Little Bodyguard(GL) 8

Chapter 8

When Li Qinyue opened her eyes, she felt dizzy.

It took a full two spins before it stopped, followed by a splitting headache.

She frowned, staring at the ceiling, enduring it silently. When the dizziness subsided, she got out of bed and sat up.

The old air conditioner was running, making a rhythmic sound.

No matter how carefully the cleaning lady came to clean, it was still an uninhabited place. The floral wallpaper in the room was yellowed, with a slightly musty smell.

Li Qinyue leaned against the headboard, recalling the events of last night, a little shocked that she had brought Zhuo Zhi here in the end.

This was her old home, the place that could be considered “home” in her heart.

Although it was only due to some unexpected events that her already wealthy father had temporarily fallen into poverty and had to move into his wife’s pre-marital house with his wife and daughter, this was where Li Qinyue’s memories began.

At that time, she didn’t have her troublemaker brother yet. Li Qinyue liked to run around upstairs and downstairs with the older kids in the courtyard, and then be called back by her mother’s voice at mealtime.

It was this house, with windows facing the courtyard downstairs. Her mother liked small floral patterns, and the curtains and wallpaper were all floral. She had beautiful long hair, permed into a fashionable style at that time. When the sunlight fell on the window, the scene of her pulling back the warm curtains and waving to Li Qinyue made her playmates extremely envious.

Having a beautiful and gentle mother was the thing Li Qinyue was most proud of in her childhood.

Later, this pride was gone, along with those warm times, those feelings of stability and happiness, all gone.

As an adult, when Li Qinyue wanted to recapture those feelings, she could only constantly challenge her own heart, constantly experience the thrill of survival, constantly abandon everything and gain it again, in order to obtain a brief moment of satisfaction.

What unsettled her was that during yesterday’s bungee jump, when Zhuo Zhi held her tightly, when they swayed together in mid-air, when Zhuo Zhi whispered in her ear, advising her not to do such dangerous things again, Li Qinyue felt a long-lost joy from the bottom of her heart.

It was a kind of joy that made her want to lean in, sink in, and completely open her arms to embrace it.

It was both touching and unsettling.

After her mother’s death, her father had devoted himself to work, disappearing for most of the year. Now that she thought about it, Li Qinyue didn’t blame him.

This was the most common family situation in their wealthy neighborhood, there was nothing to be sentimental about.

What angered Li Qinyue was that one day, her father suddenly “repented,” “saw the light,” and began to interfere in her life, wanting to make up for the lost family warmth.

His methods were simple and crude, always telling her what she could and couldn’t do.

Therefore, because his actions in this regard were absurd, Li Qinyue could strongly refuse and fiercely resist. Year after year, they had actually reached a subtle balance.

Now, this little spy sent by her father was going to break this balance.

She was truly more effective than a therapist. In just two or three days, she had managed to make Li Qinyue’s emotions fluctuate greatly, giving her the urge to break free and start anew.

If Zhuo Zhi weren’t a girl, and a young one who had just come of age, Li Qinyue would even suspect that she had fallen in love with her at first sight.

Thinking of this, her temples throbbed, her mind muddled from the hangover, yet her logic clear.

Zhuo Zhi had probably already told her father about what happened yesterday. Li Qinyue felt that in this unpredictable battle, she had to adjust her mentality in time according to the situation, stick to her uncompromising stance, and at critical moments, use a spy within a spy to turn the tide.

She was still wearing the same clothes as yesterday. Zhuo Zhi had only taken off her shoes and jacket, stuffing her into bed all dirty, not very considerate.

Li Qinyue turned over and felt for cigarettes in the jacket by the bed. She clearly remembered there was a pack, but she couldn’t find it.

She completely lifted the quilt, got out of bed, and opened the bedroom door, ready to go to the bathroom.

The disadvantage of a small house was that no one could avoid each other, and what everyone was doing was clear at a glance.

It was almost noon now. The curtains in the living room were fully drawn, and the light streamed in, falling on the old furniture.

Zhuo Zhi was sitting on a small stool, reading a book. Li Qinyue narrowed her eyes. Her eyesight was good, and she could see that it was a collection of elementary school essays.

A collection of elementary school essays…

What was there to read about that?

Li Qinyue coughed, and Zhuo Zhi looked up, rubbing her eyes and saying, “You’re awake.”

Wasn’t it obvious? Li Qinyue hummed in response.

“I didn’t disturb you this time,” Zhuo Zhi stood up and put down the book, “You slept for a long time.”

“I drank too much,” Li Qinyue couldn’t help but say, “Isn’t it normal to sleep for a long time after drinking too much?”

