"Huahuan, your tongue is getting sweeter by the day!" Jiang Youli winked at him. "Since you've come to my company, lunch is on me today."
Qi Huan smiled warmly. "Alright."
Jiang Youli called the person in charge of Mi Mi Zhi Xiang and asked them to prepare a special set meal for two and deliver it as soon as possible.
After hanging up, she took out a box of freeze-dried feed from her bag, poured it into a folded paper box on her desk, then tapped on the succulent potted plant on the desk with her knuckles.
"Time to eat."
With that, she pulled out her acupuncture kit and sat down on the sofa.
"I'll give you acupuncture first today. By the time the session is done, the food should have arrived. Then you can eat while Xiaolv and Xiaobai give you a leg massage—it's the ultimate indulgence."
Qi Huan curled his finger to his mouth and coughed silently.
He certainly didn't think having those two snakes give him a leg massage was the ultimate indulgence.
Xiaohui and Xiaobai were sleeping in the succulent potted plant in the office. When they saw Qi Huan arrive, they knew it was time to work again. They crawled out, slithered over to the paper box, and started eating.
Before starting the acupuncture, Jiang Youli gently squeezed the bones around his knee.
"How does it feel? Still very painful?"
Qi Huan shook his head, his expression calm. "Compared to before, it's already a lot better."
Jiang Youli hummed in acknowledgment, her eyes shifting with admirable focus to his muscular calves. "Huahuan, your leg hair seems thicker than before. Looks like the homemade essential oil I've been applying has been too nourishing."
Even though he was used to her ways, Qi Huan still found himself caught off guard by her bluntness. He let out a helpless yet affectionate laugh. "Little Li'er, if you keep staring like that, I'll start blushing."
"Just looking makes you blush? What if I..." Jiang Youli mischievously reached out and tugged at his leg hair. "...do this?"
Seeing her sudden little gesture, Qi Huan couldn't help but laugh. "Little Li'er, you're so adorable."
The serious tone in his voice made Jiang Youli pause and let go. "I'm clearly being a tease, and here you are calling me adorable. Is this what they call 'love is blind'?"
"You teasing me—how is that not adorable?" Qi Huan said matter-of-factly. "If you were cold toward me, that would be the real problem."
"That's impossible. I could never be cold toward you, Huahuan." Jiang Youli said as she pulled a silver needle from her case, returning to the previous topic. "Since your knee is feeling less painful, it seems the fragmented bones have healed and fused quite a bit."
She then looked back at Qi Huan's handsome face.
"The first time I saw you, you were in a wheelchair, so I never knew what it would feel like to see you standing. I'm really looking forward to what it'll be like when you stand before me."
Though Qi Huan had never stood up in front of her, judging by his long legs, he was definitely over six feet tall.
And the proportion of his legs was striking—a classic case of a tall, long-legged handsome man.
Even though Qi Huan hadn't stood or walked for over two months, thanks to daily leg rehabilitation exercises, his legs hadn't atrophied and their shape remained excellent.
Jiang Youli had already started imagining the day Qi Huan could stand again—walking out of the shower with just a towel wrapped around his waist, revealing his chest, abs, and the sleek lines of his long legs. What an ultimate visual feast that would be.
Qi Huan, too, was looking forward to that day. "Once I can stand, there are so many things I want to do with you."
Jiang Youli was curious. "What do you want to do with me, hm?"
"I want to carry you in my arms, I want to carry you on my back, I want to make you stand on your tiptoes to kiss me," Qi Huan said without changing his expression.
"Huahuan, why don't you dare to think about the most important thing?" Jiang Youli couldn't resist teasing him again.
Qi Huan looked at her playful expression and chuckled. "No rush. Take it step by step."
As they chatted, Jiang Youli brought up the topic she'd discussed with her dad that morning.
"By the way, my dad asked me what I'd choose if you couldn't have children."
Qi Huan smiled. "So what did Little Li'er say?"
Jiang Youli said, "If I wanted my own child, I would leave you without hesitation."
She hadn't missed the surprised look on her father's face when she'd answered.
But that was truly how she felt.
If she really wanted a child, she would of course leave Qi Huan.
And if she didn't want a child and loved Qi Huan more, she would naturally stay with him.
Qi Huan's smile remained. "I figured as much. Little Li'er, you never waste energy on self-torment."
"Huahuan, are you disappointed in me?" Jiang Youli asked, after finishing the acupuncture, as she sat back on the sofa and looked at his unchanged smile.
Qi Huan laughed. "Why would I be disappointed? If I were truly infertile, it would be you who should be disappointed. You want a child so badly, and I can't give you one."
"Why would I have the right to be disappointed? In the name of love? If I love you, I'd be willing to let you go, to let you find the life you want." Qi Huan spoke very frankly. "Of course, I'd still be sad that I couldn't be with you, that we couldn't have a child together."
Jiang Youli beamed. "I knew it—Huahuan, you're the one I like the most."
Just then, a knock came at the office door. "Miss Jiang, the delivery from Mi Mi Zhi Xiang has arrived," said Cheng Jing from outside.
"Great, bring it in," Jiang Youli replied.
Cheng Jing pushed the door open, carried in the neatly packaged food, set it on the coffee table, and then withdrew.
Jiang Youli suddenly seemed curious. "Speaking of which, since Cheng Jing is your assistant, does he get free meals?"
Qi Huan was amused by her question. "At Cheng Jing's current level, not only do I cover his meals, but I'll take care of his retirement too."
He then explained, "In a family like the Qi family, where everyone's fighting tooth and nail for the estate, choosing a personal assistant you don't absolutely trust is deadly."
"What makes you so sure Cheng Jing is absolutely trustworthy?" Jiang Youli said. "Even your own father could betray you, and Cheng Jing is just an assistant."
"Simple. When Cheng Jing was a child, his parents were killed, and I helped him get revenge. Now he has no parents, no siblings, nothing to tie him down. What incentive would he have to betray me?" Qi Huan said. "Betrayal usually requires some gain, or coercion under threat. But Cheng Jing follows me, lacks for nothing, and has no one around to threaten him either."
Jiang Youli nodded thoughtfully. "That's true. Betrayal always needs a motive."
For Cheng Jing now, what motive could there be to betray his benefactor?
A woman?
Hopefully, it wasn't that cliché.
Jiang Youli stopped dwelling on the thought, picked up her chopsticks, and began to eat.
Xiaolv and Xiaobai, having finished their meal, started their task.
Qi Huan, however, hadn't touched his food.
Jiang Youli looked up in confusion. "Huahuan, why aren't you eating?"
"I'll wait until after the leg massage to eat." Qi Huan was afraid that if he ate while the two snakes were massaging him, the psychological discomfort would make him throw up.
Jiang Youli let out a soft laugh. "Alright."
After the treatment was done, Qi Huan was allowed to rest briefly at the company. At two in the afternoon, Jiang Youli personally escorted Qi Huan out of Starlight Entertainment.
But as they passed the main employee office, Jiang Youli noticed that several female staff members were all sitting at their desks, staring straight in their direction.
Including the secretary, Little Yang.
Yet the company didn't start work until 2:30.
Jiang Youli raised an eyebrow and asked them, "None of you went back for your lunch break today?"
