Chapter 34: Quick Thinking

Ming Can stood rooted to the spot, her legs feeling as if they were cemented into the ground, making it hard to move.

She swallowed uncomfortably, instinctively avoiding eye contact, but then felt that doing so would make her seem guilty. She hadn’t done anything wrong, after all. So, her gaze met Chi Xiao’s head-on, and she forced herself to appear calm, taking in his slightly stunned and stiff expression from a few meters away.

Chi Xiao’s fingers, which had been gripping the hem of his shirt, tightened for a moment before slowly loosening. The white fabric, which had been pulled up almost to his chest, slipped from his fingers and quietly covered his lean, muscular abdomen.

Time seemed to stand still in the tense atmosphere. The room was bathed in the glow of the sunset, the heating system humming loudly, and the air felt scorching with every breath.

Chi Xiao licked his dry lips, straightened his back, and said nonchalantly, “Do you walk without making any noise?”

Downstairs, the little monkey—Miaomiao—was jumping around, creating a cacophony of thuds and bangs. Ming Can had been walking normally, so there was no way her footsteps could have been heard over that noise.

Did he think she had tiptoed up here on purpose to sneak a peek at him changing?

Ming Can was so angry she almost laughed, turning the question back on him. “You’re not living alone here. How can you dress so… exposed in a shared space?”

Chi Xiao: “How am I exposed?”

His tone was light, and his eyes seemed to hold a hint of confusion, the innocence in them masking a touch of mischief.

“…” You’re not exposed now, but you were just now! One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight abs, and you almost showed your chest too!

Ming Can had so much to say but couldn’t get the words out. They stuck in her throat, making her feel suffocated.

Chi Xiao, still holding the two pieces of outerwear, suddenly turned halfway, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly as he looked down and conceded, “My mistake.”

“Of course it’s your mistake.” Ming Can felt a bit better, walking over to the pile of luggage and pushing one of the large pink suitcases as if to change the subject. “Just be more careful in the future. I’ll let it go this time.”

The suitcase was heavy, and Ming Can’s mind wasn’t fully on the task, so she couldn’t move it at first.

Chi Xiao had initially planned to let the little incident slide. He was naturally reserved and avoided conflicts, but Ming Can’s tone was too domineering. The moment he gave an inch, she took a mile. In the past, Chi Xiao would never have dared to confront her, but today felt different. Ming Can’s ears were glowing red in the sunset, and while she scolded him, she casually walked over to push the suitcase as if nothing had happened.

In the warm, reddish light, the distance between the two narrowed.

Chi Xiao seemed to be able to tell when Ming Can was genuinely angry or annoyed, and when she was just putting on a show of being irritable even though she was in a good mood.

Perhaps there was a bit of mischief ingrained in every man’s nature.

“Thank you,” Chi Xiao said, bending down to help Ming Can push the suitcase. His presence was impossible to ignore as he added lightly, “You took advantage of me, and yet you’re being so magnanimous about it.”

Ming Can: “…”

The two of them pushed the suitcase side by side, only a fist’s distance apart. Ming Can was bundled up in her down jacket, while Chi Xiao, wearing only a white T-shirt, had his long, lean arm right in front of Ming Can’s eyes. His hand rested casually on the suitcase, effortlessly moving the heavy object forward at a steady pace.

Ming Can was unusually speechless. A volcanic eruption requires magma to build up pressure underground before it can burst through the surface. Ming Can’s temper, however, didn’t seem to be cooperating. She wanted to explode in anger but felt oddly lacking in justification.

What was she even angry about?

He hadn’t done anything wrong—it wasn’t like he had exposed himself on purpose.

And she hadn’t been harmed in any way.

On the contrary, she had enjoyed the view. The guy really had a great body, and she had benefited purely from the sight.

Ming Can closed her eyes, deciding to just let it go. “Then why don’t you stay away from me?”

She was like a ferocious beast, and getting close to her would mean being taken advantage of.

Was that what he meant?

Chi Xiao suddenly laughed. Seeing the girl beside him hunched over, pressing her hands hard on the suitcase as she pushed it forward with determination, he followed her at a leisurely pace, asking calmly, “Where are you going?”

Ming Can didn’t look back. “To the room.”

She could hear Chi Xiao’s slow, deliberate footsteps following her.

