Chapter 62: Sixty-Second Day as a Salted Fish
Qin Jiaojiao lay on the bed, listening to the sound of running water from the bathroom while pondering how to tactfully decline his advances in a moment.
Who said there were only exhausted oxen and no ruined fields? Her field was exceedingly delicate and needed to be properly nurtured.
Once Zhou Shaoli came out, she would lay it all out clearly with him and set a firm agreement that they couldn’t do it every single day. Young people shouldn’t vent all their passion on intimate matters—they needed to learn restraint.
The sound of water in the bathroom ceased. With a soft click, the door opened, and Zhou Shaoli stepped out dressed in light gray pajamas.
Several buttons on the man’s pajama top were left unfastened, revealing a glimpse of the gorgeous, firm muscle underneath. Having taken off his gold-rimmed glasses after showering, his semi-wet black hair fell loosely across his brow, radiating an aggressively striking beauty.
Foul! He was totally committing a foul!
Qin Jiaojiao thought fiercely in her heart that Zhou Shaoli was definitely trying to seduce her with his drop-dead gorgeous looks.
He was underestimating her. She was not going to fall for it.
Pretending not to notice him coming out, Qin Jiaojiao leaned against the headboard and kept her head down, staring at her phone.
Zhou Shaoli lifted the blanket, got into bed, and sat down right next to her. Staying very close, the fresh, crisp scent of his post-shower fragrance continuously lingered around her.
She remained completely unmoved. Zhou Shaoli reached out, pulled her into his arms, and began chatting with her. “Have you thought about how you want to renovate the shop?”
Nesting in his chest, Qin Jiaojiao replied, “I’ve got it all planned out. I already told Han Xiao, and he’s going to help me hire a turnkey renovation company. It’ll be finished in half a month.”
“Mm.” Zhou Shaoli leaned down to catch the subtle fragrance of her hair. “Which day do you want to open?”
Qin Jiaojiao raised her head to look at him. “I consulted a master to calculate an auspicious date, and we set the grand opening for the beginning of next month.”
Zhou Shaoli lowered his gaze, meeting her eyes. “Can I go cut the ribbon with you on opening day?”
“Of course you can.” Qin Jiaojiao’s eyes curved into sweet crescents as she said, “With the famous President Zhou cutting the ribbon for my little shop, my flower shop will definitely become insanely famous and boom with business!”
Little did she know that these casual words of hers would eventually become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
The two snuggled together and chatted for a while before Zhou Shaoli pulled her down into the cozy bedding, his hand resting on her slender waist and giving it a gentle, soothing massage.
Qin Jiaojiao hurriedly grabbed his hand and said, “I have something I need to discuss with you.”
Zhou Shaoli kissed her cheek, his voice low and raspy. “What is it?”
“I think…” Qin Jiaojiao adopts an earnest, solemn tone. “We still have a long life ahead of us, so we need to practice a bit of moderation. Doing it every day is bad for the body. How about we limit it to once a week from now on?”
Zhou Shaoli froze slightly, clearly not expecting her to discuss intimate affairs with him in such a deadpan, serious manner. A faint trace of amusement glinted in his eyes as he softly acquiesced, “Alright.”
Then take your hand away! Qin Jiaojiao signaled urgently with her eyes.
Zhou Shaoli leaned in to kiss her softly. “Didn’t you say your waist was aching? I’m just rubbing it for you—nothing else.”
Qin Jiaojiao: “…” So, she had misunderstood him just now?
Zhou Shaoli massaged her waist for a while before pulling her into his arms to sleep. But having her waist rubbed like that had stirred up a fire within Qin Jiaojiao, leaving her unable to fall asleep.
The lights in the room were turned off, allowing the soft, hazy moonlight to spill through the window. In the dim light, she could see his handsome profile and his prominent, sculpted Adam’s apple.
“Zhou Shaoli? Are you asleep?”
Qin Jiaojiao rolled over, propping herself up beside Zhou Shaoli to look closely at him. Men really slept remarkably fast—he fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow. She had been busy for most of the day, yet why was she the one tossed awake while he fell asleep first?
She reached out her hand and carefully poked Zhou Shaoli’s Adam’s apple. Every inch of his face and body aligned perfectly with her aesthetic preferences—whether it was his temperament or his looks, she adored him to bits.
Heaven only knew how she had managed to control herself back then and refrain from getting overly intimate with him.
In the end, she had still surrendered to his gentle tenderness, completely bowing down to his male charm. As Qin Jiaojiao lay beside him watching him, she couldn’t help herself from leaning forward and pressing a soft kiss onto the corner of his lips.
