Although They're Mentally ill, They're Extremely Easy to Comfort - Chapter 86

Today is another day of the vibrant Associate Professor Ling pursuing the tsundere Miss Qiao!

Before six in the morning, Ling Xi was already standing spiritedly in a long queue at the breakfast stall outside the residential area.

She scratched her head, wondering if Bo’er had said the rice rolls were delicious yesterday morning, or if it was the shaomai (steamed dumplings)?

When it was her turn, she looked at the tall stacks of steamer baskets, the steam wafting a cozy feeling of everyday life. Not worrying if she could finish it all, she simply ordered everything.

With both hands full of takeout bags, Ling Xi skipped cheerfully into Qiao Bo’er’s house.

The house was quiet. She peered around and whispered, “Bo Bo… are you awake?”

Seeing no response, she hastily set the breakfast on the dining table, then eagerly and tiptoeing walked towards the bedroom door.

Through the slightly ajar door, Qiao Bo’er was seen buried in the soft bedding, curled up and sleeping soundly.

Ling Xi quietly crept into the room and slowly moved to the bedside.

Perhaps it had become a habit; Qiao Bo’er vaguely sensed movement, rolled over hazily, and rested her head against Ling Xi’s waist, nudging her like a cute large white rabbit.

It was still early, and Ling Xi didn’t want to disturb her, so she reached out to wrap her arm around her neck, silently accompanying her.

The lingering sleepiness gradually faded. Qiao Bo’er smelled the pleasant milky scent on Ling Xi, and still keeping her eyes closed, a satisfied smile appeared on her lips: “Hug…”

That soft, pleading call made Ling Xi’s heart flutter. She smiled, leaned down to hug Bo’er, gently wished her good morning, and kissed her ear, urging, “Lazy bug, get up quickly. Breakfast is ready. Be careful it doesn’t get cold.”

Qiao Bo’er spread her arms to firmly wrap around Ling Xi’s waist, clinging to the bed: “I want Xi Xi to hug me up…”

Relying on Ling Xi’s tenderness, Qiao Bo’er hung onto her like a koala.

Ling Xi helped her put on her slippers. Seeing that she still wouldn’t let go, she indulgently carried her towards the bathroom.

After squeezing the toothpaste and placing the electric toothbrush in Qiao Bo’er’s hand, Ling Xi noticed her beautiful golden long hair was messy. While Bo’er was brushing her teeth, Ling Xi carefully combed her hair: “When can I move into your house?”

“No way. You haven’t successfully pursued me yet.” Holding the toothbrush in her mouth, Qiao Bo’er immediately made the ‘no’ gesture.

Seeing that this woman stubbornly refused to agree, Ling Xi changed her approach. She wrapped her arms around her waist from behind and rested her head on her shoulder, trying to be endearing: “But I’ve been pursuing you diligently every day. Look, I bring you breakfast without fail, rush to your company right after work, and tuck you in before going home. Isn’t this already dating?”

“But you haven’t made time go back…”

Being stumped repeatedly by the same topic every day, Ling Xi muttered distressfully, “Time travel… time travel. You have to give me a hint!”

“No hints. Someone once patted their chest in front of me and called themselves a great mind that appears foolish. Where is that cleverness now?”

“Then I’ll think again, I’ll think again…”

After Qiao Bo’er was washed and dressed, the two of them lingered for a while before walking to the dining table.

Sitting face-to-face, Ling Xi was about to serve the porridge when a tickling sensation attacked her foot. Without looking, she knew the little woman opposite was mischievously raising her toes to tease her.

Ling Xi gave a tight, forced smile. Getting flirted with so openly first thing in the morning, how could she still focus on eating?

She simply picked up her bowl, stood up, and moved to Qiao Bo’er’s side. Ling Xi blew on the hot porridge and brought it to her: “What do you want for dinner tonight? I can book a restaurant.”

“Qin Yun is hosting a family dinner today and asked me to tell you that you must attend.”

“Family dinner? What’s the occasion?”

“Chu Xi’s birthday.”

“Oh… won’t that be a massive public display of affection?”

“Get off work early to pick me up. We’ll go choose a gift together.”

“Yes, ma’am! President Qiao!”

Before she could even take a bite of the hot breakfast, Ling Xi couldn’t contain herself and pressed down on Qiao Bo’er’s hand. She grabbed her waist, leaned in, and pulled her onto her lap.

“You’re not eating properly, what are you trying to do now?” Qiao Bo’er played hard to get, making Ling Xi’s heart pound.

She reached up to tuck a strand of Bo’er’s hair behind her ear, then her fingertip traced her beautiful jawline down to her lips: “The leave Chen Director approved for me hasn’t been used up yet…”

Knowing what Ling Xi was suggesting, Qiao Bo’er naturally wouldn’t indulge her. While teasingly kissing her brow, she refused: “If you’re truly bored, just stay at home and clean up for me. I have to go to the company for a meeting, a very important one that I can’t postpone.”

The kisses trailed down Ling Xi’s nose, pausing passionately on her soft lips.

Seeing Bo’er’s captivated eyes, Ling Xi stood up and pressed her against the table edge: “Miss Qiao Bo’er, you’re playing with fire.”

Hearing Ling Xi’s heavy, ragged breath, Qiao Bo’er pulled at her collar, feigning shy innocence: “You were the one who started the flirting…”

“You finally decided to come to the studio after being back for so long?” Xiao Mo sat back in his boss chair with his legs crossed, looking hilariously shocked, though his tone held a hint of concealed resentment.

Ling Xi walked into the office, looked around the new environment, and let out a sound of satisfied admiration: “The new studio is decorated so grandly. Must have cost a lot of money, right?”

Then she patted the genuine leather sofa and curiously touched the nearby rosewood cabinet: “This move to a new studio is quite a big investment!”

