Chapter 266 - 265: Between Husband and Wife

Chapter 266: Chapter 265: Between Husband and Wife

It was late, and Zhang Qiuyan wasn’t heading in the same direction. Once they left the old district, she hailed a cab and went home on her own.

Huo Yunjing didn’t start the car right away. Instead, he glanced at Master Huo in the back seat. "We’re going home. Are you coming with us?"

Master Huo, who had been hesitating, made up his mind. He opened the car door, his voice cold. "Behave yourselves tonight."

The corner of Huo Yunjing’s mouth lifted as he prepared to retort, but Gu Qingyin clamped a hand over his mouth. "Don’t worry, Master Huo, I’ll keep an eye on him!"

Master Huo grunted in acknowledgement. "See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow," Gu Qingyin said with a smile, waving as she watched Master Huo walk off into the distance. She turned back, about to speak, when she felt something wet and soft in her palm.

She immediately snatched her hand back, her brow furrowed in disgust. "I just came from a huge battle. I haven’t even washed my hands."

Huo Yunjing, who had been smiling, froze for a moment before a look of exasperation crossed his face. "You really know how to ruin the mood."

Gu Qingyin slapped him on the arm. "Just get home already! I need a shower!"

Huo Yunjing’s gaze darkened. He floored the accelerator, speeding toward home.

Gu Qingyin was on her phone, chatting with Sheng Wan.

Earlier that evening, she had called Huo Xingchen. He’d been a little disappointed to hear he had to sleep over at Sheng Wan’s and couldn’t come home.

By now, Huo Xingchen was sound asleep, and Sheng Wan was sharing stories about his antics from the day.

Gu Qingyin read with amusement. ’I can’t believe it,’ she thought. ’Huo Xingchen is over twenty, but he can actually have fun playing with two little kids.’

Before she knew it, they had pulled into the underground garage of their apartment complex.

Gu Qingyin got out of the car in a daze. The first thing she did upon getting home was head straight for the bathroom to shower. By the time she finished, she felt much more awake—and realized she hadn’t brought a change of clothes with her.

She slapped her forehead and called for a paper servant to bring her some pajamas.

’Why not call Huo Yunjing? Because if she did, she wouldn’t be leaving the bathroom at all.’

A moment later, there was a knock on the bathroom door. Gu Qingyin, not thinking much of it, opened it just enough to grab the clothes before shutting it again.

It was only when she shook out the garment that she realized something was wrong. It was silk, alright, but... wasn’t there far too little of it? And what was this fluffy bunny ear headband that had just fallen to the floor?

"Are you changed yet?" Huo Yunjing’s voice came from outside the door, tinged with anticipation he was trying hard to conceal.

Gu Qingyin finally understood. Her face flushed, and her embarrassment quickly turned to anger. "You wear it if you want to! I’m not wearing this!"

’This is so humiliating! I should just set it on fire right now!’

From outside the door, Huo Yunjing reminded her in a leisurely tone, "A bet’s a bet. Are you trying to back out?"

Gu Qingyin was incredulous. "This is your ’request’?"

"Mhm." Huo Yunjing’s voice was filled with delight. "It’s not too much to ask, is it?"

Gu Qingyin stared at the outfit in her hands, her expression conflicted.

Was it unreasonable? It seemed normal enough for a couple to spice things up every now and then. But even so, Gu Qingyin couldn’t bring herself to cross that line...

Just then, Huo Yunjing’s voice, full of mock understanding, came through the door again. "If you really don’t want to wear that one, I have another outfit here. It has a bit more fabric."

The words had barely left his mouth when the bathroom door flew open. The bunny outfit, ears and all, was thrown out. "I’ll take the other one!"

Huo Yunjing’s eyes lit up, and he immediately held out the other outfit. "You’ll look absolutely beautiful in this."

Gu Qingyin snorted, snatched the clothes, and slammed the door shut, locking it for good measure. Then, she mustered her courage and looked at the new outfit.

