Chapter 4: Brother, Do I Smell Good?

Li Xiang's door finally opened.

He had been puttering around inside for quite a while, with clattering sounds suggesting he was doing something, faint noises of rummaging could be heard. It took him a long time to come out, and his forehead was sweaty.

"Come in..." His voice carried a hint of unnatural dryness.

Gao Qinghe stepped inside and froze at first glance.

Wow, was this what his room originally looked like?

All those dirty clothes, instant noodle cups, and plastic bags had been cleared away to who knows where, revealing the light gray wooden floorboards she had never seen in her memory.

The desk had finally regained its original color, with a neat row of books on it that Gao Qinghe had never even seen before.

The bedding was spread out with sharp, defined corners. The last time she saw him fold his quilt like this was probably during military training. On top of it, three sets of clothes were neatly arranged, all in styles his girlfriend usually wore.

...Seriously, this guy can really put on an act. For a pretty girl he's meeting for the first time, he could hide his laziness this deep.

"I... Is it really okay for me to wear your girlfriend's clothes like this?" Gao Qinghe spoke, her voice still carrying that soft, sticky tone. Her inflection unconsciously rose slightly at the end, making even herself feel unfamiliar with it.

Okay, reiterating, she really wasn't trying to act cute or play the innocent, manipulative type.

She knew Li Xiang's girlfriend's temper all too well. She had been fortunate enough to witness a few of their arguments, where his girlfriend almost smashed the living room. Him lending his girlfriend's clothes for someone else to wear would make anyone furious—Gao Qinghe understood this principle perfectly well.

Li Xiang, however, scratched the back of his head and grinned a bit foolishly:

"It's fine, it's fine! Isn't this an emergency? I can't just watch you without suitable clothes to wear! Helping out when someone is in need is something everyone should do, right?"

Those words sounded quite lofty and proper.

Gao Qinghe rolled her eyes internally.

Well done, Li Xiang. Last week when my coat got dirty and I needed to go out in a hurry, and I begged to borrow one, weren't you being stingy and making excuses, saying 'This is new my girlfriend bought, she'll get angry'? How come when the gender is different, you offer up all her clothes for me to pick from?

Ha, if a brother shows no loyalty, don't blame me for showing no righteousness.

Li Xiang retreated outside the room door. Gao Qinghe thought it over and deliberately picked the most troublesome one—the little black dress with a zipper. The fabric was thin and form-fitting, the waistline cinched tight, making it genuinely difficult to put on—the dress's waist size wasn't the problem, but whether she pulled it up from the bottom or slipped it over her head from the top, something would always get stuck.

Women's clothes are really hard to wear!

Gao Qinghe bit her lower lip, a thin layer of sweat forming on her forehead. After finally managing to get the dress on properly, she could finally proceed with her next prank.

"Brother... could you help me?" she called out through the door, her voice so soft it could almost drip water.

A dull thud came from outside the door, like something had been knocked over. Li Xiang's flustered voice followed immediately: "Coming, coming, coming!"

The door was pushed open. He rushed in, his steps staggering, almost tripping over his own slippers. Gao Qinghe turned around. Her hair was slightly disheveled from the hasty change, a few strands sticking to her cheeks, which instead gave her a touch of delicate, pitiful charm. Her almond-shaped eyes, carrying a hint of troubled mist, looked up at him gently—his protective instinct felt like it had been violently switched on by an invisible hand, instantly skyrocketing.

Li Xiang only felt his heart pounding wildly, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down as a low, embarrassed rasp squeezed out of his throat.

Gao Qinghe almost laughed out loud but forced herself to maintain that weak and helpless appearance. She raised her hand to sweep her long hair to one side, turning her back to him, revealing her smooth, delicate nape.

"Brother... I can't zip it up, could you help me?"

But after waiting a while, Li Xiang still hadn't moved.

Gao Qinghe sneered inwardly: This guy can really keep up the act! When you were single, didn't you whine every day about 'how great it would be if a girlfriend just fell from the sky'? Now that one's really here, go for it!

She simply took half a step back, her back lightly brushing against his hovering hand.

"Whoa!" Li Xiang's hand jerked as if electrocuted, his fingertips grazing over her smooth skin, the sensation carrying a surprising heat.

Gao Qinghe herself shuddered—Wait, is the back of this body this sensitive? She felt a jolt of electricity shoot straight up her spine to the top of her head, making her tremble involuntarily.

Li Xiang's breathing also became ragged. He let out a suppressed "Mmm..." from his throat, as if trying hard to restrain something.

Come on, what are you groaning about, you're a grown man? Gao Qinghe mentally complained fiercely. But she really couldn't ignore the accelerated heartbeat that the earlier touch had caused her.

...If I'd known this body was so sensitive, I wouldn't have played this trick! I just wanted to tease my roommate, I better not end up getting myself into trouble!

Li Xiang's hand finally steadied, trembling as he pinched the zipper pull, inching it upwards bit by bit. The pads of his fingers occasionally brushed against the skin of her back. Gao Qinghe felt as if being lightly swept by a feather, unable to suppress a slight tremble.

Finally, the zipper closed. Li Xiang let out a long sigh of relief, the warmth of his breath brushing against the back of her neck making her heart itch again.

Had he been holding his breath the whole time?

Gao Qinghe turned her head, looking up at his flushed face. His gaze towards her held a bit of helplessness, but his eyes were very clear and sincere.

This Li Xiang... he's actually quite handsome, isn't he? Before, I only ever saw him as a buddy, seems like I never really examined his looks carefully. Right now, there's even a speck of dust on the bridge of his nose from cleaning earlier. His clumsy appearance is unexpectedly... cute.

Her heart pounded wildly.

As if bewitched, she raised her hand. When her fingertips were just a centimeter away from his cheek—

Click.

The crisp sound of a key turning in the lock came from outside the door.

Both of them snapped out of it simultaneously.

Gao Qinghe's hand jerked back. Li Xiang also reacted as if scalded, hurriedly coughing twice before scrambling out of the room in a fluster.

She instinctively followed behind him.

"I brought you some fruit. You can share it with Gao Jingdong later." The person entering was Li Xiang's girlfriend. She kicked off her high heels with practiced ease, holding a plastic bag in her hand. "I'm going to my part-time job in a bit. On my way back, I can grab you a milk tea..."

Before she could finish, she looked up and saw Gao Qinghe standing behind Li Xiang.

The air instantly froze solid.

Her gaze fell on Gao Qinghe, on the little black dress she was wearing. Her expression darkened bit by bit.

"It's not, it's not what you think, let me explain!" Li Xiang panicked. Seeing his girlfriend's expression, his voice changed pitch. "This kid is Gao Jingdong's cousin, she—"

His girlfriend, however, didn't give him a chance to finish.

She flung the bag of fruit in her hand onto the ground with force.

Smack.

Apples scattered and rolled everywhere, one rolling to Gao Qinghe's feet, emitting a soft thud.