Chapter 40: The Female Thug

For lunch, they had braised fish, cold vegetable salad, and scrambled eggs with green onions. According to Qi Qige’s way, it should have been hot pot, but it was vetoed by Cao Xi.

“Hot pot often makes people gain weight, and if you get fat, you won’t look good,” Cao Xi said. When Qi Qige heard it would affect her appearance, she gave up on her insistence to eat hot pot.

Cao Xi liked fish. He was impatient, and every time he ate fish, he would end up with fishbones hurting his mouth. Qin Zhao would carefully pick the fishbones out and put the fish meat into Cao Xi’s bowl.

Cao Xi said, “I’m going to the academy this afternoon. I’ll take a nap in the study room.”

“Mm.”

Qin Zhao slowly continued picking fishbones, while Qi Qige ate quickly but steadily. Her body remained upright and balanced, showing the grace of someone who had proper training.

After a few bites, Qi Qige was called away by a maid to meet a friend in a private room.

At the table, Cao Xi took Qin Zhao to his room and asked him to lie on the bed while he collected some crumpled paper and organized it.

Lying on the bed, Qin Zhao asked, “What are you two discussing?”

“We’re designing a nameplate, coming up with a few proposals. We’re finalizing the characters for ‘Runxiangyuan’.”

Cao Xi picked up the crumpled papers and walked over to Qin Zhao. “Why aren’t you resting?”

“I can’t sleep. Stay here with me.” Qin Zhao shifted slightly, making space.

It was a single bed, so it was a bit crowded with two people lying on it. Cao Xi didn’t want to disturb Qin Zhao’s rest.

“I’ll lie down in a bit. You should sleep, and I’ll wake you up when it’s time.”

Qin Zhao grabbed Cao Xi’s clothes and wouldn’t let go. Cao Xi tried to tug it free but couldn’t.

Amused, Cao Xi ended up squeezing onto the bed with Qin Zhao. He had planned to wait until Qin Zhao fell asleep and then leave, but when he woke up, it was already late afternoon. Cao Xi was no longer there, probably at the academy.

In the afternoon, Qi Qige kept giving Cao Xi strange looks, each one full of curiosity and gossip.

Cao Xi felt uneasy under her gaze.

…

The hot pot restaurant gradually got on track. Cao Xi didn’t micromanage, occasionally checking the accounts and the popularity of the dishes.

Dishes that weren’t popular were replaced, or their supply was reduced.

As the weather grew colder, autumn winds began to blow.

Cao Xi bought several large jars to pickle cabbage. They made pickled cabbage dumplings, stir-fried pickled cabbage with noodles, and other northeastern dishes, including sauerkraut fish.

While Qin Zhao was resting, the two of them went out to the courtyard to wash the cabbage. The well water was cold, but Qin Zhao didn’t allow Cao Xi to touch it.

He cleaned the cabbage while Cao Xi arranged it in the jars, added salt, and topped it with stones to seal it.

After a long afternoon, they finally had a few jars of pickled cabbage ready, and they had a simple meal for dinner.

Cao Xi looked up at the roof and couldn’t help but sigh.

“Pickling cabbage is quite a labor-intensive job.”

Seeing Qin Zhao bent over the whole time to wash the cabbage, Cao Xi knew his waist must be sore. Not wanting to rest, Cao Xi went to Qin Zhao’s bedroom.

“Qin Zhao…”

Cao Xi knocked on the door, then pushed it open and saw Qin Zhao lying flat on the bed, exhausted, looking like a dead fish.

When Qin Zhao saw Cao Xi enter, he looked confused. “Why aren’t you resting?”

Cao Xi sat down on the edge of the bed. “Quick, lie down. Let me help you—your waist must be really sore.”

Qin Zhao replied, “A little bit.”

He had been bending over to wash cabbage the entire morning, and his waist felt like it was going to break, but he didn’t want to let Cao Xi know.

From his tone, Cao Xi could tell that he was really exhausted. It seemed that Qin Zhao’s habit of stubbornly hiding his fatigue hadn’t changed.

Cao Xi reached out and gently pushed him. “Turn over and lie on your stomach.”

