The small hairdryer, though not loud, echoed for a long time in the quiet living room.
The wind was pathetically weak, yet Huo Rou had a considerable amount of hair. During the long wait, Huo Rou squirmed restlessly in Qin Ningyi's arms.
For the first time in her life, she had the thought of buying a good hairdryer to dry her hair.
This was truly agonizing.
Before her was Qin Ningyi's excellent jawline, and with a slight bow of his head, she could see his Adam's apple bobbing. The scent of Qin Ningyi's crisp, clean aroma also filled her nostrils.
Most importantly, she was sitting on his lap. Her summer sleep pants barely reached her knees, and she could keenly feel his fervent warmth.
"An ant on a hot pan" could be an adjective, right? Huo Rou stopped herself from looking further, closed her eyes, and thought aimlessly.
Just as she was thinking she was that ant on a hot pan, her body was suddenly jostled by Qin Ningyi, and she was turned in a new direction.
Finally, the other side of her hair was being dried.
The "ant on a hot pan" description might be wrong; she should be a pancake.
"Huo Pancake" had been "baked" in Qin Ningyi's arms for a long, long time until her hair was finally dry.
Qin Ningyi's gaze was glued to her, and he showed no intention of letting her up. Huo Rou felt her cheeks growing hotter and hotter.
Finally, Qin Ningyi let out a light laugh, releasing the fully "baked" pancake, and placed the hairdryer he held into a drawer beneath the TV cabinet.
Huo Rou stood to the side, feeling the coolness of the breeze from the window, and the heat on her face slowly subsided.
"It's quite late," she said dryly.
Qin Ningyi turned back, looking at her with amusement.
He knew she was skilled and that the force he had used earlier, while seemingly forceful, was within the range she could have pushed away.
But she hadn't.
"How about..." he began, a hint of teasing in his voice, speaking slowly.
Huo Rou snapped her head up and glared at him, her gaze dropping from his eyes to his throat.
Qin Ningyi obligingly made his Adam's apple move.
Huo Rou, as if startled, grabbed his hand and pushed him out the door.
Qin Ningyi leaned against the door, his heart once again affirming what Zhao Hengyu had told him.
"I haven't finished yet," Qin Ningyi said to Huo Rou, looking innocent.
"Qin Ningyi!" Huo Rou's voice rose slightly as she called his name.
"Mhm," Qin Ningyi responded softly, chuckling to himself.
He exerted his greatest self-control and lightly kissed Huo Rou's lips, then pulled away instantly.
Qin Ningyi, with gentlemanly grace, closed the door for her. "Goodnight, little cat."
As his voice faded, Huo Rou looked at the closed door before her, feeling a sudden emptiness.
By the time Qin Ningyi walked out of the apartment building, the rain had stopped. He felt a vague sense of frustration; that Zhao Hengyu kid had told him to be restrained...
He had "restrained" himself for a while, but it still felt lacking, so he drove to Zhao Hengyu's restaurant.
"Old Qin, you look like you're in a good mood," Zhao Hengyu said, entering the room and seeing Qin Ningyi slowly savoring his wine with evident interest.
"Is something good about to happen?" Zhao Hengyu asked, leaning closer as he observed Qin Ningyi's relaxed expression.
Qin Ningyi didn't answer, instead picking up another wine glass, handing it to Zhao Hengyu, and clinking their glasses.
The crisp sound rang out, exceptionally pleasant.
"Come on, tell me! I'm practically half your teacher!" Zhao Hengyu was extremely curious about his actions.
"I came to thank you," Qin Ningyi said with a smile, looking out at the night view and finding Yuchang City after the rain exceptionally... sweet.
"What, has she finally started talking to you?" Zhao Hengyu asked smugly.
It was rare for Qin Ningyi to come to him for romantic advice, and even rarer for him to learn how to please a woman from him.
Whether he could successfully find a partner now depended on him, Zhao Hengyu! Thinking this, Zhao Hengyu grinned even more triumphantly and waved his arm. "Come, I'll teach you a few more tricks, guaranteed to make your confession a success! And you'll win the beauty's heart."
He spoke with great fervor, but received no response.
"I've already succeeded in my confession," Qin Ningyi turned back amidst the city lights, clearly seeing the surprise in Zhao Hengyu's eyes.
"Didn't I tell you to take her out for a meal and a movie first when pursuing someone?"
Qin Ningyi thought for a moment. He had brought Huo Rou here for a meal. They hadn't seen a movie, but they had attended an auction.
He nodded. "I did."
Zhao Hengyu continued, "You need to make her dependent on you first, trust you. Have you done that?"
Huo Rou had grabbed his hand on the roller coaster, no longer closing herself off.
He nodded. "I have."
"You can't force her. I told you, the most important thing is respect!" Zhao Hengyu felt that with Qin Ningyi's straightforward personality, he might resort to force.
He had very seriously asked Huo Rou if she agreed, and he had respected her wish to go to work.
Qin Ningyi nodded again. "I respected that."
"Dating should start with a bouquet of flowers. Girls care about rituals!" Zhao Hengyu felt it was simply unbelievable; was he misunderstanding his own advice?
Flowers, he hadn't actually given her any.
Qin Ningyi hesitated. Zhao Hengyu finally felt less discouraged and quickly imparted his wisdom. "Old Qin, don't put on a stern face when you're with her. Don't use your cool, aloof act on that young girl. You need to be able to bend down, put aside your status..."
Qin Ningyi listened, finding it increasingly unreliable. Was he cool?
This person was still not very dependable. Why seek advice from a playboy like him?
Qin Ningyi tilted his head back and finished the wine in his glass, then walked out without another word.
"Old Qin, the restroom is to the right!" Zhao Hengyu said, still wanting to impart more wisdom. Seeing him walk left, he quickly pointed the way.
The door closed, and he waited for a very, very long time...
Qin Ningyi had already been taken back to the villa by Old Zhang.
Upon hearing that Qin Ningyi had returned home long ago, Zhao Hengyu ferociously stuffed a piece of meat into his mouth and grumbled tearfully to the waiter who had come to deliver the news.
"With him like that, not a bit of manners, barely any expression on his face day in and day out, just working and working overtime!"
He swallowed the food, still feeling indignant. "He doesn't even look at girls normally, doesn't understand tenderness, and he tells me he succeeded in his confession?"
"Would he even confess? Is he romantic? He probably doesn't even know how to kiss!"
"Mr. Zhao, you're drunk. I'll help you back to bed." The waiter stepped forward to support him and led him towards the private resting room.
"I'm not drunk! That eternal bachelor, and I poured my heart and soul into teaching him everything I know! And he abandoned me here, ignoring me. I bet a million dollars he'll never get married!"
Qin Ningyi rubbed his itchy nose. Had someone already started talking about him so soon?
After the storm, the clear night was moonless, and a cool breeze blew. Qin Ningyi lay in bed and looked at the pillow beside him, suddenly feeling that the progress was too slow.
Zhao Hengyu's advice was unreliable, so the pace of dating he suggested was probably also unreliable. It's better to have no books than to believe in books entirely...
What was that little cat doing now?
The person he was thinking about was on the bed, wrapped in a thick quilt, frowning, and sniffing softly.
Huo Rou reached up and touched her forehead. It wasn't hot, but this familiar feeling...