Chapter 21: Twenty-First Day as a Salted Fish
Lying casually on the sofa like this and allowing himself to be at her mercy, the man looked unaccountably seductive.
Feeling a twinge of guilt over the fleeting thought in her mind, Qin Jiaojiao softened her footsteps, walked over to the sofa, and leaned in close to observe Zhou Shaoli.
Was he asleep, or had he passed out drunk?
When she first entered the bedroom, she had turned on the main lights. Zhou Shaoli must have found the brightness piercing, so he had turned off the overhead lights and left only the wall lamp on. In the dim, warm glow, half of the man’s face was hidden in shadow, while the exposed half was exquisite and pale.
His eyes were closed, and his handsome brows were slightly furrowed, making him look a bit uncomfortable.
Qin Jiaojiao squatted in front of the sofa, staring at the man’s face, and sighed in her heart. He was still trying to act tough with her, claiming he wasn’t drunk. He was clearly hammered; otherwise, given his usual personality, he would definitely be sitting upright in an elegant posture. How could he ever lie on the sofa so casually?
Qin Jiaojiao picked up her phone to check the time. It was 11:30 PM, and Auntie Zhang had long gone to rest. She decided to head downstairs to check if there was any honey in the kitchen fridge so she could mix a glass of honey water for him.
Downstairs, she walked into the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, found honey in the fresh-keeping compartment, scooped some into a glass with a spoon, poured in warm water, stirred it well, and carried the honey water back upstairs.
Returning to the bedroom, Zhou Shaoli was still lying on the sofa. Qin Jiaojiao placed the glass on the coffee table, leaned over, and gently nudged his shoulder.
“Wake up. Get up and drink some honey water.”
Zhou Shaoli’s hand moved slightly, resting over his eyes, but he stayed lying down with no intention of getting up.
Qin Jiaojiao squatted down, poked his face with her slender finger, and called out softly, “Zhou Shaoli, wake up.”
This was something she wouldn’t dare do when Zhou Shaoli was sober. Taking advantage of his drunkenness, she poked his face again. “Hurry up and wake up…”
Her nudging seemed to work. Zhou Shaoli removed his hand from his eyes and opened them. His light brown eyes were somewhat unfocused, and gradually, Qin Jiaojiao’s pale, exquisite face came into his field of vision.
He rubbed his forehead and sat up.
He couldn’t remember how long it had been since he was last drunk. At the Qin house, he had been plied with several glasses of high-proof liquor by Father Qin. The aftereffects were potent. He had only been tipsy while in the car, but after holding it together long enough to return to the bedroom, he finally couldn’t take it anymore.
Leaning against the sofa, the man lowered his eyes to look at the squatting Qin Jiaojiao, his voice raspy. “Sorry.”
Only a single wall lamp burned in the bedroom. In the dim, yellow light, she wore a tight silk black nightgown that set off her snow-white skin. Looking up at him, her bright, beautiful eyes were utterly captivating.
Zhou Shaoli reached out a hand, paused halfway, and rested it on his knee. He really was thoroughly drunk; he actually wanted to reach out and touch her face.
Indeed, on a drunken night like this, his thoughts were sluggish and his actions were out of his control. Fortunately, he still retained a shred of rationality and strongly suppressed the spreading impulses.
He rubbed his temples firmly and said, “I really am drunk.”
Qin Jiaojiao stood up, grabbed the honey water, held the glass out to him, and said, “I made you some honey water. Take a few sips; you should feel better after drinking it.”
Qin Jiaojiao had no experience taking care of people. She had searched online using her phone for the simplest method.
Zhou Shaoli took the honey water, lowered his eyelashes, and took a few sips. The sweet, rich flavor spread through his mouth, washing away some of the smell of alcohol.
Holding the warm glass of honey water, he looked up at Qin Jiaojiao. “Thank you.”
“Rest for a bit, then take a shower and go to sleep early,” Qin Jiaojiao let out a yawn.
“Mm,” Zhou Shaoli responded softly.
