"Mm-hmm..."

Qin Ruojing took a moment to prepare herself, letting out a few soft hums. It wasn't because she was embarrassed; she just wanted to make sure her voice was right. The last thing she wanted was for her efforts to end up being a joke outside the door.

As she made these noises, Qin Ruojing kept sneaking glances at Chu Ge's reaction. To her dismay, his shoulders kept shaking, and he was even coughing occasionally.

Clearly, this was proof of a fact she didn't want to admit but had to face.

Her attempt was terrible—so terrible even she thought it sounded like a cat, bad enough that Chu Ge couldn't help but chuckle secretly.

It was truly a face-losing moment.

Embarrassed? Annoyed? These words seemed inadequate to describe Qin Ruojing's feelings at that moment.

When these feelings reached their peak, Qin Ruojing couldn't hold back anymore and gave Chu Ge a kick in the butt from behind.

Chu Ge turned around and glared at Qin Ruojing, but instead of speaking, he burst into laughter again, eventually reaching a point where he couldn't stop. He also placed his hands protectively at his thighs, evidently wary of any more sudden attacks from Qin Ruojing.

On the surface, Qin Ruojing seemed calm, squinting at Chu Ge. Once his laughter subsided, she brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and softly asked, "Have you laughed enough? If so, get up and help me."

Chu Ge straightened himself up and sat cross-legged on the bed, quirking an eyebrow. "I recall someone saying earlier that they didn't need my help, that they could handle this minor issue by themselves. What's this? Changed your mind already?"

"Just tell me if you'll help or not," Qin Ruojing blushed, clearly in a "Yeah, I've changed my mind, so what?" stance.

"I seriously wonder if I owe you from a past life. Seeing how sincerely you've asked me, I'll consider it. But come on, show me some attitude of asking for help, and I might just help you out."

"I..."

Qin Ruojing was at a loss, feeling frustrated that he was still playing hard to get at such a crucial moment. But since she was at fault first and really had no other choice, she reluctantly muttered, "I need your help. So, what do we do now?"

Even though Qin Ruojing's tone was far from sincere, Chu Ge was just teasing her. Once she finished speaking, he nodded, not making it difficult for her anymore.

"Since you've put it that way, I'll lend a hand. But I do have a method, though I'm afraid you might not agree."

Qin Ruojing paused, a bit tense as she said, "You're not planning to get real with me again, are you?"

Chu Ge shook his head immediately, "Of course not. Even if you wanted to, I wouldn't."

Qin Ruojing was pretty nervous initially, but hearing Chu Ge's words made her expression turn sour, and she angrily asked, "What do you mean? Are you saying being with me would be a real hardship for you?"

Chu Ge replied exasperatedly, "Well, yeah. I'm just helping you out, not looking to get entangled. What if you cling to me afterward? Let's not discuss that right now; let's figure out what to do instead."

Qin Ruojing's embarrassment turned to anger as she bit out the words, "You say."

"My method is to get you in the right mood, so naturally, you'll be able to make the sound."

Qin Ruojing jumped in surprise, "Didn't you say..."

"Relax, using just my hands is enough. It's the best plan I've got right now. Up to you if you want to go for it."

Qin Ruojing's expression shifted several times; she hesitated for a few seconds before asking, "With your hands? You're not planning to touch me, are you?"

Chu Ge rolled his eyes dramatically, responding as if it were obvious, "Duh, do you think I can do this with my mind? Even Superman couldn't, right?"

Hearing this, Qin Ruojing got even more nervous, "You... you're sure you can make me produce that sound? You're not just trying to take advantage, are you?"

Chu Ge rolled his eyes again, "You're treating good intentions with such skepticism. Forget it, I'll just go to sleep."

With that, Chu Ge really did lie down, but as soon as his head hit the pillow, Qin Ruojing pulled him up with a determined look and said, almost solemnly, "Fine, let's do it."

Chu Ge looked skeptical, "Are you sure?"

Qin Ruojing gritted her teeth and grabbed Chu Ge's hand, "Enough talking, but if you can't do it, I'll definitely make you pay."

Qin Ruojing expected Chu Ge to start his antics, but he didn't move a muscle and asked again, "Are you really sure?"

Initially, Qin Ruojing was uncertain, but seeing Chu Ge's hesitation riled her up.

"Just do it already, what's with all the talk? Aren't you a man?"

"Uh... not cool talking like that, you know?" Chu Ge glared at Qin Ruojing, dissatisfied. "We've known each other for a while. You should know whether I'm a man or not."

