Category: Little Bodyguard(GL)

Chapter 34

Sitting on this high-speed, shock-absorbing “convertible” wasn’t physically comfortable. But feeling the wind rush past her ears, the exhilarating descent, and the slender, supple waist in her grasp, from Li Qinyue’s perspective, it was an unparalleled enjoyment.

The white snow rushed forward, then retreated. Li Qinyue tucked her hair behind her ear, pressing her cold cheek against Zhuo Zhi’s shoulder.

Initially, Zhuo Zhi’s neck was cool, but it quickly warmed up from Li Qinyue’s touch, becoming hot as if steam were rising.

Li Qinyue’s hand quickly went back into Zhuo Zhi’s pocket, giving it a squeeze.

Zhuo Zhi steered to the right, the raft spinning half a circle.

Li Qinyue laughed and asked, “Doesn’t it tickle when I squeeze your waist?”

“It does,” Zhuo Zhi said, her neck stiff, fully focused on steering, “But I can endure it.”

“Oh.” Li Qinyue stopped squeezing, but gently tickled Zhuo Zhi’s waist as they approached a bend.

The raft swayed precariously, almost hitting the barrier before Zhuo Zhi used her leg to brake and steer.

Li Qinyue burst into laughter. Zhuo Zhi planted her feet on the ground, jumped up, and exclaimed, “You can’t do that, Sister!”

“Do what?” Li Qinyue looked up at her with a smile, “What did I do?”

“You tickled me,” Zhuo Zhi shouted.

“I was just playing with the steering wheel, can’t I do that?” Li Qinyue said, “You should see my car, the steering wheel is almost bald from me playing with it.”

Zhuo Zhi stared at her, speechless.

“Let’s not go further down,” Zhuo Zhi turned around, “It’ll be a long way back home if we go any further.”

“Okay,” Li Qinyue agreed, standing up and walking uphill with Zhuo Zhi, “Let’s do this section again.”

“Yeah!” Zhuo Zhi nodded enthusiastically, clearly enjoying herself.

She hopped uphill, the raft leaving a long trail, flattening the fresh snow. Li Qinyue reached out, scooped up some snow from a protruding rock, packed it, and formed a snowball.

Zhuo Zhi was completely unaware of the approaching danger. Li Qinyue, aiming for a perfect hit, took large strides towards her, only throwing the snowball when she was a meter away.

“Thwack,” the crisp sound echoed as the snowball hit the back of Zhuo Zhi’s head, scattering snow everywhere.

Zhuo Zhi flinched, then burst into laughter. Li Qinyue ran a few steps away, thinking the girl was a little silly, “You’re laughing even after I hit you?”

“It’s just…” Zhuo Zhi doubled over with laughter, then suddenly scooped up some snow and threw it at Li Qinyue, “I can’t move until the enemy moves. I’ve never lost a snowball fight, hahaha…”

Li Qinyue couldn’t understand how Zhuo Zhi could effortlessly form a snowball with just a scoop of snow, and she, with her agility, actually failed to dodge it.

The snowball hit her leg. It didn’t hurt, but she had a feeling that she was doomed.

And within the next two minutes, it turned out that she wasn’t wrong.

She must have been crazy to hit Zhuo Zhi. This mountain girl, trained by who knows who, had more tricks up her sleeve than a martial arts movie on fast forward.

Li Qinyue couldn’t even hit her, let alone dodge her attacks.

She was chased around, slipping on the snow and landing on her butt with a thud.

It was utterly humiliating.

Li Qinyue simply sat on the ground, not bothering to get up. Zhuo Zhi, playing with a snowball in her hand, approached her cautiously, “Did you fall, Sister?”

“Yes,” Li Qinyue seized the opportunity, “I think I sprained my hip.”

Zhuo Zhi threw the snowball aside and rushed over to her, squatting down, “Let me see.”

Li Qinyue smiled, grabbed Zhuo Zhi’s arm, and pulled her into her lap.

They fell back together, landing on the soft snow, the coldness seeping through their clothes.

But their bodies were warm, their laughter warm. Zhuo Zhi struggled symbolically for a moment, then gave up.

She rested her head on Li Qinyue’s arm, looking up at the sky with her.

Snowflakes, like dust falling under dim lights, filled their vision with a hazy curtain.

Zhuo Zhi said, “It’s going to snow heavily soon, Sister.”

“A blizzard?”

“Yes,” Zhuo Zhi nodded, her hair brushing against Li Qinyue’s cheek, “Big, visible snowflakes.”

“Childish, I stopped being fascinated with snow when I was your age.”

“I used to stare at the snow for hours,” Zhuo Zhi reached out to catch a snowflake, “I used to wish someone would lie in the snow with me and watch it fall.”

“Now you have someone,” Li Qinyue also reached out, her hand grasping Zhuo Zhi’s, “To celebrate this dream come true, don’t you have anything to offer?”

Zhuo Zhi didn’t answer. After a while, she turned and kissed Li Qinyue on the cheek.

Li Qinyue was stunned, thinking, “What kind of childish way is this to express gratitude?” But the world was silent, and she was too lazy to move. This kiss seemed enough.

They lay there for almost twenty minutes. When they got up, their backs were numb from the cold.

“Want to play more?” Zhuo Zhi brushed the snow off Li Qinyue’s back.

“No more,” Li Qinyue said, “I’m hungry.”

“Okay,” Zhuo Zhi quickly gathered their things, “There’s no shortage of snow in Nanhai City, we can play another day.”

Zhuo Zhi’s words were prophetic. For the next few days, it snowed intermittently.

The snow on the rooftops would accumulate before it even had a chance to melt. At night, they could hear the occasional “crack” as tree branches snapped under the weight of the snow.

The heavy snow sealed the mountain, making the villa complex even quieter. Apart from the occasional supply truck, there were hardly any people around.

Most people stayed in their rooms, keeping warm by the fireplace and eating hotpot. Zhuo Zhi took Li Qinyue through all the classic snow activities, playing like a child. After a few days of this, Li Qinyue felt like she was becoming a child herself.

When the snow finally stopped, the world was wet and slushy.

The roads weren’t cleared in time, and were muddy and slippery. It wasn’t until Lan Xi called that Li Qinyue had the thought of going down the mountain.

However, it was just a thought. Whether they would actually go depended mainly on whether the little fool was interested.

Li Qinyue hung up the phone and shouted towards the kitchen, “Chick!”

“Yes!” Zhuo Zhi responded. She had gotten used to it now, she would answer to anything Li Qinyue called her in this house.

“Come out for a minute,” Li Qinyue called out.

“Wait a minute, wait a minute, the pot’s about to boil.”

“Oh, then no rush,” Li Qinyue pressed a button on the remote control, “Food is important!”

Food was indeed the most important thing. Zhuo Zhi was making a Northeast stew, with all kinds of ingredients, a big pot of it, emitting a delicious aroma.

They moved the coffee table in front of the sofa, their usual routine, and ate while watching TV. By the time the show was over, they had also finished their meal.

Only then did Zhuo Zhi remember, “What did you want to ask me earlier, Sister?”

“It’s nothing important,” Li Qinyue pointed at the TV, “This show, do you want to go see it live?”

“Huh?” Zhuo Zhi’s eyes widened, “‘I’m a Musician’?!”

“Yes,” Li Qinyue stretched.

Zhuo Zhi leaned closer to her excitedly, “‘I’m a Musician’?! That judge is… is…”

“Yes, it’s Old Xu, the one you grew up listening to,” Li Qinyue said, pursing her lips.

“Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!!!” Zhuo Zhi’s eyes sparkled. She grabbed Li Qinyue’s arm, still holding her chopsticks, “You’re amazing, Sister, how do you manage to get everything…”

“Go, go, go,” Li Qinyue pushed her away in mock disgust, “Hurry up and clean up, we’re leaving soon.”

Zhuo Zhi practically skipped as she washed the dishes in the kitchen, singing along to old songs, only remembering the choruses.

When the dishes were done, the car arrived. Zhuo Zhi tidied herself up before getting in.

The car, fitted with snow chains, slowly descended the mountain. Once they reached the city, the roads were clear, and they sped up.

While watching TV with Li Qinyue, Zhuo Zhi had asked her many questions about filming variety shows.

She had thought that she would be like an ordinary audience member, arriving early, waiting for a long time, recording a few cheers for the cameras, eagerly awaiting the arrival of her favorite judges, and then watching the show.

But she was completely wrong. A staff member with a director’s badge led them through the backstage area, taking them to the audience seats. They sat down just as the break ended, and Zhuo Zhi realized that the recording of this episode of “I’m a Musician” was already nearing its end.

She stared at the back of Old Xu’s head, the singer she had grown up listening to, feeling deeply regretful. How could a meal be more important than watching the show?

She glanced at Li Qinyue with a hint of resentment. Li Qinyue raised an eyebrow, ignoring her, looking like a serious audience member.

It was a challenger round, where previously eliminated contestants could return based on their popularity and compete against the selected contestants.

The time difference between recording and broadcasting made Zhuo Zhi a little confused about the current situation, but it didn’t dampen her enthusiasm for watching a live show for the first time. She cheered with the other audience members and laughed with them.

But when the other audience members cried, she didn’t.

She was too happy to cry.

After just one song, the challenger round ended. Zhuo Zhi, clutching her pants leg, felt unsatisfied. Fortunately, the host suddenly announced that there was a new rule this time, in addition to the eliminated contestants, there would also be a special “airdrop” contestant.

The audience gasped in surprise, whispers filling the air.

Zhuo Zhi figured that this “airdrop” contestant was a pre-planned highlight of the show or someone with powerful backing. Just as she turned to ask for Li Qinyue’s opinion, she saw Lan Xi walking onto the stage.

Lan Xi had changed her hair color, but thankfully, because of that dinner, Zhuo Zhi remembered her name.

With her low-key, short brown hair and clothes that cleverly concealed her tattoos, Lan Xi adjusted the microphone and briefly introduced herself.

Li Qinyue asked, “What’s wrong?” Her breath tickled Zhuo Zhi’s cheek. Zhuo Zhi sat up straight and said, “Nothing.”

She looked at Lan Xi on stage, unsure if it was the lighting or the makeup, but she felt that this person looked much more vibrant than before.

And much more beautiful.

Lan Xi started singing. Her voice was beautiful, with that unique quality of a musician, as Li Qinyue had described.

Zhuo Zhi leaned forward slightly, staring at her, remembering how Lan Xi had been hugging the toilet and throwing up in the bathroom. She felt a pang of sympathy.

After the song ended, the judges unanimously declared her the winner of the challenger round.

Lan Xi smiled, a genuine smile. Zhuo Zhi had never seen her smile like this before, it made her look so gentle.

Zhuo Zhi suddenly felt that this was the real Lan Xi.

This episode of the show was basically over now.

The judges left, and the staff organized the audience. Li Qinyue obviously didn’t have to leave with the crowd. She held Zhuo Zhi’s hand and led her backstage.

The director who had brought them in earlier was waiting for them. He handed an album to Zhuo Zhi, “Old Xu just signed it, it’s still warm.”

This was a pleasant surprise. Zhuo Zhi repeatedly thanked him, carefully examining the album. It wasn’t just signed, it was a personalized autograph with her name on it.

She turned to Li Qinyue and whispered, “You’re amazing, Sister.”

Li Qinyue smiled, “Think about how to repay me.”

They left the studio, and a gust of cold wind hit them, making Zhuo Zhi sneeze.

She took out a mask from her pocket and quickly handed it to Li Qinyue, “Sister, put this on.”

Li Qinyue took the mask. Zhuo Zhi then pulled up the hood of her jacket, covering Li Qinyue’s head.

Only her beautiful eyes were visible, looking at Zhuo Zhi with a smile, “Isn’t this a bit too much?”

“In this weather, warmth is more important,” Zhuo Zhi said, pulling up the hood of her own down jacket.

They came out of the corridor and bumped into a small group of fans, probably of some celebrity, who started taking pictures of them with their phones. Zhuo Zhi shielded Li Qinyue, quickly leading her away, acting like a true bodyguard.

After getting away from the fans, Zhuo Zhi asked Li Qinyue, “Why were they taking pictures?”

“They probably don’t even know,” Li Qinyue tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, “I guess I have a star aura.”

“Sister, you just don’t want to be a celebrity,” Zhuo Zhi immediately flattered her sincerely, “We’ve been watching talent shows for days, none of them are as pretty as you.”

Li Qinyue stopped and tilted her chin, “That one is, right? Your eyes almost popped out of your head when she was singing.”

Zhuo Zhi looked over. Lan Xi, wearing a hat and a mask, was standing not far away, watching them.

“I was just a little surprised,” Zhuo Zhi said, “She said she went to the dinner to see you.”

“Hmm,” Li Qinyue responded.

Zhuo Zhi’s brows furrowed in confusion, “Then was she really there to see you? Did Wang Zilai give her this ‘airdrop’ spot, or did you arrange it?”

“I arranged it,” Li Qinyue looked at her sideways, “Why do you use the word ‘arrange’ when it comes to me? It sounds so bad.”

Zhuo Zhi ignored her last sentence, her frown deepening, “But she said she wanted to see you because she liked you. But now it turns out she just wanted a spot on the show?”

“Are those two things mutually exclusive?” Li Qinyue said, “If you have to pay a price for these things, wouldn’t it be the best of both worlds to pay it to someone you like?”

“That kind of liking isn’t pure,” Zhuo Zhi said firmly.

Li Qinyue looked at her serious expression and chuckled, “Are you sure your liking is pure?”

Zhuo Zhi nodded with certainty, “If I like someone, it’s from the bottom of my heart. I don’t want their money, their power, I just want them to be happy.”

“Tsk,” Li Qinyue rubbed Zhuo Zhi’s head, which was covered by a thick hat, “Whoever wins your heart will be very lucky.”

Zhuo Zhi giggled.

When they were a few steps away, Lan Xi walked towards them, took off her mask, and said to Li Qinyue, “President Li.”

Li Qinyue nodded. Lan Xi looked at Zhuo Zhi, “Zhuo Zhi, you’re here too.”

“Yes,” Zhuo Zhi said, “Wherever President Li goes, I follow.”

Lan Xi’s eyes flickered, then she quickly turned to point at a car nearby, “You’ve worked hard, let’s have dinner together.”

“No need,” Li Qinyue said, “Get some rest, don’t you have to film the VCR tomorrow?” ( `video cassette recorder. ‘)

“It’s fine, I’ve filmed short films before, I’m experienced,” Lan Xi paused and looked at Li Qinyue, “The rest of the band is here, they want to see you.”

Li Qinyue raised an eyebrow and nudged Zhuo Zhi, “Honey, should we have dinner outside?”

Her hint was very obvious. Zhuo Zhi, who had already slipped into the “girlfriend” role, immediately responded. She linked arms with Li Qinyue and said with a sweet and exaggerated smile, “Darling, you decide.”

Li Qinyue smiled and rubbed her chin, “We’ve been cooped up at home for so long, it’s time to get some fresh air.”

Chapter 33

After Li Qinyue’s strong refusal, Zhuo Zhi gave up on the idea of playing around in the villa complex. She pouted, hoisted the wooden raft onto her shoulder, and strode forward, sighing with every step like a little old man weighed down by life’s burdens.

Li Qinyue caught up to her and asked, “What are you sighing for?”

“I’m just feeling a bit emotional,” Zhuo Zhi looked up at the sky. “Think about it, people give up happiness for the sake of face, how foolish is that?”

Li Qinyue lightly kicked Zhuo Zhi’s backside with her leg, “You have the nerve to say that when you’re playing with such childish things?”

Zhuo Zhi chuckled, “But you’re willing to play with me.”

