Return To The Time Before Being Toyed With By My Fiancée - Chapter 68.1

Four months later, the medicine to completely suppress the side effects of acquired abilities was finally developed. Ning Ruohuan set off with Luo Yanzhi the moment she received the news.

It was the same place, and the same people were there.

Shi Wen and Yuan Yan were waiting for them outside the laboratory. Ning Ruohuan and Luo Yanzhi stepped out of the back seat of the car one after the other.

Luo Yanzhi had just been injected with a short-term suppressant a few days prior, so her complexion was no longer as pale as it had been during her first visit. She held Ning Ruohuan’s arm and greeted the two researchers warmly.

Yuan Yan led them to the lounge while she and Shi Wen went to set up the equipment. Ten minutes later, the calibration was complete.

Ning Ruohuan patted the back of Luo Yanzhi’s hand. “Don’t be nervous.”

Luo Yanzhi smiled. Catching a glimpse of Shi Wen with her back turned to them, she quickly lowered her head and pressed a brief kiss against Ning Ruohuan’s lips. “I’m not nervous. Wait for me here, Sister.”

Ning Ruohuan smiled back. “Alright.”

Luo Yanzhi followed Shi Wen into the other laboratory.

As the lounge door closed, the smile on Ning Ruohuan’s lips faded. She felt a rare wave of anxiety, clenching her hands until her fingertips turned white from the pressure. Time seemed to stretch and slow down as she paced back and forth within the room.

When Shi Wen returned after dropping off Luo Yanzhi, she saw the woman’s furrowed brows and her look of anxious concern. She chose her words carefully: “President Ning, please rest assured. There won’t be any problems.”

Ning Ruohuan forced a small smile and shook her head silently. she tilted her head back, staring at the ceiling lights; the soft glow reflected like tiny stars in her pupils.

Half an hour later, the lounge door opened again. Luo Yanzhi’s tall, slender figure appeared in the doorway. She tilted her head and gave a radiant smile to those inside. “Sister, I’m back.”

She was wearing a black-and-white paneled sweater, having left her coat somewhere else. The room was climate-controlled, and Ning Ruohuan took her hand. The warm sensation allowed her heart to settle.

Ning Ruohuan looked at Yuan Yan, who had arrived behind her, questioning her with her eyes.

Yuan Yan nodded. “President Ning, everything went smoothly. The side effects of the acquired ability in President Luo’s body have been completely eliminated.”

Ning Ruohuan breathed a sigh of relief.

Yuan Yan looked toward Luo Yanzhi and asked tentatively, “President Luo, regarding the research on acquired abilities… will the Luo Group continue to cooperate with the Ning Group?”

It had to be admitted that the Luo Group was far ahead in this field. Now that the suppressant had been developed, if they further enhanced the advantages of the abilities themselves and brought them to market, the potential profits would be immeasurable.

Luo Yanzhi focused her gaze and shared a look with Ning Ruohuan. “No.”

She continued, “The very existence of acquired abilities is flawed. It is better if such a thing does not exist in this world.”

Yuan Yan was stunned. “But other companies are all researching it…”

Luo Yanzhi said with certainty, “They won’t be able to figure it out.”

Yuan Yan thought of something and fell silent.

Ning Ruohuan pinched the soft flesh of Luo Yanzhi’s cheek and asked softly, “Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?”

Luo Yanzhi blinked playfully. Noticing the other two were still there, she curled her fingers shyly. “Not for the time being.”

Ning Ruohuan was finally at peace.

After waiting a while longer to ensure there were no adverse reactions, Ning Ruohuan and Luo Yanzhi left side-by-side.

Inside the car, the partition was lowered, dividing the cabin into two sections.

Luo Yanzhi pitifully rolled up her sleeve, revealing her pale arm. Just below the wrist, a small needle mark stood out against her skin.

“Sister, look,” Luo Yanzhi extended her arm, her voice softening. “Blow on it.”

“…” Ning Ruohuan’s long lashes fluttered. She half-lidded her eyes, lifted Luo Yanzhi’s arm, and leaned down, blowing gently on the puncture mark.

A light breeze stirred. A few stray hairs from Ning Ruohuan’s head fell forward, sliding slowly against the younger woman’s skin as she blew.

It was a ticklish, tingling sensation. Luo Yanzhi blinked, feeling a spark of electricity race through her blood. She leaned down as well, gazing at the older woman’s serious expression as she comforted her. Luo Yanzhi pursed her lips, trying to suppress an upward curve.

Ning Ruohuan asked, “Is it better?”

Luo Yanzhi bit her lip. “It’s better.”

Her arm naturally draped across Ning Ruohuan’s waist. She squinted her eyes and leaned her body against Ning Ruohuan’s shoulder. After a few moments, she slid down until she was curled entirely in Ning Ruohuan’s lap.

She lay there looking up, her slender fingers tracing Ning Ruohuan’s chin. Her index finger followed the shape of the woman’s lips before pressing gently into the center of them.

As the scenery outside the window blurred past, Ning Ruohuan’s eyes darkened. “Yanyan, don’t play around.”

Luo Yanzhi said innocently, “I’m not playing around. Don’t frame me, Sister.” She became even bolder, pressing her fingertip down to leave a small mark on the woman’s lower lip.

Ning Ruohuan pulled her hand away and pressed her lips to the back of it. Luo Yanzhi’s fingers curled.

