Chapter Nine (Part 2 of 2)
After the showdown with the ice glacier, An Xiao Li was unusually free.
Qin Sang started to find a day job and the free An Xiao Li shadowed Qin Sang. If An Xiao Li saw there was a free vacancy that matched her qualifications at one of the companies Qin Sang applied then she’d also applied too.
An Xiao Li’s limited IQ warned – ‘Your life is precious. Stay far away from the wicked ice glacier. If you can find a better job than his IT company, don’t hesitate and accept the better job. Then you can arrogantly kick him into the sky.’
An Xiao Li’s limited IQ forgot to warn that in reality the sky is too high for a pauper like An Xiao Li to kick the almighty wicked ice glacier into the sky by herself. Her plan was to find surveillance evidence and get a witness statement from someone who was at the scene of her ill-fated car crash with the ice glacier on the first day they met.
That was why An Xiao Li was happy to see the nine tailed fox prince came to visit Qin Sang at Qin Sang’s house the same time An Xiao Li concocted a genius plan with her limited IQ. But the nine tailed fox prince was a traitorous fox and his girlfriend the wicked witch was also a traitor!
On Qin Sang’s sofa, Qin Sang and Li Wei Ran sat on one end and An Xiao Li sat on the other end to rally their help to wipe off her debt she owed the ice glacier that way he’d be out of her life for good.
‘How do you want us to help you? Do you want us to find someone to rough up Chen Yu Bai?’ Qin Sang teased. She a.s.sessed An Xiao Li’s reaction. She smiled after she received a dagger from An Xiao Li. ‘Why are you glaring at me? You don’t have the heart to see him be beaten to a pulp?’
‘Whoever doesn’t have the heart is a little dog!’ An Xiao Li denied.
An Xiao Li tugged both Qin Sang’s shirt sleeve and Qin Sang’s heart. An Xiao Li really needed to enlist Qin Sang and Li Wei Ran’s help to get rid of all the evidence relating to the car crash.
Li Wei Ran realised his third sister-in-law was getting worked up, he did pity his third sister-in-law but he didn’t want to get on his third brother’s bad side. He wanted to stay as Switzerland, because he wanted to live a long life and have a family in the future with Qin Sang. He quietly left the life threatening sofa in case his third brother punished him for getting involved in third brother’s relationship with third sister-in-law.
‘Xiao Li, wake up and smell the roses. The connection between you and Chen Yu Bai has nothing to do with the evidence you’re searching for,’ Qin Sang reasoned calmly. ‘Who is Chen Yu Bai? Even without the evidence in his possession, he can still tie you to him. Think about it, does someone like him need the petty cash you owe him? Why he’s using the money you owe him to get you to spend time with him, doesn’t your heart know clearly why?’
An Xiao Li pouted her lips. ‘Of course I know. I’m not a dummy.’
It was Qin Sang’s turn to glare at An Xiao Li. Why did she waste her breath reasoning with a dummy?
‘He wants to keep me by his side. But he hasn’t given me any long-term commitment or formally acknowledges me as his girlfriend. He’s always so rough with me, I don’t like it. That’s why I want to get rid of the evidence and cut off our connection. What right does he have to use me as his toy?’ An Xiao Li explained.
‘What sort of toy are you?’ Qin Sang teased.
‘I’m not a toy!’ An Xiao Li cried out.
Qin Sang nodded her head. She was satisfied the dummy woke up and smelt the roses. She stood and left the living room to find where Li Wei Ran escaped to.
It took An Xiao Li longer to absorbed everything she said before she realised she was doomed.
The following day at Chen Yu Bai’s IT company, he wasn’t surprised An Xiao Li stood at his office door smiling at him like a fresh rose when it was home time.
‘CEO Chen, have you finished work for the day?’ An Xiao Li asked sweetly.
Chen Yu Bai nodded his head. He stood, picked up his jacket and briefcase in one hand and put the same hand out in front of An Xiao Li. She understood and walked to his work desk and carried his jacket and briefcase. Then she followed him to his car.
On the way back to Chen Yu Bai’s house, he and An Xiao Li stopped by the supermarket to buy ingredients to cook dinner. He only needed to point at what ingredients he wanted and she’d risk her life to battle for all kinds of fruits and vegetables on sale that were held captive in the hands of middle-aged women.
Chen Yu Bai stood on the sidelines with the trolley. He smiled whilst watching her wedge between crowds of women and wrestling for the fruits and vegetables that he chose, which coincidently was on sale.
In Chen Yu Bai’s kitchen that night, An Xiao Li put in a lot of effort to cook fragrant dishes of all colours of the rainbow. Whilst cooking she smiled and made a promise to the evidence – ‘hehe… wait for me. After dinner I’ll come free us both from the ice glacier.’
At the dining table, An Xiao Li’s smile was as bright as the lighting above the dining table. She happily watched Chen Yu Bai eat two bowls of the dishes she cooked and she felt her efforts weren’t in vain. She picked up more food and put it into his bowl. ‘You need to eat a lot more.’