"If you're a man, get on with it! I've said so much, why are you still hesitating?"

Seeing Qin Ruojing's blushing face, Chu Ge couldn't help but laugh. However, before he could say anything, Qin Ruojing asked, "Are you sure you're not deliberately taking advantage of me?"

"Big sister, are you done or not?"

"No..." Qin Ruojing bit her lip, "I just... um, how exactly do you plan to help me?"

"We'll analyze the situation case by case. I'll start by massaging your feet. If that can get us through, great. If not, we'll think of another way."

"Then... okay!"

"Alright, stop hesitating. Let me put on some gloves, and that should be fine, right? So you can't hold it against me later."

Since Qin Ruojing had already put it this way, Chu Ge didn't hold back anymore. He found a pair of gloves and started to help diligently.

Watching Chu Ge seriously massaging her feet, Qin Ruojing felt her heart jump to her throat, with her nerves and body completely tensed up, feeling uncomfortable.

At the same time, Qin Ruojing couldn't help having some mixed feelings. Given how things had developed because of her mom and sister, Chu Ge really didn't need to use gloves... nor start with foot massages. Why did he come up with this idea?

Qin Ruojing was really puzzled. Was this a sign of respect for her or a sign that she wasn't attractive to him?

Sigh... it's really a bit confusing.

But, within just a few short minutes, Qin Ruojing experienced an indescribable sensation and subconsciously let out a sound.

Noticing the change in Qin Ruojing's reaction, Chu Ge was somewhat surprised.

He initially thought, considering Qin Ruojing's aversion to such things, it wouldn't be easy for her to make a sound. Yet, from the looks of it, things were progressing much smoother than he had expected.

A few more minutes passed, and Qin Ruojing couldn't hold back any longer and finally cried out for real.

Chu Ge breathed a sigh of relief, glad it had worked out.

Chu Ge turned over and returned to his usual sleeping place, closing his eyes.

Meanwhile, outside the door, Qin's mother and Qin Ruoying seemed to say something before footsteps were heard, indicating that they both went to wash up and sleep as well.

The room fell into silence once more.

Days went by like this. During the day, Chu Ge and Qin Ruojing were busy at work. At night, Chu Ge massaged Qin Ruojing's feet, deliberately making noises. Every time Qin's mother heard these sounds, she felt comforted and at ease.

With this couple's frequency, whether it's getting a grandchild or them getting married, it won't be long now.

Every time Chu Ge and Qin Ruojing made noise, Qin Ruoying's expression became quite peculiar. Except for staying by her mother's side the first time, she returned to her room and closed the door for the subsequent times.

Chu Ge and Qin Ruojing didn't know this, and Qin's mother didn't think much of it, just assuming that the second daughter was embarrassed. Only Qin Ruoying knew the truth.

On the fifth day of Qin's mother visiting Lidu, she finally returned to Kyoto, satisfied. In her view, staying any longer would just be adding chaos for the young couple.

Seeing her off, Chu Ge returned to the house in Yipin Spring City.

Early in the morning, after just finishing breakfast, Chu Ge heard a knock at the door. When he opened it, he was slightly surprised to see He Qing standing there.

At this moment, He Qing was dressed quite plainly, in a khaki skirt suit with a black blouse underneath, looking less regal and more relaxed, just like an ordinary white-collar worker.

Of course, with her looks and that radiating aura, whatever she wore exuded a breathtaking beauty, even though there was a barely noticeable weariness and worry on her face, which did nothing to diminish that beauty.

Chu Ge was really not expecting to see He Qing at his doorstep so early, and he couldn't help but ask, surprised, "Miss He? Why are you back?"

He Qing smiled and said, "I said I missed you, so I came back. I came straight over after getting off the plane. Do you believe me?"

Chu Ge curled his lips, nodded, and said, "I believe you, I really do. I'm quite charming, right?"

Even though he said so, his expression clearly showed he was being sarcastic, just joking with her.

Seeing Chu Ge like this, He Qing laughed again. However, despite her smile, there was a sense of bitterness and helplessness in it.

She wished so much that Chu Ge's words were not mere teasing, that he truly understood her feelings for him, and then gave her a gentle hug, allowing her, both physically and mentally tired, to draw close to his broad and strong chest.

During her time back in Kyoto, she had grown tired, both body and soul.

"I'm already at your doorstep, aren't you going to invite me in?"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.