Qin Jiaojiao climbed back into bed, glanced at Zhou Shaoli sitting on the sofa, picked up her phone to read a webnovel, and occasionally cast a glance over to check on him.
After a few minutes, Zhou Shaoli stood up, pulled off his tie, took off his suit jacket, and went straight to the bathroom.
Click. The door closed.
Soon, the sound of pitter-pattering water drifted from the bathroom. Lying under the covers, Qin Jiaojiao thought to herself that Zhou Shaoli seemed quite well-behaved when drunk—he really was a good drinker.
When she used to celebrate the New Year with relatives at home, many of them would start bragging, shouting, and throwing tantrums after drinking a little. Someone like him, who obediently found a place to rest after drinking, was truly rare.
That meant whenever he came back from business engagements smelling like alcohol in the future, she wouldn’t have to go through the trouble of taking care of him. Out of respect for his money, she could just have the servants cook some hangover soup for him, and once he sobered up, he could shower and go to bed by himself.
After Qin Jiaojiao read her novel for a while, the shower stopped, the door opened, and Zhou Shaoli walked out wrapped in just a bath towel. Ever since she moved into the master bedroom, every time he showered, he would bring his pajamas inside and come out fully dressed. Tonight, he had probably forgotten to bring his pajamas in because he was drunk, leaving him with no choice but to wrap himself in a bath towel.
Qin Jiaojiao’s gaze fell on him, getting quite an eyeful of his sleek, muscular lines.
Zhou Shaoli walked into the walk-in closet and closed the sliding door. Not long after, he walked out wearing a set of dark pajamas, pulled back the covers, and lay down in bed.
Qin Jiaojiao took a glance at his handsome features, picked up the remote control to close the curtains, and turned off the lights.
They had to board a plane tomorrow to go abroad, so it was best to rest early.
Qin Jiaojiao fell into a sweet sleep, free of dreams all night, and didn’t wake up until sunlight flooded the entire bedroom.
The maid, Xiaoli, had already packed her luggage for going abroad, placing her passport and ID inside the suitcase. All she needed to do was wash up, change into a set of clothes, head downstairs for breakfast, and then go to the private airport with Zhou Shaoli.
The Zhou family of Beijing was a prominent, noble family with centuries of heritage, and their private airport was built to be massive. The plane was far more luxurious than ordinary international flights, with professional pilots and staff on standby.
It was an eye-opening experience for Qin Jiaojiao. Having never flown on a private jet before, she couldn’t help but feel a little worried about safety. Zhou Shaoli briefed her on the plane’s specifications and mentioned that the pilot had previously flown fighter jets and was a veteran aviator with over twenty years of experience.
Reassured, Qin Jiaojiao relaxed inside the plane, enjoying delicious food while flipping through fashion magazines to read.
She had never been to a fashion show before, so she was cramming at the last minute by reading brand magazines to catch up on fashion knowledge. Still, she had nothing to worry about—not understanding fashion didn’t mean she lacked aesthetic sense.
Besides, Zhou Shaoli was accompanying her to the show, and he would be paying for her to splurge. Whenever she saw clothes she liked and found pretty, she would just have him buy them for her.
Seeing her reading the fashion magazines with great interest, Zhou Shaoli picked up his phone and sent out a few more messages.
He didn’t go abroad often, only flying out when he occasionally needed to negotiate overseas deals. Bringing Qin Jiaojiao along on this trip abroad promised to be a very relaxed and enjoyable journey.
After reading magazines for a while, Qin Jiaojiao grew a bit bored, played two rounds of games, and watched a movie. It would still take several hours to reach Paris. Letting out a yawn, she reclined her seat and went to sleep.
She didn’t know how long she had slept, but when she woke up, the plane was about to land. Looking at the blanket that had suddenly appeared over her, she knew Zhou Shaoli must have covered her with it.
After the plane landed, a private car picked them up and drove them to the hotel. In the executive suite, the butler had prepared a wide variety of meals, so she took a shower and immediately began eating.
She had eaten lunch on the plane and slept for a long time, missing dinner, so by the time they reached the hotel, she was ravenously hungry and couldn’t hold back at the sight of gourmet food.
