Chapter 58: Fifty-Eighth Day as a Salted Fish
On the way to Lanting State Banquet, Qin Jiaojiao surfed the internet on her phone. Seeing the trending searches online, she felt an inexplicable wave of guilt and stole a subtle glance at Zhou Shaoli.
On the Esports Star Exhibition Match stage, she and King had clearly just been communicating normally. Why did those marketing accounts edit and screenshot them to look like a passionate couple?
She had explicitly stated on stage that she was already married! How did that still fail to stop these netizens and viewers from wildly shipping their CP with such burning passion?
The comments section was practically unreadable.
Her official Weibo account was back in her own hands, though her manager also knew the password to occasionally post official promotional activities for her. Under tonight’s latest post promoting the Esports Star Exhibition Match, the entire comment section was flooded with messages from gossiping netizens shipping the CP.
In the past, Qin Jiaojiao definitely wouldn’t have cared about these comments. After all, she and Zhou Shaoli were eventually going to get a divorce; once divorced and back in her free status, she could romance whoever she pleased. The issue was that she wasn’t divorced right now, and she and Zhou Shaoli were currently in the middle of a “marital romance”.
The joyous mood from absolutely crushing Shen Xiaoshan slightly settled down, replaced by intense guilt. Fortunately, Zhou Shaoli didn’t like browsing Weibo, though as her husband, he would definitely feel a bit displeased.
Qin Jiaojiao locked her phone screen, her mind wandering—would Zhou Shaoli get jealous?
She peeked at his side profile. The man was distinguished and composed, carrying the aura of someone naturally indifferent who wouldn’t take such trivial matters to heart.
“Um…” Qin Jiaojiao couldn’t help opening her mouth to ask him, “Did you watch the entire exhibition match tonight? Did you watch the post-match interview too?”
Zhou Shaoli was looking down at his phone. Hearing her words, he replied in a calm, flat tone, “I watched it.”
Qin Jiaojiao’s heart, which had just settled back into place, suspended itself right back up. She stole a glance at his expression, putting on an airy, nonchalant tone: “I thought you’d be very busy. I didn’t expect you to watch the whole thing. A cooperative game teammate setup like ours requires a lot of communication…”
She explained solemnly, “That host was way too unprofessional, actually asking me what I thought of King. King and I are just in-game friends; I purely treat him like a little brother…”
Leaning her head close to his side, she added, “If you see any mindless nonsense online, please don’t overthink things. I said it right on stage—I’m already married.”
Zhou Shaoli hadn’t voiced any displeasure, but deep down, he cared quite a bit. Listening to her earnest explanation, a faint trace of laughter flashed in his eyes as he spoke with nonchalant grace, “I won’t overthink it.”
“That’s good.” Qin Jiaojiao let out a long sigh of relief, her voice turning soft and sweet, “When will we reach Lanting State Banquet? I’m so exhausted and sleepy right now, and my stomach is practically starving to death.”
Zhou Shaoli reached out to gently rub her head and said, “Almost there. Lean against me and doze off for a bit; I’ll wake you up when we arrive.”
“Mhm.” Qin Jiaojiao hummed an answer, intimately leaning her head against his shoulder.
The driver parked the car outside Lanting State Banquet. The venue—which should have been closed for the night—was lit up brightly like a palace standing in the night sky with its classical architecture.
Zhou Shaoli gently nudged Qin Jiaojiao. “We’re here.”
Qin Jiaojiao hadn’t fallen into a deep sleep; she drowisly opened her eyes, raising a hand to yawn. “So fast? I barely got to doze off and we’re already here.”
Zhou Shaoli said, “Let’s go.”
Qin Jiaojiao followed him out of the car. Xiao Rui had given advance notice that he was entertaining distinguished guests tonight, so the store manager immediately led the waiters up to greet them.
“President Zhou, this way please.”
Zhou Shaoli held Qin Jiaojiao’s hand while the charming, captivating girl leaned closely against him as they walked into the restaurant together.
The waiter guided the two into a VIP private room.
By the entrance of the private room stood a decorative screen embroidered with a traditional landscape painting. The lighting was a moody, dim yellow tone, and the exquisite arrangement of tables and chairs created a deeply atmospheric ambiance.
Once the waiter finished serving tea, he quietly stepped outside. Qin Jiaojiao picked up the menu, ordered several dishes she liked to eat, and handed it over to Zhou Shaoli.
He offered in a flat voice, “Just order whatever you like. I eat everything.”
Delighted, Qin Jiaojiao added a few more dishes before pressing the service bell for the waiter to retrieve the menu.
