Chapter 40

Xi Mi finished feeding Xiao Guai some milk, returned to the living room, and asked him: “Bastard Dao, did you read the comments just now? Someone said Xiao Guai is a wolf.”

Ying Quhe recalled the little guy hugging his face and licking him, shook his head, and said: “Impossible.”

She agreed. How could a dog bring back a wolf? Unless Ulrica had a death wish.

Xi Mi saw Ying Quhe holding her phone playing Tetris, hugged her water glass, and scooted over to him. She cautiously poked his arm: “Um… can I use your phone, log into your Weibo, and then… follow me?”

“Mm.” Ying Quhe kept his head down playing Tetris. “Password 136783.”

Xi Mi logged into Weibo with an uneasy heart. His Weibo homepage turned out to be the “Secret Follow^[1]” interface, full of her… Weibo posts?

Huh?

She turned her face, poked his arm again with a finger. “This… Secret Follow? How long have you been secretly following me?”

“Ten months.”

The casual, deep voice brushed past her ears. The tips of Xi Mi’s ears reddened a little, and she covered it up by pinching her ear. “That early? Back then… I didn’t even know you.”

So, Ying Quhe had known about her from the very beginning?

Because of Ying Shengnan?

Ying Quhe put down the phone, pulled away her hand pinching her ear, leaned his body closer, his gaze resting on the reddened tips of her ears, teasing: “Feeling hot?”

“…I…” Xi Mi hurriedly raised her hand to pinch her ear again, but her hand was caught by Ying Quhe.

She had a naturally slender, small frame, and her hand formed a sharp contrast with the man’s broad palm. Her hand resting in his palm was small, a perfect kind of small; his hand holding her five fingers could almost wrap her entire hand, large, a perfect kind of large.

Ying Quhe quickly released her hand again, placing her hand in his own palm to compare.

Her fingers were short, his were long.

Comparing the two hands, Xi Mi looked at her own stubby little fingers, awkwardly curled them, wanting to pull her hand back. But Ying Quhe quickly pressed down. “Don’t move.”

Xi Mi obediently stopped moving, said somewhat aggrieved: “Only after comparing do I realize my fingers can be this short?”

Ying Quhe then interlocked his fingers with hers, leaned down, and planted a kiss on the reddened tip of her ear. “It’s okay, I like it.”

“…”

That kiss on the ear tip fully ignited the blood throughout Xi Mi’s body, her heartbeat bursting in her ears like a heavy hammer beating a drum. Xi Mi swallowed, not daring to look directly at Ying Quhe. Summoning her courage, she slightly turned her gaze, meeting his eyes.

His eyes seemed mixed with clear spring water, reflecting scattered bits of gentle glimmers.

The tenderness in his eyes seemed to seep into Xi Mi’s marrow, making her almost melt into a puddle of water.

Xi Mi really couldn’t stand Ying Quhe’s teasing like that. She let out an “Ah,” threw herself into his arms, and hugged his firm, narrow waist. Like Ulrica, she rubbed against his chest a bit, her voice a little muffled: “Ying Quhe.”

Ying Quhe lowered his head, staring at the nest of fluffy curls in his arms, raised a hand and rubbed. “Mm?”

“I like you, I like you, I like you.”

After blurting out these words, Xi Mi rubbed against his chest again. Her heartbeat kept accelerating; she just wanted to hold him like this, not letting go.

She lacked a sense of security, utterly dependent on his embrace.

The firmness of his chest, the warmth of his body, and his soft whispering against her ear, each gave her enough security. In the past she thought he was unreachable, but now that she was openly holding him, everything felt too illusory, like a dream.

He was good in every way, and good to her. How could she resist such a man?

Ying Quhe pinched her chin, lifting it slightly, looked into her eyes and asked: “How much do you like me?”

Xi Mi pursed her lips, thought for a moment: “Mm… it’s… the kind of liking that lasts a lifetime, right?”

Ying Quhe raised an eyebrow: “‘Right’? Seems you’re not quite sure.”

Xi Mi pouted, snorted: “Then remove ‘right’.”

“Okay.” Ying Quhe lowered his head and kissed her lips.

He licked her lips with his tongue; the girl’s lips were sweet, probably from lip balm.

