Category: Little Bodyguard(GL)

  • Little Bodyguard(GL) 24

    Chapter 24

    Zhuo Zhi didn’t dare to sit down properly, let alone put her full weight down. If being close to Li Qinyue on the bus was like being enveloped in a fragrant mist, then this was like falling into a cloud made of cotton candy, all her senses heightened tenfold.

    Fragrant, soft, warm. Li Qinyue’s arm was around her waist, her body pressed against Zhuo Zhi’s back, her chin resting on her shoulder.

    “How does it feel?” Li Qinyue’s breath tickled her cheek, surprisingly sweet.

    “Ahem,” Zhuo Zhi cleared her throat.

    Li Qinyue chuckled silently, the small vibrations transferring to Zhuo Zhi’s body, “Don’t be so nervous.”

    “I’m… not nervous,” Zhuo Zhi stared straight at the office door.

    “Really?” Li Qinyue’s hand gently squeezed her abdomen, “Your abs are tense.”

    This part of her body had rarely been touched, especially in this position. Every touch was amplified, the shyness she felt spreading across her skin, as ticklish as ants crawling over her hairs.

    Zhuo Zhi almost jumped up. As she leaned forward, Li Qinyue patted her shoulder, “Sit down.”

    So she sat back down, only daring to touch Li Qinyue’s leg with her bottom.

    It was like an endless horse stance training session.

    Outside the office, An Qi, Apple, and Zhang Baobei gathered.

    They didn’t even bother with pleasantries. They were direct competitors, and the moment they saw each other, they only sized each other up.

    For example, An Qi’s attempt to look young today was way over the top. She was actually wearing a sweater with angel wings, her hair in pigtails with fluffy balls attached, as if she were six years old.

    Apple had a new, sharp bob haircut with purple highlights, very much against the current broadcasting regulations. (Apple chinese name is 苹果- (píng guǒ), which means Apple)

    Zhang Baobei’s face seemed smaller, her eyes bigger, her filled cheeks looking stiff when she smiled, making her look even more artificial.

    Dong Xin came over with the evaluation forms and asked them, “Are you ready?”

    “Ready!”

    “Ready~~”

    “Ready…”

    The same word, but their responses were as varied as their personalities.

    “Let’s go,” Dong Xin led them to the office and knocked on the door.

    Li Qinyue heard the knock, but she didn’t move.

    She glanced at the computer screen, continuing to watch the audition videos, her arm rubbing against Zhuo Zhi in her lap.

    Zhuo Zhi knew what she was supposed to do, but her throat was dry, and she couldn’t make a sound.

    Li Qinyue wasn’t in a hurry, one arm around Zhuo Zhi, the other hand scrolling the mouse.

    The knocking came again. Zhuo Zhi finally said, “Come in.”

    When the group entered, Zhuo Zhi only glanced up before lowering her gaze.

    Because the male secretary at the front, although trying his best to control his expression, was still so shocked by their current posture that his pupils dilated slightly.

    The heat in Zhuo Zhi’s face intensified. She felt she had never been so embarrassed in her life.

    Dong Xin paused and said, “President Li, they’re here.”

    Li Qinyue glanced up, “Hmm.”

    An Qi stepped forward and said sweetly, “Hello, President Li, my name is An Qi.”

    Then she looked at Zhuo Zhi and, although she didn’t meet her gaze, she nodded and said, “Hello, nice to meet you.”

    Just as Zhang Baobei was about to follow suit, Li Qinyue raised her hand and said, “Let’s begin.”

    “Okay,” An Qi immediately smiled, “I’ll go first. ’12 New Stars’ is a girl group talent show, so I’ve been practicing singing and dancing recently.”

    Li Qinyue nudged Zhuo Zhi, “Pay attention.”

    Zhuo Zhi looked up and saw everyone’s eyes on her.

    Feeling awkward and unsure what to say, she decided to smile.

    So, in the eyes of Dong Xin, An Qi, Apple, and Zhang Baobei, the boss’s new lover gave them a stiff, forced, and unhappy smile.

    Was this… hostility?

    Dong Xin quickly handed over the evaluation forms, “President Li, I’ll leave you to it then.”

    And then he quickly made his escape.

    An Qi stared at the evaluation forms. Li Qinyue pushed them towards Zhuo Zhi.

    As if a new exam subject had suddenly been added, Zhuo Zhi frowned and carefully examined the forms.

    An Qi looked at this young judge, her mind racing, and changed her song at the last minute.

    The kind of idol that girls of this age group liked was that popular boy band.

    An Qi cleared her throat, chose the boy band’s latest hit song, and started singing acapella while dancing.

    It was a little off-key, but that didn’t matter, as long as she imitated the boy band’s expressions.

    Her steps were a little messy, but that didn’t matter, as long as she kept making eye contact with the judge.

    She couldn’t attract the boss’s attention, but that didn’t matter, because the girl sitting on the boss’s lap had already started marking the evaluation form.

    Go, An Qi! Unleash your most charming self on that girl!

    Before this girl named An Qi started her performance, Zhuo Zhi still had some doubts about Li Qinyue’s words, that these people had ulterior motives towards her.

    But when the performance started, An Qi’s gaze was glued to Zhuo Zhi. She kept raising her eyebrows, smirking, drawing circles in the air, and pretending to shoot at her chest, her expression fierce, as if Zhuo Zhi had stolen two barrels of oil from her.

    At that moment, Zhuo Zhi understood that Li Qinyue was indeed right.

    An Qi resented Zhuo Zhi, because Zhuo Zhi was occupying the spot in Li Qinyue’s lap, shattering her hopes of gaining benefits through improper means. So now, she wanted to eat Zhuo Zhi alive.

    Faced with this imaginary hostility, expressed through singing and dancing, something Zhuo Zhi was completely unfamiliar with, she felt helpless, enduring it with embarrassment, her legs starting to tremble.

    This was truly an ultimate horse stance training, testing not only her physical strength but also her mental endurance.

    An Qi danced and sang the entire song for three minutes before stopping.

    She looked at Zhuo Zhi, covered in sweat, bowed slightly, her eyes full of meaning. Zhuo Zhi only glanced at her before quickly looking away.

    Li Qinyue completely ignored what was happening. Zhuo Zhi, wanting to end this quickly, raised her hand and said, “Next.”

    Apple smiled, full of disdain for An Qi. She looked up at Zhuo Zhi and said, “I am who I am. I won’t cater to any standards, and I won’t give up after a single failure.”

    Zhuo Zhi: “!” She still wouldn’t give up even after getting a girlfriend?

    “I will defeat any enemy who stands in my way,” Apple stared at Zhuo Zhi, “Even if it means bloodshed.”

    Zhuo Zhi: “!!” So straightforward? Was she challenging her to a fight?!

    Apple: “Singing has always been my forte. Today, I’m going to sing ‘Bloody Love Story’.”

    Zhuo Zhi: “…” Indeed very straightforward, was this a threat?

    Apple started singing, “All the sweetness you’ve tasted are fruits of loneliness, they are pieces of me, ripped from my heart…”

    Zhuo Zhi: Okay, I get it, it’s a threat.

    Apple’s voice was powerful, her high notes clear. As she sang the chorus, she stared at Zhuo Zhi, her voice hoarse and resolute, “Let me follow your every move, let me write a horror story for you, who’s suspicious, who’s pitiful, who’s innocent, who’s surviving, I’ve already seen the ending…”

    Zhuo Zhi couldn’t hold her horse stance any longer.

    She pushed Li Qinyue’s hand away and jumped off her lap, earning a glare from Li Qinyue.

    Zhuo Zhi hopped to the side, stretching her limbs. Apple gave her a wicked smile, which, paired with the lyrics and the song, made Zhuo Zhi’s hair stand on end.

    It was easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow shot from the dark. This shield was really too difficult to be.

    Zhang Baobei, who had been standing at the side, watched as Apple’s song managed to make the judge stand up in excitement. She inwardly cursed.

    She wasn’t as good a singer as Apple, nor as good a dancer as An Qi. If she couldn’t highlight her uniqueness at this time, she would have no hope of winning.

    So, after Apple finished her song, she suddenly ran to the judge and stared at this young, crucial girl who had appeared out of nowhere, “My biggest advantage is my face.”

    She pointed at her face, “Whether male or female, no one can resist a pretty face. Beauty is my most powerful weapon.”

    Zhuo Zhi’s eyes widened. Faced with increasingly blatant provocations, she decided to fight back.

    “You…” she paused and pointed at Li Qinyue, “You’re not as pretty as President Li.”

    Zhang Baobei froze. Li Qinyue, suddenly called out, turned to Zhuo Zhi and smiled.

    Looking at that ambiguous, deadly smile, Zhang Baobei panicked and hurriedly said, “Of course I can’t compare to President Li, and I don’t need to compare to her.”

    Zhuo Zhi thought for a moment, she was right. Li Qinyue’s standards for a partner might not be someone prettier than herself.

    There was no need to compare with Li Qinyue. The most important thing was to compare with her, Zhuo Zhi.

    Zhuo Zhi looked at Zhang Baobei, carefully observing her features, comparing them with her own.

    Then, she said calmly, “From my personal aesthetic point of view, each of your facial features is prettier than mine, but together, they don’t look as harmonious as mine.”

    Zhuo Zhi took a step back, confirming her judgment, and repeated, “Yes, not as harmonious as mine.”

    Zhang Baobei was completely stunned. She didn’t understand why the boss’s new lover would compare her face with hers. The only explanation she could think of was that this person was also going to participate in “12 New Stars.”

    That would also explain why the usually hands-off boss suddenly came to the company to watch the audition videos, why she brought her new lover along, and even handed over the decision-making power to her.

    This wasn’t a talent showcase, it was a surprise attack. Faced with this powerful enemy with connections, they had walked right into a trap, sending themselves to the guillotine.

    Zhang Baobei looked at An Qi and Apple. These former rivals were now in the same boat.

    An Qi frowned, while Apple still seemed confused.

    Li Qinyue looked at them and suddenly laughed, a sound that wasn’t exactly joyful.

    “Hehe,” she said to Zhuo Zhi, “You’re also fairer than her, more appealing.”

    Zhang Baobei’s face turned ashen, and Apple finally understood.

    The three of them now shared the same look as they turned to Zhuo Zhi, finally realizing the truth.

    Zhuo Zhi coughed slightly, hoping that Li Qinyue would restrain herself and stop attracting hatred towards her.

    But Li Qinyue never did what Zhuo Zhi wanted. This person, usually indifferent and unconcerned with such matters, suddenly stood up and walked towards Zhuo Zhi.

    Zhuo Zhi stepped aside, but she couldn’t dodge.

    Li Qinyue’s hand reached out and landed on Zhuo Zhi’s shoulder, a gesture and a smile full of intimacy, her voice full of flattery, “How did you manage to stay so fair after running around all over the place? It’s really enviable.”

    An Qi, Apple, Zhang Baobei: “!”

    Their envy had been discovered!

    Li Qinyue: “Sometimes I really want to hide you away, not letting anyone see you, just keeping you to myself. But you’re so good, more people should see you, so they can know what kind of treasure I have.”

    An Qi, Apple, Zhang Baobei: “!!”

    So she really is going to compete with us on “12 New Stars”!

    Zhuo Zhi looked at Li Qinyue, goosebumps rising and falling on her skin. She truly admired Li Qinyue’s acting skills, wondering how she could say such cheesy things in front of so many people without blushing or feeling embarrassed.

    Li Qinyue squeezed her shoulder, “What should I do?”

    The implication was clear. Zhuo Zhi remembered their agreement. She had to play along at times like this. So she quickly cleared her throat and replied, “There’s no need for too many people to see you, just the necessary people.”

    She also expressed her own opinion, hoping that Li Qinyue understood that the fewer occasions she had to act as her fake girlfriend, the better.

    An Qi, Apple, Zhang Baobei: “!!!”

    What did she mean? She rejected the debut opportunity offered by her wealthy and influential backer?!

    After seeing all of them, she decided that it was more important to win the boss’s heart than to compete with them for a debut?!

    Should they despise her lack of ambition and shortsightedness, or should they envy her carefree attitude?!

    And! The conversation between these two was so exaggerated and dramatic, like a cheesy idol drama!!!

    Was this really the type that domineering CEOs liked?!

    Li Qinyue saw the changing expressions on the faces of the three girls standing at the side and was overjoyed.

    She really wanted to share this moment of joy with Zhuo Zhi, so she tugged at the evaluation form in her hand and asked, “How’s the evaluation going?”

    Zhuo Zhi froze for a moment and quickly said, “Almost done.”

    She scribbled on the form for a while and then handed it to Li Qinyue, “My personal opinion.”

    “Hmm.” Li Qinyue looked at the three girls, “Thank you for your hard work, I’ll hand the evaluation forms to President Chen.”

    “Thank you, President Li.” The three of them bowed and left the office.

    Not far away, they heard laughter and the sound of furniture scraping against the floor from the office. They all rolled their eyes, expressing their shock and disdain for the frivolous rich second-generation boss and her new lover’s office play.

    They weren’t sure how today’s visit would affect the audition results, but one thing was certain: they had glimpsed into the boss’s private life and gotten some fresh gossip.

    The three of them quickly parted ways, taking out their phones to share the latest news with their own circles.

    • Hey, hey, guess what, that little President Li is into girls! Girls!

    • She likes the pure type, the kind that doesn’t even wear makeup!

    • But they have to be stubborn and dramatic, ‘I don’t want money or fame, I only want you!’

    • A domineering CEO and her innocent little flower, please, all of you who are planning to cling to a sugar daddy, learn from this, learn!!

    Zhuo Zhi, however, wasn’t aware of any of this. She didn’t have time to think about how much of a stir her fake girlfriend performance had caused. All her energy for understanding the inner world of adults and city people was focused on Li Qinyue.

    For example, this person was a party animal. Now, she was probably excited about something, because she wrapped her arms around Zhuo Zhi’s waist, lifted her up, and started spinning.

    Zhuo Zhi’s legs flailed, hitting the table and kicking the chairs, her cries of protest going unheeded.

    Li Qinyue laughed. One spin wasn’t enough, she wanted another.

    Zhuo Zhi brought her legs together, locking Li Qinyue’s legs in place, using her strength to stop them both from moving, finally making Li Qinyue settle down.

    “Honey,” Li Qinyue looked at her, their faces so close they could feel each other’s breath, “You’re so fun, so interesting.”

    Zhuo Zhi sighed, asking, “Sister Qinyue, you like me, right?”

    “I like you,” Li Qinyue answered without hesitation.

    “I still don’t understand a lot of things,” Zhuo Zhi said sincerely, “If you like me, please tease me less, play with me less, okay?”

    “I’ll agree if you let me kiss you,” Li Qinyue looked at her, amused.

    “You’re playing with me again!” Zhuo Zhi cried out in frustration. She tried to get down from Li Qinyue’s lap, but she was held tightly.

    “I’m going to break your arm!” Zhuo Zhi threatened.

    “You wouldn’t dare.”

    “I wouldn’t dare, you’ll get hurt.”

    “Let me hold you for a while.”

    “Just for a while?”

    “Just for a while.”

  • Little Bodyguard(GL) 23

    Chapter 23

    As the crowd surged towards the narrow entrance, Zhuo Zhi focused on protecting Li Qinyue. She formed a protective circle around her with her arms, preventing her from being jostled by the crowd.

    Li Qinyue, however, clearly wasn’t as experienced with taking the bus as she had claimed. She would give way to older people trying to squeeze through, and step back to make space for children with large backpacks getting swallowed by the crowd.

    As a result, the two physically capable young women ended up at the back of the line, squeezing through the gap by the door just as it closed, almost hitting Li Qinyue in the face.

    “Phew—” Li Qinyue let out a long breath. Her position wasn’t too bad, facing the window, at least she had a view.

    Zhuo Zhi was right behind her, but not touching her, holding a space between them with effort. She even managed to fish out some change and pass it forward to pay the fare.

    The bus started, packed with winter-plump humans, swaying slowly. After a short distance, it got stuck at an intersection.

    “Hey,” Li Qinyue nudged Zhuo Zhi with her shoulder, “Can I turn around?”

