Little Bodyguard(GL) 71

Chapter 71

Li Qinyue hadn’t expected the Master to accompany Zhuo Zhi.

The Master was still wearing the same military coat and Lei Feng hat, looking stern as they approached the milk tea shop.

Li Qinyue peered through the window and, seeing that the Master wasn’t carrying anything in her hands, let out a sigh of relief.

The Master quickly spotted Li Qinyue.

Li Qinyue immediately stood up and walked out of the shop.

The three of them met at the entrance. Li Qinyue called out, “Master.”

The Master hummed in response, her expression neutral. But to Li Qinyue, it was already considered kind.

Li Qinyue secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhuo Zhi came to her side and tugged at her sleeve, “Sister, let’s go to the hotel to get your things and go home.”

“Ah,” Li Qinyue paused, then lifted her small bag, “No need to pack, this is all I have.”

“Huh?” Zhuo Zhi was stunned. After a few seconds, she turned to the Master, tears welling up in her eyes.

She didn’t say anything, just looked at her master with pleading eyes. The Master looked away and said to Li Qinyue, “Let’s go back then.”

Li Qinyue’s eyes lit up, and she exchanged glances with Zhuo Zhi, who was smiling despite the tears in her eyes.

Brilliant. Although Li Qinyue didn’t understand why the Master had given in so easily, she knew it must have something to do with Zhuo Zhi’s pitiful act. It was truly brilliant.

It seemed that the Master, like her, had a soft spot for those who showed weakness. Li Qinyue, thinking about her own temper, decided to learn from Zhuo Zhi.

She put on her most gentle and innocent smile, then said shyly, “The bar was busy cleaning up at lunchtime, so I just had a quick bite. I’m a little hungry now. Master, Zhuo Zhi, there’s a snack street right outside, the food is good, let’s go try it.”

The pampered Miss Li, who couldn’t even afford a proper meal after working, had to ask for permission to go to a snack street, how pitiful.

Zhuo Zhi said, “I bought a lot of meat, I’ll cook for you when we get home, Sister.”

Li Qinyue paused, then said, “Okay.”

But she secretly rubbed her stomach.

Zhuo Zhi was about to pull her away when the Master slapped her arm, “We’re going to the snack street.”

“Huh?” Zhuo Zhi was stunned, afraid that the Master would change her mind and not let Li Qinyue go home with them.

But Li Qinyue quickly chimed in, “Okay, let’s go check it out, you haven’t shown Master around yet, right? The braised pig trotters at the corner are delicious.”

Zhuo Zhi, still confused, was dragged away by Li Qinyue. The Master walked ahead of them, not wanting to talk to them.

Zhuo Zhi looked at Li Qinyue, her eyes full of questions.

Li Qinyue leaned closer to Zhuo Zhi and whispered, “Master is being considerate, who doesn’t want to eat immediately when they’re hungry?”

Zhuo Zhi’s eyes widened in surprise.

“I know what you’re worried about, it’s fine,” Li Qinyue said confidently, “Master won’t kick me out.”

Li Qinyue was so confident because she had already formulated a plan to play the victim.

She was a poor and destitute young lady now, she couldn’t afford to eat at fancy restaurants. The street food stalls, with their lively atmosphere, were more suitable for her. Fried chicken, barbecue skewers, cold noodles, pig trotters, stinky tofu, the more down-to-earth, the better. She would squeeze into the crowd, eating skewers with a look of pure bliss, as if she hadn’t eaten anything this delicious in a long time.

Her expressions and movements were perfect. The innocent joy, the sparkling eyes, the slightly pouty lips, as long as Li Qinyue imagined Zhuo Zhi’s face, she could pull it off flawlessly.

This was the familiar image of a child, and to the Master, wasn’t Li Qinyue just a child? The Master didn’t find it strange at all. She even bought a hot drink for Li Qinyue, afraid that she would choke on the food.

It was Zhuo Zhi who was shocked. She had never seen Li Qinyue like this before. She, who used to be so stubborn and rebellious, was now as soft as noodles.

Several times, Zhuo Zhi could barely keep a straight face. She would turn away, hiding her expression, unsure whether to laugh or cry.

The snack street wasn’t very long, it wouldn’t take long to walk through it, but eating along the way took time.

By the time they reached the end of the street, the lights had come on, and the sky was darkening.

A gust of wind blew past, and Li Qinyue moved closer to the Master, reaching out to adjust her collar, “Master, your buttons…”

The Master grabbed her wrist, her gaze as sharp as a knife.

Li Qinyue froze, staring at her, swallowing nervously.

“Master!” Zhuo Zhi quickly said, “Sister Qinyue just wanted to button up your coat for you!”

The Master let go of Li Qinyue’s wrist and turned her head, “I can button it myself.”

Li Qinyue didn’t dare to move. She retracted her hand and stood aside, saying awkwardly, “It’s getting cold now.”