As if remembering something, Zhuo Zhi suddenly laughed.

Li Qinyue continued towards the bathroom. When she reached the door, she suddenly turned around and asked Zhuo Zhi, “What are you laughing about?”

Zhuo Zhi raised her hand, hesitating a little, “Do you get blackouts when you’re drunk?”

Li Qinyue felt that this topic wasn’t very friendly, so she said half-truthfully, “It depends.”

“Do you remember what happened yesterday?” Zhuo Zhi took a few steps closer to her.

“What do you mean?”

“The fight?”

“I remember.”

“They called the police in the end.”

“I remember.”

“You made a phone call, and we didn’t have to go to the police station.”

Li Qinyue grinned, “Of course, we were in the right.”

Zhuo Zhi knew that this wasn’t a matter of right or wrong. They had directly used their connections to skip the process.

She paused and said, “We shouldn’t do this again.”

“Do what?”

Zhuo Zhi thought for a moment, “We shouldn’t play music while beating people up.”

Li Qinyue couldn’t help but laugh, “What’s wrong with playing music? Weren’t you having fun fighting?”

“It’s too childish,” Zhuo Zhi said, “Now all I can think about is ‘Sekai ga owaru made wa hanareru koto mo nai(As long as the world exists, we will always be together)’, and you’re playing it on repeat.”

“I wouldn’t have to play it on repeat if you weren’t showing off your moves,” Li Qinyue teased, staring at her, “Wasn’t it awesome?”

“You keep asking me that. Actually, I was holding back, just some minor pain and bruises.”

“Hypocrite,” Li Qinyue entered the bathroom.

“It was awesome,” Zhuo Zhi looked up and said directly.

Li Qinyue splashed water on her face. It was cold and refreshing.

She didn’t speak anymore, just washed her hands, face, and combed her hair. Zhuo Zhi stood by the door watching her.

“Spit it out,” Li Qinyue said.

“Do you still remember what happened afterwards?” Zhuo Zhi showed one eye in the mirror, “You brought me here.”

“Hmm.”

“You magically pulled out a key from that compartment at the door.”

“Hmm.”

“Then you said you were hungry, and I went downstairs to buy you late-night snacks.”

“Hmm.”

“The snack shop was an old one, it’s been open for decades, you said it was delicious,” Zhuo Zhi paused, “Then you said I looked like your father.”

Li Qinyue turned off the water and didn’t respond.

Zhuo Zhi pressed, “Do you remember?”

Li Qinyue pulled out a tissue to wipe her face, then wiped her hands.

“Don’t you remember?” Zhuo Zhi continued asking.

Li Qinyue glanced at her, her tone icy, “What if I remember or don’t? Do you want me to call you dad?”

“No,” Zhuo Zhi rubbed her hands, a little embarrassed, “I just want to say, if you have anything happy or unhappy, you can talk to me, I can keep a secret. Don’t drink alone anymore, it’s bad for your health.”

Li Qinyue stared at her, holding the door with her hand, “Okay dad, can I go pee now?”

Zhuo Zhi’s face turned red instantly.

Li Qinyue raised her hand and slammed the door in her face.

When she came out of the bathroom, Zhuo Zhi had already set the takeout boxes on the dining table.

The water and electricity in the old house still worked, but the gas was unnecessary and had been cut off. Otherwise, Li Qinyue had no doubt that Zhuo Zhi would buy groceries and cook her a meal.

The two of them sat at the dining table. Zhuo Zhi tried to make conversation, “This bok choy is delicious. Don’t judge it by its appearance, it’s actually very tender.”

“This cucumber is a little old. I don’t really understand why people stir-fry cucumber with eggs. The cucumbers I grew in the backyard were super pretty, I ate them all raw before they grew up.”

“Some ingredients don’t need to be overcooked. Natural is best to bring out the ultimate flavor.”

“People are the same…”

“Dad,” Li Qinyue interrupted her, “Can’t you shut your mouth even when eating?”

Zhuo Zhi shut up and muttered after a while, “Don’t call me that.”

“You think I like calling you that?”

“Oh, I won’t say anything more.” Zhuo Zhi stuffed a mouthful of rice into her mouth, her cheeks bulging.

After lunch, Zhuo Zhi cleaned up. Li Qinyue lay on the sofa, scrolling through her phone.

Then she suddenly sat up and beckoned to Zhuo Zhi.

Zhuo Zhi finished wiping the table and walked over, “What’s up?”

“Where did you hit Ling Xi and the others last time?” Li Qinyue asked.

