CH 31

Qu Zhi's question left Zheng Baozhu stunned. Why did you add so many guys?

...What business of his was it anyway!

Zheng Baozhu: It's not that I added so many guys, it's just that there are always guys who want to add me. Sigh, you wouldn't understand my troubles.

Qu Zhi: ...

Acting ostentatious, huh?1

Zheng Baozhu: But recently, I've met some nice little brothers in the Film and Television City. They're handsome and fun. When I become famous in the future, I'll probably get to know even more handsome guys in the entertainment industry. 

Qu Zhi: Is that your reason for wanting to get into the entertainment industry?

Zheng Baozhu: Who doesn't like handsome guys? 

"..."

Qu Zhi tossed his phone aside, too lazy to bother with her, and went to take a shower.

In the bathroom, the mirror was covered with a layer of mist due to the steam. Qu Zhi stood under the showerhead, tilting his head back to flick his short hair behind. He raised his hand to clear the mist on the mirror.

His naked upper body appeared in the mirror. The well-defined abs and waist, a result of his regular exercise, were clearly visible in the reflection.

Qu Zhi had always been a disciplined person, even if he was busy with work, he would still pay attention to self-management. Cool water droplets rolled down his neck, and he stared at his reflection in the mirror, contemplating if he should take a photo...

Wait, what was he thinking?

Qu Zhi was speechless for a moment. He turned the shower to the highest setting and rinsed himself as if trying to wash away the ridiculous idea from his mind.

The next day, Qu Zhi went to the company early in the morning. He even avoided having breakfast in the restaurant, fearing he might run into Zheng Baozhu.

He didn't know why he felt guilty.

Zheng Baozhu had no idea what Qu Zhi had experienced last night. Today, she didn't need to go to the Film and Television City, so she stayed at the hotel to help decorate the Christmas tree. The hotel had purchased a large Christmas tree, but the decorations and the tree were separate, so they had to put them up themselves.

Just having a Christmas tree wasn't enough; they also needed to arrange other small items. Zheng Baozhu had always enjoyed doing these kinds of activities since she was a child. Dressing up something plain and making it look beautiful gave her a sense of achievement.

During the break, she took a cup of milk and sat on the sofa, drinking while playing with her phone.

Yesterday's update from Teacher Zhang continued.

Teacher Zhang: Dr. Qu's lecture video has received many views. Thank you all for your support. Little Qu really isn't looking for girlfriends, please don't ask me again.  Although you can't get him in person, I can show you his handwriting. [Image]

Zheng Baozhu clicked on the image to take a look. It was a few lines of penmanship; the handwriting was not like Qu Zhi's now, showing that it was written when he was younger.

Zheng Baozhu remembered when she was in elementary school, the teacher organized them to participate in the fountain pen handwriting level exam. The whole class participated. When the results were reported, Qu Zhi's handwriting was rated highly.

When Zheng Baozhu was young, her handwriting wasn't good, so naturally, she didn't make the cut. But after entering junior high school, she suddenly realized that if she were to become famous in the future, she would need to sign autographs! If her handwriting was too ugly, wouldn't that be embarrassing?

Since then, Zheng Baozhu became conscious about practicing her handwriting. As she was busy with dance classes at school, she didn't enroll in a calligraphy class, so she bought some copybooks and practiced at home. Her handwriting had indeed improved significantly compared to her elementary school days.

Her eyes fell on the photo Teacher Zhang posted. It was a piece of calligraphy written by Qu Zhi after his fountain pen handwriting was rated highly. Teacher Zhang specifically had him write it and displayed it in the classroom for everyone to see.

She hadn't expected it to still be there.

Of course, not only Qu Zhi's handwriting was rated highly in the class; several classmates also wrote a piece of calligraphy and displayed them on the blackboard. Most of them copied a few lines from the poems in the textbook, but Qu Zhi was different. Although he also copied from an article, Zheng Baozhu couldn't understand it at that time.

"For the heart of heaven and earth, for the mission of the people, for continuing the legacy of the saints, for bringing eternal peace to the world," Zheng Baozhu read aloud what Qu Zhi wrote. This passage came from Zhang Zai's [Record of the School of Principles]. Qu Zhi, a third-grade elementary school student at the time, already had such a high level of consciousness?

Tsk tsk.

Zheng Baozhu sighed and gave Teacher Zhang's post a like.

Unexpectedly, Teacher Zhang sent her a private WeChat message.

Teacher Zhang: Baozhu, I heard from Little Qu that you two are living together now, huh?

"Poof—" Zheng Baozhu almost spewed out the milk in her mouth.

Zheng Baozhu: Maybe he didn't explain it clearly. He is staying at my hotel. 

Teacher Zhang: That's what I meant. My bad. You two have been together since you were little, and now you're still together. That's nice. 

Zheng Baozhu: "..."

Maybe in the eyes of others, it really is nice...

Teacher Zhang: I remember Little Qu was not close to others when he was little, he only played with you. Even when you skipped a grade, he followed along. 