    Zhuo Zhi was surprised that Li Qinyue would actually ask for her opinion. She quickly replied, “It’s best not to, it’s better to face the window.”

    Li Qinyue wriggled around, her hip brushing against Zhuo Zhi’s waist, then her shoulder bumping against Zhuo Zhi’s face. In this confined space, she utilized every inch, finally turning around.

    Seeing that Li Qinyue wouldn’t listen to her advice, Zhuo Zhi sighed inwardly, thinking this was more typical of her.

    Li Qinyue was, as always, wearing high heels. Even when she wore sneakers to match her outfit, she chose ones with platform soles. So, she was, as always, much taller than Zhuo Zhi.

    Zhuo Zhi’s body and outstretched arms formed a barrier, preventing others from touching Li Qinyue. Li Qinyue looked down at the top of her head and asked, “Is it heavy?”

    Zhuo Zhi knew she was asking about the middle-aged woman leaning against her back. She twitched the corner of her mouth, “It’s alright.”

    “I…” Li Qinyue raised her hand, intending to touch the woman.

    Zhuo Zhi reacted quickly, grabbing her wrist, “Don’t.”

    “Why not?” Li Qinyue looked down at her.

    “This is how it is on the bus, everyone has to be considerate.”

    “Oh.” Li Qinyue nudged Zhuo Zhi’s forehead with her chin, “Little Miss Goody-Two-Shoes.”

    The heater was on in the bus, and everyone was bundled up in thick clothes. The air was hot and filled with a mixture of smells. Even standing at the front of the bus, Zhuo Zhi could smell someone in the middle who had eaten chive-filled buns.

    In this sea of complex odors, she was an oasis. Li Qinyue’s scent was so pleasant, with layers of fragrance that wafted around with every slight movement.

    The scent of her hair, her clothes, her wrist, and the delicate scent of her neck that hovered before Zhuo Zhi’s eyes.

    The bus started moving again slowly. As the crowd swayed, Li Qinyue’s body bumped against Zhuo Zhi’s left hand, then her right hand.

    Zhuo Zhi planted her feet firmly, making sure that the starting and stopping of the bus wouldn’t affect Li Qinyue.

    Li Qinyue looked down and asked, “Are your arms tired?”

    This kind of thoughtful concern was rare. Zhuo Zhi looked up at her and smiled, “No, I’m not tired.”

    “They look tired to me,” Li Qinyue’s voice was soft, “You make me look like some kind of alien.”

    “Eh, really?” Zhuo Zhi hadn’t noticed. She looked around and indeed, only she was awkwardly shielding someone like this.

    “Give me your hand,” Li Qinyue nudged her with her arm.

    Zhuo Zhi was too embarrassed to move.

    Li Qinyue rolled her eyes slightly, reached out, and grabbed Zhuo Zhi’s arm, placing it around her waist.

    “Hold on tight,” she said, “Otherwise, I’ll fall.”

    “I won’t let you fall.”

    “I don’t believe you,” Li Qinyue took her other hand and placed it on the other side of her waist, making her hold on tightly, “Now I believe you.”

    Zhuo Zhi was helpless but didn’t let go.

    Li Qinyue smiled, “If we fall, we fall together.”

    It took more than ten stops for bus number 121 to reach the city center, and each stop was packed with people.

    Zhuo Zhi and Li Qinyue were pushed further and further in, eventually ending up at the back of the bus, squeezed into the aisle.

    During this arduous journey, Zhuo Zhi’s hands on Li Qinyue’s waist kept moving backwards until she found the most stable position.

    That was, holding Li Qinyue’s waist, truly getting a feel for how slim it was.

    From Zhuo Zhi’s perspective, she was doing her best to protect Li Qinyue. But from other people’s perspective, it wasn’t quite the same.

    When they finally reached their destination and got off the bus, a middle-aged woman followed closely behind them and said to Li Qinyue, “You should exercise more, dear.”

    Li Qinyue raised an eyebrow, “Huh?”

    The woman looked at Zhuo Zhi, who was inseparable from Li Qinyue, “Such a big girl, still clinging to someone on the bus. Your job must be tough.”

    Li Qinyue burst out laughing, waving her hand and sighing, “What can I do? She’s afraid of crowds.”

    “Bring her out more,” the woman said earnestly, “She’ll get used to it if she sees more people.”

    “Thank you,” Li Qinyue put her arm around Zhuo Zhi’s shoulder, “Let’s go, Sister will show you the world.”

    Although the smog in Nanhai City was severe, it was a relief to get off the agonizing bus. Zhuo Zhi didn’t have time to dwell on the misunderstanding. She took several deep breaths and unzipped her jacket, letting the heat dissipate from her body.

    Li Qinyue looked down at her, “You’re so weak, you’re sweating just from taking the bus.”

    “It’s hot,” Zhuo Zhi looked at her, pursing her lips, “And I was nervous.”

    “Nervous from holding my waist?” Li Qinyue pulled her hand back to her waist, “Listen to that auntie, hold on more and you won’t be nervous.”

    “That’s not it,” Zhuo Zhi pulled her hand away and jumped back, putting some distance between them, “I was afraid you would be touched by others.”

    “Why are you so possessive?” Li Qinyue chuckled, “You can’t even stand someone brushing against me?”

    Zhuo Zhi was helpless. She stared at Li Qinyue for a while, giving up on explaining.

    Li Qinyue straightened her collar and waved her hand, leading Zhuo Zhi towards the luxurious office building, “I’m just teasing you, time to work.”

    The company Li Qinyue brought Zhuo Zhi to this time was much larger than the one behind “Shengge”.

    The sign was shiny, the plants were lush, and the security was very tight.

    From the moment they entered the building, they went through three layers of security checks. Finally, after Li Qinyue opened the company’s glass door with her fingerprint, Zhuo Zhi filled out a visitor registration form before being allowed in.

    As she followed Li Qinyue inside, Zhuo Zhi stood up straight, afraid of embarrassing her.

    She kept her eyes straight ahead, only relaxing after Li Qinyue entered her office. She looked around, “President Li, is this your company too? You’re so amazing.”

    “Yeah,” the amazing President Li sat on her executive chair with her legs crossed, looking every bit the domineering CEO.

    “Do you need to go through some documents?” Zhuo Zhi looked at the sofa, “Should I wait for you there?”

    “Hmm…” Li Qinyue drawled, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. She suddenly picked up the intercom and said, “One coffee, one juice, blueberry juice. Send over the shortlisted videos, no, all of them, no need to edit, I know how to fast forward…”

    Her tone was calm and indifferent, like polished marble. Zhuo Zhi admired this side of Li Qinyue, her eyes shining as she stared at her.

    Li Qinyue finished her call and looked up at her, “What are you standing there for?”

    “Oh, okay,” Zhuo Zhi hurriedly walked towards the sofa.

    “Come here,” Li Qinyue called out to her, patting her leg, “Sit here.”

    Zhuo Zhi didn’t move.

    Li Qinyue smiled, “Bring a chair over and watch something with me.”

    Zhuo Zhi immediately moved a chair next to Li Qinyue and stared at the computer screen with her.

    Someone knocked on the office door. A handsome young man, dressed neatly, entered with two drinks. His voice was gentle and pleasant, “President Li, your coffee.”

    Li Qinyue tilted her chin, gesturing for him to put it down.

    The young man looked at Zhuo Zhi and smiled, “Your juice.”

    Zhuo Zhi was a little flattered. She quickly took the juice and said with a smile, “Thank you.”

    Li Qinyue patted Zhuo Zhi’s head, “Take a look, tell me which ones you like and which ones you don’t.”

    Zhuo Zhi leaned closer and saw a row of videos playing on the computer screen, showing several girls introducing themselves.

    The young man quietly retreated and closed the office door.

    Shengle Media was originally a struggling talent agency. A year ago, it was acquired, and the boss changed, and it gradually started to develop.

    The company originally focused on music, signing a bunch of internet celebrities from various platforms. After the new boss took over, she put all of them in the “Idol Trainee Team”.

    For newcomers to get a share of the pie in the current entertainment industry dominated by traffic, participating in popular talent shows or variety shows was undoubtedly the fastest and most effective way. The new boss didn’t care about seniority, or even talent. Whoever could get on the show and become popular was the future star the company would focus on cultivating.

    Now, a large-scale girl group talent show called “12 New Stars”, produced by a leading company in the business world, was in the audition stage. The girls in the “Idol Trainee Team” were desperate to secure a spot on the show before the New Year.

    How to operate, how to choose, it was originally the manager’s power. The new boss didn’t care about the process, only the results. After taking over the company, she had only come a few times. Dong Xin counted, this should be her third visit.

    As soon as she arrived, she asked for the shortlisted videos of the “12 New Stars” contestants and even brought along a delicate-looking girl to watch them with her.

    Dong Xin could only try to gather information from his limited observations. As the general manager’s secretary, his judgment was always a weathervane for the company’s artists.

    The elusive new boss had asked for two drinks, coffee for herself, no specific requirements, but she had specified the flavor for the juice.

    During the two minutes Dong Xin was in the office, the new boss’s gaze was split between the computer and the girl. She patted the girl’s head and said a very crucial sentence: “Take a look, tell me which ones you like and which ones you don’t.”

    It was too obvious, too blatant.

    Dong Xin quickly typed a message and sent it to a private group chat:

    –There might be a change in the “12 New Stars” selection.

    The group chat immediately exploded. These were all colleagues who were close to Dong Xin, they shared information and were very reliable.

    Dong Xin summarized what he had seen:

    –President Li brought her new lover to choose the contestants. The decision is probably in the new lover’s hands. It’ll probably be finalized today.

    Everyone didn’t care if this new lover had any previous lovers. They had been fighting for a spot on “12 New Stars” for so long, each with their own interests involved. They had been battling for a month, and they couldn’t lose to a dark horse that suddenly appeared.

    Messages popped up one after another, and finally, they agreed on a solution that was beneficial to everyone.

    –At least show our faces and try to appeal to her.

    Dong Xin took a deep breath. The task was arduous, but it had to be done.

    He stood up, straightened his clothes, silently memorized the names of a few artists that the group chat had recommended, and then walked steadily towards that special office once again.

    He knocked on the door. After a while, a voice came from inside, “Come in.”

    Dong Xin pushed the door open. The first thing he saw was the delicate-looking girl’s flushed face, and then he received a glare from the new boss.

    He quickly averted his gaze and walked up to her briskly, “President Li, our artists An Qi, Apple, and Zhang Baobei are here for their monthly performance. President Chen is not available, would you like to…”

    Li Qinyue glanced at the computer screen, knowing what was going on. She turned to Zhuo Zhi and asked with a smile, “Want to see them in person?”

    Dong Xin exclaimed inwardly: As expected, as expected, I’m a modern-day Zhuge Liang*! (Note: Chinese recognised as the most accomplished strategist of his era) 

    Zhuo Zhi nodded. Li Qinyue said to Dong Xin, “Bring them in.”

    Dong Xin left the office and quickly sent a message in the group chat:

    –Come over quickly!

    –Remember to pay attention to the girl next to her, she’s the main character today!

    –Observe their types when you enter, then decide how to approach her, don’t mess things up!

    There was a chorus of replies in the group chat, everyone scrambling to prepare for the unknown judge.

    Zhuo Zhi, however, was oblivious to all of this.

    Li Qinyue had been showing her a bunch of videos of girls singing and dancing. In Zhuo Zhi’s opinion, the girls in the videos were all pretty and cute. But Li Qinyue would occasionally point at one and tell her that this one had knocked on her door in the middle of the night, that one had tried to seduce her by getting wet and bumping into her, and another one had tried to set her up with her sixteen-year-old brother.

    Zhuo Zhi frowned, finding it hard to believe that these seemingly innocent girls in the videos could do such things in private.

    Li Qinyue asked her if she wanted to meet them in person. Zhuo Zhi was curious, so she nodded.

    She wanted to see for herself what these future stars, hiding behind the screens, were really like.

    Zhuo Zhi stood up, ready to move her chair aside and observe these people as Li Qinyue’s bodyguard.

    But Li Qinyue stopped her and said, “You can move the chair, but don’t move yourself.”

    “Hmm?” Zhuo Zhi was bending over, confused.

    Li Qinyue patted her leg again, “Girlfriend, time to play your part. These people are like wolves and tigers, they have ulterior motives towards me. When else would I use my shield if not now?”

    She had a point. Zhuo Zhi couldn’t refuse, but looking at Li Qinyue’s long, slender legs, she still found the upcoming scene a little hard to accept.

    She tried to resist, “Can I not sit on your lap?”

    Li Qinyue frowned, her voice stern, “Then how should we show our relationship? Do you want me to introduce you to them directly and say, ‘This is my girlfriend, I only love her, stop harassing me’, or should I give you a passionate French kiss right here, right now, in front of everyone?”

    Zhuo Zhi imagined those scenes and found them even more unacceptable.

    So, she endured the humiliation, walked over cautiously, and said timidly, “I, I’m sitting down.”

    “Sit comfortably,” Li Qinyue stretched out her arm, pulled Zhuo Zhi into her lap, and held her firmly, “I can handle your weight.”

  • Little Bodyguard(GL) 22

    Chapter 22

    Before going to Li Qinyue’s room, Zhuo Zhi spent a long time mentally preparing herself. Her main goal was to clarify her purpose and principles for coming down the mountain, to find her direction in this chaotic and dazzling world, and to stay true to her original intention.

    Before descending the mountain, her master had taken her to the small cafeteria at the university halfway up the mountain. They drank some wine, and her master, slightly drunk, lamented a long list of love and hate, joys and sorrows. Zhuo Zhi could understand a tenth of it, dismissing the rest as drunken ramblings.

    Finally, her master gripped her shoulders and asked, “What do you really want to do?”

    Although Zhuo Zhi lacked experience, she wasn’t naive. So, instead of declaring her ambition to roam the world and fight for justice, she chose a life goal that was most acceptable to everyone: “Earn money to buy a house.”

    Her master raised an eyebrow, “Where?”

    “Downtown Nanhai City.”

    “Heh, ambitious. Lofty goals.” Her master continued to grip her shoulders. “And once you’ve bought it?”

    Zhuo Zhi thought for a moment. Most of the young people who visited the neighboring nunnery only wished for a house. To go a step further, she had to borrow the aspirations of the aunties: “Settle down, find a good husband, have two kids in three years.”

    “No, no, no, that’s not urgent,” her master waved her hands vigorously. “You’re still too young. Don’t look for a man. Good men are like sows that can climb trees…”

    “Okay, okay.” Zhuo Zhi readily agreed, as she had no intention of finding a man anyway.

    “Stay away from men!” Her master shook her shoulders, her voice passionate.

    “Okay, absolutely!” Zhuo Zhi promised from the bottom of her heart.

    Satisfied, her master patted her head. “Alright, then it’s settled. Earn enough money to buy me a house in downtown Nanhai City, preferably one with a garden…”

    “Yes, Master!” Zhuo Zhi responded loudly, feeling that this goal was pure and simple.

    “Have you memorized everything I told you to memorize?”

    “Yes, Master!”

    “Recite it.”

    “Should I start with criminal law or civil law?”

    “Start with the Constitution!”

    So, to judge whether something could be done, it just had to be legal and not involve finding a man.

    And to judge whether something should be done, it just had to not affect her goal of earning money to buy a house.

    As for whether she wanted to do it, that depended entirely on her free will.

    Now, thinking back, Zhuo Zhi realized that the unexpected situation that had made her panic all day was neither finding a man nor breaking any laws.

    She just needed to cooperate with Li Qinyue so she could earn her salary peacefully.

    Did she dislike Li Qinyue? Of course not. Did she dislike Li Qinyue touching her? Zhuo Zhi’s face flushed as she thought, of course not.

    Li Qinyue was an adult who lived in a dazzling world. She was open-minded, and Zhuo Zhi understood that. It was just that suddenly being asked to cooperate in a completely unfamiliar area made her feel uneasy and strange.

    After careful consideration, Zhuo Zhi came to a conclusion.

    She could be this fake girlfriend, but the details of how to act needed to be clarified.

