling sounds on the other end of the phone, “I’ll come find you, and then we’ll go home together.”
“Okay,” Li Qinyue smiled, “I’ll be here, waiting for you.”
[The End]
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