“I’m not going,” Li Qinyue said, but her feet didn’t stop.

“Come on, Sister,” Zhuo Zhi leaned closer, rubbing her shoulder against Li Qinyue’s arm, “It’s so much fun, I know you like playing these games.”

“Go away,” Li Qinyue waved her hand dismissively, but she couldn’t help but smile.

Seeing her smile, Zhuo Zhi skipped ahead, humming a tune, her steps light and carefree.

Li Qinyue listened carefully. It wasn’t even a proper song, just random lines from old songs from a decade ago, a jumbled mess.

The heavy snow had sealed the mountain. Not only was the private racing track deserted, but even the main road was empty, no people, no cars.

Zhuo Zhi was carrying the raft, but her feet were restless. She would take a running start and whoosh down the slope, then do it again without a running start.

Li Qinyue looked at her ponytail swaying behind her, wanting to grab it and shake it back and forth.

They walked for a long time. The sky gradually brightened, reflecting off the white snow, the glare dazzling.

Li Qinyue, who usually spent too much time on her phone, squinted, her eyes stinging from the brightness.

“Let’s stop here!” Zhuo Zhi threw the raft on the ground, gesturing around them, “Not a soul in sight, not even a bird. You can play freely now, Sister.”

“What am I going to play?” Li Qinyue walked closer and stopped. “Isn’t it you who wants to play?”

“Well, I, I…” Zhuo Zhi put on a helpless yet indulgent expression and tugged at Li Qinyue’s sleeve, “Shall we try sliding down together first?”

Li Qinyue didn’t answer, taking it as agreement.

Zhuo Zhi sat down at the front of the raft and handed the two red ropes to Li Qinyue, “Do you want to drive, Sister?”

“Drive what?” Li Qinyue glared at her, sitting down behind Zhuo Zhi, her legs awkwardly positioned.

Zhuo Zhi, with her sharp observation skills, said, “Spread them, just spread them apart. Lift them up when sliding, put them down to brake.”

“Leg brakes,” Li Qinyue chuckled.

“Yeah, leg brakes, hahaha,” Zhuo Zhi said, “If you don’t want to, don’t worry about it, I’ll brake.”

“Okay,” Li Qinyue tilted her chin, “Do we steer with these ropes?”

“Yes, you can control the direction,” Zhuo Zhi placed the ropes over her shoulders and handed them to Li Qinyue, “But mainly, you steer with your legs.”

“Hahahahaha…” Li Qinyue laughed for a while.

The path Zhuo Zhi chose was a wide and smooth mountain road, with a cliff on one side and a sturdy barrier on the other, very safe.

The road had a slight incline, but not too steep, suitable for beginners.

Li Qinyue grabbed the ropes and pulled them from side to side, “It’s so heavy.”

“It won’t be heavy once we start sliding,” Zhuo Zhi stretched out her legs and pushed off, “Let’s go!”

The raft slid forward slowly. Before Li Qinyue could even steer, it stopped.

“Ahem,” The engine, Zhuo Zhi, coughed awkwardly, “I underestimated…”

“Underestimated what?” Li Qinyue asked.

“Our combined weight.”

Li Qinyue tapped her head, “I’m very light.”

“Yes, yes, yes, I’m heavy, I’m heavy.” Zhuo Zhi kicked off, using more force this time. The raft glided smoothly and quickly gained momentum.

Zhuo Zhi’s legs pumped tirelessly, and the wind blew Li Qinyue’s hair back. It was fun and exhilarating.

“Give it more power!” she shouted in Zhuo Zhi’s ear.

“Okay!” Zhuo Zhi suddenly leaned back, her back bumping into Li Qinyue’s chest.

“Hmm…” Li Qinyue let out a muffled groan, but didn’t forget to lift her left hand, steering the raft to the left.

“Whoa!” Zhuo Zhi exclaimed dramatically, “What a skilled driver!”

“Of course…” Li Qinyue felt a surge of pride and shouted again, “More power!”

“Here we go… wait, not to the left anymore! We’ll crash, there’s a rock…”

“Reverse, reverse, quickly!”

“It’s heavy, I can’t reverse quickly.”

“Let me do it, let me do it, watch my long legs, here we go…”

The slope was too gentle, and after two runs, Li Qinyue was no longer satisfied.

She patted Zhuo Zhi’s shoulder and stood up, “Let’s go, Sister will take you to a more exciting place.”

“We can’t go to that bend,” Zhuo Zhi immediately said, “The road is too narrow there, it’s dangerous.”

“You know which bend I’m talking about?” Li Qinyue looked at her.

“Of course, section 05.”

“When did you become so familiar with this road?” Li Qinyue found it amusing. She put her arm around Zhuo Zhi’s shoulder and pulled her along.

“I come here to run,” Zhuo Zhi said.

“Then you should know it’s not as dangerous as it looks,” Li Qinyue looked at her and asked, “Don’t you want to try it?”

Zhuo Zhi was hesitant. If she were alone, she would definitely have gone. After all, for someone who grew up playing on mountain paths, that section of road was nothing.

But it was different with Li Qinyue, she had to ensure her safety.

She had to be 99% sure, like watching over a mischievous child.

Zhuo Zhi frowned in thought, but Li Qinyue had no patience for her hesitation.

“Have you forgotten something?” Li Qinyue said, “What’s the price for stopping me from doing something dangerous?”

Zhuo Zhi’s body trembled at those words, her face crumpling, “Sister, you can’t be serious, it’s just a small matter, do we have to be so formal?”

“I’ll be formal if you don’t do what I want,” Li Qinyue looked at her, delighted.

Zhuo Zhi met her gaze, and after a moment of silence, she suddenly had a realization, “Sister, if you don’t like someone, wouldn’t it be very painful to sleep with them?”

“Of course,” Li Qinyue nodded, her smile not diminishing in the slightest, “But I like you.”

Zhuo Zhi smiled weakly, “This kind of liking is different from that kind of liking.”

“Oh, you know that now, do you?” Li Qinyue tilted her head, “Hurry up, answer me.”

Zhuo Zhi said, “Sister, can you think about it from another perspective, like, the opposite, the opposite…”

Li Qinyue’s smile vanished, her brows furrowing, “You mean you’d be in pain? How dare you! Open your eyes and look at the beauty standing in front of you! How many people like me will you meet in your lifetime…”

“None, none,” seeing Li Qinyue on the verge of getting angry, Zhuo Zhi quickly grabbed her hand, “Sister, what I meant was, let’s go play.”

Li Qinyue shook off her hand and walked forward without looking back.

Zhuo Zhi pulled the raft and jogged after her, “Aren’t you tired of walking, Sister?”

Li Qinyue stopped and glared at her, “Aren’t you happy being my donkey?!”

“Hahahahaha…” Zhuo Zhi burst out laughing, “Donkey doesn’t sound very nice. You can think of me as a steed.”

Li Qinyue: “Are you happy being a horse now?!”

Zhuo Zhi flicked her ponytail, “Neigh— a Ferghana horse, so cool.”

Li Qinyue stomped her foot and stepped onto the raft, “Since you’re so eager, drag me there, I’m not taking another step!”

“Okay,” Zhuo Zhi hoisted the rope onto her shoulder and looked back at Li Qinyue with a smile, “Are you really going to stand, Sister?”

“What’s wrong with standing?! Didn’t you say you always stand?”

“Oh,” Zhuo Zhi turned around, her voice rising, “Get ready! One, two, three! Go!”

The moment they started moving, Li Qinyue regretted it.

Standing wasn’t a good idea at all. Zhuo Zhi wasn’t just an ordinary horse, she was indeed a Ferghana horse.

Fast acceleration, strong stamina. It was like a sudden jerk on a bus, making Li Qinyue stumble and almost fall to her knees.

Zhuo Zhi didn’t look back, but she was giggling, clearly knowing what would happen.

Li Qinyue wanted to laugh and punch her at the same time. She quickly squatted down and, in this bizarre position, enjoyed her human-powered chariot.

Even with someone on the raft, Zhuo Zhi could still “ski”.

The raft moved jerkily, and Li Qinyue bounced along, laughing and crying at the same time.

As they went downhill, the slope gradually steepened, and the jolting from starting and stopping became more pronounced. It would have been better to walk.

But to see through the punishment she had imposed on herself, Li Qinyue endured it. Zhuo Zhi was tired, she was uncomfortable, a lose-lose situation.

They finally reached section 05. Li Qinyue jumped off the raft.

She stretched her arms and legs, moving around for a while, and decided that after today, she would never play with this damn thing again.

Zhuo Zhi looked at the road ahead and let out a long breath, “This place is beautiful, Sister Qinyue.”

Li Qinyue walked over and stood beside her, “Well, look who designed it.”

It was a section with both slopes and bends, a wide view, and brightly colored barriers on both sides, winding down along the mountain. Usually, it was a black snake in the green forest, but today, it was a colorful ribbon against the white snow.

“Wow, you built this road?!” Zhuo Zhi exclaimed, “Did they name it after you?”

Li Qinyue slapped her head, “What are you thinking? The club built it, I just invested some money.”

“Oh, oh, oh,” Zhuo Zhi didn’t understand these things, she just sighed sincerely, “You’re really rich.”

“Okay, let’s start,” Li Qinyue pointed ahead dramatically, “This time, I’m sitting in the front.”

“No!” Zhuo Zhi immediately said, “I’m in the front, and you can’t touch the steering wheel.”

“Why not?!” Li Qinyue was angry, “Do you think you’re a better driver than me?!”

“But you’re not experienced with this sled, it’s too dangerous here. Although there are barriers, if we go over them…” Zhuo Zhi pointed, “See that gap? We’re so skinny, we could be thrown off the mountain!”

Complimenting a girl on being skinny was always the right thing to do.

Li Qinyue thought for a moment. The wind was strong in the front, and this crappy sled had no windshield. She needed Zhuo Zhi as a soft, warm human shield.

So she compromised, “Fine, I’ll sit in the back.”

Zhuo Zhi smiled, “Thank you, Sister!”

“But I need to hold onto the steering wheel,” Li Qinyue felt like she was going crazy, even playing with a wooden raft sparked her need for control, “Otherwise, what’s the point of playing, there’s no fun in it.”

Zhuo Zhi clearly understood her feelings and didn’t argue back. She frowned in thought.

“How about this,” Zhuo Zhi said, “You hold onto my waist, if you want to go left, pinch my left side, if you want to go right, pinch my right side. It’s like a human cover for the steering wheel, how about that?”

Li Qinyue was stunned by her analogy. Zhuo Zhi pulled open her jacket pocket and said persuasively, “And look, you can put your hands in my pockets, warm and comfortable…”

“Can I rest my head on your shoulder?” Li Qinyue interrupted her, “So I can see the road ahead clearly.”

“Sure,” Zhuo Zhi pulled open her jacket zipper again, “I have a mask here, a new one, you can wear it so you won’t be too cold.”

“No,” Li Qinyue looked dissatisfied, “You didn’t even offer it to me when I was freezing in the back, now you’re being so proactive.”

Zhuo Zhi chuckled and zipped up her jacket, “Aren’t you cold, Sister?”

Li Qinyue grinned, revealing her fox-like teeth, “I won’t be cold if I’m holding you.”

Chapter 32

Zhuo Zhi couldn’t understand why kissing a hand needed to be “taken slowly,” but since Li Qinyue had said so, she couldn’t just blurt out “No, right now!”

She retracted her hand, hiding it inside her sleeve, then clamped it between her knees.

She kept it there the entire ride back. By the time they arrived home and got out of the car, the wind had made her fingertips numb.

Back at the villa, Li Qinyue said she wasn’t full and ordered some barbecue even though it was late.

Zhuo Zhi kept thinking about the hand kiss, absentmindedly accompanying Li Qinyue as she ate.

Li Qinyue watched another episode of a variety show while eating barbecue, then made a long video call after turning off the TV.

Zhuo Zhi glanced at the time. It was getting late, even for Li Qinyue, who was a night owl.

She cleaned up the table and stood in a spot out of the camera’s view, waiting for Li Qinyue to finish her call.

Li Qinyue went upstairs, still talking on the phone and smiling. Zhuo Zhi followed, keeping a distance.

Li Qinyue entered her bedroom on the third floor and finally hung up the call. Before Zhuo Zhi could say anything, Li Qinyue started taking off her clothes.

She never cared about being naked in front of Zhuo Zhi. Zhuo Zhi quickly turned around, averting her gaze.

When she turned back, Li Qinyue had already entered the bathroom.

The sound of running water filled the air. The bedroom door was open, and Zhuo Zhi could hear Li Qinyue moving around and playing music.

As Zhuo Zhi waited for Li Qinyue to finish her bath, accompanied by soothing music, she felt sleepy. She slid down to the floor and dozed off.

When she woke up, a fragrant scent filled the air, and Li Qinyue’s wet hair was right in front of her. Her fox-like eyes were staring at Zhuo Zhi, as if looking at a chicken ready to be slaughtered.

Startled, Zhuo Zhi jumped back, her awkward movement only lifting her a little before she landed on her butt with a thump.

Li Qinyue burst out laughing, “Such a scaredy-cat?”

“No…” Zhuo Zhi rubbed the back of her head, “How did I fall asleep?”

“Who knows,” Li Qinyue stood up and offered her hand, “Sleeping by my door, like a guard dog.”

Zhuo Zhi chuckled, taking her hand and standing up, “You haven’t…”

She stopped mid-sentence, her mind clearing up a little. She looked at Li Qinyue, carefully observed her expression, and said, “Sister, it’s getting late, I’m going to bed.”

She turned to leave, but Li Qinyue didn’t let go of her hand, “Hey, leaving in the middle of a sentence makes you a bad dog.”

Zhuo Zhi thought that she had already been called a dog twice in this short conversation, so she simply barked, “Woof!”

Li Qinyue was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing, clutching her stomach.

Zhuo Zhi watched her laugh, finding it a bit funny herself, a smile spreading across her face.

Li Qinyue suddenly straightened up, pulled Zhuo Zhi’s hand to her lips, and gave it a quick kiss, “There, you scaredy-cat.”

Caught off guard, Zhuo Zhi froze. Li Qinyue let go of her hand, turned, and went into her room, waving, “Good night.”

“Good… night,” Zhuo Zhi mumbled after a while, staring at the closed door.

As she went downstairs, Zhuo Zhi was still a little dazed. But when she reached her own room, washed up, and lay in bed, the daze disappeared, and Zhuo Zhi started to feel a sense of injustice.

Li Qinyue had teased her all night, making her worry from the moment they got into the car. Hours had passed, she was mentally prepared, and Li Qinyue had just brushed it off with a quick peck?

Zhuo Zhi raised her hand, looking at it under the ceiling light. The warm yellow light shone through her fingers, highlighting the smooth lines of her palm and long fingers.

Li Qinyue had said her hand was beautiful, it was indeed beautiful.

But such a beautiful hand, after Li Qinyue had finally gotten the chance, she just… let it go?

Zhuo Zhi was unhappy. She thought she had figured out Li Qinyue’s tricks, but in the end, she realized she was still standing at the starting line, never having truly entered the game.

Tsk, Zhuo Zhi retracted her hand, rolled over, and burrowed under the covers.

“Fox spirit.”

That night, Zhuo Zhi slept restlessly. She dreamt of Wang Zilai, with his big belly, forcing Lan Xi to drink, glass after glass. Slowly, Lan Xi’s blue hair turned red, then yellow, purple, green…

Zhuo Zhi watched a whole night of rebellious hair colors. As dawn approached, the hair turned black, and her heart skipped a beat. When the face looked up, it was Li Qinyue’s.