Zhou Shaoli reached out to pour tea. Qin Jiaojiao’s gaze landed on his distinct, well-defined knuckles—his hands carried an intensely aesthetic, raw sexual tension, and as someone with a hand fetish, she adored his hands to death.
Qin Jiaojiao suddenly wanted to buy a string of Buddhist prayer beads for Zhou Shaoli to wear around his wrist. That way, whenever she stayed by his side, she could play with his fingers, lightly touching and slowly rubbing the prayer beads.
“What are you thinking about?” Zhou Shaoli’s calm voice drifted over.
Qin Jiaojiao quickly cleared the improper thoughts from her head and said, “Nothing, just thinking that your hands look really nice.”
Her eyes curved like crescents, her delicate makeup exuding a hint of allure under the dim lighting, her smile exceptionally captivating.
The hand Zhou Shaoli used to pour tea paused slightly. He filled both of their cups with fragrant tea and pushed one in front of her: “As long as you like them.”
With a smile resting on her lips, Qin Jiaojiao stared unblinkingly at Zhou Shaoli. He picked up his teacup, taking a sip with refined elegance before his light brown eyes met hers.
The private room fell quiet, an ambiguous atmosphere quietly flowing through the air until it was broken by a soft knock on the door.
The waiters filed inside in an orderly fashion to present the dishes.
Qin Jiaojiao ate her meal mindlessly when her phone suddenly buzzed with a message. Picking it up, she saw it was from King.
【People in the esports community talk without filters; don’t take it to heart.】
【I’ve already posted on Weibo to stop the fans from shipping the CP. I’m really sorry for causing you trouble.】
Qin Jiaojiao set down her chopsticks and replied to his message: 【It’s fine, the heat will die down tomorrow.】
She clicked into Weibo. King—who rarely posted more than once a year—had issued a fresh post.
【Please respect Teacher Qin and me. Stop recklessly shipping this CP. She and I merely participated in an official gaming event together. Teacher Qin is already married, so shipping this CP causes her a lot of trouble. Everyone, stop making inappropriate comments everywhere.】
The Weibo post issued by King carried significant weight. Since the actual subject had stepped up to speak, continuing to go crazy and post wild comments online was indeed inappropriate. The fans stopped shipping the CP and began clarifying the situation everywhere.
Having eaten and drunk her fill, Qin Jiaojiao was overcome with sheer exhaustion, feeling like falling asleep on the spot.
Seeing her look like she could drift off to sleep at any second, Zhou Shaoli reached out to pull her into his arms, half-supporting and half-carrying her back into the car.
Summer was prone to heavy rain. Halfway back to the garden villa, rain began to fall, pitter-pattering sharply against the car window. Hearing the rain, Qin Jiaojiao snapped awake.
Looking at the rainy scenery outside the window, she suddenly remembered she hadn’t mentioned opening a flower shop to Zhou Shaoli yet.
“I want to open a flower shop,” Qin Jiaojiao blurted out out of nowhere.
Zhou Shaoli looked at her. “Where do you want to open it?”
He didn’t ask her why she wanted to open a flower shop, directly agreeing with and supporting her idea.
Qin Jiaojiao leaned lazily against the car seat and said, “I haven’t decided yet. Do you have any suggestions? Should we pick a place with high foot traffic?”
Storefronts in high-foot-traffic commercial districts were expensive; relying solely on flower sales wouldn’t cover overhead, potentially leading to net losses.
Zhou Shaoli pondered for a short moment before asking, “Do you want to open a flower shop just to pass the time and play around, or do you want to rely on it to make a lot of money?”
Many wealthy people in the world started businesses purely for fun—opening shops out of personal hobbies just to pass the time. To them, making a profit didn’t matter. Others opened shops to make a living, which was far more demanding.
Without a second thought, Qin Jiaojiao replied, “Of course I want to make money! I have a few locations in mind—give me your input.”
Zhou Shaoli lowered his eyes to review the phone screen she handed over as the two leaned together to discuss.
Qin Jiaojiao had selected three locations: one inside a high-end shopping center, one near a subway station frequented by daily commuting elites—right near the restaurant owned by He Juanbai’s wife, an area packed with cafes and eateries but completely lacking a flower shop—and a third on a street close to their garden villa, frequented by wealthy housewives walking their pets and shopping.
Zhou Shaoli considered it for a moment and offered, “The latter two locations are more suitable for opening. Shopping centers don’t see many daily flower buyers, and when the flower shop has large corporate orders that need shipping, a mall setup is inconvenient.”
Qin Jiaojiao thought about it and felt he was right. Mall storefronts were also excessively expensive, so she would pick a location between the commercial district and the residential area.