Qin Zhao turned over but asked, confused, “What for?”

Without waiting for an answer, Cao Xi took off his shoes, climbed onto the bed, and directly straddled Qin Zhao.

Startled, Qin Zhao quickly turned over, and Cao Xi lost her balance, tumbling into his arms.

Qin Zhao’s eyes widened in surprise, and his face turned bright red. He stammered, “You… you… get off me!”

Cao Xi, amused by the situation, chuckled at how flustered he looked. She leaned into him and pretended to be mischievous. “Oh, I’m just teasing. What’s the big deal? Don’t worry, I won’t bite.”

Her playful tone only embarrassed Qin Zhao more, his face turning an even deeper shade of red.

“You’re such a troublemaker, hurry up and get off me!” he snapped, his posture one of embarrassment, but with a hint of reluctance.

Cao Xi couldn’t stop laughing at his reaction. She playfully rubbed his face with her hand.

“Come on, lie on your stomach, and I’ll give you a back rub. After tonight, you’ll sleep better and your waist won’t hurt tomorrow.”

“I’m fine, I’m not tired.”

Qin Zhao turned his head away and stubbornly refused to cooperate. But Cao Xi wasn’t going to let him off that easily. She turned him over herself, then climbed onto his lap and started massaging his back.

The sensation intensified, and Cao Xi pressed her body against Qin Zhao’s legs, gently moving her weight back and forth. She continued to massage his back, the pressure not too strong but still very comforting.

What started as comfort slowly turned into something more torturous. Qin Zhao couldn’t pinpoint exactly where Cao Xi was pressing, but his body felt increasingly heated.

Feeling uncomfortable, Qin Zhao buried his face in his arm, leaving only his red ears exposed. They were impossible to hide, and they seemed to invite teasing.

Cao Xi, unaware of his exact feelings, smiled at his behavior, sensing he was like an ostrich hiding his head in the sand. She leaned over and pinched his waist.

“Don’t let yourself get too stuffy,” she teased.

Qin Zhao flinched from the pinch, his teeth clenched in irritation. His pride was wounded, feeling like he was being shamelessly teased by this troublemaker, but he couldn’t do anything about it.

He was too embarrassed to roll over, unable to escape the discomfort. The slight pressure made him squirm, and to his surprise, Cao Xi slapped his rear.

“Stay still and don’t squirm,” she instructed.

Qin Zhao, already at his limit, couldn’t endure the discomfort. He tried to lie back down again, but it didn’t feel like a massage—just pure torment.

After a while, the massage ended. Qin Zhao quickly sat up, urging Cao Xi to go rest.

That night, Qin Zhao had a strange dream. His hands gripped the blanket tightly, sweat covering his face. His expression was a mix of pain and strange pleasure.

When he woke, he was still in a daze, recalling the dream vividly. He couldn’t help but feel embarrassed and furious. He wished he could storm into Cao Xi’s room and confront her.

The audacity of it! How shameless and reckless she was! He hated how she wouldn’t stop teasing him in his dream. It seemed she was after more than just teasing; it was as if she wanted something from him.

He frowned as he noticed his underwear had been stained, so he quickly changed and discreetly took the dirty clothes outside to wash.

Early in the morning, Cao Xi noticed Qin Zhao’s strange gaze towards her. It was subtle, almost like a fleeting look, but whenever their eyes met, Qin Zhao would give her a sharp stare that left Cao Xi feeling inexplicably awkward, as though she had done something wrong.

She didn’t dare ask, didn’t want to bring it up, but she could tell Qin Zhao was upset. It wasn’t the usual teasing, and it wasn’t until Qin Zhao left for the academy that Cao Xi could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

At the academy, Qi Qige had already poked Qin Zhao three times.

“Qin Zhao, what’s going on today? You’re spacing out.” Qin Zhao was usually the most focused student at the academy—never sleepy or distracted in class—but today, he seemed absent-minded.

Qin Zhao snapped out of his thoughts and replied faintly, “It’s nothing.”

Before long, he was zoning out again. It was clear: today, his mind was elsewhere. Qi Qige, however, didn’t bother to engage with him, focusing instead on the lecture.