Zhuo Zhi rushed over, grabbing Li Qinyue’s arm and trying to drag her home. But Li Qinyue refused to leave, telling her with a smile that this was an adult game.

Zhuo Zhi gave Wang Zilai a good beating, but Li Qinyue still wouldn’t leave, drinking glass after glass. Zhuo Zhi couldn’t hit her and was so angry she felt like her lungs were going to explode.

With her lungs about to burst, Zhuo Zhi suddenly woke up, staring at the ceiling for a long time before finally releasing some of her pent-up frustration.

She looked at the time. It was a little early, but she could get up now.

She was going to wake Li Qinyue up and give her a good lecture, telling her to stay away from people like Wang Zilai and never drink again, not even a single drop.

Angrily brushing her teeth and washing her face, Zhuo Zhi stormed up to the third floor and raised her hand to knock on the door, then hesitated.

Her self-preservation instincts reminded her of the time she had woken Li Qinyue up and been subjected to a torrent of curses over the phone. If it happened again, Zhuo Zhi didn’t know if she could resist using her special privilege.

No swearing, or she would be kissed on the lips.

Zhuo Zhi pursed her lips, realizing they were a little dry.

She lowered her hand and slowly went downstairs, slowly changed into her running clothes, and opened the door.

A gust of cold north wind blew in, making her hair fly and her eyelashes freeze.

Zhuo Zhi blinked, looking at the scenery outside, her heart filled with joy.

It was snowing.

Heavy snow.

Like a spring breeze overnight, a thousand trees blooming with pear blossoms.

Mountains dancing like silver snakes, plains vast like wax elephants, vying with the heavens for height.

“Yay!” Zhuo Zhi jumped up high, then turned and ran back inside.

She had a reason to wake up Li Qinyue now!

Such heavy snow! Shouldn’t they get up early to celebrate?!

Zhuo Zhi bounded up the stairs four steps at a time, quickly reaching Li Qinyue’s door. “Bang, bang, bang,” she knocked loudly.

“Sister Qinyue, Sister Qinyue, wake up! Wake up, wake up! You can’t sleep anymore!”

“Thump,” something was thrown at the door.

Zhuo Zhi paused for a moment, then continued knocking, “Wake up, wake up, you really can’t sleep anymore! Good stuff, good stuff! I’ll take you to see something good!”

After ten minutes, the door finally opened a crack. Li Qinyue’s hair was messy, covering most of her face. She glared at Zhuo Zhi and growled, “What?”

“It’s snowing!” Zhuo Zhi said quickly, keeping her arm wedged in the door.

As expected, Li Qinyue’s next reaction was to slam the door shut, pinching Zhuo Zhi’s arm. Zhuo Zhi let out an exaggerated “Ouch!”

Li Qinyue let go, glanced at her arm, and saw that it was safely bundled up in a down jacket.

“Sister, Sister, Sister,” Zhuo Zhi called out repeatedly, “The snow scenery on the mountain is so beautiful, let’s go make the first footprints in the snow!”

Li Qinyue squinted at her, “Not interested.”

“Let’s go build a snowman! A big snowman!”

“Not interested.”

“Have a snowball fight! A big snowball fight!”

“Not inter…”

“Roll snowballs, big snowballs!”

“Not…”

“Go sledding!! I’ll make a sled, and we’ll slide down from the mountaintop!”

Li Qinyue: “…How long will it take?”

“Huh? How long will what take?”

“To make the sled.”

“Ten minutes!!! I have all the materials and tools in the workshop! I’ll go right now!”

“Fifteen minutes,” Li Qinyue said, “I’m going to wash my face.”

Fifteen minutes later, Li Qinyue came out wearing a brightly colored ski suit, looking full of energy.

As she went downstairs, she heard Zhuo Zhi shouting from the yard, “Sister, Sister, I’m done, come quickly!”

Li Qinyue couldn’t help but quicken her pace. She went outside, scanned the yard, and her gaze landed on something in Zhuo Zhi’s hand.

She frowned and said, “This?”

“Yep,” Zhuo Zhi threw the object on the ground, “It’s all downhill from here, and no one’s around, we can slide down!”

It was a rough, makeshift wooden raft. If it were meant to be on water, it could be called a raft. The pieces of wood were of varying thicknesses, tied together tightly with thick red ropes with gold threads. It was simple and crude, bearing no resemblance to a “sled”.

Zhuo Zhi held one end of the red rope, looking like she was leading a donkey. Li Qinyue pointed at the object, her lips moving several times before she finally said, “This? Slide down?”

“Yes, sit on it,” Zhuo Zhi immediately squatted down and sat on the raft, looking back at Li Qinyue, “Sister, you’re not experienced, so sit behind me and hold onto my waist.”

Li Qinyue felt a little dizzy. Holding onto Zhuo Zhi’s waist sounded nice, but sitting on this shabby wooden contraption, being seen by people in the villa complex, that wouldn’t be nice at all.

“Let’s…” she thought for a moment, “I suddenly want to build a snowman.”

“Okay!” Zhuo Zhi stomped her foot on the ground, “We’ll slide down to the plaza and build it there, where everyone can see it.”

“Ah, it’s so cold,” Li Qinyue turned around, “Let’s wait until it’s warmer before we go out.”

“It’s not that cold today. It’s not cold when it’s snowing, it only gets cold when the snow melts.” Zhuo Zhi kicked off, and the raft slid forward.

Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes sparkling, whether from the cold or excitement, the colors Li Qinyue liked most.

“Well…” Li Qinyue looked at her, “I’m hungry.”

“I brought some snacks and nuts,” Zhuo Zhi patted her pocket, “We can eat on the way.”

Li Qinyue couldn’t come up with any more excuses. She felt that if she made another excuse, she would be truly evil.

She made one last attempt, “Is this really fun?”

“Super fun!!!” Zhuo Zhi shouted, “I always play with it when it snows on the mountain. Master and the nuns next door find it too cold, no one wants to play with me. I don’t make it this big when I’m alone, and I can stand up and slide. Can you imagine? Standing up and sliding down the mountain path, it’s super fun!!!”

Li Qinyue felt a pang of sympathy. She took two steps towards Zhuo Zhi, “Are there no friends on the mountain?”

“It’s all adults on the mountain, the children live at the foot of the mountain. Their parents don’t allow them to go up the mountain in this weather, they say it’s too dangerous…”

But no one cared whether it was dangerous for Zhuo Zhi to do this, and no one would accompany her to enjoy this simple pleasure. Li Qinyue felt a little sad.

Zhuo Zhi waved the red rope, “Come on, Sister!”

Li Qinyue took two more steps forward. As she bent down, she saw a cleaner from the villa complex with a broom, ready to sweep the snow.

She quickly straightened up, “Well, they’re clearing the snow, it’ll be gone soon. Let’s… let’s go up the mountain.”

“Okay!” Zhuo Zhi didn’t suspect anything. She jumped up, tightened the rope, and lifted the raft.

They walked out together. It was winter, and there were few guests in the villa complex besides the staff.

The snow hadn’t been cleared in time, and many roads were still covered in a thick layer of fresh snow, soft and comfortable to step on.

Zhuo Zhi stared at Li Qinyue’s feet and suddenly asked, “Are you tired, Sister?”

“Hmm?” Li Qinyue looked at her.

Zhuo Zhi’s eyes lit up. She ran in front of Li Qinyue, suddenly dropped the raft, slung the rope over her shoulder, and said, “Come on, Sister, stand on it, I’ll pull you!”

It was a bizarre scene. A few shop assistants who were unloading goods nearby looked over.

Zhuo Zhi turned her back, getting ready to pull, looking back at Li Qinyue with a happy smile.

Li Qinyue felt a bitter taste in her mouth, her mind filled with a song about the love of a boat tracker.

Chapter 31

Li Qinyue was sitting on a luxurious sofa, holding a glass of red wine, her legs crossed, a cigarette between her fingers.

A wisp of smoke curled upwards, swirling around her long, loose hair, making her profile look both alluring and dangerous.

Her eyes were slightly narrowed, and standing before her wasn’t a group of naked, muscular men, but a line of beautiful young women, each one younger and more delicate than the last.

Some were in swimsuits, some in JK uniforms, some in tracksuits, some in frilly Lolita dresses…

Long hair, short hair, black hair, hair dyed in all colors of the rainbow…

Japanese style, Korean style, local style, Thai style, big-eyed, high-nosed Western style…

All kinds, a diverse selection within a certain range, all with one thing in common: fair skin and slender legs.

For a moment, Zhuo Zhi was reminded of the variety shows she had watched with Li Qinyue, the contestants they had analyzed. If the setting were different, Zhuo Zhi would have thought this was a talent show audition.

But reality was harsh. Amidst the loud music and psychedelic lights, Wang Zilai, holding a bottle of liquor, his beer belly jiggling like a pregnant woman’s, came rushing over from the inner room, shouting at Li Qinyue, “Little President Li, have you made your choice yet? Spoiled for choice? I told you, if you like this type, we have every kind here.”

No one noticed Zhuo Zhi standing by the door. She couldn’t take it anymore. Her sense of duty, having been suppressed all night, finally exploded. She let out a loud cough.

Everyone turned to look at her, including the beautiful girls.

Li Qinyue looked at her and suddenly smiled. Even in this setting, her smile was breathtakingly beautiful.

Or rather, even more beautiful.

Under the flickering lights, Li Qinyue’s eyes seemed to speak. She only looked at Zhuo Zhi for a few seconds, but Zhuo Zhi’s mind was already racing, replaying every word and phrase they had exchanged that could be relevant to this situation.

She was no longer the naive little monkey who would resort to violence at the first sign of trouble. She had found a way to kill many birds with one stone.

Frowning, stomping her foot, Zhuo Zhi didn’t need to recall how to act jealous from TV dramas. Her genuine anger made her performance convincing.

“What are you doing?!” she shouted in a voice unique to a young girl who had just come of age. “You left me outside, just to meet with these people?!”

Li Qinyue raised an eyebrow. Wang Zilai looked awkward. The girls, however, seemed to have seen it all, their expressions remaining sweet and composed.

Zhuo Zhi pointed at the girls, glared at Wang Zilai, then turned to Li Qinyue, “Is this how you see me?! Am I the same as them?! Am I not as pretty as them?! Are you not interested in me anymore?! Do you want me or do you want them?!”

Five soul-stirring questions, Zhuo Zhi’s voice loud and clear, making the whole room tremble. The music and time seemed to freeze, creating an eerie silence.

Wang Zilai waited for half a minute, but Li Qinyue didn’t explode.

He couldn’t understand why Li Qinyue wasn’t angry after having her face challenged so publicly in this setting.

He turned to look at the girl standing by the door. Her appearance could be considered delicate, but she wasn’t even as beautiful as Li Qinyue herself. What kind of charm did she possess?

Li Qinyue was smiling. After her laughter subsided, she beckoned to Zhuo Zhi, “Come here.”

Lost in her act, Zhuo Zhi retorted, “No!”

“Be good, come here,” Li Qinyue kept her hand outstretched.

Zhuo Zhi glared at her, “You tell them to be good!”

Li Qinyue stood up and walked towards her, “They would definitely obey, but I like you, the one who doesn’t obey.”

This was a powerful statement. Zhuo Zhi thought for a moment, unable to come up with a retort.

In that brief moment of hesitation, Li Qinyue had already grabbed her wrist and led her towards the sofa, “Did you eat enough earlier? Are you thirsty? Want something to drink?”

Zhuo Zhi waved her hand and said, “It smells so strongly of smoke.”

Li Qinyue smoothly put out her cigarette and winked at Zhuo Zhi.

Wang Zilai stood awkwardly at the side, gesturing towards the girls, “Little President Li, then…”

Li Qinyue looked up and smiled, “Honey, do you like any of them?”

Zhuo Zhi froze. Li Qinyue squeezed her palm.

“Ah, well…” Zhuo Zhi figured that since she was playing the role of a spoiled “girlfriend,” she might as well continue the act. She pointed and said, “I think that one is not bad.”

Wang Zilai looked as if he finally understood, thinking to himself, young people are indeed more open-minded.

Li Qinyue followed Zhuo Zhi’s finger, “The one in the plaid skirt?”

“Yes,” Zhuo Zhi nodded.

“Do you like her face or her outfit?” Li Qinyue asked.

“Her clothes are pretty, and she…”

Li Qinyue interrupted her, smiling mischievously, “Then I’ll wear it for you.”

Zhuo Zhi: “…”

Li Qinyue said to Wang Zilai, “President Wang, looks like you’ll have to play by yourself.”

“Not my type,” Wang Zilai waved his hand, dismissing the girls, “Then I won’t disturb you two. I’ll go play cards with President Mi.”

Li Qinyue nodded. Wang Zilai waved at Zhuo Zhi and went into the inner room.

A soft, old song was playing on the TV, and the lights in the room were no longer as psychedelic.

Li Qinyue looked down at Zhuo Zhi’s fingers and said, “Remember what you said earlier?”

“I said a lot of things,” Zhuo Zhi answered honestly.

Li Qinyue leaned closer to her ear and said, “You told me not to smoke.”

Zhuo Zhi shivered, her fingers in Li Qinyue’s grasp suddenly feeling like they were burning in a fire.

Li Qinyue didn’t rush to do anything. She continued to gently squeeze Zhuo Zhi’s slender, soft hand, which had slight calluses on the palm, and sighed, “Your hands are so beautiful.”

Zhuo Zhi’s mind caught up and she said, “I didn’t say you couldn’t smoke, I said the smoke was too strong.”

“Isn’t it the same thing?” Li Qinyue glanced at her.

“It’s not the same,” Zhuo Zhi quickly explained, “Telling you not to smoke is a demand, saying the smoke is too strong is just expressing my feelings.”

“But I put out my cigarette because of your feelings,” Li Qinyue pointed at the cigarette butt in the ashtray.

“Then light another one?” Zhuo Zhi looked at her cautiously.

The expression on Li Qinyue’s face froze for a few seconds, then she suddenly laughed, “It’s just a small matter, is it that scary?”

Zhuo Zhi couldn’t answer that question. It wasn’t scary, it just felt wrong, inappropriate.

Li Qinyue let go of her hand and leaned back on the sofa, “You just saw how many people were eyeing me like a tiger, but you seem to find me repulsive…”

Zhuo Zhi grasped the key point, “That’s true.”

“Which part is true?” Li Qinyue squinted at her.

“The ‘eyeing me like a tiger’ part,” Zhuo Zhi nodded, deeply affected.

Li Qinyue stared at her for two seconds, then suddenly sat up straight, “What did Lan Xi tell you?”

Zhuo Zhi had a knowing look on her face. After thinking for a moment, she decided to offer some advice, “I think, if someone likes you, but they don’t harass you and just express their feelings normally, you can reject them gently.”

“Damn,” Li Qinyue couldn’t help but curse, “Who confessed to me? Who did I reject?”

“Lan Xi,” Zhuo Zhi said, “You don’t even answer her calls.”

“Did she call me?” Li Qinyue tried to remember, “I don’t think so, right?”

“Do you not answer calls from unknown numbers?” Zhuo Zhi asked.

“Of course,” Li Qinyue said, “If I answered every call, I’d be as busy as a customer service representative.”

“That’s it then,” Zhuo Zhi said, “You haven’t even saved her number.”

Li Qinyue leaned back on the sofa, “Yes, I haven’t saved it. We haven’t reached the point of exchanging numbers. Did she tell you she likes me?”

“Yeah,” Zhuo Zhi said with a knowing tone, “It’s quite obvious when someone is interested in you.”

“Really?” Li Qinyue chuckled and pinched Zhuo Zhi’s cheek, “Girlfriend, are you trying to set me up with another woman now?”