    She wrote down all the questions she could think of on a piece of paper, to prevent herself from forgetting or getting confused due to nervousness. Now, after this roller coaster of a conversation, she had expressed everything she needed to express, and the agreement was almost finalized.

    Zhuo Zhi looked at Li Qinyue, feeling hot all over. At this critical moment, her mind actually had the space to wonder why Li Qinyue could talk about this kind of thing so casually.

    If she continued to follow Li Qinyue, would she also be able to remain calm and composed, her every frown and smile alluring and captivating?

    “Ahem,” Zhuo Zhi cleared her throat, thinking that wouldn’t be bad either.

    “Have you made up your mind?” Li Qinyue asked.

    “I think we should reverse the order,” Zhuo Zhi said.

    “Hmm?” Li Qinyue smiled, her attitude amiable, “Tell me.”

    “When necessary, I’ll make a request of you, and then I’ll pay the price,” Zhuo Zhi felt incredibly smart.

    Things like not smoking or swearing were just personal habits. She couldn’t control Li Qinyue’s behavior in those areas.

    But once Li Qinyue started doing something dangerous, there was no stopping her. She couldn’t ignore Li Qinyue’s safety. Before, she could only accompany her on her dangerous adventures, but now there was another way.

    As long as she held the initiative, no matter how high the price of the deal, it just gave her more choices.

    Li Qinyue’s brows furrowed slightly, but the corners of her lips were still upturned. After a while, she said, “Okay.”

    Zhuo Zhi smiled, “Don’t bully me on purpose, Sister.”

    Li Qinyue leaned back on the sofa, looking very happy, “I won’t bully you, I wouldn’t even have the heart to.”

    Zhuo Zhi stood up, “Then, good night, Sister.”

    “Wait a minute,” Li Qinyue said, “I won’t bully you, but you can’t ruin things for me. When we’re in front of others, we need to act accordingly.”

    “I understand,” Zhuo Zhi clenched her fist, “I’ll do my best.”

    “Without even having a crush, do you know what you’re striving for?” Li Qinyue asked with a smile.

    Zhuo Zhi thought for a moment, she had a point. But this problem couldn’t be solved. She lacked experience, and there was nothing she could do about it. So, she could only reiterate her determination, “I’ll do my best!”

    “Oh,” Li Qinyue bent down and picked up the cigarette butt from the ashtray, “I’m going to have another cigarette.”

    “Hehe,” Zhuo Zhi chuckled, “I won’t stop you!”

    “Tsk, tsk,” Li Qinyue glanced at her fingers, “So all your concern was fake after all. Get lost.”

    Zhuo Zhi didn’t dare to linger and quickly left.

    As soon as the door closed, Li Qinyue paused in her motion to pick up a cigarette and sank back onto the sofa.

    Her nicotine addiction wasn’t severe, but it was a necessity when she was bored or frustrated.

    Now, having successfully tricked the little fool, she was in a good mood and didn’t need to smoke.

    Besides, there would be plenty of opportunities to smoke in the future when necessary, and then she could use it as a bargaining chip with the little fool.

    Heh, Li Qinyue thought to herself, bad habits are best saved for a rainy day.

    She picked up her phone again, but didn’t feel like playing any games.

    The little fool had no dating experience, and neither did she, Li Qinyue, despite her age.

    Especially since she had promised not to bully her on purpose, how could she tease her unintentionally? How could she tease her in a way that was both innocent and fun?

    Li Qinyue shook her head. This was as difficult as an elementary school math problem.

    Early the next morning, Li Qinyue got out of bed.

    She hummed as she went into the bathroom. After showering, she spent a long time choosing a perfume. It was natural and light, a scent that a little monkey like Zhuo Zhi, who grew up in the mountains, would probably like.

    The little monkey had gone for her morning run as usual. By the time Li Qinyue came out of her bedroom, the little monkey had just finished her run and entered the house.

    Li Qinyue walked to the top of the stairs and leaned on the railing, looking at her, “I’m hungry.”

    The little monkey looked up, her face full of surprise, “You’re up so early! Do you want soy milk? I soaked soybeans last night.”

    “Yes, please,” Li Qinyue smiled gently.

    “Wait for me to change, I’ll be right down,” Zhuo Zhi took large strides up the stairs, hopping as she went.

    As she passed Li Qinyue, Li Qinyue said, “Wow, you’re sweating.”

    Zhuo Zhi brushed her clothes, “I ran a little far.”

    “Your waist is so small,” Li Qinyue’s smile was suggestive.

    “Yours is even smaller,” Zhuo Zhi complimented her sincerely.

    Li Qinyue raised an eyebrow and waved her hand, “Go on, go on, we have important things to do today.”

    Hearing about “important things” made Zhuo Zhi nervous. She hurriedly turned back and asked, “Where are we going? What are we doing?”

    “Going to work, it’s Monday today.”

    “Ah…” Zhuo Zhi sighed.

    “What? Do you think I can live this comfortably without working?”

    Zhuo Zhi really thought so, but she didn’t dare to say it. She smiled and ran upstairs, “I’ll be ready soon.”

    Zhuo Zhi was quick and efficient. A simple breakfast took her no more than ten minutes to prepare.

    After finishing their meal, they got ready and went out. The car from the villa complex was waiting for them.

    The last time they took this car, Li Qinyue had taken Zhuo Zhi bungee jumping. Zhuo Zhi’s nerves tightened slightly, and she asked Li Qinyue cautiously, “President Li, are we going up the mountain?”

    “No, we’re going down,” Li Qinyue beckoned to her, “Come here.”

    Zhuo Zhi breathed a sigh of relief and went to the back seat as Li Qinyue had summoned.

    The mountain road was quiet, and the car was also silent. Li Qinyue occasionally checked her phone, her expression relaxed, seemingly normal.

    Zhuo Zhi was a little happy. She felt that after they had reached an agreement last night, Li Qinyue had become much calmer. This was great.

    When the car reached the foot of the mountain, the driver stopped. Li Qinyue asked Zhuo Zhi, “Do you have any change?”

    “Yes,” Zhuo Zhi responded quickly, immediately taking out her wallet.

    Li Qinyue peeked into her wallet, “Wow, that’s quite a lot. Not many people carry so much cash these days.”

    “I’m not very used to online payments,” Zhuo Zhi said a little sheepishly.

    “It’s fine,” Li Qinyue was unusually tolerant and generous today, “Tell me if you need to buy anything online, I love online shopping.”

    “To satisfy your shopping addiction?” Zhuo Zhi chuckled.

    Li Qinyue started walking, “That’s right.”

    Zhuo Zhi followed, “Is your company nearby, Sister?”

    “Of course not,” Li Qinyue looked around, spotted her target, and quickened her pace, “My company is in the busiest commercial district.”

    “Then…”

    Just as Zhuo Zhi was about to ask if they should take a taxi, Li Qinyue suddenly raised her hand and said, “Is that bus number 121?”

    “Huh?” Zhuo Zhi looked over. A bus had just turned the corner at the intersection. Her eyesight was good, “Yes, it is.”

    “Is that the bus stop?” Li Qinyue pointed with her finger and asked.

    Zhuo Zhi nodded, “Yes, it’s rush hour, at this time…”

    Li Qinyue suddenly grabbed her hand, “Run!!!”

    It was a smoggy winter day. Cars were flowing through the city, the bus stop was crowded, and young people were rushing to catch their buses.

    This was an ordinary scene, but Zhuo Zhi, being dragged along, didn’t dare to hope for such normalcy.

    The wind blew Li Qinyue’s long hair, brushing against Zhuo Zhi’s face, soft and fragrant. Her heart pounded, her footsteps unsteady. She called out anxiously, “Sister, are you taking the bus?!”

    “Yes!” Li Qinyue’s voice was full of energy, loud and clear in the wind.

    “Are you really taking the bus?!” Zhuo Zhi couldn’t believe it.

    “Yes!” Li Qinyue answered again, the bus stop just ahead.

    “Are you only taking the bus?!” Zhuo Zhi’s mind raced.

    “Yes!” Li Qinyue suddenly stopped, “It’s coming, it’s coming!!!”

    Bus number 121 was indeed approaching. Before it even stopped, a crowd had already surged forward.

    Anyone who had lived in Nanhai City for a while knew that this was one of the most crowded bus routes. Men and women, young and old, all experienced in this battle, their brows furrowed, their expressions serious, ready to charge.

    Only Li Qinyue, holding Zhuo Zhi’s hand, stood outside the crowd, bouncing excitedly, “Wow! So many people!”

    “Yes, Sister, where are you going? We can take another…”

    “No, no, no, wow, will it be very crowded?”

    “Yes, if you’re not in a hurry…”

    “I’m in a hurry, very much in a hurry. It’s here, it’s here, it’s here, ah, there are already so many people inside!”

    “President Li, are you trying to experience the life of an ordinary person?” Zhuo Zhi could only find this explanation.

    “No, this is how I usually go to work,” Li Qinyue lied without batting an eyelid.

    “We’ll be squeezed into pancakes,” Zhuo Zhi seized the last opportunity to persuade her.

    “Wow!”

    “There’s not even any space to breathe, all you can smell is other people’s body odor.”

    “Wow!”

    “We’ll be pressed against the doors, and strangers will be touching us.”

    “Wow!” Li Qinyue finally looked away from the crowd. She turned to Zhuo Zhi, her eyes shining, “And you’ll protect me, right?”

    Zhuo Zhi paused and answered with certainty, “Yes.”

    “Then what am I afraid of?” Li Qinyue tightened her grip on Zhuo Zhi’s hand, “Charge!!!”

  • Little Bodyguard(GL) 21

    Chapter 21

    Throughout the rest of their shopping trip, Li Qinyue couldn’t get Zhuo Zhi to hold her hand again.

    If it was just a casual swing at their sides, it was fine, but as soon as Li Qinyue tried to lift their joined hands, Zhuo Zhi’s hand became as heavy as a thousand pounds, completely immobile.

    Miss Li tried several times before finally giving up.

    The playful Zhuo Zhi had transformed into a stiff plaster statue, only responding to questions with “uh-huh” and “mm-hmm.” Li Qinyue watched couples passing by, laughing and happy, and felt a pang of frustration.

    Before they even finished exploring the first floor of the mall, Li Qinyue let go of Zhuo Zhi’s hand and said, “This is boring, let’s go back.”

    Zhuo Zhi followed behind her, half a step to the side, looking dutiful.

    When the car arrived, Zhuo Zhi jumped into the passenger seat before Li Qinyue could even gesture, quickly fastening her seatbelt.

    Li Qinyue bent down to get into the back seat, feeling incredibly frustrated.

    Neither of them spoke during the ride back.

    Back at the villa, as soon as the door closed, Li Qinyue blocked Zhuo Zhi at the entrance, slowly changing her shoes.

    Zhuo Zhi stood a meter away, staring at her toes.

    “I want to sing you a song,” Li Qinyue said suddenly.

    “Huh?” Zhuo Zhi was surprised and finally looked up at her.

    “The little monk goes down the mountain for alms, the old monk instructs, women in the city are tigers, avoid them at all costs~~~” Li Qinyue finished singing and tilted her head.

    This kind of expression was rare on Li Qinyue’s face, a helpless yet cute pout.

    Zhuo Zhi paused and said, “You’re not a tiger.”

    “Then what am I?”

    Zhuo Zhi’s eyes flickered, “A fox.”

    “A fox spirit?” Li Qinyue raised an eyebrow.

    Zhuo Zhi pursed her lips and didn’t answer.

    “Tsk…” Li Qinyue shook her head, “You see what’s in your heart.”

    Zhuo Zhi lowered her head again, fiddling with her clothes.

    Li Qinyue finally finished changing her shoes and stepped aside, “Alright, go do whatever you need to do.”

    Zhuo Zhi nodded at her and hurried inside.

    It was still early for Li Qinyue to go to bed.

    After taking a bath and applying lotion, Li Qinyue lay on the sofa, playing two rounds of games.

    To her surprise, as she was about to start the third round, someone knocked on her door.

    “Zhuo Zhi?” Li Qinyue called out.

    “Yes, it’s me,” Zhuo Zhi’s voice came from behind the door.

    Li Qinyue’s heart skipped a beat. She threw down her phone and sat up, then paused, lay down again, adjusted her clothes, and picked up her phone.

    This time, however, her posture was more alluring, her hips and waist accentuated, her robe slightly open, casual yet subtly seductive.

    Li Qinyue stared at her phone screen, exiting the noisy battle game and opening a cute pet puzzle game.

    “Come in,” she said flatly.

    Zhuo Zhi pushed open the door and stopped three to four meters away from Li Qinyue.

    Li Qinyue’s fingers were busy swiping on her phone. She glanced at Zhuo Zhi and asked, “What’s up?”

    Zhuo Zhi was holding a piece of paper, half a page filled with writing, “President Li, there are some things I want to discuss with you.”

    “Okay, go ahead,” Li Qinyue continued to focus on her game.

    Zhuo Zhi waited for half a minute. Seeing that Li Qinyue had no intention of stopping, she moved a little closer, “It’s about work.”

    “I’m listening,” Li Qinyue’s voice was light.

    “It’s really about work,” Zhuo Zhi emphasized.

    Li Qinyue turned her head and shouted at her, “I said I’m listening!”

    Zhuo Zhi took half a step back, her heart pounding. It had been a while since Li Qinyue had yelled at her like this, she had almost forgotten.

    “Speak!” Li Qinyue threw her phone aside, pushed herself up, and sat up straight on the sofa, “Speak! What national affairs do you have to discuss with me?! I, Li Qinyue, am sitting here, all ears!”

    “It’s… not that big of a deal…” Zhuo Zhi mumbled.

    Li Qinyue looked at her, her eyes full of threat.

    Zhuo Zhi quickly took a step forward and slapped the paper on the table, “I, I’ve listed everything.”

    After slapping the paper down, she took a step back and stood further away. Li Qinyue glanced at the paper but didn’t actually read it. She glared at Zhuo Zhi and said, “Am I going to eat you alive?”

    “No,” Zhuo Zhi fidgeted with her fingers.

    Li Qinyue’s gaze fell on her hands, and she suddenly laughed, “You know, I actually could eat you alive.”

    Zhuo Zhi quickly hid her hands behind her back, clenching them together tightly.

    “Just say it, I’m too lazy to read,” Li Qinyue leaned back on the sofa, raising her chin, her tone brooking no argument.

    “Okay,” Zhuo Zhi organized her thoughts, “The first thing is, Lingzi transferred the bonus from today’s match to my bank account. Could you give me your account number so I can transfer it to you?”

    “Hmm?” Li Qinyue frowned, “Are we rigging the game?”

    “No, no, no, I just feel that I shouldn’t take this money, it’s not appropriate.”

    “What’s not appropriate? The rules were set, no matter who wins, the money isn’t mine anymore,” Li Qinyue reached for a cigarette and lit it, “You won it fair and square, keep it without any worries.”

    “It’s too much,” Zhuo Zhi said.

    “Didn’t you tell Lingzi that you were competing for the bonus? What? Now you think it’s too much?”

    “I wasn’t competing for the bonus,” Zhuo Zhi paused, wanting to look away, but she forced herself to meet Li Qinyue’s gaze to show her sincerity.

    Li Qinyue raised an eyebrow. As usual, she would get to the bottom of this, “Then what were you competing for?”

    Zhuo Zhi, as always, tried to avoid saying those words, “You know.”

    “I don’t know,” Li Qinyue exhaled a puff of smoke, her eyes hidden behind the smoke, like a true fox.

    Zhuo Zhi sighed inwardly. She couldn’t avoid it, so she had to say it directly, “To stop you from ruining yourself.”

    The air fell silent for a moment, and then Li Qinyue choked on the smoke, the spicy taste filling her nose, and she started coughing violently.

    Zhuo Zhi finally rushed to her side, looking at her helplessly, “What’s wrong, what’s wrong? Do you need water? Do you need me to pat your back? Did you choke? How can you choke on smoke? I told you smoking is bad for your health, stop smoking…”

    As she spoke, she took the cigarette from Li Qinyue’s hand and put it out in the ashtray. With her other hand, she patted Li Qinyue’s back, just like she was dealing with a toothless old lady who was choking.

