The Night is Called Gentle - Chapter 52

Lin Zhixia enjoyed being disciplined by Yan Huaiqing no matter what it was about, she loved it all.

That feeling of being completely controlled was like having her heart wrapped in warm water, making her both nervous and faintly expectant.

“I can’t guess,” she said, her voice unconsciously dropping several notes, the tail end trembling slightly.

“Really can’t guess?” Yan Huaiqing narrowed her eyes, her gaze like a fine net capable of capturing every subtle movement of hers.

“Is it about me randomly labeling people?” Lin Zhixia’s fingertips unconsciously rubbed the edge of her notebook.

“Wrong.”

Yan Huaiqing curved her lips into a smile, her index finger tapping the desk at a leisurely, unhurried pace.

Lin Zhixia’s gaze followed the movement of her knuckles.

“Is it about focus?” Her voice tightened as she picked at her nails again.

“Also wrong,” came the low, suppressed reply.

“Then what is it?” Lin Zhixia bit the inside of her lip.

“Abstinence what desire of yours am I forbidding?” Yan Huaiqing scanned her.

“Nothing, it’s just a description, meaning someone is self-restrained, reserved, and introverted.” Lin Zhixia’s voice grew softer and softer, like spider silk scattered by the wind.

“And the ‘S attribute,’ what kind of attribute is that?” Yan Huaiqing asked again, a dangerous glint returning to her eyes.

“Uh it’s.”

Lin Zhixia’s ears instantly burned. What nonsense had she been spouting in front of her superior?

“It’s what?” Yan Huaiqing tapped the desk twice more with her fingertip.

“It’s… the tendency to hit people,” Lin Zhixia said, the fire on her ears spreading to her neck.

“Have I hit you many times?” Yan Huaiqing blinked, as if trying to recall.

“Four times.”

Lin Zhixia answered quietly, secretly adding the scenes in her mind once on the palm, once on the head, once on the back, and the most recent one just now while drinking soup, when she left dregs in the bowl and had her ear pinched as a lesson.

So many times already.

Yan Huaiqing raised an eyebrow, her fingers subtly curling into her palm. “So, you hold a grudge?”

“No, I don’t hold a grudge,” Lin Zhixia hurriedly looked up, her gaze accidentally meeting Yan Huaiqing’s eyes. “I meant it as a compliment.”

“Really? So I misunderstood you?” Yan Huaiqing suddenly stood up, her shirt outlining the smooth curve of her shoulders with the movement.

She turned back and asked, “Do you like being hit?”

Lin Zhixia froze, instinctively shrinking back. The chair pressed against her shoulder blades, leaving her with no room to retreat.

“I don’t.”

The study was so quiet she could hear her own heartbeat.

Yan Huaiqing turned around slowly, as if afraid of startling something.

The floor lamp cast light from behind her, outlining her silhouette with a soft, fuzzy halo. She walked around the desk, her footsteps almost absorbed by the carpet.

As the distance closed, Lin Zhixia caught the faint scent of medicinal ointment and greenery on her. She held her breath, waiting to be struck.

But instead, Yan Huaiqing brushed past her and headed straight for the floor cabinet behind her.

After rummaging in a drawer for a moment, she took out a wooden bracelet from a box and twirled it between her fingers.

The beads were thin, less than a centimeter in diameter, and as she toyed with them, they seemed even more restrained.

“Don’t pick at things when you’re thinking,” she said, handing the bracelet to her, her voice carrying a hint of helpless tenderness.

So this was what she meant to discipline her about! How terrifying!

Lin Zhixia quickly unclasped her nervously intertwined fingers, allowing her shoulder blades to relax slightly.

She accepted the bracelet, taking a deep breath as the scent of vegetation washed over her strikingly similar to Yan Huaiqing’s fragrance, only more intense.

“Is this agarwood?” she asked, tilting her head upward.

“White Kyara,” Yan Huaiqing confirmed softly before turning to return to her seat.

Lin Zhixia brought the bracelet closer to her nose. Her nostrils instinctively contracted as a cool sensation, mingled with the milky aroma of floral honey from plants, surged straight to her brain. It was like inhaling an intensely vivid version of Yan Huaiqing.

“You’re giving it to me?” She turned to look at her, eyes sparkling.

