9. We’re not friends, so what are we?

This statement can easily lead people to think ambiguously.

Qin Zhaoyi’s first reaction was also something unspeakable.

There was no way around it; anyone would interpret it as an invitation to share a bed.

However, Luo Yue’s expression was innocent, and she looked at Qin Zhaoyi tenderly, seemingly just expressing the literal meaning – “Wait for me to sleep when I get home?”

Both interpretations were enough to make Qin Zhaoyi’s heart race.

Qin Zhaoyi’s face uncontrollably flushed, and she squatted down beside Luo Yue, feeling the delicate fragrance of white tea from her, as well as the breath she exhaled.

There was a faint hint of alcohol, gradually overpowering the fragrance on her body.

Luo Yue seemed to realize that her words were ambiguous and hesitated for a few seconds before shaking her head, saying, “I didn’t mean it that way.”

However, Qin Zhaoyi felt her heart was on the verge of exploding.

Qin Zhaoyi couldn’t control the rush of heat to her face. She stood up immediately, “Let’s go home.”

Luo Yue smiled, her lips curving into a high arc, and her eyes crescent-shaped, exceptionally gentle, “Isn’t this my home?”

Qin Zhaoyi lowered her head, and their gazes met.

Qin Zhaoyi deliberately put on a cold face, “You’ve had too much to drink.”

Luo Yue laughed, her mouth curving into a high arc, her eyes crescent-shaped, and she looked particularly gentle, “Just a little bit.”

Qin Zhaoyi was only used to dealing with drunks like Zhong Ling, and her method of handling them was simple: throw the drunk on the bed and leave.

Once, Zhong Ling had gone crazy in a car after drinking too much, even asking people on the road for their WeChat numbers. Qin Zhaoyi had stood at a distance, pretending not to know her, waiting for her to stop acting foolish and settle down before going over to take her away.

So Zhong Ling had said to her later, “If I get drunk and act crazy, you can knock me out, just don’t let me embarrass myself.”

Qin Zhaoyi nodded.

And, in fact, after breaking up, Zhong Ling rarely had those moments of drunken madness.

But now, faced with a tipsy Luo Yue, Qin Zhaoyi was at a loss.

She definitely couldn’t treat her the way she treated Zhong Ling.

As she pondered, she saw Luo Yue extending her hand towards her, looking at her expectantly.

Qin Zhaoyi’s palm was slightly warm and moist, and she bent down, instinctively rubbing her hand on her pants before reaching out to help Luo Yue up.

Luo Yue was slightly drunk, and she used Qin Zhaoyi’s support to stand up.

The soft moonlight spilled into the courtyard, and when Luo Yue looked at her, her eyes were somewhat hazy, but she scrutinized her with a serious look.

When their eyes met, Qin Zhaoyi always felt that her heart was not beating normally.

After just a few seconds, she couldn’t dare to continue staring, so she helped her up. But unexpectedly, at that moment of standing up, Luo Yue didn’t stabilize herself and leaned forward, causing Qin Zhaoyi to take a half step forward and hold her waist.

Luo Yue looked very slender, and her waist was also very thin; Qin Zhaoyi could easily encircle it with just her forearm.

At that moment, Qin Zhaoyi was stunned in place, forgetting to breathe.

She had thought that Luo Yue would immediately leave her embrace, but unexpectedly, this “drunkard” half-closed her eyes and her body went limp, falling into Qin Zhaoyi’s arms, trusting her as a reliable pillar.

“You…” Qin Zhaoyi’s throat tightened, and her fingers subconsciously pinched the fabric on her waist. However, her waist was too slender, without an ounce of excess fat. Qin Zhaoyi could only rub the fabric on the side of her clothes awkwardly and said, “Are you dizzy?”

“No,” Luo Yue’s chin rested on her shoulder, her voice slightly hoarse, “Just a bit tired.”

Qin Zhaoyi: “…”

Before Qin Zhaoyi could come up with an appropriate response to get the person in her arms to leave, Luo Yue had already used her body to stand upright.

Suddenly, there was no longer any warmth in her embrace, and the sea breeze blew in, bringing a hint of chill.

Luo Yue took a few steps forward, and when she reached the doorway, she suddenly turned back, saying softly, “Thank you.”

Her voice was very low and gentle, instantly pulling Qin Zhaoyi’s scattered thoughts back.

Qin Zhaoyi was bewildered, “What?”

“Thank you for helping me,” Luo Yue touched her temple, “I felt a bit dizzy just now.”

Qin Zhaoyi was stunned but pretended to remain calm, standing in place with one hand in her pocket, “It’s nothing.”