    Li Qinyue’s throat and nose were burning, and her back felt like it was on fire from Zhuo Zhi’s vigorous patting. Unable to speak, she could only pinch Zhuo Zhi’s arm hard.

    “Ah!” Zhuo Zhi cried out.

    Li Qinyue glared at her. Zhuo Zhi looked at her fierce eyes, which were now watery, her heart softening. She stretched out her arm in front of Li Qinyue.

    “If you’re really uncomfortable, you can bite me!” Zhuo Zhi declared, sounding like a hero sacrificing herself.

    Li Qinyue’s coughing subsided, and she was amused by Zhuo Zhi’s words again.

    Her body was shaking from the coughing fit, feeling like she was having a seizure.

    Zhuo Zhi was truly worried. She took out her phone, ready to call for help, but Li Qinyue swatted her brick phone away, “I’m fine.”

    Her voice was a little hoarse.

    “Oh, okay, okay,” Zhuo Zhi let go of her, “I’ll get you a glass of water.”

    She dashed to the water dispenser and quickly brought a glass of water to Li Qinyue, who finished it in one gulp, finally calming down.

    Zhuo Zhi squatted beside her, looking up at her worriedly, “Are you alright now?”

    Li Qinyue looked into her bright, innocent eyes and sighed, “I’m fine.”

    “Don’t…”

    “Don’t tell me to stop smoking!” Li Qinyue interjected, “Was that because of the cigarette?! What ancient dictionary did you dig that phrase ‘ruining yourself’ out of? Hmm?? Am I the kind of person who ruins herself?! No! … Am I acting in some Republican-era melodrama?!”

    Zhuo Zhi’s lips moved, “Oh.”

    Li Qinyue poked her forehead, “You’re truly a hopeless, stubborn, ancient relic of feudalism…”

    “Oh,” Zhuo Zhi smiled.

    “You’re still smiling?” Li Qinyue pinched her cheek, “Little monk, listen carefully, as long as it’s consensual, it’s my freedom who I sleep with.”

    “Not with married people,” Zhuo Zhi immediately said, “And not with people who are already in a relationship.”

    “Damn it,” Li Qinyue let go of her cheek and slapped her head, “When have I ever been a mistress?! Are you married? Are you in a relationship?!”

    Zhuo Zhi’s cheeks flushed, unsure if it was from the pinching or from embarrassment at talking about such a topic, “That’s the third thing I wanted to talk about today.”

    Li Qinyue was so exasperated that she didn’t even have the energy to tease anymore. She grabbed a pillow, hugged it, and leaned back on the sofa, “Okay, okay, okay, tell me your one, two, three, let’s get this over with, quickly!”

    “Okay,” Zhuo Zhi remained in the same position, squatting beside the sofa and looking up at her, “The second thing is about my salary, how often it’s paid, when it’s paid, whether there are attendance and performance requirements, how to handle leave and absence, and the compensation standards for accidents…”

    Li Qinyue raised her hand to stop her from rambling on, “As far as your work as a bodyguard is concerned, I’m satisfied. So, the salary stated in the contract your master signed won’t be shortchanged. The company will process it, I’ll give you a number later, you can discuss the details with HR(human resources).”

    “Great!” Zhuo Zhi was happy.

    “Also,” Li Qinyue looked at her, “I’ll pay you an extra salary.”

    “Huh?” Zhuo Zhi’s eyes widened.

    Li Qinyue patted the pillow in her arms, “For being my girlfriend.”

    “Fake girlfriend,” Zhuo Zhi emphasized.

    “Fake girlfriend!” Li Qinyue threw the pillow at Zhuo Zhi’s head with a “thump”.

    Zhuo Zhi rubbed her head and chuckled, “The third thing is about this. How long will this fake girlfriend relationship last, in what situations will we need to act like a couple, what level of intimacy is acceptable, can we make requests of each other as a couple during this fake relationship, can we reject each other’s requests, are our rights in this regard equal…”

    The pillow flew towards Zhuo Zhi’s head again. Li Qinyue said as she hit her, “I didn’t realize you were so shrewd. I thought you were innocent, naive, and pure…”

    “Sister, Sister,” Zhuo Zhi raised her hand to catch the pillow, her face still flushed, “Sometimes I’m just inexperienced and a little slow to react, but when it comes to serious matters, I’m quite clear-headed. We’re not blood-related, so we need to be clear about money matters. I’m not some innocent flower.”

    “Okay, “brother”,” Li Qinyue stopped, “I demand that during this fake relationship, intimate acts like holding hands, which are no big deal, are allowed, freely allowed!”

    “It’s… not no big deal…” Zhuo Zhi’s blush deepened, and her eyes were teary, “This is… quite serious…”

    “The extra salary will be double your bodyguard salary,” Li Qinyue said.

    “This is really… quite serious…”

    “Triple.”

    “Sister Qinyue, this isn’t about money…”

    “Quadruple.”

    “…it’s about…”

    “Ten times!” Li Qinyue shouted.

    “Still no!” Zhuo Zhi’s face was so red it could bleed, “No amount of money is enough!”

    “What kind of stone did you crawl out from?!” Li Qinyue couldn’t help but want to knock her head again.

    Zhuo Zhi held her head high, not dodging or flinching, looking like she was willing to take the hit.

    Li Qinyue’s outstretched hand paused. A light bulb went off in her head, “Didn’t you just say that both parties have equal rights in this fake relationship?”

    “Yes, but I won’t ask to kiss…”

    Li Qinyue leaned forward, her finger landing on Zhuo Zhi’s lips. She smiled and said, “Kissed.”

    “You’re cheating,” Zhuo Zhi mumbled, feeling pressured.

    Li Qinyue moved her finger away and tilted her head, “Okay, I won’t cheat. If you let me kiss your finger, I won’t smoke. If you let me kiss your lips, I won’t swear. How about that?”

    Zhuo Zhi froze, her face as red as a cooked shrimp, “What if I ask you not to do anything dangerous?”

    “Then the price will be high,” Li Qinyue blinked, “You’ll have to let me do intimate things with you.”

  • Little Bodyguard(GL) 20

    Chapter 20

    Zhuo Zhi froze, her mind a jumble of colors and blankness.

    Only her lips moved, uttering a question that sounded almost like a murmur, “Be… what…”

    Li Qinyue chuckled for a while before repeating, “Girlfriend.”

    Zhuo Zhi remained motionless, this time not even her lips moved.

    Li Qinyue waved her hand in front of Zhuo Zhi’s face, “Not the ‘friend’ kind of friend, the ‘girl’ kind of girlfriend.”

    Zhuo Zhi wanted to tell her that there was no need to explain further. After all these days of training, she wouldn’t misunderstand anymore.

    Li Qinyue just wanted to be in a relationship, no matter what, no matter with whom, she just wanted to be in one.

    Before, Li Qinyue was dissatisfied with this and that. Now the problem had landed on her, Zhuo Zhi.

    Zhuo Zhi wished she could turn into a statue. This was the most difficult question she had ever encountered in her eighteen years and three months of life.

    But the waiter started serving the dishes. Li Qinyue leaned back in her chair, her posture languid and elegant, not a hint of nervousness.

    Zhuo Zhi, on the other hand, shifted back stiffly, scraping her chair against the floor again, her gaze fixed blankly on the candle holder on the table.

    The waiter was handsome with a pleasant voice. He announced the dishes and told them to enjoy their meal.

    Zhuo Zhi really wanted to ask him to wait, repeat the names of the dishes again, or perhaps perform some kind of noodle-pulling show. Ideally, like in those famous hotpot restaurants, there would be three or four waiters hovering around their table, providing endless chatter and service.

    “Here,” Li Qinyue picked up her knife and fork, carefully cutting the meat, “Let’s eat first.”

    “Yes, yes,” Zhuo Zhi responded, but she only held the cutlery in her hand, her body still frozen.

    Li Qinyue cut the meat on her plate into even pieces and placed it beside Zhuo Zhi’s plate, swapping theirs.

    Zhuo Zhi looked down at the beautifully arranged plate, scenes from old TV dramas flashing through her mind.

    “I know how to use a knife and fork,” Zhuo Zhi murmured, “I’ve eaten Western food before.”

    “I didn’t say you didn’t know how to,” Li Qinyue smiled at her, “I’m afraid you’ll get tired.”

    Zhuo Zhi felt like she was seeing a ghost. Someone who would rather throw away her dishes than wash them, someone who would toss aside documents without bothering to organize them, was actually concerned about her getting tired?

    Zhuo Zhi’s gaze was too direct. Li Qinyue picked up her wine glass and raised it towards her, “This is the treatment you get as a girlfriend.”

    Zhuo Zhi twitched the corner of her mouth, forcing a smile.

    “Cheers,” Li Qinyue said.

    Zhuo Zhi picked up her glass, hesitating.

    “Just a toast,” Li Qinyue said helplessly, “It’s not like we’ll become a married couple after this drink.”

    “Oh, okay,” Zhuo Zhi clinked glasses with her.

    Li Qinyue took a big gulp of wine, frowned, and sighed.

    “Sigh…”

    “Sister,” Zhuo Zhi hurriedly said, “That’s not what I meant, I just feel…”

    “Fake,” Li Qinyue said.

    “?!” Zhuo Zhi’s face was full of question marks.

    “Fake girlfriend,” Li Qinyue explained, “Pretend to be my girlfriend on necessary occasions, be my shield, that’s all. Look how scared you are.”

    Zhuo Zhi couldn’t help but let out a long sigh of relief.

    Li Qinyue forked a piece of meat into her mouth, chewing and looking at Zhuo Zhi, her expression a bit resentful.

    Zhuo Zhi chuckled, finally feeling the muscles in her face relax. She said, “Sister, don’t misunderstand.”

    “Did I misunderstand anything?” Li Qinyue said, “Aren’t you just disgusted by me?”

    “I’m not disgusted by you,” Zhuo Zhi paused, “It’s just that you’re so sudden, too sudden.”

    “Oh, then take your time to get used to it,” Li Qinyue took another bite of meat, chewing slowly.

    Finally able to eat, Zhuo Zhi, although she had only fought one match, her muscles had been tense from observing the situation in the cage from the beginning. Her last opponent was indeed very skilled, and in the end, Li Qinyue’s actions had almost stopped her heart. So now, the hand holding her fork was actually trembling.

    Li Qinyue glanced at her, “Just tell me, did I cut the meat well for you?”

    “Yes,” Zhuo Zhi quickly said.

    Li Qinyue smiled, “Just tell me, is it good to have me as your girlfriend?”

    Zhuo Zhi’s face had already turned as red as a cooked shrimp. After a while, she said, “Yes.”

    Their dinner lasted quite a while. Li Qinyue slowly ate her dessert, occasionally staring out the window in a daze, until night fell.

    She tilted her chin towards the window and said, “Do you know why I brought you here for dinner?”

    Zhuo Zhi looked out. The city lights of Nanhai City had lit up, indeed much more beautiful than the scenery during the day. So she said, “Because the night view here is very beautiful.”

    Li Qinyue smiled and looked at her, “Can you see the stars at night on your mountain?”

    “When the weather is good,” Zhuo Zhi said, “Actually, you can see them from the villa complex too.”

    “It’s not the same, the moon always looks brighter in your hometown,” Li Qinyue asked, “Are the stars more beautiful, or are the city lights more beautiful?”

    “Both have their own beauty,” Zhuo Zhi answered sincerely.

    “You always answer sincerely without any bias,” Li Qinyue sighed, then suddenly changed the topic, “In the future, if Aijia asks you who’s more beautiful, her or me, what will you answer?”

    “Should I be your shield in front of her?” Zhuo Zhi asked.

    “Yes,” Li Qinyue suddenly felt a little pathetic.

    “She’s beautiful, but my eyes are only for you,” Zhuo Zhi said.

    “Tsk,” Li Qinyue sighed and took out her phone from her bag.

    “Alright, let’s go back,” she said, looking at the time.

    They left the restaurant and went downstairs. Lingzi was waiting by the car.

    Seeing them approach, he opened the car door, being very polite to both Li Qinyue and Zhuo Zhi.

    There was no driver this time. Lingzi was driving himself. He asked Li Qinyue, “Sister Yue, going to ‘Shengge’?”

    “No, back to the villa complex,” Li Qinyue said.

    “It’s still early,” Lingzi glanced at Zhuo Zhi through the rearview mirror, “Master Little Sister, you won a big victory today, shouldn’t we celebrate?”

    “Ah…” Of course, Zhuo Zhi didn’t want to celebrate, but refusing in front of Lingzi, who knew about the situation, would seem like she was in a hurry to go home to do something. Zhuo Zhi hesitated for two seconds.

    Li Qinyue looked at her, “Do you want to go have fun?”

    “Not really,” Zhuo Zhi didn’t know what to say. For her, going to a bar was really boring.

    Li Qinyue suddenly smiled and said to Lingzi, “Drive us to San Yi Road, then you can go home.”

    “Not taking me to play?” Lingzi looked unhappy.

    “I’ll take you next time,” Li Qinyue glanced at Zhuo Zhi, “Today is our time together.”

    Lingzi’s eyes widened. Zhuo Zhi’s face flushed, and she looked at Li Qinyue, wondering if the pretending to be a couple act was starting now.

    However, Li Qinyue didn’t say anything more. She leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes to rest.

    Lingzi was sensible and drove quietly without speaking. Zhuo Zhi stared ahead for a while, then glanced at Li Qinyue from the side. She had a feeling that from now on, her heart would never be at ease again.

    The car stopped on San Yi Road. This was the shopping center of Nanhai City, never lacking in people.

    Even on a winter night, the streets were crowded. Zhuo Zhi thought for a moment and realized it was Saturday.

    “Are you going shopping, Sister?” Zhuo Zhi asked.

    “We can shop or not,” Li Qinyue replied.

    “Are you meeting someone?”

    “I’ll meet them if I want to, I won’t if I don’t want to.”

    Zhuo Zhi was a little confused, following Li Qinyue, “What are we doing here, Sister?”

    “I never saw you ask me where I was going or what I was doing before,” Li Qinyue looked at her, “Why are you asking today?”

    “It’s different today.”

    “How is it different?” Li Qinyue stopped and looked down at her, smiling.

    Zhuo Zhi paused, unable to speak.

    “Don’t be shy,” Li Qinyue suddenly reached out and pinched her cheek, “Today, you’re my girlfriend.”

    “Fake,” Zhuo Zhi emphasized.

    “Pretend it’s real,” Li Qinyue said.

    “There’s no one we know here,” Zhuo Zhi looked around defensively.

    Li Qinyue didn’t let go of her hand, stretching her soft cheek like a monkey’s.

    “Little monkey,” she said, “You have to practice, otherwise we’ll be exposed when we meet someone, wouldn’t that be troublesome?”

    “What will happen if we’re exposed?” Zhuo Zhi asked about the worst-case scenario.

    Li Qinyue looked at her seriously, “I’ll have to marry scum like Zhang Xitan.”

    “After what happened to him, Grandpa Li wouldn’t introduce him to you anymore, right?” Zhuo Zhi frowned.

    “If it doesn’t become public, my father and grandfather can still introduce me to many, many people,” Li Qinyue looked at her, “You’ll understand when I take you to meet them one day.”

    Zhuo Zhi didn’t speak, she just nodded.

    Li Qinyue finally let go of her hand but didn’t leave Zhuo Zhi’s side.

    Her hand slid down Zhuo Zhi’s shoulder, brushed against her arm, and landed beside her hand.

    “First,” Li Qinyue opened her palm, waiting for Zhuo Zhi, “When couples go shopping, you have to hold my hand.”

    Zhuo Zhi’s anxiety bubbled up like a fish blowing bubbles in water.

    She rubbed her hands against her clothes before tentatively reaching out, “I sweat easily when I’m hot.”

    “I don’t mind,” Li Qinyue squeezed her hand tightly and started walking, pulling her fake girlfriend along aimlessly.

    Zhuo Zhi looked around. There were many pairs of girlfriends on the street, holding hands and even wearing matching outfits.

