Chapter 64: Quite Obedient

Jiang Nai didn’t expect herself to say something so sweet all of a sudden. After she said it, she felt embarrassed in hindsight.

Li Qingji paused for a moment, murmured “Hmm,” but unexpectedly didn’t say anything more.

He continued carrying her, walking forward until they reached a crowded area, then he gently put her down.

At first, Jiang Nai thought that Li Qingji might be indifferent to these kinds of words because of his personality, and because he didn’t show much of a reaction. It wasn’t until they got home that night that she realized how wrong she was. As soon as they entered, he carried her into the bedroom…

That night, he was more impulsive and demanding than usual.

Jiang Nai’s voice became hoarse from exhaustion, but he still kept pushing, each time sinking deeper, until finally, when she couldn’t bear it any longer and begged him to stop, he whispered in her ear, demanding she repeat the words she had said earlier, this time, with even more sincerity.

“I really like… you.”

She said it once, but it wasn’t enough; he wanted her to say it over and over again.

In short, that night, she repeatedly, tearfully, and shyly uttered sweet nothings over and over again, only to realize that Li Qingji was very affected—extremely so. It was clear he loved hearing it.  

The next morning, when Jiang Nai woke up, she felt like her body was falling apart.  

Pain… Her whole body ached…  

**Ding ding—**  

The phone chimed with a message. Jiang Nai picked it up and saw a WeChat message from Lin Hui.  

[OMG! I heard from Lu Feng after drinking too much last night that you and Li Qingji went to buy a diamond ring! What does it look like?!!!]

Jiang Nai replied: [I don’t know either.]

Lin Hui: [Makes sense… They were auctioning off a diamond, so it’ll probably take some time to make it into a ring. What does the diamond look like? Did you take a picture? Five-carat blue diamond!! I want to see!]

Jiang Nai remembered she hadn’t taken any photos either…  

[We were in a rush yesterday.]

Lin Hui: [What were you rushing for?? Too rushed to take a picture?!] 

Jiang Nai replied honestly: [I was too hungry, went to eat wontons.]

Lin Hui: [………]

The master bedroom door was closed. After replying to Lin Hui, Jiang Nai lay in bed, wondering where Li Qingji had gone. Too lazy to move, she sent him a WeChat message instead.  

[Where are you?]

Li Qingji didn’t reply immediately, so Jiang Nai snuggled under the covers and sent another message: [I want water. Bring me a cup, please.]

She added a sticker after that: “Thank you, boss!”

Meanwhile, on the other side, Li Qingji was in the study. After finishing some work, he received a call from his father.  

“You did that on purpose last night, didn’t you? In front of so many people, you wanted to let everyone know you and Jiang Nai aren’t getting divorced, didn’t you?”  

Li Qingji replied, “I just wanted to buy a ring. You’re overthinking.”  

“Don’t try to fool me. Your grandfather was there last night too. You deliberately put on that act to make your stance clear.”  

Li Qingji said, “If that’s what you think, then fine. In that case, please let Mom know not to do pointless things anymore.”  

Li Jingnian choked on his words, pausing for a moment before saying, “Alright, fine. Anyway, since you were a kid, nobody’s been able to change your mind once it’s set.”  

After the call ended, Li Qingji noticed the messages from Jiang Nai on WeChat. His usually calm, indifferent face showed a hint of a smile, like snow melting in winter.  

As he walked to the living room, he replied to her: [What’s in it for me?]

Jiang Nai: [I already said thank you, boss.]

Li Qingji reached the dining room, poured a glass of warm water, and replied: [If thanks were enough, the world wouldn’t need currency.]

Jiang Nai: [Oh? Then, how much does the boss want?]

As Li Qingji walked back with the glass in hand, he typed with one hand: [Let me think about it.]

Jiang Nai lay in bed with a smile on her face. Hearing the door open, she peeked her head out from under the blanket.  

Li Qingji walked over and handed her the glass of water. “Sit up and drink.”  

Jiang Nai sat up and asked, “Your reward won’t be too expensive, right?”  

Li Qingji replied, “You’ll find out after you drink.”  

Jiang Nai was extremely thirsty and didn’t think much, gulping down half the glass at once.  

“Alright, now tell me. How much?”  

Li Qingji set the glass aside, didn’t say a word, and climbed under the blanket, pinning her down.  

“What are you doing—ah! That tickles! Stop it!”  

Li Qingji looked down at her, saying, “I suddenly don’t want money anymore. Let’s use something else as payment.”  

“What…”  

Li Qingji took her hand and placed it on his lower abdomen, his voice deepening. “What do you think?”  

Jiang Nai’s breath quickened, and she protested, “We already did it last night.”  

Li Qingji nuzzled against her neck. “Who says just because we’ve done it, we can’t do it again?”  

“You’re so…” Jiang Nai protested softly, trying to push his head away. “Can’t we rest for a bit?”  

“No,” Li Qingji replied matter-of-factly. “It feels good inside.”  

