Yan Chi gently carried Gu Qingtong into the back seat and securely fastened her seatbelt. Gu Qingtong, as if being sealed away, became much more obedient and well-behaved.
“Should we go back to your parents’ house?” asked Yan Chi as she started the car.
“No, no… They will scold me if they see me drinking,” murmured Gu Qingtong, indicating that she hadn’t completely lost consciousness yet.
Yan Chi’s eyes darkened, and she muttered in a low voice as if talking to herself, “This is what you said.”
The event this time was held at a sports park in the western outskirts of the city. It took Yan Chi nearly two hours to drive back to her apartment in the city center. By this time, Gu Qingtong had already dozed off in the back seat, occasionally emitting soft, faint snores.
Yan Chi didn’t wake her up; instead, she lifted Gu Qingtong once again.
Gu Qingtong had been drinking and felt hot all over. She was experiencing waves of discomfort, but as soon as she came into contact with Yan Chi, she felt her unusually cold body temperature.
Unable to resist, she snuggled closer to Yan Chi, pressing her burning red cheeks against her neck and contentedly rubbing against it, making some humming sounds.
Seemingly affected by the scorching heat, Yan Chi’s breath hitched, and she lowered her gaze to the fidgety and clingy bundle in her arms.
When they arrived back at the apartment, the room instantly lit up as the lights turned on.
Groggily, Gu Qingtong looked around in confusion, her voice unusually soft and coquettish due to the lingering effects of alcohol. “Where are we?”
“My private apartment,” Yan Chi’s voice remained calm. “Are you awake?”
Hearing Yan Chi’s voice from above, Gu Qingtong belatedly realized that she was still being held and immediately blushed, attempting to free herself.
Yan Chi placed her on the couch and prepared to go to the kitchen to make her a cup of honey water.
Clearly still in a daze from the alcohol, Gu Qingtong grabbed Yan Chi’s sleeve on reflex when she saw her about to leave. She looked up, her face visibly distressed. “Y-You can’t leave me here. I don’t even know this place… sniffle…”
“I’m not leaving; I’m just going to make you a cup of honey water.”
At that moment, Yan Chi’s cool composure relaxed, and a hint of indifference appeared in her gaze.
“Don’t deceive me. I’ll be keeping my eyes on you!” Gu Qingtong hesitated for a moment before letting go, but her gaze indeed continued to eagerly follow Yan Chi’s every move.
Yan Chi could feel the gaze coming from the living room without even looking up.
She could be considered a reclusive person, rarely allowing others to come to her place, let alone bringing someone home overnight.
Late at night, the scene of her drunken and unruly fiancée appearing in her dreams over and over again…
Such a fertile ground easily nurtured youthful ambiguity and passion.
Yan Chi considered herself not a righteous person, but surprisingly, she not only took good care of the other person but also enjoyed the feeling of being relied upon and eagerly awaited by someone.
‘Interesting.’
With that thought in mind, Yan Chi’s stirring spoon came to a halt. She looked up and met the longing gaze of the other person on the sofa.
She cared deeply and eagerly anticipated how much change Gu Qingtong could bring into her own life.
Seeing that Yan Chi had indeed returned, the corners of Gu Qingtong’s mouth, which had been drooping due to grievances, lifted up. Without needing any reminder, she obediently drank the entire cup of honey water in gulps.
After finishing it, Gu Qingtong held the cup and looked at Yan Chi expectantly.
Having waited for a long time without getting what she wanted, she pouted and started complaining, “You never compliment me!”
Although it was a complaint, her voice was irresistibly soft and coquettish, scratching at people’s hearts.
As she looked at her, Yan Chi’s gaze deepened.
This was something that the little girl only dared to do in front of her when she was drunk. If it were their usual interactions, she would probably only speak reservedly about Yan Chi’s strengths and weaknesses.
Yan Chi couldn’t help but recall Gu Qingtong’s earnest assurance on the day they discussed the arranged marriage:
“I understand my position. We both get what we need, and I will never disturb your life or interfere with your career.”
‘But I don’t agree with that.’
With that thought, a playful smile appeared at the corner of her mouth. Her icy fingertips suddenly touched the teardrop mole at the corner of Gu Qingtong’s eye, and the trace of tears left behind moistened her fingertips, as if a tear had bloomed.
“So, what should I praise our Tongtong about? Is it to patiently wait for me without crying? Or is it for finally daring to say something other than polite words to me?”
As she spoke, her thumb, which was wiping away the tears, exerted a slight force, maliciously reddening the corner of her eye, as if determined to stain the teardrop mole with a crimson hue.
