Chapter 17: Xiang Bei

"Qinghe, is there anything you don't eat?" Lin Xi's voice came from the kitchen as she opened the takeout bag Xiang Bei had brought, taking out the containers one by one.

It seemed Xiang Bei hadn't cleaned the table as Lin Xi had asked.

Gao Qinghe's long hair had already been dried by the hairdryer, now appearing unusually fluffy with the ends slightly curled, giving off a playful vibe. She was still wearing Lin Xi's thin knit cardigan, the collar still carrying a faint metallic rose scent. The short sleeves of her loungewear were still slightly damp, the fabric clinging to her skin and outlining her ample curves, which rose and fell gently with each breath.

"It's fine, I eat everything." Gao Qinghe's eyes darted between the two of them as she quickly stood up, her movements light but carrying a hint of deliberate eagerness. "Sister Lin Xi, how come Xiang Bei isn't helping you clean the table? It's too much work for you alone, let me help." With that, she also began unpacking the takeout containers.

"...Thank you, Qinghe." A flicker of surprise crossed Lin Xi's eyes before she showed a sincere smile, carrying a touch of playful reproach and cunning. "Xiang Bei brought everything over, so let's give him a pass for today."

"Two people are enough to put things away, having one more just makes things messy." Xiang Bei glanced at them nonchalantly, his voice low and casual. His fingers slid across his phone screen with an impatient elegance, showing no intention of standing up to help.

"Ah, Qinghe, careful with your sleeves." Lin Xi rolled up the sleeves of Gao Qinghe's cardigan, her slender fingers touching the crook of her arm. The warm contact made Gao Qinghe's body tremble slightly.

She leaned against Lin Xi's shoulder, rubbing against it like an affectionate kitten, sniffing the pleasant perfume scent on her. "Sister Lin Xi, you're so considerate. Someone as wonderful as you definitely deserves the best man in the world."

"Really now," Lin Xi looked at Gao Qinghe in her arms, who resembled a small animal, showing a doting smile. She gently ruffled Gao Qinghe's hair with her hand, her fingers combing through the strands, her fingertips occasionally brushing past the earlobe. "Not everything has to be about men."

Gao Qinghe secretly checked Xiang Bei's expression. Although he was holding his phone, his peripheral vision kept glancing their way. He was slightly frowning but still watching them with interest. His deep eyes stared directly at her, the corner of his mouth curling into a playful smile.

Hmm, an expression that's hard to read.

But as long as he's unhappy, everything is worth trying.

"Oh my! My cousin said Sister Lin Xi doesn't eat cilantro!" Gao Qinghe opened a container of Big Plate Chicken sprinkled with cilantro, feigning surprise. Her voice was soft, but the tone at the end suddenly rose.

She turned to look at Xiang Bei. Indeed, he looked slightly displeased, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"My goodness, your new boyfriend is so inconsiderate, he doesn't even remember something like this?"

Her gaze toward Xiang Bei carried provocation, cunning like a little fox.

Xiang Bei's expression darkened slightly, his fingers pausing on his phone for a moment.

"I told the restaurant. They probably forgot." He explained, his voice carrying a hint of impatient restraint.

"Oh, how can that be! This ruins the taste, doesn't it mean Sister Lin Xi can't eat this dish? Is 'they forgot' enough to solve this?" Gao Qinghe made a big deal out of it, her soft voice sounding exaggerated. As she spoke, she rolled her sleeves up higher, revealing the fair skin of her forearm. "Sister Lin Xi, let me help you pick out the cilantro? Ugh, some people just don't take others' discomfort seriously, it's so infuriating!"

"What did you say?" Xiang Bei finally put down his phone, ready to retort. "I didn't..."

"These restaurants are too much, don't you think so, Sister Lin Xi?" Gao Qinghe completely ignored Xiang Bei, turning to look at Lin Xi, saying indignantly with her almond-shaped eyes wide open, seeming more like she was pouting than actually angry. "Fortunately, this isn't something Sister Lin Xi is allergic to, otherwise, who knows how much they'd have to compensate!"

"...Um, thank you, Qinghe. You really know me well..." Lin Xi's voice sounded from beside her.

But Gao Qinghe didn't pay much attention to Lin Xi's words, she only felt a surge of secret satisfaction inside.

Seeing Xiang Bei's gloomy expression, waves of pleasure surged through Gao Qinghe's chest.

As long as she could get under Xiang Bei's skin, everything was worth it!

"Sister Lin Xi, you're really working too hard." The takeout was finally plated and placed on the table. Lin Xi was washing her hands in the kitchen when Gao Qinghe hugged her from behind, her slender arms wrapping around Lin Xi's waist. Her ample chest pressed tightly against Lin Xi's back, the soft weight like two clouds pressing down. The friction felt delicate and ambiguous, warmth spreading from her chest and crawling down her spine, making Gao Qinghe's own breathing become irregular.

"Thank you for preparing all this, and thank you for letting me stay. I'm really grateful!" Gao Qinghe's tone was somewhat exaggerated, her voice actually trembling slightly, the slightly rising tone at the end making her seem more like she was pouting than expressing gratitude.

Lin Xi's body stiffened slightly, seemingly not very accustomed to such close contact. She dried her hands with a paper towel, pressed Gao Qinghe's hands to create a bit of distance, her back facing the sofa, her fingertips touching Gao Qinghe's wrist.

"It's fine, women should help each other out."

She paused, patting Gao Qinghe's head with her hand, the pressure gentle, her fingertips lightly massaging the top of her head, the movements soft as if comforting a small animal.

Gao Qinghe narrowed her eyes contentedly, but kept an eye on Xiang Bei's expression.

He did seem to care about their interaction, but the earlier annoyance was completely gone. His deep eyes stared directly at Gao Qinghe, filled with amusement, as if he simply found it interesting.

"Mhm!" Gao Qinghe took the opportunity to hug Lin Xi again, burying her entire face in Lin Xi's chest and rubbing back and forth, her movements intimate like a kitten nuzzling its owner. The metallic rose scent washed over her like a tide, lingering and provocative.

"Alright, alright..." Lin Xi gently patted her, affectionately pinching her cheek, her expression soft and doting.

Gao Qinghe straightened up, wrapped her arms around Lin Xi's neck, and hugged her again. Her ample chest pressed tightly against Lin Xi's curves, the fabric rubbing together. She could even clearly feel each other's rises and falls and warmth. She deliberately swayed back and forth with Lin Xi, secretly raising her head from Lin Xi's neck to peek at Xiang Bei's expression.

He had straightened up but was still sitting on the sofa, his fingers gripping his phone tightly, his knuckles slightly white. The playful smile at the corner of his mouth remained, as if he was trying hard to suppress something.

But his eyes still hadn't changed, lacking the annoyance or sense of offense Gao Qinghe had hoped for. Instead, he was watching their interaction with great interest.