“You…”
Although Qiu Ye knew Bai Yao was not as cold and innocent as she appeared on the surface, this was a bit too exaggerated.
He lowered his head to look at the item in his hand, then looked back up at Bai Yao, sucking in a breath of air in disbelief.
“Why on earth did you buy this thing?”
“I…”
Bai Yao froze in place, stuttering as she tried to explain, her face feeling searingly hot.
“I was just curious…”
Her gaze drifted toward the ceiling.
A wave of intense shame made her feel dizzy, and her body felt paralyzed, unable to move.
Qiu Ye twitched the corner of his mouth.
“It’s this big?”
“I-it’s just… I didn’t pay attention to the size,” Bai Yao quickly argued.
“I bought it but never used it! I didn’t dare throw it away, so I’ve just been keeping it hidden in the delivery box!”
“Hmm, I don’t think it’s possible for you to have used it anyway.”
A smaller size would be one thing, but with a size like this, it would be strange if Bai Yao could have used it.
Bai Yao tried her best to look calm and confident to avoid feeling guilty.
However, she was too embarrassed to even raise her head, feeling as though she must already appear to be a total pervert in Qiu Ye’s eyes—even though, truthfully, she was.
Bai Yao didn’t dare meet Qiu Ye’s eyes, staring down at her toes in agony.
“To be honest, it’s not that exaggerated, right? It’s just one size bigger than you, Qiu Ye…”
She scrambled to think of a rebuttal in her mind, but her brain, overwhelmed by shame, wouldn’t function.
“You’re about that big too, right?”
The words were out before she could stop them, and Bai Yao immediately regretted it.
Qiu Ye looked up at her, bewildered.
Bai Yao felt a fire burning in her chest, her mind going completely blank.
Bai Yao’s endurance finally hit its limit.
Shifting from shame to stiffness, and then to enraged embarrassment, she let out a shriek and lunged forward.
“Ah! Put it away! Hurry! Stop waving it around!”
She snatched the toy, shoved it into the closet, and slammed the door shut, gasping for air.
“I’m not that—”
“Stop saying it! Just stop!”
Bai Yao grabbed Qiu Ye and pulled him toward the door.
“We’re going to buy bedsheets! Don’t say another word!”
“No, wait, have you been secretly observing how—”
“I have not!”
She cut him off again, glaring at him warily.
The guy was smiling with a suggestive, meaningful look on his face, as if he were teasing a cat.
She threw a punch at him in frustration, though her small fist lacked any real power.
She had to force her face to stay stern, trying her best to calm down.
“You—”
“No! None of that! Don’t bring it up again!”
Seeing that Bai Yao could no longer maintain her cold facade, her face flushed a bright, vibrant red, Qiu Ye sighed inwardly once more: ‘This girl is really hiding a wild side behind that cold exterior.’
He never expected Bai Yao to be curious about such things, let alone go out and buy one.
No wonder she always seemed so nervous whenever he went near her closet today.
Did this mean Bai Yao was a bit sexually frustrated?
Just as Bai Yao had feared, her image in Qiu Ye’s mind had transformed: from an introverted, cold girl, to a gentle little angel, then to a lustful ice-queen, and finally, to a sexually frustrated deviant…
*
After heading downstairs and catching a bit of the cool breeze, the flush on Bai Yao’s face finally began to fade.
She walked in front, feeling she had no face left to see Qiu Ye.
She hurried her pace, not daring to make eye contact as she headed toward the supermarket.
Although she could bring essentials like shampoo, body wash, toilet paper, and tissues from the dorm to the rental, items like a straw mat, bedsheets, a broom, and a dustpan still needed to be purchased.
Bai Yao was also considering replacing her towel and using the old one as a cleaning rag.
Paying the first month’s rent and the security deposit had already cost over 1,000, and with these new purchases, she probably wouldn’t stay under 200.
While shopping, Bai Yao started to feel the pain of spending money again.
She only received 100 per completed task…
Living in the dorms was fine because she didn’t spend much, but today, with the move, money was flowing out like water.
Qiu Ye seemed to have temporarily put the earlier incident aside and helped Bai Yao pick things out.
“Should we get a better towel? Let’s choose a new one.”
“This one feels nice. It’s soft and fluffy.”
Bai Yao snuck a glance at his expression and let out a small sigh of relief.
“It’s a bit expensive. I’ll just buy one online later.”
“Then let’s just get the straw mat first; the other things aren’t urgent.”
“Mm.”
“Did you buy that thing online, too?”
As soon as Qiu Ye finished his sentence, Bai Yao’s face flushed deep red at a visible speed.
She turned her head away, completely ignoring him.
He found it both funny and cute, musing to himself, “That would kill someone, wouldn’t it?”
Bai Yao punched him in a fit of bashful rage, grabbed the straw mat, and went to the checkout.
*
By the time they returned to the rental and finished cleaning up, it was already past 9:00 PM.
Bai Yao curled up on the straw mat, her back against the headboard, knees pulled up to her chest.
She clutched a quilt around her, leaving only her eyes visible as she gazed at Qiu Ye.
“Hurry up and get out! Don’t linger in my apartment!”
She just wanted to be alone to find some peace; she didn’t want to face Qiu Ye at all.
Qiu Ye placed the empty suitcase on top of the closet and turned back.
Bai Yao flinched, immediately looking down at her phone.
“I suppose it’s time for me to go back?”
“Yes.”
“Won’t you be scared being here alone at night?”
“No.”
Qiu Ye felt a bit of regret; he had wanted to find an excuse to stay over.
“Should we wake up at 7:30 tomorrow? Should I come by to get breakfast with you?”
“Whatever.”
[Cohabitation! Cohabitation!]
[You finally have the chance to live alone with Qiu Ye! You are already boyfriend and girlfriend, so you no longer need to be as reserved as before! It is time to speak up, ask him to stay, and experience life together!]
[Friendly Tip: You still have a chance to regret it before marriage. Cohabitation allows you to test if Qiu Ye is all show and no substance, helps you adjust to living habits in advance, and lets you see a hidden side of a person.]
[Cohabitation! Cash Reward: 100]
They had only been boyfriend and girlfriend for 9 days, and they were supposed to move in together already?
However, Bai Yao had spent over 1,000 on this rental, and she was quite greedy for the 100 reward.
She watched as Qiu Ye started putting on his shoes to leave.
Bai Yao took a deep breath, but ultimately suppressed the urge to complete the task.
The main issue was that she was still far too embarrassed; it was far too awkward for a man and a woman to be alone in one room right now.
‘I’ll think about it in a couple of days.’
“I’m off. Remember to lock the door tonight.”
“Okay.”
Qiu Ye took the trash with him, pushed the door open, and closed it on his way out.
He hadn’t walked more than two steps before he heard the sound of the door being double-locked behind him.
A moment later, Bai Yao’s utterly mortified shriek could be heard echoing through the hallway:
“Aaaaah—I have no face left to face anyone!”
It was heard loud and clear.
Qiu Ye walked back to the doorway of the rental and knocked, reminding her, “Keep it down, they can hear you in the hallway.”
The room went silent in an instant.
Bai Yao hid herself completely under the covers, holding her breath, staring grimly toward the door.
Only when she heard Qiu Ye’s footsteps fade away did she clutch her quilt and roll around on the bed, though she didn’t dare make another sound.
“Ahhh! It’s all the System’s fault!”
“My pure image is completely ruined!”