Chapter Seventy-One: Forgive Me, Sister Zhiyi!

What puzzled Qin Lin’er was that, for the entire afternoon, her troublesome sister didn’t come to bother her at all. She stayed in her room and didn’t come out until Qin Xuan finished making dinner and called Liu Ruoxi to eat. Only then did Ruoxi emerge, moving at a leisurely pace.

She didn’t spare Lin’er so much as a glance, which made Lin’er’s heart skip a beat. Was Ruoxi angry with her?

At the dinner table, Lin’er watched as Ruoxi kept her head down, eating quickly and in silence. Lin’er, feeling a bit guilty, reached out with her chopsticks and placed a piece of chicken in Ruoxi’s bowl.

Without even looking up, Ruoxi picked it up and stuffed it in her mouth. Seeing this, Lin’er finally relaxed a little; maybe she wasn’t angry after all!

But with Qin Xuan’s gaming experience, he sensed that Ruoxi was simply biding her time, gathering her energy...

Yet, even after dinner, as Lin’er lay on her bed for quite a while waiting for Ruoxi to come and “teach her a lesson,” nothing happened. She had braced herself for torment, but none came...

At that moment, Liu Ruoxi was sprawled out on Qin Xuan’s bed.

“Qin Xuan, give me a massage! It hurts so much,” Ruoxi said weakly, leaning into Qin Xuan’s arms and pulling his hand toward her sore behind.

Qin Xuan tried to resist at first but, unable to help himself, stole a glance. Ahem—a failed resistance!

Ruoxi buried her face in Qin Xuan’s chest, biting her lip so hard she nearly cried out. The sensation was so strange—painful, yes, but with a faint tingle that left her flushed red. She’d meant to use this as an excuse to get closer to Qin Xuan, but now she was too embarrassed!

After a few moments of gentle comfort, just as Qin Xuan was about to let his hand wander elsewhere, Ruoxi couldn’t take it anymore.

“I… I need to use the bathroom!” Ruoxi grabbed his hand, which was already getting too adventurous, leapt up, slipped on her slippers, and hurried out.

Qin Xuan glanced at his slightly slower hand, then at the floor. Hey! You’re wearing two different slippers!

Ruoxi only realized something was off with her feet once she reached the bathroom, but decided it wasn’t a big deal. Seeing that Qin Xuan hadn’t followed, she snuck back to her room, emerged looking refreshed, and after a moment’s thought, decided she’d go back to Qin Xuan later—otherwise she’d have to change again. For now, she might as well give Lin’er a little lesson!

“Ruoxi… Ruoxi-sis!” Lin’er was still lying on her bed, playing with her phone, when Ruoxi walked in. Instinctively, Lin’er swallowed nervously.

“Yes?” Ruoxi’s expression turned serious as soon as she entered. Lin’er rarely saw her so stern and grew a little frightened.

“Ruoxi-sis… I’m sorry!” Even though teaming up with Zhi Yi to spank Ruoxi earlier had been satisfying, she figured it was best to apologize right away.

“And what exactly are you sorry for?” Ruoxi stood beside Lin’er’s bed, looking down at her, every inch the boss.

Lin’er’s mind raced. “I shouldn’t have teamed up with Zhi Yi to spank you?”

“Lin’er, haven’t I always treated you well?” Ruoxi sighed, feigning disappointment. “And yet you conspired with an outsider to bully me?”

“Ruoxi-sis, I really am sorry! If you want, you can hit me back,” Lin’er said as she turned over and pressed herself against the bed, resigned to her fate.

Ruoxi looked at the pert little target in front of her, hesitated for a moment, then let out a long breath.

“Forget it! I’ll let you off this time,” she said magnanimously. Lin’er immediately turned her head, eyes shining with relief.

“Don’t get too happy—I’m not done yet! Tomorrow, you’ll call Zhi Yi over and we’ll give her a taste of her own medicine. She won’t be able to sit for three days!”

“Huh?” Lin’er’s grin froze. “Um, Ruoxi-sis, maybe you should just hit me instead…”

“No way!” Ruoxi frowned. You want to team up against me again? Not a chance! I won’t rest until I destroy this little alliance of yours!

Lin’er mulled it over with a sigh, then flopped helplessly back onto the bed. “Fine, fine.”

“That’s a good girl.” Ruoxi patted Lin’er’s hair.

As she watched Ruoxi leave, Lin’er silently apologized in her heart: Sorry, Zhi Yi!

Ruoxi left the room smiling, satisfied, and went back to nestle in Qin Xuan’s arms.

This time, she didn’t ask Qin Xuan for anything else—afraid she wouldn’t be able to restrain herself…

“And you! Just stood there and watched me get bullied, didn’t you?” Ruoxi suddenly remembered Qin Xuan had been standing in the doorway, spectating, and she pounced, pounding his chest.

Qin Xuan knew he was in the wrong and let her do as she pleased. Perhaps she wore herself out, because soon Ruoxi relaxed and draped herself over him.

“Tell me! Why didn’t you help me?”

“You girls were just playing around. It wouldn’t have been right for me to interfere…” Qin Xuan said, wrapping an arm around her waist, a bit helpless.

“Hmph! You just wanted to see me make a fool of myself!” Ruoxi grumbled, still upset.

Qin Xuan broke out in a sweat. Well, to be fair, there had been a tiny bit of that…

“You won’t even help your girlfriend! Are you saying I alone can’t compare to Lin’er and Zhi Yi together?” Ruoxi’s pouty face was so adorable that Qin Xuan found her impossible to resist, but he had to make it clear there was no comparison.

He gently brushed aside a strand of her hair, deciding to show her how he felt through action. Leaning in, he pressed his lips to hers.

In an instant, Ruoxi’s eyes widened and her body softened, barely managing to respond with the last of her strength.

...

When Nan Zhiyi received Lin’er’s message, she was still chatting with her mother about the day’s events. She’d gotten spanked herself, but at least she’d gotten her revenge—worth it!

But reading Lin’er’s message—inviting her to dinner at their place again? Something felt off. According to her observations through the binoculars today, Qin Xuan hadn’t made any moves…

Still, she reasoned, the only way to get close to Qin Xuan now was through Lin’er.

As noon approached the next day, Nan Zhiyi picked up a cake from her favorite bakery and headed over, planning to share it with everyone.

But the moment the door opened, she was greeted by the sight of Ruoxi sitting on the sofa, brandishing a stick, with Lin’er dutifully serving tea beside her!

Zhiyi instinctively took a step back, but then caught herself—why should she be afraid, with two against one?

Ruoxi stared in surprise as Zhiyi marched right up, plopped the cake down on the table, sat boldly beside her, and even threw an arm around her shoulders. Hmph, for the sake of this cake, I’ll go easy on you—two fewer smacks!

“Ruoxi, see? We can get along peacefully, can’t we?” Zhiyi even winked at Lin’er, not noticing the lack of sympathy in Lin’er’s eyes. The very next moment, her hand was caught…

As usual, Qin Xuan was in his room gaming. When he heard Zhiyi’s wails from outside, he knew her fate was sealed. He figured he’d better make something good for lunch to comfort these mischievous little troublemakers—a far cry from his own supposedly mature self. Take this move, for example—nobody but an old pro with ten years’ experience could pull it off. Damn! Black screen again!

After finishing—well, losing—the game in frustration, Qin Xuan shut off the computer and went out to cook, only to find all three girls sitting on the sofa eating cake. Huh? No fight?

“Qin Xuan, come quick! We saved you some cake—it’s delicious,” Ruoxi called out.

Zhiyi muttered under her breath: Of course it’s good—good enough to save me from two extra smacks…