Seeing that Zhou Shaoli showed no reaction, she secretly kissed his lips again, then boldly reached out her hand to stroke his attractive, sexy Adam’s apple.
Suddenly, her wrist was caught firmly in his grip, and the man’s raspy voice resonated through the dim room: “Can’t sleep?”
Caught red-handed on the spot, Qin Jiaojiao instantly ducked into the blanket out of guilt. The man raised his hand to scoop out his sleep-disrupting wife, flipped open the covers, and hovered directly over her. Since she couldn’t sleep, doing some light exercise would surely help her drift off.
The next day.
When Qin Jiaojiao was called awake, her lower abdomen felt warm and full, seemingly still retaining the scorching heat from the previous night. Her expression was a mix of shyness and annoyance—she really shouldn’t have provoked Zhou Shaoli! Who knew that man was just pretending to sleep? What a total black-bellied schemer!
They had to catch a morning flight, but her body felt weak and lazy, leaving her completely unwilling to get out of bed. She kept her eyes half-closed.
Zhou Shaoli gathered her out of the covers. Out of habit, Qin Jiaojiao wrapped her arms around his neck and hooked her legs firmly behind his waist, afraid of slipping down.
Zhou Shaoli carried her straight to the bathroom, set her down gently on a clean counter, helped her put on her shoes, and then guided her to stand in front of the bathroom mirror while he squeezed out the toothpaste and poured water for her.
Still dazed and groggy, Qin Jiaojiao lowered her head to take a sip of water, gargled, and held the electric toothbrush, staring blankly into the mirror.
She brushed her teeth and washed her face under Zhou Shaoli’s careful attendance. It wasn’t until she was carried to the walk-in closet to change clothes that her mind finally snapped back to reality—she was literally being catered to like a spoiled toddler who didn’t want to go to school!
Then again, it was entirely his fault. Who told him to “stir-fry” her all over again last night?
Since they were traveling today, she selected a luxurious, high-end dress, dolled herself up meticulously, and headed to the airport together with Zhou Shaoli.
This installment’s filming location was set in a domestic desert region. Qin Jiaojiao once again experienced the peak luxury and comfort of flying on a private jet. After stepping out of the airport, they boarded the production team’s vehicle and sped all the way toward the vast desert.
There was an inn located in a small town along the edge of the desert. The production team had rented out the entire place for the cast, making the inn and the surrounding desert the primary locations for this segment’s shoot.
By the time Qin Jiaojiao and Zhou Shaoli arrived at the inn, Jin Mingzhu and her husband had already checked in. They were currently inspecting the environment around the inn; after all, everyone would be living, sleeping, and dining here together for a full week during filming.
Catching sight of Qin Jiaojiao and Zhou Shaoli’s arrival, they immediately walked over to greet them.
“Jiaojiao, President Zhou, you’ve arrived!”
Qin Jiaojiao replied with a beaming smile, “You two arrived so early! Have you chosen your room yet?”
“Yes, we have,” Jin Mingzhu said gently. “Old Chen and I will prepare dinner tonight so everyone can eat together in the living room. Do either of you have any dietary restrictions?”
“I don’t have any dietary restrictions,” Qin Jiaojiao said before turning to Zhou Shaoli, who echoed, “Neither do I.”
Jin Mingzhu smiled warmly. “That’s a relief then. You two should go ahead and pick your room.”
For this trip, all three guest couples were staying in the same inn, with rooms chosen on a first-come, first-served basis. Whoever arrived earlier got the first pick of the best rooms.
Qin Jiaojiao pulled her luggage handle and prepared to head upstairs, but Zhou Shaoli naturally took the suitcase right out of her hands. “You go ahead upstairs to look at the rooms first. I’ll carry the luggage up.”
The inn was an old, retro-style two-story building. The first floor housed the living room, kitchen, and dining area, while the second and third floors contained the guest rooms. From the interior decor to the exterior architecture, the entire place exuded a rich, exotic flair.
Qin Jiaojiao really liked this style of architecture. She walked upstairs and selected a spacious, south-facing room where opening the window offered a direct, unobstructed view of the desert. A warm breeze swept past, carrying with it the rustic charm of the Great Northwest.
Looking off into the distance, the boundless Gobi desert stretched beneath a gorgeous sunset that painted half the sky in brilliant hues of romance. Camels strode along the crests of the dunes in the distance, and one could almost hear the faint tinkling of camel bells floating on the wind.
She ran out onto the hallway balcony, rested her arms on the railing, and looked down at the open-concept kitchen on the first floor, where Jin Mingzhu and Chen Feihong were already busy preparing dinner.
