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墨書 Inktalez
Zhou Yao touched his forehead and felt that the places he had touched were a bit hot, enough to form a beauty mark.
He silently walked up the stairs and began to speculate again.
He understands stones and can fight; what did Luo Yi do in the past?
Could it be... a bodyguard for the Jade Tycoon?
With many doubts in mind, Zhou Yao pushed open the door and heard Tang Shangri-La Duo say, "I think Zhou Yao is not capable."
Zhou Yao protested, "Talking behind my back!"
"We're betting," Summer Melody said with a smile, "to see who can handle whom between you and Boss Luo."
"Of course, I can handle him," Zhou Yao said, raising his chin as he sat back on his couch and hugged a pillow. "Don't forget, I've been through many battles and have rich experience."
Tang Shangri-La Duo chuckled and mercilessly exposed him: "Those dates of yours are just fluff; the practical results are as bad as blind dates, just mooching off meals and movies."
Sulianlin quietly added, "The success rate is also as low as blind dates."
Zhou Yao shot them a sidelong glance. "You two shut up."
Tang Shangri-La Duo held up her fingers. "Don't believe me? Let me calculate the ratio for you. How many people have you dated, and how many have you actually kissed or slept with? Five to one?"
Sulianlin whispered, "Ten to one?"
Zhou Yao threw a pillow at him and said, "Sulianlin, you are so annoying!"
Zhou Yao collapsed onto the couch, pouting.
She had only interacted with boys from school before, none like Luo Yi. In comparison, those boys were like 1+1 or 1x1, while Luo Yi was like 1234567 to the power of 1234567.
He was not easy to deal with.
...
All the hiking gear in the inn had sold out, and Lin Jinyan and the others needed it for their trek. Luo Yi made a list and went to town to purchase supplies.
Early in the morning, a van parked outside the inn. Zhou Yao sneaked over and opened the passenger door, noticing it was filled with large and small bags, then slipped into the back seat.
The morning light was gentle.
Luo Yi quickly walked out of the inn, opened the driver's door, and noticed something was off when he caught a glimpse behind him. Zhou Yao was sitting comfortably, greeting him like a host: "Get in. Drive."
Luo Yi looked at her for a second but didn't say anything. Once they were on the road and he saw her about to roll down the window in the rearview mirror, he calmly said, "It's windy."
"Oh. Then I won't open it." Zhou Yao surprisingly complied, leaning against the window and gazing outside, her small face nearly pressed against the glass.
It had been a month since they last met, and the scenery along this road had changed dramatically.
The last time she rode a motorcycle here, it was lush green mountains; now all the trees were turning yellow, and the mountains wore a golden coat. As the wind blew, the yellow leaves rustled like someone was sifting grain with a giant sieve.
"How beautiful—" she said. "Everyone says you should come in autumn."
Hearing her, Luo Yi glanced at her through the narrow rearview mirror. In that small reflection, he could only see her eyes and profile; her long black eyelashes fluttered like tiny black butterflies as she blinked.
The next moment, she suddenly turned to look at the mirror, her gaze still lingering in the ethereal state from a moment ago, unexpectedly colliding with his eyes. The light from outside illuminated her eyes, which were clear and sparkling.
Luo Yi quickly shifted his gaze back to the road ahead, one hand rummaging through the clutter box until he found a cigarette pack. He pulled out a cigarette and placed it in his mouth, then reached for the lighter but fumbled, causing it to drop to the ground.
Zhou Yao immediately leaned forward and bent down to pick it up. Ignoring Luo Yi's outstretched hand, she lit the lighter herself and held it up to him with a playful smile, saying, "Boss Luo, let me light it for you."
She leaned over the back of his seat, her arm wrapped around him.
He paused for a moment, slightly nodding as he leaned closer to the flame. Unexpectedly, she swiftly pulled the lighter away with a mischievous grin.
Luo Yi frowned slightly, cigarette in mouth, mumbling indistinctly, "Are you messing with me?"
Zhou Yao once again moved the lighter away, shaking the flame and tilting her head to lightly laugh in his ear, "Boss Luo, I can't just light your cigarette for free. Besides, we talked about me last night but not about you; that's unfair. You have to answer my question."
Luo Yi kept his hands on the steering wheel, staring straight ahead and said, "Go ahead."
Hearing that there was a chance to continue, Zhou Yao extinguished the flame in her hand and excitedly leaned over him to ask, "Have you ever—"
Luo Yi's pupils narrowed suddenly as he abruptly turned the steering wheel for a sharp turn. Zhou Yao's small body lurched forward, her cheek colliding with his ear and jaw! She crashed against his warm and firm skin, feeling the soft yet prickly short hair. The scent of masculinity enveloped her face.
In that instant, Zhou Yao's heart nearly stopped; it felt like it was going to leap out of her chest.
Before she could react further, he quickly shifted gears manually and accelerated again, sending Zhou Yao back into her seat.
Her heart did a somersault but managed not to escape her throat; however, the lighter slipped from her grasp and flew into the air, which he caught steadily in his hand.
He adjusted the lighter with one hand, ignited it smoothly, then lowered his head for a quick puff on the cigarette clenched between his teeth; with a flick of his wrist, he dropped the lighter into the clutter box.
With a series of fluid motions, he exhaled a puff of smoke and asked, "Still want to talk?"
In the rearview mirror, Zhou Yao's expression perfectly captured four words: completely bewildered.
A small heart raced in her chest like a bouncing ball, unsure if it was due to the sudden turn and brake or something else.
Her face flushed, and she hurriedly turned her gaze to the window, tucking her messy hair behind her ears, only to find her ears burning hot.