    She and Li Qinyue weren’t strange, they didn’t attract any odd looks. It was just that Li Qinyue was so beautiful that people couldn’t help but glance at them.

    Zhuo Zhi walked beside her, feeling proud, yet also feeling like a green leaf, a little ashamed.

    At the edge of the road, the traffic light turned red, and people started gathering at both ends of the crosswalk, facing the flow of cars.

    Across from Li Qinyue and Zhuo Zhi was a couple. The girl was holding an ice cream cone, probably cold, barely taking two bites and just rubbing her hands. The boy quickly took the ice cream from her, held her hand, and put it in his pocket.

    Li Qinyue looked thoughtful. She pulled Zhuo Zhi’s hand and asked, “Why did you say you sweat easily when you’re hot, in the middle of winter?”

    Zhuo Zhi was stunned, “I, I just have this kind of constitution.”

    “A constitution that makes you sweat all the time?” Li Qinyue looked at her sideways.

    “I sweat easily when I exercise or when I’m nervous…” Zhuo Zhi stopped.

    Li Qinyue’s eyes curved into a smile like a fox’s, “You’re nervous holding my hand?”

    “Oh,” Zhuo Zhi didn’t deny it, “I’ve never held hands with a friend while shopping.”

    “A friend…” Li Qinyue frowned in dissatisfaction, “Then we made a mistake.”

    Before Zhuo Zhi could react, Li Qinyue suddenly raised her hand and brought it to her lips, her lips gently brushing against Zhuo Zhi’s fingertips, a gentle kiss.

    “Has a friend ever kissed your fingertips?” Li Qinyue asked softly, her lips curving into a smile.

  • Little Bodyguard(GL) 19

    Chapter 19

    The match between Zhuo Zhi and Green Headband didn’t end with anyone being brutally defeated.

    After receiving several consecutive punches, the atmosphere in the arena reached a fever pitch. Green Headband raised his hand, signaling defeat.

    Zhuo Zhi stopped and looked at him questioningly.

    Green Headband smiled and said, “I’ve been keeping score, I can’t beat you.”

    Zhuo Zhi didn’t understand the rules he was referring to. She said in a low voice, “We haven’t determined a winner yet.”

    Green Headband moved his arms, “I’m tired.”

    The referee stepped forward and grabbed Zhuo Zhi’s hand, raising it high.

    The crowd went wild. Lingzi jumped onto the stage and ran around Zhuo Zhi twice. He was so excited that, if not for their difference in gender, he would probably have hugged and kissed her.

    “You’re so amazing, so cool, so cool…” Lingzi repeated, reaching out to massage Zhuo Zhi’s shoulders.

    Zhuo Zhi blocked his hand, “No need, no need, thank you, thank you.”

    She looked up at the crowd below and said, “There’s still one more person.”

    Someone shouted from below, “I forfeit, I forfeit, it’s too embarrassing to lose to a little girl.”

    The crowd burst into laughter. Zhuo Zhi smiled, satisfied with the result, and bowed, saying, “You’re too kind!”

    Lingzi: “So cool, so cool, Master, Master, who is your master?”

    Zhuo Zhi looked around but couldn’t find the person she was looking for. She turned to Lingzi and asked, “Where’s President Li?”

    Lingzi scanned the area, “Eh? She was just here.”

    Zhuo Zhi quickly stepped off the stage, ignoring the compliments and attempts to strike up a conversation, and walked towards the exit.

    Leaving the dark environment of the cage, the bright lights felt warm and welcoming.

    Zhuo Zhi still couldn’t find Li Qinyue. As she lowered her head to take out her phone, she realized she had left her jacket by the cage.

    So, she hurried back, put on her jacket despite her sweat-soaked clothes, and dialed Li Qinyue’s number as she walked out.

    No one answered, but Lingzi quickly caught up, sticking close to her.

    Zhuo Zhi dialed the number repeatedly, her brows furrowing. She turned to Lingzi and said, “Why are you following me?”

    “To take you to claim your prize,” Lingzi said.

    “I don’t want it,” Zhuo Zhi said without hesitation.

    “What’s going on?!” Lingzi looked confused, “It’s 200,000 yuan!”

    “I don’t want it!” Zhuo Zhi said anxiously.

    “Tsk,” Lingzi said, “You don’t want President Li either?”

    “Huh?” Zhuo Zhi stopped and looked at him.

    “President Li asked me to take you to shower and change,” Lingzi said, “She’s waiting for you at the rooftop restaurant.”

    Zhuo Zhi’s eyes widened. She hadn’t expected the “dinner” to come so soon.

    “What are you waiting for?” Lingzi tugged at her sleeve, leading her in another direction, “Although you and President Li are close, we still need to give you the prize, otherwise our boxing gym will lose credibility.”

    Close… Zhuo Zhi looked at Lingzi, wondering if he had misunderstood her relationship with Li Qinyue.

    But even if he had, there was no point in explaining it now. After all, the “dinner” was waiting for her, and even if it wasn’t happening now, it would happen later.

    Thinking about this, her face flushed, and sweat trickled down her forehead, making her feel itchy and uncomfortable.

    Lingzi led her all the way to the women’s bathroom and then let go of her hand.

    Zhuo Zhi stood at the door, hesitating. Lingzi smiled and said, “There are no tigers inside. I can’t take you into the women’s bathroom, I’d be beaten to death.”

    “Hmm.” Zhuo Zhi responded, her mind racing. Only now did she realize that it would be very difficult to avoid Li Qinyue’s “dinner”.

    She couldn’t directly refuse or run away, that would cost her her job and make Li Qinyue sad.

    But what excuse could she use? I fell in the bathroom and broke my leg?

    Even a broken leg wouldn’t stop that… Speaking of which, how do girls… do it…

    “Hey, hey…” Lingzi waved his hand in front of Zhuo Zhi’s face, “Master, are you in a trance? President Li is waiting for you at the restaurant.”

    Mentioning Li Qinyue at this moment was like setting Zhuo Zhi’s pants on fire. She jumped back, her cheeks burning, “No, no, no…”

    “What’s wrong?” Lingzi stared at her.

    “No… change of clothes,” Zhuo Zhi thought she was so smart.

    “I have them here, prepared for you,” Lingzi pointed at Zhuo Zhi’s hand, “In the locker I just gave you.”

    “Hmm? Why are there clothes there?” Zhuo Zhi tried to change the subject.

    “President Li prepared them for you.”

    “Where did she get them?”

    “She bought them. There’s a whole wall of clothes in the gym, didn’t you see it?”

    “Oh, what a waste,” Zhuo Zhi stared at her toes, “There was no need…”

    Lingzi suddenly said, “What are you afraid of?”

    “Huh???” Zhuo Zhi’s eyes widened.

    “You’ve been stalling,” Lingzi was straightforward. He leaned closer to Zhuo Zhi and winked, “Are you afraid of claiming the prize and making Sister Yue angry?”

    “Uh, uh…” Zhuo Zhi didn’t know how to respond.

    “Don’t worry, it’s fine,” Lingzi patted Zhuo Zhi’s shoulder, “Although Sister Yue has a bit of a temper and can be a bit cold, she’s actually a good person, very generous, very rich, she doesn’t care about these things. Besides, I don’t think there’s anyone here today that Sister Yue fancies, so you don’t have to worry about the dinner…”

    Ah… there was that aspect too.

    The more Zhuo Zhi thought about it, the more scared she became. Li Qinyue, as an adult, had been thinking about dating lately. She had wanted to date a girl before, but Zhuo Zhi seemed to have interrupted her?

    Today, she wanted to date a boy, but Zhuo Zhi seemed to have interrupted her again?

    Lingzi was still talking about Li Qinyue, but Zhuo Zhi wanted to run away. She rushed into the bathroom, “I, I’m going to shower…”

    The bathroom in the boxing gym was quite spacious, finally separating her from everything related to Li Qinyue.

    Zhuo Zhi breathed a sigh of relief, went to the locker to put her clothes away, and felt soft new clothes. Her heart pounded nervously for a while.

    There were people talking in the corridor behind her. Zhuo Zhi slowly took off her clothes, unintentionally eavesdropping on the conversation.

    A keyword drifted past, and Zhuo Zhi’s eyes lit up. She slapped her thigh hard, “I’ve got it!!!”

    In the rooftop restaurant, Li Qinyue chose the best seat.

    From here, she could see half of Nanhai City.

    Although it was winter and Nanhai City was shrouded in smog, there wasn’t much scenery worth admiring, but this was a special dinner, it needed a romantic atmosphere.

    Li Qinyue stirred her small spoon in the gold-rimmed cup, thinking about Zhuo Zhi’s flustered expression later, and couldn’t help but smile.

    “Dinner” in the adult world could indeed imply something else, but only if both parties were interested in each other.

    Li Qinyue had received many suggestive invitations, but no one had ever truly aroused her interest.

    Except for today.

    Li Qinyue couldn’t explain this feeling. The overwhelming urge made her wonder if her hormones were imbalanced.

    She admitted that she liked Zhuo Zhi. From the moment she first saw her, she had been intensely interested in her. And in their short time together, Zhuo Zhi hadn’t disappointed her, making her interest grow even stronger, even sparking some uncontrollable emotions.

    Anger, frustration, excitement, wild joy.

    Looking back on these past few days, Li Qinyue felt like she was on drugs. If she attributed all of this to liking someone, it seemed appropriate, yet not enough.

    Zhuo Zhi was constantly stimulating her, and Li Qinyue couldn’t push her away.

    She wanted to do many things to this little girl, some thoughts too violent, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

    Zhuo Zhi was wholeheartedly protecting her, her concern pure and genuine. Li Qinyue didn’t want to tarnish such beautiful feelings.

    But without tarnishing them, she felt unsatisfied.

    Her conscience and desires were pulling at her, her rationality and emotions battling each other. Finally, she found a balance.

    Li Qinyue looked up, tidied her hair, took out her phone, and reapplied her lipstick, a beautiful shade. She smiled.

    Zhuo Zhi, wearing new clothes, her hair still damp from the shower, was led to the restaurant entrance by Lingzi.

    “Here, go in,” Lingzi tilted his chin, pointing the way.

    Zhuo Zhi immediately saw Li Qinyue sitting by the window. She was still wearing the same outfit as when they left the house, but she looked even more beautiful now.

    Zhuo Zhi’s face continued to flush. A waiter smiled and came to her side. She couldn’t stall any longer. Closing her eyes, she strode forward.

    She was so nervous that she pulled the chair with a loud scrape as she sat down. Li Qinyue looked at her and smiled.

    “What do you want to eat?” Her fingers tapped on the menu, attracting Zhuo Zhi’s attention.

    “Anything is fine,” Zhuo Zhi said, then felt that it wasn’t a good answer, so she flipped through the menu, “I don’t understand, anything is fine.”

    Li Qinyue rattled off a list of dishes and looked back at Zhuo Zhi, “You have the same taste as me, we both like strong flavors.”

    “Hmm,” Zhuo Zhi didn’t know where to look.

    With the current atmosphere, they could easily linger for another half hour.

    But since Zhuo Zhi already had a solution, she didn’t want to waste any more time. When faced with a challenge, she always faced it head-on.

    So, after the waiter poured her a glass of wine, Zhuo Zhi looked at it and said, “I… that… it’s that time of the month, I can’t drink.”

    Li Qinyue almost burst out laughing, but she held it back, her brows furrowing from the effort.

    This made her look very serious and angry. She said, “What time of the month?”

    Zhuo Zhi hesitated for two seconds, glancing at her timidly, “My period.”

    “Hmm, you can invite it to join us for dinner,” Li Qinyue raised an eyebrow.

    “Not that kind of period, it’s the…” Zhuo Zhi pointed back and forth with her fingers, finally intertwining them and looking at Li Qinyue pitifully, “Sister, you know what I mean, right?”

    “Yes, I know,” Li Qinyue nodded, “You’re really going to great lengths to avoid this benefit that others would fight for.”

    “No, no, no, I…” Zhuo Zhi waved her hands repeatedly, “I, I really… really…”

    Li Qinyue smiled wryly, getting into character, “You just don’t want me, you can just say it.”

    “No, no, no, President Li, you’re great, really great…”

    “What’s so great about me?” Li Qinyue looked up at her.

    “Beautiful, smart, brave, kind.”

    “You’re friend-zoning me,” Li Qinyue sighed, “I, Li Qinyue, have actually been friend-zoned.”

    “That’s not what I meant…” Zhuo Zhi looked like she was about to cry.

    Li Qinyue interrupted her and said, “Do you know that even if you’re on your period, it doesn’t stop us from doing it?”

    “Huh?” Zhuo Zhi was stunned, “It… it doesn’t?”

    Li Qinyue twitched the corner of her mouth, almost losing her composure.

    She lowered her head to hide her expression, a gesture that looked very sad to Zhuo Zhi.

    When she looked up again, Li Qinyue gazed at Zhuo Zhi with a compromising look and said, “It’s okay if we don’t do it. Forcing this kind of thing is illegal.”

    Zhuo Zhi didn’t dare to speak.

    “You have another option,” Li Qinyue leaned forward, closing the distance between them.

    Zhuo Zhi hurriedly leaned forward too, listening intently.

    Li Qinyue said, “Be my girlfriend.”

    After saying that, she couldn’t hold back her laughter anymore.

  • Little Bodyguard(GL) 18

    Chapter 18

    The fighters participating in the cage match today, regardless of their skill level, all possessed exceptional willpower.

    Even when pinned to the ground and relentlessly pummeled, they would struggle to get up, exhausting their last ounce of strength.

    There were no major injuries, but minor ones were constant. The medical staff on the side were kept busy, pouring bottles of iodine solution.

    Half an hour had passed, and the crowd was still hyped. As more people joined the competition, the area around the cage entrance remained packed.

    Li Qinyue found a high platform to sit on. Beside her was a pile of snacks and drinks brought by Lingzi. Li Qinyue ate slowly, watched with amusement, looking utterly relaxed.

    In contrast, Zhuo Zhi, who had been closely following the fight inside the cage, was different. She stared intently, her back hunched forward even while sitting, her elbows resting on her thighs, her hands clasped together so tightly they were almost wringing out water.

    “Here, try these chips,” Li Qinyue offered her a bag of chips, nudging Zhuo Zhi’s arm.

    Without turning her head, Zhuo Zhi reached out, grabbed a chip, and popped it into her mouth.

    “And these cookies,” Li Qinyue offered another bag.

    Zhuo Zhi repeated the same motion, her chewing absentminded.

    “Tsk, you’re not even paying attention to what you’re eating, wasting food,” Li Qinyue sighed, rummaging through the snack bags and pulling out a bag of spicy strips.

    She tore it open and held it near Zhuo Zhi’s face, “Here, open your mouth.”

    Zhuo Zhi finally turned her head slightly, her eyes still glued to the cage, only her mouth reaching out to take the snack. Li Qinyue, being mischievous, deliberately moved the bag a little.

    The spicy strip missed her mouth and landed on Zhuo Zhi’s cheek, leaving a red mark.

    Li Qinyue brought a tissue closer, ready to gently wipe it off, but Zhuo Zhi suddenly raised her sleeve and wiped her face carelessly.

    Her light yellow cotton sweatshirt was now stained with chili oil, making Li Qinyue cringe.

    Li Qinyue stared at the oil stain on her clothes, “You’re not even competing, why are you so nervous?”

    Zhuo Zhi didn’t answer, continuing to stare at the fight.

    Speaking of which, Li Qinyue was a bit annoyed. After she had teased Zhuo Zhi, the little girl had stopped in her tracks as she was about to rush into the cage.

    This decisive hesitation and refusal were within Li Qinyue’s expectations, so she was only a little annoyed.

    Besides, judging by Zhuo Zhi’s current attitude, even if she didn’t compete, she definitely wouldn’t have dinner with the champion afterwards.

    Thinking about this, Li Qinyue felt a sense of satisfaction.

    The feeling of Zhuo Zhi refusing her unreasonable demands yet being unable to leave her alone was quite amusing to Li Qinyue.

    She had been pampered all her life, believing that the higher the pedestal, the harder the fall. But with Zhuo Zhi, she suddenly realized that she was truly being protected and cared for.