The Romantic Lovers production crew really knew how to select locations. She felt certain that this desert trip was going to be an absolute blast.
Zhou Shaoli brought all the luggage upstairs. Qin Jiaojiao unzipped her suitcase, unpacked her clothes into the wardrobe, and set her personal thermal flask on the table.
Just as she finished organizing the room, footsteps echoed down the hallway. Shen Xiaoshan and Meng Zi’ang appeared at the doorway. “This room…”
Shen Xiaoshan paused, staring at Qin Jiaojiao and Zhou Shaoli inside the room. “You two selected this one?”
Qin Jiaojiao flashed a faint smile. “That’s right. You guys came too late.”
Shen Xiaoshan suppressed the rising dissatisfaction in her eyes. She had clearly requested the production team to reserve a spacious room with a great view for her, yet they hadn’t done it.
“I didn’t expect you to arrive so early,” Shen Xiaoshan said, linking her arm through Meng Zi’ang’s. “Our car ran into a small issue on the road, which is why we got delayed.”
Qin Jiaojiao let out an “Oh,” her smile growing even brighter. “That’s such a shame! The production team said guests who arrive at the inn first get to pick their rooms first. We’ve already claimed this one. If you had arrived before us, it might have been yours.”
Borrowing the typical delicate expression of a white lotus, Qin Jiaojiao added a subtle hint of aggrieved innocence to her face: “Teacher Shen, are you suggesting we yield the room to you?”
“Aren’t there other rooms? Let’s go,” Meng Zi’ang cut in impatiently.
Shen Xiaoshan suppressed the resentment and reluctance in her heart, turning around to follow Meng Zi’ang away.
Qin Jiaojiao realized that she actually quite enjoyed watching Shen Xiaoshan look utterly dissatisfied yet forced to accept her fate. After reveling in a brief moment of secret satisfaction, she turned her head to look at Zhou Shaoli.
He was currently staring at her, his gaze carrying a quiet, subtle air of scrutiny.
Uh-oh. Had she just revealed her “vicious female supporting character” face by gloating too hard?
Before their marriage, Zhou Shaoli had investigated Qin Jiaojiao and knew about the past entanglement between her and Meng Zi’ang. Seeing her clash with Shen Xiaoshan repeatedly, it was hard for him not to overthink things a little.
Qin Jiaojiao had told him before that her past with Meng Zi’ang was water under the bridge, but perhaps deep down, she still cared?
Facing Zhou Shaoli’s contemplative gaze, Qin Jiaojiao felt a tiny flicker of panic.
In the original plot, Qin Jiaojiao and Zhou Shaoli were nowhere near this intimate, and her frequent targeting of Shen Xiaoshan had only earned his confusion and disgust.
Composing herself, Qin Jiaojiao shot a quick glance at the corner of the room. The production crew had installed cameras inside the room, meaning certain things couldn’t be discussed in here.
“Come with me.”
Qin Jiaojiao pulled Zhou Shaoli downstairs and walked a good distance away from the inn. As they walked side-by-side, she began explaining, “I really do hate her, and there are far too many reasons for it.”
“You should already know that a long time ago, the Qin family and the Meng family had intended to form a marriage alliance. But then I caught Meng Zi’ang opening a hotel room with Shen Xiaoshan. In a fit of rage, I declared the complete fallout with the Meng family and broke off the alliance.”
Zhou Shaoli replied calmly, “I know.”
Qin Jiaojiao stole a peek at his expression before stating in a firm, unwavering tone, “I never liked Meng Zi’ang. The marriage alliance was completely my parents’ idea. But as my nominal ‘fiancé,’ he actually cheated on me! Don’t you think that’s utterly despicable?”
Zhou Shaoli went along with her words. “A complete breakdown of moral character.”
Seeing that Zhou Shaoli was taking her side unconditionally, Qin Jiaojiao continued, “Meng Zi’ang is just stupidly toxic, but Shen Xiaoshan is purely malicious. She intentionally got close to Meng Zi’ang to rile me up, making me lose my cool and throw embarrassing tantrums in public settings.”
Feeling a surge of heartache for her, Zhou Shaoli pulled her tighter into his arms and said gently, “With me by your side from now on, you can leave everything to me.”
Qin Jiaojiao said in a lighthearted tone, “Well, that’s all in the past now.”
Zhou Shaoli tightened his grip on her hand. “From now on, no one will ever dare pick on you again.”
“Mm.” Qin Jiaojiao leaned against him affectionately.
After strolling outside for a while, the two were called back to the inn. All the guest couples needed to gather together for dinner to officially begin recording Episode 5.
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