Around 10 p.m., Lu Zhe played "Two People Together" with Tang Qi until they reached a new level, then put down the controller and urged her to go to sleep.
"Little Rainbow, you need to go to bed early to grow taller. It's bedtime, hurry up, wash up and go to bed."
Tang Qi puffed out her cheeks angrily: "I'm an adult now, I'm already nineteen years old, how am I still growing!"
Lu Zhe glanced at Xue Xiaodie, who was still engrossed in her drawing, then leaned close to Tang Qi's ear and whispered, "The parts with developmental potential are not just about height."
Tang Qi was slightly taken aback, and immediately blushed: "What are you talking about..."
Lu Zhe suddenly raised his hand, seemingly about to grope her chest—and considering what he had just said, this inevitably made the girl overthink things.
Tang Qi instinctively crossed her arms over her chest to prevent being attacked by some lecherous guy. However, while crossing her arms could block it, the wisest way to avoid being groped was obviously to stay away from him.
However, the young lady did not go far away.
Lu Zhe didn't actually grope her. He stretched out his arms and hugged the petite girl.
"Sweetie, go to sleep. I'll come to your bedside and watch you sleep, okay?"
As soon as Lu Zhe finished speaking, he saw the girl in his arms' big eyes become even brighter.
Tang Qi nodded vigorously: "Okay!"
Lu Zhe released his embrace, helped her stand up, and gently pushed her back, urging her to go back to her room and sleep.
Tang Qi ran back to her bedroom with a "thump thump thump".
Lu Zhe slowed down, stopped beside Xue Xiaodie, and patted her on the shoulder.
The girl took off one earphone and looked up, somewhat bewildered.
Lu Zhe lowered his head and asked softly, "Are you going for a walk later?"
Xue Xiaodie hesitated for a moment: "Won't this make things inconvenient for you..."
Lu Zhe smiled and said, "There's nothing inconvenient about it. If you want, I'll go with you."
The voice was very soft, like a whispered joke. But to the girl's ears, it sounded heavy, making her breathing become much heavier.
Xue Xiaodie opened her mouth as if to speak, but then stopped herself.
Lu Zhe smiled and patted her head before finally walking out of the living room and into Tang Qi's bedroom.
Xue Xiaodie took a deep breath and touched her chest, trying to calm herself down.
The girl muttered almost silently to herself: "Don't get cocky, don't celebrate prematurely. The long journey has only just begun. He and those two are still... Don't get excited just because he flirts with you, absolutely not!"
After admonishing herself, Xue Xiaodie sat there hesitating for a long time. She tried to continue painting, but found that her brushstrokes felt off; she couldn't seem to calm down.
So she stood up, walked to the window, and stared blankly at the night view of Chengdu.
————
Tang Qi quickly finished washing up, changed into her pajamas, and lay down in bed.
Lu Zhe stood by the bed, bowing slightly like a butler, and asked softly, "So, what kind of bedtime service does Miss require?"
"Hmm..." Tang Qi pondered for a moment, "What options are there for bedtime services?"
Lu Zhe: "For example, my own off-key singing."
Tang Qi said with a smile, "Then sing one for me."
Lu Zhe cleared his throat and began to sing seriously: "Sister, you boldly walk forward..."
Before she could even finish one line, Tang Qi quickly called out, "Stop! Don't sing this! Can't you sing something nice?"
Lu Zhe changed to another song: "When the sun comes out, I climb the hillside, and when I reach the top, I want to sing..."
Tang Qi: "No!"
Lu Zhe scratched his head: "The young lady has quite a discerning taste, which is a bit troublesome."
Tang Qi: "It's not troublesome at all, okay? Can you sing some songs that you usually like to listen to?"
Lu Zhe: "But I usually like to listen to instrumental music. How about this, I'll play it for you on my phone."
So he took out his phone, opened his bedtime playlist, and played some soft instrumental music.
After adjusting the volume, he placed his phone beside the bed and then turned off all the lights in the room. The bedroom became dark, making it quite suitable for sleep.
In the darkness, Tang Qi suddenly reached out and groped around the bedside for a while.
By the dim light streaming in from outside, Lu Zhe noticed the girl's subtle movements and vaguely guessed what she was thinking. So, he reached out and grasped her somewhat restless little hand.
Lu Zhe asked softly, "What's wrong?"
Tang Qi mumbled, "Don't leave me, just stay with me like this... wait until I fall asleep before you leave, okay?"
Lu Zhe chuckled and said, "That's exactly what I was thinking."
"That's good."
After speaking, Tang Qi took a few deep breaths, becoming more relaxed. Only her grip on his hand remained tight.
Lu Zhe squatted down, one hand held by her, the other hand gripping the edge of the bed. This position was more comfortable for him than standing and bending over.
He squatted there, waiting quietly for a long time. During this time, he checked his phone several times and gradually turned down the music volume...
Half an hour passed.
Lu Zhe was certain that Miss Tang was asleep; the small hand that had been holding his had long since let go, resting limply beside him. The instrumental music playing on her phone had also stopped long ago.
He stood up, tiptoed out, and slowly closed the door, making sure not to make a sound.
Then Lu Zhe walked into the living room and saw Xue Xiaodie lying on the sofa, seemingly asleep.
After hesitating for a moment, he supported the girl's neck with one hand and put the other around her knees, lifting her up in a princess carry.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
