The temperature inside the car soared, and the air gradually became thinner.
Ji Yuning's massage had already stopped. Her fingers slid down along the contours of Fang Bai's face, tracing an arc on his face. As if tickled by Ji Yuning's wandering fingertips, Fang Bai's thick eyelashes trembled and his brows furrowed.
Ji Yuning saw this scene, and her finger stopped sliding down, her fingertip landing precisely on Fang Bai's soft lips.
“…”
Ji Yuning lifted Fang Bai's face, her eyes gleaming.
After two breaths, Fang Bai's head was moved, and his face, which had been tilted back, was now lying on his side.
In the dimly lit carriage, the profile of the person was veiled, and no matter how tempting the treasure hidden beneath was, no one would see it.
Along with the person covered by a thin veil.
No one will know how much temptation the person wearing the veil resisted.
The car window was rolled down, and the evening breeze rushed into the car, breaking the monologue of the people inside and dispelling the ambiguous atmosphere.
As the air circulated, the intoxication in Ji Yuning's eyes lessened, and finally, her gaze returned to its clear, bright state.
As Uncle Li walked out of the pharmacy, he caught a glimpse of the young lady leaning on Ji Yuning's shoulder through the half-open window. He wondered who was awake. Ji Yuning rested with her head against the back seat, her eyes closed.
Worried about disturbing the two, Uncle Li opened the car door very gently.
As I got into the car, a voice from the back seat asked, "Did you buy it?"
The cold and stern tone made Uncle Li pause for a moment. He turned to look behind him. Ji Yuning's face was covered by shadow, so he couldn't see her expression. Only the area around her left eyebrow and eye was illuminated by light and shadow. Under the light, the lines between her eyebrows were clear and sharp, just like the coldness in her tone.
Ji Yuning used to be quiet and had a mild temperament, but now she not only speaks less, but her temperament has also become much colder.
Suppressing his thoughts, Uncle Li replied, "I'll buy it."
Uncle Li glanced at the young lady, "But since the young lady is asleep, does she not need to take the hangover medicine?"
"Mm." Ji Yuning didn't look at Fang Bai. She put her head back and said with her eyes closed, "Let's go home first."
Uncle Li: "Okay."
Half an hour later, the car stopped in front of the house.
Fang Bai showed no signs of waking up; in fact, he slept even more soundly than before the car drove off.
After glancing at the situation in the back seat, Uncle Li said while unbuckling his seatbelt, "I'll carry Miss upstairs."
"No need." Ji Yuning had already gotten out of the car as she spoke.
After refusing Uncle Li's offer, Ji Yuning walked around to the other side of the car, opened the door, bent down and pulled Fang Bai into her arms, then turned around and carried him on her back.
Fang Bai is very light.
Ji Yuning carried it on her back effortlessly.
Upon hearing the car and walking out the gate, Wu Mei rushed forward to support Fang Bai, fearing that both of them might fall. She could tell that Fang Bai was drunk and couldn't help but ask, "Isn't this a celebration banquet? How come Miss is so drunk?"
Moreover, since it was a celebration banquet hosted by the master, it was probably the master himself who got drunk.
Wu Mei mentally complained, feeling sorry for Fang Bai while also caring for Ji Yuning, "Ji, watch the stairs, be careful not to slip."
Ji Yuning: "Mm."
Upon reaching the second floor, Ji Yuning said to Wu Mei, "Aunt Wu, could you please go to Uncle Li's place to get the medicine, and then pour a glass of warm water and bring it up?"
Seeing that Ji Yuning had easily carried the young lady upstairs, Wu Mei was no longer worried about any accidents on the next few steps and nodded, "Okay, I'll go now."
In the bedroom, Ji Yuning placed Fang Bai on the bed.
Because she was being laid down with her back to Fang Bai, Ji Yuning was facing away from him. Just as she was about to turn around to check on the person on the bed, she heard Fang Bai call her, "Xiao Ning."
Ji Yuning turned her head and saw Fang Bai's open eyes.
Regardless of whether Fang Bai woke up at a particular time, Ji Yuning only knew that the person she had been carefully protecting had woken up.
What she did seemed futile; she only moved herself.
But... it's worth it.
"Hmm." Ji Yuning lowered her eyes. "Did I wake you up?"
Fang Bai propped himself up on the bed and sat up, shaking his head and saying, "My head hurts."
Ji Yuning thought to herself that she couldn't let Fang Bai touch alcohol again, and said softly, "Aunt Wu went to get the medicine."
Not hearing the answer he wanted, Fang Bai, his eyes still blurry, said to the indistinct figure standing in front of the bed, "Give me a rub~"
With her mind shrouded in a thin mist, everything she said was subconscious and unthinking. This sentence came entirely from Fang Bai's instinct, as if only Ji Yuning could alleviate her pain.
Even taking medicine is useless.
Ji Yuning stood still, without moving.