Hearing Ling Xi’s exclamation, Xiao Mo raised his eyebrows and teased: “Is moving to Jiatai Tower just about spending money? We couldn’t even spend the money if we wanted to. It’s thanks to you, you know.”

Ling Xi knew that the studio’s relocation, which was set up as if they just had to move in, was all arranged by a single word from Qiao Bo’er. She suppressed her smile and sternly insisted: “Hey, hey, hey, let’s keep things separate. We still have to pay the rent on time.”

Hearing this, Xiao Mo shrugged, his face wrinkled: “Alas… when a girl grows up, she leaves home, eh? Starting to side with the outsider!”

“Not at all! If the studio pays the rent on time, I can stand tall, so Qiao Bo’er won’t keep having the upper hand!”

“One says they aren’t dating, and the other is like a clingy ghost, chasing after her all day. What exactly is going on between the two of you now?”

“What else could be going on? If she doesn’t make it official, I can’t…” Ling Xi leaned against the cabinet in distress, then suddenly asked secretively, “She insists on time travel before she’ll date me. Do you think a real ‘Cinderella’s Box’ (Time-reversing treasure) exists?”

It seemed the theory that being in love lowers one’s IQ was true. Ling Xi’s absurd question made Xiao Mo laugh helplessly: “Please, do you think there’s such a thing as a ‘regret pill’ in this world?”

“I really don’t get it. What exactly does she want?”

Xiao Mo got up and walked to Ling Xi’s side, giving her a mysterious smile: “It’s not that big brother doesn’t want to help you, but Qiao Bo’er’s mind works in twists and turns. No one can figure her out… However, the principles of dating are always the same: you have to coax her, spoil her, and indulge her. A new little surprise every day, and eventually, you’ll win her over.”

“What you’re saying sounds a bit unreliable, doesn’t it?” Ling Xi didn’t quite believe Xiao Mo, looking skeptical.

Su Yunjin, who was walking to the doorway, acted like a true strategist and interrupted their conversation just in time: “Don’t listen to his nonsense. ‘Always the same principles,’ huh? Xiao Mo, keep giving bad advice, and I’d like to see what you do when you mess things up.”

“Yunjin…” Ling Xi whined like a wronged little child, turning to seek comfort in Su Yunjin’s embrace: “But she’s so hard to chase! I’ve gone to all this trouble, and it’s no use!”

“Listen, you need to learn how to play to her preferences and manage your advances and retreats. Knowing when to hold back is the fundamental way to accelerate emotional connection. Don’t be like a tag-along every day; desperate persistence never ends well.”

Clearly, a woman understands a woman better. Su Yunjin’s approach was far more useful than Xiao Mo’s. Ling Xi felt like she should grab a notebook and jot down every point. She asked foolishly, “For example?”

“You need to seriously consider: for a woman as rich and powerful as Qiao Bo’er, what is she lacking? Secondly, what is the true meaning of her so-called ‘time travel’? In the month you’ve been in contact, what are her unique preferences? Treating the symptom cures the root cause.”

“Right, right, right! Yunjin is absolutely right!” Xiao Mo clapped his hands in approval, earning eye rolls from the two women beside him. “For your happiness, I’ve specially prepared a gift for you. Take it and give it to Bo’er, I guarantee it will please her!”

Puzzled about what bad idea Xiao Mo had come up with now, Su Yunjin and Ling Xi looked at his mysterious expression.

“Wait for me!”

Xiao Mo bolted out of the office and returned shortly, carrying a four-happiness porcelain jar from the storage room. It was estimated to be from the middle Qing Dynasty, and the large double-happiness symbol on the bottle was eye-catching.

“Here. I bought this at a high price back then, thinking of using it as part of your dowry. Now it’s finally coming in handy.”

Xiao Mo proudly boasted about his painstaking efforts. Ling Xi took the jar, observing it professionally, with a look of difficulty: “Are you sure this is ‘coming in handy’ and not just going to make Qiao Bo’er despise me more?”

“This is from an official kiln, valued at hundreds of thousands. As your big brother, I’ve taken great care for your marriage. If you take this treasure to propose, won’t it look decent?”

“Alright, alright, I’ll try it, I’ll try it.” Ling Xi reluctantly accepted the treasure, then hugged Xiao Mo with one arm: “Brother, thank you.”

Xiao Mo was most susceptible to her calling him ‘Brother.’ He patted her on the shoulder and instructed carefully: “Which brother doesn’t wish the best for his sister? I’ve heard about you and Bo’er. If you’re going to pursue her, do it properly and sincerely. I’ll always support you!”

Suddenly remembering the purpose of her visit to the studio, Ling Xi slapped her forehead and asked, “Oh, right, do you know where I can get a pair of glasses repaired? I haven’t had time to fix Bo’er’s hand-held spectacle.”

“You should first prepare the repair materials. The lenses are ground from top-quality emerald, aren’t they? I know a few gem dealers; you can consult them. As for the gold repair craftsmanship, we can help you ask around.” Su Yunjin said, pulling out her phone to look up contacts.

A flash of inspiration suddenly struck Ling Xi. She exclaimed: “Wait!”

“What is it? Why can’t you get rid of that habit of startling people?” Xiao Mo raised his hand to rub Ling Xi’s head, complaining.

“Time travel… I know what it means!!”

Ling Xi, hugging the four-happiness porcelain jar, skipped out of the office with a buoyant step.

Leaving Xiao Mo and Su Yunjin looking at each other.

“Are you sure her illness is mostly cured?” Su Yunjin asked, trying not to laugh.

Xiao Mo, however, laughed happily: “It has nothing to do with illness. It’s that thing called love, it always makes people ecstatic and neurotic. No big deal.”

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