“Got it, I’ll go check out those two locations in a few days.”
The car pulled up outside the garden villa. Summer rain came and went fast; the rain outside had stopped, leaving the wet ground radiating a fresh scent washed clean by rainwater.
The moment Qin Jiaojiao and Zhou Shaoli returned to the villa, she scurried upstairs into the walk-in closet with quick, pitter-patter footsteps. Worried she might get her hair caught in a zipper like last time, Zhou Shaoli followed her inside.
Qin Jiaojiao stood before the wardrobe picking out tonight’s sleepwear. Spotting the man in the closet, she—for reasons unknown even to herself—turned around, grabbed his tie, and yanked him downward.
Caught off guard, Zhou Shaoli braced both hands against the glass wardrobe, gazing down at her.
Qin Jiaojiao stood bare-footed on the plush closet rug. Her qipao featured a side-slit design; she lifted her foot slightly, her slender leg gently brushing against his straight suit trousers.
“Were you really not jealous tonight?” Her eyes sparkled.
Zhou Shaoli’s gaze darkened as he stared deeply at her, his voice slightly raspy, “A little bit.”
Qin Jiaojiao smiled with utmost satisfaction. Her dewy eyes met his, the outer corners slightly upturned like a little fox that had successfully pulled off a prank, gripping his tie to force him to lower his head.
Standing on tiptoes, she lifted her head to kiss his thin lips.
Zhou Shaoli felt an intense electric current zip down his spine, his entire body heating up uncontrollably. He reached out to cradle the back of her head, his long fingers sliding down to stroke her neck, pressing the back of her slender neck toward him.
The hand Qin Jiaojiao used to grip his tie was forced to brace against the strong chest beneath his suit, her breathing turning slightly ragged.
The damp air from the rain outside seemed to invade the closet, bringing a suffocating heat that accelerated their heartbeats like a burning ember.
Initiated by her, Zhou Shaoli took full control. She was like a delicious dessert—first lightly tasted and licked, then slowly taken into his mouth, deeper and deeper.
Qin Jiaojiao’s ears burned hot and her mind went completely blank, rendered incapable of thinking about anything else as her breath was continuously stolen away.
Zhou Shaoli’s long fingers held her neck firmly, refusing to grant her a single inch of retreat, forcing her to endure everything he gave as they sank together into pure indulgence.
Qin Jiaojiao felt her heart could barely take it, beating so hard it threatened to burst from her chest. She clutched his suit jacket, crumpling the exquisite fabric into deep wrinkles.
Just as her arms and legs went completely weak, Zhou Shaoli finally had the heart to spare her, letting her part her lips to inhale fresh air.
Qin Jiaojiao’s cheeks carried a captivating flush, her eyes shimmering as she met his dark, surging gaze.
His thin lips carried glistening traces left behind by her, making him look exceptionally sexy.
“I’m going to take a shower.” Unable to handle any more, Qin Jiaojiao quickly pushed him away, turned around to grab a random nightgown from the wardrobe, and dashed into the bathroom at lightning speed.
Zhou Shaoli loosened his tie, his eyes brimming with heavy, uncontainable desire.
Standing before the bathroom mirror, Qin Jiaojiao cupped her burning cheeks, attempting to cool down with cold water to no avail. She filled the tub and sank into the bathwater, her mind a tangled mess.
…Isn’t this a bit too fast?
Yet she and Zhou Shaoli were husband and wife. She knew he was restrained and polite; without her taking the initiative, he would never force her into anything she was unwilling to do.
She wasn’t unwilling—just imagining his passionate appearance sent her heart racing with shy embarrassment.
That chaotic dream last time had taken place in a bathtub too…
Aaaaah, what on earth was she thinking about?!
She needed to focus on soaking in her bath and banish all dirty thoughts from her mind right now!
Qin Jiaojiao stayed in the bathroom for over half an hour. After bathing, she dried off, applied body lotion, smoothed customized imported hair oil through her hair, and blow-dried it until it was naturally dry.
Setting down the hairdryer, she suddenly felt a bit hesitant to step out of the bathroom, unsure of what she was even nervous about.
Taking a deep breath, Qin Jiaojiao opened the bathroom door and spotted Zhou Shaoli sitting on the sofa with his eyes closed, resting. Lightening her steps, she attempted to head straight for the bed.
After a second of hesitation, she walked toward the sofa instead.
Catching a whiff of that familiar, faint, sweet fragrance, Zhou Shaoli opened his eyes. Seeing Qin Jiaojiao post-shower—her delicate, fair face completely bare of makeup, clad in a fitted nightgown—his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down.