“Yes, it’s for you,” Yan Huaiqing replied, her voice softening unconsciously.

“Then, the scent on you is ?” Lin Zhixia naturally followed up, unconsciously twisting the bracelet around her fingers.

“Green Kyara. I keep a strand hanging in my wardrobe.” Yan Huaiqing picked up her teacup and took a sip, her features appearing exceptionally gentle amidst the rising steam.

“Can I exchange this for Green Kyara instead?” The words slipped out before Lin Zhixia could think a rather presumptuous request.

“No,” Yan Huaiqing answered decisively, though her expression showed no displeasure.

“Why?” Lin Zhixia pressed quietly, curiosity piqued.

Yan Huaiqing chuckled lightly, her words seeming to swirl within the tea’s fragrance. “Because if others have it, wouldn’t you refuse it?”

This!

Tit for tat.

Lin Zhixia was momentarily speechless, shrinking her neck like a little quail and lowering her head to fiddle with the bracelet.

Yan Huaiqing let out a soft laugh, set down her teacup, and said, “This one is more precious a hidden treasure, the only one of its kind.”

Just a few twists of the beads warmed them, releasing a delicate fragrance. It truly was precious. Only then did Lin Zhixia feel a belated sense of embarrassment and tried to return it.

“Keep it,” Yan Huaiqing said, lowering her gaze. “The shawl carries the same scent. You like it.”

Lin Zhixia had only mentioned Yan Huaiqing’s fragrance once the first time she came to her house for dinner. Drunk, she had buried her face in Yan Huaiqing’s shawl and murmured:

“A person’s scent is like another version of them in this world.”

“The shawl smells wonderful.”

So, Yan Huaiqing had remembered all along.

Not only remembered, but deliberately chose that very scent to give her.

But wait.

The shawl hidden treasure.

Did that mean the scent lingering on her clothes during winter had been this same fragrance?

If so, wasn’t she implying that she wanted to give this other version of herself in the world to Lin Zhixia?

Lin Zhixia’s heartbeat suddenly quickened and grew heavy.

This was just too.

How could she refuse such a gift?

She grinned, revealing a row of small white teeth, smiling like a fool.

“Thank you, Teacher Yan,” she said, her voice now carrying a hint of that fragrance.

“Any more questions?” Yan Huaiqing asked, her eyes fixed on the screen, not looking at her.

“No more,” Lin Zhixia shook her head, the beads clicking softly between her fingers as their subtle fragrance wafted around her.

“Then, shall we get to work?” Yan Huaiqing tapped a few times on the touchpad.

“Of course,” Lin Zhixia straightened her posture, as if thoroughly bribed, and chuckled. “I pledge my undying loyalty to Boss Yan.”

Yan Huaiqing finally broke into a genuine laugh, though the smile vanished as quickly as it appeared, replaced by her usual commanding work demeanor.

She hadn’t worn her glasses, afraid they might distract her.

Lin Zhixia slowly twisted the beads, gradually sinking into a focused and serene work state.

She needed to document the script ideas proposed during the meeting and integrate everyone’s suggestions, opinions, and questions. The tasks were detailed and complex, and her expression gradually grew serious.

Yan Huaiqing occasionally glanced at her, her gaze light, as if afraid of disturbing her train of thought.

After all, the young woman was surprisingly focused more than she had imagined.

Her aura was deeply still, as if she were immersed in her own little universe, distant from the world around her.

She typed quickly, her fingertips tapping out a crisp rhythm on the keyboard, like raindrops falling on bluestone slabs.

What surprised Yan Huaiqing the most was that she never forcefully struck the delete or space keys. Even when her expression clearly conveyed that her thoughts were stuck, she remained calm and patiently worked through it.

From time to time, she flipped through the notes in her notebook, occasionally fiddling with the bracelet on her wrist, twirling it a few times. She would lean back in her chair, close her eyes in contemplation, and sometimes unconsciously seek Yan Huaiqing’s opinion.

The notebook in front of her was a mess, filled at a glance with lines and annotations, dense and intricate, as if she were solving a complex problem.

Her handwriting was messy, clearly showing that her thoughts were racing faster than her hand could keep up.

She also liked to draw symbols in her notebook, like a secret code patterns that hinted at some logic but whose meaning remained elusive.