“Not really,” Zhuo Zhi also leaned back and whispered, “Lan Xi came to the dinner because of you. I think she was deceived by that Wang Zilai. He promised to introduce her to you.”

“Wang Zilai didn’t lie, he did mention it to me.”

Zhuo Zhi frowned, “Then there was no need to make a girl drink so much.”

“You just don’t like him, do you?” Li Qinyue asked with a smile.

“Yes,” Zhuo Zhi said, “If he tries anything with you, I’ll beat him up.”

Li Qinyue didn’t speak, just smiled.

Zhuo Zhi frowned at her, then smiled too.

They looked at each other, laughing for no apparent reason. Someone knocked on the door, and then it opened, revealing Lan Xi’s face.

Zhuo Zhi was a little startled. Lan Xi clearly hadn’t expected to see them either and froze at the door.

After a few seconds, Li Qinyue tilted her chin and said, “Come in.”

Lan Xi entered the room and stopped two meters away from them.

Li Qinyue asked, “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” Lan Xi said.

Li Qinyue looked at her, “Do you have my number?”

Lan Xi was stunned for a moment, then quickly said, “Yes.”

“Call me,” Li Qinyue took out her phone.

Lan Xi dialed her number. Li Qinyue answered the call but didn’t look up, “Call me directly if you need anything in the future.”

“Okay,” Lan Xi responded, looking at her.

Li Qinyue placed her hand on Zhuo Zhi’s shoulder and rubbed it naturally, her gaze still on her phone, “There’s no need to go through all this trouble.”

“Okay,” Lan Xi continued to look at her.

“Alright, there’s nothing interesting here anymore,” Li Qinyue stood up and patted Zhuo Zhi’s head. Zhuo Zhi also quickly stood up.

Li Qinyue kept her hand on Zhuo Zhi’s shoulder, half-hugging, half-leaning on her as she led her towards the door. As they passed Lan Xi, she said coldly, “Goodbye.”

“Goodbye,” Lan Xi said as the door closed.

Li Qinyue maintained this posture, her arm around Zhuo Zhi, as they left the club.

Zhuo Zhi didn’t speak along the way. As they were about to get into the car, she suddenly said, “Wait a minute.”

Before Li Qinyue could ask what was wrong, Zhuo Zhi dashed off. She was fast and light, quickly disappearing into the darkness.

Li Qinyue waved her hand, signaling the driver to wait.

Waiting in the cold winter wind wasn’t pleasant.

But Zhuo Zhi’s behavior suggested that something interesting had happened. Li Qinyue took out a cigarette, twirling it between her fingers, but ultimately didn’t light it.

A few minutes later, Zhuo Zhi returned, tiptoeing to Li Qinyue’s ear and whispering, “I saw Ling Xi.”

Li Qinyue paused, “Where?”

“She just arrived,” Zhuo Zhi said, “I saw her car enter, and I went to take a look. It’s her.”

“You even memorized her car?” Li Qinyue was a little surprised.

“From the parking lot, the day I beat her up,” Zhuo Zhi said.

“Impressive,” Li Qinyue asked, “Did you overhear anything this time?”

“No,” Zhuo Zhi said, “She went straight upstairs. Do you think she has something to do with that Wang Zilai?”

Li Qinyue raised an eyebrow, “Why do you think they have something to do with each other?”

“They’re alike.”

“How are they alike?”

“Everything,” Zhuo Zhi looked at Li Qinyue and pouted, “Even the way they try to please you is the same, they both have bad intentions.”

“Hahahahaha…” Li Qinyue burst out laughing and waved for the car to come over, “That’s how they all play. But Ling Xi and Wang Zilai actually do have a connection.”

“What kind of connection?” Zhuo Zhi was intrigued, following Li Qinyue into the back seat.

Li Qinyue leaned close to her ear, her breath tickling Zhuo Zhi’s skin, before finally saying, “Boss and subordinate.”

“Oh,” Zhuo Zhi was clearly disappointed.

“What kind of connection did you want them to have?” Li Qinyue looked at her, amused.

“I hoped they were having an affair,” Zhuo Zhi said, “Not just any affair, but something bad, something illegal. Preferably something they’re doing right now…”

“So you could go beat up Wang Zilai?” Li Qinyue finished her sentence.

Zhuo Zhi looked at her, hesitated for a moment, then nodded vigorously, admitting, “Yes.”

Li Qinyue laughed, “So eager to fight for justice, you should be a police officer.”

“I thought about it.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“I missed the application deadline for the police academy.”

“You couldn’t pass the exam, could you?”

“I could!”

“You’re bragging.”

“I’m not! I’m very smart.”

“You were quite smart today,” Li Qinyue said with a smile, “You even know how to get jealous now.”

At the mention of this, Zhuo Zhi blushed and fell silent.

After a while, Li Qinyue touched her arm, “Don’t forget what you owe me.”

“Owe you what?” Zhuo Zhi was confused.

Li Qinyue looked down at her fingers, “This.”

Zhuo Zhi’s face, which had just returned to its normal color, flushed again, “Didn’t we already discuss this? I didn’t mean it that way.”

“You did mean it that way,” Li Qinyue looked at her.

“I really didn’t,” Zhuo Zhi clenched her fingers around her clothes.

“Do you know that your eyes are very obvious when you lie?” Li Qinyue stared into her eyes, “They dart around, back and forth.”

Zhuo Zhi pursed her lips, silent for a while, then suddenly bent over and buried her head in her lap.

“I did mean it that way,” she mumbled, “But it wasn’t so you could kiss me.”

“Then why?” Li Qinyue looked at this ostrich.

“To show my ‘girlfriend’ status, so that Wang Zilai would know that you can’t do anything I don’t allow, even if you want to.”

“Tsk,” Li Qinyue sighed, “What if I didn’t cooperate with you just now?”

“You would have cooperated,” Zhuo Zhi’s head was still buried.

“You knew, didn’t you?” Li Qinyue teased her.

“I just knew,” Zhuo Zhi’s tone was certain.

There was a hint of anger in her certainty. The girl’s emotions were changing quickly, every little detail noticed by Li Qinyue.

“Why are you angry?” Li Qinyue reached out to brush Zhuo Zhi’s loose ponytail.

“I think you’re being irresponsible,” Zhuo Zhi said.

“How am I being irresponsible?”

“Well…” Zhuo Zhi hesitated, then blurted out, “If you don’t want those girls, don’t accept recommendations from others. If you don’t like Lan Xi, don’t say ambiguous things to her, don’t give her ambiguous looks, don’t give her hope and then disappoint her. I think this is very irresponsible of you, it’ll only cause you trouble. You need to be clear about your feelings and learn to say no when necessary…”

“Dad,” Li Qinyue interjected.

Zhuo Zhi’s rambling stopped abruptly.

“Please continue your lecture, teach this ignorant child how to properly interact with people.”

“I’m not!” Zhuo Zhi was so angry she wanted to stomp her feet. She abruptly raised her head, “I’m not lecturing you! I’m not forcing you to do anything! I’m just offering some advice! The kind of advice a true friend would offer! If I didn’t…”

Zhuo Zhi stopped, realizing that Li Qinyue’s expression didn’t match her mocking tone. Li Qinyue was smiling, a gentle smile she was trying to suppress.

She poked Zhuo Zhi’s arm, “If you didn’t what?”

Zhuo Zhi was helpless and a little aggrieved, “You’re teasing me again.”

“I’m not teasing you, I’m listening to you seriously,” Li Qinyue said, “If you didn’t what?”

Zhuo Zhi lowered her head, staring at her toes, “If I didn’t really consider you a friend and care about you, I wouldn’t say these things.”

“Hmm,” Li Qinyue patted her head, “I know, but I need to explain something.”

“Hmm?” Zhuo Zhi looked up at her.

This time, Li Qinyue’s expression and tone were serious, “I do like to have fun, but I know what I want and what I don’t want. I won’t do things I don’t like just because someone else asks me to. Wang Zilai brought those girls, if you had arrived a minute or two later, I would have found an excuse to refuse. As for Lan Xi, I did initially plan to use her as a shield, but then I realized it wasn’t appropriate, so I stopped contacting her. Meeting her today was purely coincidental. You said she came to the dinner because of me, so I gave her my number. I don’t want her to go to Wang Zilai anymore. You know he’s not a good person.”

“Hmm,” Zhuo Zhi nodded.

Li Qinyue patted her head again, “As for Lan Xi liking me, don’t worry, I don’t like her, not at all, and I won’t do anything ambiguous with her or give her any ambiguous looks in the future.”

“Hmm,” Zhuo Zhi nodded again, then felt a little awkward, “Actually, it’s best to let things happen naturally.”

“There’s nothing to let happen naturally, if I don’t like her, I don’t like her.” Li Qinyue cupped the back of Zhuo Zhi’s neck, smiling, “You’re my girlfriend, how can I like someone else?”

“It’s fake,” Zhuo Zhi also smiled.

“You’re playing the role so seriously, of course I have to cooperate fully,” Li Qinyue said, “Didn’t you just say that you were sure I would cooperate?”

“Yes,” Zhuo Zhi nodded.

“Then girlfriend…” Li Qinyue leaned forward, her forehead resting against Zhuo Zhi’s, “When will you pay the price?”

The space was small, they were too close, their breaths mingling.

Zhuo Zhi felt like she could see into the depths of Li Qinyue’s pupils. Her intentions were clear, there was no escaping this.

Zhuo Zhi took a deep breath, broke free from Li Qinyue’s hold, turned her head, closed her eyes, and extended her hand, “Here.”

Li Qinyue smiled, grabbing her hand and gently squeezing it, “Why are you in such a hurry? We’re in the car, we can take our time when we get home.”

Chapter 30

Li Qinyue looked at Zhuo Zhi’s determined expression and felt a surge of happiness. Zhuo Zhi was willing to protect her at all times, it meant that she truly cared about her.

But Li Qinyue wouldn’t let her drink.

Drinking for fun on her own terms was completely different from being forced to drink at a business dinner like this.

If she truly didn’t want to drink, Li Qinyue wouldn’t touch a single drop, regardless of who offered it. And Zhuo Zhi had no vested interests with anyone at this table, Li Qinyue wouldn’t let her suffer this kind of injustice.

As the atmosphere at the table grew lively, Li Qinyue picked up some of Zhuo Zhi’s favorite dishes and placed them in her bowl, “Okay, I understand. You eat more.”

“Hmm,” Zhuo Zhi obediently took a big bite, “It’s good for your stomach to eat something before drinking.”

Li Qinyue just smiled.

During the following course of the dinner, Wang Zilai tried to persuade Li Qinyue to drink twice more. Each time, Zhuo Zhi was ready to jump in, but Li Qinyue skillfully dodged the requests without taking a single sip.

She had been firm from the moment she entered the room. Others were either not close enough to her or didn’t dare to pressure her, so no one focused on her anymore.

Zhuo Zhi, having been ready for action for a while but not getting a chance to intervene, sat quietly beside Li Qinyue, not speaking to anyone at the table, like a little mushroom.

Mi Xingyi had organized this dinner to discuss business. Since he had invited Wang Zilai, it was definitely related to media.

Wang Zilai owned several media companies. His biggest one was led by one of the four most popular young actresses, and his other companies, with similar new generation actresses, were also doing well.

They were competitors with Li Qinyue’s “Shengle Media”, but “Shengle” was currently on a completely different level.

That was why Wang Zilai dared to repeatedly try to persuade Li Qinyue to drink, making those greasy and suggestive remarks.

Li Qinyue could refuse the drinks, but she couldn’t lose her temper and leave. On the one hand, she didn’t want to offend a big player in the industry and make things difficult for her company’s management. On the other hand, she had to give Mi Xingyi face, she couldn’t ruin this dinner and prevent him from closing his deal.

After several rounds of drinks, more than half of the people at the table were drunk.

Wang Zilai ordered another round of seafood, picked up an oyster, and placed it in Lan Xi’s bowl, urging her to eat it.

Lan Xi held her wine glass and said something. Zhuo Zhi, with her sharp hearing and constant attention to that side of the table, clearly heard her say, “I’m allergic to seafood.”

But after those words, Wang Zilai didn’t let Lan Xi off the hook. He said loudly, “Hey, your allergy will go away if you eat more. Those who claim to be allergic to alcohol at the dinner table always end up being the ones who can drink the most.”

Lan Xi pursed her lips and didn’t reply, nor did she touch the oyster.

She had already drunk a lot. From what Zhuo Zhi could see, everyone at the table had toasted her twice, and Wang Zilai had been constantly pouring her strong liquor.

Zhuo Zhi stared at her, her brows furrowing.

Li Qinyue noticed that Zhuo Zhi was getting ready to intervene again. She tugged at her sleeve and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Zhuo Zhi spoke up, not bothering to lower her voice, “Allergies can be fatal.”

Lan Xi looked over, but her gaze only lingered on Zhuo Zhi for a moment before moving to Li Qinyue.

Li Qinyue met her gaze and calmly looked away, saying to Zhuo Zhi, “Then she should be careful about what she’s allergic to.”

Her meaning was clear. Lan Xi was an adult, she was responsible for what she ate.

Just like with her drinking, no one was forcing her at knifepoint. If she wanted to gain benefits from Wang Zilai, she had to pay the price.

If someone else stepped in to protect her, it might ruin her plans.

Li Qinyue didn’t look at Lan Xi again. She picked up some food and placed it in Zhuo Zhi’s bowl, urging her to eat.

Zhuo Zhi ate while keeping an eye on Lan Xi. After a brief exchange between Wang Zilai and Lan Xi, Lan Xi suddenly picked up the oyster and swallowed it in one gulp.

Zhuo Zhi, who was chewing on a piece of meat, froze.

The next second, Lan Xi suddenly stood up, covered her mouth, and ran out.

Wang Zilai made a move to follow, but Zhuo Zhi threw down her chopsticks, pushed back her chair, and rushed to the door.

Li Qinyue didn’t move, watching Zhuo Zhi’s figure disappear. She said to Wang Zilai, “President Wang, my friend went after her, it’s fine, you can’t leave, this table can’t function without you.”

This was the first time Li Qinyue had taken the initiative to speak to Wang Zilai since arriving. Wang Zilai laughed and pointed at the door, “I don’t know what happened, maybe she drank a bit too much.”

He sat back down and winked at Li Qinyue, “Little President Li, don’t call her your ‘friend’, that’s your little girlfriend, right?”

Li Qinyue smiled but didn’t say anything.

Wang Zilai said, “Don’t think I’m gossiping, we’re all in the same circle, you can’t hide the fact that you’re so protective of her.”

“Nothing can be hidden from President Wang,” Li Qinyue changed the subject, “Then is this girl President Wang brought today also your little girlfriend?”

Wang Zilai laughed, glancing around at everyone before saying, “You can’t say such things, the little girl is just here to get to know everyone.”

“Oh,” Li Qinyue said, “I thought she was a new artist signed by President Wang.”

“I think she’s not bad,” Wang Zilai said, “What do you think, Little President Li?”

“She’s missing something,” Li Qinyue said.

“Hahahahaha…” Wang Zilai raised his glass and toasted her, “Yes, she is missing something.”

Lan Xi ran all the way to the bathroom and threw up in the toilet. She didn’t even close the door. Zhuo Zhi followed her, not knowing how to help.

After she finished vomiting, Zhuo Zhi asked, “Are you okay?”

Lan Xi just raised her hand and waved at her.

It was a gesture telling her to leave. Zhuo Zhi left the bathroom and asked a waiter for a bottle of mineral water.

When she returned to the bathroom, Lan Xi was washing her face with cold water, which was running down her neck, soaking her clothes.

