After getting into the car, Xia Xibei couldn’t help but take off her high heels.
“Are you tired?” Qiao Yanjue asked, concerned.
“Yes,” Xia Xibei nodded decisively, “My legs are tired!”
She could run for several hours in a row and climb a mountain without taking breaks, but wearing high heels was too much of a challenge for her. She hadn’t been in heels so high for years!
She was still stretching her calf muscles while talking.
“I’ll give you a massage.”
Qiao Yanjue placed his warm hand on her calf.
Xia Xibei couldn’t help but shudder and move her leg away subconsciously.
“No need! I’ll use a hot tub later. That’ll do.”
Qiao Yanjue shook his head, “You haven’t worn high heels before, if you don’t get a massage to relieve them, they are going to hurt tomorrow too.”
Xia Xibei jumped when she saw him getting into action again. Hurriedly, she said, “I’ll rub them with some ointment when I get home, then I’ll be fine.”
“Do you have ointment at home?”
Xia Xibei was speechless at Qiao Yanjue’s question.
She did have herbs at home, but not herbal ointments. Who would prepare those things in advance!
However, Qiao Yanjue did not go on, because Ren Ningning was still with them.
“Hi, I’m Qiao Yanjue, I’m Beibei’s… Brother.”
“Hello, I’m Ren Ningning,” Ren Ningning replied in a quiet, reserved voice, then gingerly asked, “You’re… Her cousin?”
They had different surnames, so he sure couldn’t be her paternal cousin.
Their faces didn’t look alike either, so he was even less likely to be her biological brother.
“She’s the foster daughter of my aunt.”
Xia Xibei’s eyes went wide upon hearing Qiao Yanjue’s words.
When did she even become Liu Manhong’s foster daughter?
Luckily it was a foster mother that she had gotten. If she had a foster father… It would sound very weird (it sounds like “sugar daddy” in Chinese).
Ren Ningning was quick to respond. After integrating what Qiao Yanjue had said, she came to a sudden realization.
“So that means that you aren’t biologically related?”
“Yes,” Qiao Yanjue gave her a praising look.
Ren Ningning bumped her right fist into her left palm, her eyes sparkling a bit too bright. Her smile also widened.
“You came to pick her up even at such a late hour. You guys are really close.”
“It’s very late right now. I was afraid there might be danger.”
Qiao Yanjue felt chills pouring down his spine upon seeing her bright smile.
“Yea, yea, you’re right. Safety first!”
Ren Ningning nodded eagerly, and took the opportunity to roast her useless younger brother, “Why is my brother not worried about me though?”
“Oh, by the way, her brother’s Ren Juncheng,” Xia Xibei said.
“You know my brother too?”
Ren Ningning quickly got her head around it upon hearing Xia Xibei’s tone of voice.
“Yes,” Qiao Yanjue nodded.
Then Ren Ningning started shaking her head non-stop, while mumbling something under her breath.
“Are you hungry yet?” Qiao Yanjue ignored her and turned to ask Xia Xibei.
“Yes I am,” Xia Xibei nodded, sounding somewhat rueful. “I only had two breads for dinner, and they’re all gone by now.”
Qiao Yanjue said nothing but grabbed a bag from the back instead. There was a tiny cake box in the bag.
“Have some cake to fill your stomach first.”
He opened the box, exposing the gorgeous, exquisite slice of cake inside. Then he handed a fork to Xia Xibei.
Xia Xibei was surprised. She took the fork, then looked towards Ren Ningning.
“I’m not hungry!” Ren Ningning shook her head right away, “I don’t eat anything after 7pm because I get fat easily! And I’ll be reaching home soon! Enjoy it yourself!”
Xia Xibei would not force Ren Ningning since she said that. She was hungry indeed.
She took a small piece of the cake with the fork and put it into her mouth. The sweet, pleasant taste was so satisfying that she squinted like a cat.
Qiao Yanjue’s lips curled into a smile. He then opened a bottle of milk tea and handed it to her.
Ren Ningning was speechless.
