Xiao Qi, Wait!

Chapter 14: Xiaoqi, Don't Go Past The Walls

From the start, the small courtyard of the Song fu was not that large. Now with two more adult men present, it seemed even more crowded.

Xiaoqi was still a bit indignant when it was time for bed. She had seen people that bully women before. For example, Song Liangzhuo who had hit her twice, if the time that he flicked her forehead was also included. But she had never seen this way of bullying women – to so arrogantly take someone else's things and even act self-righteous about it.

There was an old saying about this, something like only by knowing their friends would you know the person. Song Liangzhuo had such unreasonable friends, he truly proves that saying 'similar things group together, similar people fit together'.

Ha Pi, because there wasn't someone that specifically look after him every day, would explore everywhere whether it was beneath pots or in nooks and corners. Hence, his sleeping place had already been shifted from Qian Xiaoqi's bed to the bed footrest in front of the bed. Qian Xiaoqi dropped her arm to stroke Ha Pi who was dirty from all that exploring as she looked in the direction of the outer room, wide awake.

Song Liangzhuo was also awake. He had lit a small lamp in the outer room and was reading. Listening to the sound of Xiaoqi tossing and turning inside, the corners of his mouth lifted as he said, "Xiaoqi hasn't fallen asleep yet?"

"I can't fall asleep!" Qian Xiaoqi jumped up into a sitting position and said melancholically, "Sleeping right after eating with nothing much to play with... How many hours total are there in the day? Just sleeping we sleep away six."

The above is a literal translation, so ancient Chinese 'hours' were actually two hours. So there were 12 'hours' a day. To sleep away 6 'hours' is half the day. Not sure if it's meant to be literal or Xiao Qi's exaggeration.

"Come out and read for a while."

Qian Xiaoqi thought for a moment, then put on her shoes and walked to the outer room.

It was currently early summer and tonight it was particularly hot. Qian Xiaoqi came out wearing light, pure-white, silk inner clothes. Her black hair was loose and swaying as she sat down and started casually flipping and picking through the books on the table.

Silk material was soft and slippery from the start. When Xiaoqi propped up her arms to rest her cheek on her hand, that wide sleeve that was covering her arm slide down, exposing half a small arm which, in the faint light of the lamp, looked glistening and bright. Song Liangzhuo glanced over. Upon seeing her listless appearance, he said in a warm voice, "What, bored again?"

"I am really bored! Your fu is stuffy and boring, boring like you!" Xiaoqi pouted.

This was the first time Song Liangzhuo saw a woman acting as indolent and spoiled as this. He gave an embarrassed cough and said, "It's only been steady for a couple days."

"Official Song."

"Hm?"

Xiaoqi propped up her chin with both hands. She opened her eyes wide as she sighed. "When will you finish repairing the dam?"

"Xiaoqi is concerned about the flood containment matters?"

"I'm concerned about when I'll be able to go home."

"Oh, that's early yet."

"Huh?" Qian Xiaoqi blinked. "What does 'that's early yet' mean?"

Song Liangzhuo's eyes lowered and his expression seemed a bit displeased. However, a moment later, he returned to his usual mildness. Qian Xiaoqi squinted her eyes as she sized up Song Liangzhuo and humphed. "Official Song, you're not coming up with some sort of bad idea, are you?"