Looking at the person in front of her who was behaving very differently from usual and whose voice was full of coquettishness, a dark look flashed in Ji Yuning's eyes.
She leaned closer to Fang Bai, her voice calm, "Will I get paid for massaging Auntie's feet?"
Fang Bai didn't flinch at Ji Yuning's approach. She paused for a moment, then asked, "What do you want?"
"Just ask two questions."
Ji Yuning's tone remained calm, but the light in her dark eyes betrayed her inner thoughts.
Fang Bai, like someone thirsty and in dire need of water, replied without hesitation, "Okay, go ahead and ask."
After receiving Fang Bai's reply, Ji Yuning sat on the bed, raised her hand to Fang Bai who was already lying down, and gently rubbed her temples with the pads of her fingers.
After massaging for about ten seconds, Ji Yuning started asking for payment.
To ensure the intoxicated person could clearly understand, Ji Yuning said, word by word, "Does Auntie have someone she likes?"
Fang Bai had his eyes closed, but he wasn't asleep. After hearing Ji Yuning's words, his mouth spoke faster than his brain: "No."
He spoke so fast that it didn't seem like the reaction of a drunk person.
Ji Yuning's eyelashes fluttered as she pondered the credibility of Fang Baihua's words.
Fang Bai was a little sleepy, but adhering to the principle of honesty, she fought off her drowsiness and reminded him, "There's one more."
Ji Yuning paused for a moment, her lips pursed, "Auntie..."
"Hmm?" Fang Bai's voice trailed off with a hint of weariness.
Ji Yuning's indifferent tone contained a subtle allure, "Will Auntie like me?"
Upon hearing the question, Ji Yuning's breathing slowed down. Even though she already knew the outcome, she still asked it.
The answer is already clear: Fang Bai will not like her.
She tried hard to control her emotions and prevent herself from getting too involved.
But reason ultimately succumbed to emotion.
Like struggling haphazardly in quicksand, one sinks deeper and deeper.
In the end, she could only restrain her emotions from showing.
Fang Bai opened her eyes, which were filled with tears. She blinked, as if she was thinking about Ji Yuning's question.
Ji Yuning watched quietly, already 90% certain of the answer. However, she overlooked the remaining 10%—Fang Bai's reaction surprised her.
After a blink of an eye, Fang Bai's eyebrows first furrowed, then quickly relaxed, and finally, as they furrowed again, he let out a soft hum from his nose.
Ji Yuning didn't understand the meaning of "humph," pursed her lips, paused for a few seconds, and then patiently asked, "Do you like it?"
“…”
There was no response.
Wu Mei carried water and medicine into the bedroom and saw the young lady lying on Ji Yuning's lap, with Ji Yuning massaging her.
The scene was unusually heartwarming.
Wu Mei slowed her pace and lowered her voice, "Xiao Ji, I've brought the medicine."
Ji Yuning looked up and said, "Thank you, Aunt Wu."
After saying it was nothing, Wu Mei walked up to Ji Yuning.
Fang Bai was helped up by Ji Yuning. After feeding Fang Bai his medicine, Wu Mei put the medicine and water on the table and stood there for a moment, not knowing what to do. "Xiao Ji, is there anything else I need to do?"
"You should go and rest," Ji Yuning said.
Wu Mei hesitated for a second, then nodded when she saw that she couldn't help either. "Okay, call me if you need anything."
Ji Yuning nodded.
With a click, the door closed.
Ji Yuning looked at Fang Bai, who had already lain down.
Her makeup was a little smudged.
Sleeping with makeup on...
Ji Yuning paused for a moment.
A minute later, Fang Bai was lying on the bed, and Ji Yuning was removing her makeup. Her technique was a bit clumsy, and she soon woke up the sleeping person.
Fang Bai's eyes were filled with reproach. Ji Yuning, holding a cotton pad, coughed lightly and said, "...Sorry."
While Fang Bai was awake, Ji Yuning pulled her to the bathroom to wash up.
Halfway through washing his face, Fang Bai not only didn't wake up, but was so sleepy that he couldn't keep his eyes open.
After barely managing to finish, a thin layer of sweat appeared on the tip of Ji Yuning's nose.
Fang Bai felt a burning sensation in his body.
So when Ji Yuning used Fang Bai's makeup remover to remove her makeup and came out of the bathroom, she saw the person on the bed with her chest out, her back forming an arc with the bed, her hands behind her back searching for something.
Ji Yuning stepped forward. "What are you doing?"
Fang Bai murmured, "It's hot."
The hand pressing down on his back seemed to have found its target. With the sound of a zipper being pulled open, Ji Yuning paused for two seconds, and just as Fang Bai was about to take off his clothes, she pulled the blanket over herself.
The fleeting spring sunshine was thus covered by a thick blanket.
Hearing the muffled sounds coming from under the covers, Ji Yuning turned around, took her pajamas from the closet, and put them on the bed.