After getting into the car, Xia Xibei couldn’t help but take off her high heels.
“Are you tired?” Qiao Yanjue asked, concerned.
“Yes,” Xia Xibei nodded decisively, “My legs are tired!”
She could run for several hours in a row and climb a mountain without taking breaks, but wearing high heels was too much of a challenge for her. She hadn’t been in heels so high for years!
She was still stretching her calf muscles while talking.
“I’ll give you a massage.”
Qiao Yanjue placed his warm hand on her calf.
Xia Xibei couldn’t help but shudder and move her leg away subconsciously.
“No need! I’ll use a hot tub later. That’ll do.”
Qiao Yanjue shook his head, “You haven’t worn high heels before, if you don’t get a massage to relieve them, they are going to hurt tomorrow too.”
Xia Xibei jumped when she saw him getting into action again. Hurriedly, she said, “I’ll rub them with some ointment when I get home, then I’ll be fine.”
“Do you have ointment at home?”
Xia Xibei was speechless at Qiao Yanjue’s question.
She did have herbs at home, but not herbal ointments. Who would prepare those things in advance!
However, Qiao Yanjue did not go on, because Ren Ningning was still with them.
“Hi, I’m Qiao Yanjue, I’m Beibei’s… Brother.”
“Hello, I’m Ren Ningning,” Ren Ningning replied in a quiet, reserved voice, then gingerly asked, “You’re… Her cousin?”
They had different surnames, so he sure couldn’t be her paternal cousin.
Their faces didn’t look alike either, so he was even less likely to be her biological brother.
“She’s the foster daughter of my aunt.”
Xia Xibei’s eyes went wide upon hearing Qiao Yanjue’s words.
When did she even become Liu Manhong’s foster daughter?
Luckily it was a foster mother that she had gotten. If she had a foster father… It would sound very weird (it sounds like “sugar daddy” in Chinese).
Ren Ningning was quick to respond. After integrating what Qiao Yanjue had said, she came to a sudden realization.
“So that means that you aren’t biologically related?”
“Yes,” Qiao Yanjue gave her a praising look.
Ren Ningning bumped her right fist into her left palm, her eyes sparkling a bit too bright. Her smile also widened.
“You came to pick her up even at such a late hour. You guys are really close.”
“It’s very late right now. I was afraid there might be danger.”
Qiao Yanjue felt chills pouring down his spine upon seeing her bright smile.
“Yea, yea, you’re right. Safety first!”
Ren Ningning nodded eagerly, and took the opportunity to roast her useless younger brother, “Why is my brother not worried about me though?”
“Oh, by the way, her brother’s Ren Juncheng,” Xia Xibei said.
“You know my brother too?”
Ren Ningning quickly got her head around it upon hearing Xia Xibei’s tone of voice.
“Yes,” Qiao Yanjue nodded.
Then Ren Ningning started shaking her head non-stop, while mumbling something under her breath.
“Are you hungry yet?” Qiao Yanjue ignored her and turned to ask Xia Xibei.
“Yes I am,” Xia Xibei nodded, sounding somewhat rueful. “I only had two breads for dinner, and they’re all gone by now.”
Qiao Yanjue said nothing but grabbed a bag from the back instead. There was a tiny cake box in the bag.
“Have some cake to fill your stomach first.”
He opened the box, exposing the gorgeous, exquisite slice of cake inside. Then he handed a fork to Xia Xibei.
Xia Xibei was surprised. She took the fork, then looked towards Ren Ningning.
“I’m not hungry!” Ren Ningning shook her head right away, “I don’t eat anything after 7pm because I get fat easily! And I’ll be reaching home soon! Enjoy it yourself!”
Xia Xibei would not force Ren Ningning since she said that. She was hungry indeed.
She took a small piece of the cake with the fork and put it into her mouth. The sweet, pleasant taste was so satisfying that she squinted like a cat.
Qiao Yanjue’s lips curled into a smile. He then opened a bottle of milk tea and handed it to her.
Ren Ningning was speechless.
