125: Chapter 125 I pounced on you the moment you opened your mouth

Qin Lin smiled.

He had been waiting for those words for a very long time.

The water in the bathtub had finally gone cold.

But no one remembered it.

She bit her lower lip, swallowing all the sounds back into her throat.

Only an occasional, irrepressible soft moan escaped.

"Qin Lin..." her voice was broken.

"Be gentle..."

Han Qing was too embarrassed to speak, only able to turn back and glare at him.

But that look held no deterrent power at all.

With red-rimmed eyes and wet eyelashes, even her glare looked like she was acting spoiled.

"Do you know, when you glare at someone, you look exactly like a cat with its fur standing on end?"

"...You're the cat."

"Yeah, I am," he admitted quite frankly.

"The kind that specializes in stealing a taste."

Han Qing wanted to retort, but she had no strength.

The bathroom mirror had long since been completely blurred by steam, leaving only a misty white.

A long time later.

The sound of water finally subsided.

Han Qing slumped limply in Qin Lin's arms, lacking even the strength to lift a finger.

Her long hair clung wetly to her shoulders and back, with several messy strands sticking to her cheeks.

Her skin was flushed with a post-bath pink; she looked like a fish that had just been scooped out of the water.

Qin Lin gently brushed the strands of hair from her face.

"The water's cold."

Han Qing closed her eyes, exhausted.

"Whose fault is that?"

"It's mine."

Qin Lin's attitude in admitting his mistake was very good.

"So, do you want to get up?"

"No."

Han Qing buried her face in his chest.

"No strength."

Qin Lin laughed, his chest vibrating slightly.

"Then shall I carry you out?"

Han Qing didn't speak, but the hands wrapped around his waist tightened slightly.

Qin Lin took the hint.

He got up first, stepped out of the bathtub, and haphazardly dried himself with a bath towel.

Then he picked up another dry towel, wrapped Han Qing completely in it, and lifted her up horizontally.

Han Qing let out a soft cry and subconsciously looped her arms around his neck.

"Wh-What are you doing..."

"I'm afraid you have no strength left, so I'm carrying you."

Han Qing wanted to say something, but in the end, she just buried her face in his chest and fell silent.

From the bathroom to the bed was only a few steps away.

Qin Lin gently placed her on the bed and lay down himself, pulling the quilt over both of them.

Han Qing curled up by his side like a cat that had found its nest.

Outside the window, the snowy plains reflected the faint sky light, casting a hazy silver-white glow into the room through the half-drawn curtains.

It was quiet for a long time.

Han Qing suddenly spoke.

"Just now... did you do that on purpose?"

Qin Lin feigned ignorance. "What did I do on purpose?"

"Just..." Han Qing paused.

"Purposefully saying you'd let me wash by myself, purposefully not coming in, purposefully..."

She didn't finish.

Qin Lin smiled.

"Yes, I did it on purpose."

Han Qing raised her head and glared at him.

"I just wanted to see Aunt Qing get anxious."

Qin Lin said frankly, "I wanted to see you missing me but being too embarrassed to say it, to see you clearly wanting it but holding out stubbornly."

He paused, his smile becoming a bit mischievous.

"And then wait for you to be unable to resist taking the initiative."

Han Qing punched him in the chest.

It carried a mix of embarrassment, irritation, and a touch of acting spoiled that even she hadn't noticed.

"You..." she ground her teeth.

"You were waiting for me to take the bait all along, weren't you!"

"Yes."

Qin Lin caught her fist and placed it over his heart.

"I've been waiting for a long time."

Han Qing glared at him.

As she glared, her eyes reddened again.

"Do you know how angry I was at you in the bathroom just now?"

"I know."

"Do you know I thought you really didn't want to..."

"I know."

"Then why did you still do that?"

Her voice choked up slightly.

"Why didn't you come in sooner?"

Qin Lin looked at her, silent for a few seconds.

"Because I didn't want you to regret it."

"You're the kind of person who thinks everything through before making a decision."

"Every time you take the initiative, it requires a lot of courage."

"If you were just acting on a temporary impulse, you might regret it once you calmed down afterward."

"I don't want you to regret it."

"So I waited."

He gently wiped away the moisture from the corner of her eye.

"I waited until you had truly thought it through, truly decided, and truly wouldn't back down, before I came in."

Han Qing looked at him.

For a long time.

Then she buried her face against the side of his neck and said muffledly,

"Idiot."

"Mm."

"Who waits for someone like that?"

"Then I won't wait next time," Qin Lin followed her lead easily.

"Next time, I'll pounce the moment you speak."

"...Don't say that!"

Han Qing slapped his chest hard; this time she really used some force.

But after slapping him, she gently rubbed the spot.

"Does it hurt?" she asked in a small voice.

"It hurts, but if Aunt Qing rubs it, it won't hurt anymore."

Han Qing: "..."

She felt she must have owed him a lot of money in her past life.

The night outside grew deeper.

The RV drove steadily, the low hum of the engine sounding like the night wind from distant mountains.

Han Qing leaned against Qin Lin's shoulder, listening to his heartbeat, gradually becoming a bit sleepy.

But she didn't want to sleep yet.

"Didn't you say I was only here to borrow the bathroom?"

Qin Lin was stunned for a moment, then laughed.

"Yeah."

"Well, I'm done washing."

Han Qing raised her head and looked at him.

"Why haven't you kicked me out yet?"

Qin Lin looked at her.

The flush at the corners of her eyes hadn't faded, her lips were slightly swollen, and her long hair was scattered messily on the pillow.

She was clearly exhausted, yet she insisted on making a self-righteous expression.

He couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"That question is very hard for me to answer."

"What's so hard about it?" Han Qing raised an eyebrow.

"If you tell me to leave, I'll leave right now."

As she spoke, she made a move to lift the quilt.

Qin Lin immediately held her down.

"Don't leave, you're not allowed to leave."

Han Qing looked at him.

Qin Lin paused, uncharacteristically embarrassed.

"What I mean is..."

He cleared his throat.

"Stay as long as you want, there's always room here."

Han Qing didn't say anything.

Looking at his rare moment of awkwardness, a soft tide of warmth suddenly surged in her heart.

This guy.

He was so arrogant in the bathroom just now, but now he even had to beat around the bush just to ask her to stay the night.

She gently lay back down and leaned against his shoulder again.

"Then this lady is sleeping here tonight."

"What of it?"

Qin Lin was stunned for a second.

Then he looked down and saw the smile Han Qing couldn't hide at the corner of her mouth.

He also smiled.

"Nothing of it. You're welcome to come often."

Han Qing gave a "hmpf" and said no more.

But she tugged the quilt a bit more towards herself and leaned closer into his arms.

Outside the window, the snowy plains were silent.

Inside the RV, the heater blew softly.

The light in Bedroom No. 000 had not yet been extinguished.

Han Qing closed her eyes, listening to Qin Lin's steady breathing.

She suddenly recalled every detail of tonight.