Chapter 28: The Eyes Have Their Own Intentions

Lan Jin gazed hopefully at the clothes she had tossed aside, only to discover that the white shapewear was stained all over with black filth. More precisely, this black filth resembled some kind of viscous, slippery ink, and at the same time, it exuded a nauseating stench.

“What on earth is this?” Lan Jin was completely baffled. She showered every night; there was simply no way she could be this dirty. So where had these disgusting stains come from?

“No, shouldn’t I be thinking about how to change into new clothes without being seen?” Yet, before this thought had fully faded, Qin Chuan’s voice came from outside, urging her, “How much longer are you going to be in there? I really can’t hold it anymore.”

“You can use the bathroom in another room. While you’re at it, bring me a change of clothes,” Lan Jin replied as she quickly locked the bathroom door. In her haste to wash off the grime, she’d forgotten to lock it before. Thank goodness Qin Chuan hadn’t just barged in earlier, or she would have been thoroughly exposed.

Qin Chuan sounded a little disgruntled. “It’s one thing for me not to get paid for healing you, but now you’re ordering me around too? Do you really think I’m that easy-going? Even so, you could at least ask me nicely!”

“Please, Daddy, would you bring me a change of clothes?” Lan Jin decided that, compared to being seen naked, a little loss of dignity was nothing—she could always deny it later anyway.

“That’s more like it!” Qin Chuan replied with satisfaction as he headed out. When he opened the door, he saw that only a single bodyguard was left standing in the hallway.

Ah Wei hurried over and asked respectfully, “Mr. Qin, is there anything you need?”

Faced with the man who might soon become the Blue family’s favored son-in-law, Ah Wei was more than eager to curry favor.

“Bring two sets of your young lady’s clothes; the ones she was wearing are no longer usable,” Qin Chuan said with a smile.

“Yes, Mr. Qin. I’ll have the maid fetch them right away.” Though he said this politely, inwardly Ah Wei couldn’t help but muse: Who would’ve thought that Mr. Qin, who looks so refined, is into tearing clothes? He’s got quite the taste.

Qin Chuan, meanwhile, slipped into a nearby empty room to take care of his own needs. Treating Lan Jin earlier hadn’t required him to use his internal energy, so the locked Nine Suns Qi within him hadn’t shown any signs of loosening, which was a relief.

By the time Qin Chuan returned, a maid was already waiting outside the door, cradling a stack of clothes in her arms, with everything from outerwear to undergarments included.

“Mr. Qin, the clothes are ready. Should I bring them in to the young lady?” The maid’s tone was equally respectful.

Without Qin Chuan’s permission, she didn’t dare act on her own. Ordinarily, she would have just gone in and handed the clothes to Lan Jin herself.

“I’ll take them in,” Qin Chuan replied with a grin.

The maid gave him a knowing look, set the clothes in his hands, and went about her business without delay.

Qin Chuan, delighted, entered the room, deciding to play a little trick on Lan Jin as interest for his services.

“Good girl, your clothes are here—come out and get them!” he called out deliberately louder.

Lan Jin had heard him close the door and was already agonizing over how to retrieve the clothes, given that the largest thing she could wrap herself in was a towel.

“Um, could you just bring them in here for me?” Lan Jin’s embarrassment was overwhelming; her cheeks were burning as she saw her own reflection blushing furiously in the mirror.

It was exactly the answer Qin Chuan had been hoping for. He agreed readily and approached the bathroom door, knocking gently without opening it.

“I’ll open the door just a crack. Hand me the clothes through the gap,” Lan Jin said firmly.

“That won’t do,” Qin Chuan objected. “There are so many clothes here—I can’t pass them through one by one, can I?”

Lan Jin’s mouth twitched. Suddenly realizing that some of her undergarments were included, her cheeks grew even hotter.

“Then… I’ll open it wide enough for half my body. That should be more than enough,” she insisted.

“Alright,” Qin Chuan agreed, deciding he’d scare her a bit more later—his prank was just about to pay off.

Click!

“Give me the clothes!” The sliding door opened a fraction, and Lan Jin extended a fair, flawless arm.

Through the gap, Qin Chuan caught a glimpse of her profile, though partially obscured by damp hair, the pure allure of her beauty was unmistakable.

He swallowed hard, feeling a blaze ignite in his lower abdomen.

“Hurry, give them to me!” Lan Jin pouted, sneaking a glance at Qin Chuan, noticing the flash of amazement and dazed admiration in his eyes. A strange sense of pride and delight welled up within her.

“Oh, here… here you go!” Qin Chuan snapped back to reality, his mind now entirely occupied by visions of those long, white legs.

Lan Jin grabbed the clothes and tried to close the bathroom door quickly, but in her haste, her foot slipped just as she applied force.

“Ah!” she cried out, falling backward.

Qin Chuan reacted instantly, flinging the door open and catching Lan Jin—or more accurately, catching the bathrobe wrapped around her.

Rip!

The robe slipped off.

All Qin Chuan saw was a flash of dazzling white, enough to make his head spin. He saw everything, both what he should and shouldn’t see, swallowing hard, his mouth suddenly dry.

After a moment, Qin Chuan felt something stirring in his nose, as if it threatened to spill out at any second.

“What nonsense am I thinking?” he chided himself. “I’m saving her! Yes, this is purely a rescue.”

He tried to convince himself, though his eyes couldn’t help but steal a few more glances.

“What’s going on? Do my eyes have a mind of their own now?” he muttered, then quickly leaned forward to catch the still-falling Lan Jin.

Fortunately, Qin Chuan was quick; just as Lan Jin was about to hit the ground, he grabbed her arm.

“Ah!” After her initial panic, Lan Jin realized she was completely exposed. She let out a startled cry and tried to yank her arm away.

It was an instinctive, protective reaction, but Lan Jin hadn’t considered the slippery bathroom floor or that Qin Chuan was already off-balance from leaning forward.

Losing his footing and caught off guard by her sudden pull, Qin Chuan slipped and fell right onto Lan Jin. Still, to prevent injury, he managed to cushion the back of her head with his hand.

Thud!

They both crashed to the floor.

Luckily, Lan Jin hadn’t been very high off the ground, or even with Qin Chuan’s protection, she might have suffered a worse fall.

They landed together, bodies pressed close, eyes meeting in silence. For a moment, the air was thick with an almost tangible intimacy.