Starving, she ate without paying much attention to her manners. Sitting beside her, Zhou Shaoli noticed crumbs stuck around her mouth, pointed at her lip, and said, “Wipe off the grease.”
Qin Jiaojiao quickly pulled out a tissue to wipe her mouth and said, “I’m just way too hungry.”
“Eat slowly, no rush,” Zhou Shaoli dined unhurriedly beside her.
The executive suite featured a dining area, living room, master suite, and an indoor swimming pool. Qin Jiaojiao glanced at the pool, feeling a bit regretful that she hadn’t brought a swimsuit; otherwise, she could have taken a dip.
After finishing dinner, the two returned to their respective rooms. Well… although they slept together at home, that was for the sake of recording the show. Now that they were abroad, Zhou Shaoli gentlemanly let her choose her room first.
She gave the master bedroom to Zhou Shaoli and moved into the secondary bedroom. Feeling a bit bored, she initiated a video call with Yang Yutong to chat for a bit.
When she received Qin Jiaojiao’s video call, Yang Yutong had just fallen asleep. She had been busy filming these past two days, so exhausted that she only wanted to sleep upon getting home. Answering the call, she grumbled, “Don’t you know there’s a time difference between abroad and home?”
Qin Jiaojiao realized the time difference late and said, “I forgot.”
“Fine, did you just arrive at the hotel?” Yang Yutong asked, her eyes half-squinted.
“Arrived,” Qin Jiaojiao lay on the large bed.
Yang Yutong asked, “Is riding a private jet awesome?”
“Totally awesome!” With a curve at the corners of her lips, Qin Jiaojiao said, “I just ate and drank on it, took a nap, and arrived in Paris.”
“Look at you, living the dream,” Yang Yutong teased. “Where’s your man?”
Qin Jiaojiao: “Zhou Shaoli?”
“Who else? Do you have another man?” Yang Yutong quipped teasingly, “Careful, if Zhou Shaoli finds out, he might lock you up.”
Qin Jiaojiao felt inexplicably guilty and said, “What nonsense are you talking about!”
“Alright, alright! I won’t tease you anymore!” Yang Yutong brought up a request with her, “There’s an entertainment industry red-carpet gala coming up soon, and I’m currently worrying about which luxury brand to borrow haute couture from. Take a look around while you’re abroad to see if you can help me borrow a nice set of haute couture, so I can outshine the other female celebrities on the red carpet.”
Qin Jiaojiao didn’t know much about haute couture brands, but when her best friend asked for help, she naturally agreed right away. “Sure, I’ll help you look around.”
The two chatted for a few more sentences before hanging up the phone.
Qin Jiaojiao stepped out of her room, only to see Zhou Shaoli sitting in the living room, talking to someone on the phone.
She couldn’t tell what accent he was using, but his voice was deep, magnetic, and enunciated clearly, making it very pleasant to listen to.
Noticing her coming out of the bedroom, Zhou Shaoli diverted half his attention and pointed to the items placed on the living room table. She walked over and looked down.
Several gift boxes were stacked together on the table, topped with an elegantly wrapped, luxurious invitation. She untied the ribbon and pulled out the invitation. The content was handwritten in English, cordially inviting Qin Jiaojiao and Zhou Shaoli to attend an internal runway show at a famous ancient castle at 3:00 PM the day after tomorrow.
Qin Jiaojiao looked up at Zhou Shaoli. He replied to the person in English with a few sentences, his light brown eyes looking at her, gesturing for her to open the boxes and see.
She untied the ribbon and opened the box; inside was a set of dazzling gemstone jewelry. Opening the larger box underneath, there was a breathtaking gown as beautiful as a starry galaxy, and the bottommost box contained a pair of crystal high heels.
Looking at this set of clothes and jewelry clearly prepared for her to wear to the show, Qin Jiaojiao’s heart pounded fast. It was way too dreamy! She pinched her cheek—it hurt a little, so she wasn’t dreaming.
