It was late when they returned to the Qin family's residence.
After a series of events, An Ning had already fallen into a deep sleep in Chen Long's arms.
The butler led Chen Long to An An's room, and the living room was silent.
Qin Ningyi looked at Huo Rou's dusty little face, and suddenly scooped her up by the waist.
"Qin Ningyi!" Huo Rou was startled.
"Hmm?" Qin Ningyi carried her upstairs steadily, responding softly to her startled cry.
Huo Rou was not feeling comfortable after the fight, so she squirmed, wanting to get down and walk herself.
"Be good." Qin Ningyi's steps did not stop as he looked down at her. "A Rou, be obedient."
The depth in his eyes gradually made her lower her head.
She had been a little reckless, why was this person fixated on it?
Qin Ningyi gently twisted the doorknob, and Huo Rou's legs, which were draped over his arm, slowly slid down. To maintain his balance, she hooked her lower legs back slightly.
With a muffled grunt from Qin Ningyi, the door opened.
Huo Rou's face immediately flushed. With a clever move, she jumped out of Qin Ningyi's embrace and stood a little distance away.
Qin Ningyi looked at her with a smile that was not a smile.
"I said I could walk myself." Huo Rou's voice was low, and it was hard to tell if it was more anger or annoyance.
"Come here."
Qin Ningyi took out the medicine box from the cupboard, his voice low and hoarse.
"Didn't you already treat the wound?" Huo Rou glanced indifferently at the spot on herself that Qin Ningyi had bandaged.
Then she was pulled over by a pair of large hands, without any explanation.
Qin Ningyi held her in his arms, carefully unwrapped the bandage, and blew gently. "The medicine at home is better."
He took out wound medicine from the medicine box and was about to apply it.
"Then I'll take a bath first." Huo Rou retreated slightly. She had broken out in a sweat from the exertion and wearing such thick clothes, feeling sticky and uncomfortable.
Qin Ningyi looked at her intently, as if contemplating something.
"I'm sticky," Huo Rou whispered, seeing his hesitation.
"The wound cannot come into contact with water."
"This..." Huo Rou glanced at her wounds. Although there weren't many, they were unevenly distributed, which made it a bit difficult.
Besides, a little water wouldn't hurt these wounds. She wasn't that delicate.
"No." Qin Ningyi seemed to know what she was thinking. He didn't move the medicine in his hand, his voice deep.
His tone was the same as when he said "you're not allowed" at the airport. Huo Rou knew the firmness behind it, so she decided to agree for now. He wouldn't know if she had touched water during her bath anyway, as long as she didn't make a sound.
"Okay. I won't touch it." As she finished speaking, she was about to get up to wash, but the hands that were holding her did not loosen.
Qin Ningyi looked into her eyes, seemingly assessing her.
The medicine box was put down, and Huo Rou was picked up by him again. This time, he walked directly towards the bathroom.
The room was well-heated.
Steam filled the bathroom as the water in the bathtub rose.
It was very hot.
Huo Rou sat on the edge of the sink, her feet dangling, making her feel insecure, especially with this well-dressed man crowding in, exuding an aggressive aura.
She weakly pushed against Qin Ningyi's firm arm.
Huo Rou's cheeks were flushed, her eyes darted around, not daring to look at him directly.
Although it was like this...
It was still a bit embarrassing.
"No." The same two words, but Qin Ningyi's voice was now hoarse, deep, and resonant:
"You don't care, but I do."
The temperature in the room rose a little more.
A damp, hot towel slowly wiped her body. He intently examined every inch of her wounds, avoiding them precisely.
"Don't do this again in the future," Qin Ningyi's hoarse voice reached her ears through the steam, moist and scorching. "Sometimes you don't need to injure yourself so severely."
Huo Rou's fighting style was to treat every opportunity as her last, sparing no effort to injure the opponent's vital points as long as she could. Even though she could have had a second chance, many injuries could have been avoided.
She wasn't without comrades by her side.
The steam seemed to seep into Huo Rou's eyes. She lowered her head without a word.
Trading eight hundred for a thousand, wasn't that worth it?
Besides, what she had learned was a style of seizing every sliver of opportunity to attack, not allowing the opponent any breathing room.
"Mmm." Huo Rou turned her head and casually responded. She closed her eyes, the days and nights in France flashing rapidly before her eyes.
Different opponents, different moves and tactics. Among a group of muscular men, as a petite woman, she could only win and survive by seizing every opportunity to make an attack the opponent's last.
A sound of water echoed. While she was lost in thought, Qin Ningyi had already gotten into the bathtub and was showering in the water that had been drawn.
"I'm going out!" Huo Rou immediately slid off the sink and darted out of the bathroom.
Qin Ningyi stood up, drying his hair, and looked at the conspicuous bruise on her fair shoulder blade. He followed her.