After Breaking Off the Engagement, The Young Lady Deeply Regretted It - Chapter 14

Fan Qingyu tilted her head, brushing past her:
“Anyway, I’m not drinking.”

Jing Xiao blocked her path, her expression soft, her voice even softer, coaxing like she was speaking to a child:
“What will it take for you to drink it?”

“I just won’t.” Fan Qingyu stuck out her tongue, darted past Jing Xiao, and joked,
“Unless you beg me.”

Jing Xiao wasn’t annoyed in the least. Holding the cup, she caught up to Fan Qingyu, pressing her into the corner between the cabinet and the wall. With one hand cupping her face, she fulfilled the earlier request:
“I’m begging you to drink it. I’ll worry about you otherwise.”

Fan Qingyu hadn’t expected her casual joke to be taken seriously. Her smile faded, and a trace of guilt rose in her heart for no reason.
“Alright, fine, I’ll drink. You don’t need to do this.”

Afraid she might change her mind, Jing Xiao immediately shoved the ginger tea into her hand. Fan Qingyu pinched her nose and gulped it down in one go. Before she could gag, Jing Xiao popped a piece of chocolate into her mouth.

The rich, slightly bitter taste melted on her tongue. Jing Xiao pressed her forehead to Fan Qingyu’s, rubbing affectionately against her as she said with sincerity:
“Actually, I like you just the way you were just now.”

To Jing Xiao, lovers should be unrestrained—childish and carefree—just like how they used to get along at the start. Recently, Fan Qingyu had grown more serious, and that made her feel uneasy.

Fan Qingyu patted her head:
“If I’m like that, you’ll get tired.”

“Why would I get tired?”

“I don’t know… it just feels that way.”

Jing Xiao swiftly pecked her cheek. Fan Qingyu’s face was smooth and soft, and Jing Xiao pressed her lips harder, gently nibbling at the tender flesh:
“So soft.”

Fan Qingyu laughed, pushing her away:
“That tickles!”

Jing Xiao returned to the earlier topic, seriously saying:
“I don’t feel tired. I like it that way.”

As they spoke, the doorbell rang. A flowing piano melody accompanied it. Jing Xiao figured Sarah had arrived, so she took Fan Qingyu’s hand and went downstairs with her.

The rain outside hadn’t let up. Sarah was soaked through, a drowned chick with her trademark professional smile still on her face. Wiping the raindrops off the garment bag, she said:
“President Fan, your clothes.”

Jing Xiao nodded:
“Come inside and wait out the rain.”

Sarah quickly shook her head, replying earnestly:
“I’ll head back now—I don’t want to intrude on your time together.”

“You do know how to talk.” Fan Qingyu’s knuckles brushed her lips, hiding the smile Sarah had coaxed out of her. She didn’t insist, just waved,
“Get back safely, see you later.”

Sarah bolted off, diving into a taxi within seconds.

Once Sarah left, Fan Qingyu couldn’t hold back her laughter. Her shoulders shook so much her towel slipped.
“That girl is really funny.”

“She is.” Jing Xiao laughed too as she opened the garment bag and carefully arranged the clothes inside.
“So, Xiao Yu, there’s no need to restrain yourself in front of me.”

Fan Qingyu:
“Really no need?”

Sarah had delivered a professional suit—classic black-and-white shirt and trousers. Jing Xiao tugged at the bag, freed one hand to clasp Fan Qingyu’s, and said bluntly:
“I like the mischievous little drama-queen version of Fan Qingyu.”

For some reason, that hit Fan Qingyu’s funny bone again. She gave Jing Xiao a gentle shove, teasing:
“You’re being greasy.”

Jing Xiao slid her hand to Fan Qingyu’s waist, mischievously tickling her sides:
“I’m not greasy at all.”

Their laughter carried them back into the bedroom.

Fan Qingyu sprawled on the bed in complete disregard for her image. She smacked Jing Xiao playfully on the butt, then dodged her retaliatory swat with a nimble roll.
“Xiaoxiao, blow-dry my hair.”

Jing Xiao’s rear still tingled, but she pretended not to notice. She nodded and crooked a finger at her:
“Come here.”

The blow-dryer hummed, filling the room. Jing Xiao parted her hair, and the familiar warm fragrance drifted up, intoxicating her. For a moment she forgot what she was supposed to be doing.

Water droplets flicked onto Jing Xiao’s arm from her damp ends. Afraid of retaliation, Fan Qingyu protected her ticklish spots carefully. She didn’t realize Jing Xiao was too absorbed in her scent to be plotting.

When her hair was nearly dry, Fan Qingyu relaxed, thinking Jing Xiao had given up. She leaned comfortably against her.

The heat from the dryer jolted Jing Xiao back. Of course she hadn’t forgotten her revenge. Tossing the dryer aside in one quick motion, she attacked Fan Qingyu’s ticklish spots with lightning speed.

Fan Qingyu couldn’t dodge—she burst into helpless laughter, twisting away.

In the tussle, her robe came loose. With nothing holding it closed, it slipped apart to reveal the scenery underneath. Their laughter cut off abruptly.

Their eyes locked. Jing Xiao swallowed hard.

Fan Qingyu quickly flipped over:
“Go away! I have to work this afternoon.”

“Alright, alright, I won’t look. Just change your clothes while you’re at it.” Jing Xiao covered her eyes, though she left the tiniest gap between her fingers.

Fan Qingyu crossed her arms, watching her for a long moment.

Just as she was about to untie her robe again, Jing Xiao’s eyes curved into crescents with a smile. Suddenly, Fan Qingyu leaned close, peeking through the gap—catching Jing Xiao’s wide, guilty eyes.

“I knew it,” Fan Qingyu said triumphantly.

Jing Xiao raised both hands in surrender:
“It was my hand’s fault—it wasn’t on purpose.”

“Your hand wasn’t, but you were.” Fan Qingyu pushed her firmly toward the door, leaving no room for argument.
“Out you go.”

Kicked out, Jing Xiao fumed. She held the doorknob and carefully cracked the door open. The room looked empty, so she glanced around—only for Fan Qingyu to pop out from the side.

She wasn’t angry though. Her sweet, delicate voice carried a trace of spoiled tone:
“Jing Xiao, are you dead set on peeking at me changing today?”

Jing Xiao covered her eyes again:
“I promise I won’t.”

After a moment, Fan Qingyu came out adjusting her outfit. The ruffled sleeves of her blouse softened the severity of the shirt, making her fingers look even more slender and her figure more elegant.

She’d washed her makeup off in the shower earlier and now had a face mask on.

Jing Xiao launched into a flood of rainbow flattery, praising her inside and out with everything she could muster. It was only when she went so far as to compliment how well her blouse buttons matched her underwear for the day that Fan Qingyu couldn’t take it anymore. She covered Jing Xiao’s mouth, laughing and crying at once:
“Could you please compliment something normal?”

“This is perfectly normal.” Jing Xiao wrapped her arms around her waist from behind, rubbing her cheek against her ear, hair tickling her. She toyed with Fan Qingyu’s belt buckle.
“They match perfectly.”

Fan Qingyu slapped her hand away with a laugh:
“Then tell me, what’s the connection between the two?”

Jing Xiao made something up on the spot:
“The buttons are black, your underwear is white—black and white are a natural pair.”

Fan Qingyu suspected she was deliberately trying to make her laugh. Jing Xiao had succeeded—her face mask slid off with a “plop.” Fan Qingyu sighed helplessly. Since it was nearly time for work anyway, she didn’t bother with another one.

After rinsing off the leftover serum on her face, Fan Qingyu hooked her arm around Jing Xiao’s:
“Let’s go.”

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