Zheng Baozhu: "..."

No, Teacher Zhang, you misunderstood. And could you please stop mentioning that heart-aching incident?

Teacher Zhang: You two are living together now, spending more time together. You're both outstanding kids; who knows, sparks might fly. 

Zheng Baozhu: "..."

Aren't you supposed to be teaching?

After being caught up in a chat with Teacher Zhang for a while, Zheng Baozhu went back to her busy task of decorating.

When Qi Sheng came to have lunch, he saw Zheng Baozhu busy with decorating and couldn't help but call out, "Miss Baozhu, it's lunchtime."

Zheng Baozhu was holding a Christmas decoration and turned to look at him, "I'll finish this first, you go ahead and eat."

Seeing that Qi Sheng came alone, she asked subconsciously, "Isn't Qu Zhi coming out for lunch?"

Qi Sheng replied, "He did a lecture yesterday afternoon and said he needs to catch up on some work today."

"Oh..." Zheng Baozhu nodded thoughtfully, hanging up the Christmas decoration, "He went to our elementary school to give a lecture yesterday. I saw it in our teacher's WeChat moments. It caused quite a stir. Everyone wanted a blind date with him."

Qi Sheng hadn't heard this gossip yet, so he became interested, "Really? Did anyone approach him?"

Zheng Baozhu said, "Qu Zhi said he only has his country in his heart and doesn't want to date."

"Pfft!" Qi Sheng was exasperated, "If he doesn't want to date, then why didn't he let me go to the lecture!"

Zheng Baozhu: "..."

Qi Sheng walked to the restaurant, still contemplating how to talk to Qu Zhi so that next time he would let him have such opportunities.

Liang Huihui came over to deliver the meal to him and hesitated for a moment before calling him, "Mr. Qi Sheng."

Qi Sheng looked up and smiled at her, "What's up?"

Liang Huihui tugged at her work uniform nervously and asked, "Those books used for exams, are you the one who sent them to me?"

Qi Sheng nodded, "Yes, what's the matter?"

"N-nothing! I just wanted to say thank you!" Liang Huihui said and quickly ran off. Qi Sheng watched her leave and picked up his chopsticks with a smile, "This little sister is really polite, coming all the way to say thank you for a few books."

After finishing his meal, he took the food he bought for Qu Zhi and returned to the company. He felt like he was Qu Zhi's exclusive delivery person now.

After the lunch rush, the restaurant gradually quieted down. Liang Huihui gathered some snacks and took them to Xiao Yu to satisfy her cravings. Just as she was returning from the elevator, she saw the delivery robot coming out by itself, asking people to make some room as it wheeled on its way back to the front desk.

Liang Huihui curiously approached and patted the robot's head, "This little guy even reminds people to make way for it?"

"Yeah, it's so smart," Xiao Yu said with a mysterious expression, "Hey, Huihui, didn't you dislike these delivery robots? Why are you interested now?"

"I didn't," Liang Huihui denied, "I just think this little thing is not as annoying as it used to be. You know there have been news reports about bad people pretending to be delivery drivers, sneaking into hotels, stealing, and even harming guests, right? Now with these delivery robots bringing food up to the rooms, it's safer for guests, and it also saves time for the delivery drivers, right? It's a win-win!"

"Oh..." Xiao Yu responded with a meaningful tone.

After work, Liang Huihui changed out of her work uniform and returned to her dormitory. The restaurant department had reorganized the shifts, and now she had more time to rest, which Liang Huihui used to study for her exams.

Looking at the books Qi Sheng had given her, she cut out the phrase [At any point in time, life can start anew] written on the title page and put it into a photo frame, placing it on her desk.

When Qu Zhi returned from work, he found that the hotel looked completely different from when he left in the morning. In the morning, there were only some Christmas decorations in the garden, but now a large Christmas tree had been set up in the hotel lobby, accompanied by several reindeer figurines.

"Hey, Qu Zhi, you came at the right time," Zheng Baozhu stood on a small ladder and turned to him, "Come over and see if it's crooked."

Zheng Baozhu was decorating the glass and the ladder was placed by the window. She was standing on it without anyone assisting her.

Qu Zhi frowned when he saw this, quickly walked up the ladder, and asked, "What are you trying to do again, Zheng Baozhu? Are you trying to fall from the ladder?"

"Hmph, do you think I'm that foolish in your eyes?" Zheng Baozhu sneered, "Just help me see if it's crooked."

"It's not," Qu Zhi stood by her side, still with a furrowed brow, "You, as the boss, have to do this kind of work by yourself?"

"Other people have their own jobs to do, while I'm just idle," after Zheng Baozhu heard him say that it wasn't crooked, she hung the ornament, "Alright, it's done."

Qu Zhi saw that she was about to come down the ladder and reached out to assist her. Zheng Baozhu hesitated for a moment but eventually accepted his help.

Once she was stable, she took a few steps back to admire her creation, nodding with satisfaction, "Not bad, it looks really good."

