Jian Xi woke up the next morning, feeling fresh and energized after a great night's sleep.
She threw off the covers and got out of bed, but then froze suddenly. Huh? This room?
Memories from the previous night flashed through her mind, causing her face to redden involuntarily.
Yesterday, He Qingchen had 'settled the score' with her, and somehow, in the midst of it all, she had fallen asleep!
She got up feeling frustrated and went to wash up. After opening the bedroom door, she didn't see He Qingchen in the living room. Jian Xi glanced at the time - it was 6:30 in the morning, which was usually when He Qingchen would be out for his morning exercise.
Sure enough, she soon heard footsteps outside, indicating He Qingchen's return.
She hurried to open the door.
When the door opened, Jian Xi's eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected treat before her!
He Qingchen, too, hadn't expected Jian Xi to suddenly open the door. He was just about to put on his T-shirt when he saw her eyes, filled with light, shamelessly ogling his body. It left him in an indecisive state - not sure whether to wear the shirt or leave it off.
But what surprised him even more was that Jian Xi wasn't content with just looking. She actually reached out and started touching him!
Her slender, jade-like fingers roamed mischievously over his body, igniting a raging fire within him. He Qingchen closed his eyes briefly, his Adam's apple bobbing rapidly a couple of times.
Jian Xi, on the other hand, had no ulterior motives - her actions were driven purely by curiosity. When she used to read novels, the descriptions of the male lead's physique meant nothing to her without a frame of reference. Now that she had one, she was curious to verify if He Qingchen's abs were indeed as hard as the novels described. So, without a second thought, she reached out and poked them.
She was amazed by the sensation and looked up at him with a sense of wonder. "Big brother, the abs really are hard! The novels didn't deceive me!"
Her fingers inadvertently traced the ridges of his abs, causing He Qingchen's gaze to deepen with a simmering intensity, the fire within him raging towards one focal point.
He took a step back, raised her chin with his hand, then quickly slipped on his T-shirt. His voice was slightly husky as he said, "Don't touch anymore. I'm all sweaty. I need to take a shower first. You should also go and change your clothes. We'll go down for breakfast after that."
Jian Xi's gaze was forced upwards as she pouted, "Hmph, stingy! If you don't want me to touch, I won't!"
He Qingchen shook his head in resignation, glancing down before letting out a sigh of relief. It was a good thing he was wearing black sweatpants.
He turned and went into the bathroom, and the sound of running water could be heard for a while. However, there was not a single trace of steam on the frosted glass of the bathroom!
Jian Xi changed her clothes and waited for He Qingchen in the living room. After growing impatient, he finally emerged from his bedroom.
"Let's go."
The two went downstairs for breakfast, then headed to the event venue on the tenth floor.
He Qingchen took a call, so Jian Xi went inside first.
Upon her arrival, those who were waiting for the competition to start let out a collective groan. "Didn't Master Ye say she had withdrawn from this event? Why is she here?"
"Does she plan to leave us no chance of winning first place?"
"I don't care, Master Ye, please take your junior sister away!"
Jian Xi raised her hand weakly, "I'm just here to have a look around and enjoy the atmosphere. I won't be participating in this event."
The crowd breathed a sigh of relief, but then Jian Xi added with a mischievous smile, "I'll be participating in the Talisman Painting event this afternoon."
The crowd: "......"
Guo Yulin, who had just finished his shift, finally had some free time.
He took a deep breath and approached Jian Xi.
Yesterday, he had wanted to get Jian Xi's contact information, but hadn't found an opportunity during the competition. He had thought about trying again during dinner, but she had been so exhausted that she skipped the meal and went straight back to rest.
Later, he had gone to find Master Ye Ze to discreetly inquire about Jian Xi's situation. However, he couldn't find Master Ye Ze either. Someone told him that Master Ye Ze had accidentally had wine spilled on him by a woman and had gone back to his room to take a shower.
Guo Yulin had resigned himself to not seeing Jian Xi until the next day. But to his surprise, she had shown up, so he mustered his courage and approached her to ask for her contact information.
"Miss Jian, are you feeling better? You didn't rest for long."
Recognizing him as the registration staff from yesterday, Jian Xi politely replied, "I'm feeling better, thank you for your concern."
Her polite yet distant tone hinted at her aloofness, causing a brief moment of disappointment for Guo Yulin.
"Then, then, Miss Jian, can I..."
"Xiao Xi."
Guo Yulin's words were cut off, and he looked up, his brow furrowing sharply.
As the second son of the prestigious Guo Family in City H, he couldn't help but recognize He Qingchen.
Their eyes met, and Guo Yulin felt an instant grip on his throat. Although He Qingchen wore a smile, beneath that smile lurked a cold, sharp edge, ready to slice through the air at any moment.
He Qingchen possessively wrapped an arm around Jian Xi's waist and looked at her with an amused expression, "Do you know him?"
"Ah, this is one of the staff members from the Metaphysics Association, responsible for registration and competition observation."
"He's my boyfriend, He Qingchen."
Jian Xi made a brief introduction, then turned her attention back to watching the event, clearly more interested in the ongoing excitement.
She hadn't found it particularly interesting when she was competing, but watching others compete was quite entertaining.
However, she couldn't seem to spot Tang Xingyou anywhere.
Jian Xi took out her phone and sent Tang Xingyou a message.
He Qingchen raised an eyebrow at Guo Yulin, who tactfully took the hint and left. It was clear now - she didn't even know his name, and she already had a boyfriend. He knew better than to pursue her any further.
After Guo Yulin left, He Qingchen pinched Jian Xi's waist and said with a hint of jealousy, "You certainly know how to attract attention, don't you?"
Jian Xi was puzzled by his remark. What did he mean by 'attracting attention'? Who was she attracting?
Tang Xingyou quickly replied to Jian Xi's message, not hiding anything from her. She explained that the previous night at dinner, she had gone to the restroom and accidentally bumped into a server carrying wine glasses while not paying attention to her surroundings. Coincidentally, Master Ye Ze had been passing by at that very moment, and the spilled wine had drenched his clothes.
"Several glasses of red wine spilled all over Master Ye Ze's white shirt, turning it red from the chest down. I was so startled that I immediately tried to wipe the drops from his waist area, but he refused my help and hurriedly left. You should have seen how angry Master Ye Ze looked! It was terrifying!"
"Since you didn't have any events scheduled for this morning, I decided not to go, as I was afraid of facing Master Ye Ze's wrath!"
After listening to Tang Xingyou's voice message, Jian Xi couldn't help but laugh. Her senior sister always seemed to be scared of their Second Senior Brother like a timid quail!
