Chapter 188: Chapter 188 Don’t Play with Fire Chapter 188: Chapter 188 Don’t Play with Fire Qiao Xi felt like she was drifting with the waves, a lone flatboat adrift in the sea, or perhaps a battered little ship.

She gasped, “Of course, it’s the wolf.”

She chose the wolf.

The wolf has keen insight and ambition, ruthless and fearless, with far-sighted plans. The most important trait is loyalty to its partner.

Loyal, yet proud.

The man, now satisfied, began to tease her in new ways again.

It was Qiao Xi’s first time seeing the ceiling of the study, the dim light swimming before her eyes. The chair was on wheels, her heart was racing, yet she enjoyed the thrill immensely.

Perhaps even the most bashful and steady people have an innate sense of adventure in their bones.

In the middle of the night.

The commotion in the study finally ended.

Wrapped in his white shirt, Qiao Xi leaned back in the chair, cheeks flushed, and said, “Mr. Huo, it broke…”

Their play had been too intense, and the little joy had torn.

She could feel it in her body.

“Sorry.”

His suit pants hung loosely around his waist, and he wore no shirt on his upper body. Little beads of sweat dampened the hair on his forehead as his dark lashes focused on her.

“I’ll take the medicine,” Qiao Xi suggested.

“No need for that, let’s leave it to fate this time. If there is a baby, we’ll have it,” He planned to ask Zhou Yu how this substandard product ended up in his hands.

After some thought, Qiao Xi nodded.

Just once, it wouldn’t be that easy to conceive.

Huo Xingzhou bent down to pick her up, “Let’s take a bath together.”

“The study…”

“I’ll tidy up. I won’t let Aunt Qian find out,” he said, though he was well aware it was a futile gesture.

Aunt Qian’s eyes were like searchlights and microscopes combined; she was cut out for detective work.

“That’s good then.”

Qiao Xi, being shy, was genuinely worried Aunt Qian might think they were too indulgent. They could even… Before it all started, Qiao Xi hadn’t imagined it would turn out like this.

It was uncontrollable.

As if devoid of all reason.

“Tomorrow is the Tianyuan Group’s mid-year celebration banquet, it will be held at eight in the evening at the Jinling Grand Hotel. Shall I have Old Chen pick you up?” This celebration was mainly for securing the Zhong Family order.

The attendees would be the mid-to-high-level executives of Tianyuan Group, along with some partners.

There would be fewer people.

Curled up in his arms, Qiao Xi yawned and said, “I need to keep my grandmother company. Tomorrow is my father’s death anniversary, and grandma would be very sad alone. If it’s too late, I’ll just sleep at the clinic.”

She wanted to witness the moment of his success.

But her grandmother was very important.

“Alright. If it finishes early, I’ll come pick you up.”

Huo Xingzhou turned to push open the bathroom door, gently placing Qiao Xi into the bathtub.

Qiao Xi shyly hugged her arms around herself, covering her private parts.

The bathroom lights were too bright.

She always felt completely exposed.

Huo Xingzhou adjusted the water temperature to her comfort level, washing her body with the showerhead. Qiao Xi grabbed the back of his hand and said, “Mr. Huo, your hand wound can’t touch water, I can do it myself.”

“Just a little cut.”

Avoiding her motion, he said, “Can’t you tell, I’m taking advantage of the situation?”

His fingers slowly traced along her side, causing her to shiver.

Qiao Xi quickly sensed his intention and retreated, saying, “Mr. Huo, we can’t do this again. I refuse to become internally empty and unsteady on my feet.”

“Alright,” he complied, his movements constrained as he washed her body with a bath sponge.

Qiao Xi’s body gradually relaxed.

The hot water washed away her fatigue, and she began to feel drowsy.

She was unaware of when the man carried her to the bed.

She rolled over and held the man in her arms, as if overlapping with the warmth of the snowy mountain cave that year, her nose catching that slightly distant, cold fragrance.

“Auntie…”

She mumbled.

Huo Xingzhou’s expression darkly flickered as he glanced at her and stretched out his hand to pinch her nose, warningly saying, “You’d better be calling for an auntie, not that Ayi…”

Qiao Xi was deeply asleep, breathing with her mouth open.

Huo Xingzhou released his hand.

She was just a childhood playmate, what of it? Nothing but an untimely death, holding the place of a deceased in her heart.

…

The second day.

Qiao Xi set her alarm to wake up, feeling sore and limp all over.

She was gradually getting used to this feeling, performing a set of Five Animal Frolics in the morning virtually eliminated the negative pain. As she got up, she could hear the sound of a car starting outside.

Mr. Huo must be busy today.

The mid-year large conference for Tianyuan Group’s formal settlement in Haicheng.

After a simple wash, she slipped into the study to check on things.

The absurdity and mess of last night were all cleared up.

She breathed a sigh of relief.

“Young Madam, breakfast is ready,”
Aunt Qian called from downstairs.

“Coming,” Qiao Xi hurried down the stairs.

Aunt Qian had already set up the breakfast, including a bowl of red bean and osmanthus sweet soup dumplings: “Young Madam, eat while it’s hot. I need to find some more ingredients to nourish you and the young master.”

Qiao Xi carried the celadon bowl, her ears burning.

Aunt Qian watched her for quite a while, then spoke again: “Young Madam, let me do the household chores next time. The young master has been pampered from childhood, always triumphant in business, but a mess when it comes to housework.

This morning I found that the mop was not placed in the right direction. And the rag, it was not shaken out after being wrung. Garbage bags…”

Flaws everywhere!

The floor in the study, light and dark.

It must be because the mop was too wet, and the window wasn’t opened last night for ventilation.

The garbage bag in the study wasn’t put on properly.

Most importantly, the box of ‘Lady’s Joy’ in the study was opened!

“Aunt Qian, I…” Qiao Xi was mortified, wishing she could disappear right there and then.

Aunt Qian, with an open and honest laugh, said, “Young people, I understand. When Aunt Qian was young, I was wilder than you… Young Madam, don’t be shy. I could even pass on some experience to you.”

“What kind of experience?”

“The experience of having children.”

She spoke at length, sharing decades of rather explicit experience. Some were even more inconceivable than the materials Shu Xue had given on the USB, shocking and embarrassing Qiao Xi.

Her eyes were opened.

“Young Madam, remember this. Every night after ten o’clock, I will definitely be asleep. Nothing can wake me; I won’t hear a thing happening in the house. Just pretend I’m invisible.”

She was so thoughtful.

But Qiao Xi’s face was so hot, she felt like she could fry an egg on it.

Aunt Qian was clearly deceiving! The last time she and Mr. Huo were fooling around in the swimming pool until midnight, Aunt Qian got up early and said she heard cats in heat all night and couldn’t sleep a wink!

“I’m off to work!”

Qiao Xi quickly finished a few bites and grabbed her bag to dash out.

Aunt Qian hadn’t finished speaking yet, still with more to say.

Sitting in the car, Qiao Xi said with uneven breaths, “Old Chen, drive. You don’t need to come pick me up tonight, Mr. Huo said he would drive over himself.”

Today she and Mr. Huo did not leave the house together, so Old Chen drove out a Porsche from the garage.

Usually, the couple would travel together in the Rolls-Royce.

Sometimes when their schedules did not align, Qiao Xi didn’t want to trouble Old Chen or Mr. Huo, and would take a taxi home by herself.

“Okay, Young Madam.”

Old Chen stepped on the gas and headed toward the clinic.