Coveted for a Long Time 13

Chapter 13

That night, the Qiao couple worked outside until the early hours of the morning before returning home. Fu Bei walked Qiao Xi back after ten o’clock.

Fu Bei was already tall among her peers, and standing together, she was much taller than Qiao Xi. Before they even reached the main gate, Qiao Xi suddenly grabbed her hand. Fu Bei paused and looked down at the child.

The night was silent, the sky devoid of stars or moon. The Qiao house was pitch black upstairs and down. The auntie on duty, assuming Qiao Xi would stay next door for the night, had already gone back to her room to sleep. Such a large house with so few occupants seemed overly empty and quiet. After escorting the child to her room upstairs, Fu Bei showed a rare moment of gentleness, saying softly, “Go wash up first. I’ll go downstairs to drink a glass of water.”

Qiao Xi nodded, turned on all the lights, and quickly washed her face and changed into pajamas. When she came out, Fu Bei had already returned upstairs with a glass of hot milk.

She didn’t stay long. Placing the hot milk on the bedside table, she said, “Go to sleep early,” and left.

As soon as she was gone, Qiao Xi immediately ran to cling to the windowsill. She watched Fu Bei walk out of her gate, cross the road between the two houses, and enter the Fu family’s gate until she disappeared from sight. The figure’s outline gradually blurred in the night, flickering in and out of view where light met darkness, carrying a sense of loneliness.

The light in the second-floor room of the Qiao house remained on, shining all through the night.

**

Just like before, Qiao Xi stood behind the glass door of the balcony and looked downstairs. Outside, the misty rain was hazy, the gloomy sky oppressive and dim. In the distance lay the congested street. It was getting late, and the neon lights on the street intertwined with the flashing taillights of cars, adding a touch of brightness to the silent city.

The Maybach was still parked there. The person in the car never got out. From this distance, she couldn’t see clearly.

As the sky grew darker, the rain fell harder, bean-sized raindrops constantly beating against the glass window. Qiao Xi had to retreat into the room and close the sliding door. The glass was quickly soaked by the rain, becoming blurred.

Ignoring that person, seeing that it was about time, she started cooking. By the time she finished eating, the rain had almost stopped. Opening the glass door to look down, the Maybach was long gone.

A thin, cold drizzle drifted onto her exposed skin, feeling chilly.

Fu Bei knew her well enough not to come up and invite a snub.

Qiao Xi’s thoughts were complicated, a mix of flavors she couldn’t describe. She finished the cold drink she had bought, and once the rain completely stopped, she went downstairs to throw out the trash. The ground was slippery after the rain, water everywhere. Walking under the trees, a drop of water would unexpectedly fall onto her neck, making her shiver from the shock. The residential complex was silent and deserted after the rain, with hardly a soul in sight.

She took the elevator up to the twelfth floor and opened the door to enter.

But just as she stepped inside, she was suddenly embraced around the waist. The person encircled her from behind, clothes slightly damp, carrying a hint of moisture. Having been in the rain, her body was cold, and a biting chill instantly surrounded Qiao Xi. A cool, wet sensation came from the back of her neck. She tensed her back, just about to struggle, when her wrists were seized.

Fu Bei pressed against her back, pinning her against the cold wall, a strong arm hooking around her waist and abdomen.

She hadn’t changed clothes yet and was still wearing that midriff-baring tank top, which now benefited a certain someone. Part of the hibiscus tattoo was exposed, the lush petals eye-catching, particularly vibrant under the bright lights. Suddenly, a coolness touched the petals as white, slender, smooth fingertips brushed over them lightly.

Her ear felt slightly scorched, the hot breath a bit unsteady. The familiar temperature and scent brought Qiao Xi back to her senses in an instant. She immediately turned around forcefully, only to have her hands pinned behind her back again. A coolness pressed against her lips, swallowing all her words completely.

After so many years together, Fu Bei knew her thoroughly. Knowing she wouldn’t have anything nice to say to her, she simply chose not to speak at all, melting all words into action.

At first, Qiao Xi was angry, twisting her body and refusing to let the other have her way. But Fu Bei seemed immune to pain, accepting whatever Qiao Xi did. She even released one hand to gently stroke the side of Qiao Xi’s neck, lingering on the tender skin as if deeply affectionate.

Qiao Xi didn’t dare use excessive force, and the other person seemed to sense this, letting out a soft chuckle.

The cool moisture moved from her lips to her chin, tracing down the curve of her neck, lingering and tender.

Qiao Xi had always been quite indifferent, but in this moment, she was inexplicably furious. Leaving so decisively back then, who was she putting on this deep affection for now? For a moment, rage burned within her, but it quickly turned into cold indifference. She stopped struggling, leaning limply against the wall, giving up resistance.

Fu Bei still didn’t let her go, applying a punishing amount of pressure on the delicate skin at the side of her neck.

Qiao Xi winced in pain. Unable to bear the overly bright lights, she blinked and took a sharp breath.

Fu Bei was intentionally provoking her, and she was truly getting angry, but she held it back, stinging with her words instead: “Professor Fu, so gentle and refined. Instead of devoting yourself to teaching and setting an example, you’re acting so lowly, breaking into someone’s home in the middle of the night. Since when did you learn these tricks?”

Her words showed no mercy, as nasty as could be. Yet Fu Bei showed no displeasure, keeping her encircled and whispering, “Just came to see you.”

“I’m perfectly fine when you don’t come,” Qiao Xi said directly, casting a sidelong glance at her.

Fu Bei was soaked through. She had probably driven the car away just to lull Qiao Xi into relaxing her guard; who knew when she had come up. She was dressed lightly today, wearing only a thin white shirt. The rain-drenched fabric clung completely to her skin, outlining her curvaceous figure underneath.

She was overly lean, her collarbones prominent. Strands of jet-black hair hung down over her chest, leading down to the soft, pale cleavage.

Hearing these words, Fu Bei’s face didn’t show much expression, as if she had expected this answer. Her grip loosened slightly as she simply said, “I know…”

The warm breath landed gently by her ear. Qiao Xi disliked it intensely and pushed back in rejection, only for Fu Bei to catch her hands again.

Both were locked in a stalemate.

Qiao Xi knew this was meant to provoke her, but she refused to take the bait. Anger would only show she cared, and she had nothing to care about. In the end, she let herself be held, lifting her eyelids with slight disdain and mocking, “What does this mean, then? Putting on a show in the rain downstairs at night—aren’t you afraid it’ll be hard to explain when you get home?”

It was too harsh. Fu Bei frowned but didn’t respond.

“Or is there something Professor Fu wants to do?” Qiao Xi said slowly, her tone heated and ambiguous, the meaning intriguing.

Given her formerly aloof nature, she would surely have flared up. But now she remained motionless, scrutinizing Qiao Xi. Her gaze was like water, hiding meanings impossible to decipher.

Qiao Xi’s face remained rippleless, allowing the scrutiny. Under the direct glare of the living room lights, her gaze suddenly became somewhat unfocused. She looked away from Fu Bei indifferently, staring elsewhere.

“Don’t talk like that,” Fu Bei said in a low voice.

Her voice revealed exhaustion, whether from genuine fatigue or something else was unknown. Qiao Xi ignored it, meeting her gaze calmly and saying cruelly, “I don’t want to see you lately. Don’t come again.”