Chapter 212 - 84: Congratulations, You Succeeded
A glint appeared in Mrs. Xie’s eyes as an elegant smile spread across her face. "Oh, you! You’re such a little money-grubber."
"Hehe." Qin Mei chuckled, not bothering to deny it. ’She *was* a money-grubber, after all.’
"Alright, you’re right. To each their own. I won’t try to persuade you anymore. I’ll let you rest. I’m leaving now." Mrs. Xie gave in and rose gracefully to her feet.
"Goodbye, Mom. Take care." Qin Mei breathed a sigh of relief. She’d been terrified her mother-in-law might get angry and yank off the covers. ’What a stupid stunt. I’m never doing this again.’
’Thank goodness it was my mother-in-law. If it had been my father-in-law, I would’ve wanted the ground to swallow me whole.’
Qin Mei hadn’t even had a chance to get up before Jie Jingchen walked in. She was completely floored. ’Are they tagging each other in? Is this some kind of relay?’
Hearing the CLICK of the lock, Qin Mei instantly lost her nerve. ’So impulsive!’
As the footsteps drew closer, Qin Mei’s entire body went rigid, and she clutched the covers tightly. Her mother-in-law would just sit on the edge of the bed and chat. Jie Jingchen, on the other hand, was going to get into bed and sleep with her. ’There’s a big difference between wearing pajamas and not wearing them.’
"Um, Jie Jingchen, I think I hear Jing Qi calling you," Qin Mei said, her voice strained.
"You misheard." Standing by the bed, Jie Jingchen looked at the squirming, uneasy Qin Mei and frowned slightly.
"I didn’t mishear. Jing Qi is really calling for you. You should go see what they want," Qin Mei insisted, trying to sound convincing.
Jie Jingchen sat on the edge of the bed with his back to her and began taking off his shoes, preparing to get in. "Jing Qi kicked me out, so she wouldn’t be calling for me. If she were calling for anyone, it would be you. Why don’t you go check yourself?"
’Check what? How am I supposed to get out from under the covers dressed like this? I thought this guy was supposed to be considerate!’
Qin Mei took a calming breath, still clutching the covers, and said in a sweet tone, "Jie Jingchen, could you go ask Jing Qi what she wants from me?"
"Not going," Jie Jingchen refused flatly. He turned and reached for the covers.
"What are you doing?!" Qin Mei shrieked, hugging the covers and rolling over, wrapping herself up like a cocoon.
Jie Jingchen raised an eyebrow. This wasn’t the first time Qin Mei had hogged the blankets, and he usually let her have her way. But this time, he didn’t indulge her. He grabbed the edge of the covers and gave them a powerful tug.
Qin Mei was no match for Jie Jingchen’s strength. The covers were yanked away, and she went tumbling uncontrollably toward him. Just as she was about to roll off the bed, Jie Jingchen’s quick reflexes kicked in, and he wrapped an arm around her to stop her fall.
The moment his cool hand made contact with her smooth skin, Jie Jingchen froze. There was no fabric between them—he was touching her bare skin.
"You..." A jolt went through Jie Jingchen, and his blood instantly ran hot.
"Pervert!" Something in Qin Mei’s mind snapped. On pure reflex, she slapped Jie Jingchen across the face, shoved him away, and dived headfirst back under the covers.
Jie Jingchen stood there, dumbfounded, completely forgetting to react. ’She wasn’t wearing pajamas. Was it because she didn’t have time to put them on, or was it...?’
His sharp gaze swept the room, but he couldn’t see her pajamas anywhere. ’Where are they? I’m sure I left them on the bed for her so she could put them on easily.’
After a long moment of contemplation, Jie Jingchen took several deep breaths to rein in the arousal stirring within him.
"Qin Mei," Jie Jingchen said, his voice a little hoarse. His dark eyes were fixed on the lump that was her, curled up under the covers.
Jie Jingchen’s voice reached her clearly. ’That was so mortifying. I wonder what he’s thinking of me. He probably thinks I’m being promiscuous. If he thinks that and he’s *still* completely unmoved, then this isn’t just embarrassing—it’s a total disgrace.’
"Are you trying to suffocate in there?" The memory of her silky skin made another wave of heat wash over him.
"None of your business," came her muffled reply. She was getting hot under the covers but refused to come out for air.
"Qin Mei, let’s talk." His tone shifted. When he saw Qin Mei poke her head out from under the covers, his deep gaze gradually softened.
"Talk about what?" Her hair was a mess, beads of sweat dotted her forehead, and her breathing was shallow.
Jie Jingchen’s searing gaze was fixed on her as his lips slowly parted. "Qin Mei, I want..."
The corner of Qin Mei’s mouth twitched. ’He’s so direct.’ Her eyes darted away as she pretended not to understand. "Want what?"
"You asked me if I wanted to have a proper life with you. Qin Mei, I’m answering you now: I do. I want to have a proper life with you," Jie Jingchen said, his expression earnest and serious.
Qin Mei froze again. She’d completely misunderstood him. He wanted to have a proper life with her, not... do *that* with her.
Qin Mei took a deep breath. Still hiding under the covers, she looked at Jie Jingchen seriously and said, "Jie Jingchen, when I say ’a proper life,’ I don’t mean just living together like roommates. I mean a real marriage, with a normal married life. Do you get what I’m saying?"
A smile touched Jie Jingchen’s lips, his expression turning intense. "So you did this on purpose? Your goal was to seduce me?"