84 Donât Do Anything You Will Regret
Under his urging, Ven Olle got serious with being a guide again and introduced the scenery and buildings along the way.
He would occasionally tell them some interesting things that had happened recently in a humorous way.
After the four of them finished sightseeing, it was already evening. They returned to the Champs-élysées to admire the night landscape.
âUncle, I canât walk anymore.â Lin Jiao had not been sightseeing like this for a long time. Her feet and calves were sore.
âCome on. Iâll give you a piggyback.â
âNo need. Help me over and sit for a while.â
âWeâre almost at the hotel.â Pei Zhi wanted her to go back and soak her feet in a hot bath.
Seeing that he was already squatting down in front of her, Lin Jiao could only get on his neck.
She leaned on his shoulder and felt the sense of security he gave her. âLetâs drive tomorrow.â
âOkay.â Pei Zhi could not bear to tire her out.
He asked Qu Shao to buy some snacks and water from a nearby convenience store just in case she felt hungry at night.
âBoss, what time do we set out tomorrow?â Qu Shao opened the door for them and placed the bag of food on the coffee table in the living room.
âNine oâclock.â
âAlright, rest early.â
Pei Zhi nodded and squatted down again.
After Qu Shao left, he locked the door and went into the bathroom to get a basin of hot water, in which he also added a bit of rose essential oil.
âUncle, help me get some makeup remover.â Lin Jiao had been wearing makeup all day and felt uncomfortable.
âRight away.â Pei Zhi brought out the basin and went back to get her makeup remover.
He wet the cotton pads one by one and handed them to her. âDoes your foot still hurt?â
âMuch better.â
Lin Jiao removed the mascara and eye shadow and handed the stained cotton back to Pei Zhi to get clean ones from him.
After repeating this a few times, her skin finally felt like it could breathe.
âIâll go and take a shower first.â Pei Zhi took off his windbreaker and turned on the television for her.
âDonât forget to take your pajamas.â
âI know.â
Lin Jiao looked away when she heard the door close.
She looked at her phone and saw that it was three in the afternoon in China, just the right time to call Pei Yilan.
âYilan, are you there?â
âYes.â
A few days after Jiang Ye passed the audition, he agreed to go skiing with her in Lin City.
Pei Yilan was excited for a long time because of this.
She glanced at Jiang Ye, who was in the driverâs seat. âWeâre on our way to the hotel. What about you?â
âIâm at the hotel too.â
âWhat time is it in Paris?â
âTen oâclock in the evening.â Lin Jiao could hear the excitement in her voice and asked in a low voice, âDid you make any progress?â
âNot at the moment.â
âThen make sure you donât do anything that youâll regret.â
âI understand.â Pei Yilan chatted with her until Jiang Ye stepped on the brakes.
As soon as Pei Yilan hung up, Pei Zhi came out of the bathroom with a wet face. He did not bother drying his hair and bent down to check the temperature of the basin that Lin Jiao was soaking her feet in.
âThe water is already cold. Why donât you change it?â He held her ankle like he was treating something fragile.
Lin Jiao lifted her feet cooperatively. âI was calling Yilan and didnât notice.â
âWas the conversation so engaging that you forgot everything else?â
âI was talking to her about Jiang Ye.â
Pei Zhi poured the water in the basin into the toilet bowl. When he came out again, he picked up the towel and rubbed his wet hair.
He sat beside her. âHow are things between them now?â
âNo progress yet.â Lin Jiaoâs gaze landed on his bathrobe, which was slightly open, and was tempted to touch his abs.
Pei Zhi caught her gaze.
âJiaojiao, where are you looking?â
Lin Jiaoâs heart skipped a beat, as if she had been spotted by a teacher playing with her phone in the classroom.
She pretended to be calm. âItâs wet there.â
Perhaps because she wanted to prove herself right, she took out two tissues and wiped his collarbone.
âAre there any other places?â Pei Zhi leaned against the sofa, his chest muscles revealing as if he was seducing her.
âYes.â Lin Jiao wiped the water droplets that were none-existent with a tissue.
Through the thin tissue, she could feel the warmth of his body. When her hand accidentally touched his skin, she retracted her hand immediately as if she got an electric shock.
Pei Zhi narrowed his eyes. âIs it all dry?â He suppressed the darkness in his eyes to avoid scaring her.
âYes.â Lin Jiao took a deep breath.
She threw away the crumpled tissue and rushed to the bathroom. âIâll go and remove my makeup.â
Pei Zhi looked at the makeup remover on the coffee table and smiled happily.
He slowly dried his hair and walked into the bedroom on the right to find her pajamas.
After about forty minutes, a kitten-like voice entered his ears. âUncle, I forgot to take my pajamas.â
âItâs at the door.â
âSo quick?â
âI put it there for you forty minutes ago.â
Lin Jiao was touched by his thoughtfulness again.
She raised one snow-white leg and stepped out of the bathtub. She wrapped herself in a towel and went to the door to take her clothes.
Seeing that he even put her underwear there, her cheeks were as red as a ripe apple.
âJiaojiao, can I come in?â A moment later, he asked gently.
âSure.â
Pei Zhi pushed the door open and entered.
He stood in front of the sink and glanced at the underwear she was washing while squeezing toothpaste. âWhy didnât you use hot water?â
âHot water will make it shrink.â
Lin Jiao stood on her tiptoes to hang the hanger on the clothesline beside her.
She took the toothbrush from him and finished brushing her teeth with him. âUncle, Iâm going back to my room.â
Pei Zhi nodded. âGood night.â
He turned to the left when her door was closed.
The hazy moonlight and starlight overlapped, emitting a bright and gentle light that shone on the bed, accompanying them to sleep.
When the sky lit up, causing the moon to retreat with the stars, the earth was painted a golden hue.
The doorbell rang at ten.
âBoss, are you ready?â Qu Shao leaned against the door, having no intention of entering.
âYes.â Pei Zhi took out his room card.
He put his arm around Lin Jiao and left the hotel. âLetâs go to the Musée dâOrsay first. You can arrange the rest of the itinerary.â
Ven Olle stepped on the accelerator. âOkay.â
The Musée dâOrsay is on the left bank of the Seine, across the river from the Louver and the Tuileries Gardens.
The museum was renovated from an abandoned train station. The entire building looked old-fashioned.
Because there were many Impressionist paintings collected in the museum, it was called the palace of the Impressionists.
âGo upstairs first.â Ven Olle had been here many times and was extremely familiar with the displays in the museum.
He led them to the elevator from the right. âThe lower floors are filled with sculptures. Letâs start from the upper floors.â
âWhich floor is Monetâs work on?â
âFifth floor. His and Van Goghâs work is the treasure of Orsay. Itâs easy to find.â