"I have to observe him, don't I? Unlike you guys, who were all smiles from day one. If I don't give him a bit of a cold shoulder, how will I see his true character?"
The old woman looked back again, like a thief, and only spoke when she was sure Ye Yaohui wasn't coming out. "If you ask me, it's just because his surname is Xiao."
Zhang Luan's hands, picking vegetables, paused.
The movement was quite noticeable, caught by the old woman's eyes.
That confirmed her guess. The old woman looked up, tucked the stray hair behind Zhang Luan's ear, and tried to reassure her. "You can't always think that way. There are plenty of people named Xiao in the world. Besides, I think this kid's character is pretty good. You can't generalize..."
"Mom." Zhang Luan stood up, not letting her continue. "I'll observe Xiao Yu's character carefully in the next few days. Don't make excuses for him."
"You sort the rest. I'm going to wash the vegetables."
Zhang Luan turned on the faucet. The water rushed out. She used cold water, and the chill turned her hands bright red from the back to the fingertips. But she seemed not to feel it. She didn't say another word until Ye Yaohui returned.
The old woman stared silently at her back. Her once-straight shoulders finally slumped.
...
To prevent dust, nothing was laid on the guest room bed. The bedding was stored in the compartments above the wardrobe. Before Xiao Yu arrived, Ye Qingli had wiped the entire room. Now she just needed to take out the bedding and put on the duvet covers.
Ye Qingli reached for the bedding, but she wasn't tall enough. She stood on tiptoe, but still fell short by a large margin. Her sweater was cropped, and as she stretched, the fabric rode up, revealing a slender section of her waist.
Xiao Yu leaned against the door, watching quietly. He held grudges. He had originally wanted to watch her struggle, but when he saw the scene before him, he realized he had overestimated himself. He had absolutely no resistance to her.
What was a boyfriend for if not to help when his girlfriend couldn't reach something? No tact at all. Ye Qingli was getting annoyed. Just as she turned around to say something, she felt a force on her shoulder the next second. She was pinned between the wardrobe and Xiao Yu, forced to tilt her head up. Before she could gasp, her mouth was captured.
"Xiao..."
The second word couldn't come out. Xiao Yu's tongue easily pried open her teeth, intertwining with hers. Compared to their previous gentle, lingering kisses, this one was more aggressive.
Perhaps because his longing was too deep, he couldn't control himself. His large, well-defined hand slid to her waist as he kissed her fiercely.
His kiss came too suddenly. Ye Qingli was dizzy with it. Her eyelashes fluttered rapidly. She turned her head slightly to push against his shoulder. "What if your family sees..."
Their hot breaths intertwined. Xiao Yu whispered in her ear, his voice breathy. "I locked the door."
"Why are you locking the door in broad daylight? If someone comes and finds it locked, they'll think we're doing something..." Ye Qingli shrank her neck, tortured by him, her tone tinged with a hint of coyness.
At that, Xiao Yu stopped. He looked at her expression, leisurely.
"What shameful things are we doing?"
"..."
Ye Qingli suddenly realized they might not be talking about the same thing.
Seeing her face blushing like an apple, Xiao Yu kissed her lips again and deliberately asked, "We only did this just now, right?"
"..."
If he kept asking, she would die of embarrassment. Ye Qingli reached out her soft, delicate hand to cover his mouth, her eyes much clearer than before. "Please, stop talking."
Her hands still smelled faintly of hand cream. Xiao Yu looked down at her hands, then back at her eyes, not moving for a long time. Just as Ye Qingli wondered why he was being so well-behaved today, he suddenly reached out, grabbed her waist, turned around, and tossed her onto the bed.
There were no sheets on the bed, but the mattress was still there, so it didn't hurt.
Sunlight streamed in from outside, and a beam of light fell right on Ye Qingli's eyes. Her thick lashes fluttered like wings. She squinted, blinking for a while before getting used to it.
Just then, she saw Xiao Yu standing in place. He crossed his hands, grabbed the hem of his shirt, and lifted it. In an instant, a section of his narrow waist and firm abdominal muscles were revealed.
He was taking off his clothes? They were at her house! Her parents were still outside!
Ye Qingli's eyes widened. She struggled to get up, but before she could squirm even a bit, Xiao Yu knelt on the bed, his spread legs parting hers. He looked down at her from above, his jawline hardening with the movement.
This position was far too dangerous. Ye Qingli wanted to get up, but somehow her wrists had no strength. She panted heavily. "I'm telling you, you better not do anything reckless! My dad is still out there. If he finds out, he'll break your legs, I swear..."
"Ye Qingli." Xiao Yu interrupted. His fingers loosened, and the hem of his shirt instantly dropped, covering his hard waistline. He propped himself up, pecked her lips, and smiled teasingly.
"Scared you, didn't I?"