    Li Qinyue was getting addicted to this feeling, so she kept pushing the boundaries, just to see Zhuo Zhi’s concern. When she thought about it, she felt both childish and crazy.

    But it was fine. Zhuo Zhi was a little naive, and she was a big naive. Life was all about having fun.

    A new fighter with a green headband entered the cage, clearly on a different level from the previous competitors.

    He quickly and ruthlessly subdued the fighter who had already lasted three rounds, not giving him any chance to recover, pinning him down until he begged for mercy.

    Zhuo Zhi stood up. After the green headband quickly defeated another opponent, she walked briskly towards the edge of the cage.

    Li Qinyue put down her snacks and looked at Zhuo Zhi.

    Zhuo Zhi was carefully observing the green headband. Li Qinyue changed her position so she could see Zhuo Zhi’s profile. Her expression was serious, as if this was a life-or-death battle.

    The green headband continued to quickly defeat his opponents, accelerating the pace of the competition, pushing towards the final victory.

    Lingzi ran to Li Qinyue’s side and said, “Sister Yue, I don’t want to go up anymore.”

    “Hmm?” Li Qinyue looked at him.

    “I’m so unlucky. That guy is the champion of last year’s underground competition, I don’t know why he suddenly showed up here.”

    “Good job advertising it,” Li Qinyue squinted at him.

    “It’s still thanks to your generous bonus, Sister,” Lingzi said with a smile, “Anyway, I’m not going up, I don’t want to get beaten up by him.”

    “Suit yourself,” Li Qinyue said, “It’s not like you can even win an arm-wrestling match against a teenage girl.”

    “Sister Yue, reverse psychology doesn’t work on me, I wasn’t in it for the money.”

    “You’re in it for me?” Li Qinyue laughed.

    “Even if I can’t have dinner with you today, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future. I need to save my life.”

    Li Qinyue patted his shoulder, “You’re quite the strategist.”

    “Of course,” Lingzi sat down beside her and started eating snacks.

    The people who came here today were all regulars, and many of them recognized the green headband.

    Even if they didn’t recognize him at first, they should have by now, after he had defeated his opponents one after another on stage.

    Those who were confident and wanted to challenge him would still take a chance, but many, like Lingzi, wisely chose to withdraw.

    Soon, the originally crowded area became sparse. Zhuo Zhi stared at the man on stage, her fingers gripping the cage bars, her anger burning.

    This guy was too ugly. With that fake hair, he looked like a caveman, his exposed skin rough and uneven, like mud after a rainstorm.

    Zhuo Zhi never made personal attacks before, but the thought of this person standing next to Li Qinyue made her uncomfortable, everything about him unpleasant to look at.

    Although Li Qinyue had a bad temper and was childish and impulsive, she was beautiful.

    Beautiful people should be with beautiful people, that was only fair.

    Yes! Zhuo Zhi clenched her fist, supporting her own nonsensical thoughts.

    As the number of people waiting to fight dwindled, Zhuo Zhi stopped looking at the green headband and turned to look at the remaining people.

    None of them looked like they could defeat the green headband, and even if they did, they weren’t worthy of Li Qinyue.

    Zhuo Zhi frowned and looked back at Li Qinyue.

    At some point, Li Qinyue had come down from the high platform and was now standing not far from her, half her body illuminated, half shrouded in darkness.

    There was no expression on her face now, no arrogant recklessness, no mocking smile, no frivolous demeanor.

    The moment their eyes met, she was quiet, as quiet as a mountain flower silently blooming.

    Zhuo Zhi suddenly felt that besides her duty as a bodyguard, she also had a 100% responsibility to protect this flower.

    It was a responsibility she gave herself, she was willing to bear it.

    And protecting someone inevitably came with a price. Thinking about it carefully, some things were not a big deal.

    Besides, Zhuo Zhi turned her head and smiled to herself, if she won the match, she could also play dumb. Then, without these annoying men, Li Qinyue could do whatever she wanted.

    Zhuo Zhi moved her wrists and ankles, walked to the side, and took off her jacket.

    At this point, signing up was simple, you just had to say you wanted to fight. In everyone’s eyes, she wouldn’t win anyway, she was just there to provide entertainment.

    As she stood at the foot of the stage, all eyes turned to her.

    A skinny guy next to her looked at her, “Girl, if you’re here to watch, stand over there.”

    “I’m here to compete,” Zhuo Zhi said.

    “Do you know what kind of competition this is?” the guy asked with a smile.

    “Of course she knows,” someone answered for Zhuo Zhi.

    Lingzi patted the guy’s shoulder, pushing him aside, and leaned towards Zhuo Zhi, “You’re going up?”

    “Yeah,” Zhuo Zhi looked up for Li Qinyue, who hadn’t moved much, still standing in her original spot.

    “You don’t have to do this,” Lingzi looked at her, “You’re Sister Yue’s person.”

    “That’s why I have to,” Zhuo Zhi lowered her head and carefully wrapped her hands with bandages.

    “Is Sister Yue paying you too little? Do you need the 200,000 yuan that badly?”

    Zhuo Zhi paused. Her employment contract stated her salary, but she didn’t actually know how much Li Qinyue would pay her.

    Talking about money was always a bit awkward, especially since Li Qinyue had said on their first day of meeting that she would deduct her salary.

    But Lingzi’s question was still easy to answer. She turned to him and said, “Are you all so rich? You don’t even want 200,000 yuan?”

    “You have to be capable of earning it,” Lingzi tilted his chin towards the stage, “Can you beat him?”

    “Yes,” Zhuo Zhi nodded.

    “So confident?” Lingzi patted her shoulder, “Good luck.”

    “Thanks,” Zhuo Zhi replied flatly.

    Actually, when it came to fighting, without knowing the opponent’s strength, how could one be 100% confident?

    But now, Zhuo Zhi had to win.

    After encouraging Zhuo Zhi, Lingzi ran back to Li Qinyue’s side and reported the situation to her.

    “She said she’s doing it for the 200,000 yuan,” Lingzi laughed, “Sister Yue, your little bodyguard is a money-grubber.”

    Li Qinyue narrowed her eyes.

    “Can she really beat him? She’s so skinny…” Lingzi was a little worried, “Should I get a couple of referees up there? Just in case something…”

    “Shut up,” Li Qinyue said.

    Lingzi obediently shut his mouth.

    The green headband had defeated another opponent. The crowd stepped back, leaving only two contestants left.

    Zhuo Zhi, who had been standing at the back, suddenly stepped forward, cutting in line.

    Someone whistled. Zhuo Zhi entered the cage and climbed onto the ring, her movements graceful and light, as if she possessed supernatural agility.

    The crowd, who had lost interest after watching the green headband dominate, suddenly became excited again.

    Beast versus girl, it was bound to be thrilling.

    Zhuo Zhi took two steps forward and bowed to the green headband.

    The green headband said something, and the crowd burst into laughter. The fight didn’t start immediately.

    Li Qinyue looked away and said to Lingzi, “Get the referees over there.”

    “Alright!!!” Lingzi jumped up and ran off.

    Surrounded by referees, the match suddenly seemed much more formal and serious.

    Anyone could see that the sudden appearance of the referees was to protect the little girl. People were laughing, clapping, booing, shouting at the green headband. No one took this match seriously.

    Neither did the green headband.

    He had dreadlocks, a strange tattoo on his neck, and looked incredibly fierce. But now, he stood there with his arms crossed, smiling at Zhuo Zhi, like an old man playing chess, saying to her, “Little girl, I don’t hold back, I’m afraid…”

    Zhuo Zhi had already listened to the people around her chatter for a while, and now the green headband was also being long-winded. She sighed inwardly, feeling helpless.

    She had originally planned to be humble when she entered the cage, but now it seemed that if she continued being humble, she would be asked to leave the stage.

    So, Zhuo Zhi didn’t waste any more time. She rushed forward and punched the green headband, cutting him off.

    The green headband reacted quickly, dodging the punch and scoffing.

    The match officially began. Since there were no rules, Zhuo Zhi didn’t bother circling around her opponent just to show off to the audience.

    After her first punch missed, she attacked his stomach with her left hand, aiming for the most painful spots.

    The green headband didn’t dodge, his fist coming straight at her face with impressive speed.

    Zhuo Zhi twisted her body and dodged the attack. They had exchanged their first blows, and the green headband’s eyes lit up.

    The audience was yelling at the green headband to go easy on her, not to bully a child.

    But Zhuo Zhi didn’t give him any chance to be merciful. In front of this underground boxer, her advantage was her speed, agility, and unconventional techniques.

    The green headband couldn’t figure out her fighting style, nor could he find an opening to attack her.

    Soon, the cheers were roaring, no longer asking the green headband to be merciful, but instead urging Zhuo Zhi on, asking the little girl to avenge them.

    Zhuo Zhi had never fought in front of so many people before. Accompanied by the intense music, her blood also started to boil.

    She looked up, searching for Li Qinyue, and found her standing at the edge of the cage, frowning at her.

    Zhuo Zhi thought she was worried, she must be worried, so she deliberately took a punch from the green headband, throwing herself to the side.

    She landed right in front of Li Qinyue, who took a step forward, about to intervene in the match.

    Zhuo Zhi winked at her and said, “Sister, you can only have dinner with me tonight.”

    She spoke in her normal voice, easily drowned out by the music and the cheers, but Li Qinyue heard her clearly.

    Ever since Zhuo Zhi entered the cage, Li Qinyue’s attention had been solely on her, both proud and worried, both happy and mixed with an inexplicable sadness.

    So when Zhuo Zhi smiled at her and said those words, the world fell silent, every word, every syllable, incredibly clear.

    And her expression, that slightly provocative, youthful brilliance and gentleness, it was like the silent world Li Qinyue had experienced during her bungee jump.

    Her heart skipped a beat, then started racing, as if a hand had grabbed it and was trying to pull it out of her throat.

    Li Qinyue looked at the cage, her vision blurry.

    She abruptly turned away, bent over, and gasped for air, feeling a rush of heat, her throat dry.

    Just a single sentence from you, and it’s more potent than any aphrodisiac I’ve ever taken.

  • Little Bodyguard(GL) 17

    Chapter 17

    Naturally, they left the mess for Aijia to handle. Aijia really had a good temper, she could even laugh it off with Li Qinyue.

    Li Qinyue was incredibly happy. She put her arm around Zhuo Zhi, holding her tightly, and exclaimed for the third time, “Honey, that kick of yours was so cool!”

    Zhuo Zhi pursed her lips, not wanting to speak.

    “Are you tired?” Li Qinyue looked her up and down, “Or are you injured? There were so many glass shards…”

    Zhuo Zhi spat out a word angrily, “Noisy.”

    “Ah, it’s noisy, is it?” Li Qinyue, completely oblivious, headed towards the exit, “Let’s go, let’s go home. It’s quiet at the villa complex, this place is too noisy…”

    Zhuo Zhi was dragged out of the bar and into the car. Li Qinyue stepped on the gas, as if she wanted to start racing right there in the parking lot.

    For the first time, Zhuo Zhi didn’t focus her attention on Li Qinyue in the car. She looked out the window, feeling a bit worried and confused.

    Li Qinyue was clearly excited. She drove at the speed limit, taking the racing track up the mountain. Apart from the winding streetlights, the surroundings were silent and dark.

    Li Qinyue’s excitement only subsided when they stopped the car. She slammed the car door shut, put a cigarette in her mouth, and asked Zhuo Zhi, “What’s wrong?”

    When her voice lowered, it carried a hint of impending anger. Zhuo Zhi remembered what Li Qinyue was like when she first came to this villa. It made her a little apprehensive.

    “Nothing,” Zhuo Zhi paused, still unsure what to say, so she chose to avoid the question for now, “I want to sleep.”

    “Hmm.” Li Qinyue didn’t say anything more. She went inside, changed her shoes, took off her jacket, and went upstairs without looking back.

    She was still angry. Zhuo Zhi sighed.

    Back in her room, she lay in bed after showering, but even though it was very late, she couldn’t fall asleep.

    In this situation, she should be the one who was angry. Li Qinyue was reckless and had no sense of propriety when she was having fun. It was not only dangerous but also troublesome. If it were any other friend, Zhuo Zhi would have given up on persuading her and just punched her.

    But she couldn’t do that to Li Qinyue. Although they were becoming more like friends, their relationship was still based on the roles of employer and bodyguard.

    Choosing to get closer and build trust or choosing to keep a distance and fulfill her duties was a real dilemma.

    For the next three days, neither of them mentioned what had happened at “Shengge”.

    Every day, Zhuo Zhi woke up early and went for a run, bringing back fresh vegetables and making breakfast before Li Qinyue came downstairs.

    If Li Qinyue overslept, Zhuo Zhi would knock on her door. Li Qinyue would sometimes throw clothes around in a bad mood, but she never cursed at Zhuo Zhi like before.

    They didn’t go down the mountain during these three days. Li Qinyue spent most of her time playing on her phone or computer. Zhuo Zhi had nothing to do, so she would go to the beautifully decorated bookstore in the villa complex to read.

    They seemed to have found a subtle balance. Without all the fighting and arguing, their days were as peaceful as the faint clouds in the sky above Nanhai City.

    At noon on the fourth day, Li Qinyue came downstairs with a travel bag, looking very stylish.

    Zhuo Zhi, who was reading in the living room, immediately stood up and asked, “President Li, are you going out?”

    “Yeah,” Li Qinyue was looking at her phone, not offering any further explanation.

    “Out of the city, out of the province, or out of the country?” Zhuo Zhi had to pack her things immediately.

    Li Qinyue finally glanced at her, “Do you think I can go anywhere?”

    Zhuo Zhi was stunned, “Of course.”

    “Didn’t Grandpa tell you I can’t go anywhere before the New Year?”

    “No,” Zhuo Zhi frowned, “I told you, he just told me to take care of you.”

    “Oh,” Li Qinyue responded flatly, “I’m going to the boxing gym.”

    Zhuo Zhi relaxed and followed her with a smile, “Do you know how to box, Sister?”

    Li Qinyue continued to look at her phone, “No.”

    Zhuo Zhi looked at her neatly tied hair and professional-looking gym bag, “You don’t look like you don’t know how to.”

    “What do you call knowing how to box in front of me?” Li Qinyue’s tone was a bit off.

    Zhuo Zhi, sensing her mood, immediately became humble and flattering, “I don’t know how to, I’ve never learned. I just learned some random fighting moves from my master. You know so much more than I do, Sister.”

    “Heh,” Li Qinyue chuckled.

    They left the villa, and after walking a few steps, a car pulled up in front of them.

    A guy with several necklaces hanging around his neck jumped out of the car. Before he could even speak, he offered Li Qinyue a cigarette, “Sister Yue, long time no see.”

    Zhuo Zhi frowned, staring at the cigarette.

    Li Qinyue opened the car door and got in. The guy offered the cigarette to Zhuo Zhi, “Little sister, what’s your name?”

    “Thank you, I don’t smoke,” Zhuo Zhi said, not answering his question, and followed Li Qinyue into the car.

    The guy smiled, not feeling awkward, and got back into the driver’s seat. He turned to Li Qinyue and said, “I heard you were coming, so a lot of people came today.”

    “Hmm, don’t let in anyone who’s just here to watch,” Li Qinyue put her phone back in her pocket, “Everyone who comes in has to enter the cage.”

    “Alright,” the guy lowered his head and tapped on his phone, “Done, I’ve notified them.”

    Li Qinyue didn’t say anything more. After the car had driven for a while, the guy suddenly turned to look at Zhuo Zhi, “Sister Yue, the little sister is so young, is she going too?”

    Zhuo Zhi was unhappy with his words. What she feared most now was being excluded from these adults’ games. So, she immediately said, “I’m not young, I’m President Li’s bodyguard.”

    “Bodyguard?” the guy laughed, clearly not believing her, “Such a cute little bodyguard?”

    Li Qinyue, who had been looking uninterested, suddenly became intrigued. She raised her chin at the guy, “Lingzi, believe it or not, you can’t beat her in arm wrestling.”

    “Sister Yue, you’re looking down on me too much.” Lingzi rolled up his sleeves, revealing his strong forearms, “I’ve been training every day while you were away from Nanhai.”