“Arms, legs, and back. They didn’t look like they could take a beating, so I didn’t dare to hit anywhere dangerous,” Zhuo Zhi paused and added, “That guy bumped his own chin when he was waving his arms around.”

Li Qinyue stared at her, “Is that all you’ve got?”

“President Li,” Zhuo Zhi said cheerfully, “The key is that you weren’t there to give me live instructions.”

“Heh.” Li Qinyue was pleased by her words, but after a pause, she was not so pleased, “Even if I was there, I couldn’t give you instructions openly.”

“We can plan ahead,” Zhuo Zhi leaned closer and sat down next to her.

Li Qinyue smiled, “Are you here to be my bodyguard or my thug?”

“Actually…” Zhuo Zhi paused and said, “You can use me however you want.”

“Huh?” Li Qinyue looked at her.

Zhuo Zhi repeated, “You can use me however you want.”

“Even if it’s illegal?” Li Qinyue raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, let’s not do anything illegal, my master will beat me up…” Zhuo Zhi thought for a moment, “Yesterday’s level of control is acceptable.”

Li Qinyue laughed for a while, “That level of control was possible because I have money and power.”

“That’s right,” Zhuo Zhi sighed, “Before, when I injured people, I had to work part-time to pay my master back for the medical expenses, it was tiring.”

“So you stopped fighting?” Li Qinyue was very interested in this.

Zhuo Zhi turned to look at her, her eyes wide, and lowered her voice, “Later, I only hit places where the injuries wouldn’t be visible.”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk…” Li Qinyue clicked her tongue.

“So, Sister Qinyue,” Zhuo Zhi suddenly grabbed her hand, “I’m confessing to you now, my motive for coming down the mountain is impure, and my motive for being your bodyguard is even more impure. I know your family is rich, so it’s good to have a big tree to rely on. I can use your influence to my advantage.”

The girl’s hand was soft and warm, like a hot water bottle when she held Li Qinyue’s hand.

She became more and more excited as she spoke, her face flushing red, “In these past few days following you, I know you’re not a bad person, but you’re someone with guts. You wouldn’t do anything truly illegal like cheating, deceiving, or harming innocent people, but when it comes to beating up bad guys, you’re ruthless.”

“I’m very happy,” Zhuo Zhi suddenly got up from the sofa and knelt down in front of Li Qinyue, her hand still holding hers. Looking up at Li Qinyue from this angle, her eyes seemed even brighter, her whole person lively and vivid, “I’m really happy to have met you. I feel like I can roam the world with you, fight for justice, achieve great things, and live a fulfilling life.”

Li Qinyue laughed, “Did you learn those idioms from reading elementary school essays?”

“No, it’s my dream,” Zhuo Zhi said seriously.

“Are you going to swear an oath of brotherhood with me? Not asking to be born on the same year, month, and day, but to die on the same year, month, and day?”

“No,” Zhuo Zhi denied again, seriously, “If there’s real danger, I will definitely save you, you will definitely live a long life.”

“Damn,” Li Qinyue muttered, looking out the window.

An eighteen-year-old girl coming down the mountain to roam the world was so youthful, passionate, childish, and stupid.

But perhaps because she herself hadn’t matured much over the years, she actually felt a little touched, and almost teared up on the spot.

“So,” Zhuo Zhi emphasized again, “Sister, you can use me however you want.”

Li Qinyue looked at the bright sunlight outside the window, suppressed the surge of excitement in her heart, coughed, and made sure her tone was normal.

Then she said, “Ling Xi and the others said they wanted to use the second son of the Zhang family to deal with me, do you remember?”

“Yes, yes,” Zhuo Zhi quickly said, “I’ve always remembered, just waiting for your instructions.”

“There are no specific instructions,” Li Qinyue patted the back of her hand and stood up, “Just those disgusting things. I was originally planning to go with the flow and turn the tables, but now it’s different.”

Zhuo Zhi stood up and asked, “How is it different?”

“I have you now,” Li Qinyue sighed, looking helpless, “You like to play, so let’s make a big move.”

Zhuo Zhi was so excited, but she still tried to suppress her childishness. Her lips moved, and in the end, she could only clench her fist and strike a comic book pose, “Okay, let’s make a big move!”

Li Qinyue also clenched her fist and said in a dramatic voice, “Let’s go, Zhuo Xiaokui!”

****

T/N:

• Zhuo: This is simply the first part of Zhuo Zhi’s real name.

• Xiaokui (小葵): This means “Little Sunflower”. Sunflowers are associated with brightness, positivity, and following the sun. Also this nickname is related to the character Himawari Nohara, a character from the Japanese anime and manga series Crayon Shin-chan.(Personality)