Chapter 27: “Don’t always be so formalistic”

62.

At the end of the month, there was a family cleaning session, typically involving sweeping and mopping the floors, tidying up the cabinets. Chinese New Year was approaching, and Dr. Wei said that he wanted to clean the doors and windows thoroughly to welcome the new year in a fresh and clean environment.

“You talk as if the new year won’t come if we don’t clean everything. Stop being so formalistic.”

Dr. Wei said, “Lazy people will turn into pigs.”

“Hmph.” I made a couple of snorting noises, imitating a pig’s grunt. “So what? I think being a pig is quite happy.”

I caught a glimpse of Wei Nanlin’s lips curving.

Though Dr. Wei had voluntarily taken over a month’s worth of household chores, it didn’t sit well with me to just lounge on the couch eating snacks while watching him sweep, mop, and clean the windows.

So, I extended my hand and said, “Hey, move aside a bit. You’re blocking my view of the TV.”

63.

Wei Nanlin mopped the entire floor of the room, unsatisfied with just that, he squatted down and used a cloth to carefully remove dirt from every corner, not even letting the grime at the joints of the tiles escape his attention.

After wiping with a damp cloth, he used a brand new mop to clean it again, explaining that this prevented watermarks from forming. Otherwise, when there’s light, you could see streaks of watermarks, affecting the appearance.

“Even five-star hotels aren’t as meticulous as you.”

Dr. Wei was half squatting, clearing away old things from the coffee table. I don’t know which mischievous thought crossed my mind, but I wanted to tease him. I raised my foot and rubbed his thigh playfully.

Wei Nanlin glanced down, and I became even bolder. I pressed my heel against his sensitive area, using my toes to rub his abdominal muscles. In the midst of it all, I even exchanged flirtatious glances.

Seeing him put down what he was holding, I quickly retracted my leg, but it was too late. Wei Nanlin’s hands moved swiftly, grabbing my ankle and pulling me toward him.

Seeing a mischievous smile on his face, I knew I was in trouble.

Wei Nanlin used his expert tickling technique to make me burst into laughter, my saliva nearly flowing out.

64.

Oh, and one piece of advice.

Never casually rub a man’s thigh roots, and definitely don’t think that when he pins you down on the couch, he just wants to play around by tickling you.

That’s it, I’m off to take a shower.

65.

The winter sunlight was pleasant. After taking a shower, I didn’t feel like blow-drying my hair, so I sat in the courtyard, enjoying the sun while waiting for my hair to air-dry.

After I moved in, Wei Nanlin ordered a wooden swing chair for two people. I remember when it arrived, it was a pile of wood, and Dr. Wei tricked me by saying it was a fence for planting flowers. I didn’t pay much attention to it.

One day after coming home from work, I found a swing chair under the pomegranate tree. I was thrilled.

So, I disagree with those who say that Dr. Wei doesn’t understand life.

“007’s doghouse was also made by Dr. Wei himself. He bought some wood from the lumberyard in the industrial park, as they were leftovers from factory materials, so it was practically free.

The color of the wood was a bit dull, so I used acrylic paint to add a sky and a rainbow to it. I also painted two stick figures holding hands and a dog. I used the leftover paint to color Dr. Wei’s flower pots, so now the yard looks vibrant.

Although Dr. Wei always says it looks like a kindergarten.

007 walked over to me with its little frisbee in its mouth. I intentionally threw the frisbee towards Dr. Wei. The little thing dashed away, but it accidentally bumped into Dr. Wei’s leg and ended up falling on its back.

I regretted not taking my phone out quickly enough to capture the moment.

Dr. Wei was preparing to clean the windows. He took off his sweater, rolled up his shirt sleeves, and used them to hold his biceps. He had been going to the gym frequently lately, and his arms were quite muscular.

It’s with this arm that he could grab my waist and lift me up to throw me on the bed.

Hehe.

“Xiao Qi, come over and hand me a newspaper.” Dr. Wei shouted from the chair.

007 heard his voice and rushed over even faster than me.

There were buckets and detergent on the ground, and a stack of newspapers was under the bucket. The foam in the water was disappearing bit by bit, revealing two triangular objects.

Dr. Wei saw through my curiosity at a glance and said that they were used for cleaning windows. Since the ground floor had anti-theft windows installed, it wasn’t easy to reach the glass on the outside. Two strong magnets were attached to these two small triangles, allowing them to stick to each other through the glass. This way, while cleaning the inside glass, the outside glass would also be cleaned.

“Don’t touch them randomly. They have strong suction power, and it hurts if they clamp onto your hand.”

As soon as I heard this, I couldn’t help but laugh, “Have you been clamped by them before?”

Dr. Wei laughed too, “You found out about that too.”

I helped wipe the windows with newspapers. In no time, the two windows looked brand new. Dr. Wei gently called me by my nickname.

I looked up and saw a haze of warmth on the glass window, with a plump little heart in the center.