Once her heartbeat calmed down, she couldn't help but silently complain in embarrassment and anger about the impressive driving skills of that damn Jade Tycoon’s bodyguard and driver.
"I'm not interested in chatting anyway," Zhou Yao said stubbornly, stretching lazily. "Uh~~~ The ride is boring, I'm sleepy~~~"
She didn't want to talk to him anymore but didn't want to seem too petty either. So she turned her face away and closed her eyes to sleep.
After a few puffs of smoke, the air was thick with it.
Luo Yi rolled down the window to let the smoke out; cold air rushed in, startling Zhou Yao, who was sleeping in the backseat. She furrowed her brows in a daze and curled up her neck to turn away.
She really had fallen asleep; she was quite carefree.
Luo Yi glanced at her before rolling the window back up halfway and then looking at the remaining cigarette in his hand before extinguishing it.
After descending the mountain, they first stopped by Wu's Jade Shop. Wu Ming and Asang were both there, along with several buyers. Luo Yi handed over eighty thousand yuan in cash to those buyers, who finally left in a huff. The leading man was quite polite and appreciative towards Luo Yi but showed no good grace towards Wu Ming.
Wu Ming expressed endless gratitude: "Boss Luo, thanks to you for saving my brother this time. My shop has been struggling with business; once I have some extra money later, I'll pay you back slowly."
Asang was reluctant to help his soon-to-be uncle pay back the money and poked him from behind. Wu Ming added, "Make sure Wu Di works hard and doesn't think any crooked thoughts."
Zhou Yao stared at Asang.
Luo Yi said, "You don't need to worry about this money; it's between me and Wu Di."
Wu Ming chuckled lightly and said nothing more. Asang, in a cheerful mood, struck up a conversation, "Luo Boss, what brings you down the mountain this time?"
"Purchasing," Luo Yi replied unusually talkative, "—I need to take some customers from the store hiking in a day or two."
"Oh, Luo Boss rarely takes customers out."
"Just looking for something to do."
"By the way, the outdoor store owner is my friend. I'll call him later and ask for a bigger discount for you."
Luo Yi smiled lightly, "Thank you."
Asang sweetly replied, "We're all acquaintances, no need to be polite."
Zhou Yao watched him banter with Asang and felt increasingly displeased. Seeing him smile at Asang made her feel like a herd of llamas was running through her mind. He was friendly and chatty with others but acted as if she owed him several months' rent.
She rolled her eyes and looked up at the sky in exasperation.
Unbeknownst to her, Luo Yi caught sight of her little sulking expression and found it amusing. He bit his lower lip slightly, about to say something when Wu Ming called him into the booth.
Before entering, he reminded Zhou Yao again, "Stay put and don't wander off."
"I know! Stop nagging!" Zhou Yao pouted and stood still.
Luo Yi raised an eyebrow slightly; oh, this little girl was like a pufferfish, getting all puffed up at the slightest disagreement.
Once inside the booth, Wu Ming said, "Luo Boss, about that batch of stones you wanted last time, they got lost along the way. Our channel isn't very clear, and it's not easy to report it or track it down. I'm quite sorry about that."
Luo Yi smiled, "It's fine. When you take risky routes, you have to be prepared for capsizing."
"Well, are you still buying? My friend has some good stuff."
"Forget it, I don't really understand this business. A few years ago, everyone was making money from it, and I wanted to get a piece of the action too. But as expected, being an outsider just means joining the excitement without any gain. After all this time, I haven't made anything, so it's better to stop and focus on managing the inn," Luo Yi patted his shoulder.
He had pretended to want to get into the jade business and asked him to be the middleman to investigate his background. However, he couldn't find anything on him and ended up successfully casting a net with Wu Di instead.
Wu Ming's expression changed slightly, but he didn't try to keep him there any longer and nodded with a smile.
...
Driving to the Outdoor Equipment Store, Luo Yi asked, "What were you staring at her for?"
Zhou Yao was deep in thought, resting his chin on his hand. He looked up and said, "Huh?"
"You were staring at Asang for quite a while."
Zhou Yao was quick-witted and smiled ambiguously, "How did you know I was staring at Asang for so long?"
"..." Luo Yi replied, "Let's talk about serious matters."
Zhou Yao stopped smiling: "Did you see the necklace around her neck?"
"Yeah."
"The clothes covered it, so I couldn't see it clearly. It looks like it's made of emerald; it's quite valuable. But their store doesn't sell emeralds."
"It was given by Boss Wu; he's quite generous with women," Luo Yi said as they arrived at the store and he parked the car.
Zhou Yao seized the opportunity to ask, "What about you? Any ex-girlfriends?"
"How do you know I don't have a girlfriend right now?" Luo Yi pushed open the car door and got out.
Zhou Yao was just getting out of the passenger seat, her whole body stiffening for a second before she broke into a bright smile. "I heard Amin say that Boss Luo is single."
"…"
Luo Yi fell silent and walked towards the store.
Zhou Yao followed, her smile a mix of triumph and cunning. "I made that up to tease you; there's no way Amin would tell me that."
Seeing he had no response, she felt pleased and walked into the store with her head held high. Ha, after being at a disadvantage all this time, she finally turned the tables.
Luo Yi's lips curved slightly as he suddenly kicked Zhou Yao's calf with his foot. Zhou Yao stumbled, her face paling as she nearly fell onto the steps!
Luo Yi quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her back. Zhou Yao crashed into him, her heart racing as if on a roller coaster. Still shaken, she looked up at him.
Luo Yi was looking down at her, smiling lightly. "Just so you know, I have a strong sense of revenge. Next time you try to mess with me, you'd better be careful."
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