“Go try them on. If they don’t fit, we can send them back for alterations,” Zhou Shaoli’s gentle voice sounded.
His assistant had all the data for Qin Jiaojiao’s clothing size, shoe size, and custom jewelry measurements, but to achieve the most perfect effect, it was best to try them on to see if they fit well.
Qin Jiaojiao closed the boxes and happily carried them into the bedroom by herself. She put on the gown, put on the jewelry, slipped into the high heels, and almost couldn’t recognize the girl in the mirror.
It was truly so beautiful!
Wearing this set to watch the show, she might even steal the spotlight from the models. Wu wu, she loved it so much.
Changing out of the gown and putting it back in the box, she walked out and said, “No need to alter anything, everything fits perfectly.”
Zhou Shaoli nodded. “That’s good.”
“I need to go out tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. You can relax at the hotel or go out shopping.”
With a smile on her face, Qin Jiaojiao said, “Okay.”
The next day, wearing a novel-styled blouse paired with a long fishtail skirt and sunglasses, Qin Jiaojiao went out to shop on the streets. There were many foreigners on the foreign streets. Strolling around casually, she entered a familiar brand store and bought a bag, a new pair of shoes, and two sets of clothes, charging it all to Zhou Shaoli’s card.
Zhou Shaoli was in the middle of negotiating a business partnership when he glanced at his phone and saw several transaction notifications. Seeing those spending records, his eyebrows twitched slightly.
He had given that black card to Qin Jiaojiao, but she had never used it. Bringing her abroad this time, she had finally started using his card. However, judging from the spending, it was quite modest—altogether, it wasn’t even as expensive as one of his watches.
Visiting a foreign country for the first time, she clearly lacked enough vigilance. Buying a stack of luxury items all by herself, she had been targeted. Just as she was preparing to return to the hotel, her driver was chased by several thugs who pounded on the car window with sticks, shouting at the driver to stop and spouting a string of profanities.
Qin Jiaojiao was startled, unable to stay calm under such circumstances. She grabbed her phone and immediately called Zhou Shaoli.
Zhou Shaoli was currently negotiating a deal, so his phone was on silent, and he didn’t notice the incoming call.
Qin Jiaojiao could only dial repeatedly, and then called the police. The police communicated with her for several minutes, but since she couldn’t explain clearly, they didn’t intend to dispatch officers.
Pursued by the thugs, the driver drove the car to a place she didn’t recognize. Qin Jiaojiao had never experienced a robbery before, and fearing the driver might stop the car, she had no choice but to throw all her luxury items and cash to the thugs.
The unscrupulous driver was actually so afraid of being caught by the thugs that he slammed on the brakes, dumped her on the road, and drove away.
Standing in an unfamiliar place, Qin Jiaojiao couldn’t help but regret her actions. Why hadn’t she stayed at the hotel instead of coming out to shop by herself?
She regretted it to death. Fortunately, her phone still had power. Not daring to hail a random car, she kept calling Zhou Shaoli continuously.
Thankfully, the call soon went through.
“Hello,” Qin Jiaojiao’s voice trembled. “I… I got robbed…”
Zhou Shaoli’s expression changed instantly. He stood up, walked to a quiet spot, and soothed her in a steady voice, “Where are you right now?”
“I don’t know.” Qin Jiaojiao was completely unfamiliar with her surroundings. Listening to his voice, her wildly pounding heart gradually calmed down as she said, “I’ll send you a location.”
Zhou Shaoli calmly guided her, “Look around to see if there are any shops nearby. Go sit inside a shop and order a cup of coffee. I’ll head over right away.”
“Mm.” Qin Jiaojiao sniffled and said, “I’m a bit scared, can you please not hang up the phone?”
“Don’t be scared,” Zhou Shaoli’s voice was gentle. “I’ll stay on the line with you. You’re not far from where I am, I’ll be there very soon.”
The business partner had been having a pleasant conversation with Zhou Shaoli and called out to stop him as he hurried to leave, “Zhou?”
