Chapter Ninety-Three: So Soft! I’ll Be Pinching It for the Rest of My Life

Qin Xuan shook his head helplessly, tugged up the corner of a blanket to cover her, and then tiptoed away to make breakfast.

He had only just started the rice cooker when Nan Zhiyi and Liu Ruoxi came out of the room arm in arm, laughing and chatting as they walked. Qin Xuan could not make head or tail of it. Perhaps this was simply how girls’ friendships worked...

By the time Qin Xuan had finished cooking and set the dishes on the table, everyone had picked up their chopsticks before realizing one person was missing.

Then Liu Ruoxi and Nan Zhiyi watched Qin Xuan scoop Qin Lin'er up in his arms and carry her to the dining table in a princess hold. Qin Lin'er was still half-asleep, and only when the fragrance of fish reached her nose did she suddenly seem to come alive.

“Wow, big brother, you’re the best!” Qin Lin'er reached for her chopsticks, ready to dig in, when Qin Xuan suddenly tapped them away with a chopstick of his own.

Qin Lin'er looked up at him in confusion.

“Go wash your face,” Qin Xuan said, pointing toward the bathroom.

“Oh...” Qin Lin'er promptly stuffed a slice of beef into her mouth and then made a quick escape.

When she came back after washing up, the others were already eating. They had actually started without her.

After they finally finished dinner, the group lounged on the sofa for a while before returning to their own rooms.

Liu Ruoxi did not lie in Qin Xuan’s arms as she had on previous nights, apparently still angry with him over what had happened that day.

But Qin Xuan had thick skin. Several times he reached out to pull her close, and after she broke free a few times, Liu Ruoxi finally gave up and obediently draped herself over his arm.

“Ruoxi, I want some water...” Qin Xuan whispered softly by her ear.

“You can drink it, there’s a glass right there,” Liu Ruoxi said, looking at the table beside him in confusion.

“I said, I want some water!” Qin Xuan repeated, staring into her eyes.

“You can drink... get lost!” Realization seemed to dawn on her all at once. Liu Ruoxi shoved Qin Xuan away in a flustered panic, turned over with her back to him, and her face burned hot.

Seeing her like that, Qin Xuan gave a sly chuckle and lowered his head.

Liu Ruoxi’s expression changed several times in an instant. She bit her lip lightly, and before she knew it, her eyes had half-lidded.

“Is it all right?” Qin Xuan rose and faced her, kissing her cheek once before asking.

“You... you’re filthy!” Liu Ruoxi snatched the blanket and wiped at the mark on her face, then gave a small nod.

Qin Xuan brightened at once and reached out to switch off the lamp beside them.

...

That night, Qin Lin'er and Nan Zhiyi tossed and turned and could not get a wink of sleep. Did they not know what it meant to disturb the neighbors? It was infuriating.

The next day was the weekend, and none of them got up early. Qin Xuan was awake, but holding Liu Ruoxi in his arms, he did not want to rise.

Looking at Liu Ruoxi sleeping soundly in his embrace, Qin Xuan felt a strange mixture of pride and responsibility.

It was not until nearly noon that the others finally got up one by one.

Qin Lin'er glanced at Liu Ruoxi awkwardly, with a hint of curiosity.

“Why are you staring?” Liu Ruoxi said as she walked a few steps and sat down on the sofa, still a little sore. Seeing Qin Lin'er’s expression, her face flushed again before she even realized it.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk...” Qin Lin'er smiled but said nothing. It seemed Sister Xi was not in any condition to beat her today.

“You!” Liu Ruoxi, irritated by the mocking look on Qin Lin'er’s face, grabbed a cushion from the sofa and threw it at her.

Qin Xuan came out after changing the bedsheets and saw the scene, then picked up the cushion from the floor and dusted it off.

“All right, stop teasing your Sister Xi,” Qin Xuan said, turning to Qin Lin'er.

Qin Lin'er rolled her eyes at him, knowing full well her big brother was on Sister Xi’s side now, and simply ran back to her room and shut the door.

Qin Xuan shook his head helplessly, poured a cup of warm water, and sat beside Liu Ruoxi. “Still hurting?”

“I’m fine. I’m healthy,” Liu Ruoxi replied softly, taking the water and drinking a sip.

