Since he was already in the study, he decided to take a thorough bath, even adding a touch of cologne for good measure. Satisfied, he wrapped a bathrobe around himself and slowly made his way to the bedroom.
Unlocking the door with a slight tremor of excitement akin to unwrapping a gift, he cleared his throat before stepping inside, âIâm back.â
What Qin Zhiyou didnât notice was the subtle twitch in Lu Weixiâs eyelid after he announced his return.
A small lamp lit the room where Lu Weixi was seated at a desk, engrossed in a book. Her long hair was scattered loosely around her â it seemed she had already bathed too.
Something, however, felt off to Qin Zhiyou.
He opened the closet to find the transparent number still untouched in the corner, showing no signs of use.
Annoyed, he approached Lu Weixi only to find her engrossed in a vocabulary book. He skimmed through it and found it to be a âGRE vocabulary comprehensive guideâ.
Damn it! Sheâs reading an English book, whatâs she playing at?
Qin Zhiyou closed the book with a crisp thud on the desk. As Lu Weixi looked up, she saw him smiling with his peach blossom eyes slightly raised, âHave you forgotten what I told you today?â
âI, I remember.â Lu Weixi quickly dropped her gaze. As she did, she caught a glimpse of Qin Zhiyouâs bathrobe and realized that he had actually bathed and was entirely clad in a robe⦠with nothing underneath.
âWell, go on then.â He looked at her expectantly, pretending to be reasonable.
âYou, you told me to lift myself up. Iâve thought about it. From now on, I will not take any order casually. I will use my free time to prepare for my Ph.D. So this English bookâ¦â
She had always planned to return to school, even to pursue her studies abroad. But given her current situation, she knew Qin Zhiyou would not agree to her going abroad. Even if her mother did go to America for treatment, she couldnât accompany her for years that would entail.
However, obtaining a professional qualification or pursuing a Ph.D. seemed appropriate. Besides, she gradually felt that having a higher degree would give her an edge in the workplace. She also needed to recharge herself and learn more.
Of course, she knew what Qin Zhiyou was asking. Even if she didnât remember in the afternoon, he reminded her via Aunt Hao later, telling her to âprepare wellâ. But how was she supposed to wear that transparent thing!
âOh really? And what else?â
âWhat else?â No way was she going to wear that! She was going to stick it out to the end! Lu Weixi tried to steer the conversation, âThe weather was good today.â
âIt was indeed. The moon is lovely tonight.â Qin Zhiyou played along. âItâs getting late. Go change your clothes.â
âWhy should I? Iâve already had a bath.â Lu Weixi quickly got up, acting as if she didnât know what was going on, and tried to escape his grasp.
But he caught her arm.
His eyes narrowed slightly, from between his thin lips, he said slowly, âI am very considerate and never force others. If you really donât want to change, I wonât make you. Butâ¦â
âBut, but what?â Lu Weixiâs voice trembled slightly.