When Ni Zijing returned to Qiao Qiao’s doorway carrying a large bag of groceries, it was already over two hours later.
It was 7:30 PM, leaving a half-hour buffer before the 8:00 PM time she and Qiao Qiao had agreed upon.
Ni Zijing knocked on the door.
Once, twice, three times.
No one answered?
“Qiao Qiao?” Ni Zijing knocked twice more outside the door and called out, but received no response.
Could she have fallen asleep inside?
Ni Zijing took out her phone, hesitating over whether to make a call to wake her up, when the door clicked open.
Simultaneously, a wave of intense heat rushed out, startling Ni Zijing.
While Ni Zijing was discussing matters with Song Cha at Zhuose, Qiao Qiao had actually accomplished a major feat at home.
She had originally just opened the refrigerator looking for something to drink, only to spot a glass bottle of bayberry wine that Xiaoduo had left there. Recalling it in her mind, what had Xiaoduo said again?
“Sister Qiao, this is something I brought over from my mom’s place, and it’s super delicious! Take it as an early congratulatory gift for your recovery! Just don’t drink too much of it, because this wine has quite a kick.”
Qiao Qiao thought about it, figuring it had been sitting there for a few days anyway.
She didn’t often drink alcohol, but for some reason, the mood struck her today. She unscrewed the cap and caught the rich, sweet-and-sour aroma of bayberries. Pouring half a cup first, she took a small sip, and it was sweet and tart, tasting just like juice.
She drained the half-cup in one go.
Then Qiao Qiao poured a full cup, turned the air conditioning up to its highest temperature setting, changed into lightweight loungewear, and sat on the sofa to drink.
Fretting over what to do with that shrunken wool sweater of Ni Zijing’s, she had simply tossed it right beside the sofa.
Pretending it was summer and she was sipping an iced beverage, how relaxing.
Of course, Qiao Qiao’s relaxation didn’t last very long. When the alcohol hit, Qiao Qiao’s flushed little face rested against the soft sofa cushion, her eyes half-closed as she felt an intense wave of heat washing over her entire body.
“Juanyan? Why are you here?” In her groggy state, Qiao Qiao called out.
Juanyan was a Golden Retriever Qiao Qiao had raised a long time ago, though ever since she moved out, she hadn’t seen Juanyan in ages.
She patted a throw pillow and mumbled, “Stop messing around, Juanyan, I want to sleep. Go play by yourself, be a good dog.”
Qiao Qiao had a poor tolerance for alcohol and was thoroughly drunk, and her speech lacked its usual cold edge, carrying instead a warmth and a hint of teasing amusement.
At that exact moment, Ni Zijing was outside knocking without an answer.
And right now,
Before Ni Zijing had even managed to steady herself, Qiao Qiao hooked her arms around her neck and dragged her inside. Accompanied by a heavy scent of alcohol, a smiling voice rang right beside her ear: “Stop fooling around, baby, I’ll play with you later, okay?”
Qiao Qiao’s hands slid downward to wrap around Ni Zijing’s waist.
Ni Zijing hadn’t forgotten to pull the door shut behind her, but caught completely off guard by Qiao Qiao’s embrace, she froze for a split second.
Qiao Qiao’s gaze was misty and unfocused: “Juanyan, why are you so tall? You’ve turned into a giant dog.”
Ni Zijing’s expression darkened as she steadied the swaying person and guided her toward the sofa: “Why did you drink so much alcohol?”
Hearing that voice, Qiao Qiao reached up to pinch Ni Zijing’s ear: “Juanyan, how can you speak human words! You’re even copying someone else’s way of talking, I’m warning you not to pick up bad habits!”
Ni Zijing: “!”
She finally understood why it was so scorching hot in here, because Qiao Qiao had turned the air conditioning up to 30 degrees. She was wearing only a loose short-sleeved top with a wide neckline that exposed her collarbones, and whenever she made expansive movements, a glimpse of hidden scenery threatened to slip out.
Ni Zijing pulled Qiao Qiao’s hand away from her ear, accidentally catching a glance, and instantly averted her eyes.
Someone so thin she practically didn’t have a waist,
Yet everything that should be there wasn’t lacking in the slightest.
Probably because she had just been pinched by Qiao Qiao, Ni Zijing felt her own ears growing rather hot. She took off her coat and spotted the shrunken wool sweater.
She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Just as she wanted to fetch a glass of warm water for Qiao Qiao, she was grabbed again the moment she stood up.
“Where are you going?” Qiao Qiao dragged her back down onto the sofa, resting her own head on Ni Zijing’s lap: “Lie down and don’t move, Juanyan.”
Ni Zijing looked down at her and said, “Do you want me to bark a few times for you?”
Qiao Qiao muttered: “That’s best. I’m warning you not to copy President Ni’s tone to scare me, I’m not afraid.”