Hadn’t he just acted like she had taken advantage of him, all aggrieved and wronged?

She told him to stay away, yet he still followed.

Ming Can couldn’t help but suspect that this man was only cold and aloof on the surface, putting on an act of purity, but in reality, he didn’t mind being seen at all.

In fact, he might even be eager for it.

“The master bedroom is over there,” Chi Xiao’s voice came from behind. “You’re heading to the guest room.”

Ming Can stopped and glanced back at him, the faint redness on her ears not yet completely faded. “Miaomiao can stay with you in the master bedroom. I’ll take the guest room.”

Although there were enough rooms for each of them to have their own, Ming Can wasn’t comfortable leaving Miaomiao alone in a strange environment.

Ming Can naturally didn’t mind sharing a room with Miaomiao, but with both parents present, it made more sense for the boy to stay with his dad.

Gender differences mattered, and awareness of such boundaries should be cultivated from a young age.

Chi Xiao agreed with her arrangement. For a moment, he considered suggesting that he and Miaomiao take the guest room while Ming Can stayed in the master bedroom. But Ming Can had already pushed her suitcase into one of the guest rooms. From where he stood, he could see that the guest room faced south and wasn’t much smaller than the master bedroom, so he didn’t say anything more.

Thus, they split up. Ming Can swept her belongings into her room, hearing the sound of rolling wheels in the living room as Chi Xiao moved the remaining suitcases into the master bedroom.

Downstairs, the little monkey, Miaomiao, finally tired of bouncing around and climbed up the stairs in his stylish sneakers, finding a new place to continue his antics.

“Yay! I get to stay with Dad today! It’s been so long since I slept with Dad!”

He ran around the bedroom, looking here and there. Two large suitcases lay in the hallway, and Miaomiao, like a parkour enthusiast, used one hand to vault over the first suitcase, swinging himself to the other side. When he reached the second suitcase, he pressed down with both hands, spread his legs, and attempted a jump, only to get stuck halfway in a failed hurdling attempt.

Chi Xiao, who usually hated noise, felt his scalp tighten at the commotion but couldn’t help finding it amusing. He clapped a couple of times.

Miaomiao pouted at him, feeling that his dad’s encouragement was half-hearted.

Children tend to get overly excited in new environments they like, and their energy seems endless. Chi Xiao let Miaomiao play around for a while, but when the boy started scattering his toys all over the floor, Chi Xiao had to step in. “How about playing somewhere else? I’m organizing the luggage, and I don’t want to accidentally step on your toys.”

Miaomiao nodded obediently, gathering his toys and heading to the living room to play, not wanting to cause trouble for his dad.

For this trip, Chi Xiao had only brought his ski gear and a small 18-inch suitcase, which he casually placed in a corner. He bent down to open one of the large suitcases Ming Can had brought, which was filled to the brim with all sorts of children’s items—colorful, neatly organized, and even accompanied by a printed inventory list.

Next door, Ming Can took off her heavy down jacket and hung it in the closet, then began organizing the rest of her clothes.

After half a semester of personally taking care of Miaomiao, she had transformed from a pampered young lady who couldn’t lift a finger into a capable and efficient homemaker.

Ming Can wasn’t sure whether to feel proud or a little sad about this change.

Suddenly, she remembered the guy next door. This was his first time staying with Miaomiao, and he probably had no idea how to handle the children’s items she had packed.

Ming Can sighed, put down what she was holding, and walked out of her room. As she approached the master bedroom, she heard movement inside and paused. Instead, she turned and walked over to Miaomiao, who was playing in the living room, and gently ruffled his round little head.

Before today, Ming Can had also gone on trips with classmates, attended club gatherings, and participated in student council team-building activities. She had stayed in party villas with friends of both genders, and even though there were boys and girls together under the same roof, it hadn’t felt awkward.

But today was different.

In this villa, there were only two adults—her and Chi Xiao.

Ming Can had always been cautious when interacting with the opposite sex. She had never gone out alone with a guy, let alone stayed under the same roof with a male peer without the company of other female friends. Now, just a wall separated her room from his.

If Miaomiao’s dad hadn’t been Chi Xiao, but any other guy, Ming Can would never have accepted his suggestion to cancel her hotel booking and stay in the same villa with him.