The temperature inside the car was steady. Luo Yanzhi grew drowsy, nestled in Ning Ruohuan’s arms, and eventually fell asleep.

Ning Ruohuan slowed her breathing, brushing the girl’s hair aside and tracing her silhouette with her eyes. She glanced out the window as the scenes shifted. Suddenly, she saw a familiar place—Maple Avenue. At this time of year, there weren’t many people there; only a few scattered tourists flashed by in her vision.

Ning Ruohuan couldn’t help but look a few more times.

The car eventually glided to a stop in the parking lot of the large flat in the city center.

Ning Ruohuan returned her gaze to Luo Yanzhi. The girl looked incredibly well-behaved while asleep, her posture peaceful. Perhaps she was dreaming of something interesting, as a faint, lingering smile played at the corners of her mouth.

For a moment, Ning Ruohuan didn’t have the heart to wake her.

However, the person in her arms was only in a light sleep. Luo Yanzhi opened her eyes blearily, her voice thick and slurred. “Sister, are we here?”

Ning Ruohuan helped her up. “Yes, we’re here.”

Luo Yanzhi rubbed her temples, cleared her head for a moment, and opened the car door to step out first. Ning Ruohuan followed closely behind.

Once they returned to their residence, Luo Yanzhi took off her coat as she walked. She looked back, raising an eyebrow at the woman behind her, her eyes swirling with a deep smile.

Knowing she was up to mischief again, Ning Ruohuan took a long stride and sat on a nearby chair, waiting leisurely to see what Luo Yanzhi would do next.

To her surprise, Luo Yanzhi didn’t cling to her. Instead, she gave an arched, meaningful smile and turned to go elsewhere.

Ning Ruohuan didn’t follow; she stayed where she was.

Two minutes later, Luo Yanzhi reappeared with a set of painting supplies.

The girl moved back and forth, carrying paints and an easel. She patiently taped down the paper and went to fill a bucket with water for washing brushes.

Ning Ruohuan guessed what she was doing. Her fingers curled, and she couldn’t help but smile. She and Luo Yanzhi had taken photos together, but she had never painted Luo Yanzhi’s portrait. The girl seemed determined to experience everything.

A paintbrush was handed to her. Luo Yanzhi moved a chair to sit directly opposite the easel, then trotted over to Ning Ruohuan. She crouched down, resting her arms on the woman’s thighs and her chin on the back of her hands, looking up at her from below.

She said, “Sister, can you paint my portrait?”

Ning Ruohuan helped her up and sat her on her lap. “I don’t have the ‘feel’ for it today. What should we do?”

Luo Yanzhi frowned. “No feel?”

Ning Ruohuan laughed. “Yes, painting requires a certain inspiration.”

Luo Yanzhi gave a weak response. Ning Ruohuan rarely refused her and usually indulged her in all her unreasonable whims.

Seeing that she was overthinking it, Ning Ruohuan explained, “You just had your injection. Rest for a while, and I’ll paint you tomorrow, okay?”

Luo Yanzhi pursed her lips. “When I was moving these things, you didn’t stop me.”

Ning Ruohuan mimicked her innocent, aggrieved expression. “I thought you were going to paint.”

Luo Yanzhi’s eyes widened, and she pointed at herself. “Me? Paint?” She grit her teeth. “Fine, then Sister can be my model.”

She had been trained in art since childhood, but she hadn’t touched it in years and had long forgotten most of it.

Luo Yanzhi sat before the easel, looked up at the woman serving as her model, and began waving the brush across the paper. Ning Ruohuan dutifully remained still.

However, it didn’t last long. Luo Yanzhi threw the brush down, her temper rising as she crossed her arms, feeling defeated. “I’m not painting anymore.”

Amused, Ning Ruohuan stood up to inspect the work.

On the paper, light yellow lines outlined her silhouette and features. The proportions were a bit off; one could barely tell it was modeled after her, but beyond that, there was nothing that resembled her at all.

Luo Yanzhi turned her face away in resignation, amused by her own creation. She buried her head against Ning Ruohuan’s abdomen and said through suppressed laughter, “Sister, it’s over. I really have no talent for this.”

She sighed, sneakily trying to wipe the paint on her knuckles onto the back of Ning Ruohuan’s hand. Unfortunately, she was caught in the act immediately.

Ning Ruohuan circled her wrist. “Trying to do something bad again.”

Luo Yanzhi acted spoiled. “Sister, I don’t care. Let me off easy~”

Ning Ruohuan replied, “Haven’t I been letting you off easy enough?”

Luo Yanzhi grumbled, “Let me off a bit more.”

Ning Ruohuan pulled a disinfectant wipe from her pocket and carefully cleaned the paint from Luo Yanzhi’s hand.

She said, “Go wash your hands.”

Luo Yanzhi replied, “Sister, help me.”

Ning Ruohuan put on a stern face. “Go by yourself. Then, clean up these paints. Do you understand?”

Luo Yanzhi said, “I don’t want to.”

Ning Ruohuan started counting: “3, 2…”

Luo Yanzhi interrupted hastily, “What are you doing? Why so serious all of a sudden?” It actually made her a bit scared.

Ning Ruohuan said, “I’ve realized that it was far too easy for you to pursue me back then.” She tapped Luo Yanzhi’s forehead, feigning gravity. “It should have been exactly like what you said.”

Luo Yanzhi covered her forehead. “What?” Exactly like what?