Gu Qingtong, in her current intoxicated state, clearly couldn’t comprehend this long string of complex and probing questions. She looked at Yan Chi with confusion, her eyes filled with doubt, and could only whimper:
“You hurt me!”
Yan Chi shamelessly enjoyed the sight of Gu Qingtong under her actions, as the reddened corner of her eyes became increasingly endearing.
Lips, fingers, knees, collarbone…
Can any part of her body easily turn into this delicate shade of pink?
“Don’t get so close to me,” Gu Qingtong pushed Yan Chi in front of her, completely oblivious to the danger beside her. “I smell like alcohol, it’s disgusting. I need to remove my makeup and take a shower.”
Gu Qingtong couldn’t tolerate the feeling of dirtiness on her body and face. She was accustomed to dealing with one thing at a time. At this moment, she had completely forgotten about what just happened. She insisted on removing her makeup and taking a shower, regardless of her unsteady stance.
“Do you really want to take a shower?” Yan Chi teased her as if teasing a cat with a small fish. “Then beg me.”
Although Gu Qingtong pouted reluctantly, she knew when to give in. “Fine, I beg you then.”
“What do you call me?” Yan Chi didn’t let her off easily, forcing her to say the name that made her fingertips tingle in the parking lot.
“Yan…big sister,” Gu Qingtong quickly noticed Yan Chi’s unsatisfied expression and instantly changed her address to “big sister.”
It wasn’t the answer she wanted, but unexpectedly, it coincided with the soft voice in her dream. Yan Chi admitted that she had been accurately struck by it.
Yan Chi fulfilled her promise and prepared a bathtub filled with hot water for Gu Qingtong, along with a new bathrobe.
But as she looked at Gu Qingtong’s determined stride, she couldn’t help but ask, “Can you manage by yourself?”
“It’s fine!” However, just two minutes after Gu Qingtong closed the door, there was a loud thud from the bathroom.
Yan Chi had anticipated it and sighed, “Did you fall? Can I come in now?”
At this moment, Gu Qingtong still felt a wave of ingrained shame in her DNA and reflexively said, “I-I can get up by myself…”
She leaned against the wall, trying to get up on her own, but she couldn’t control her weak knees and couldn’t muster any strength. Once again, she slumped to the floor.
In the end, the pain was so intense that she couldn’t speak properly.
“Waaah, it hurts so much. Please do it for me!” Gu Qingtong struggled to reach for the bathrobe, loosely draped it over her body, and laid down, giving up the struggle.
Yan Chi pushed open the door and saw Gu Qingtong sitting on the floor, legs folded, with her cascading black hair and stray strands extending into the loose collar of the robe. Because the robe wasn’t properly fastened, a glimpse of her fair shoulders could be seen.
She lifted her head like that, her watery eyes gazing over, carrying a hint of resentment and shyness, resembling a transformed white fox spirit.
Yan Chi always felt that if she let her bathe alone, there would be a risk of falling asleep and drowning in the bathtub.
In the end, under Yan Chi’s watchful gaze, Gu Qingtong sank into the bathtub, clad in her bathrobe.
As the steam enveloped them, the cheeks of both individuals gradually warmed.
But it was unclear whether it was due to the temperature and steam or the subtle atmosphere between the two.
❖❖❖❖❖
In the early morning, Gu Qingtong slowly woke up from her sleep, but the sensation of movement beneath her neck made it clear that she wasn’t in her own bed.
This horrifying realization petrified her, and she took a few deep breaths before slowly raising her eyes to look at the person beside her.
And at that moment, she was completely speechless.
Gu Qingtong discovered that she was resting her head on Yan Chi’s arm, curled up in her embrace.
What on earth happened? Why was she in Yan Chi’s bed?
Wasn’t she forcibly taken to a party by Sun Xiao last night? What is going on!
This shock brought back some fragments of memories, and Gu Qingtong’s recollection became somewhat clearer. It seemed that she got drunk at the party and then saw Yan Chi in the parking lot, so she proudly boasted about…
Wife?!!
Gu Qingtong felt a surge of blood rush to her head, as if experiencing a grand slam right from the beginning. How dare she call Yan Chi her wife right in front of her!
Afterward, Yan Chi brought her back to her apartment, and the memories of her mischievous behavior in the apartment were only hazy and vague. However, it was clear that all her various characteristics were exposed without a trace…
The fuzzy memory lingered around her noisy demand for a bath, but what happened afterward?
Realizing that the most crucial part seemed to be missing from her memory, Gu Qingtong closed her eyes with a sense of despair.
‘I don’t want to live anymore!’
Gu Qingtong racked her brains and could only confirm two things on her: the bathrobe on her body didn’t belong to her and the mysterious bruises and aches that she couldn’t recall the origin of.
