Chapter 15. Ji Qiuchi

Li Yao’s apartment, nearly 200 square meters, had a master bedroom that faced the sun and was the largest. Lin Xingzi’s morning temper was so bad it spared no one. Jiang Yan, a creature of habit, woke up promptly at 7 AM. Fearing he might wake her, he lay still.

It wasn’t until past 8 AM, when Lin Xingzi stirred as if to wake, that he finally got dressed and out of bed.

Lin Xingzi tossed and turned, hugging her pillow, then sat up for a while before rubbing her eyes and heading to the bathroom.

She pushed open the door and froze. The man was standing by the toilet, his hand still on “that thing” as she entered.

She just stared, forgetting to look away, her eyes revealing the confusion and blankness of early morning. The embarrassment came belatedly.

Jiang Yan, however, looked completely natural. He held it, shook it, and tucked it into his underwear. He glanced at her feet on the dark non-slip mat, her fair toes looking tender. “Although the weather is still hot, it’s cool in the morning. You should be more careful during your period. Go put on your shoes.”

Lin Xingzi’s brain was still in standby mode. She held onto the door, neither speaking nor moving, as if slowly processing: Jiang Yan was back in Haishi, they had slept in the same bed last night, and they had even done something.

A thin strap of her nightgown had slipped off her shoulder, revealing half of her chest. Jiang Yan walked over, raised a hand, hooked his finger on the strap, pulled it up, and then casually pinched her cheek. “Still not awake?”

Lin Xingzi’s awareness returned, her gaze slowly shifting to the man’s attractive hand. “Did you... not wash your hands?”

He touched that, then touched her.

Jiang Yan was speechless.

Lin Xingzi didn’t cook and habitually ordered takeout. Jiang Yan hung up his police uniform, then saw her sitting cross-legged on the sofa, looking at her phone. He walked closer and realized she was ordering takeout.

“Are you in a hurry to go out? If not, wait half an hour, and I’ll cook for you.”

“I’m in a hurry...” Lin Xingzi took the glass he offered, then, thinking about how she was almost sick of the nearby takeout options, added, “Actually, not very much.”

“Then wait a bit.”

Although she didn’t cook, her kitchen was fully equipped. Li Qing would occasionally come over to cook for her when she couldn’t bear it, and there were always grains, oil, rice, and seasonings.

When you find someone pleasing, everything about them seems pleasing. The fridge only contained fruit wines and drinks. Jiang Yan simply cooked a pot of porridge with milk, and Lin Xingzi thought it tasted much better than takeout.

And that police uniform. All the clothes in her wardrobe were neatly hung by season, color, and brand. He hung his police uniform and a few other outfits, which were completely different in style from hers, yet they didn’t look out of place at all. It seemed this was how life should be.

However, this contentment didn’t last long.

Before going to the company, Lin Xingzi had to visit the female artist who had undergone surgery at the hospital. Paparazzi were always lurking nearby. Jiang Yan drove her, but it wasn’t convenient for him to go upstairs, so he waited for her in a shaded spot next to the flower bed in front of the outpatient building.

There, he came face to face with Ji Qiuchi, who was coming out of the outpatient building.

“Long time no see.”

They hadn’t seen each other since college graduation. Ji Qiuchi stared at the man a few steps away, rigid with shock. More embarrassing than the barely concealed wounds on her face were the scattered examination reports at Jiang Yan’s feet.

In a panic, she fumbled. Jiang Yan leaned down to help pick them up. On one page, the examination result was clearly written: Vaginal tear.