The reason she agreed to Chi Xiao’s suggestion was that, after these past few days of interaction, she had developed some trust in his character.

He had been to her house a few times. Except for the first day when Miaomiao fell and he had entered decisively, every subsequent visit had been marked by restraint and propriety. He never looked around unnecessarily, never wandered where he shouldn’t, and never touched things without permission. His sense of boundaries was strong, and even someone as critical as Ming Can couldn’t find fault with him. She felt at ease around him.

However, trusting his character was one thing; actually living under the same roof with him and feeling awkward was another.

Perhaps because this was a hotel and not Ming Can’s private space, Chi Xiao seemed much more relaxed here than at her home. He exuded a lazy, carefree vibe, no longer holding himself back like a polite guest. As a result, Ming Can’s discomfort with being in close proximity to a member of the opposite sex was amplified. Add to that the slightly ambiguous incident earlier, and she now found herself standing hesitantly outside the master bedroom door, feeling uneasy. She paced back and forth until even Miaomiao’s eyes were spinning from watching her. Finally, she mustered the courage to knock on the already open door.

Chi Xiao, who had been struggling with Miaomiao’s luggage, immediately guessed why she was there. “Thanks for your help.”

Communicating with someone smart was always easier. Ming Can walked in calmly, avoiding eye contact, and knelt beside the suitcase to start organizing.

She had taken off her bulky coat and was now wearing a high-quality, form-fitting beige cashmere sweater. The soft, stretchy fabric accentuated her slender figure, her waist so narrow it seemed you could wrap your hands around it. Below, she wore loose, cotton chestnut-colored pants and a pair of fluffy, pristine slippers she had brought from home.

Her long hair was tied into a lazy low ponytail at the back, its color as dark and glossy as satin. As Ming Can bent down to sort through the items, her ponytail occasionally slipped forward, only to be flicked back impatiently.

Chi Xiao stood a few steps away from her, the corners of his lips curling slightly, his gaze lingering as if he couldn’t look away.

Ming Can started by organizing Miaomiao’s clothes—three sets of casual outfits and two sets of snow gear. Some fabrics couldn’t be folded for too long, so she took them out and hung them up. As she did so, she explained to Chi Xiao how each set should be paired, emphasizing that they couldn’t be mixed up. Her son had to be the most stylish kid on the slopes. If Chi Xiao could remember this, it would save her a lot of trouble in the morning.

“This is Miaomiao’s personal hair dryer. After washing his hair, just hand it to him—he knows how to use it himself. These are children’s slippers. There are two pairs. I’ll unpack one pair now, and the other pair can be placed…”

Ming Can looked up and scanned the room. Chi Xiao also glanced around and suggested, “How about putting it in the drawer under the bedside table?”

After he spoke, Ming Can walked over to the bedside table. As she bent down to pull open the drawer, she suddenly noticed a small three-tiered tower made of colorful boxes stacked on top of the cabinet.

Normally, hotels would only provide two boxes at most. Why were there so many here? Was this some kind of bulk sale?

…

Ming Can quickly averted her gaze and tugged at the drawer with force, but it stubbornly refused to open.

“What’s wrong?”

Chi Xiao walked over from behind, his tall figure casting a shadow over Ming Can under the light.

At that moment, Ming Can’s heart skipped a beat. With a sudden burst of strength, she yanked the drawer backward with both hands. However, instead of the drawer opening, the entire bedside table slid forward, causing the stack of condom boxes on top to topple over with a clatter. One of the boxes fell to the floor, rolling a couple of times before coming to a stop right at Chi Xiao’s feet.

The room fell into complete silence, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Ming Can wished she could set the entire cabinet on fire and reduce it to ashes.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a pale, slender hand appear. Chi Xiao bent down and swiftly picked up all the boxes that had fallen on the table and floor, tossing them into the trash bin.

“The sliding rail might be stuck.”

Chi Xiao knelt on one knee, reaching behind the drawer from beneath the cabinet and gently pushing it. It felt like it would open any second. At that moment, he glanced over at Ming Can, who was sitting on the floor sulking, and his thoughts shifted. The words he was about to say suddenly changed.

“Forget it. This stupid bedside cabinet is beyond repair. I’ll just smash it to pieces right now.”