    “They do look pretty good,” Li Qinyue smiled.

    Zhuo Zhi moved to the left, found a good spot, and extended her hand, “Come on.”

    “No, wait,” Lingzi looked at Zhuo Zhi’s slender wrist, “Little sister, Sister Yue is just joking, she just wants to humiliate me…”

    “Let’s do it,” Zhuo Zhi said, “Prove yourself to her.”

    Lingzi reluctantly took her hand, “Even if I win against you, little sister, it doesn’t prove…”

    Before he could finish his sentence, he was pinned down by Zhuo Zhi.

    The car fell silent, swaying on the mountain road, the silence filled with awkwardness.

    Li Qinyue raised an eyebrow. Lingzi stammered, “Wait, wait, wait, I wasn’t ready.”

    “Okay, again,” Zhuo Zhi placed her hand back in position.

    Lingzi looked around, “Isn’t our posture wrong?”

    “Yeah, there’s no place to brace ourselves, it’s hard to exert force,” Zhuo Zhi said, “You can put your left hand under your elbow.”

    Lingzi placed his left hand under his elbow, and Zhuo Zhi gripped his hand, “Ready?”

    “Aren’t you going to brace yourself?” Lingzi looked at her.

    “No need,” Zhuo Zhi said.

    “Then I won’t either,” Lingzi quickly withdrew his left hand, “One, two, three… damn!”

    As he shouted, Li Qinyue laughed and leaned back in her seat.

    “Lingzi, you’re too fast, was it even three seconds? Should I record a video and send it to the boxing gym group chat?”

    “Damn, damn, damn, damn…” Lingzi cursed repeatedly, staring at Zhuo Zhi’s hand on top of his, unable to understand why he had suddenly become so weak. He was actually defeated by a little girl in arm wrestling.

    Zhuo Zhi let go of his hand, sat back, and pretended to adjust her sleeves.

    Lingzi’s hand was still in the defeated position. He stared at his large, rough hand, feeling like his whole life had been overturned.

    After a long while, he muttered another “damn” and finally withdrew his hand.

    When he looked up at Zhuo Zhi again, his expression and attitude were completely different, “You really are President Li’s bodyguard.”

    “Yes,” Zhuo Zhi nodded calmly.

    Lingzi cupped his fist towards her, “Amazing, you’re amazing. There are truly no ordinary people around President Li.”

    “Have there been any extraordinary people around me?” Li Qinyue said.

    “This is the first one I’ve seen,” Lingzi said with an exaggerated expression, “Astonishing.”

    “You flatter me,” Zhuo Zhi said, “Then can I go now?”

    “Yes, of course,” Lingzi said, “Come over and give us some pointers.”

    Zhuo Zhi looked at Li Qinyue, “I’m just President Li’s bodyguard.”

    Li Qinyue smiled and waved at Lingzi, “You talk too much, take a break.”

    “Alright.” Lingzi turned back to look at the scenery outside the window and let out a long sigh.

    Zhuo Zhi was still looking at Li Qinyue, who had stopped smiling and was playing with her phone again.

    Zhuo Zhi didn’t receive any approval or praise, not even a good look. She felt a little dejected.

    With an outsider in the car, she couldn’t whisper to Li Qinyue. And after the car stopped, they took the elevator directly from the parking lot to the third basement level, so there was no chance for her to talk to Li Qinyue alone.

    At first, the place looked like a normal boxing gym. But after passing through a door, it looked completely different.

    The concrete walls were covered with colorful and chaotic graffiti. The space was open and empty, the lights only illuminating the huge iron cage in the center.

    The cage was very tall. Zhuo Zhi looked up, blinded by the bright lights, and then realized with shock that there was no exit at the top.

    It was like a tightly woven birdcage, with only a small door on one side, and a crowd gathered outside the door.

    It was broad daylight outside, but it was dark here, as if it were the middle of the night.

    “Everyone’s here,” someone said to Lingzi.

    “Good, we can almost start,” Lingzi walked towards Li Qinyue, “Sister Yue, want to say a few words?”

    “Of course,” Li Qinyue raised her hand. Lingzi accurately handed her the microphone, and at the same time, a spotlight shone on her.

    Li Qinyue walked towards the iron cage, the spotlight following her. People started clapping and cheering.

    This reminded Zhuo Zhi of the spotlight at the bar that day. Li Qinyue had shone the light on her, watching from the corner as she fought anxiously.

    Li Qinyue entered the cage and climbed onto the boxing ring.

    Her movements were swift. Someone suddenly turned on the music, passionate and intense, making their hearts pound.

    Li Qinyue stood in the center of the cage and said, “Welcome everyone, let’s have some fun today.”

    It was just a simple sentence, but the cheers rose an octave. Zhuo Zhi frowned at the crowd, not understanding why these grown men were making such a fuss over Li Qinyue, as if they were chasing after a celebrity.

    But she quickly understood.

    After saying that, Li Qinyue suddenly started taking off her jacket, her movements swift, revealing her smooth, beautiful shoulders and her slim, toned waist in an instant.

    The cheers were about to explode. Li Qinyue, only wearing a sports bra, had a figure that could rival the giant posters outside the boxing gym. She raised her hand and pointed at the crowd, “No rules, no nonsense. The winner today gets 200,000 yuan and dinner with me.”

    “Woooo!!!” someone immediately threw off their jacket, making Zhuo Zhi nervous.

    Winning money and a beautiful woman by defeating competitors with brute force was enough to stimulate every man’s adrenaline. The music pounded like a drum, their blood boiling.

    Li Qinyue, who had also offered herself as a prize, smiled, her lips curving upwards like Pandora about to open the box.

    Zhuo Zhi rushed to the cage door, squeezing past the men on both sides. The moment Li Qinyue came out, she grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the excited crowd.

    There was no formal organizer for this fight. You just got a number and entered the cage, fighting until you were knocked down or gave up.

    A battle royale, realistic and cruel.

    Lingzi rushed to their side and asked Li Qinyue over the loud music, “Sister Yue, why did you add a bonus?”

    Li Qinyue said, “Because I felt like it.”

    “Can we really have dinner with Sister Yue?!”

    “When have I, Li Qinyue, ever gone back on my word?”

    “Damn!” Lingzi shouted and jumped up, “I’m signing up!”

    Zhuo Zhi also wanted to curse.

    She dragged Li Qinyue to a corner, her anger finally boiling over. For the first time, she yelled at Li Qinyue, “What are you doing?!”

    “Watching a fight,” Li Qinyue said casually, her eyes fixed on the cage, not even looking at Zhuo Zhi.

    “What’s so good about watching a fight!!!” Zhuo Zhi felt like her head was going to explode, “They’re fighting so poorly!”

    Li Qinyue finally turned to look at her, her eyes reflecting the lights, her smile like that of the most cunning fox in a cartoon, “I like watching fights.”

    “I’ll fight for you!” Zhuo Zhi gripped her arm tightly.

    “No, you won’t,” Li Qinyue tried to shake her off but failed, her brows furrowing, “You sulked at me for days after just watching me beat up a drunkard, do you think I dare let you fight?!”

    “I didn’t sulk at you!” Zhuo Zhi shouted.

    “You did!” Li Qinyue shouted back.

    “I didn’t!”

    “You did!!!”

    “I…” Zhuo Zhi suddenly realized that she could never out-shout Li Qinyue, so she pursed her lips, let go of Li Qinyue’s arm, and turned towards the cage, “I’m signing up.”

    This time, it was Li Qinyue who stopped her. She frowned and asked, “Do you know what ‘dinner’ means in the adult world?”

    Zhuo Zhi was furious, “I know! If I didn’t know, why would I stop you?!”

    After shouting, she felt it wasn’t enough to express her anger at Li Qinyue’s reckless behavior, and finally cursed, “Fuck!”

    “Yes,” Li Qinyue laughed, “It means that.”

    Zhuo Zhi felt like she was about to explode.

    “If you sign up…” Li Qinyue looked at her, her eyes lingering on her lips, “It’ll still mean that.”

    Zhuo Zhi was stunned.

    Li Qinyue smiled, “So, have you made up your mind?”

  • Little Bodyguard(GL) 16

    Chapter 16

    “I…” Zhuo Zhi thought for a moment, giving up on struggling with the term of address, and answered the question, “No.”

    She was too decisive. Li Qinyue clicked her tongue and said, “Not honest.”

    “Really,” Zhuo Zhi continued to diligently clear her plate, “I don’t, that kind of liking…”

    “Which kind?” Li Qinyue rested her chin on her hand.

    Zhuo Zhi glanced up at her, “The kind you’re thinking of.”

    Li Qinyue felt that her life was probably too boring, so when this serious little thing appeared, she couldn’t help but tease her.

    It was a very pointless conversation, but Li Qinyue was unwilling to stop there. So she pressed on, “What kind am I thinking of? You always misunderstand me…”

    Zhuo Zhi sighed with exasperation, putting down her chopsticks, “The kind of liking where you want to do intimate things with someone.”

    Li Qinyue: “…”

    Intimate things. Someone actually described sex so innocently in real life. Li Qinyue looked at Zhuo Zhi, speechless.

    Zhuo Zhi said, “Don’t deny it, I didn’t misunderstand this time, that’s what you meant.”

    Li Qinyue retorted, “I really didn’t mean that. I meant the kind of ordinary liking.”

    “There are many kinds of ordinary liking,” Zhuo Zhi said smoothly, “I like you, Sister Aijia, Grandpa Li, I like them all.”

    “Am I number one?” Li Qinyue asked.

    This time, Zhuo Zhi hesitated for two seconds before nodding, “Yes.”

    Li Qinyue sighed and stood up, stretching. She never thought this day would come.

    She had been pressing Zhuo Zhi for answers, and after getting a negative answer, she still had to try to comfort herself indirectly.

    Her face was completely lost.

    The heartbroken Miss Li walked out of the conference room. Zhuo Zhi hurriedly cleaned up the mess on the table, gathered the documents in her arms, and quickly followed.

    Li Qinyue didn’t intend to stop at all. Zhuo Zhi was still a few meters away and hurriedly called out to her, “President Li, what should I do with these?”

    Li Qinyue turned to look at the things in her arms, raised an eyebrow, and asked, “Why did you take them out?”

    “Just leave them in there?” Zhuo Zhi was stunned.

    A young woman who had been working overtime suddenly stood up and walked over, smiling awkwardly, “I’ll take care of it, I’ll take care of it.”

    Zhuo Zhi looked at Li Qinyue. Li Qinyue nodded, and Zhuo Zhi handed her the documents, “Thank you.”

    The two of them left the company and entered the elevator. Li Qinyue smiled and said, “You’re quite the worrier.”

    Zhuo Zhi didn’t reply, slightly lowering her head, lost in thought.

    The elevator reached the first floor, and after a few steps out of the office building, they were back at “Shengge” after crossing the street.

    It wasn’t too late, and if the blue-haired girl was interested, she would definitely be waiting for Li Qinyue.

    Zhuo Zhi couldn’t avoid this issue. Even if she found a way to avoid it today, there would be many more such situations in the future.

    So, she stopped Li Qinyue and said, “Sister, are you going to find that blue-haired girl?”

    “She has a name,” Li Qinyue said.

    “What’s her name?” Zhuo Zhi couldn’t remember.

    Li Qinyue thought for a moment, “I forgot.”

    Someone pushed open the door of the office building. A gust of cold wind blew in, making Li Qinyue’s clothes flutter.

    Zhuo Zhi took a step closer to her and whispered, “You can do whatever you want, I won’t interfere.”

    “Hmm?” Li Qinyue didn’t quite understand what she meant.

    Zhuo Zhi stepped back, straightening her back, and said, “There’s a fast food restaurant next door, open 24 hours. I’ll wait for you there.”

    Li Qinyue was a little surprised, “You’re not coming with me?”

    “This is your private life,” Zhuo Zhi coughed, “As long as your safety is ensured, I respect your privacy.”

    She paused, “Call me if anything happens.”

    In “Shengge”, two sets of performers had already come and gone.

    Li Qinyue entered through the back door, walked through the dimly lit corridor, went to the kitchen, and grabbed a pudding, popping it into her mouth.

    The sweet and smooth taste didn’t bring her much joy. Li Qinyue crossed her arms, pondered for a moment, and then went straight up to the second floor.

    The second floor had a good view, overlooking the entire bar. Aijia was in a good mood today, busy behind the bar. When Li Qinyue’s gaze fell on her, the sharp-eyed bar manager looked up.

    Their eyes met, and Aijia, despite the distance, asked with her eyes: Where’s Zhuo Zhi?

    Li Qinyue leaned against the railing and shrugged.

    Aijia raised her chin, her meaning clear this time: That person is waiting for you.

    Li Qinyue looked over. The blue-haired girl was occupying a table by herself, three glasses of wine placed on it.

    Li Qinyue took out her phone and checked the time. It had been almost an hour since the performance ended, but she didn’t feel the slightest bit guilty.

    She even felt a little irritated.

    The irritated Li Qinyue stood there, not knowing what to do, so she simply opened a game and randomly joined a match.

    Just as she was crouching down, aiming for a headshot, someone behind her said, “Hi.”

    The deliberately lowered voice was quite pleasant. Li Qinyue’s hand paused, missing the opportunity. She simply sprayed bullets everywhere, killing the enemy randomly.

    “Nice gear,” the person behind her said, “Want to play a round together?”

    “Wait till I’m done,” Li Qinyue didn’t turn around.

    This was the most serious she had ever played this game since downloading it.

    She tried her best to stay alive until the end, but she was unlucky and got caught in the blue zone while running from the shrinking play area.

    The blue-haired girl smiled and said, “Your teammates aren’t very good, play with me, I’ll protect you.”

    Li Qinyue put away her phone and said bluntly, “I don’t like people watching me play games.”

    The blue-haired girl immediately said, “I’m sorry.”

    Her attitude was sincere. Li Qinyue didn’t say anything more.

    There were a few seconds of silence, the atmosphere a bit awkward. The blue-haired girl looked at Li Qinyue and decided to get straight to the point, “What are your plans for the night?”

    “No plans,” Li Qinyue said.

    “Then let me make some arrangements,” the blue-haired girl paused, “Is that okay?”

    Li Qinyue looked up and smiled, “What kind of arrangements do you have in mind?”

    There weren’t many people where they were standing. The overhead light shone on Li Qinyue’s face, not diminishing her beauty in the slightest, but rather highlighting her wild beauty.

    The blue-haired girl looked at her intently, her breathing slowing down.

    After a few seconds of eye contact, the blue-haired girl leaned forward, closing the distance between them.

    Her lips moved, and she said, “I want to kiss you.”

    Li Qinyue’s smile remained on her face, but her heart skipped a beat.

    She remembered Zhuo Zhi gasping from the spicy food earlier, her lips red and swollen. How could someone so old still get food on their lips?

    That kind of scene, if it were in a romance drama, would require the domineering CEO to gently wipe it off with his finger. If it were in a novel, the CEO would just kiss it off.

    Tsk, tsk, Li Qinyue’s thoughts were running wild, unstoppable.

    The atmosphere became truly awkward. The blue-haired girl still didn’t want to give up, but Li Qinyue really had no interest at all.

    She patted the blue-haired girl’s shoulder and finally felt a rare twinge of guilt, “Sister, I don’t want to kiss you, go find someone else.”

    If Li Qinyue was unwilling, any sensible person wouldn’t try to force her.

    The blue-haired girl was somewhat sensible. She stepped back and smiled wryly, “Come find me whenever you change your mind.”

    Li Qinyue raised an eyebrow. The blue-haired girl didn’t leave her contact information, just turned and went downstairs.

    Li Qinyue let out a long sigh, feeling incredibly bored all of a sudden.

    This feeling often appeared in her life, overwhelming boredom, gut-wrenching boredom, the kind of boredom that gave her a headache and made her feel lethargic.

    She started staring at the people downstairs, table after table of people, some laughing, some arguing, some drinking and crying.

    “Shengge” had a decent number of customers, but Li Qinyue felt like the entire bar was empty, nothing worth looking at.