She didn’t mind Yan Huaiqing looking at her notebook and even showed it to her. However, while Yan Huaiqing could understand what she was saying, she couldn’t decipher what she had written.

Yan Huaiqing suddenly grew curious curious about how she had secluded herself for nine days to conceive this script, and she couldn’t help but imagine her demeanor while writing Several Layers of Mountains.

She was a little captivating.

Yan Huaiqing thought.

–

They had eaten breakfast late and skipped lunch, working straight through until mid-afternoon. Lin Zhixia’s stomach rumbled a few times, though she didn’t notice it herself.

“Xiaxia.” Yan Huaiqing saved the document, a hint of laughter in her voice.

“Hmm?” Lin Zhixia’s mind was still elsewhere as she continued typing.

“Let’s take a break. What would you like to eat?” Yan Huaiqing looked at her and asked.

“Anything is fine.” Lin Zhixia instinctively swallowed but kept her eyes fixed on the screen, showing no intention of stopping.

Yan Huaiqing chuckled, leaned forward, and tapped the back of Lin Zhixia’s hand twice.

Lin Zhixia’s heart skipped a beat, and she immediately snapped out of her focused state.

Flustered, she turned to look at the person beside her, meeting Yan Huaiqing’s smiling eyes. The tips of her ears instantly flushed red.

She had almost forgotten in her busyness she was secretly in love with this person.

Yan Huaiqing hadn’t expected such a strong reaction and was momentarily surprised. She stood up and walked over to Lin Zhixia’s side, teasing, “You’re so dedicated to your work. Does your boss pay you that well?”

Lin Zhixia unconsciously withdrew her hand, rubbing the bracelet on her wrist, her pinky finger lightly brushing the spot where Yan Huaiqing had tapped.

“Since I’ve received such a priceless bracelet from Teacher Yan, I have to give it my all,” she said softly, her voice sweet and obedient.

“I didn’t give you the bracelet so you could work yourself to death,” Yan Huaiqing replied, reaching out to ruffle her hair gently. “Save your work first. You can continue after we eat.”

Lin Zhixia tilted her head back under Yan Huaiqing’s hand, blinking pitifully. “Teacher Yan, we have a meeting tomorrow. I’m afraid I won’t finish in time.”

“Then we’ll postpone the meeting,” Yan Huaiqing said, turning to lean against the desk. The cuffs of her shirt slid up slightly as she braced her hands, revealing a glimpse of her wrist. Her tone was resolute and unwavering.

She looked every bit the captivating, domineering CEO.

“This isn’t really appropriate.” The assistant gazed up at her with admiration and a complicated gleam in her eyes.

If Su Wangyue were present, she would have let out an “Awoo!” and demanded “What are you two doing? What are you doing! What’s with this ‘domineering CEO and little assistant’ act.”

With no one to interrupt, the act continued.

“I say it’s fine, so it’s fine. I’m a patient right now,” Yan Huaiqing slightly lifted her chin, the light enveloping her, perfectly outlining the curve of her profile.

So damn beautiful.

Especially the glimpse of collarbone peeking from her shirt collar, faintly visible, just begging to be pushed down into the messy pile of documents and bitten.

No, bitten a hundred times.

Lin Zhixia unconsciously twisted her beads, perhaps because her mind was too full of impure thoughts, she almost muttered “Amitabha” under her breath to atone.

“What do you want to eat? Should I ask the auntie to cook, or go out?” Yan Huaiqing turned to look at her, her gaze colliding with the wild thoughts in Lin Zhixia’s eyes.

Lin Zhixia hurriedly turned away, flustered as she saved the files. “I’m fine with anything.”

Yan Huaiqing didn’t know what she was thinking, but she was certain it was something improper. A flicker of understanding flashed in her eyes, and she suddenly leaned in closer. “Take off the bracelet.”

“Huh? Why?” Lin Zhixia turned back, her face full of reluctance.

Yan Huaiqing frowned. “It’s very precious.”

Afraid it would be defiled by her impure thoughts?

Lin Zhixia felt panicked, embarrassed, and even more reluctant to part with it. “Are you taking it back?”

Yan Huaiqing sighed helplessly, clenched the hand that wanted to hit someone, pressed her lips together, and whispered,

“It won’t smell good if it gets food on it.”