Jiang Nai froze, her face immediately heating up as if it would explode. But he didn’t seem to find anything wrong with his words. The Li Qingji on the bed was vastly different from the one outside.  

But today, she couldn’t let him have his way. “No, it’ll hurt…”  

Li Qingji raised an eyebrow. “Hmm?”  

“It hurts today.”  

Last night had gone on for too long. It had been enjoyable at the time, but now she could clearly feel the soreness. There was no way she could go through another round.  

Li Qingji’s brows furrowed slightly. “Let me see.”  

“No—”  

But he had already moved, easily lifting her legs.  Jiang Nai resisted, kicking his shoulder, but he was steady as a rock. With a single finger, he hooked aside the fabric…  

“Li Qingji!”  

“It’s red, and a bit swollen,” he observed calmly.  

Jiang Nai couldn’t break free, so she turned her head, burying half of her face in the pillow. “Didn’t I just tell you that’s why we can’t do it again…”  

Before she could finish, she felt his fingertips gently graze over her. Jiang Nai trembled, a tingling sensation coursing through her like an electric current, leaving her unable to resist.  

“Let me go,” she whispered, her neck flushed red, her voice barely audible.  

Li Qingji didn’t go further. He paused for a moment on the surface, and his fingertips were quickly dampened.  

His gaze darkened as he asked, “Feels good, doesn’t it?”  

Jiang Nai refused to admit it. “…No.”  

Li Qingji leaned down. Jiang Nai felt his warm breath approaching. Instinctively, she wanted to pull back, but his hand pressed her down, spreading her apart.  

“Don’t…”  

“I won’t go in,” Li Qingji said, looking up at her as he placed a kiss on her. “Just like this. Don’t move.”  

Jiang Nai stared at the scene, her breath catching.  

—

The household was running out of contraceptives.  

A few boxes had somehow been used up, leaving only one or two left. One day after work, Jiang Nai went to a nearby supermarket to pick up a few things. While checking out, she noticed the items on the nearby shelf and silently grabbed two boxes.  

This time, she made sure to get the right ones—no more mistakes.  

After returning home, around nine o’clock, Li Qingji still hadn’t come back. Jiang Nai put her things into a drawer and sent him a message.

[Have you eaten yet?]

She was worried he might be too busy to remember.

Li Qingji replied: [I have. I’m at Mdo.]

Mdo was a bar they’d been to before, one that Lu Feng and the others liked.

Jiang Nai: [Okay.]

Then, she said nothing more, casually put her phone aside, and went to the kitchen for a glass of juice. After drinking it, she went back to her bedroom to find her phone again, only to discover that Li Qingji had sent her several messages.

[Just ‘okay’?]

[No other words to say?]

[Not even asking me to come back early?]

A few minutes later, perhaps thinking she wasn’t going to reply, he sent another message: [Do you want to come over?]

Jiang Nai smiled at the texts: [I don’t have anything else to say… You’re drinking there; why should I come?]

Li Qingji: [I’m not just here to drink; there’s something else going on.]

Jiang Nai: [Oh, then drink less.]

Li Qingji: [Too late, I’m already a bit drunk. Miss Jiang, would you mind coming to pick me up?]

Jiang Nai didn’t believe he was really drunk but played along: [Oh, is that so? I’ll think about it.]

—

Elsewhere, the bar was lively and noisy.

In one of the private booths, Lu Feng was chatting enthusiastically with Chen Jiming and the others. Turning his head, he saw Li Qingji sitting alone on the sofa, smiling as he looked at his phone, clearly pleased about something.

Chen Jiming noticed as well and asked, “What’s he doing?”

Lu Feng said, “I bet it has something to do with Jiang Nai.”

Chen Jiming was skeptical. “No way…”

Lu Feng grinned. “Wanna bet?”

After some hesitation, Chen Jiming agreed. “Fine, let’s bet.”

Lu Feng smirked. “If you lose, you’re paying for drinks tonight.”

He then shifted over to sit next to Li Qingji, sneaking a glance at his phone. Spotting Jiang Nai’s name in the chat header, he exclaimed, “I win! He’s texting Jiang Nai!”

Chen Jiming: “…”

Lu Feng, gloating, teased, “Told you! I know these things. Chen Jiming, pay up!”

Before he could gloat further, he caught a cold glare from Li Qingji. Lu Feng immediately slid over a bit and offered a sheepish smile. “Uh, what are you drinking?”

Li Qingji pocketed his phone without a word.

“Fine, I’ll pay. A bet’s a bet,” Chen Jiming admitted, moving closer. “By the way, Qingji, is it true that the marriage arrangement between Li Zhixun and the Zhao family is off?”

Li Qingji: “Maybe.”

Chen Jiming continued, “Is it really because Li Zhixun got involved with He Shujing and upset the Zhao family’s eldest daughter?”