Ni Zijing: “!”
Qiao Qiao’s breathing was somewhat heavy, and her words were laced with intoxication. Ni Zijing didn’t move, letting Qiao Qiao rest for a while, though her own back was sweating from the heat. Thinking Qiao Qiao might have fallen asleep, she tested the waters with a soft inquiry: “Qiao Qiao?”
Qiao Qiao didn’t open her eyes, just letting out a hum from her nose.
Looking at this little creature who became exceptionally clingy when drunk, Ni Zijing’s eyes filled with amusement. She carefully combed through Qiao Qiao’s hair with her fingers and asked softly, “Qiao Qiao, would you like to join me on a reality variety show?”
Qiao Qiao answered very quickly this time: “A show, what show?”
“A couple’s show.” Fearing Qiao Qiao wouldn’t hear her clearly, Ni Zijing bent down lower. “Do you want to go?”
Qiao Qiao let out a soft Ah, as if she had understood. Her eyes remained closed, while one hand familiarly hooked around Ni Zijing’s waist: “Okay.”
Ni Zijing chuckled softly: “Then will you choose me?”
No sooner had she finished that sentence than Qiao Qiao actually opened her eyes. A pair of eyes shone brightly like scattered starlight, her long eyelashes fluttering as she smiled captivatingly.
“I will,” Qiao Qiao said.
Ni Zijing felt Qiao Qiao’s restless hand wandering across her waist. Qiao Qiao’s simple response of “I will” crashed straight into her heart, making her feel somewhat dizzy.
Ni Zijing repeated: “Will you choose me?”
“I will.”
“Will you choose me?”
“I will.”
“Alright, then let me ask you, will you marry me?” Ni Zijing caught Qiao Qiao’s hand, wrapped her own arms around Qiao Qiao’s waist, and lifted her up so that Qiao Qiao sat right on her lap, pressing down against her.
She leaned back against the sofa, looking directly at Qiao Qiao, who was blinking slowly.
Collarbones, shoulder lines, neck, fingers. Every single part of Qiao Qiao was pulling at her.
Even if Qiao Qiao did nothing at all, just sitting on her lap with a faint, lazy smile at the corners of her lips possessed a natural, captivating allure. Ni Zijing felt as though the emotions in her chest were about to burst past her control.
At first, Qiao Qiao seemed to be pondering what she was sitting on, shifting slightly. Then, sensing no danger, she leaned forward and closed the distance even further, her bright, soft eyes opening wide before closing again as she rested her head against Ni Zijing’s shoulder, muttering: “Marriage? Are we getting married? Okay.”
Listening to Qiao Qiao’s breathing, feeling the softness pressed against her body and the burning heat of their skin, Ni Zijing regulated her breathing for a moment before speaking in a deep voice: “You really are heavily drunk.”
This time Qiao Qiao didn’t answer her. Ni Zijing gently laid her back down flat on the sofa before quickly hurrying off to pour a cup of warm water.
Qiao Qiao was still murmuring softly, her words too unclear to make out. Ni Zijing propped her up: “Drink some water.”
Qiao Qiao was surprisingly obedient this time, reaching out to take the cup with half-closed eyes. But right after receiving the cup, she suddenly loosened her grip and muttered in a flat tone: “I’m not drinking anymore, Xiaoduo! I am never touching this wine again.”
Consequently, the entire cup slipped from her grasp, spilling half of its contents directly across Qiao Qiao’s clothes, while the other half trickled down her snow-white neck and slid straight into the shallow cleavage below.
Qiao Qiao finally opened her drowsy eyes, looked down at her own chest, frowned, and said to Ni Zijing in a deeply dissatisfied tone: “You made me wet.”
Ni Zijing didn’t know whether to laugh or cry: “!”
She had no idea whether Qiao Qiao was actually sober or still drunk now. She gave herself a strict internal warning to act like an honorable lady and not take advantage of Qiao Qiao while she was intoxicated. But if this little hedgehog kept unintentionally teasing her like this, her self-restraint was going to snap.
Wanting to steady her mind and pick up the dropped cup first, Qiao Qiao suddenly slumped back softly against the sofa and told her: “Go get a clean one for me to change into, hurry up.”
How is she supposed to help her change?
Ni Zijing lifted her eyes to look at Qiao Qiao. The person lying on the sofa possessed distinct curves, her smooth, delicate skin practically glowing under the light. Her damp clothes clung tightly to her chest. Seeing no response, Qiao Qiao resumed her drunken murmuring.
“Hurry up, the clothes are right in the cabinet.”
“Xiaoduo, why aren’t you moving?”
Qiao Qiao twirled a strand of her own hair around her finger, growing impatient with the wait: “Go on, it’s sticky and uncomfortable.”
As she spoke, she tugged slightly at her neckline.
Ni Zijing: “!”