Chapter 26: Don’t Get Handsy

Chapter 26: Chapter 26: Don’t Get Handsy

He stared at her, bewildered. "What are you doing, standing in my doorway?"

"I... I’m waiting for the clothes..."

The timid girl kept her head down, not daring to look at him.

Seeing her woeful expression, Xiao Ran sighed.

"Don’t worry about washing it. Just throw it away."

"How can you just throw away perfectly good clothes? Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to get it clean for you!"

Without another word, the girl decisively snatched the clothes from his hands, clutched them to her chest, and scurried into the kitchen.

’She really couldn’t do anything about the underwear, but the shirt? She could wash a shirt!’

She turned on the faucet, carefully smeared some dish soap onto the fabric, and began to scrub with all her might, her two small, fair hands working furiously.

The girl scrubbed with intense concentration. She was so forceful that her palms began to turn a faint red.

She silently prayed to the heavens. ’Please, please let it come clean.’

But perhaps the heavens were sleeping, or maybe they just couldn’t be bothered with her.

No matter how hard she scrubbed, she only managed to remove the grease. The yellow splotch, however, didn’t fade in the slightest.

Staring at the stubborn stain, the girl pouted in frustration, her distress growing.

’It really won’t come out...’

’What should I do? Maybe I should try laundry detergent?’

With that thought, she dashed upstairs, grabbed her own laundry detergent, poured some out, and started scrubbing again.

Unfortunately, it was no use. Her efforts were in vain.

Not only did it have no effect, but the area she had scrubbed so forcefully now looked worn and frayed, the cotton fibers starting to come loose.

Even if she managed to get it clean now, it would be unwearable—and she hadn’t even gotten it clean.

Staring at the now-ruined shirt, the girl sank into a deep state of despair.

She wiped the water from her hands and trudged downstairs, her heart heavy with worry.

As the house fell quiet, the SHUSH of running water from the bathroom became especially pronounced. The girl glanced at the bathroom door, then silently walked over to the window.

’Forget it,’ she thought. ’I’ll just have to buy him a new one.’

’I’m so useless.’

The more she thought about it, the more dejected she became.

Just then, Xiao Ran finished his shower. He emerged from the bathroom, dressed and casually towel-drying his hair.

Seeing the girl standing by the window looking troubled, he walked over without a second thought.

Lost in her thoughts, the girl didn’t hear a thing.

It wasn’t until the pleasant scent of shampoo wafted over that she instinctively turned around, just in time to see Xiao Ran approaching her, towel still in his hair.

Xiao Ran was already handsome, but having just showered, his skin was hydrated and looked exceptionally smooth. It wasn’t like a girl’s delicate complexion—not soft and supple in that way—but radiated a distinct, healthy glow.

The girl’s eyes widened in surprise, and she found herself staring intently at his face.

Yan Xici was a finance major, so there were plenty of guys in her classes.

But with her sharp eyes, she could always easily spot the blackheads on their noses, their acne scars, or the oily sheen on their faces.

But her brother-in-law’s face had none of that. It was so clean it astonished her.

"Wow, your skin is amazing!"

She couldn’t resist the urge to reach out and poke it.

Acting on impulse, the girl unhesitatingly reached out with a soft finger and gently poked Xiao Ran’s cheek.

It wasn’t soft and bouncy like a girl’s, but it still felt nice. After all, his face wasn’t chubby.

Feeling as if she’d discovered a new continent, she couldn’t help but marvel.

"Why does it look so good but not feel bouncy at all?"

Like a curious child, she couldn’t resist going for another poke, but before her finger could touch his face, he grabbed her wrist. "What are you doing!"

’Now he was even more certain of his earlier suspicion: she must have ADHD!’

’A young lady shouldn’t be so handsy all the time!’

’Hugging his waist was one thing, but now she’s trying to touch his face?’

’Give her an inch, and she’ll take a mile!’

Since he’d just gotten out of the shower, Xiao Ran’s hand was still warm and slightly damp. Yan Xici felt a pleasant warmth spread across her wrist.

The girl blinked, her long lashes fluttering as she stared blankly at the hand wrapped around her wrist.

Xiao Ran had very nice hands.

They were long and slender, but not in a delicate, pretty way. His knuckles were well-defined, suggesting a hidden strength, and his nails were neatly trimmed and clean.

The girl couldn’t help but exclaim, "Wow, your hands are really nice too."

Xiao Ran: "..."

’Enough!’

’So forward! She’s just so unbelievably forward!’

’So forward it makes me want to grab her and spank her!’

’These two sisters are really something else.’

’One gets annoyed if I so much as touch her, and the other can’t keep her hands to herself.’

’What’s that saying? Extremes meet?’

Xiao Ran fought back the urge to spank her and said irritably, "You’re a girl. You can’t just go around touching people, you know that?"

Then he added, "I have to go out. I’ve got something to do."

With that, he turned and walked into his room.

He left the bewildered girl standing alone, watching his retreating back. She blinked in confusion.

’He’s leaving just like that?’

’She just thought it was fascinating, that’s all. Is there really something wrong with me?’

’Hmph. I wouldn’t be like this with anyone else!’

’But with Xiao Ran, she didn’t feel any sense of danger at all. On the contrary, he was fun.’

As for why she felt that way, the girl herself couldn’t quite say.

It was like an instinct.

’But since her brother-in-law has something to do, she shouldn’t bother him anymore. Better just order him a new shirt online.’

...

After exchanging a couple of WeChat messages with Liu Min to confirm the address, Xiao Ran headed out.

Since it was quite far, Xiao Ran opted to take a cab instead of riding his electric scooter.

After a twenty-minute, winding drive, the cab arrived at its destination.

It was a coffee shop called Jian An.

It was designed in a log cabin style, with a white picket fence enclosing green plants, giving it a very relaxing atmosphere.

Liu Min was never one to be late. Having arranged the meeting with Xiao Ran, she had arrived early. It was only one-thirty, and she was sipping her coffee when she looked up and saw him walk in.

He was wearing gray sweatpants and a black t-shirt, an outfit that made his skin seem even more fair and clear.

Liu Min’s hand, wrapped around her coffee cup, paused. ’Does he somehow look even more handsome than the last time we met?’

She quickly stood up and waved to him. "Teacher Xiao, over here."

Spotting Liu Min, Xiao Ran gave a polite nod, walked over, pulled out the chair opposite her, and sat down. "Hello, Screenwriter Liu."

Liu Min smiled. "I’m five years older than you. Why don’t you just call me Sister Liu? ’Screenwriter Liu’ sounds so formal."

Xiao Ran paused, surprised. "Five years? I honestly couldn’t tell. I would’ve guessed we were the same age."

To be honest, neither her fashion sense nor her complexion suggested she was five years older than him.

In fact, she looked about the same age as Yan Li.

Liu Min couldn’t help but chuckle at his words. "I wish I were."