Xi Mi’s lips were licked, and this time not only the tips of her ears, but even her neck turned red.

She was flustered and didn’t know how to respond, so she obligingly puckered her lips, letting him lick. The texture on her lips was moist and soft.

Ying Quhe cupped her face, trying to pry open her lips.

Xi Mi opened her mouth, and felt his tongue enter… a strange sensation raced through her body, like an electric shock, making her whole body tingle.

Getting nervous, she closed her teeth.

Seemed to bite something… soft?

Ying Quhe let out a grunt, released her, a coppery sweetness spreading in his mouth.

Xi Mi immediately understood what she had bitten just now.

Ahhhh…

Xi Mi awkwardly covered her mouth, then covered her entire face, tossed out “I’m going to sleep,” grabbed her phone, and ran upstairs.

After closing the bedroom door, Xi Mi leaned against it. The strength in her body seemed to be drawn out bit by bit; she slowly slid down to sit on the floor, took a deep breath.

The memory of what just happened was so mortifying… she wanted to jump off the third floor.

Xi Mi covered her face and groaned for a while, then lowered her hands, opened Baidu on her phone, and searched for “kissing techniques.” It instantly opened the door to a whole new world.

My goodness… so there are actually this many… types of kissing?

Light lip-sucking style, single-tongue raid style, tongue-holding style, dual-tongue blending style, and the simplest mouth-to-mouth style.

She and Ying Quhe had already moved past the simplest mouth-to-mouth style, so just now, Ying Quhe must have wanted to try the “tongue-holding style” with her?

Xi Mi wanted to smack herself to death. It was just a kiss; why couldn’t she have a bit more talent at it?

She actually… bit his tongue.

Before turning off her phone, Xi Mi saw a message from Ji Donglin, and Ying Quhe’s reply on her behalf.

Xi Mi had a vague feeling that Ji Donglin would be in serious trouble tomorrow.

*

Noon the next day.

Ying Quhe drove Xi Mi to meet Ji Donglin. Before they left, Xi Mi deliberately chose a little white dress to match Ying Quhe’s white shirt.

She sat in the passenger seat, bit her finger, and asked him: “Your tongue… is it okay?”

Ying Quhe kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead. “Mm. Want to experience it for yourself?”

Experience it… for herself? Xi Mi’s mind flashed back to yesterday’s “tongue-holding technique.” Flustered, her gaze flickered nervously as she bit her finger and looked out the window. “It’s fine as long as it’s fine. It’s fine as long as it’s fine. After all, in our line of work, tongues are precious.”

“Who said it’s fine?” Ying Quhe kept driving, teasing her deliberately. “I couldn’t taste a thing at breakfast today. Makes me wonder if you bit something out of whack.”

Xi Mi’s heart jolted. She turned to look at him, caught the hint of a smirk spreading at the corner of his mouth, and instantly realized she’d been played. She let out a breath, lowered her head, and twisted her fingers together.

When they arrived at Blue Bay Cafe, Xi Mi went in first while Ying Quhe parked the car.

Ji Donglin spotted Xi Mi walking in from a distance. He’d just waved at her when he saw Ying Quhe push the door open and follow her inside. Once the two of them sat down, Ji Donglin shot Ying Quhe an unhappy look. “Let me ask you this. I invited the Goddess out for coffee to get her expert food knowledge. What are you doing here?”

Ying Quhe filled a cup of coffee for Xi Mi, then raised his eyes and stared straight into Ji Donglin’s. “In a certain capacity, I’m even more of an expert than she is. What do you want to know? Ask me.”

A nice two-person chat, completely wrecked by Ying Quhe. Ji Donglin ground his teeth, flashing a fanged grin. “Uncle Ying, you sure know a lot. But you do know that every three years is a generation gap^[2], right? Going by that equation, we’ve got whole chasms between us. So for some things, I figure talking to Xi Mi will be a lot more efficient.”

Ying Quhe’s fingers, busy fiddling with the siphon coffee maker, paused for a beat. His expression sank, a dark cloud seeming to settle over his brow. His eyes turned murderous in an instant, the temperature around him plummeting until the air itself nearly froze solid. “Oh? Actually, the reason I came today is that I’d really love to know one thing. Why is Xi Mi good enough to date me, but not good enough to entrust her life to? I’m quite curious.”