An Xiao Li scooped Chen Yu Bai a bowl of soup and pa.s.sed it to him. She spoke to him in a tone that was gentle as the still soup. ‘Is it delicious?’
Chen Yu Bai took a sip of the bowl of soup An Xiao Li cooked. He kept his voice steady. ‘What do you think?’
‘Hehe… I think it’s delicious,’ An Xiao Li lied.
‘Um. It proves that your tastebuds and your cooking skills are as poor as each other,’ Chen Yu Bai teased.
‘Then why are you eating so much?’ An Xiao Li snapped.
Chen Yu Bai coldly gazed at An Xiao Li for a while then he bent his head to sip more mouthfuls of the bowl of soup. ‘I used my money to buy the ingredients for you to make these dishes. How can I let it go to waste? I’m seeing it as training my tolerance for suffering.’
Chen Yu Bai saw the way An Xiao Li was holding back her tongue and giving him secret deadly glances. He swallowed the rest of the soup and he grinned.
After dinner, An Xiao Li rushed to wash the dishes and tidy Chen Yu Bai’s house. Chen Yu Bai didn’t say anything and brought his work papers into his study room.
Inside Chen Yu Bai’s study room, he heard sounds of draws closing and shutting. He looked at his watch and thought that it was nearly time for An Xiao Li to come search his study room.
Ten minutes later there was a knock on Chen Yu Bai’s door. ‘Mmm… your study room, I need to clean it. If you want to look over your work papers, can you do it in your room while I clean?’
Chen Yu Bai saw An Xiao Li’s flushed face from searching his house outside his study room. She tied her hair up in a ponytail but there were loose strands from overexerting herself. ‘Ok.’
An Xiao Li felt strange hearing the familiar seductiveness of Chen Yu Bai’s tone when he easily agreed to let her ‘clean’ his study room.
The moment Chen Yu Bai left his study room, An Xiao Li locked the door. She searched high and low. She started by lifting the carpet, moved onto searching each draw and flicked through each book. Finally she climbed onto his chair and she searched on top of the shelves.
An Xiao Li sighed. She stood on the chair and panicked, she couldn’t find the evidence anywhere.
‘Found it yet?’ Chen Yu Bai teased.
An Xiao Li was startled the ice glacier stood below her in his study room that she locked. She lost her balance and pitifully fell off the chair and onto the carpet.
Chen Yu Bai did brace An Xiao Li’s waist to ease her fall but he let go of her waist when she leaned back close to the floor. She still cried out in pain even though he didn’t let her fall straight from the height of the chair.
‘You… why didn’t you stop me from falling?’ An Xiao Li asked.
An Xiao Li rubbed her sore bottom. She wanted to scold the ice glacier. He obviously could have stopped her from falling. Why did he let go of her waist and still let her fall?
Chen Yu Bai knelt on the floor beside An Xiao Li. His fingers stroked her collar bone and he gave her a wicked smile. ‘You’re going to be laying underneath me anyway. This way it’ll spare us some energy for…’
‘Don’t… ah…’ An Xiao Li cried out.
An Xiao Li dreamt a rope tied her body. The more she struggled the more the rope tightened and the more uncomfortable she felt. She panicked when the rope was too tight and she was startled awake.
An Xiao Li saw through the slightly opened bedroom window that the night sky was dark, the room was humid and the bed was messy like after a chaotic battle. Chen Yu Bai hugged her tight against his chest.
An Xiao Li felt hot and wanted to turn on the air-conditioner. She gently lifted Chen Yu Bai’s arm around her waist. He was woken up by her gentle movement. He pulled her back into his chest and hugged her tighter.
‘I’m hot,’ An Xiao Li said and rubbed her eyes.
‘Oh,’ Chen Yu Bai said and stretched an arm to turn on the air-conditioner.
The moment the air-conditioner blew cold air, Chen Yu Bai mumbled it was too cold. He picked up the bed sheet off the floor, wrapped it around An Xiao Li’s body and he snuggled the wrapped An Xiao Li.
The wrapped An Xiao Li laid her head on Chen Yu Bai’s chest. His chin gently rested on her head and his arms held her waist tight. She listened to his even breathing and in her drowsy state she felt that it seemed the night’s atmosphere gradually became tranquil.
In the morning Chen Yu Bai’s complexion wasn’t of someone who was refreshed and he didn’t eat much of his breakfast. But An Xiao Li didn’t think much of his changed mood from last night.
After breakfast Chen Yu Bai drove An Xiao Li to work. On the way to work Qin Sang called her phone and grilled her. ‘Last night you didn’t come home, right?’
An Xiao Li blushed red and diverted Qin Sang’s question. ‘Um. Hehe… is there a reason you’re looking for me?’
Chen Yu Bai glanced at An Xiao Li’s embarra.s.sed look then he looked back on the road.