Lu Feng chimed in, “I heard about that. It’s not just that. The Zhao family already knew what kind of playboy Li Zhixun was. What really pissed off the eldest daughter was that, knowing an engagement was imminent, he still danced in her face. Apparently, that night at the club, he grabbed He Shujing and left right in front of her. And let me tell you, He Shujing looked so smug when she did it.”

Chen Jiming asked, “Isn’t He Shujing usually on your side, Qingji? Did she do it on purpose? You didn’t send her to stir things up, did you?”

Li Qingji replied calmly, “I wouldn’t ask her to do that.”

“Exactly. She’s a decent girl. No way she’d be asked to do something like that.”

“So what’s her deal… Is she really into Li Zhixun?”

Lu Feng remarked, “The one she truly liked already has someone, but with Li Zhixun’s relentless pursuit, it’s normal for her to soften.”

As he said this, he glanced meaningfully at Li Qingji.

Li Qingji took a sip from his glass and said calmly, “Don’t bring up this vague nonsense when Jiang Nai arrives later.”

“Jiang Nai’s coming?!” Lu Feng’s eyes widened. “Wow… you’re afraid of this, huh? I didn’t even say much, just hinted that someone might have once liked you. That’s not okay either?”

“It’s not. You don’t realize how hard it is to smooth things over, do you?”

Lu Feng and Chen Jiming exchanged looks before speaking simultaneously: “You actually smooth things over?”

Li Qingji shot them another cold glare.

Lu Feng immediately backed down. “Got it, got it. I won’t say anything reckless!”

—

Over half an hour later, Jiang Nai arrived at the bar. After asking downstairs, a staff member escorted her to the private booth upstairs—the same one she had been to before.

As soon as she entered, she saw Li Qingji lounging comfortably on the sofa, legs casually spread, holding a glass of wine in one hand. When he saw her come in, he set the glass down on the table. Jiang Nai stood at the doorway looking at him. He tilted his head slightly and beckoned her over with a lazy, slightly tipsy gesture.

“Jiang Nai’s here!”  

“Finally! You have no idea, someone here has been waiting for you like they’re wishing on a star to take him home.”  

“Yeah, staring at the door all night!”  

…  

Li Qingji’s friends were teasing, making Jiang Nai feel a little embarrassed. Li Qingji, on the other hand, made no move to stop them, just smiling as he looked at her. Jiang Nai rubbed her nose awkwardly and walked over.

As soon as she got close, he pulled her to sit beside him. The proximity allowed her to catch a faint whiff of cigarette smoke. “Hm? Did you smoke?”

Li Qingji replied, “No, they did.”

“Really?”

He turned to look at her and chuckled softly. “When have you ever seen me smoke?”

“He really doesn’t smoke,” Chen Jiming chimed in from the side. “We can all vouch for that.”

Lu Feng added, “Yeah, he made us put out our cigarettes half an hour ago because you were coming.”

Jiang Nai said, “Oh, that’s pretty obedient…”

“Obedient? Obedient *what*?” Lu Feng blinked, wondering if he’d misheard.

“Nothing,” Jiang Nai quickly changed the subject. “Where’s Lin Hui? Why isn’t she with you tonight?”

Lu Feng was still stunned by the use of the word “obedient” to describe Li Qingji. After a moment, he managed to say, “She’s hanging out with her friends. I asked her to come, but she didn’t. Not that it matters—I don’t have anyone to take me home anyway.”  

Jiang Nai couldn’t help but laugh lightly and then looked at Li Qingji, only to realize he had been watching her the entire time. His gaze, tinged with the intoxication of alcohol, shimmered under the bar’s lights like rippling water—affectionate and intense.

Jiang Nai’s heart raced slightly under his gaze. She tugged lightly at his shirt and asked, “So, what do you say now? Since I’m already here, should I take you home?”

Li Qingji replied, “Are you hungry? Want to grab something to eat first?”

“I’m not hungry. I ate out with my colleagues earlier, then went to the supermarket to pick up some things. I’m already full.”

“Alright, then let’s head back.”

Jiang Nai nodded. “Let’s go.”

Li Qingji stood up and pulled her to her feet as well. He turned to the others and said, “I’m heading out first; you all carry on.”

Everyone else gave him a look that said they were overwhelmed by the sweetness. Jiang Nai supported Li Qingji by the arm, said her goodbyes to the group, and walked with him toward the stairs.

“You’re not actually drunk, are you?” she asked, concerned, as they descended.

“Maybe a little?”

Worried he might not be joking, Jiang Nai steadied him by holding his waist. “Hold on tight, don’t fall.”

Li Qingji casually slung an arm around her shoulder. “Okay.”

“You should drink less when you’re out.”

“Mm.”

“And if you have to drink more for some reason, make sure someone sees you home.”

“Mm.”

“If it’s like tonight, calling me to pick you up… that’s fine too.”

“Mm.”

Jiang Nai chuckled and looked up at him. “Why do you just keep saying ‘mm’ to everything?”

Li Qingji lifted the hand resting on her shoulder and gently pinched her cheek. In a lazy tone, he replied, “Because I’ll listen to whatever you say.”

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