“…” Ji Donglin choked on his coffee, a sharp, prickling heat spreading through his chest. He glanced at Xi Mi, then at Ying Quhe. “Oh, you absolute scoundrel. You actually snooped through my Goddess’s WeChat?”

Ying Quhe curled his lip into a cold sneer. “Correction. I looked openly and honorably.”

Sensing an inexplicable wave of murderous intent rising from the table, Xi Mi cut them both off and said to Ji Donglin, “Ask Xiao Ming and Lao Qin if they’re free. We agreed last time that after winning the championship, the Bald Boss would treat us all to roast whole lamb.”

“I’ll ask.” Ji Donglin pulled out his phone to message the group. He glanced at Ying Quhe and asked, “He’s not coming with us, is he?”

Before Xi Mi could open her mouth, Ying Quhe cut in. “Bringing family to a gathering? Isn’t that perfectly normal?”

Ji Donglin’s heart took a sudden critical hit. He felt a brief, intense urge to gnaw through Ying Quhe’s neck.

Ji Donglin’s attempt to meet the Goddess alone had failed.

As if to stake his claim loud and clear, that very night, Ji Donglin saw the Goddess’s avatar in his contacts list change to a photo of Ying Quhe.

Ji Donglin enlarged Xi Mi’s WeChat avatar. It was a picture of Ying Quhe crouching down to pet Ulrica’s head.

Shameless. Downright shameless…

This old man really knew every trick in the book.

*

A few days before Xi Mi started work, they finally managed to get everyone together for a meal. The Bald Boss hosted the roast whole lamb out by the river on the east side of Jinyang. The scenery was beautiful.

A campfire was set up on the riverbank. The setting sun spilled across the endlessly flowing river, laying a sheet of finely crushed gold over the water’s surface.

The Bald Boss was by the fire preparing the roast whole lamb. Xiao Ming and Lao Qin were crouched by the river washing vegetables for the barbecue. The Old Lady was helping clean the utensils. Only Ji Donglin had nothing to do. With a blade of foxtail grass clamped between his lips, he stared vacantly at the river.

Ying Quhe parked the car by the riverbank. Xi Mi got out first, and Ulrica landed on the ground right behind her. After hopping down, she remembered the little guy was still in the car with his short little legs. She turned around, gently picked him up in her mouth, and set him down.

The moment Xiao Guai’s four paws touched the ground, he went tearing excitedly across the riverbank cobblestones. He staggered and stumbled, toppled and rolled, then stubbornly scrambled back up each time to keep running on his four stubby little legs.

The Old Lady saw Ying Quhe and Xi Mi get out of the same car together. She asked her grandson, “Xiao Ming, that’s the judge who scolded our Xi Mi, right? What’s he doing here?”

Xiao Ming covered his mouth and whispered, “He’s our Xi Mi Jie^[3]‘s boyfriend now.”

“…” The Old Lady suddenly recalled having once said that a man as sharp-tongued as Ying Quhe would never find a wife.

And now, after all this time? He was actually together with Xi Mi?

The world of young people was something this old woman truly couldn’t understand anymore.

Ying Quhe stayed by the fire to help prepare the roast whole lamb. Xi Mi walked to the river’s edge, carefully crouched down on the cobblestones, and washed her hands. Ji Donglin saw Xi Mi and remembered how she and Ying Quhe had teamed up to torment him back at the cafe. A faint, inexplicable sense of dejection rose in his heart.

Ulrica padded over with the steady, elegant gait of a wolf, Xiao Guai in tow. She bumped her rear end against Ji Donglin and nudged him aside.

Ji Donglin scooted over. Ulrica sat down, half-closed her canine eyes, and tilted her muzzle slightly upward to bask in the last warm rays of the setting sun, looking utterly content.

The Wolf Pup sprawled on a rock by the river, stretching out a tiny paw to reach for the icy water. The moment his little wolf paw touched the water, a soft whimpering cry escaped his throat. Ulrica picked him up with her mouth and brought him into the water with her.

The Wolf Pup’s whole body was submerged, with only his little head poking out. To satisfy the little one’s desire to play in the water, Ulrica affectionately used her muzzle to churn up spray after spray of water, splashing it all over the little guy.