Qin Jiaojiao sat beside him and asked, “Are you very tired today?”
Zhou Shaoli seemed to ponder for a second before replying in a steady voice, “Not tired.”
Qin Jiaojiao let out an oh. “Go take a shower then, so we can rest early.”
Before standing up to fetch clothes from the walk-in closet, Zhou Shaoli threw her a deep, meaningful look.
Qin Jiaojiao realized the implication a second late, her face instantly turning bright red! Heaven and earth as her witness, she hadn’t meant anything else by it—she simply wanted to get a good night’s sleep after a busy day!
Combined with tonight’s atmosphere, urging him to shower sounded like it held a whole different layer of meaning…
Dying of bashful embarrassment, Qin Jiaojiao sprinted to the bed, pulled up the covers to bundle herself up tightly, and closed her eyes to pretend to be asleep.
Listening to the sound of running water from the bathroom, her mind was a chaotic mess, feeling utterly lost.
If she spoke up to say “I didn’t mean it like that,” Zhou Shaoli would definitely ask her what she did mean. Speaking such suggestive, lingering words to him with intense implication, only to back out at the last second…
Unable to calm her inner peace, Qin Jiaojiao pulled out her phone to watch melodramatic angst shorts, planning to chase all the messy thoughts out of her head.
When Zhou Shaoli emerged from his shower, she was mindlessly watching short dramas. Hearing his footsteps, her entire body went rigid.
The phone on the coffee table vibrated. Zhou Shaoli picked it up, glanced at the screen, and lifted his eyes toward her: “I have an urgent matter to deal with; I’m heading to the study to reply to a report.”
Qin Jiaojiao couldn’t pretend she hadn’t heard, replying with absolute composure, “Go ahead.”
The moment Zhou Shaoli left the bedroom, Qin Jiaojiao immediately muted the short drama. She had been quite sleepy in the car, but now she was completely wide awake.
Was Zhou Shaoli using work as an excuse to avoid her?
Qin Jiaojiao bit her lip and tossed her phone aside. She was such a vibrant, breathtaking beauty, yet after taking a shower, he actually ran off to the study to handle work—how truly restrained and ascetic of him!
Whatever, ignore him!
Time to sleep!
Perhaps because she felt a bit petty, she tossed and turned unable to fall asleep. Before long, movement sounded at the door—Zhou Shaoli was back.
When he said “a moment,” he really meant just a moment!
Qin Jiaojiao quickly rolled over to pretend to be asleep, her ears strained to listen as the door opened and the man stepped into the bedroom.
She kept her eyes closed, sensing him walking right up to her bed.
Zhou Shaoli reached out to brush aside the hair on her forehead, his voice deep: “Asleep?”
Qin Jiaojiao’s eyelashes fluttered. Never one good at acting, she opened her eyes. “You handled your work that fast?”
“Mm,” Zhou Shaoli replied softly.
Qin Jiaojiao’s eyes darted around as she offered, “I participated in the event this afternoon and sat for so long that my waist and shoulders hurt. Give me a massage.”
“Alright,” Zhou Shaoli said gently.
Qin Jiaojiao lay face down in the middle of the large bed. Zhou Shaoli sat beside her, reaching out to knead her shoulders first. The silk fabric of her nightgown hugged her bodily curves, breathtakingly stunning.
Massaging her was a form of sweet torture for him.
Qin Jiaojiao was doing this on purpose—who asked him to make her heart bounce up and down all night?
Allowing Zhou Shaoli to massage her, once he finished with her waist, Qin Jiaojiao flipped over and stretched out a slender, fair leg onto his lap, lightly rubbing against his lounge pants.
“Massage my legs.” Her pleasing voice carried a command, yet sounded just like a spoiled pouting request.
Zhou Shaoli held her fair, delicate leg, giving it a few perfunctory presses before turning around to switch off the bedroom lights.
The room plunged into darkness, their individual scents intertwining in the air. Qin Jiaojiao lay on the soft bed while Zhou Shaoli braced his hands above her body, looming over her just as he had inside the walk-in closet earlier.
In the dim lighting of the room, her eyes gradually adapted to the dark, vaguely discerning Zhou Shaoli’s handsome face and the slightly prominent, sexy Adam’s apple below.
Qin Jiaojiao reached out to touch his Adam’s apple—something she had wanted to do last time.
Zhou Shaoli held her hand, using it to slowly caress his face, dark undercurrents surging within his calm eyes.
Holding her hand against his cheek with his large palm, he turned his head slightly, his thin lips kissing her hand.
The night was as cool as water as moonlight spilled into the bedroom, casting swaying shadows across the floor. Rain had started up outside again at some point, rhythmically tapping against the windows in a steady trickle of water sounds.