Zhou Shaoli offered a quick apology and briefly explained that his wife had been chased by thugs and urgently needed him right now.
Understanding the situation, the partner urged him to go quickly and mentioned that they could sign the contract tomorrow instead.
Qin Jiaojiao looked around and found an open convenience store. The owner was a Chinese-descendant who, upon hearing her ordeal, comforted her with a few words and gave her a cup of hot coffee.
Zhou Shaoli spoke to her from time to time, and gradually, she was no longer panicked or afraid, quietly waiting while holding her coffee.
After about half an hour, Zhou Shaoli rushed into the convenience store. The man, who usually bore a calm and detached expression, walked briskly to her, looked her up and down, and asked urgently, “Are you hurt anywhere?”
“No,” Qin Jiaojiao shook her head, adding, “Everything I bought was taken.”
“As long as you’re safe, that’s all that matters.” Zhou Shaoli took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders, saying, “Tomorrow, I’ll have the store deliver the exact same items to you.”
“What about those robbers?” Wrapped in his coat, Qin Jiaojiao felt her body warmth returning.
A sharp glare flickered in Zhou Shaoli’s eyes as he said, “I’ve already reported it to the police station. They will handle it. Let’s go back to the hotel.”
After thanking the Chinese store owner, the two left one after the other and got into the car.
Inside the car, Qin Jiaojiao pressed her pale lips together, still feeling lingering fear. She had never imagined such a thing would happen abroad; it was truly terrifying.
“Would you like to accompany me tomorrow to sign the contract?” Zhou Shaoli broke into her thoughts.
Qin Jiaojiao turned her head to look at him: “Can I go?”
“I was afraid you’d be bored, which is why I didn’t bring you along,” Zhou Shaoli’s expression was gentle as he said, “If you’re willing to come with me, that would be wonderful.”
Qin Jiaojiao: “Then I’ll go with you tomorrow.”
The car soon arrived at the hotel. Returning to the executive suite, Qin Jiaojiao finally felt a sense of security. She took a warm shower to wash away her fatigue, while the butler had already pushed in a dining cart with delicate meals for her.
While eating, she messaged Yang Yutong to complain about getting robbed abroad. Yang Yutong replied, asking if she had heard of “zero-dollar shopping.”
What zero-dollar shopping?
Abroad, there were many street vendors who directly robbed luxury brand stores in malls and then sold the goods on the street—that was zero-dollar shopping.
Qin Jiaojiao: “…”
Having returned to the hotel, she didn’t go out again. Zhou Shaoli stayed in the living room, talking to someone on the phone in a language she couldn’t understand; as usual, he was always so busy.
The next day.
Qin Jiaojiao changed into a fresh, elegant dress and accompanied Zhou Shaoli to the hotel hosted by the business partner. The hall was magnificent, filled with guests in luxurious attire as high-society figures chatted and laughed.
Holding Zhou Shaoli’s arm, she walked up to a middle-aged foreign couple.
“Zhou, is this your wife?” the man asked.
Zhou Shaoli gave a subtle nod. “Yes.” Turning his head, he introduced them to Qin Jiaojiao, “This is my business partner, Dawson, and his wife.”
Qin Jiaojiao greeted politely, “Hello.”
“Your wife is truly beautiful,” Mrs. Dawson praised.
A faint smile touched the corners of Zhou Shaoli’s lips. “Thank you for the compliment. She is indeed very beautiful.”
Qin Jiaojiao tightened her grip on his arm slightly. In a setting like this, she only needed to play the role of a shy wife without speaking unnecessarily.
Throughout the event, Zhou Shaoli and Dawson conversed smoothly. Once they finalized the terms, they moved to a private room in the hotel and signed the contract.
Dealing with banquets was quite exhausting. After signing the contract and stepping out, music resounded in the banquet hall. Male and female guests paired up, standing together to join in a collective dance.
Dawson smiled and said to Zhou Shaoli, “Zhou, aren’t you going to invite your wife to a dance?”
Qin Jiaojiao raised her eyes to look at Zhou Shaoli. He bent down slightly, extending a hand. “May I have the honor of inviting you to a dance?”