Seeing the two dogs having so much fun, Xi Mi took off her sandals and waded in too. She stood there for a moment before realizing the water was bone-chillingly cold, and hurriedly scrambled back onto the bank barefoot.

The cobblestones on the riverbank had been warmed by the setting sun. Every stone underfoot was smooth and rounded, not sharp at all, warm and wonderfully comfortable.

Xi Mi walked a few steps across the cobblestones with the Wolf Pup. The little guy chased after her, latched onto her leg, and tried to climb up.

Xiao Ming spotted the adorable little creature and immediately abandoned the vegetable-washing he’d been doing with Lao Qin to come play with the dog. “The puppy’s so cute! He looks so majestic.”

The Bald Boss was busy brushing a special sauce onto the lamb. He glanced at the animal in Xiao Ming’s hands, his brow furrowing. He asked Ying Quhe, “Mr. Ying, are you raising a wolf?”

The Bald Boss’s first impression of Ying Quhe wasn’t great. He was still hung up on the memory of Ying tearing into Xi Mi with his sharp tongue on the show. A man like that keeping a wolf for a pet, nothing surprising there.

Ying Quhe’s hands paused mid-motion. He frowned. “A wolf?”

“What, don’t tell me you’ve been thinking you raised a dog this whole time?” The Boss finished brushing on a layer of sauce and waved Ying Quhe over to help secure the whole lamb onto the spit.

Ying Quhe walked over, grabbed the Wolf Pup by the scruff, and lifted him up, his expression unusually grim.

The little guy, manhandled so roughly, looked plaintively at Ulrica.

Ulrica immediately bristled with hostility toward the Boss, a low, bestial growl rumbling from her throat.

“Ulrica.” Ying Quhe shot her a knife-sharp glare, and her defiance instantly fizzled. She lay back down obediently.

The group settled around the campfire.

The Boss examined Xiao Guai’s mouth, teeth, and limb structure, then confirmed, “It’s a wolf, no doubt about it. Where did you bring him back from?”

Ying Quhe skewered potatoes onto a thin metal rod, brushed them with a slick, reddish coat of the special barbecue sauce, and laid them on the grill. “Baiyan Mountain.”

Xi Mi tore open a bag of corn chips, munching as she blinked incredulously. “No way. How could Xiao Guai be a wolf? At most, he’s just… a majestic, handsome purebred wolfdog.”

The moment the words left her mouth, Xiao Guai lifted his head toward the sky and let out an “Awooo.”

Xi Mi: “…” Well. So he really was a wolf?

Xiao Ming chimed in, “Why not just… keep him on the down-low? Xiao Guai doesn’t look like a fierce wolf at all.”

As if understanding every word, Xiao Guai blinked his bright, glittering eyes.

Lao Qin said, “I have a friend who’s raised a wolf before. These animals are far too aggressive. I suggest sending him back.”

Ji Donglin looked at Ulrica, who now wore a deeply wounded expression. “Ulrica must’ve known he was a wolf all along, right? Good lord, she went and adopted a wolf pup to raise as her own son.”

Ulrica fixed the Boss with a menacing, wolfish glare. So thoroughly creeped out by her stare that his skin crawled, the Boss promptly set Xiao Guai back down. “It’s definitely a wolf. No dog learns to howl like that.”

Xiao Guai burrowed under Ulrica’s belly, leaving just his head peeking out, his bright eyes watching them all.

The whole lamb over the campfire sizzled and popped, fat rendering into glossy beads as the marinade seeped deeper with the heat.

Droplets of grease fell into the flames and crackled noisily.

The aroma of roasting lamb drifted through the air. Ulrica, who normally devoured meat at every opportunity, didn’t move a muscle; she kept the little one close, terrified he’d be snatched away again.

The Boss brushed another layer of sauce over the lamb, flipped it, and scattered on a few handfuls of chopped scallions. The fragrance of scallions mingled with the sauce and the roasting meat, making Xi Mi’s mouth water uncontrollably. Starving after an entire hungry afternoon, she stared at the glistening roast sizzling with oil, stomach growling.

Seeing no one else speak, Ji Donglin offered, “How about… we take him back to Baiyan Mountain? Maybe his wolf mother is out there searching for her son?”