Zhuo Zhi went over and took Li Qinyue’s hand, “Sister, Master didn’t mean it, it was just a reflex. Did she hurt you?”

It did hurt. Li Qinyue had experienced Zhuo Zhi’s strength before. When Zhuo Zhi was serious, her grip was like iron claws, and the Master’s was like an iron hammer.

But she shook her head, rubbing her wrist, “No, it doesn’t hurt. It was my fault, I was too sudden.”

Then she turned away and sniffled, looking truly pitiful.

The Master was silent for a moment, then asked, “What’s that?”

Zhuo Zhi looked in the direction the Master was pointing. Li Qinyue quickly answered, “There’s going to be a New Year’s music festival during the holidays, they’re setting up the stage.”

“Hmm,” the Master responded.

Li Qinyue, sensing an opportunity, said, “Let’s go take a look, that cartoon monster is already up.”

“Okay, okay,” Zhuo Zhi chimed in eagerly.

They crossed an underpass and reached another bustling street.

It was Saturday night, the perfect time to go out, and the crowd was much larger than usual.

In front of stores with promotional events, people were packed shoulder to shoulder, a sea of heads.

Li Qinyue took Zhuo Zhi’s left hand and said, “Don’t get lost.”

Zhuo Zhi quickly took her master’s hand with her right hand, “There are so many people, Master.”

The Master didn’t shake her hand away. So the three of them walked together, Zhuo Zhi, the shortest, in the middle, her face beaming with happiness.

Holding hands with the people she loved most in this lively crowd, despite the unresolved conflict and the less-than-ideal atmosphere, Zhuo Zhi felt happy.

And she firmly believed that the best was yet to come.

They passed through the most crowded area, but Zhuo Zhi didn’t let go of their hands.

Li Qinyue, of course, wouldn’t let go either, and part of the reason she was still holding onto the Master’s hand was because Zhuo Zhi was holding hers so tightly.

The child had grown up, and these moments of physical intimacy were rare now. The Master pretended not to care, but she also didn’t want to let go of Zhuo Zhi’s soft hand.

It reminded her of when Zhuo Zhi was little, when the mountain paths would become slippery after the rain, and Zhuo Zhi wouldn’t even dare to walk on the stone path outside their house without holding her master’s hand.

The three of them walked on, the two on the right lost in their thoughts.

Only Li Qinyue remained alert, her mind racing, determined to win over the Master.

There was a commotion in the crowd ahead. Li Qinyue’s sharp ears picked it up, and her eyes immediately darted towards it.

It seemed like there was an argument, not a big one, and as the crowd shifted, Li Qinyue saw a girl struggling to break free.

Hey, this is my chance! Li Qinyue thought to herself.

Zhuo Zhi’s righteousness and kindness must have been influenced by her upbringing.

Who would dislike an innocent child who stood up for justice? Li Qinyue had fallen for Zhuo Zhi many times because of her heroic actions.

Although there might be consequences, doing the right thing was always admirable.

Li Qinyue let go of Zhuo Zhi’s hand and rushed ahead of her little bodyguard, weaving through the crowd like a sprinter.

She was slender and agile, quickly reaching the center of the commotion. She heard the girl shout, her voice strained, “Let go of me!”

Without even needing to take a running start, Li Qinyue kicked the man who was holding the girl.

The man let go of the girl and stumbled backwards, falling to the ground.

He was skinny like a telephone pole, wearing tight leather pants, and as he fell, there was a ripping sound.

Li Qinyue didn’t know where his pants ripped, but the man quickly turned over, covering himself.

Li Qinyue grabbed the girl and, looking at her closely, noticed her electrocuted hair.

Li Qinyue frowned and asked, “What happened to your hair?”

Before the girl could answer, the man on the ground yelled, “You can’t leave! You haven’t paid!”

His shout was followed by the appearance of several more skinny men, their hair dyed in all colors of the rainbow, all wearing tight, sparkly outfits.

Li Qinyue realized what had happened and asked the girl, “Did they drag you in for a haircut?”

The girl nodded.

Li Qinyue was about to scold her for being so foolish when Zhuo Zhi suddenly appeared beside her, looking at the girl with righteousness and saying, “Don’t be afraid, I’m here.”

She stepped forward, standing between the men and Li Qinyue, her posture imposing.

Li Qinyue turned her head and saw the Master standing nearby.

Her expression was unreadable, her hands in her coat pockets. It was unclear if she would intervene.

Li Qinyue swallowed her sarcastic remarks, glared at the men, then turned to the girl and said gently, “Don’t be afraid, tell us what happened.”

The girl looked at her, her eyes confused by the sudden change in her attitude.

Li Qinyue smiled, her grip on the girl’s arm firm. With her other hand, she patted the girl’s shoulder reassuringly, “Don’t worry, tell us your name first, we’ll help you.”