Zhuo Zhi observed her face. It was a little red, but still normal. Her breathing and demeanor were steady. Zhuo Zhi sighed with relief and handed Lan Xi a tissue.

Lan Xi wiped her face, threw the tissue into the trash can, and looked up at Zhuo Zhi.

Zhuo Zhi unscrewed the cap of the mineral water bottle and handed it to her.

Lan Xi took it and took two sips.

“How are you feeling?” Zhuo Zhi asked again.

“I’m fine,” Lan Xi replied, her voice a little hoarse.

“No allergic reaction?” Zhuo Zhi asked.

Lan Xi looked at her and said, “I’m not allergic to seafood.”

Zhuo Zhi was stunned.

“But I don’t like it, it’s disgusting,” Lan Xi said.

“Oh, okay, that’s good,” Zhuo Zhi suddenly felt that she had followed her out for nothing, “Then… I’ll go back now.”

“Do you like being in there?” Lan Xi suddenly asked.

“Of course not,” Zhuo Zhi replied.

“Come with me,” Lan Xi walked out, turned a corner, and headed in another direction.

Zhuo Zhi said, “If you’re okay, I need to go back. Although I don’t like that kind of environment, President Li is still in there.”

“No one can force her,” Lan Xi continued walking, “But they can force me.”

Zhuo Zhi didn’t agree with her words, but she felt a little sad.

“Where are you going?” she asked, catching up.

Lan Xi suddenly pushed open a door on the side of the corridor, “Nowhere, just finding a place to rest.”

It was a dark bridge room, empty and quiet after the door closed.

Lan Xi didn’t turn on the lights and sat down on the sofa.

Zhuo Zhi asked the question that had been on her mind since entering the private room, “Are you that President Wang’s subordinate?”

Lan Xi looked up at her, “No.”

“Then do you owe him a lot of money?” Zhuo Zhi frowned.

“No.”

“Is he blackmailing you?”

“No.”

“Then why did you drink when he told you to drink, and eat something you hate when he told you to eat?” Zhuo Zhi was a little angry.

“I…” Lan Xi was stunned for a moment, then smiled, “Zhuo Zhi, your name is Zhuo Zhi, right?”

“Yes,” Zhuo Zhi responded.

“Not everyone is as lucky as you,” Lan Xi paused, “To be able to stay by Li Qinyue’s side.”

Zhuo Zhi thought for a moment. Li Qinyue, as her employer, although sometimes childish and mischievous, was generally a good person. So she nodded and said, “I do have a good job, but I believe that if you work hard, you can find one too.”

“A job?” Lan Xi chuckled, “Don’t you two have any other kind of relationship?”

Zhuo Zhi paused, her mind racing, “Do you like Li Qinyue?”

The smile on Lan Xi’s face disappeared. She probably hadn’t expected Zhuo Zhi to be so direct and couldn’t respond for a moment.

Zhuo Zhi took her silence as agreement. After all, they had been flirting with each other at the bar, it didn’t seem like they were indifferent towards each other.

Besides, Zhuo Zhi still didn’t know what had happened after Li Qinyue returned to the bar.

When she arrived, they had already had a fight, and she had taken the excited Li Qinyue home in a daze.

Zhuo Zhi’s frown deepened, “If you like Li Qinyue, why are you trying to please Wang Zilai? Do you think President Li and Wang Zilai have a good relationship? You could have approached President Li directly. After all this effort, he made you drink so much…”

Lan Xi interrupted her, “Are you really stupid or are you pretending?”

Zhuo Zhi glared, “I’m not stupid, you’re the stupid one.”

Lan Xi looked at her, silent for a long time.

Zhuo Zhi, worried about Li Qinyue, turned to leave, “I’m going back.”

“I can’t reach Li Qinyue,” Lan Xi suddenly said.

Zhuo Zhi was helpless with this kind of cryptic conversation. She turned back, “Aren’t you the resident singer at ‘Shengge’? You can just ask the manager for her contact information.”

“She won’t answer my calls,” Lan Xi stood up.

“Oh.” Zhuo Zhi hadn’t thought of that. In her impression, although Li Qinyue had a bad temper, she was quite approachable.

“Stalking her isn’t my style,” Lan Xi said, “I need a proper identity to communicate with her.”

“Oh,” Zhuo Zhi responded, feeling a little guilty. From the looks of it, Lan Xi was the kind of person Li Qinyue needed her shield for.

“Wang Zilai said he would introduce me to President Li,” Lan Xi paused, “As an artist.”

“Oh.” Zhuo Zhi had nothing more to say. Staying here any longer would feel like a betrayal to Li Qinyue.

Besides, Lan Xi clearly didn’t need her help. She had a clear goal and was being quite clever about achieving it.

Zhuo Zhi opened the door, “I’m going back.”

This time, she really left without hesitation, and after leaving, she felt a little angry.

She was genuinely angry, but she wasn’t sure why.

Zhuo Zhi, fuming, arrived at the private room door and pushed it open, only to freeze in surprise. The room was empty.

The table was a mess, and the waiters were cleaning up. Zhuo Zhi took out her phone and checked the time. She hadn’t been gone for long.

And there were no missed calls or messages from Li Qinyue.

Zhuo Zhi’s anger was replaced by anxiety. She was about to call Li Qinyue when a waiter looked at her and asked, “Are you looking for someone?”

“The people who were having dinner here just now,” Zhuo Zhi said, “Where did they go?”

She was so aggressive that the waiter was stunned for a moment. Instead of answering her question, he asked, “Who are you?”

“I was having dinner with them!” Zhuo Zhi frowned, “I went to the bathroom, and when I came back, they were gone!”

Seeing her anger, the waiter thought she was acting normally now.

He bowed and said, “Please come this way, President Mi and the others went to sing karaoke.”

Zhuo Zhi inwardly complained, “These rich people are so boring, all they do is eat and sing.”

She followed the waiter through a maze of corridors, finally arriving at a luxurious karaoke room.

The waiter bowed and stepped aside. Zhuo Zhi pushed open the door, and a cacophony of off-key singing blasted out.

Along with the annoying colorful lights flashing to the rhythm of the music, it felt like a disco for middle-aged and elderly people in a small town.

Zhuo Zhi frowned, searching for Li Qinyue in the room. It was huge, not just big, but a suite.

She couldn’t find Li Qinyue, but she noticed that there were many more people in the room than when they were having dinner.

And both men and women were dressed very skimpily, despite the winter weather.

Although the heating was on full blast, they were still dressed too revealingly.

Zhuo Zhi stared at the sea of white legs, and a thought suddenly clicked in her mind.

She slapped her forehead, berating herself for being so naive.

It had only been a few days of peace and quiet, and she had almost forgotten that these people, besides eating and singing, couldn’t live without another form of entertainment: illegal prostitution.

It seemed they were back to where they started.

But unlike then, Zhuo Zhi was more confident now. She wasn’t just Li Qinyue’s bodyguard, she could also be her “girlfriend”.

Catching your girlfriend doing this kind of thing, well, that was perfectly justifiable.

Zhuo Zhi spotted someone from the dinner earlier and walked over, grabbing his arm and asking, “Where’s President Li?”

The man was stunned. Zhuo Zhi repeated, “Where’s Li Qinyue?”

“Ah, ah, ah, President Li,” the man stammered, “She’s with President Wang and President Mi on the other side.”

“Which side?”

“Left,” the man pointed.

Zhuo Zhi rushed off like the wind.

The man rubbed his arm and exclaimed, “Such a small girl, so strong, I didn’t expect that.”

The person next to him leaned over and slapped him on the back, “You’re in trouble, you know that?”

“What trouble am I in?”

“Do you even know who that was? And you just gave her directions?”

“The girl who was having dinner with us just now, but I don’t know her name.”

“What’s her relationship with Li Qinyue?”

“Damn!” the man finally realized, “From the way Wang Zilai was acting, she’s Li Qinyue’s new lover!”

“President Wang finally managed to get President Li alone while that girl was gone, and you just gave her directions to catch them in the act.”

“Damn,” the man panicked, “It’s none of my business! When you’re hanging out with these bosses, don’t you have to be prepared for this kind of thing?”

Zhuo Zhi was prepared. She had seen it all, she had seen a group of men dancing in their underwear on her first day.

She reached the door of the other room, took a deep breath, and pushed it open.

She was stunned for a few seconds, then blinded by the scene before her.

Li Qinyue was sitting on a luxurious sofa, holding a glass of red wine, her legs crossed, a cigarette between her fingers

Chapter 29

Li Qinyue waited for a long time. Finally, Zhuo Zhi emerged from the room.

Li Qinyue thought she was prepared, but the moment she saw Zhuo Zhi, she couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

Zhuo Zhi had obediently put on the entire chicken costume. The chicken head hat covered half her face, and when she smiled, her white teeth and red lips were both comical and adorable.

Li Qinyue took two steps back, saying repeatedly, “Wait, wait, let me take a good look.”

Zhuo Zhi spread her arms, flapping the two large chicken wings, and twirled around, “Does it look good?”

“It looks good,” Li Qinyue took out her phone.

She had wanted to secretly take a few pictures, but the chicken head suddenly lifted, revealing Zhuo Zhi’s eyes, staring at her.

Caught red-handed, Li Qinyue raised her phone awkwardly, “Ah, the takeout should be here soon.”

Zhuo Zhi crossed her chicken wings over her chest, leaned forward, and chuckled, “You wanted to take a picture of me, didn’t you?”

“No,” Li Qinyue tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, “Why would I take a picture of you?”

“Oh,” Zhuo Zhi swayed towards her, looking down at her feet, “How does a chicken go down the stairs?”

Li Qinyue thought for a moment, “Probably the same way as a human?”

Zhuo Zhi tilted her head, “The chickens at the nunnery next door don’t have stairs.”

“This big chick does,” Li Qinyue patted her head gently and pointed at the stairs, “Go!”

Zhuo Zhi flapped her wings, playing along enthusiastically, clucking as she ran downstairs.

Li Qinyue leaned on the railing, laughing so hard her stomach hurt.

Zhuo Zhi ran to the second floor, then suddenly stopped and shouted upwards, “Sister, come here.”

Li Qinyue hurried over, clutching her stomach, “What’s wrong?”

“Didn’t you want to take a picture of me?” Zhuo Zhi said, “Stand here and film me going down. I’ll show you a rooster spreading its wings.”

“You’re a hen,” Li Qinyue quickly took out her phone and started recording.

“A hen spreading its wings,” Zhuo Zhi shouted, placing one hand on the stair railing and jumping down.

This kind of scene was common in chase scenes in movies.

But when it happened in real life, seeing someone jump from a height without warning was still visually impactful.

Especially since Zhuo Zhi jumped a long distance, landing in the middle of the next flight of stairs. Especially since she was wearing a costume, she really looked like a graceful yet majestic yellow chicken.

Especially since her movements were agile and graceful, and especially since Li Qinyue was watching through her phone camera, it felt both real and unreal.

After landing steadily, Zhuo Zhi looked up at Li Qinyue, flapping her wings and crowing proudly, “Cock-a-doodle-doo—!”

The rooster’s crow echoed through the space, and as soon as the sound faded, she started laughing.

“Cluck, cluck, cluck…” like a mischievous little sun.

Li Qinyue looked at her phone, waves of emotion washing over her, making her feel both joyful and peaceful at this moment.

“Sister, did you get it?” Zhuo Zhi asked, flapping her wings.

Li Qinyue put away her phone, let out a long breath, and smiled, “I got it, for my personal collection.”

“Let me see,” Zhuo Zhi was about to run back upstairs.

“You have so much energy,” Li Qinyue waved her hand, not letting her come up. She went downstairs quickly, grabbed Zhuo Zhi’s chicken tail, and said, “Let me see.”

“What are you looking at?” Zhuo Zhi bounced in place, “There’s nothing you want to see.”

Li Qinyue knew she wouldn’t be so obedient as to wear the costume naked, but she couldn’t miss this opportunity to tease her. Who could resist a little fun?

She lifted the chicken tail and peeked underneath, “You know what I want to see…”

Zhuo Zhi spun around, pulling her tail away from Li Qinyue, “You just want to see me lay an egg, don’t you?”

“What?” Li Qinyue stared at her.

“Lay an egg, with my white butt sticking out, doesn’t it look like I’m laying an egg?”

“Hahahahahahahaha…” Li Qinyue burst into laughter, almost punching a hole in the wall.

The doorbell rang, and Zhuo Zhi hopped towards the door, “The takeout is here.”

“Hey, hey, don’t go,” Li Qinyue quickly chased after her, grabbed Zhuo Zhi, and pushed her back, “You sit on the sofa, I’ll get it.”

“Why are you so hardworking today, Sister?” Zhuo Zhi mumbled as she hopped towards the sofa.

Li Qinyue heard her and shouted back, “I told you, for my personal collection.”

The fried chicken came with various parts of the chicken, as well as beer.

Li Qinyue carried a large bag of food and drinks to Zhuo Zhi and instructed her, “Go move that table over here.”

For aesthetic purposes, the large coffee table was some distance away from the sofa. It looked heavy. Zhuo Zhi didn’t comment on Li Qinyue’s diligence this time, instead asking, “Sister, aren’t we going to eat in the dining room?”

“What’s the fun in eating in the dining room?” Li Qinyue turned on the TV, switched to a show, and patted the sofa beside her, “Come here quickly.”

“There’s a carpet on the floor, what if we drop crumbs…” Zhuo Zhi tried to resist.

“You don’t have to clean up!” Li Qinyue almost jumped up.

Zhuo Zhi didn’t dare to say anything more and went to move the coffee table. Thankfully, she was strong, otherwise, if Li Qinyue tried to move it herself with her skinny arms and legs, she would have thrown out her back.

After some effort, the two of them settled down on the sofa, surrounded by food and drinks, the aroma of high-calorie food filling the air.

Zhuo Zhi, wearing the chicken costume, found it a bit inconvenient to move. She asked Li Qinyue, “Sister, can I take my arms out?”

Li Qinyue glanced at her and said with a smile, “No.”

“Then aren’t you going to let me eat?” Zhuo Zhi lowered her head, the chicken head swaying behind her.

“I’ll feed you,” Li Qinyue took a chicken nugget and put it in Zhuo Zhi’s mouth, “Little chick, how does it feel to eat your own kind?”

“Delicious!” Zhuo Zhi gave a thumbs-up with her wing.

Feeding someone could evoke a sense of intimacy and accomplishment, but Zhuo Zhi wanted to gnaw on a chicken leg.

Li Qinyue let out a disappointed sigh. Zhuo Zhi unzipped the costume, took out her arms, and Li Qinyue glanced at her, scoffing, “Thermal underwear again.”

“It’s very comfortable,” Zhuo Zhi said, “North Pole brand.”

Li Qinyue said, “Those are called long johns.”

“Whatever,” Zhuo Zhi didn’t mind.

“Not fashionable,” Li Qinyue said with a smile, tilting her chin towards the TV, “Look at this girl, not fashionable at all.”

Zhuo Zhi looked over. Li Qinyue had turned on a talent show. The girl singing on stage was wearing a layered cake dress, with big eyes and a small mouth, very cute.

“She’s very pretty,” Zhuo Zhi said.

“There are plenty of pretty girls,” Li Qinyue said, “This level of beauty won’t get you far in the entertainment industry.”

“There are many people who like this type, right?”

“That depends on the show,” Li Qinyue took a sip of beer, “Look, the theme of this show is to find a new generation of musicians. What kind of qualities do ordinary viewers associate with the word ‘musician’?”

Zhuo Zhi thought for a moment, “I’m an ordinary viewer, ‘musician’ sounds very fashionable.”

