Inside the room, Su Qingyi finished tidying up her belongings.
After all, coming to the Pei household as a nanny had been too sudden, and all her clothes and items were still packed in her bundle, with no time to put them away.
From the moment she entered, she had been cooking and cleaning until now, finally gaining a bit of personal space.
“Hah…” Su Qingyi sat on her small bed after finishing her tidying, a thin layer of sweat covering her body.
She raised her hand to wipe the fine beads of sweat hanging on her neck, her clear eyes gazing out the window.
It was just past noon, and the weather was warm—perfect for a bath!
After washing up, she could even apply some face cream.
In her previous life, she had worked herself to death. Forget skincare or makeup—she had only ever smelled vanishing cream from the Supply and Marketing Cooperative on Shen Qiuyue.
In this life, she had decided: since one only lives once, she would treat herself better!
Pei Zhao’s home had a bathroom. Su Qingyi heated some water and quickly rinsed off.
The refreshing scent of soap mixed with the faint aroma of face cream left her feeling indescribably comfortable.
Back in her room, she shook out the dress—its texture was exquisite.
The soft, breathable fabric was both trendy and comfortable, making her eager to try it on.
After slipping it on, she was surprised to find that the dress fit her perfectly.
It hugged her curves, accentuating her graceful and slender figure.
The collar and floral print design further highlighted her fair complexion.
As she looked at herself in the mirror, the familiar yet unfamiliar reflection made her cheeks flush instantly.
This… this was far too figure-hugging.
Her full, curvaceous silhouette, paired with her fair skin, made her look even more radiant.
Accustomed to loose clothing, she felt a bit embarrassed seeing herself like this.
Just as she was about to change, she suddenly heard a muffled groan from outside!
The voice was deep, and even from a distance, she could sense the restrained pain in it.
The voice was familiar—it was Pei Zhao!
Remembering his injured leg, Su Qingyi’s heart skipped a beat!
Without a second thought, she rushed out of the room, still in her dress.
“Regimental Commander Pei!”
She saw Pei Zhao lying on the bed in his room, his face pale and contorted in pain, his brow tightly furrowed.
Prominent veins snaked from his neck all the way to his temples.
Beads of sweat dotted his forehead, and agony flickered across his resolute face.
Su Qingyi walked in with a frown. “Regimental Commander Pei, what’s wrong?”
Pei Zhao gritted his teeth and forced out a few words. “My leg… cramped up. It’s an old issue.”
Ever since his injury, his leg would occasionally cramp.
When it did, it felt as though someone were hammering away at his nerves, blow after blow.
Su Qingyi immediately understood the situation. Without hesitation, she leaned down. “Don’t move. Let me massage it for you. You shouldn’t force it now.”
“If you strain a tendon or bone, you’ll suffer every day from now on.”
Back when she was studying to be a nutritionist, she had specifically learned massage techniques because of He Annian’s intense training regimen.
She naturally knew how to quickly relieve muscle pain.
Her slender, warm fingers touched his leg bone, and Pei Zhao stiffened instantly!
Before he could speak, that familiar, gentle fragrance drifted straight into his nostrils.
Pei Zhao’s face darkened, and he instinctively tried to push her away. “No need…”
“Don’t move! The more you move, the more it’ll hurt!”
Su Qingyi cut him off without hesitation. Though her fingers were slender, her strength was perfectly measured.
Her pressure was just right—neither too light nor ineffective.
Pei Zhao’s tense body gradually relaxed, the cramping pain in his calf effectively alleviated.
But then, his body temperature rapidly rose…
He could clearly feel those soft fingers moving over his leg.
His thoughts uncontrollably stirred with desire!
His increasingly dark gaze fell upon her, only now noticing she had changed into a dress.
It had to be said, this dress suited her complexion perfectly, her fair and delicate skin even more lustrous than a peeled egg.
Her already graceful figure was outlined exquisitely, her still-damp thick hair exuding a misty vapor.
Pei Zhao clenched his fists, the veins on his neck engorged with blood.
From his angle, he could just see Su Qingyi bent over near his waist.
Her rounded fingertips flushed pink from the pressure, damnably captivating, impossible to look away from.
Her lowered brows and eyes naturally exuded an innate allure!
Pei Zhao’s heartbeat suddenly accelerated, his breathing growing somewhat hurried.
Sensing something amiss, he immediately reached out to grab her arm, “It’s much better now, you don’t need to… hmm!”
Su Qingyi, focused on the massage, hadn’t expected him to suddenly pull her.
Caught off guard, she stumbled directly from the tug!
“I, I…”
Su Qingyi’s face flushed red; this scene was too stimulating, she didn’t even know how to react.
But just as the atmosphere turned awkward, a sudden exclamation came from the doorway.
“Ah!”
“Heaven above!”
Su Qingyi’s cheeks flushed so red they seemed about to bleed. She hurriedly shook off Pei Zhao’s large hand gripping her, hastily stepping back a few paces, flustered as she straightened her skirt hem.
Meanwhile, Pei Zhao swiftly composed his expression, quickly pulling the blanket over his legs, the heat in his dark red face fading somewhat.
Standing at the doorway was Chen Xiu.
She had one hand supporting her lower back, the other resting on her round, full belly.
Chen Xiu looked surprised, her gaze shifting back and forth between the two, her tone carrying a hint of teasing, “I was feeling a bit better, so I came specially to see my dear sister. This… did I come at a bad time?”
Seeing her misunderstanding, Su Qingyi was utterly embarrassed, hurriedly waving her hands to explain, “No, no, sister-in-law, don’t misunderstand.”
“It’s Regimental Commander Pei, his leg cramped badly, hurting terribly, so I was just helping massage…”
“Oh, alright, alright, I understand.”
Chen Xiu revealed an ambiguous “I get it” smile, “Regimental Commander Pei’s leg is an old issue; having someone help rub it makes it heal faster.”
Great, the more she explained, the messier it got.
Su Qingyi was completely at a loss; she was so embarrassed she wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
She cautiously glanced at Pei Zhao.
The man, for once, wasn’t angry, just silently leaning against the headboard.
His sharp black eyes were indifferent, his chiseled face showing a hint of awkwardness.
Pei Zhao noticed her gaze, merely casting a faint glance her way, not rushing to explain like Su Qingyi, “Sister-in-law, did you come for something?”
This question, instead, made the atmosphere even more awkward.
Chen Xiu walked in with a smile, her gaze settling on Su Qingyi, her tone enthusiastic, “I came to ask you, that steamed hawthorn brown sugar water you had my husband make, and those appetizer dishes—how are they made?”
“I want to learn too, dear sister, would that be convenient?”