“Y-you…”
Seeing Yan Qingzhu’s action, Bai Zhiqiu was at a loss, his small chest heaving with embarrassment. It was clear that he was deeply resistant to Yan Qingzhu’s request.
“Come on! Don’t you want to get your phone back?”
Yan Qingzhu took out Bai Zhiqiu’s phone and waved it in front of his face.
“If you don’t want it… then I guess I’ll just have to take a look, won’t I~”
“Y-you’re so underhanded!”
Bai Zhiqiu glared at Yan Qingzhu, his teeth clenched.
“Thank you for the compliment! Now that the verbal praise is over, I want another kind of reward. A physical one.”
Yan Qingzhu pointed to her own cheek, shaking Bai Zhiqiu’s phone again.
“Hurry up! I’m really looking forward to it!”
Yan Qingzhu pulled the car over to the side of the road and leaned her face close to Bai Zhiqiu’s.
“Just once, okay?”
After a moment of struggle, Bai Zhiqiu finally gave in.
“Just once!”
Hearing Bai Zhiqiu agree, Yan Qingzhu leaned in even closer.
Bai Zhiqiu looked at Yan Qingzhu as she leaned in, and from this angle, he could even see her eyelashes trembling slightly.
With lightning speed, Bai Zhiqiu lightly brushed his lips against Yan Qingzhu’s cheek and pulled back immediately.
“There! Now give it to me!”
Bai Zhiqiu leaned back in his seat, his eyes watchful as he looked at Yan Qingzhu.
“But I didn’t feel anything… There’s not even a mark here…”
Yan Qingzhu touched the spot where Bai Zhiqiu had kissed her.
“Aren’t there supposed to be hickeys? I didn’t see anything!”
“Yan Qingzhu! You’re making me mad!”
Bai Zhiqiu turned his head away, completely ignoring Yan Qingzhu.
Just as he turned his head, he noticed a young girl standing a short distance away, looking at them shyly.
The girl didn’t appear to be more than twelve or thirteen, dressed simply but neatly, her jeans faded from multiple washes.
Beside the girl, there were about a dozen more children, some even younger.
“How about we plant one? If you do, I’ll give your phone back…”
“Look!”
Bai Zhiqiu pointed out the window.
Following Bai Zhiqiu’s gaze, Yan Qingzhu quickly spotted the group of kids. Seeing them, she smiled warmly.
“These little ones sure grow up fast!”
“You know them?”
Bai Zhiqiu was surprised. He couldn’t imagine how Yan Qingzhu, who came from the capital, would know these kids from the outskirts.
“Of course I do! They’re all from the nearby orphanage. I brought you here to deliver some supplies to them…”
Yan Qingzhu subtly reached out and touched Bai Zhiqiu’s leg, taking advantage of the moment.
“Who would’ve thought you’d be so kind-hearted!”
“What did you think I was?”
“A total pervert!”
Seeing Bai Zhiqiu’s blunt response, Yan Qingzhu’s forehead creased with a few black lines.
“Yin’s been picking up your bad habits!”
“What did she say? That you’re a total pervert too? She’s got good instincts…”
“Ha! You don’t want your phone back?”
“No, no! Give it to me!”
In the end, Yan Qingzhu returned the phone to Bai Zhiqiu.
The moment he held the phone, Bai Zhiqiu was overjoyed. His beloved phone, which had been away from him for days, was finally back in his hands. Now he didn’t have to worry about Yan Qingzhu discovering his secrets… He could finally enjoy looking at his favorite idols again…
“My phone! You’ve been through so much! You’ve lost weight!”
Bai Zhiqiu hugged his phone, muttering incomprehensibly as he looked at the twenty notifications on the screen.
“Your behavior makes me wonder if transforming really affects intelligence…”
Seeing Bai Zhiqiu’s strange antics, Yan Qingzhu didn’t know what to say. Oh, wait, Bai Zhiqiu wasn’t exactly the sharpest tool in the shed to begin with… Especially since he barely passed his final English exam, scoring less than a third of the total points…
“What do you mean? I’m the smartest! The English teacher said so!”
“Right, right! You’re the smartest! Super smart!”
“Are you looking for a fight?”
…..
The two continued to banter as they exited the car.
“Sister Qingzhu!”
Only after Yan Qingzhu got out of the car did the children surround them.
“Heart Moon, have you been a good girl lately? Have you been listening to the headmistress?”
Yan Qingzhu crouched down and gently stroked Heart Moon’s head.
“Of course! The headmistress said I’ve been very well-behaved lately! Plus, I can help take care of the new kids who arrived!”
Heart Moon puffed out her chest proudly.
“Heart Moon is so amazing! Since you’re so wonderful, can you help Sister carry these things back and share them with everyone?”
“Sure!”
Hearing Yan Qingzhu’s request, Heart Moon eagerly carried the items Yan Qingzhu had bought for them into the nearby orphanage…
“Who are they?”
Only after the children had walked away did Bai Zhiqiu ask…
“They’re from the orphanage. Most of them were abandoned here because their families are gone, or because they have health issues. I bought some things today to visit them.”
“They seem to really like you! You must have visited often!”
Watching Heart Moon and the other children’s backs, Bai Zhiqiu nodded thoughtfully…
“Before, I used to come here often with Jasmine! That was when my master was just transferred to guard the Xuan Guan in the south. Jasmine hadn’t reached the Brightmoon-tier yet, and we didn’t have as many responsibilities. Jasmine would often bring me here to help with volunteer work at the orphanage. But later, after I returned to the capital’s Magic Girl headquarters, and Jasmine became the chief of Jiangnan Province, we started coming here less frequently.”
“Jasmine Chief is really kind-hearted!”
“Hey! Your focus is off! I’m the one standing right in front of you!”
“Really? All I see is a pervert trying to redeem herself!”
Seeing Yan Qingzhu’s disgruntled expression, Bai Zhiqiu felt a surge of satisfaction. He loved seeing Yan Qingzhu in a pickle, especially when he was the cause.
“Alright, alright! Let’s go inside and take a look! This is my first time here, and the kids seem a bit shy…”
Just moments ago, the children had been watching her from a distance, and even when she handed a stuffed toy to a little girl, she could sense the girl’s nervousness.
“Maybe it’s because your witch outfit is too flashy! Want to try a different style on the way back?”
As the two chatted, making their way toward the orphanage, Bai Zhiqiu’s phone suddenly vibrated…
****