Her body’s perception was always more sensitive compared to others. Apart from the simple pain in her waist and back, the skin around her collarbone seemed to feel strange… an indescribable sensation of pain and itching, as if rough fabric was scraping against her skin.
She slowly tilted her head downward without alarming the person next to her.
What she saw in the neckline of the bathrobe were several suspicious red marks, faintly visible.
Gu Qingtong was always aware of the nature of her own skin. Red marks couldn’t appear out of nowhere. The only suspects were her intoxicated self… or Yan Chi beside her.
“Are you really awake this time?”
Yan Chi’s voice suddenly sounded beside her, carrying a hint of morning huskiness and laziness, causing Gu Qingtong to shudder all over in fear.
To Gu Qingtong, the sound at that moment felt like a death knell, and her initial reaction was to feign indifference, pretending to be asleep, hoping to never wake up again for the rest of her life.
But she suddenly remembered that she was still comfortably resting her head on someone else’s arm!
Gu Qingtong opened her eyes and sat up with a hopeless expression. Blushing, she hurriedly said, “I-I don’t remember anything!”
Upon hearing this, Yan Chi’s movement of getting up paused. “Don’t remember what? Why did we end up sleeping together? Or what happened after we slept together?”
Yan Chi’s voice was still as cold as before, but Gu Qingtong somehow sensed a slightly unusual emotion. It seemed like the other person was angry…
She was the one who got drunk, and she was the one with fragmented memories. Not to mention that Gu Qingtong knew Yan Chi had no interest in her. Her body was clearly displaying it, except for those few red marks, there were no other suspicious reactions!
As Gu Qingtong recalled the words she had just spoken, words that sounded suspiciously like a typical excuse used by a scumbag to shirk responsibility, an absurd conjecture suddenly arose in her mind.
Could it be that she had suppressed herself too much in her daily life, and as a result, her hidden desires exploded uncontrollably under the influence of alcohol, taking advantage of Yan Chi?
Did this wave of paranoia seize the opportunity with Yan Chi right from the start?
In an instant, she imagined a dark, manipulative, and villainous character that she had extensively studied while writing fanfiction.
Gu Qingtong secretly looked at Yan Chi’s exposed neck and back. Not only did she notice the red marks, but there were also large areas of bruising and even some nail scratches, far more alarming than her own little red marks.
Looking at the gradient nail art she had just done last week, she found the weapon… and fell into silence.
Oh no, I’ve become a beast!
Gu Qingtong was frightened and at a loss, but she still trembled and cautiously asked Yan Chi, “D-did I do something to you last night…?”
She couldn’t even ask the question properly, overwhelmed by shame and embarrassment. She covered her face with both hands.
“If you don’t remember, let’s just pretend nothing happened.”
Yan Chi’s gaze also fell on her own neck, and her eyes flickered slightly. She pulled up her own collar and calmly said a few words.
By the time Yan Chi had gotten up and went to wash up, Gu Qingtong was still gnawing at her thoughts, trying to figure out what exactly she had done…
Her knowledge was mostly based on the few novels she had read, and her understanding of these matters was superficial at best. No matter how much she thought about it, she was sure she wasn’t the type to be self-taught in such things! But she couldn’t bring herself to ask Yan Chi about it.
However, pretending that nothing happened was also impossible for Gu Qingtong. Even if her alcohol tolerance was terrible, she wasn’t the type to completely change her attitude the next day like a scumbag!
Gu Qingtong hesitated and dragged herself out of bed, planning to sneak into the living room to retrieve her clothes and phone to change in her own room.
As soon as she stepped out, she bumped into Yan Chi coming out of the changing room, adjusting the high-necked knitted sweater, clearly wearing it to cover up the marks.
Gu Qingtong felt overwhelming guilt. “I’m sorry… did it hurt a lot?”
Yan Chi, on the other hand, became the one comforting her. “It’s okay. I have an interview today, so I need to conceal it.”
“I-I-I often have bruises like that. I have a lot of ointments at home, as well as scar removal creams! I can bring them to you later! Oh wait, if I go, there’s a chance someone might discover our relationship…”
Gu Qingtong’s hands twisted together, and she spoke incoherently.
Seeing her like this, Yan Chi felt as if something had touched her heart.
It was the first time she had experienced such an inexplicable emotion. The initial burning sensation gradually turned into a warm current, flowing from her heart to her icy fingertips.
Yan Chi let out a faint sigh, and when she looked up, a gentle smile appeared on her lips. She took a step forward and ruffled Gu Qingtong’s hair.
“You didn’t do anything, don’t worry.”