It was definitely more normal-looking than the last one. At least it covered all the essential parts. The only thing was, the neckline was a little low, and the skirt was a little short.

After changing, Gu Qingyin stood in front of the mirror, heat rising to her face. The skirt was so short she felt like the slightest movement would expose everything.

She’d been dawdling for ages, but the man outside had abandoned his earlier eagerness. He hadn’t rushed her once, waiting like a patient hunter for his prey to walk right into his trap.

Gu Qingyin stared at the bathroom door, her expression shifting between resolve and hesitation. After who knows how long, she finally took a deep breath and pulled it open.

The instant the door opened, a dark figure lunged forward. She was swept off her feet, and the world spun around her as she was carried to the bed.

Gu Qingyin looked at him languidly, a faint smile playing on her lips. "I thought you weren’t in a hurry?"

"I was so anxious that I was afraid I’d lose control if I said a word," Huo Yunjing said, his gaze burning as he stared down at her.

Gu Qingyin blushed, cleared her throat, and asked, "Do I look good?"

His voice was husky. "Even more beautiful than I imagined."

He leaned down, his breath warm against her cheek, before his lips found hers...

Gu Qingyin didn’t remember when she finally fell asleep.

Huo Yunjing had been utterly relentless. Pleading didn’t work, scolding didn’t work; he just wouldn’t let her go.

When Gu Qingyin woke up, the room was dim and her body ached all over. She burrowed into the blankets, not wanting to move. After a moment, she yawned, nearly drifting back to sleep.

The bedroom door creaked open. Hearing the sound, Gu Qingyin glanced over and let out an accusatory huff.

Huo Yunjing smiled gently. He walked over, ignoring her glare, and kissed her on the forehead. "Time to get up. If you’re still too tired, you can eat something and then go back to sleep."

Gu Qingyin pushed him away and sat up. The blanket slipped down, revealing shoulders and a neck covered in love bites.

Huo Yunjing’s gaze darkened for a moment. He picked up a set of pajamas from the bedside and began to dress her himself.

Gu Qingyin accepted his care without a second thought, completely oblivious to what was going through his mind.

After helping her dress, Huo Yunjing made a hasty exit.

By the time Gu Qingyin had washed up and emerged from the bedroom, it was already afternoon. "I can’t believe I slept that long." ℯ

Huo Yunjing sat down across from her, a contented smile on his face. "It wasn’t that long. You didn’t fall asleep until just before dawn."

Gu Qingyin froze, then her face flushed red as she gritted her teeth. "Have you been celibate for the last century? You have absolutely no self-control!"

Knowing he was in the wrong, Huo Yunjing promised, "It won’t happen again."

Gu Qingyin rolled her eyes and changed the subject. "Any news from the association?"

"Zhang Qiuyan called for you this morning. I answered it." Huo Yunjing placed some food on her plate, a silent gesture for her to eat up, and continued, "Chairman Miao has already sent people to take over the Ghost Building. Once they return, you can go to the Book Collection Pavilion to look for the books."

"Me?" Gu Qingyin paused mid-bite. "What about you?"

Huo Yunjing looked helpless. "You forgot. I don’t even have a temporary pass. I can’t even get into the association, let alone the Book Collection Pavilion."

Gu Qingyin was stunned. ’So... the task of finding and reading the books falls to me alone?’

After a moment of silence, she couldn’t help but suggest, "How about I help you study so you can retake the exam?"

"Even if I were willing, Chairman Miao wouldn’t agree to it," Huo Yunjing said with a smile. "Eat up. You’re going to have your work cut out for you these next few days."

"These next few days?!" Gu Qingyin immediately latched onto the key phrase.

Huo Yunjing explained, "I’ve decided to deal with a few more Ghost Lands. That way, you’ll have more time, and you won’t be under as much pressure."

Gu Qingyin fell silent. ’What am I going to do?’ she thought. ’Now I really want to crawl into a hole and disappear...’