“Hahahahaha…” Li Qinyue almost choked on her beer, “Then what does a fashionable musician look like?”

Zhuo Zhi looked at the TV and pointed at the judges’ panel, “That one.”

Medium-length hair, an unattractive but rugged face, strange rings, deliberately worn-out clothes.

“Good eye,” Li Qinyue tapped Zhuo Zhi’s head, “Yes, that’s right. Artists, they have to be different.”

“Hmm,” Zhuo Zhi watched the TV for a while, then suddenly asked, “Sister, what kind of people are they looking for on ’12 New Stars’?”

“Teenage idols,” Li Qinyue said.

“Idols can have all kinds of looks, right?” Zhuo Zhi thought of the audition videos she had seen at “Shengle Media.”

“Not really, they can only vary within a certain range,” Li Qinyue said, “The phrase ‘teenage idol’ itself represents a certain style.”

“Because in the eyes of ordinary people like us, it has a fixed image.”

“Exactly,” Li Qinyue put her arm around Zhuo Zhi’s shoulder, pulling her closer, “Our main task today is to watch this talent show. Think about it, out of all the audition videos from ‘Shengle Media’, who has the potential to become popular on ’12 New Stars’?”

“Understood!” Zhuo Zhi was a little excited. She had never imagined that one day she would have the power to decide the fate of those shining stars on TV.

Li Qinyue pulled her even closer, “Don’t just watch and eat, tell me what you think.”

She lowered her voice, making Zhuo Zhi unconsciously lower hers too, “Okay, I’ll be objective and fair.”

“What did you say?” Li Qinyue pretended not to hear.

Zhuo Zhi leaned closer, her breath brushing against Li Qinyue’s cheek, “I said I won’t play favorites.”

Li Qinyue smiled and nodded, satisfied.

Finally, they had a shared activity.

Li Qinyue didn’t rush to go out anymore. Every day, she would cuddle with her little bodyguard on the sofa, watching TV and chatting, occasionally taking advantage of Zhuo Zhi’s inattention to steal a touch.

Zhuo Zhi took this “serious business” very seriously. She watched TV with rapt attention, taking notes and comparing the audition videos she had seen, ranking the contestants in her mind.

Li Qinyue, feeling a twinge of guilt at seeing the little fool’s serious demeanor, assured herself that she would make it up to her in other ways.

After spending more than a week at home like this, when Mi Xingyi called again, Li Qinyue knew she couldn’t refuse any longer.

He was one of the few people in her circle who she was genuinely friends with, a third-generation official. No one wanted to make an enemy of him.

The last time she had gone to a dinner with Mi Xingyi, that incident on the bus had ruined her mood. This time, even if knives were falling from the sky, she had to attend this dinner.

After getting dressed, Li Qinyue went to Zhuo Zhi’s room and rummaged through her few clothes, managing to dress her up.

“I need to buy you some clothes,” Li Qinyue said.

Zhuo Zhi tugged at her clothes, “These are all new.”

“It’s not about whether they’re new or old…”

“It’s about fashion,” Zhuo Zhi finished her sentence.

“Those words sound so outdated,” Li Qinyue laughed.

“You said it,” Zhuo Zhi had become quite cheeky after spending so much time with Li Qinyue. After saying that, she jumped out of Li Qinyue’s reach.

They laughed and got into the car, chatting all the way, the atmosphere very different from their previous outings.

The journey was smooth this time, but the destination was nothing like Zhuo Zhi had imagined.

It wasn’t some rustic farmhouse with delicacies. It was a huge club far from the city center, the shiny sign making Zhuo Zhi’s neck hurt just from looking up at it.

As they got out of the car, a young man was smoking nearby. He turned his head, saw Li Qinyue, put out his cigarette, and walked over with a smile, “Finally managed to get you here.”

Li Qinyue opened her arms and hugged him, “Long time no see.”

“Yes, it’s really not easy to see you,” the man sighed.

He was handsome and spoke gently, but he had an air of superiority. Zhuo Zhi couldn’t help but take a few extra glances.

The man quickly looked at her, still smiling, and asked, “And this is?”

“Zhuo Zhi,” Li Qinyue directly said her name, then said to Zhuo Zhi, “President Mi.”

Zhuo Zhi extended her hand, “Hello, President Mi.”

Mi Xingyi shook her hand, “Just call me Brother Mi when we’re out having fun.”

Zhuo Zhi just nodded. Li Qinyue walked towards the club, changing the subject, “You said you’d let me try something different last time, what’s different about this place?”

Mi Xingyi said, “You’ll miss out if you miss this opportunity. President Wang is here this time, this place should be more to his taste.”

Li Qinyue said, “Which President Wang?”

“Wang Zilai.”

Li Qinyue smiled, “He does have this kind of taste.”

They were talking about people Zhuo Zhi didn’t know. She quietly followed them, observing her surroundings and summarizing the information she could gather. She felt that her previous guess was correct, this Brother Mi was going to eat endangered species.

So, she still needed to find an opportunity to educate Li Qinyue, warning her not to get involved with these people.

The three of them walked inside. It was relatively quiet along the way. But when they reached their destination and pushed open the door, the smell of smoke, alcohol, and the noise made Zhuo Zhi frown.

There was a huge dining table surrounded by people. The food was untouched, but a row of empty wine bottles lined the table. There were both men and women. Zhuo Zhi scanned the room and even spotted a familiar face.

The blue-haired lead singer from “Shengge” was sitting next to a middle-aged man whose belly spilled over the table. Her expression was blank, she looked out of place.

Before Li Qinyue could even sit down, the middle-aged man slammed the table and stood up, “Little President Li, you’re late!”

He poured wine as he spoke, filling a glass and pushing it towards Li Qinyue on the lazy Susan.

“Three glasses as a penalty!” the middle-aged man said with a smile, thinking this was a rule everyone understood.

Li Qinyue didn’t touch the glass, just smiled and said, “I just got here after braving the cold wind all the way, and President Wang wants me to drink cold wine? That’s not fair.”

Zhuo Zhi silently noted that this was Wang Zilai, the person Li Qinyue and Mi Xingyi had been talking about.

“Hey, don’t say that,” Wang Zilai’s face was flushed, “Alcohol warms you up.”

Mi Xingyi blocked Li Qinyue and pushed her towards an empty seat, “It’s not President Li’s fault for being late, I invited her late, it’s my fault.”

Wang Zilai laughed and sat down, “President Mi is as protective of our Little President Li as ever.”

As he said this, he winked at a man next to him, as if this was another topic that would bring them closer and create a harmonious atmosphere.

Several people at the table echoed his words. Mi Xingyi ignored them, led Li Qinyue and Zhuo Zhi to their seats, and gave Zhuo Zhi a set of bowls and chopsticks.

Wang Zilai’s gaze fell on Mi Xingyi’s actions. He smiled at Zhuo Zhi and said, “This little girl looks unfamiliar, President Mi, aren’t you going to introduce her?”

Mi Xingyi smiled and said, “She’s with President Li, it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to introduce her.”

Wang Zilai looked at Li Qinyue, who raised an eyebrow and said jokingly, “Since she’s my person, of course I wouldn’t introduce her to you. You’re all like wolves.”

Wang Zilai laughed again, then suddenly patted the blue-haired girl’s arm, “I’m not as stingy as President Li. The people I bring are for everyone to get to know. Xiao Lan has already had a drink with everyone, except for President Li. Come on, toast President Li.”

Upon hearing this, the blue-haired girl stood up. Her glass was full. She raised it with both hands and said, “Hello, President Li, my name is Lan Xi.”

Her face was still expressionless, but Zhuo Zhi could tell that her eyes lit up when she looked at Li Qinyue.

They clearly knew each other, but they had to pretend to be meeting for the first time. They had already heard each other’s names, but they had to repeat them for everyone to remember.

Zhuo Zhi looked at Lan Xi, then at Li Qinyue, wondering if Li Qinyue would accept the toast.

There was a brief silence at the table, everyone watching the two of them.

Li Qinyue didn’t move or speak. Lan Xi paused, then raised her head and started drinking.

Her glass wasn’t small, her Adam’s apple bobbed several times, but she didn’t spill a drop, and she finished the entire glass.

After finishing, she smiled at Li Qinyue, “This is my first toast to President Li. Thank you for coming on such a cold day.”

Wang Zilai was very happy. This time, he patted Lan Xi’s hand, which was holding the glass on the table, “Little President Li, it seems Xiao Lan really likes you. Young people these days are cool. Xiao Lan has had quite a few drinks with everyone, but this is the first time she’s smiled at you. For that, you have to drink a glass too.”

Lan Xi looked at Li Qinyue intently. Li Qinyue leaned back in her chair and smiled at her.

“Then I’ll smile back at you, do I still need to drink?”

Wang Zilai slapped the table, “Little President Li is too clever, too clever…”

Several people laughed along. Lan Xi smiled and looked at Li Qinyue, “No need.”

She sat down and was teased by Wang Zilai, who then pulled her to toast others, saying he wanted to see who had the prettiest smile so they wouldn’t have to drink.

Zhuo Zhi frowned, finding this person truly annoying.

Li Qinyue didn’t pay much attention to Wang Zilai. She chatted with Mi Xingyi for a while, then with another person.

Zhuo Zhi noticed that two more wine bottles had quickly appeared on the table. She tugged at Li Qinyue’s arm, indicating that she had something to say.

Li Qinyue turned to her and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Zhuo Zhi leaned close to her ear and whispered, “Sister, if you don’t want to drink, don’t drink.”

“It’s not up to me,” Li Qinyue said with a smile.

“It is up to you,” Zhuo Zhi looked at her seriously, “Don’t worry, I’ll block them for you if I have to.”

“How will you block them?” Li Qinyue’s eyes curved into a smile.

“I’ll drink for you,” Zhuo Zhi said.

“Do you even know how to drink?” Li Qinyue said, “You didn’t even touch your beer during dinner.”

“That’s because it wasn’t necessary,” Zhuo Zhi pouted, “Who doesn’t know how to drink?”

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.

Chapter 27

Li Qinyue pulled Zhuo Zhi all the way into the hotel. The pretty receptionist at the front desk glanced at Zhuo Zhi and asked, “Do you have your ID?”

Zhuo Zhi hated being mistaken for a minor, so she immediately took out her ID card.

The receptionist smiled and asked Li Qinyue, “One room?”

“Yes,” Li Qinyue replied.

Zhuo Zhi was a little annoyed. Why didn’t they ask her when there was a choice to be made?

After checking in, Li Qinyue pulled Zhuo Zhi’s hand and led her to the elevator. The building was about thirty floors tall, and their room was on the top floor.

The elevator ascended silently. Li Qinyue didn’t speak, and all Zhuo Zhi could feel was the pulsing of their joined hands.

Finally reaching their floor, Zhuo Zhi looked around. The corridor was empty and quiet, devoid of any human presence.

She smiled and asked Li Qinyue, “Do you always like being up high, Sister?”

“Hmm?” Li Qinyue’s mind was clearly elsewhere. She found their room and swiped the card to open the door.

Zhuo Zhi followed her, entering the room without any hesitation, “Standing at a high place gives you a sense of grandeur, overlooking everything.”

“Oh,” Li Qinyue tossed her bag aside, let go of Zhuo Zhi’s hand, and took off her coat.

Zhuo Zhi entered the room and inspected it thoroughly, giving Li Qinyue an OK sign, “Clean.”

“Come here and check if I’m clean,” Li Qinyue spread her arms, striking a pose as if waiting for a security check.

Under her coat, she was only wearing a fluffy, creamy white sweater, loose and soft, with a heart-shaped neckline revealing her delicate collarbone.

Zhuo Zhi was clearly in a good mood. She skipped over and circled around Li Qinyue, “Very clean, very safe.”

Li Qinyue’s arms were still outstretched, “You’re not a very responsible security officer. Aren’t you going to check my pockets for anything?”

Zhuo Zhi looked her up and down. The sweater had no pockets, and her pants were tight-fitting, hugging her long, slender legs. The pockets were flat, probably not even big enough to hold a bank card.

“No problem,” Zhuo Zhi said.

“Is ‘no problem’ something you say with your mouth?” Li Qinyue squinted at her.

Zhuo Zhi laughed, “Then how should I say it?”

Li Qinyue suddenly dropped her arms, grabbed Zhuo Zhi’s shoulders, and pressed her against the wall.

Her hand braced against the wall, one leg wedged between Zhuo Zhi’s legs, securing her position.

Zhuo Zhi wasn’t afraid. Li Qinyue’s hold was full of loopholes, she could escape with her eyes closed.

She was just a little nervous. Li Qinyue had no boundaries when it came to teasing, and Zhuo Zhi had no idea what she would do next.

Less talk, less mistakes. Following this principle, Zhuo Zhi chose to remain silent in this precarious moment.

She just looked at Li Qinyue with innocent eyes, which only made Li Qinyue even more unbearable.

Her gaze swept over Zhuo Zhi’s face, “Have you forgotten why we’re here?”

Zhuo Zhi thought for a moment and said, “You said you wanted to bully me.”

“Then why are you so happy?” Li Qinyue said, “Can you at least look like you’re being bullied?”

Zhuo Zhi immediately drooped her eyebrows, lowered her eyes, and pouted, looking pitiful, “Please don’t bully me, Sister, have mercy.”

Li Qinyue’s breath hitched, her heart itching.

She had a habit since childhood. When she saw something cute, fresh, and irresistible, she couldn’t help but want to destroy it.

For example, a blooming flower, she would pluck its petals one by one. A soft toy, she would punch and squeeze it until it was deformed.

But at least she was a normal person who could control her emotions. She wouldn’t harm cats, dogs, or other small animals, and she wouldn’t truly harm someone she liked so much she couldn’t control herself.

So, she wouldn’t strip Zhuo Zhi naked and devour her, but she had to do something to vent this overwhelming feeling.

Like a pot of boiling sugar being stretched, thread by thread, enough to build a castle.

Li Qinyue stared into Zhuo Zhi’s eyes and slowly leaned closer.

As her chest was about to touch Zhuo Zhi’s body, Zhuo Zhi raised her hands to block, creating some distance between them.

Li Qinyue smiled, her body unable to move closer, but her head could still get closer.

She lowered her head, her breath falling on Zhuo Zhi’s cheek. Li Qinyue could feel the little girl holding her breath. If she could, she would probably have paused her heartbeat too.

Li Qinyue whispered, “If you want me to spare you, you have to cooperate.”

Zhuo Zhi only moved her chin slightly, indicating agreement.

Li Qinyue’s lips were almost brushing against her earlobe, “Take a deep breath.”

Zhuo Zhi hesitated for a moment before obediently relaxing and taking a deep breath.

“Does it smell good?” Li Qinyue asked.

Zhuo Zhi’s breath hitched. After a while, she replied, “Yes.”

Li Qinyue was about to tease her further when Zhuo Zhi suddenly added, “But there’s a smell of smoke.”

Li Qinyue: “…”

All her words were stuck in her throat. If this was just harmless teasing, Li Qinyue could still blow smoke in Zhuo Zhi’s face like when they first met. But now, the only thing she felt was genuine awkwardness.

It was like trying to seduce someone and asking, “Do you like my lipstick?”

And getting the answer: “You have some food stuck on your lips from lunch.”

Li Qinyue remained motionless for a while. This position wasn’t comfortable for either of them. Feeling a little annoyed, she turned her head and kissed Zhuo Zhi’s cheek forcefully.

“Smack,” it was a loud kiss.

Before Zhuo Zhi could react, Li Qinyue moved away and headed towards the bathroom, “I’m sleepy.”

Zhuo Zhi figured that she had canceled her dinner plans and booked a hotel room just because she was sleepy and wanted to rest. She rubbed her cheek and adjusted the air conditioning to a comfortable temperature.