Luo Yue curved her lips and smiled, “Come inside.”

Once again, she took control of the situation as the host.

However, Qin Zhaoyi felt something strange upon entering, though she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

—

It was only after entering the house that Qin Zhaoyi realized the source of her unease.

Luo Yue had clearly appeared drunk when she entered, but she had sobered up almost immediately after getting up from her embrace. How could she sober up so quickly?

Wasn’t this strange?

Qin Zhaoyi couldn’t help but doubt whether Luo Yue had been pretending.

All her expressions and actions were part of an act.

With this thought in mind, Qin Zhaoyi regarded Luo Yue with suspicion in her eyes.

Inside the house, Luo Yue poured herself a glass of water. Even though she had a poor tolerance for alcohol, it wasn’t to the extent where a single can of beer could knock her out. Her behavior outside the door had been due to her bad mood.

Or perhaps, alcohol affects everyone differently.

When sorrow and joy were mixed together, people often felt a sense of unreality. So, when she stood up just now, Luo Yue simply wanted to confirm through physical contact that it wasn’t a dream.

The other person had not left.

Even though she didn’t know why she had stayed, whether it was because it was late or because she wanted to continue searching for her grandmother.

But she was still here, and that was enough to make Luo Yue happy.

After drinking some water, Luo Yue managed to suppress her palpitations. She didn’t expect to turn her head and see Qin Zhaoyi looking at her with a hint of scrutiny and even suspicion in her eyes.

Qin Zhaoyi’s gaze seemed to carry a sense of appraisal.

She probably hadn’t experienced many hardships in life, so all her emotions were displayed on her face, making it easy for people to read her.

Luo Yue hesitated for a moment, then explained in a low voice, “I have low blood sugar.”

She opened a drawer and took out a piece of candy, peeled off the wrapper, and put it in her mouth, saying, “If I sit on the ground for too long and suddenly stand up, I might feel unsteady.”

Qin Zhaoyi furrowed her brow slightly, her eyes still cautious, as if trying to determine whether what she was saying was true or not.

Luo Yue held out her palm with the candy resting on it, asking, “Do you want one?”

However, Qin Zhaoyi asked skeptically, “Is that true?”

Luo Yue bit down on the candy between her teeth and applied a little force, causing it to shatter into pieces.

In this quiet atmosphere, the sound of the candy shattering was quite distinct.

It seemed like some candy particles had stuck to the corner of Luo Yue’s mouth. She extended her tongue to retrieve them, letting it glide over her lips.

Her lips, slightly flushed, suddenly took on a glossy and enchanting appearance.

Luo Yue paused for a moment and asked, “What do you mean?”

Qin Zhaoyi replied succinctly, her voice cold, “Low blood pressure.”

Luo Yue rested her arms on the dining table behind her, casually leaning her body against it, and said, “Do I have a reason to lie to you?”

Qin Zhaoyi slowly walked closer, as if to confirm the truth of her words.

As they got closer, Qin Zhaoyi could even smell the sweet candy scent. Despite her usual dislike of sweet things, she suddenly felt a craving.

“More candy?” Qin Zhaoyi asked, “Do you have any left?”

Luo Yue once again opened her palm, and the candy wrapper shimmered under the light. However, when Qin Zhaoyi reached out to take it, Luo Yue suddenly flipped her palm, lowered her head, and carefully unwrapped the candy. Then, she held it between two fingers and offered it to Qin Zhaoyi’s lips.

Both of them were of similar height, but Luo Yue, who was now sitting casually at the dining table, appeared slightly shorter than Qin Zhaoyi. She tilted her head up to look at Qin Zhaoyi, revealing her slender and graceful neck, which had exceptionally beautiful lines.

Luo Yue belatedly asked, “I forgot to ask. Do you have a cleanliness obsession?”

Qin Zhaoyi lowered her eyelids, catching sight of those two slender fingers. They appeared like a divine gift, even the nails were translucent and rosy.

Qin Zhaoyi, who never accepted food from others, extended her tongue, strangely entranced, and rolled the candy into her mouth.

The sweetness immediately spread over her tongue.

“No,” Qin Zhaoyi replied.

Luo Yue chuckled softly, her laughter lazy and tender.

Suddenly, Qin Zhaoyi took a half step forward, getting very close to her. She asked in a commanding tone that carried a hint of intimidation, “Then, what is our relationship?”

Luo Yue’s throat moved up and down, something Qin Zhaoyi could clearly see.

However, Qin Zhaoyi didn’t flinch, but rather elaborated on the question, “We’re not friends, so what are we?”

Luo Yue raised an eyebrow and teased, “Strangers?”

Qin Zhaoyi, “…”