Qin Xuan drew her against his shoulder and tilted his head to kiss her forehead.

Nan Zhiyi came out and saw the scene. Frowning in obvious disgust, she decided she could not stay in this place any longer. In her slippers, she clattered off to wash up.

“What do you want for lunch?” Qin Xuan asked Liu Ruoxi.

“Anything is fine. There are leftovers from yesterday, aren’t there?” Liu Ruoxi toyed with Qin Xuan’s hand and thought of the pile of food still in the refrigerator from the night before.

“Let’s eat something fresh,” Qin Xuan said, pinching her soft cheek. So soft. He would need to keep pinching it for the rest of his life.

Liu Ruoxi understood what he meant and let him continue pinching her face.

They lingered together for a while. Only after checking the time did Qin Xuan finally, reluctantly, let go and head to the kitchen.

...

At the table, Liu Ruoxi was so embarrassed by the way Nan Zhiyi and Qin Lin'er kept looking at her that she almost could not bear it. Was it not just a little loud? Did those two have some sort of problem?

After lunch, Qin Xuan received a message from his uncle, saying he was coming to Shudu in the afternoon to have some fun and asking whether Qin Xuan had time to join him for dinner that evening.

Qin Xuan handed the phone to Liu Ruoxi. She weighed the matter briefly before nodding.

For the whole afternoon, Liu Ruoxi lay on Qin Xuan’s left leg and did not want to move at all. She liked being like this very much—if only Nan Zhiyi and Qin Lin'er were not there to act as two glaring lightbulbs, she would have liked it even more.

It was only when Liu Ruoxi was nearly asleep that Nan Zhiyi finally dragged Qin Lin'er away.

Not until after four-thirty did Qin Xuan receive his uncle’s location. It was a steakhouse.

“Little nephew, see you at six. Bring your girlfriend. I haven’t seen Ruoxi or Lin'er in a long time.”

Apparently his uncle still did not know Nan Zhiyi existed, Qin Xuan thought as he fiddled with his phone.

Looking at Liu Ruoxi’s sleeping face, he really could not bear to wake her, and could not help taking out his phone to snap a picture.

Perhaps sensing it, Liu Ruoxi opened her eyes and looked at Qin Xuan, who was still holding the phone.

“You’re taking pictures of me again...”

Qin Xuan did not care in the least and still pressed the button to take another shot.

“You’re pretty, and I’m not even allowed to take pictures?”

Hearing that, Liu Ruoxi smiled brightly. “You are. Take as many as you like.”

Qin Xuan did not plan to keep these photos in the public album on his phone. They were better kept safe in his room.

“Are we leaving soon?” Liu Ruoxi asked him curiously.

“Yeah, more or less,” Qin Xuan said with a nod, estimating the distance.

“Mmm...” Liu Ruoxi sat up and stretched. “It’s been so long since I saw Uncle. I wonder if he’s still that handsome.”

Strange as it was, ever since she had been little, Liu Ruoxi had always seen her uncle that way, and now that she was grown, he still looked exactly the same. It was absurd.

“Probably,” Qin Xuan said with a sigh. “I saw a photo of him on his social media last time, and he was still just as handsome. That’s what you call ageless.”

“Come on, change clothes!” As Qin Xuan’s proper girlfriend, she of course had to mind her image.

The two of them reached the doorway to the room when Liu Ruoxi suddenly remembered something and turned to call toward Nan Zhiyi’s room.

“Nan Zhiyi! Are you coming?”

“I’m coming!” Nan Zhiyi answered at once from inside without even thinking.

Before long, Qin Xuan looked at the three people in front of him. Liu Ruoxi was one thing; after all, he had seen every side of her.

But Nan Zhiyi, in that white dress of yours... yes, it was dazzling, but what was with that obvious attempt to steal Liu Ruoxi’s thunder? Were you not afraid of getting thumped for it?

He patted the little cap on Qin Lin'er’s head, then waved the others onward. “Let’s go.”

It would take more than half an hour to walk to the steakhouse, and Qin Xuan was worried about Liu Ruoxi’s condition, so he called a taxi. But the traffic was terrible that day. They set out at five, and by the time they reached the steakhouse, it was already six.

Fortunately, his uncle was not particularly strict about punctuality, though he often used that very excuse as a reason to break up with people...