Chapter 74: Because She Liked Zhu Yiqiao
Ming Fei originally wanted to wait a while before going upstairs.
—Because her face was very red.
But even if the temperature on her cheeks subsided, it would probably rise again when she went upstairs later, and Zhu Yiqiao had never sent her such a message during the day before. Perhaps there was an emergency.
So, she didn’t waste any time, temporarily suppressing the vague, not-yet-fully-formed thoughts that had just surfaced, and decisively pushed the door open.
Arriving at the study door on the third floor, Ming Fei knocked and found that the security lock wasn’t engaged. The door opened automatically after just one knock. She stepped inside, hiding her shyness well, and walked smoothly to the French window, her gaze meeting the person on the sofa.
“…Jiejie.”
“Mm.”
Zhu Yiqiao’s gaze swept over Ming Fei’s flushed ears. Perhaps because they had undergone pheromone guidance and temporary marking, perhaps because her heat cycle was approaching, the possessiveness she had just suppressed surged like a tide.
However, no matter how many “perhaps” there were, she could clearly, rationally, and calmly judge that all her possessiveness towards Ming Fei stemmed from one fundamental and most important reason.
—She liked Ming Fei.
When Ming Fei was only three steps away, she released her pheromones, letting the raccoon cat hidden in the snowy forest pounce on Ming Fei, following her closely, step by step, until she closed the remaining distance.
At the same time, Ming Fei sensed the change in Zhu Yiqiao’s pheromones.
The pheromone bracelet on her wrist flashed a red warning light, the concentration level on the display screen constantly rising. The elegant pine and fir scent became even more… strange, as if a layer of fresh snow had covered the cedar and fir trees.
But this abnormality was fleeting.
It disappeared in the blink of an eye, as if everything just now had been an illusion.
The temperature control system on the third floor was independent of the rest of the villa. Worried about the cold, Ming Fei had put on a thin white jacket before coming upstairs. As Ming Fei stood there, just as she was about to ask Zhu Yiqiao what was wrong, Zhu Yiqiao’s fingertips hooked the zipper of her jacket.
The two-way zipper design was very convenient. With a slight tug, the open zipper was closed.
“…Thank you, Jiejie.”
After Ming Fei sat down, Zhu Yiqiao reached out and patted her head, her tone casual.
“You’re welcome.”
This action reminded Ming Fei of Xu Zhou. When she had seen Xu Zhou off, Xu Zhou had patted her head before going to the garage, just as 0619 happened to be playing “Love Strategy.”
Zhu Yiqiao’s movements were gentle, like petting a small animal, like a cat or a dog, also like adding layer upon layer of markings. Ming Fei suddenly thought of the emoji she had sent to Zhu Yiqiao yesterday.
[Kitten being rubbed into a pancake.gif]
The corners of her lips curled up slightly. After Zhu Yiqiao withdrew her hand, she asked,
“We usually do pheromone guidance or temporary markings at night, Jiejie, are you going on a business trip?”
“No.”
Then, Zhu Yiqiao asked calmly, “Can’t it be done during the day?”
Ming Fei quickly shook her head: “Of course not. Anytime is fine, as long as Jiejie needs it.”
“Mm.” Zhu Yiqiao unbuttoned the top button of her shirt. “Have you been studying recently?”
Ming Fei had been busy with work lately, working overtime in the lab every night. Except for the day she got off work at 8:30 pm and studied her notes for half an hour, she basically went straight to bed after returning home.
But she hadn’t been slacking off.
Because this was simpler than learning to control her pheromones. She felt that under Zhu Yiqiao’s guidance, she seemed to have… probably… almost… completely mastered the marking process. She looked at her notes because she wanted to make the experience completely painless for Zhu Yiqiao.
But no matter how she recalled or studied, she could only minimize the pain, because the moment the gland was bitten, even with sufficient preparation and the gentlest movements, the slight sting couldn’t be completely erased.
She answered honestly, “Sorry, Jiejie, I only studied for one night.”
Zhu Yiqiao: “Retract your apology.”
How could spoken words be retracted?
Ming Fei didn’t know, nodding like a robot, then repeating, “Then I retract the ‘sorry’ I just said.”
Zhu Yiqiao’s heart stirred, and she wanted to record this moment.
Like Ming Zaozao’s apple-green camera, she had also bought two intelligent cameras, one exclusively for Ming Zaozao, and the other exclusively for Ming Fei. However, all of Ming Zaozao’s photos were allowed and encouraged, but she couldn’t take out that camera yet.
“Ah Fei.”
Ming Fei’s ears turned red as she nodded: “Mm.”
She thought, Zhu Yiqiao must remember last night’s events.
Then, Zhu Yiqiao’s voice, apologizing, rang out, “I’m sorry.”
Ming Fei was stunned for a moment, then softly asked, “Why are you apologizing? You just told me not to apologize.”
Zhu Yiqiao explained, “I asked you to retract your apology because you didn’t do anything wrong. I know you’ve been very busy lately, working overtime every day. And I’m apologizing to you because my negligence and carelessness caused you harm. If I hadn’t mishandled the marriage announcement, you wouldn’t have encountered that incident four nights ago.”
Ming Fei smiled, trying to lighten the atmosphere.
She said, “It’s okay, Jiejie, you’ve already done more than enough. The person who should apologize is the one who threw the thing, not Jiejie.”
Since they were talking about this topic, Ming Fei continued with her question.
“But… why publicly share your honors? After making it public, it can’t be revoked.”
She could guess some of the reasons, such as protection and security because of the “marriage,” but she felt it wasn’t necessary to go this far. After all, they were only in a contract marriage, and even as an apology, it was too much.
Hearing this, Zhu Yiqiao’s thoughts went back to the conversation in the study yesterday afternoon. After Xu Zhou played the video, she hadn’t mentioned that she had encountered obstacles in Moli that night. In order to get clues as soon as possible, she had worked through the night, shortening her trip and returning earlier than planned.
The first thing she did after returning to the villa was to go to the shooting range to find Ming Fei. Although she hadn’t said anything when they met, the longing from their separation was hidden in every second of her gaze on Ming Fei.
In the study, when Xu Zhou asked her what she wanted, she had answered “her heart.” Xu Zhou understood what she meant and said in a deep voice,
“Chief Judge Zhu, if you want her heart, you have to give yours in return. You understand the principle of equivalent exchange.”
“Xiao Fei has suffered a lot since she was a child. I understand that it’s difficult to deal with the online discussions, disputes, and insults, but I hope you can guarantee her basic safety.”
She had been silent for a moment at the time. Now, hearing Ming Fei ask this question, she gently pinched Ming Fei’s warm ear, a clear tenderness appearing in her eyes.
“Ah Fei, because I hope you can be safe, healthy, and happy.”
…Safe, healthy, and happy? Ming Fei blinked.
One Raccoon Hill had given her the exact same blessing long ago.
[One Raccoon Hill: Whether or not Rose Star exists in the universe, I hope you can be safe, healthy, and happy.]
Years later, the person who gave the blessing was gradually making it come true.
A tingling electric current spread through her heart, sweeping through her brain along with a passing hurricane. Her thoughts should have been chaotic and disordered, but Ming Fei was incredibly clear-headed at this moment.
As their eyes met, Ming Fei found the answer she was looking for in Zhu Yiqiao’s eyes.
The reason why she had become strange, felt something wasn’t right, blushed and her heart raced unusually fast, and even repeatedly asked herself why, was because—
Because she liked Zhu Yiqiao.
FINALLYYYYY so she no dense fool. just needed time