7 – PUA Me? Get Lost!
Hearing the sound of Zhuang Hezhi’s phone call, Qin Zhiluo breathed a sigh of relief, yet felt a faint, inexplicable sense of disappointment.
The two maintained their intimate position, with Zhuang Hezhi pressed against her as he answered the call.
“Mm.”
“Go on.”
Qin Zhiluo couldn’t break free from his embrace, so she simply hooked her fingers around his tie and toyed with it in her hands.
Her fingertips grazed his neck intentionally or not, tracing the faint red mark on his Adam’s apple.
It was quite beautiful.
The next second, her restless little hand was caught and held firmly in his palm—a silent warning.
Qin Zhiluo didn’t obediently behave.
She curled her fingers and scratched lightly at his palm, watching as his composed expression struggled to hold. The little fox smiled with her eyes curving into crescents.
It made his breath catch, his Adam’s apple bobbing.
He spoke into the phone: “Drive the car around to the exit.”
“I need to take care of a small nuisance first. I’ll be down in five minutes.”
His tone sounded somewhat gritted through his teeth.
Qin Zhiluo knew she had stirred up trouble.
Before she could run, she was pulled back, one hand capturing both her wrists and pinning them above her head.
“Now you know to run? Weren’t you having a grand old time just now? Hm?”
As he spoke, he looked down at the little thing in his arms from above.
Deliberately provoking him, and then trying to escape?
Qin Zhiluo blinked with feigned innocence: “Aren’t you busy? You should go.”
“Don’t want to hold up your work.”
She was being very “considerate.”
Zhuang Hezhi’s tone carried a deeper meaning: “No rush. I haven’t properly rewarded my good girl yet.”
His large hand gripped her waist as he kissed her fiercely.
With a hint of punishment, he nibbled and savored slowly.
The air in her lungs was completely stolen away. Qin Zhiluo was forced to tilt her head back, gasping for breath as if starved of oxygen…
If not for his deliberate restraint, he might have devoured her whole.
Her soft, delicate body finally lost all strength to support itself, collapsing limply against Zhuang Hezhi.
Above her head, she could faintly hear the man’s satisfied click of the tongue.
Qin Zhiluo pressed her flushed little face against his chest, murmuring in a coquettish voice: “My feet hurt~”
It was definitely not because her legs had gone weak from the kiss!
“So delicate.” Zhuang Hezhi reached out to wipe the moisture from her lips, then affectionately tapped the tip of her nose.
He didn’t call her out on it, naturally bending down and sliding his arm under her knees, lifting her up with ease.
Qin Zhiluo let out a soft yelp: “What are you doing?”
Her sweet, soft little voice carried a note of flattered surprise.
Zhuang Hezhi countered: “Didn’t you say your feet hurt? Don’t squirm. I’ll carry you.”
Qin Zhiluo pressed her lips together.
He was so thoughtful!
And so strong too!
His sturdy, powerful arms were reassuringly secure, firmly supporting her waist.
Carrying her—over eighty pounds—down the stairs was like walking on flat ground; he didn’t even breathe heavily.
But… he was so practiced at this. He must carry people often.
At that thought, Qin Zhiluo pouted, feeling glum.
A trace of helplessness flickered across Zhuang Hezhi’s face: “My Earl is very clingy. He jumps on me at every opportunity.”
“Huh?”
“The dog I keep.”
Qin Zhiluo: “…”
Why on earth would you compare yourself to a dog?
“Is Earl the dog in your profile picture? He’s so handsome~”
“Handsome?”
Did this woman even hear what she was saying?
She’d compliment his dog but not him?
She needed a lesson!
Qin Zhiluo curved her lips: “Mm-hm! Gorgeously handsome! It must be because you raised him well, big brother. They say pets resemble their owners—since you’re devastatingly handsome, that’s why Earl is so majestic and extraordinary.”
She was always skilled at using her sweet, soft voice to praise people—gentle, like a cascade of cotton candy falling from the sky.
Zhuang Hezhi’s mood shifted from overcast to sunny: “If you like it, I’ll take you to see them next time.”
Qin Zhiluo: “To see them at your place?”
Zhuang Hezhi hummed softly in affirmation. “Be good, and I’ll take you next time.”
Qin Zhiluo: “Okay!”
She’d have to do some proper research when she got back—what Blue Bay Shepherd dogs liked.
Coming out of the emergency exit, her assistant Zhang Heng was waiting in a Porsche, having arrived some time ago.
Once in the car, with an outsider present, Qin Zhiluo was more restrained, sitting properly like a lady.
But Zhuang Hezhi directly clasped her ankle and placed her foot on his lap.
“Don’t move. Let me take a look.”
Her delicate little foot was slender without excess flesh—flawless as carved jade, naturally exquisite—yet the heel had been rubbed raw. That circular patch was purplish-red with a hint of white, slightly larger than a fingernail.
Just looking at it hurt.
If he had known her sooner, he would never have let her wear those troublesome high heels. Even the finest leather wasn’t a tenth as soft as her skin, and he wouldn’t have let her feet suffer at all.
He didn’t want her delicate little feet to touch the ground, didn’t want her to endure even the slightest injury.
He wanted to keep her cradled in his arms, pampered and cherished, holding her wherever they went, protecting her.
Zhuang Hezhi’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he suppressed the restlessness in his chest.
He took off her high heels and tossed them out the window.
Qin Zhiluo was startled: “Why did you throw my shoes away?”