Time quickly reached the late hours of the night. Qin Jiaojiao’s nightgown was completely rumpled as she snuggled inside the man’s warm embrace, her voice slightly raspy: “I want to take a shower.”
Zhou Shaoli picked her up and carried her into the bathroom, setting her down in the bathtub. As warm water washed over her body, Qin Jiaojiao rested against the edge of the tub, watching Zhou Shaoli, who was clad only in trousers.
He was the type who looked lean in clothes but possessed toned, smooth muscle lines when bare-chested.
Qin Jiaojiao lazily soaked in the bath, looking at the handsome man whose face carried obvious delight. He usually appeared as gentle and warm as jade, yet at certain times, he was genuinely dominant!
Outrageous! Absolutely outrageous!
Qin Jiaojiao desperately wanted to bite him a few times.
Meeting her slightly accusatory gaze, Zhou Shaoli’s eyes flickered as he lifted a long leg to step up beside her.
Qin Jiaojiao stared at him blankly. The man leaned down to kiss her lips while the rain outside continued to fall, the sound of rain and splashing water intertwining together.
Next morning.
Early morning sunlight spilled across the earth, illuminating the luxurious, vintage garden villa.
Upon waking, Qin Jiaojiao opened her eyes and stared blankly at the ceiling for a moment, sensing her waist being held tightly in someone’s arms. She looked toward her side.
What time was it?
Didn’t Zhou Shaoli need to go to work?
The man overbearingly held her close in his arms, his light breath fanning across her neck, triggering memories of last night’s scenes.
Zhou Shaoli usually seemed cold and abstinent, making people assume he would be exceptionally restrained even when passionate. Last night had completely shattered her impression of him—once he broke past his restraint and propriety, he couldn’t hold back at all!
Even though it had clearly ended, he had dragged her into another round inside the bathtub!
Was this the result of a first attempt—losing self-control for a moment and unleashing all his pent-up energy on her?
Qin Jiaojiao felt a slight ache in her waist. Awake and unable to sleep, her body didn’t want to move a single inch; she lay in bed daydreaming for a bit before picking up her phone to check the time.
Eight-thirty in the morning—she had actually woken up first while Zhou Shaoli was still sleeping.
Fearing he might be late, Qin Jiaojiao called near his ear, “Zhou Shaoli, wake up.”
Zhou Shaoli’s eyelashes fluttered slightly as he pulled her even tighter. “Sleep a bit longer.”
Qin Jiaojiao asked, “Don’t you need to go to work today?”
“Mm.” Zhou Shaoli’s deep, magnetic voice sounded by her ear, “Not going today.”
Qin Jiaojiao inexplicably felt like an enchanting concubine who had corrupted the king into skipping morning court.
Zhou Shaoli was a workaholic who spent three hundred and sixty out of three hundred and sixty-five days a year working—it was truly astonishing that he would actually skip going to the company.
Qin Jiaojiao let out a lazy yawn as sleepiness washed over her again, and she drifted off to sleep in his arms.
When she woke up once more, she saw Zhou Shaoli sitting on the sofa. A cup of coffee rested on the coffee table, and he held a financial magazine in his hand.
The man wore a casual dress shirt without a tie, looking completely at ease in a loungewear setup. Sunlight pierced through the air and spilled over him, plating him in a faint halo of light—drop-dead gorgeous.
Qin Jiaojiao admired his handsome visuals for a second and prepared to get out of bed. Just as her feet hit the floor, her legs went slightly weak, an unusual sensation echoing in her lower abdomen.
Zhou Shaoli set down the magazine, stood up, and walked over to her. “Are you okay?”
Qin Jiaojiao felt an inexplicable wave of shame and said, “I’m fine.”
Zhou Shaoli asked in a low voice, “Did I hurt you last night? Does it hurt?”
Qin Jiaojiao’s cheeks and ears turned crimson. She threw him a coy, glaring look—now he remembered to ask! Why didn’t he stop last night when she asked him to?
She pushed Zhou Shaoli aside and walked toward the bathroom in her slippers.
Zhou Shaoli followed behind her. As she brushed her teeth, he hugged her from behind, leaning down to rest his chin on her shoulder, planting a kiss on her cheek.
“Jiaojiao,” he called softly.
Through the mirror, Qin Jiaojiao met his eyes filled with pure delight. She nudged him with her elbow, gesturing for him not to interrupt her brushing her teeth.
Seeing her glare at him with her eyes, Zhou Shaoli found her even more adorable, lowering his head to kiss her shoulder, completely reluctant to let her go.
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