Qin Jiaojiao was so nervous she didn’t know what to do. The original host knew how to dance, but she didn’t know ballroom dancing.
Zhou Shaoli stepped forward, took her hand, and gentlemanly placed a hand on her waist. Lowering his head, he said softly in her ear, “Don’t be nervous. Just follow my steps.”
Qin Jiaojiao felt lightheaded. Perhaps owing to the original host’s muscle memory, or perhaps because Zhou Shaoli danced very slowly, she was able to follow along completely, her hemline fluttering to the music.
The dance ended quickly, her heart beating faster and faster. Zhou Shaoli let go of her hand only after she stood firmly. Even after returning to the hotel, Qin Jiaojiao’s mood hadn’t settled down; her eyes sparkled brightly, having completely forgotten yesterday’s unpleasantness.
The following day, Qin Jiaojiao wore the haute couture dress provided by the brand, traveling with Zhou Shaoli in a private car to the ancient castle for the fashion show. The car drove straight to the inner entrance of the castle.
Presenting their invitations, they passed through without hindrance to reach the inner viewing area. Their seats were in the first row with the best viewing angle. Before the show officially began, guests invited by the brand arrived and took their seats one after another.
As Qin Jiaojiao looked around, she accidentally spotted a familiar figure—it was Shen Xiaoshan, sitting in the very back row in the furthest corner.
Her eyes met Shen Xiaoshan’s, both seeing shock in each other’s eyes.
Qin Jiaojiao: “…”
To run into her even here—what were the odds!
Staring at Qin Jiaojiao, who sat in the front row in a lavish gown right next to the chief designer, Shen Xiaoshan nearly gnashed her teeth to pieces.
She had spent hundreds of thousands to barely secure an invitation, wanting to build connections with luxury brands and hopefully borrow a set of haute couture after the show to outshine the entire entertainment industry on the red carpet back home.
Yet the invitation assigned her a seat in the most remote corner; even if she wanted to take photos or videos, she couldn’t show them off back home.
Meanwhile, Qin Jiaojiao was sitting in the first row. Comparisons truly were deadly!
Her gaze fell upon Zhou Shaoli. During the show recording, Zhou Shaoli had mentioned accompanying Qin Jiaojiao to watch a runway show, and he actually came! No matter how she pleaded with Meng Zi’ang, he refused to accompany her abroad.
Shen Xiaoshan bit her lip. Now that she had married into the Meng family, she was only one opportunity away from securing Meng family shares; she absolutely couldn’t give up this hard-won chance.
Qin Jiaojiao withdrew her gaze after a single glance at Shen Xiaoshan. As the fashion show began, she focused on watching the runway. She failed to notice that nearby, someone was frantically taking photos and videos of her and Zhou Shaoli.
The models were natural clothes hangers. This season’s show featured a Western religious theme. Paired with eerie music, the visual impact of the models walking down the runway was stunning, and every little dress was breathtakingly beautiful.
Throughout the two-hour show, Zhou Shaoli didn’t find it boring at all, quietly staying by her side and responding to her chatter.
After watching the show, Qin Jiaojiao was invited to the brand’s private showroom, where dresses unavailable for purchase outside were hers to pick freely.
Qin Jiaojiao bought two dresses for herself, along with a red-carpet haute couture gown for Yang Yutong, returning fully satisfied.
Flying back home on the private jet, the moment her feet touched her homeland’s soil, Qin Jiaojiao felt an unprecedented sense of peace.
After returning home and sleeping heavily to catch up on rest, Zhou Shaoli went to work the next morning. After finishing breakfast, she couldn’t wait to head into the walk-in closet to try on her new dresses, admiring herself in front of the mirror.
So beautiful!
Qin Jiaojiao snapped a few photos with her phone to send to Yang Yutong.
[Is this miss pretty? (spinning.jpg)]
After admiring herself in the mirror for a while, she picked up her phone to check.
The good news: the photos were sent.
The bad news: she sent them to Zhou Shaoli.
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