Chapter Eighty-Six: What are you doing? I’m not eating!

When South Zhi-yi returned with Qin Lin'er on her arm, she glanced at Liu Ruoxi lying across Qin Xuan's lap and could not help but feel a pang of envy.

"Could you at least be mindful of the optics?" South Zhi-yi really wanted to smack her.

"Hm?" Liu Ruoxi heard that, flipped over to sit up, then promptly flopped back down again. "Mind your own business! What does it have to do with you that I'm lying on my boyfriend's lap?"

That one sentence left South Zhi-yi with nothing to say. She turned and went back to her room, face-down on the quilt, not moving an inch. Her throat had been nearly smoking all afternoon, and now she had to come back and suffer this grievance too! What little cat could possibly endure that?

She lifted her head and looked at Qin Lin'er, who was sucking on a lollipop.

"What are you staring at? Want to get hit?"

Qin Lin'er: Scary, scary!

...

That afternoon, Liu Ruoxi had originally planned to sleep at home, but Liu Qin announced in the group chat that everyone had to come to the venue, saying there was an inspection.

The two of them returned to the spot where their class was gathered, only to see Sister Qin sitting in the very front with her head lowered, doing something no one could tell. Just as they were about to go over and greet her—

Zhou Mo came over holding a bottle of water and handed it to Liu Qin. Rarely, he was not dressed in a suit today, wearing only a casual black shirt. He naturally sat down beside Liu Qin, and she did not refuse, only holding the water in her hand without drinking it.

"Oh?" Liu Ruoxi and Qin Lin'er exchanged a look. Was there gossip here?

But perhaps because there were too many people around, the two of them simply sat there quietly, which made the pair watching them feel terribly bored.

Just when they thought nothing would happen, Liu Ruoxi, with her sharp eyes, saw through a gap that Zhou Mo had somehow taken Sister Qin's hand. So smooth! She had thought Sister Qin would resist, but instead she was this obedient?

Unable to resist, Liu Ruoxi pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of the scene. Maybe later she could trade it for a couple of wedding sweets, right?

Qin Xuan watched Liu Ruoxi's little move with a smile, saying nothing. Instead, he was curious about what was going on between Sister Qin and Zhou Mo. Hadn't she said not long ago that it was impossible? As expected, women always said one thing and meant another.

Just as Qin Xuan was wondering, Liu Qin suddenly turned her head and happened to see Liu Ruoxi still holding up her phone. Ah, this...

Yet Liu Qin did not let go of Zhou Mo's hand, which could be taken as a kind of acknowledgment.

This was how the school sports meet went: you only watched when your own class was up, and at other times you just kept your head down and played on your phone.

Unfortunately, after lunch that afternoon, everyone still had to assemble on the field, something about a bonfire party...

The host was still South Zhi-yi. A great crowd formed several circles around the field; the leader started a song, and everyone joined hands and began to turn.

Of course, Liu Ruoxi would not allow Qin Xuan to hold hands with another girl, so Qin Xuan simply held one of each and kept Liu Ruoxi and Qin Lin'er on either side of him.

After finishing as host, South Zhi-yi joined the group too. Sneakily, she slipped over to Qin Xuan's side and broke the connection between Qin Lin'er and Qin Xuan by taking their hands.

Qin Lin'er: Why don't you go stand next to Sister Xi?!

South Zhi-yi: I don't dare...

Qin Xuan noticed that the person beside him had changed. Then he looked at the murderous glare Liu Ruoxi was shooting at South Zhi-yi. Oh-ho!

By the time they had played until nearly nine, the crowd on the field gradually dispersed, leaving mostly couples, or students hoping to exchange contact information. After all, it was March; spring had not yet passed...

Although Qin Xuan did not like this kind of game, it had to be said that for students it was indeed a good way to socialize.

Before the few of them had even left the field, a boy came running over with his phone in hand, approaching Qin Lin'er and scratching his head nervously, as though he had mustered all his courage.

"Um... could I get your contact information?"

