CHAPTER 124: CHAPTER 121 YOU SILLY WOMAN!

Qi Longbing removed her shoes. Upon seeing her feet, all red, with skin chafed away on several toes, his gaze fixed deeply upon them.

"Hua Xiaomo, you silly woman!" Qi Longbing exclaimed in annoyance. He quickly left the room, instructing Aunt Wang to prepare water, a towel, and medicine, as he intended to help her with a foot soak.

"Thank you, President Qi. I can soak them myself." Hua Xiaomo felt a wave of relief. She had wondered what he was up to, never expecting it was just about helping her with a foot soak. Still, she could soak her own feet. Besides, she didn’t like troubling others; it would only create complications for herself, and she hated burdening people. She felt perfectly capable of looking after herself. More importantly, she believed some tasks should be done independently. Relying on others always left her feeling guilty and indebted, and she detested owing favors. She was confident she could manage just fine on her own.

"Alright, do it yourself," Qi Longbing said with an indifferent smile. This little one really was stubborn. Well, if she wanted to do it herself, he wouldn’t insist. But he always felt a need to take care of her.

Because she had been injured on a mountain near his home, he felt he should be the one to look after her. She ought to quiet down and listen to him; he was only trying to help. He could take excellent care of her, and he truly hoped she wouldn’t refuse his assistance.

Soon, after she finished soaking her feet and was about to dry them with a towel, Qi Longbing quickly snatched the towel. Holding her calf with his other hand, he delicately and meticulously wiped her feet dry.

"For your smelly feet to receive such care from this young master, what fortune have you accumulated in past lives?" Qi Longbing said jokingly as he wiped. He felt he could take very good care of her, and he found the sensation of tending to her feet quite pleasant.

Because having a twisted ankle must be very uncomfortable; it must be incredibly painful. Oh, what a distressing thing a twisted ankle was, making walking impossible and creating inconvenience for everything—especially for her future commitments. He sincerely hoped her injury would heal quickly, for he didn’t wish to see her suffering. He wanted her to get better as soon as possible, so she would no longer have to endure such discomfort. If her foot was injured, she simply couldn’t go out, and that would be utterly miserable. He just wished she could recover quickly and not have to suffer any longer.

Perhaps the speaker had his reasons, but the listener merely averted her gaze slightly. She didn’t like others tending to her feet, always feeling she could handle such tasks herself and not wanting to inconvenience anyone, as it always felt too embarrassing.

Hua Xiaomo let his words go in one ear and out the other. Some things she didn’t want to dwell on; overthinking could be exhausting.

Yes, every woman her age had dreams, and she was no exception. However, the prince in her dreams wasn’t him, nor was she part of his world. Sooner or later, they were destined to part ways. Besides, she knew he had his own aspirations to pursue.

In at most a month, she would return to her own world, lead her own happy life, experience an unforgettable romance, and then, hand-in-hand with Brother Long, enter the halls of matrimony.

This... This kind of life was truly fulfilling! This was the happiness she looked forward to!

Thinking of this, Hua Xiaomo couldn’t help but smile softly.

But suddenly, a sharp pain made her foot recoil, and the smile on her face vanished instantly.

"Don’t be afraid; this medicine won’t hurt. It will feel better soon, my dear. You’ll be fine in a little while," Qi Longbing said, blowing on her foot as he continued to apply the medicine.

Since he insisted on applying the medicine, Hua Xiaomo let him.

"It won’t hurt much longer this way," Qi Longbing said with a smile, then playfully scraped her sole with his finger.

"TEE-HEE-HEE... TEE-HEE-HEE..." Hua Xiaomo erupted in a fit of charming giggles.

For a moment, just as this thought crossed her mind, her nerves suddenly tensed, and she fought to keep herself from sinking completely into the feeling.

"Xiao Mo, how are you? Are you feeling any better now?"

"You’re being naughty again. You still haven’t answered my question, have you?"

"...Answer what?" Hua Xiaomo replied, her mind inexplicably feeling a bit groggy.

What’s going on? She hadn’t had anything to drink...

Qi Longbing chuckled but didn’t answer her.

All Hua Xiaomo could see was the splendid scenery before her.

"President Qi... you and I are just in a pretend relationship. I hope you remember that," she said, her fists clenched.

"Why get so hung up on what’s real or fake, Xiao Mo..." Qi Longbing hadn’t finished his sentence when a fist suddenly swung toward his face, striking it and leaving a mark on his handsome features.

Qi Longbing winced in pain and released her.

Hua Xiaomo seized the chance to quickly roll off the sofa. Although her feet still throbbed from the medicine, she preferred to lean against the wall to stand; it felt better and safer.

Strangely, her head also cleared considerably. When Hua Xiaomo saw the red mark blooming on his handsome face, a pang of regret hit her, and she quickly apologized, "Sorry, President Qi, I hurt you again."

Alright, she hadn’t meant to hurt him. But she felt it was necessary to make it clear that a relationship between them was impossible. She was only his employee and planned to leave after graduation to study art abroad.

Because she loved art so much and felt she had a talent for it. She believed she could become a famous painter. Yes, her wish was to be a painter and to create many beautiful works for others to enjoy and view. In any case, she adored painting and felt it was her true calling. Other jobs didn’t suit her at all, especially being his secretary.

Naturally, such clerical work was uncomfortable and restrictive, with little pay and no great fortunes to be made. It was work anyone could do, something that might suit others, but even the thought of overtime didn’t appeal to her in the slightest. So, she truly disliked it.

She craved the freedom to work at her own pace and express her talents. She also loved a free and easy life, which meant she detested being restrained by others, being bossed around, or having people dictate her actions.

In short, her current situation working for Qi Longbing was precisely that—unpleasant, making her feel as if she had lost her freedom. Without freedom, she felt drained of energy and lackluster. Such a life was too hard, too exhausting, and she genuinely felt out of her element...

She had barely finished her thought when he spoke.

"Tsk, you think that pathetic attempt could hurt me? I was just playing with you, silly girl!" Qi Longbing said, trying to save face, a glow on his handsome, bewitching features.

Who would have thought this little woman, even while seemingly enraptured, could still be so alert?