Qin Sang laughed slyly. ‘I’m letting you know I’m visiting my parents today. You… feel free to make yourself comfortable at my house while I’m gone.’
‘Oh,’ An Xiao Li said.
‘This time don’t you think that it’s convenient you’re staying at my house? You get to use my facilities fully with someone else,’ Qin Sang teased.
‘Qin-Sang!’ An Xiao Li cried out.
‘What about me?’ Qin Sang asked.
‘You little b.i.t.c.h. After another two days staying at your house I’ll be moving out. That means Li Wei Ran, your nine tailed fox prince will have a place to feel free to eat your meat!’
‘OMG, I’ve been waiting for that moment to come for a long time!’ Qin Sang teased and laughed wildly.
An Xiao Li hung up on the wicked witch.
‘You got permission to move into the accommodation facilitated by work?’ Chen Yu Bai asked coldly.
‘Huh? Oh, not yet. I’m going to ask the beer belly old man if my application was approved,’ An Xiao Li said carelessly in her dazed state.
Chen Yu Bai snorted coldly.
An Xiao Li glared at Chen Yu Bai. ‘If you have something to say then say it. What’s so good about snorting?’
‘Who needs you to care?’ Chen Yu Bai asked coldly.
‘Who wants to care about you?’ An Xiao Li asked in cold tone too. ‘I just want the lines to be clearly drawn between us. It’s best that we don’t have to a.s.sociate with each other outside of work till death.’
An Xiao Li saw that the ice glacier gripped the steering wheel too tight, because the veins on his hands popped up and her mood was lifted. ‘Also, starting from tomorrow I’m not going to your house anymore. The money I owe you, go ahead and half my monthly salary. I’ll pay you back slowly.’
‘I don’t agree,’ Chen Yu Bai said.
‘Then you don’t need me to pay you back? Oh, you’re such a good person!’ An Xiao Li said sarcastically.
An Xiao Li saw the ice glacier’s complexion was gloomy. She realised to deal with a non-human, she needed to bully him in an effective way.
Chen Yu Bai parked the car at his IT company. He turned off the engine and sat still on his seat. ‘An Xiao Li, are you itchy?’
An Xiao Li heard the serious tone in Chen Yu Bai’s question, it gave her goose b.u.mps and made her scared.
But An Xiao Li’s fear radar and limited IQ didn’t cooperate together. ‘Why is it that you give me the feeling that I’m your toy?’
Chen Yu Bai’s threatening tone lessened a bit because he was surprised at An Xiao Li’s intuition. He turned his head to look at her. ‘Isn’t that right?’
‘I don’t know either. You never tell me anything. It’s always me guessing about what you’re thinking. Guessing if you like me or not. Finally it’s all too confusing for me. I even have to guess back and forth what my own heart is feeling. Right now I’m tired. Chen Yu Bai, tell me the truth clearly. Do you like me or not?’ An Xiao Li said calmly.
An Xiao Li supressed her shyness and her fear of rejection. She exchanged her pride for the sake of hers and Chen Yu Bai’s future, it was the last chance she was giving him.
Chen Yu Bai creased his forehead and looked at An Xiao Li as though he didn’t understand what she said.
‘You say I’m a dummy. I admit I’m not smart. That’s why I can’t guess your heart, I need you to tell me for me to know. But I’m not enough of a dummy to let you trample all over me in all sorts of ways. Either you tell me clearly or we can breakup from this moment. The money I owe you, I will repay it all but I won’t be strung along by you anymore,’ An Xiao Li said in a serious tone.
Chen Yu Bai heard An Xiao Li’s sincere words that sounded both reasonable and vulnerable. She gave him the option to either progress with her or retreat from her. He felt that in his life it was rare for anyone to deeply move him like she did.
A few years later, on a rainy morning. Chen Yu Bai was startled awake by the heavy rainfall. He saw the last two pages of a romance novel were left open on the pillow. He picked up the novel to put it on the bedside table, but his eyes were drawn to the words on the last two pages. He gritted his teeth whilst he read it. Then he punished his little wife who was sleeping soundly on his chest. He punished her for daring to recite the words from the last two pages of a romance novel she owned to deeply move him a few years ago!
‘You… what to you want to hear me say?’ Chen Yu Bai asked.
An Xiao Li silently said to Chen Yu Bai’s heart – ‘Little Bai’s heart. It’s best you tell little Bai to obediently listen to me. It’s the last chance I’m giving little Bai.’
‘You know,’ An Xiao Li said.
Chen Yu Bai fell into a state of speechlessness.
An Xiao Li quietly waited, she held her breath and looked into Chen Yu Bai’s cold eyes. Her heart gradually became cold.
It was almost the official work start time for the day, many employees walked pa.s.sed their CEO and An Xiao Li who sat still in the CEO’s car. They were curious but didn’t dare to idle because they didn’t want to be late for work.
An Xiao Li’s cold heart sighed. She opened the car door and didn’t hesitate to leave.
End of Chapter Nine (Part 2 of 2)