When Li Qinyue came out, Zhuo Zhi was making the bed, fluffing the blankets and thoughtfully arranging them into a sleeping bag shape.

Li Qinyue walked over to her and said, “What’s with the bed-making service?”

“So you can rest well,” Zhuo Zhi pulled back a corner of the blanket and smiled, “Please.”

Her expression and actions were full of eagerness to please. Li Qinyue, who had been throwing a tantrum out of embarrassment, felt her anger dissipate as she looked at Zhuo Zhi’s smiling face.

She sat down on the edge of the bed and said to Zhuo Zhi, “What about you?”

“I’m not sleepy,” Zhuo Zhi glanced around the room and pointed, “I’ll sit on the sofa for a while.”

“What are you going to do on the sofa?” Li Qinyue knew she didn’t have the habit of playing with her phone, and Zhuo Zhi’s phone probably didn’t have much to offer in terms of entertainment anyway.

“Hmm…” Zhuo Zhi thought for a moment and pointed again, “There are magazines over there.”

“Are you going to read with the lights on?” Li Qinyue raised an eyebrow.

Zhuo Zhi also realized it was inappropriate, “No, no, the lights should be off so you can sleep better.”

“Okay,” Li Qinyue agreed, kicked off her slippers, and got into bed, “Then you should sleep too.”

“Okay,” Zhuo Zhi got up to draw the curtains, then walked towards the sofa.

“I want you to sleep here,” Li Qinyue patted the space beside her.

“Ah, no, it’s fine,” Zhuo Zhi waved her hands frantically, “The sofa is big enough…”

“Is it bigger than the bed?” Li Qinyue frowned, looking annoyed, “Why did I book a room with a big bed if I wanted you to sleep on the sofa? Aren’t you wasting my money?”

“No, it’s not…”

“Then come here.”

“I’m afraid you’re not used to…”

“Do I need you to tell me what I’m used to?” Li Qinyue glared at her, waving her hand impatiently, “If you feel wronged sleeping in the same bed as me, just say it.”

“I don’t,” Zhuo Zhi hurriedly walked over, “Then I’ll… go wash my face.”

“Go ahead,” Li Qinyue burrowed under the covers.

As soon as Zhuo Zhi entered the bathroom, Li Qinyue threw off the covers, quickly took off her sweater and pants, leaving only her underwear.

She tossed her clothes aside, turned off the lights, and got back into bed, covering her bare shoulders tightly.

Zhuo Zhi finished washing her face and brushing her teeth, sniffing herself.

She was prone to sweating even in winter, and she hadn’t brought a change of clothes because they had come to the hotel in a hurry. She couldn’t take a shower now, which was the main reason she didn’t want to sleep in the same bed as Li Qinyue.

After staring at herself in the mirror for a while, she realized that the lights in the room had been off for some time. She figured that Li Qinyue was probably already drowsy.

So she quietly turned off the bathroom light, quietly opened and closed the door, and using the faint light coming through a gap in the curtains, she slowly made her way to the bed.

She remembered the location perfectly, lifting the covers just enough for her to slip in without disturbing Li Qinyue.

Li Qinyue’s breathing sounded steady, but the moment Zhuo Zhi got into bed, she suddenly woke up and spoke.

“Take off your clothes,” she mumbled, “Aren’t they dirty?”

“I already took them off.” Zhuo Zhi’s outer clothes were in the bathroom. She was now wearing thermal underwear and a shirt.

Li Qinyue’s arm suddenly reached out, landing randomly on Zhuo Zhi’s waist. She felt around and asked, holding Zhuo Zhi’s shirt, “You call this taking off your clothes?”

Her voice was still sleepy. Zhuo Zhi explained, “I have clothes underneath.”

Li Qinyue’s hand didn’t leave her body. It slid down and grabbed her wrist, pulling her hand towards herself.

Before Zhuo Zhi could even think, her palm had already touched cool, smooth skin. At first, she didn’t know where she was touching, but then Li Qinyue moved her hand up and down, and goosebumps erupted all over Zhuo Zhi’s body.

She was touching Li Qinyue’s shoulder, and as her hand slid down, half of it brushed against Li Qinyue’s soft breast.

There was a bra, but the thin fabric only made her touch more distinct.

Distinct enough to instantly picture the shape in her mind. It was incredibly embarrassing.

“Take off your clothes like this,” Li Qinyue said, letting go of Zhuo Zhi’s wrist as she tried to pull her hand back.

Zhuo Zhi remained frozen in her half-leaning position, one leg on the bed, the other still on the floor, for a long time.

When the heat in her face subsided a little, she mumbled, “Sister Qinyue, it’s best not to take off too many clothes in a hotel…”

“You’re so annoying,” Li Qinyue rolled over, her back to Zhuo Zhi, “You’re even more particular than me. Can’t you just let me sleep comfortably?”

Zhuo Zhi didn’t dare to say anything more. To show her sincerity, she took off her shirt and got into bed, wearing only her thermal underwear.

The room fell silent. Zhuo Zhi didn’t dare to move a muscle after lying down.

Li Qinyue lay with her back to Zhuo Zhi for a long time, then suddenly rolled over and lay flat, her voice soft, “My back is cold.”

Zhuo Zhi quickly reached out to tuck her in.

“Still cold,” Li Qinyue said after a few seconds.

“Is the air conditioning too low?” Zhuo Zhi sat up slightly, “I’ll turn it up.”

“It’ll be too dry if we turn it up,” Li Qinyue’s tone was calm.

“Should I get you a glass of water?”

“Do I want water or do I want to sleep?” Li Qinyue opened her eyes, looking at Zhuo Zhi, her tone still calm.

Zhuo Zhi was propping herself up on her elbows, feeling speechless.

What did she want her to do? Who was being particular now? She wanted to ask Li Qinyue if she regretted asking her to sleep in the same bed. If she did, she could just say it, and Zhuo Zhi would immediately roll onto the sofa.

Li Qinyue seemed to understand her unspoken thoughts. She reached out and tugged at Zhuo Zhi’s arm, “Lie down.”

Zhuo Zhi lay down, frustrated but not daring to complain.

“Come closer,” Li Qinyue pulled her arm, bringing her closer.

Zhuo Zhi was pulled closer, frustrated but not daring to resist.

“I like to sleep on my side,” Li Qinyue said, turning to face her.

“I can sleep any way,” Zhuo Zhi showed her that she was truly not picky.

“Okay,” Li Qinyue’s hand landed on her waist, “Then let me hold you.”

Zhuo Zhi’s body instantly stiffened. Li Qinyue’s slender arm wasn’t heavy, but after those words, it felt like a hammer pressing against her abdomen, every touch incredibly distinct.

Li Qinyue moved closer, and Zhuo Zhi’s shoulder and hip were now under the weight of the hammer, her legs entangled in a chain.

Li Qinyue’s breath tickled her neck, like a flurry of needles.

Li Qinyue sighed, and used the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms*.

Li Qinyue’s voice in the darkness was content and comfortable. She murmured, “I’m cold, you’re like a little stove.”

A delayed reaction, striking Zhuo Zhi’s heart, making it race as if she had just run ten kilometers and couldn’t catch her breath.

***

Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms*: A hand-to-hand combat technique in novels by Jin Yong.

Chapter 26

After Li Qinyue’s outburst, the entire bus fell silent.

The driver continued driving steadily, and the old woman sat on the floor, dazed, not daring to move.

Zhuo Zhi, after all the commotion, was now feeling warm. She held the old woman’s arm with one hand and supported her shoulder with the other.

She looked up at Li Qinyue, her cheeks flushed, her eyes shining.

The bridge was still brightly lit, the river still misty, and the cars moved forward in an orderly fashion, carrying people home.

Suddenly, there was applause from a corner of the bus. Someone shouted, “Well done!”

The applause spread throughout the bus. People looked at Li Qinyue with excitement.

Li Qinyue pointed at a young man in the back seat, “Delete the video.”

The young man said, “I was just recording the truth, in case she tried to scam you…”

“Do I look like someone who’s afraid of scammers?” Li Qinyue pointed upwards, “Can’t you see the huge camera on the bus?”

The young man reluctantly put away his phone. Li Qinyue repeated, “Delete it.”

The young man tapped his phone a few times, “I’m deleting it, I’m deleting it, can’t afford to offend you, can’t afford to offend you.”

Li Qinyue scanned the passengers, “Anyone who recorded a video of me, delete it. If any of it ends up online, I’ll come knocking on your door.”

The applause and cheers subsided, and the bus fell silent again.

Zhuo Zhi helped the old woman up and led her to a seat, then handed the wallet back to Li Qinyue.

Li Qinyue put away the wallet and didn’t sit down. She just stared at the old woman.

The old woman didn’t dare to look up, her eyes fixed on her legs.

The bus reached the end of the bridge, the next stop approaching.

Zhuo Zhi kept an eye on the old woman while tugging at Li Qinyue’s sleeve, “Sister, I’ll help her get on the bus in the opposite direction.”

“Okay,” Li Qinyue responded simply, not saying anything more.

The bus finally stopped. The passengers getting off were waiting by the back door, but they didn’t leave immediately.

Zhuo Zhi helped the old woman off the bus, and Li Qinyue followed closely behind.

To get to the bus stop across the street, they had to go through an underground passage, which was a bit of a walk. Zhuo Zhi said, “Sister, wait for me here, I’ll be back soon.”

“Okay,” Li Qinyue responded simply, not stopping her.

As Zhuo Zhi walked away with the old woman, Li Qinyue took out a cigarette from her pocket, lit it, and put it in her mouth.

It was cold, and the wind blew her hair and the smoke around.

There was a young girl who had just gotten off the bus. After hesitating for a while, she approached Li Qinyue, stopping a step away and saying, “Thank you.”

Li Qinyue turned to look at her, the cigarette still in her mouth. Her lips moved, “Thank me for what?”

The girl looked excited, her hands unconsciously clenching in front of her chest, “If it weren’t for you and your friend on the bus just now, who knows what would have happened.”

“I just couldn’t stand her,” Li Qinyue said.

“You stood up for what was right…”

“Are you going to sing me a song?” Li Qinyue interrupted her.

“Huh?” the girl was stunned.

“It’s cold, go home,” Li Qinyue waved her hand.

The girl was obviously going to transfer to another bus, so after saying that, it was Li Qinyue who walked away.

She left the bus stop area, walking aimlessly for a while, then remembered something and turned towards the entrance of the underground passage.

When Zhuo Zhi came back, she saw Li Qinyue standing at the entrance.

The sky was still slightly bright, a deep blue. Li Qinyue’s figure was slender, her posture as she smoked dejected.

There were a few steps between them. Zhuo Zhi took three steps at a time and quickly ran to Li Qinyue.

Li Qinyue put out her cigarette and threw it into a nearby trash can.

“Sister Qinyue,” Zhuo Zhi called out to her.

“Hmm,” Li Qinyue responded.

“You were amazing,” Zhuo Zhi whispered.

“Really?” Li Qinyue smiled.

“Yes,” Zhuo Zhi nodded with certainty, then asked, “Are we still taking the bus?”

“Not today, I’m tired,” Li Qinyue looked at the road, “Let’s get a taxi.”

“Okay,” Zhuo Zhi obediently stood beside her, looking at the road with her.

Li Qinyue didn’t speak, her face expressionless. Zhuo Zhi looked at her several times before finally speaking, “Do you want to smoke, Sister?”

“Hmm?” Li Qinyue glanced at her.

“It’s okay, you can smoke,” Zhuo Zhi said.

“I thought you told me not to,” Li Qinyue raised an eyebrow.

Zhuo Zhi immediately understood what she meant. She rubbed her hands and hid them behind her back.

“You’re guarding against me like I’m a wolf,” Li Qinyue chuckled.

“No, I’m not,” Zhuo Zhi lowered her head, a little embarrassed.

Li Qinyue’s fingers suddenly reached out and touched Zhuo Zhi’s cheek. It was cold, and Zhuo Zhi shivered slightly.

“Let me see,” Li Qinyue cupped Zhuo Zhi’s face with both hands, turning it to face her.

The wind was cold, and Li Qinyue’s hands were cold, but Zhuo Zhi’s cheeks were warm, her whole body warm.

“Does it hurt?” Li Qinyue’s fingertips brushed against Zhuo Zhi’s neck.

She remembered the spot perfectly, the direction and location were spot on.

Zhuo Zhi looked at her, her heart melting with gratitude. She asked softly, “Were you so angry because she hit me?”

“No,” Li Qinyue said, “I was angry from the beginning.”

“Oh,” Zhuo Zhi lowered her eyes.

Li Qinyue’s hands remained on her cheeks, as if trying to decipher something, not moving for a while.

Zhuo Zhi, emboldened by a surge of hope, asked, “Then did you come over and argue with her because she hit me?”

“Yes,” Li Qinyue answered this time.

A glimmer of light flashed in Zhuo Zhi’s eyes. She looked up at her, “So if she hadn’t hit me, you wouldn’t have come over?”

“Why are you so troublesome?” Li Qinyue frowned at her, “You want me to care about you and also act like a hero.”

“The two aren’t mutually exclusive,” Zhuo Zhi said proudly.

“Oh. I wouldn’t have come over,” Li Qinyue looked at her coldly. Seeing Zhuo Zhi’s lips about to pout, she added, “What’s the point of having a bodyguard if I have to handle such a small matter myself?”

Zhuo Zhi’s eyes widened. Li Qinyue’s hands on her cheeks turned into a pinch, “Have you forgotten that you’re my bodyguard? Hmm? Do you want me to yell and argue with people? How embarrassing.”

“It’s not embarrassing! You did the right thing, Sister, although your methods were a bit…”

“A bit what?” Li Qinyue squinted at her.

“Cool!” Zhuo Zhi said, “So cool!!!”

Li Qinyue raised an eyebrow.

Zhuo Zhi continued to flatter her, “What I fear most in life is getting into conflicts with unreasonable old people. I was so scared, but you gave me so much courage!”

“How ambitious, your life has just begun.”

“Anyway, now I feel like I’m not afraid of anything,” Zhuo Zhi said excitedly, reaching out to hug Li Qinyue’s arm, “Sister, it’s so good to be rich.”

“Tsk,” Li Qinyue was very disappointed, “So you’re just after my money.”

“No, no, no, it’s my fighting skills plus your money, it’s so awesome!!! So awesome!!!” Zhuo Zhi shook Li Qinyue’s arm, “Sister, do you understand, do you understand?! There are many rich people, but not many rich people with a sense of justice like you. And we just happened to meet, and you didn’t stop me when I went to help that old lady. You understand what I mean, right? You know what I’m thinking, right?”

What else could she be thinking? Whether it was worrying about the old lady’s safety or worrying that others might get hurt because of her, it was all to prevent accidents and ensure a smooth day.

Li Qinyue had met all kinds of people, rich and poor, good and bad. Zhuo Zhi’s thoughts were as transparent as crystal, easy to read.

She wasn’t someone who went out of her way to be a hero, nor did she like yelling at idiots, but she couldn’t stand to see someone like Zhuo Zhi being wronged, couldn’t stand to see her disappointed.

There weren’t many beautiful things in this world, so if there was a little bit, it was best to preserve it.

Lost in thought, Li Qinyue didn’t answer Zhuo Zhi’s question. Zhuo Zhi stared at her, still waiting. Li Qinyue felt a little dazed.

“Stop looking at me,” Li Qinyue said.

“Huh? Why?” Zhuo Zhi, eager to share her ideals, immediately asked.

“If you keep looking at me like that…” Li Qinyue paused, her finger brushing against Zhuo Zhi’s nose, “I won’t be able to resist bullying you.”

