Chapter 141: Aren't You Already Mine?

After teasing Nan Zhiyi for a little while, Qin Xuan contentedly headed back to the kitchen.

"So annoying!" Nan Zhiyi complained, rubbing her face in frustration. Keep kissing me like that and my lips are going to rub completely raw sooner or later!

Yet, watching Qin Xuan humming a tune as he busied himself in the kitchen, Nan Zhiyi leaned back against the sofa and smiled at him. I just can't help loving him, though!

A short while later, Qin Xuan finished cooking the dishes. Taking advantage of the fact that two of them were still fast asleep, he slipped on his shoes and headed out to buy some cold drinks since the weather was a bit too hot...

Seeing Qin Xuan leave, Nan Zhiyi didn't follow him. Instead, she sneaked stealthily into the kitchen...

When Qin Xuan returned carrying a large bottle of iced cola, he found Nan Zhiyi sitting obediently on the sofa, staring right at him with wide-open eyes.

Putting down his things, Qin Xuan went to the kitchen to bring out the dishes, looking suspiciously at the braised pork belly, which seemed to be missing a few chunks.

Glancing at Nan Zhiyi, who was trailing right behind his back, Qin Xuan realized what had happened. He reached out and gently wiped away a speck of leftover sauce from the corner of her mouth.

Feeling Qin Xuan's touch, Nan Zhiyi instantly blushed.

"If you wanted to eat, you could've just eaten. Why sneak around?" Qin Xuan pulled her into his arms and teased.

"Who was sneaking around!" Refusing to admit defeat, Nan Zhiyi punched Qin Xuan lightly and turned her head slightly to the side. "I just forgot to wipe my face, that's all..."

"Alright, alright. Still hungry?" Qin Xuan asked with a curious smile.

Nan Zhiyi gave him an eye-roll. "...No more."

Qin Xuan handed her the plates and spent a tremendous amount of effort waking up the two sleepyheads in the bedroom.

By the time Lin'er finished washing up and came out, Sister Zhiyi was already chowing down with gusto.

"Save some for me..." Lin'er muttered as she took a seat at the dining table, poured herself a cup of cola with great satisfaction, and began competing with Nan Zhiyi for the food.

When Liu Ruoxi and Qin Xuan emerged, they found that only a single piece of braised pork belly remained.

"You guys are ruthless."

"Hehe, we saved one piece for you," Lin'er said with a cheeky grin, though the truth was they simply hadn't gotten around to eating it before Sister Xi came out...

Liu Ruoxi walked over, picked up her chopsticks, and popped the piece straight into her mouth. "Consider yourself smart!"

After the meal, Nan Zhiyi planned to head to the new library to read for a bit. She originally intended to drag the others along, but both Lin'er and Ruoxi claimed they still wanted to sleep.

In the end, only Qin Xuan and Nan Zhiyi headed out.

As soon as they stepped outside, they were hit by the scorching wave of hot air. Nan Zhiyi exchanged a look with Qin Xuan. Should they just forget about going?

"We've already come out," Nan Zhiyi said, grabbing his arm as she caught Qin Xuan looking like he wanted to slip away.

"Let's go then..." Qin Xuan pulled her along and headed first to a milk tea shop. True enough, milk tea in the summer tasted even better...

Even Qin Xuan, who usually wasn't a huge fan of milk tea, bought himself a cup.

Upon arriving at the library, they found that there were very few students around today, likely because of the oppressive heat.

The two found a spot in a quiet corner. Though Qin Xuan had a book placed in front of him, he was idly playing with his phone, finding Nan Zhiyi quite stunning as she studied with total concentration. She looked genuinely scholarly right now.

Nan Zhiyi blushed under his gaze. If not for the fact that they were in a library, she would have beaten him up long ago!

"Why don't you focus on your own book..." Nan Zhiyi couldn't help whispering. Not only was Qin Xuan tilting his head to look at her, but he also had one hand propped on the table, staring fixedly at her.

"Aren't you my book?" Qin Xuan replied smoothly.

"..." Nan Zhiyi gave him a disgruntled look. Have you really become this shameless?

"Alright, go back to reading. I won't disturb you anymore," Qin Xuan said, reaching out to pinch her flushed cheek when he saw her expression.

