Chi Yu held Song Luokui in his arms and carried her to the car. Originally, he intended to take her back to the dormitory, but in her current state, Chi Yu didn't feel comfortable leaving her there.
"Go to Wanhai Villa," he said, referring to the place where he currently resided.
"Yes, sir."
Song Luokui was a bit dazed and felt a tinge of warmth. She promptly unbuttoned her qipao dress, revealing a glimpse of her fair skin that caught Chi Yu's eyes.
Chi Yu immediately grabbed her hand, "Be still, my dear." He then helped her re-button her dress.
Song Luokui tried to remove her coat, muttering, "Hot..."
Chi Yu re-buttoned her dress and helped her take off her coat. Finally, the girl in his arms settled down, resting her head on his shoulder, her breath caressing his neck.
Chi Yu held her in his lap, one arm loosely embracing her waist. He gazed at her flushed face, gently poking her cheek with his finger and then tenderly caressing it.
Not daring to be too bold, he quickly withdrew his hand. The girl in his arms stirred slightly, trying to nestle closer to him, her small hands grasping at the buttons of his shirt.
Chi Yu tensed at her movements but soon relaxed, taking a deep breath. He firmly grasped her slender waist, pulling her closer into his embrace.
They soon arrived at Wanhai Villa, and the car drove straight into the underground garage. Chi Yu bundled Song Luokui in a coat and carried her, princess-style, into the elevator and up to his floor.
He laid her on the bed in the master bedroom, removed her shoes and socks, and upon noticing her reddened lips, made a call: "Bring me a makeup removal kit."
After hanging up, he tucked her under the covers, placing her coat on a nearby sofa. Seeing the petite figure lying on his bed filled Chi Yu with an unprecedented sense of satisfaction.
The makeup removal kit arrived shortly, and Chi Yu meticulously removed her makeup. He noticed that without her makeup, her appearance didn't differ much, except for the absence of the sparkling eyeshadow.
Chi Yu sat by her side for a while before turning off the lights and leaving the room.
The next day, on the gray bed, Song Luokui was entirely buried under the covers, with only one fair foot peeking out from the end of the bed.
After a moment, the little foot twitched, and a hand emerged from the covers. Song Luokui rolled over, suddenly opening her eyes wide. She sat up abruptly, searching frantically for her phone. Oh no, had she missed class?
Unable to find her phone, she rushed out of the room, barefoot...
Chi Yu had just returned from his workout when he saw her hurrying down the stairs, her raven hair cascading carelessly behind her, her expression a mix of confusion and urgency.
He strode over and scooped her up, "Why are you walking around barefoot?"
Song Luokui tapped his hand, "I'm going to be late!"
Chi Yu reassured her, "You won't be late. I'll drive you to school, and you'll make it on time. It's only 7:20 right now."
7:20? That's a relief.
Song Luokui relaxed, finally realizing that Chi Yu was holding her, and her arms were around his neck.
Chi Yu set her down on the sofa and handed her a pair of slippers. "First, put on your shoes. The toiletries are in the bathroom. I'll have someone bring your clothes, makeup, and other necessities. Once you're ready, come downstairs for breakfast, and I'll drive you to school."
Song Luokui, still a bit dazed, replied, "Okay, okay."
In the bathroom, she looked at her reflection in the mirror – her hair was disheveled, and her face was flushed from the heat. Last night, she... she remembered hearing Chi Yu and the others talking, but after that, her memory was hazy.
Thinking about the drink, could it be... Was it alcohol?
She distinctly recalled Chi Yu asking someone to bring her a beverage.
After splashing some warm water on her face, Song Luokui regained full awareness. Now wasn't the time to dwell on that. She needed to get to school. Within ten minutes, she had gotten ready and hurried downstairs, where the table was set with an array of breakfast options: steamed buns, sandwiches, dumplings, and soy milk.
Song Luokui grabbed a steamed bun and a sandwich, urging, "Let's go, go, go! I'll be late."
Chi Yu handed her a bottle of milk, and they headed to the underground garage, where the driver was waiting.
In the car, Song Luokui wolfed down her breakfast, nearly choking. Chi Yu quickly passed her the milk. "Don't rush. You won't be late, I promise."
After gulping down the sandwich and milk, Song Luokui finally calmed down.
Chi Yu took a napkin and wiped her mouth. "You could have taken the day off, you know."
Song Luokui looked at him, "No way! I don't want to miss class. There's nothing wrong with me."
Chi Yu nodded. "Alright, no day off. We'll make it on time, so don't worry."
"Mmhmm, where's my phone?" Now that she had her fill, Song Luokui remembered her phone. "Oh, and my bag... no, wait, my books! I need to go to the dorm first, and then to the lecture hall." She calculated the time in her head.
Chi Yu handed her the phone and bag. "I had someone take your books to the classroom. I'll drop you off directly at the lecture hall. You can just go straight there."
Song Luokui was puzzled. "When did you arrange all this?"
Chi Yu patted her head. "While you were in the bathroom, I took care of everything."
Song Luokui relaxed in her seat. "Thank you."
"By the way, what happened last night? I can't seem to remember clearly." And how did she end up at his place? She thought he was taking her back to the dorms.
This morning, things were so rushed that she didn't have a chance to take a good look at the room. All she knew was that it was mostly gray and white, and there were some men's toiletries in the bathroom. Was that Chi Yu's room?
Why did he give her his room?
Chi Yu explained, "It was my fault. The 'beverage' was actually a sweet wine. I didn't check it carefully."
Song Luokui nodded in realization. "Ah, so it was wine. I thought it was a regular drink." It did taste quite sweet, and she had grabbed it herself, so it wasn't really his fault.
Chi Yu stated firmly, "There won't be a next time."
Song Luokui waved her hand dismissively. "It's not your fault."
Chi Yu twirled a strand of her hair. "I'll be away on a business trip, out of the country. If you need any help, you can reach out to Ji Xiao or someone else. I'll send you their contact information later."
"That's not necessary. I can ask my brother for help," Song Luokui said.
"There may be some things your brother or your father can't conveniently assist with. I'll give you the contacts anyway," Chi Yu insisted.
"Well, thank you," Song Luokui conceded. Having more connections never hurt.
They soon arrived at the Literature Department's lecture hall. As Song Luokui prepared to get out of the car, Chi Yu grabbed her hand. "Wait for me to return. I want to know your answer."
Song Luokui blinked her eyes, merely uttering, "Bye-bye, I'm off to class."
"Mmhmm."
Chi Yu watched her retreating figure until she disappeared from sight before instructing the driver to leave.