    Her gaze wandered and suddenly, she felt that this scene was somewhat similar to when she first met Zhuo Zhi.

    Tsk, Li Qinyue was a little frustrated. She leaned against the railing, turned around, and took out a cigarette, lighting it.

    She didn’t believe that her life was so boring now that there was nothing interesting left besides that little girl.

    Halfway through the cigarette, there was a commotion downstairs.

    Li Qinyue looked over and saw a drunk man causing trouble, flipping over a neighboring table. In an instant, tensions rose, and a fight was about to break out.

    This kind of thing was common in bars. Aijia managed the place well, and the security guards quickly stepped in.

    Li Qinyue’s heart skipped a beat, and she suddenly felt excited.

    She quickly grabbed her phone and dialed Aijia. As soon as the call connected, she said quickly, “Don’t interfere, let them fight.”

    Aijia looked up at her, “Do you know them?”

    Li Qinyue didn’t answer, hanging up and dialing another number.

    There was a glass of ginger ale in front of Zhuo Zhi. She had been sipping it for a while, but only a small amount was gone.

    There weren’t many people in the fast food restaurant at this hour. Zhuo Zhi could only see the cashier playing with her phone.

    Zhuo Zhi had never thought phones were fun before. When she was bored, she could run around the mountains, picking fruits and flowers, climbing rocks, and catching fish.

    If she really wanted to play with someone, she could go to the other side of the mountain and spar with the monks from the temple. Fighting her way through, just like in martial arts novels, it was exciting and satisfying.

    But it was different down the mountain. It was fine when she could follow Li Qinyue, but when she couldn’t, just waiting like this was really boring.

    She had no games, videos, or social media apps on her phone, nothing to play with.

    She daydreamed, meditated, and wondered when Li Qinyue would be done. She had to discuss her salary with her so that she could get paid next month and buy a new phone.

    Perhaps she had thought about phones too much, because the phone in her pocket actually vibrated.

    Zhuo Zhi stood up as she took out her phone. 99% of the time, it was Li Qinyue calling.

    The call connected, and it was very noisy on Li Qinyue’s end. She said, “Zhuo Zhi, come here quickly!”

    It wasn’t often that she called her full name so seriously, and her tone was quite urgent. Zhuo Zhi immediately rushed out.

    She wanted to ask about the situation over the phone, but Li Qinyue had already hung up.

    Zhuo Zhi’s heart skipped a beat, and she ran towards the back door of “Shengge” at full speed.

    It wasn’t far. It only took her a few dozen seconds to reach the main hall of the bar.

    She had chosen to stay in the fast food restaurant instead of going to the company’s lounge to rest, as Li Qinyue had suggested, because she wanted to be as close to Li Qinyue as possible.

    This way, if something like this happened, she could quickly get to her side and prevent any harm.

    However, in just these few dozen seconds, Zhuo Zhi had gone through all the possible dangers in her mind, and she even started to regret letting Li Qinyue stay in this chaotic and mixed-up place.

    She was such a beautiful girl, every frown and smile captivating.

    And she was a beautiful girl with ulterior motives, ready to charm both men and women.

    Zhuo Zhi saw the man throwing a tantrum, the broken bottles at his feet, and her anxiety turned into anger.

    People were shouting and arguing, and the music suddenly became loud, making it impossible for Zhuo Zhi to find Li Qinyue directly and effectively.

    So she charged forward, using the steps as leverage, and kicked the man who was making the most noise right in the chest.

    There were gasps all around. The man staggered back several steps and bumped into a table.

    Crash, more bottles shattered on the floor.

    Zhuo Zhi stood tall and imposing in the brightest spot of the light beam, her figure out of place with the surroundings. The man, upon seeing that it was a skinny little girl who had kicked him, cursed and charged towards her without hesitation.

    He was speaking in dialect, and Zhuo Zhi couldn’t understand, but his raised hand had a clear target.

    Zhuo Zhi dodged the attack, grabbed the man’s wrist, twisted it behind his back, and elbowed him in the back.

    The man let out a cry and fell to his knees.

    Then he was silent from the pain, collapsing motionlessly like a duck waiting to be slaughtered.

    The surroundings fell silent, everyone staring at Zhuo Zhi. She waved her hand, trying to get rid of the spotlight that was constantly on her, but the beam was persistent, following her movements closely.

    Zhuo Zhi gave up and shouted, “Li Qinyue!”

    Li Qinyue poked her head out from behind the lighting control panel. Seeing that there was no more excitement to watch, she waved her hand, “Hey! I’m here!”

    “Are you alright?!” Zhuo Zhi charged towards her, jumping over several chairs that were in the way.

    Li Qinyue’s eyes were shining, but her brows furrowed, her acting terrible as she said, “Little frog, I’m so scared!”

  • Little Bodyguard(GL) 15

    Chapter 15

    The band’s performance was scheduled to start at 8:30 pm, and there was still some time left.

    Li Qinyue and the blue-haired girl were chatting away, their conversation nonsensical, yet they were both laughing as if they were having a great time. Zhuo Zhi listened from the side, feeling depressed.

    Someone from the band strummed the bass a few times, finally summoning the blue-haired girl back. Li Qinyue waved at her, and when she turned back to look at Zhuo Zhi, her smile had changed.

    How to describe the difference? When Li Qinyue smiled at the blue-haired girl, she could be in a perfume commercial. But when she smiled at Zhuo Zhi, the only fitting line would be: “Hey bro, got a light?”

    Zhuo Zhi pursed her lips, her fingers tracing circles on the table, “When are we going back?”

    “Hmm?” Li Qinyue glanced at her, “After the performance.”

    “Will we be able to go back after the performance?” Zhuo Zhi genuinely doubted it.

    “What do you mean?” Li Qinyue just smiled.

    “I mean…” Zhuo Zhi hesitated, frowned for a moment, and then decided to be straightforward, “You said you’re starting to like girls. I respect your privacy, but I’m not sure when I should excuse myself.”

    Li Qinyue took a sip of her wine, slapped the table, and stood up, “Come with me.”

    Zhuo Zhi immediately got off her stool.

    Li Qinyue headed towards the back door of the bar. Soon, the door opened, and the cold winter wind hit them in the face.

    Li Qinyue shivered and walked quickly across the street. Zhuo Zhi followed closely, entering an office building with her and taking the elevator straight to the sixteenth floor.

    The atmosphere here was completely different from the bar street. It was spacious and bright, with excellent soundproofing, so quiet that only the sound of Li Qinyue’s high heels clicking on the floor could be heard.

    Li Qinyue entered the company with a passcode. The receptionist greeted her, calling her President Li. There weren’t many people in the company at this hour, and it seemed that the rest were working overtime.

    Zhuo Zhi only glanced around briefly before focusing her attention back on Li Qinyue.

    After walking through the corridor, Li Qinyue entered a conference room. A moment later, someone brought in several stacks of documents and two cups of coffee.

    The conference room door closed. Li Qinyue’s initially straight back slumped, and she leaned back in her chair, forming a semi-circle.

    She pointed at Zhuo Zhi and said, “You little mind, you need to reflect on yourself.”

    “Reflect on what?” Zhuo Zhi asked.

    “You tell me what to reflect on,” Li Qinyue tapped her finger on the documents, “I came here to work, but you keep thinking about dirty things.”

    Zhuo Zhi fell silent, unsure what to say for a moment.

    She was young, and she didn’t understand some things about relationships and business, but that didn’t mean she was stupid.

    Li Qinyue’s tone clearly implied that she was treating her like a fool.

    Who would go to a bar to drink, chat, and flirt with a strange woman with ulterior motives before going to work?

    After doing all those messy things, now she was playing innocent. Zhuo Zhi was very unhappy, but due to their different statuses, she could only express her dissatisfaction subtly.

    She pulled out a chair, sat down, and slumped back in the chair like Li Qinyue, lounging like a lazy snake.

    Li Qinyue laughed, “Oh, what are you doing?”

    Zhuo Zhi glanced at the documents on the table, “Working with you.”

    “Are you angry?” Li Qinyue slid her chair back to Zhuo Zhi, leaning forward.

    “No, I’m reflecting,” Zhuo Zhi said calmly.

    Li Qinyue stared at her for a moment. Zhuo Zhi maintained her expression very well, her indifference unwavering.

    Li Qinyue slapped her thigh playfully and said with a smile, “Little brat, you even have this side to you.”

    Zhuo Zhi coughed, continuing to feign seriousness.

    Li Qinyue casually picked up a document and started flipping through it. Zhuo Zhi stared at her fingers, thinking that once she finished this page, she would start talking to her again.

    But this time, her prediction was wrong. Li Qinyue actually started reading seriously, page after page, her gaze focused, her attention concentrated.

    Zhuo Zhi watched as she flipped through almost half of the document, surprised. So, she reached for the coffee cup in front of Li Qinyue with exaggerated movements, waving it in front of her eyes before bringing it to her own lips.

    But Li Qinyue didn’t even look up. A few seconds later, she even picked up a pen and started marking the document seriously.

    Zhuo Zhi was truly shocked. She sat there with the coffee cup in her hand, her mouth agape for a full minute.

    Time passed slowly. Li Qinyue read documents, Zhuo Zhi watched Li Qinyue, and the sky outside grew darker.

    There was no clock in the conference room. Zhuo Zhi’s phone was in her pocket, but she didn’t want to remind Li Qinyue of the time by checking her phone. She secretly hoped that President Li would be so engrossed in her work that she would forget about time and miss the messy performance tonight.

    Otherwise, she would have to assess the potential threat posed by the blue-haired girl, worry about the boundaries of privacy, and quite possibly be shut out by Li Qinyue again. This time, she didn’t know how long she would have to wait.

    As she was lost in her thoughts, Li Qinyue suddenly threw the folder in her hand.

    The blue folder flew across the smooth tabletop for two meters before stopping precariously at the edge.

    Zhuo Zhi straightened up involuntarily and looked at Li Qinyue.

    Li Qinyue’s brows were deeply furrowed, as if she was pondering a very serious problem. After a while, she touched her stomach and said, “I’m hungry.”

    Zhuo Zhi: “…”

    Li Qinyue turned to look at her, sounding a bit reproachful, “Why didn’t you remind me to eat?”

    “I was afraid of disturbing you,” Zhuo Zhi didn’t mention the other reason.

    Li Qinyue glanced at her, took out her phone, and typed quickly. After finishing, she threw the phone out like the folder.

    “I ordered some Hunan cuisine, can you eat it?”

    “Yes,” Zhuo Zhi couldn’t help but stand up and walk towards the folder and the phone, “Don’t throw things around, what if they break?”

    Li Qinyue leaned back in her chair, “You don’t care if I starve to death, but you care about some broken things?”

    Although her words were as arrogant as ever, perhaps because she was truly tired, her tone was a little weak, sounding a bit like she was acting cute.

    Zhuo Zhi couldn’t resist a soft approach. She brought back the document and the phone and said, “Sorry, I should have reminded you.”

    Li Qinyue raised an eyebrow and looked up at her, “And?”

    It had been a while since the previous part of the conversation, but Zhuo Zhi understood Li Qinyue’s train of thought. She sighed inwardly and admitted, “I’m also sorry for misunderstanding you.”

    “Misunderstanding what?” Li Qinyue pressed on.

    “Misunderstanding that you were here to play, not to work.”

    Li Qinyue suddenly laughed. She grabbed the phone from Zhuo Zhi’s hand, and due to the wide movement, she also grabbed Zhuo Zhi’s hand.

    Zhuo Zhi touched her hand. Li Qinyue said, holding the phone, “I am here to play.”

    Zhuo Zhi: “…”

    Li Qinyue scrolled through her phone, “We’ll continue playing after dinner.”

    Zhuo Zhi: President Li, can I take a day off? I don’t want to babysit a kindergartener anymore.

    The dishes Li Qinyue ordered were from a very popular Hunan restaurant, so it took almost fifty minutes for the takeout to arrive.

    Zhuo Zhi thought to herself that the band’s performance should have started long ago, but she didn’t know how long it would last.

    The takeout boxes were opened one by one. Miss Li didn’t pay much attention to her dining etiquette. With disposable bowls and chopsticks, in this environment, she looked no different from the employees working overtime outside.

    Zhuo Zhi sat down next to her. Li Qinyue’s anger from throwing things had subsided, and she was quite happy now, “Come, try these duck feet tendons, it’s their best dish.”

    Zhuo Zhi obediently put it in her mouth, chewed twice, and gasped, the spiciness hitting her.

    “How is it? Is it good?” Li Qinyue smiled, looking at her.

    “Delicious.” Zhuo Zhi had to tell the truth. It was chewy and flavorful, genuinely delicious.

    “I specifically asked for extra spicy,” Li Qinyue was still staring at her, “Is it exciting?”

    Zhuo Zhi could handle spicy food, but she was caught off guard. She took two breaths and then took another bite, “Exciting.”

    Li Qinyue suddenly fell silent. Zhuo Zhi had eaten half a bowl of rice and looked up, “What’s wrong?”

    Li Qinyue said, “Your lips are red from the spice.”

    “It’s okay,” Zhuo Zhi said, “It’s always like this, it’ll be fine in a while.”

    “They’re also a little swollen,” Li Qinyue said seriously.

    “Really?” Zhuo Zhi pursed her lips, unable to tell if they were swollen or not, so she bit them with her teeth.

    Li Qinyue looked away and tapped the back of Zhuo Zhi’s hand with her chopsticks, “Eat properly.”

    Zhuo Zhi was a little confused, not understanding why she was being told to eat properly when she had already eaten half a bowl of rice.

    But since she was eating her food, she hummed in response and focused on devouring the food.

    However, Li Qinyue, who was sitting beside her, didn’t have much appetite.

    The idea of becoming a lesbian that had popped into her head today still seemed like a good idea to her.

    The inspiration, of course, came from yesterday’s commotion. Even if this scheme dealt with Zhang Xitan, her grandfather and father could still find Zhang Dongtan, Zhang Beitan, and Zhang Nantan to pair her up with.

    A three-legged toad was hard to find, but incompetent rich kids were everywhere.

    But if she became a lesbian, things would be different. Although bisexuality was prevalent among their generation, the older generation still couldn’t accept it.

    Whether they could influence the younger generation’s thoughts was one thing, but whether they still held onto the hope of a successful marriage for the next generation was another matter entirely.

    Li Qinyue thought she was a genius, using the simplest method to create the biggest shield, protecting herself for three to five years. By that time, her unlucky brother should be back in the country to inherit the family business.

    Then she, Li Qinyue, could continue to live her life however she wanted, at most just dealing with a few financial statements every six months, not rich enough to burst, but not starving either.

    Everything was perfect, the only problem was finding a lesbian partner.

    Li Qinyue never lacked suitors, so before this, she had never worried about not finding a woman to date.

    Blue Hair was just someone who happened to come knocking at her door. She was good-looking and had a personality that Li Qinyue didn’t dislike. Whether she wanted money or connections, Li Qinyue could provide them, and it would be easy to deal with her in the future.

    But something felt a little off.

    She didn’t have any feelings for women originally. This feeling of being “off” was mainly due to her comparison with Zhuo Zhi.

    For example, she liked to pat Zhuo Zhi’s head, arms, and legs, pinch her neck and her palms. With Blue Hair, she didn’t have this urge to touch.

    For example, she liked to look into Zhuo Zhi’s eyes, observing the subtle expressions on her young face. She had chatted with Blue Hair, but she didn’t even have a concrete impression of her facial features.

    And for example, Zhuo Zhi’s lips were slightly upturned, a beautiful color. Zhuo Zhi was soft and cuddly, her touch felt good…

    Li Qinyue frowned. As she was lost in thought, Zhuo Zhi had already finished most of the food.

    “Are you still eating, Sister?” Zhuo Zhi looked up and asked her.

    Li Qinyue looked at her, “You have a chili pepper stuck to your lips.”

    Zhuo Zhi wiped it off with a tissue, “If you’re not eating anymore, I’ll finish it.”

    She was a “every grain of rice is hard-earned” kind of warrior, a small girl with a big appetite.

    Li Qinyue laughed and asked her, “Little glutton, do you have someone you like?”