Chapter 26: Poised and Steady

After dinner, Lin Jing took Nini upstairs first, while Tang Xiaohe was asked to stay behind to help clean up.

“Officer Ji, we can’t just eat and drink for free, right? Let Xiaohe help you tidy up~” Lin Jing said with a smile.

After that, Lin Jing took Nini and quickly left for home, leaving only Ji Yanli and Tang Xiaohe alone. What a joke—“bite the hand that feeds you” — would Lin Jing be so tactless?

Ji Yanli threw the leftover food into the trash and put the dishes into the dishwasher. There were still some kitchen chores to do, and Tang Xiaohe wanted to help, but Ji Yanli smiled slightly and refused without looking up. “You just sit and supervise.”

Tang Xiaohe was bored and wandered into the living room.

“Yanli, can I look around a bit?”

Ji Yanli gladly replied, “At the end of the corridor, the first door on the left is my bedroom; the next is the study; and on the right is the storage room. Feel free to check them out.”

Tang Xiaohe felt a bit shy about entering Ji Yanli’s bedroom, so she decided to start with the storage room.

Though called a storage room, it was neatly stacked with several cardboard boxes. Tang Xiaohe glanced inside; they contained tissues, masks, alcohol sanitizer—probably supplies issued by his workplace. Ji Yanli must not have time to use them all, so they were all piled here.

Next, Tang Xiaohe moved to the study and was a bit surprised. Unlike the modern minimalist style of the rest of the house, the study featured an antique-style Huanghuali wood painting desk. Next to it stood a lush heartleaf fig tree with dark green glossy leaves and new shoots—clearly carefully tended by the owner.

One wall held a vintage-style bookshelf, and another had a small display rack for tea sets.

Tang Xiaohe picked up a “pressure cup” to play with.

Her father liked tea and sometimes played with such cups, but Tang Xiaohe only knew a little about them. For example, she couldn’t tell where this cup was made or which kiln fired it, but by its shape, she could identify it as a pressure cup.

Ji Yanli came in just as Tang Xiaohe was examining the cup closely.

“Do you like this cup?”

Tang Xiaohe shook her head. “I just think it fits your image. I happened to glance at it a few times.”

Ji Yanli was interested in what she said. What relationship could a cup have to a person’s image? He was even more curious about what kind of image Tang Xiaohe had of him.

Ji Yanli raised an eyebrow and drew out the sound: “Oh?”

“Well, look at this pressure cup. The rim flares out slightly poised and generous. Held in the hand, it fits perfectly in the palm and between the thumb and fingers—steady and dignified, just like you!”

Steady and dignified? Ji Yanli’s eyes darkened. He suddenly picked Tang Xiaohe up and placed her on the desk.

The gesture was somewhat intimate, and Tang Xiaohe’s heart fluttered uncontrollably.

Ji Yanli slowly leaned in, holding her legs firmly, and kissed her without hesitation.

The kiss started gentle, then grew more intense and fiercer. Tang Xiaohe felt the air thinning, her heart pounding wildly. Just as she felt she might not be able to breathe, Ji Yanli released her.

A flush of heat spread across her face. Having been lost in the kiss, Tang Xiaohe suddenly felt shy—her first kiss was just like that?!

Heaven knows how much courage it took for her to even kiss Ji Yanli’s cheek before!

Ji Yanli looked at Tang Xiaohe’s wide, glistening eyes, her soft red lips sparkling like stars—completely vulnerable and inviting.

His Adam’s apple moved, unable to suppress his restlessness, and he kissed her again.

Fortunately, this time Ji Yanli only kissed her lightly before letting Tang Xiaohe go. Tang Xiaohe was stunned and dazed.

“I guess I’ll never be poised and steady around you.”

Ji Yanli’s voice was a little hoarse, which only made him more charming and sexy.

Tang Xiaohe hurriedly jumped down from the desk, but her legs went weak, and she almost fell. Luckily, Ji Yanli was quick and caught her. “Careful!”

Tang Xiaohe wanted to cry but had no tears. First kiss, and now she’s so breathless her legs give out—what about her pride?

Her fair cheeks flushed a shy pink, and Tang Xiaohe’s eyes flickered nervously, avoiding Ji Yanli’s gaze.
Ji Yanli pinched her cheek gently and said softly, “Didn’t you say there’d be a reward if the food tasted good? I’m here to claim my reward—you’re not going to back out now, right?”

Tang Xiaohe covered her mouth. After he’d already taken the reward, asking now was just a formality!

Seeing her watch him so warily, her big dark eyes blinking not once, he found her adorable and chuckled, “Alright, I won’t ambush you again.”

He didn’t say that from now on, he’d kiss her openly and honestly. Instead, he gently took her hand: “Come on, let’s go change your bandage.”

Tang Xiaohe followed Ji Yanli out of the study and obediently sat on the sofa in the living room.

Soon, Ji Yanli came over with a small first-aid kit.

He gently peeled back the bandage and carefully looked at Tang Xiaohe’s wrist. It wasn’t so swollen anymore, but the abrasions still needed to be disinfected and treated.

“Let’s use alcohol to disinfect—it’s colorless and looks better,” Tang Xiaohe said. She thought the yellowish wound looked ugly.

Ji Yanli reached out and flicked her forehead playfully. “What’s on that little head of yours all day?”

Tang Xiaohe pouted, “But it really looks bad!”

Ji Yanli kissed gently beside the wound and coaxed, “Be good. It doesn’t hurt, and it’s not ugly at all.”

Tang Xiaohe could only let him take care of it.
Ji Yanli took out iodine and carefully wiped the wound as gently as possible.

Actually, compared to the injuries he’d gotten during police training, this was nothing. When he got hurt back then, it didn’t feel too painful either. But seeing this scratch on Tang Xiaohe’s fair, soft handmade Ji Yanli’s heart ache.

He was very worried, afraid of hurting her more.

After applying the medicine and changing the bandage, Ji Yanli tidied up while thinking about Tian Yanjun’s matter.

Ji Yanli said worriedly, “We might need to go to the police station in the next couple of days. You’re both a witness and involved, so you’ll need to give a statement.”

Tang Xiaohe was indifferent: “Fine, we’ll go! Seems like this year I have quite a fate with the police station—first tricked into going there, now this incident.”

Ji Yanli was helpless: “Going to the police station isn’t a good thing; who goes there without a reason?”

Tang Xiaohe said with a smile: “Exactly! I’m not ordinary. In the future, I won’t just go—I’ll go often!”

Seeing Ji Yanli’s expression darken, Tang Xiaohe hurriedly added, “I’m family after all. If I’m picking you up after work, I have to go to the police station, right?”

Ji Yanli immediately brightened up and hearing her say that his anger toward Tian Yanjun for causing Tang Xiaohe’s injury eased. His heart felt light, and the corner of his mouth twitched up. “Okay, I’ll be waiting for you to pick me up after work.”