Zhuo Zhi’s face flushed even more. Although Li Qinyue’s words were about bullying, her expression was a little helpless, which gave Zhuo Zhi a strange feeling.

It was like, she knew that Li Qinyue liked her, she knew what kind of her Li Qinyue liked most. She might subconsciously, deliberately, present that side of herself, just to be liked by Li Qinyue even more.

There were many benefits to being liked by Li Qinyue, but to be liked and then forbid her from being bullied because of it, Zhuo Zhi felt that she was being a bit too much, even a bit cruel.

But then again, Li Qinyue was a strange person.

Shouldn’t you be nice to someone you like, spoil them, pamper them? With Li Qinyue, it was all about teasing, forcing, and doing things that made Zhuo Zhi embarrassed and flustered.

This rebellious way of dealing with her own emotions was childish, too childish!

After a moment of mixed emotions, the two of them stood like telephone poles in the cold wind, their postures steady, looking at each other absentmindedly.

The sky had completely darkened, and the dim streetlights elongated their shadows. The road was empty, this place was desolate. They had been waiting for a while, but no taxi had passed by.

Li Qinyue suddenly took out her phone. Zhuo Zhi hurriedly asked, “Are you calling a car, Sister?”

“No,” Li Qinyue replied, putting the phone to her ear. After a few seconds, she said to the person on the other end, “Something came up, I can’t make it.”

Zhuo Zhi was stunned. Li Qinyue continued talking on the phone, her brows furrowed, “It’s nothing, let’s do it another day. Bye.”

She really just hung up. Zhuo Zhi observed Li Qinyue’s expression, “You’re not going, Sister?”

“No.”

“Did I make you unhappy?”

“Yes.”

“Then you can get mad at me, you can hit me too. Is it okay to cancel on your friend?” Zhuo Zhi’s heart was racing, “Are you tired? Then should we…”

Li Qinyue raised her hand to cover Zhuo Zhi’s mouth, her voice cold and stern, “Shut up.”

It was a familiar tone and gesture. Zhuo Zhi obediently stopped talking and moving.

Li Qinyue looked around, spotted her target, and pulled Zhuo Zhi along.

Zhuo Zhi’s eyes darted around, her lips moving silently. She held back her questions.

Li Qinyue took large strides, pulling Zhuo Zhi along for a while before suddenly laughing, “Do you want to ask where we’re going?”

Zhuo Zhi blinked, indicating yes.

Li Qinyue turned to look at her, her eyes narrowed into a sly smile like a fox, “To bully you, of course.”

Zhuo Zhi’s eyes widened. Li Qinyue pointed ahead. Not far away was a grand-looking chain hotel, “We’re getting a room, just to bully you.”

Chapter 25

At four in the afternoon, Li Qinyue received a phone call.

Zhuo Zhi listened from the side. The gist of it was that someone had invited Li Qinyue to dinner that evening, and she had agreed. Zhuo Zhi breathed a sigh of relief.

She had been on edge in this office, afraid that Li Qinyue would suddenly decide to tease her again. When they went out for lunch earlier, many people had already been staring at them.

Li Qinyue hung up the phone, turned off her computer, and stood up, saying to Zhuo Zhi, “Let’s go.”

Zhuo Zhi practically jumped off the sofa, “So early?”

“Yeah, it’ll take a while to get there.” Li Qinyue grabbed her jacket and walked towards the door, then suddenly stopped.

Zhuo Zhi, who was standing a meter away, also stopped.

Li Qinyue turned to look at her, “Come here.”

“Hmm?” Zhuo Zhi didn’t move.

Li Qinyue offered her arm, “Do you believe that the entire company knows you’re my girlfriend now?”

“Yes,” Zhuo Zhi felt it deeply.

“Then hurry up, let’s play the part,” Li Qinyue nudged her arm.

“Okay,” Zhuo Zhi reluctantly moved closer and placed her hand on Li Qinyue’s arm.

Li Qinyue opened the door with one hand and squeezed Zhuo Zhi’s arm with the other, saying with a smile, “This pose is so old-fashioned.”

Two girls linking arms was a way to show intimacy without being too over the top.

It was much more comfortable than when Li Qinyue had hugged her waist and walked out earlier.

Along the way, few people stared at them directly, but Zhuo Zhi, out of habit, observed her surroundings with her peripheral vision. She could still sense many furtive glances.

They entered the elevator. Fortunately, it wasn’t quitting time yet, and they were the only two people inside.

Zhuo Zhi stared at the buttons and asked, “President Li, basement level one?”

“Why would we go to basement level one? There’s no car waiting for me,” Li Qinyue looked at her with a grin, “Ground floor, we have to catch the bus.”

Zhuo Zhi sighed deeply, wondering when Li Qinyue would get tired of this strange hobby.

They left the office building and headed towards the nearest bus stop, successfully boarding the bus.

Li Qinyue was a little disappointed. Even though this bus route passed through the city center, it wasn’t crowded at this hour. Not only was it not packed, there were even two empty seats at the back.

Zhuo Zhi quickly went to occupy the empty seats and waved at Li Qinyue. Li Qinyue looked around, but there were no elderly, weak, sick, disabled, or pregnant people on board.

She could only sigh and walk towards the back, sitting down in the window seat that Zhuo Zhi had deliberately saved for her, playing with her phone out of boredom.

Zhuo Zhi still belonged to the peculiar new generation of young people who wouldn’t take out their phones unless absolutely necessary.

She sat there quietly, her gaze fixed on something inside the bus, who knows what.

Li Qinyue played two rounds of a puzzle game, then secretly logged into her alternate account and browsed through several company group chats of “Shengle Media”, specifically looking for gossip about herself and Zhuo Zhi, amused.

It was a shame that the person involved was right beside her, but she was too shy and timid to share it.

Li Qinyue felt a little emotional. In all her years of living a carefree life, it was only this little girl, Zhuo Zhi, who made her consider the other person’s feelings when she was having fun.

She couldn’t help but tease her, but she had to do it gradually. She couldn’t help but want to touch her, but she had to find excuses and reasons, controlling the time and degree. Tsk.

Li Qinyue put away her phone and looked at Zhuo Zhi, whose gaze immediately met hers.

“What’s wrong, Sister?” Zhuo Zhi asked.

“What are you looking at?” Li Qinyue glanced around the bus. There were a few more people now than when they first boarded, but nothing noteworthy.

“Looking at people,” Zhuo Zhi said.

“What’s so interesting about people?” Li Qinyue said, her eyes still scanning the bus, “Which person?”

“Everyone,” Zhuo Zhi smiled and lowered her voice, “The grandmother and granddaughter in the double seat at the front, the little girl just started first grade. The woman with the yellow scarf in the middle has a bad right leg, probably arthritis. One of the four ducks in the old man’s bag on the right is dead…”

“Aren’t there three?” Li Qinyue looked up.

“There’s another one at the back, it’s also had its air hole pierced, but it’s blocked from this angle.”

“How do you know?”

“The size, it’s obvious.”

“Tsk,” Li Qinyue gave her a thumbs-up, “Little Detective Zhuo Zhi.”

“Hahaha…” Zhuo Zhi laughed, not refuting her teasing. She paused and said, “I’m more familiar with the people on the bus.”

“Familiar?” Li Qinyue said, “Don’t you only know me?”

“But I can guess their general lives, unlike at your company, I don’t understand them.”

“Really?” Li Qinyue smiled, “I think they’re easy to understand. They want money, power, fame, and fortune.”

“I don’t quite understand,” Zhuo Zhi shook her head, “Your thoughts are always so convoluted. Just when I think I understand one twist, you take another turn, and I don’t know if I should stay on this path or follow the next one…”

“You’re crossing the Yellow River,” Li Qinyue leaned sideways, resting her hand on the back of the seat, “You people, including me?”

“Yes,” Zhuo Zhi lowered her head and fiddled with her fingers.

Li Qinyue looked at her long eyelashes and delicate nose, “What’s the difference? People live in this world, all wanting the same things. Do you think these people on the bus don’t think in a convoluted way at home or at work?”

“No, it’s just that I’m familiar with their way of thinking. I grew up in this environment,” Zhuo Zhi looked up and smiled, “Your world, Sister, I need to learn.”

“Little Miss Goody-Two-Shoes,” Li Qinyue’s hand on the back of the seat ruffled Zhuo Zhi’s hair, “Study hard and see this dirty world…”

“Don’t say that,” Zhuo Zhi said, “The world is still beautiful.”

“Yes,” Li Qinyue flicked her earlobe, “Especially with little cuties like you.”

For the rest of the ride, Li Qinyue abandoned her boring phone and started observing the people on the bus with Zhuo Zhi.

They didn’t talk, each lost in their own thoughts. Li Qinyue’s discovery was that in this day and age, there were still people begging on the bus.

Another thing that surprised her was that Zhuo Zhi, this righteous, kind, and innocent little cutie, didn’t give a single penny to the beggar.

After one stop, the beggar got off the bus, accompanied by melancholic music. Li Qinyue nudged Zhuo Zhi’s arm, “What? No change?”

Zhuo Zhi frowned, “His broken leg is fake.”

“What if it was real? Would you give him money?” Li Qinyue asked.

“No,” Zhuo Zhi answered decisively, “This is organized begging, they just want to get something for nothing. If they earn enough this way, they won’t even send their children to school. They’ll be dragged out to beg at a very young age.”

“You seem to understand these things quite well,” Li Qinyue rubbed her head.

“Sister, we’ve already passed thirteen stops,” Zhuo Zhi reminded her, “How much longer?”

Li Qinyue took out her phone and checked the map, “Twelve more stops.”

Zhuo Zhi’s eyes widened, “So far?!”

“Hmm? Is it far?” Li Qinyue said, “It’s alright, less than two hours.”

“Wouldn’t it be more convenient to drive for such a distance?” Zhuo Zhi asked cautiously.

“We’re not in a hurry, we’re just going for dinner,” Li Qinyue paused and said, “You came down from the mountain, don’t you know the importance of protecting the environment? Taking public transportation, reducing carbon emissions, I’m contributing to the planet, understand?”

“Understood,” Zhuo Zhi nodded.

“Besides, the scenery on this route is nice,” Li Qinyue turned to look out the window, her mood quite pleasant, “There are mountains, water, and few people.”

The scenery on this route was indeed nice, because it was heading out of the city.

Since Li Qinyue was currently living in the villa complex on the mountainside, Zhuo Zhi didn’t find it strange that her friend had invited her to dinner out of the city.

It was probably some kind of back-to-nature farmhouse with wild game and rustic charm. Zhuo Zhi just thought that if there were any endangered species, she would have to educate Li Qinyue about the law.

The bus went through a dizzying roundabout and onto a bridge over the river.

The sky had darkened slightly, and the river was deep and misty.

Li Qinyue stared intently at the river, while Zhuo Zhi looked at the brightly lit bridge, counting the passing cars.

An old woman in a floral padded jacket, sitting in the priority seat, suddenly stood up and hurried to the driver, asking him something.

Her dialect was too strong, and Zhuo Zhi could only understand the gist of it.

She seemed to have missed her stop, the one on the other side of the bridge. To go back, she would have to wait until the bus crossed the bridge and then take another bus in the opposite direction.

The driver, with his loud voice, turned his head and replied in dialect. The old woman was stunned for a moment, and then her voice suddenly became shrill.

The few passengers who had been dozing off on the bus were startled awake and looked over.

The old woman looked agitated, muttering loudly, which soon turned into shouting, repeating her request until everyone on the bus could hear it clearly.

“Stop the bus! Stop the bus!! Let me off!! Let me off! I want to go home! I’ve gone too far, too far!!”

The driver shouted, “I can’t stop here, I’ll stop after we cross the bridge!”

A middle-aged woman echoed, “He can’t stop here, he’ll get fined. He’ll stop after the bridge!”

The word “fine” further agitated the old woman. She stomped her foot, almost hysterical, “You’re harming me! Harming me!”

Li Qinyue frowned. Zhuo Zhi stood up and walked towards the front of the bus.

She wanted to try and reason with the old woman, to explain that the driver wasn’t trying to harm her for money, that he couldn’t stop the bus outside designated stops, that traffic rules were for everyone’s safety.

But as soon as she reached the front of the bus, the old woman suddenly threw herself on the floor and started crying loudly, flailing her arms and legs.

The driver looked down and shouted, “Get up!”

The old woman kicked at the driver’s seat.

The bus became restless. Zhuo Zhi rushed over, grabbed the old woman’s arm, and pulled her back.

“Grandma, Grandma, don’t distract the driver, it’s dangerous!” Zhuo Zhi said repeatedly, “Don’t worry, we’ll be crossing the bridge soon, he’ll stop after the bridge, and you can take one stop in the opposite direction to go home…”

The driver was angry and shouted again, “Get up! What the hell are you doing?!”

The old woman’s legs were like electric motors, constantly kicking. Her body seemed glued to the floor, and Zhuo Zhi couldn’t pull her up.

Old people’s bones were fragile, she didn’t dare to use force, so she could only keep persuading her, and said to the driver, “Sir, please focus on driving and be careful.”

This sentence made the old woman lump Zhuo Zhi with the driver. She swung her hand at Zhuo Zhi, “Don’t touch me! My legs hurt! My arms hurt! You damn people! Harming me! Harming me!!”

Zhuo Zhi dodged the first two swings. Unable to use force and unable to leave, she couldn’t dodge the third one.

“Slap!” The old woman’s hand hit Zhuo Zhi’s neck, hard and loud.

Zhuo Zhi had expected this outcome. She wasn’t surprised and endured it, not daring to let go of the old woman for fear of her distracting the driver again.

But Li Qinyue exploded. A loud “Fuck!” echoed through the bus, attracting everyone’s attention.

This beautiful and stylish girl, who seemed out of place on this bus, strode to the front of the bus, took out a delicate wallet from her bag, and slammed it on the floor.

The wallet opened beside the old woman, revealing a stack of bank cards and cash.

Everyone was stunned for a moment. The driver looked over, and Li Qinyue shouted at him, “Focus on driving!”

The driver quickly turned back, not daring to look again.

Li Qinyue shouted at Zhuo Zhi, “What the hell! Didn’t I feed you enough at lunch?! Can’t you even pull up or throw out this old hag?! How much effort does it take to throw her from the front to the back of the bus?! Use your strength, damn it, use it!!!”

Zhuo Zhi said helplessly, “Sister, she’s old, I don’t dare to use force.”

“Use it!!!” Li Qinyue shouted louder than anyone else, “Use all your strength!!!”

The old woman finally recovered from her daze and kicked again, repeating mechanically, “You’re harming me!”

Before she could say it again, Li Qinyue cut her off, “I’m fucking harming you! Is your home made of gold or silver?! Or am I going to sell you and inherit your throne?!”

Someone on the bus burst out laughing.

The old woman glared, not listening to anything, good or bad. Her only weapon was to continue throwing a tantrum, this was her most familiar tactic.

She kicked at Li Qinyue’s legs. Li Qinyue took a step back and kicked back.

Their legs collided, and the old woman wailed, “My leg is broken!”

“Then go to the hospital immediately!” Li Qinyue pointed at the wallet on the floor, “Any top-tier hospital in Nanhai City, you choose! If they can’t cure you in this province, I’ll take you to the capital! If they can’t cure you in China, I’ll fly you to America! If you don’t get a comminuted fracture, cerebral infarction, or paralysis today, I won’t be able to use the lifetime ICU service I’ve prepared for you!!”

The old woman froze. Li Qinyue glared at her, “Do you understand? Should I repeat it in dialect for you?!”

***

ICU:Intensive Care Unit