"Huh?" Qin Lin'er was still chewing on a milk candy. She frowned and shook her head. "Sorry, my boyfriend would get mad!"

As she spoke, she even hooked her arm through Qin Xuan's.

Qin Xuan: Using me as a shield again?

He still remembered that when high school first started, quite a few people had come asking Qin Lin'er for her contact information, but she had always fended them off with this excuse. Later, after people learned that the two of them were siblings...

Qin Lin'er had been rumored to be that kind of girl!

Who would have thought that even after entering university, she could still use this excuse? Ridiculous! And Sister Xi was standing right there watching!

"Ah, sorry to bother you!" The boy looked deflated and stammered out his apology stiffly.

After that little episode, Qin Lin'er still held onto Qin Xuan's arm and could not bear to let go, and Liu Ruoxi generously indulged her this one time.

"Let's go get something to eat before heading back," Qin Lin'er said, thinking of the chicken leg she still had not eaten today, tilting her head toward Qin Xuan.

...

Leaving the night market, Qin Lin'er had actually not bought much—just a chicken leg, crispy potatoes, cold noodles, grilled squid...

Anyway, whatever she could not finish could be tossed to Qin Xuan. Fear nothing!

In the end, that night, whether Qin Lin'er had eaten her fill or not, Qin Xuan did not know; he himself was full, and for once he had even lost the mood to be sneaky. He simply leaned back on the bed, contentedly playing on his phone.

Liu Ruoxi was sitting by the bed, comfortably soaking her feet.

"Aren't you going to soak too? It's really nice!" Liu Ruoxi turned her head and asked Qin Xuan curiously.

At her words, Qin Xuan got up and put one foot straight into the footbath. The next second he yanked it back up at lightning speed.

"What the—don't you think that's hot?" Looking at the red, steamed color of Liu Ruoxi's feet in the basin, what, are you training your feet or something?

"Isn't foot-soaking supposed to be a little hot? It's fine!" Liu Ruoxi answered as though it were only natural.

Hearing that, Qin Xuan cautiously伸 out one foot again. This time Liu Ruoxi pressed it down into the water with her own foot in one swift motion... Coward!

"Damn it!" Qin Xuan hurriedly broke free and pulled it up. "What are you doing?"

"Was it hot just now?" Liu Ruoxi asked with a smile.

"Hm? I guess... not bad..." Qin Xuan recalled the sensation from a moment ago.

Carefully, he lowered both feet into the basin. It felt a little hot, but still bearable. Strange.

"I told you it was fine," Liu Ruoxi said with a grin, looking at how comfortable he seemed.

Only after the water had cooled did the two of them pull their feet out. Liu Ruoxi immediately lifted one foot up in front of Qin Xuan.

Qin Xuan: What are you doing? I don't eat that.

He soon understood what she meant, grabbed the towel by the side, and wiped it roughly a few times.

"Hmph!" Seeing Qin Xuan's sloppy motions, Liu Ruoxi got annoyed. Dog, you've changed! You've even learned to brush me off.

Qin Xuan obediently wiped them more carefully, but after drying them, he still did not let go. Instead, he held her feet and began kneading them.

"What are you doing!" Liu Ruoxi only felt a strange sensation on her feet and tried to draw them back, but Qin Xuan stopped her.

"Promoting circulation and dispersing stasis!"

"I just soaked them! What do I need your circulation and stasis-dispersing for?" Liu Ruoxi wriggled uneasily, but Qin Xuan held them tightly in his hands.

Qin Xuan grinned. "Only today did I realize your feet are actually kind of pretty."

"You..." Liu Ruoxi looked at him with obvious disgust. So you have this kind of fetish after all?

Qin Xuan looked up to meet her gaze and hurriedly explained, "This is a normal hobby of mine. Mainly because it's yours!"

"Oh." Liu Ruoxi gave him a strange side-eye, then when he was not paying attention, quickly pulled her feet back and tucked them into the blankets. No playing with them!