"Mhm," Nan Zhiyi let him pinch her before finally nodding.

After a long while, perhaps noticing that more and more students were arriving, Nan Zhiyi closed her book, glanced at Qin Xuan beside her, and let out a comfortable stretch.

"Ready to go?" Qin Xuan asked, noticing her movement.

Nan Zhiyi massaged her slightly sore neck. "Pretty much."

After returning the book to its shelf, the two held hands and walked out of the library.

Right in front of the library was a small plaza. Late in the afternoon like this, there were quite a few people skateboarding or practicing street dance here, though couples still made up the vast majority.

"Want to stroll around for a bit?" Qin Xuan asked with mild curiosity, seeing that Nan Zhiyi didn't seem quite ready to leave.

"Nah, let's head back," Nan Zhiyi shook her head. She still wanted to go back and take a shower; she was starting to sweat a little.

Seeing her lazy demeanor, Qin Xuan simply squatted down right in front of her, offering her his back.

Nan Zhiyi understood instantly and hopped right onto Qin Xuan's back.

"You've gotten heavier..." Though she was actually fine, Qin Xuan just wanted to tease her.

"You're the one who's heavy!" Sure enough, upon hearing those words, Nan Zhiyi clenched her fists and pounded a few times on his shoulders.

Qin Xuan deliberately bounced her up slightly. "Yep, definitely gained weight."

That only made Nan Zhiyi angrier, and she struggled on his back. "Put me down! I'm going to fight you today!"

"Hey, stop moving," Qin Xuan said, reaching back to give her a firm grip.

Feeling Qin Xuan's gesture, Nan Zhiyi still slapped him a few times in lingering defiance.

Ignoring her antics, Qin Xuan carried her on his back as he leisurely strolled out of the school grounds.

As soon as they crossed the school gate, Nan Zhiyi hopped off his back. Holding hands felt much better anyway...

The two of them naturally gravitated toward the snack street.

Qin Xuan bought an Orléans-flavored chicken leg for Lin'er, along with some barbecue skewers and milk tea, before heading home with Nan Zhiyi.

By this time, Liu Ruoxi and Qin Lin'er were already awake and sitting on the sofa watching TV. Because the weather was somewhat warm, their outfits were quite cool and breezy. The moment the two returned home, Nan Zhiyi cast a disapproving look at what they were wearing.

Qin Xuan opened the refrigerator, grabbed two popsicles belonging to Lin'er, and handed one to Nan Zhiyi.

He completely ignored the pouty, indignant expression on Lin'er's face over on the sofa.

"Don't be upset, I'll trade you for a milk tea," Qin Xuan said as he took a bite of his popsicle, noticing Lin'er glaring at him in rebellion. He handed one of the cups of milk tea from the coffee table to her.

"That's more like it!" Lin'er accepted the milk tea with satisfaction, stuck the straw in, and took a sip. Of course, she was just joking; Lin'er knew this milk tea was bought specifically for her, since among all of them, only she loved this particular flavor.

"You actually bought barbecue? Aren't you sweating enough?" Liu Ruoxi asked, giving a skeptical look at the pile of food on the table.

"It won't feel hot once you pair it with milk tea," Qin Xuan pointed at the milk tea on the coffee table and replied.

...

And then, the tragic consequence unfolded. Not long after finishing the food that afternoon, Lin'er was struck by a severe bout of stomach pain...

Qin Xuan pulled her into his arms to help ease the discomfort, but her brows were tightly furrowed, and she bit her lip in acute distress.

Placing his hand over her lower belly, Qin Xuan asked with a tinge of reproach, "What else did you eat this afternoon?"

"Just the barbecue and milk tea..." Lin'er leaned weakly against Qin Xuan's chest, her head drooping. "Oh... and I had two popsicles earlier..."

Qin Xuan let out a helpless sigh, pulling Lin'er a little tighter into his embrace.

Nan Zhiyi looked on worriedly from the side. "Should we take her to the hospital to get checked?"

"It's fine, she's always like this. We've taken her to the hospital before, and it didn't do any good," Liu Ruoxi said casually as she ate a popsicle, casting a pitying glance at Lin'er. "She'll be fine in half an hour."