Cao Xi felt that her position on the bed was awkward and realized that Qin Zhao had been glaring at her. As she left, she reluctantly muttered a few words to him.

She decided to take a walk, starting by visiting Runxiang Garden. Everything was running smoothly there, the business was thriving.

Qi Qige had, after all, invested in the business. Now, she just collected the profits without doing any of the work.

Next, Cao Xi stopped by a spicy hotpot stall. The person running it didn’t seem familiar, and when she approached the counter, a young woman greeted her warmly, “You must be Cao Xi, right?”

Cao Xi didn’t immediately recognize her, but after a closer look, she realized it was a girl she’d met once before—Li Feng’s acquaintance from some time ago.

Cao Xi smiled and replied, “Yes, that’s me. And you are?”

“I’m Li Feng’s…”

Before the young woman could finish, Li Feng walked out from the kitchen, saying, “What brings you here today?”

Cao Xi replied, “It’s been a while since I’ve been here. I’ve been thinking about it, but I wasn’t busy, so I thought I’d stop by.”

“I’ve just finished up. Come, let’s sit in the courtyard and talk. Have you had lunch yet? I’ll have Xiao Rui make us something to eat,” Li Feng said, leading Cao Xi to the courtyard.

Cao Xi asked, “Is the young woman here helping out?”

“She is. She came to find me,” Li Feng replied.

Qiu Ju had been arranged by Li Feng to stay in a new house that he had bought. After Li Feng moved out, the two of them had been living together without much explanation.

Qiu Ju was quite fond of Li Feng, but Li Feng had always been hesitant to make a commitment, which led Qiu Ju to feel as though there was someone else in Li Feng’s life, so she ran off to work in the shop.

Xiao Rui was very happy to see Cao Xi and greeted her excitedly, constantly circling around her, until Shui Niu had to pull her away.

Shui Niu asked, “What’s with you today? Haven’t you seen Brother Li Feng or talked to Sister Xi yet?”

“He’s been doing well lately, running a shop selling spicy hot pot,” Li Feng said as he refilled Cao Xi’s cup with tea and placed a tray of dried fruit in front of her.

“Try this, it’s something I bought from a foreign merchant.”

The dried fruit was expensive, and Li Feng had bought just a little, keeping it aside to share with Cao Xi when she visited.

The tray was filled with plump raisins, which surprised Cao Xi. “Raisins?”

Cao Xi picked one up, popped it into her mouth, and found it much tastier than the raisins from home—sweet with just the right amount of tang.

Without holding back, Cao Xi praised, “This is amazing! How did you manage to get this?”

Raisins weren’t something easily bought; only those with connections could get their hands on them.

It had taken two months for the goods to travel from Xizhou to the Western Regions. Once they arrived, they were quickly snatched up by the rich and powerful.

Li Feng, flattered by her direct praise, felt a bit awkward.

“I’ve been doing some business with merchants from the Western Regions lately. I’ve been waiting for them to return, and then I’ll go with them to buy and sell goods to make some money.”

“Buying and reselling goods can be profitable, especially items from the Western Regions, but the risks are high. I don’t want you to take that kind of risk,” Cao Xi said with concern.

She had heard about the dangers from bandits outside the city, and she worried that Li Feng might get into trouble.

Her words made Li Feng feel warm. He smiled and said, “I won’t rely on you for this. I’ll make my money, then stop running these errands.”

At Qiu Ju’s residence, the work for the prefect was over. Li Feng had become quite wealthy and was constantly making money. His trade with the Western Regions was going well, and Cao Xi was one of the few people he confided in.

“I’m just concerned about the danger. You need to think this through,” Cao Xi said seriously.

Cao Xi wasn’t speaking without reason. She knew that if Li Feng was determined to go through with it, there was little she could do. But it didn’t change the fact that she wanted him to be cautious. Not everyone was as fortunate as Qin Zhao, who often seemed to escape danger unharmed.

Later that evening, as they discussed the day, Qin Zhao said with a hint of jealousy, “He’s been running around for the business, huh? Typical of him. Always so bold.”

Cao Xi sighed, “After all, we’ve known him for a long time. He’s helped us so many times. I’m just a little worried about him.”