Just as she was feeling proud, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her abdomen. Her face changed, and she squatted down, holding her stomach.

Qu Zhi quickly approached, crouching beside her, "What happened? Did you bump into something?"

"No," Zheng Baozhu shook her head lightly, "My stomach hurts a little."

"Stomachache?" Qu Zhi furrowed his brow, trying to remember something, and then asked, "Is it your period?"

"..."

There was no need to ask so specifically.

Seeing Zheng Baozhu not speaking, Qu Zhi guessed it was probably right, "What's so embarrassing about it? I even went to the restroom to deliver sanitary pads..."

"Alright, stop talking. Thank you," Zheng Baozhu interrupted him with a smile.

Qu Zhi chuckled lightly, helping her up from the ground, "Your periods are quite unpredictable."

Zheng Baozhu said irritably, "I used to have very regular periods, but ever since you came back these past two months, my menstrual cycle has become irregular! Do you think you're the one causing it?"

"...You are blaming that on me? Ha," Qu Zhi sarcastically retorted, assisting her as they walked towards the elevator, "But you do seem to have irregular cycles. Do you need to go to the hospital for a check-up?"

"No need, thanks," Zheng Baozhu sighed, staring at the ceiling in exasperation. Why, oh why, was she discussing menstrual topics here with Qu Zhi?

Life truly is absurd.

Qu Zhi supported Zheng Baozhu all the way back to her room. She asked him to get her a cup of hot water and took out some pain relievers from the drawer, swallowing one.

Qu Zhi watched her closely, "Feeling better?"

Zheng Baozhu pulled a wry smile, "It doesn't work that fast. It's not some miraculous pill, you know?"

"..."

Qu Zhi frowned slightly, then closed his eyes and suddenly reached out to embrace her, holding her gently.

Zheng Baozhu stiffened all over!

What just happened? She was leaning perfectly fine on the sofa, and now, in the blink of an eye, she was in Qu Zhi's embrace?

What's going on?

Her heart raced as she momentarily forgot to struggle out of his arms.

Qu Zhi simply held her, not making any further moves. The clock in the room ticked away, but it couldn't hide the rapid heartbeats between them.

"You... "

"Hugging can trigger the brain to release endorphins and oxytocin, which can have a pain-relieving effect."

Both of them spoke at the same time.

Zheng Baozhu: "..."

Oh. :)

"Thank you, I'm not in pain anymore," Zheng Baozhu straightened up and smiled at Qu Zhi, "You can go now."

Qu Zhi carefully assessed her, "Are you really okay?"

"It's nothing, I'll just lie down on the bed for a while, and I'll remember to drink more hot water," Zheng Baozhu maintained her smile.

"..."

Qu Zhi stood up from the sofa, "Drinking more hot water does indeed help."

"Yes, well then, goodbye!"

"...Goodbye," Qu Zhi opened the door and walked out.

The next day, Zheng Baozhu slept until past 10 AM. When she went downstairs, she saw Qu Zhi sitting in the reading corner with a tablet in front of him. Curiously, she walked up to him, "Hey, not going to work today?"

Qu Zhi turned to look at her, "Today is the weekend."

"...Oh," Zheng Baozhu tried to regain her composure, "So you guys also have weekends off?"

"Yes..." Qu Zhi nodded.

She glanced at his tablet, "What are you looking at?"

Qu Zhi replied, "Interior design plans."

After completing the procedures for his penthouse, Qu Zhi contacted an interior design company to start the renovation. The designer had already visited his place for measurements and they had made several revisions to the design drafts. Now, they were waiting for his final confirmation to begin the actual renovation.

"Wow, you're already starting the renovation for your penthouse?" Zheng Baozhu became even more curious upon learning that he was going to renovate his penthouse.

Qu Zhi nodded and added, "The designer sent me these renderings a few days ago, but I've been too busy recently, so I haven't had time to look at them."

"Oh..." Zheng Baozhu casually replied and was about to leave when Qu Zhi stopped her.

"Wait a moment," Qu Zhi called out.

She turned to look at him, "What is it?"

Is he trying to boast about his renovated penthouse now? Hmph.

Qu Zhi asked, "Are you feeling better today?"

Zheng Baozhu was taken aback for a moment, then smiled slightly, "I'm much better, why do you ask?"

Qu Zhi seemed to deliberately avoid her gaze, coughed softly, and said, "Then could you take a look at this renovation for me?"

Ha! Just as I thought, he wants to show off the renovation!

Zheng Baozhu crossed her arms and looked at him, "Why should I help you look at it?"

Qu Zhi said, "Aren't you the most knowledgeable about these things? So I wanted to hear your opinion."

Zheng Baozhu thought to herself, Zheng Baozhu, don't be fooled, and honestly walked over, "Hmph, you got that right. I had a lot of input in the design of my restaurant and hotel. The world of interior design is deep, and if you're not careful, you'll get taken advantage of."

"Hmm..." Qu Zhi slightly pursed his lips, moved the tablet to her side, and asked, "What do you think of this style?"