“No.” Ying Quhe refused flatly. “He’s still too young. Sending him back into the wild would be more dangerous than safe. If he really had a mother wolf protecting him, he wouldn’t have been skin and bones, starving, when Ulrica found him.”

Xi Mi agreed with Ying Quhe. “Exactly. If Xiao Guai really had a mother, how could he have been starving like that? How could Ulrica have just picked him up? Something must have happened to the mother wolf for the little guy to end up alone.”

Ji Donglin looked at Ying Quhe, suddenly, inexplicably angry. “Mr. Ying, you’re not seriously considering raising a wolf, are you? Do I really need to explain how dangerous these animals are? Fine, maybe you don’t care about your own safety, but shouldn’t you at least consider the Goddess’s?”

Ying Quhe’s icy gaze swept past Ji Donglin, then shifted to Xi Mi, and instantly softened. His voice dropped low as he asked for her thoughts. “What do you think?”

Xi Mi ruffled Xiao Guai’s head. The little guy gazed up at her with those bright, sparkling eyes, and her heart melted into a puddle. “I can’t bear to give him up either. How about this: we wait until he’s just a little bigger, then take him to the Forestry Bureau^[4]?”

Ji Donglin pressed a hand to his forehead. “You’ve all lost it. Completely lost it…”

The lamb was done. The Boss carved off a leg portion for Ji Donglin, sprinkled on some scallions and chili powder, and handed it to him. “Alright, Xiao Ji. The two lovebirds have made their decision, stop worrying yourself over nothing. Eat your meat.”

Ji Donglin accepted the lamb, bitterness in his heart.

Ying Quhe carved a piece of the hind leg for Xi Mi and brushed it with the special spicy sauce. One bite, and a crisp crackle sounded between the teeth. The tender, succulent meat had been specially prepared to remove any trace of gaminess; a numbing, spicy heat laced with a whisper of sweetness. Crisp, crackling skin. Meltingly soft meat. The numbing spice entwined with that faint, addictive sweetness, creating a flavor nothing short of exquisite.

After finishing her piece, Xi Mi couldn’t help but suck the sauce clean from her fingers.

Tsss… absolutely incredible.

The Boss saw her licking her fingers spotless and couldn’t resist teasing. “Xi Mi, you’re supposed to start working at Ying Shi Pavilion in a few days. Where’s the class of a master chef with table manners like that?”

Xi Mi ducked her head sheepishly and stuck out her tongue in playful defiance. “Who says a master chef can’t lick her fingers? I’m just practicing frugality: no waste allowed.”

Ying Quhe pulled out a handkerchief, took her hand, and carefully wiped it clean. “At Ying Shi Pavilion, licking your fingers is strictly forbidden. You’ll need to restrain yourself.”

“There’s actually a rule like that? What kind of pervert came up with it?” Xi Mi grabbed another piece of sauced lamb bare-handed, stuffed it into her mouth, and, once again, helplessly licked her fingers.

With infinite patience, Ying Quhe took her hand again. “I did.”

Xi Mi coughed awkwardly. The rest of the group, minus Ji Donglin, couldn’t hold it in and burst out laughing.

Xiao Ming’s greasy hand reached over, grabbed Ying Quhe’s white shirt sleeve, and tugged. “Ying Quhe.”

Being addressed directly by name by an elementary school kid felt a little strange. Ying Quhe looked down at him.

Xiao Ming said, “I used to think you were really annoying, but now, all of a sudden, I think you’re kind of alright. Tell me, are you truly, genuinely in love with our Sister Xi Mi? If Sister Xi Mi didn’t know how to cook, would you still fall in love with her?”

Right. If she couldn’t cook, would Ying Quhe still like her?

Xi Mi looked at Ying Quhe with hopeful anticipation. The firelight played across his handsome profile, its warm hues softening his features into something infinitely gentle.

Ying Quhe fell silent for a moment, shifting his gaze away from Xiao Ming’s face. He turned back to Xi Mi, meeting her glistening eyes. Seeing the hope in them, the corner of his mouth curved up before he could stop it. “That kind of hypothetical won’t happen. There are plenty of girls who can cook. Xi Mi isn’t the only one. But when it comes to the person who could make my heart fall for her… there’s no one else.”