Chapter 35
Lin Qi's soft, smiling "Yes, sir" made Chen Yan burst out laughing.
He looked down at her, his eyes almost overflowing with smiles and tenderness. He shook his head, as if he was completely helpless with her, but also felt that she was so adorable.
"Teacher Shen..." He repeated this new name between his lips and teeth, feeling very pleased, and the curve of his mouth became deeper and deeper.
"Well," he murmured, his voice full of indulgence, "she's a good and obedient student."
He leaned down again, and this time, without saying anything, he gave her a very gentle, rewarding kiss.
Instantly separate.
He stood up, the smile still on his face, picked up the cold food on the coffee table, and said in a tone that brooked no argument, with a completely new character:
"Okay, the rewards have been distributed."
"Now, Lin, please sit here obediently."
"Wait for Teacher Shen to complete the most important teaching task of the day - feeding you."
After saying that, he didn't stop, turned around, and walked into the kitchen with an extremely relaxed pace.
Chen Yan came out of the kitchen carrying the hot meal, and the aroma once again filled the entire living room. He placed the dishes and soup in front of Lin Qi again and handed the chopsticks to her again.
"Alright, Lin," he said in a gentle voice, with a hint of command that could not be refused, "Now, Teacher Shen wants to check your next task - finish all of this."
Lin Qi responded with a smile, picked up his chopsticks, and finally began to eat with peace of mind.
The meal was a remarkably quiet one. There were no profound confessions or back-and-forth probing, only the occasional soft clink of bowls and chopsticks. Chen Yan said little, simply watching her eat intently, occasionally giving her a piece of fish or refilling her soup bowl.
She seemed truly exhausted and hungry, eating obediently and attentively. Watching her finish a bowl of rice with such earnestness, the sense of peace and satisfaction in Chen Yan's heart was stronger than any successful business deal.
After the meal, Lin Qi naturally stood up to clean up the dishes, but Chen Yan got there first and pushed her back onto the sofa.
"The teaching mission is over." He picked up the empty bowl in front of her and said gently but firmly, "It's after school now. Students don't need to do anything anymore."
He carried all the dishes and walked into the kitchen alone, closing the sliding door, leaving her with only a blurry back of him busy washing.
When Chen Yan finished cleaning up everything and came out of the kitchen, he saw Lin Qi leaning on the sofa, his eyelids drooping little by little, as if he was about to fall asleep at any moment.
He walked over and turned off the somewhat glaring ceiling light in the living room, leaving only a warm and soft floor lamp.
He leaned over, half-knelt in front of her, and whispered softly, "Lin Qi, don't sleep here. You'll catch a cold."
She opened her eyes blearily.
"Go take a hot bath," he continued, looking into her eyes, "and then go to bed and have a good sleep."
Before he could fully react, he had already stood up, naturally took her hand, pulled her up from the sofa, and led her towards the bathroom.
"I've prepared new towels and toothbrushes for you. They're on the sink. There's a heater in the bathroom, so remember to turn it on."
He led her to the master bedroom door and pushed it open. There was only a dim bedside lamp in the room. The bed was already covered with clean bedding, and a set of brand new, high-quality cotton pajamas was neatly folded next to it.
"Here are the pajamas I prepared for you. See if they fit you."
He didn't move forward, but just stood at the door, giving her enough space.
"Go ahead," he said, his voice lower and softer, "Just wash up and go to bed. Don't worry about anything else."
"I'm in the study, call me if you need anything."
After saying that, he helped her gently close the bedroom door, blocking out all the light and sound from outside, leaving her with a quiet and warm resting space that belonged entirely to her.
There was only a desk lamp on in the study, the light was dim and it was very quiet.
Chen Yan sat behind his desk, holding an open book in his hands, but he hadn't actually read a single word. His entire attention was focused on the tightly closed door of the adjacent master bedroom, listening carefully to the faint sound of water coming from within.
Time passes by every second.
The sound of water stopped, and a few minutes later, he heard the bedroom door being gently opened with a very slight "click".
He immediately raised his head and looked towards the study door.
Lin Qi appeared there, her figure softly outlined by the light from the doorway. She had changed into the light gray cotton pajamas he had prepared for her. They were slightly loose, making her look even more petite and soft. She didn't blow dry her hair, but simply wiped it casually with a towel, leaving it draped damply over her shoulders. Her face was still flushed with the warmth of the bath.
She seemed a little hesitant, just standing there, looking at him quietly.
Chen Yan's heart skipped a beat when he saw her like this, and then an indescribable emotion, a mixture of tenderness and heartache, surged up from the deepest part of his heart.
He put down the book in his hand, stood up and walked towards her.
"Why did you come out?" His voice was a little hoarse from deliberately lowering it. "Why did you come out without drying your hair? You'll catch a cold."
He walked up to her, naturally took her slightly cold hand, frowned slightly, and his tone was full of complete and unquestionable concern.
"Come on," he pulled her and turned towards the bathroom, "I'll help you dry your hair."
"After drying, you must go to bed. This is Teacher Chen Yan's last teaching task tonight."
Lin Qi sat obediently on the bathroom stool, letting him use the warm wind to blow her long hair. After blowing her hair, she raised her face and asked softly, "Why don't you sleep? I sleep in your bed, where do you sleep?"
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