That made no sense.
“Aren’t your feet hurting?”
Qin Zhiluo: “…”
“Even so, there’s no need to get rid of them. What am I supposed to wear when I get out of the car later?”
Zhuang Hezhi looked up and instructed Zhang Heng: “If we pass a mall, stop. Buy a pair of comfortable slippers.”
“Screech—” At those words, the car came to a halt.
Even the composed Zhang Heng showed a look of astonishment, but only for a second before he immediately adopted his professional demeanor.
“Sorry, President Zhuang. Sorry, Miss Qin. I’ll go buy them right away!”
Zhang Heng got out of the car and let out a heavy sigh of relief.
This was the President Zhuang who hadn’t even made a sound when shot? And all because a young lady’s foot had been rubbed raw, he would…
An older man falling in love was like an old house catching fire—absolutely devastating!
The car had common medical supplies on hand.
Zhuang Hezhi took out the ointment and, head bowed, applied it to her wound.
After applying the medicine with deliberate care, he brought it to his lips and blew on it gently.
Her foot was dry, fair and tender, with no particular scent.
But still—that was a foot!
Zhang Heng, who had returned from buying the shoes, stared in disbelief. Was this the President Zhuang with a cleanliness obsession?
The man took the slippers and put them on her himself.
“Should I take you home, or will you come with me?”
“Would it be too much trouble for you to take me home?”
“No.”
Qin Zhiluo stared at the bright red mark on his Adam’s apple. Her goal had been achieved.
Why would she go with him? To keep him company at work?
That would be far too boring.
The car drove to near Jinxiu Garden.
Qin Zhiluo got out and walked a few steps, but before she even entered the residential complex, she suddenly felt someone call out to her from not far away.
She turned around and saw Zhang Xuanyu striding toward her, clearly having been waiting there for a long time.
What a nuisance. She didn’t want to see him.
Ever since the breakup, she had thrown out everything Zhang Xuanyu had given her, cutting ties with him completely.
Just looking at him made her feel so disgusted she could barely keep her food down.
“Luoluo!”
Zhang Xuanyu caught up quickly and grabbed her wrist forcefully, nearly causing Qin Zhiluo to lose her balance.
She yanked her hand away fiercely. “What the hell is wrong with you? Why are you calling your daddy?”
He stubbornly chased after her, grabbing her arms and restraining her.
“Can you stop being so prickly? This is exactly why I broke up with you.”
“Trying to gaslight me? Why don’t you take a good look at yourself in the mirror and see what a piece of trash you are?”
Qin Zhiluo spat at him, telling him to get the hell out of her sight.
Her expression of disgust was like she was rejecting a piece of repulsive garbage.
That feeling wasn’t pleasant.
Zhang Xuanyu said helplessly, “Can you stop being so contrary? I know you still have feelings for me deep down. Let’s just talk things through properly.”
Qin Zhiluo sneered. “There’s nothing to talk about between us.”
“I just saw you getting out of that car. Who was that person? Why did you take his car? Are you trying to spite yourself because you’re angry that I’m with Alison?”
The more he spoke, the more agitated Zhang Xuanyu became.
“Slap—” Qin Zhiluo raised her hand and struck him across the face. “Watch your mouth!”
Zhang Xuanyu demanded angrily, “Am I wrong?”
He had originally thought Qin Zhiluo was conservative, that she wouldn’t even take things further with him after dating for so long.
Seeing her step out of a Porsche, Zhang Xuanyu was practically green with jealousy.
Something he hadn’t even gotten—why should some other man have it?
His eyes red, he tried to keep pestering her, but Qin Zhiluo simply lifted her leg and kicked him hard between the legs.
A wave of excruciating pain hit him, and Zhang Xuanyu immediately doubled over.
Qin Zhiluo stepped back a few paces, slightly regretting that she hadn’t been wearing high heels just now.
“If you dare show your face in front of me again, I’ll hit you twice every time I see you once!”
That was her final warning to him.
Zhang Xuanyu clutched his groin and chased after her in a very awkward posture.
“Luoluo, listen to me! You can’t treat me like this! I wasn’t really going to be with Alison, and I don’t actually like her. I just…”
When he caught up to her at the entrance, Qin Zhiluo told the security guard that this man was a perverted stalker and to call the police.
The responsible guard stopped him.
Zhang Xuanyu, unwilling to let go, could only watch helplessly as she went upstairs.
In his bloodshot eyes, besides resentment, there was also a hint of bitter fury.
Little did he know, the low-key colored Porsche had turned around and happened to witness the whole scene.
After pausing for a moment, it quietly drove away.
Qin Zhiluo was grateful that when she had earned her first sum of money, she immediately took out a loan to buy this apartment.
Three bedrooms and a living room—not very large, but with excellent security.
Otherwise, that annoying Zhang Xuanyu would have caught up with her.
Back home, she took off her shoes and lay comfortably on the sofa.
Lin Yue came over excitedly carrying two bottles of beer and squeezed in beside her. “Fuli just released their official teaser. Someone’s not going to be able to sleep tonight.”
“Come on, let’s celebrate.”
Qin Zhiluo popped open the can with one hand. “The contract was just signed and the teaser is already out. Fuli’s pretty efficient.”
She opened Weibo—Fuli had posted thirty minutes ago.
【Countdown to butterflies. Meet your heartbeat, meet @Qin Zhiluo. Come check out Fuli’s brand friend now!!】