Chapter 109: Comrade, Do You Need Something?

She decided it was better to change the subject. Su Qinghu glanced at Chen Lie and said, “I’m not really tired, just a bit thirsty.”

Chen Lie felt a little inexplicably guilty under Su Qinghu’s smile and glanced at the team leader.

“...” The team leader immediately spoke up, “We have water in the office! Let’s hurry!”

When a man says “let’s hurry,” he really means it. By the time they reached the station, Su Qinghu’s back was drenched with sweat, and fine strands of hair were stuck to her forehead and cheeks.

Damn man!

Su Qinghu shot Chen Lie a glare, then looked away in annoyance. The reason she was so hot and sweaty today was all thanks to Chen Lie!

Hopefully, the two sets of clothes she washed would be dry by tomorrow so she wouldn’t be delayed in wearing them.

Yes, two sets. One she’d changed out of after a fight, and the other she’d worn for an interview. After the interview, she’d had a meal, come back, showered, and washed both sets at the same time.

The one she was wearing now was the only clean set she had left.

In short, she had nothing else to change into.

Once they left and she was alone in the reception room, Su Qinghu collapsed into a chair. She felt so hot she was practically steaming, and didn’t even have the energy to pour herself some water.

Fifteen minutes later, Chen Lie and the team leader returned. The team leader noticed Su Qinghu didn’t have a cup and chuckled awkwardly, “Sister-in-law, is your water bottle empty? Wait here, I’ll go boil some water right now.”

“No need, just give me the medicine,” Chen Lie cut in, “The medicine for bruises and sprains.”

The team leader quickly pulled a bottle from a drawer and handed it over. Chen Lie took it and walked over to Su Qinghu. “Let’s go.”

Su Qinghu stood up and smiled at the team leader. “We’ll be off, then.”

All her good mood vanished the moment they stepped outside.

“I’m tired,” Su Qinghu said, stopping in her tracks.

Chen Lie: “...Want me to carry you?”

“No, if you carry me on your back, there’ll be more contact and it’ll feel even hotter,” Su Qinghu blurted out.

After she finished, she noticed Chen Lie didn’t respond and looked at him in confusion. “What’s wrong? Did I say something wrong?”

She hadn’t realized anything was off until she saw his awkward posture in the light, and then it hit her.

Back to chest?

Oh god, she really hadn’t meant to flirt with him this time!

“You—”

Su Qinghu was about to speak when Chen Lie interrupted, “You’d better walk. There’s a bit of a breeze now, it’ll feel cooler.”

Su Qinghu: Breeze? What breeze? How come I don’t feel any wind?

“If you’re still hot, I’ll pick some plane tree leaves later and fan you with them,” Chen Lie offered.

Su Qinghu was stunned.

How did this man come up with such a bizarre idea?!

Chen Lie started walking ahead. “Come on, there are plane trees just up ahead.”

“...” Su Qinghu rushed forward, grabbed Chen Lie around the waist, and refused to let him go. “Fine, I won’t be picky. Just carry me now!”

Hot or not, more contact or not—when she was this tired and had no better option, she decided to compromise.

So what if it was hot? It was better than being hot, tired, and thirsty all at once.

In the darkness, Chen Lie’s face flushed red, but Su Qinghu couldn’t see it. She just clung to his waist, refusing to let go.

“I could carry you in my arms?” Chen Lie suggested, trying to negotiate. “...It’s cooler that way.”

“Do whatever you want, I just don’t want to walk anymore,” Su Qinghu let go of his waist. “By the way, I haven’t asked—where are you staying tonight?”

Chen Lie scooped her up in a bridal carry and countered, “You don’t have any problem not going back tonight, right?”

Su Qinghu’s heart skipped a beat.

No way, that fast? She wasn’t ready yet!

“I just want to have a proper talk with you,” Chen Lie added, “About you, and about the child.”

Su Qinghu’s burning heart was instantly doused with cold water.

Alright, she got it. As expected, this was going to be a serious talk triggered by that letter.

But—

—You don’t have any problem not going back tonight, right?

—I just want to have a proper talk.

Just hearing those two lines, wouldn’t anyone’s mind wander?

—About you, and about the child.

Add that, and it’s even more blush-inducing, heart-pounding, right?

Too bad Chen Lie’s tone was all wrong, clearly not thinking along those lines, making it impossible to take it the wrong way.

Su Qinghu let him carry her. “Fine, talk about whatever you want.”

“But I’m telling you, you can’t scold me or use too harsh a tone, or else, when I get back to the capital, I’ll tell Dadan and Erdan that you bullied me and yelled at me!”

“Before you say anything, Comrade Chen Lie, you’d better think it through. I don’t take kindly to being wronged, and I love rallying people to my side.”

Dadan, Erdan, father-in-law, mother-in-law—they were all people she could complain to~~~

Chen Lie was stunned by her barrage of preconditions and only managed to respond after a while, “I just wanted to remind you—next time you write a letter, please be more careful.”

Next time?

Su Qinghu was confused. What letter? She hadn’t written him any letter.

It was Erdan who wrote to him, okay?!

“My letters aren’t being checked now, but that doesn’t mean they never will be,” Chen Lie sighed. “That drawing you sent... it’s not really appropriate to mail—”

“That drawing was mine, but I didn’t send it,” Su Qinghu said. “Let me be clear, that letter was sent by your beloved son, Erdan. I had no idea about it.”

Chen Lie: “...How did you—”

“How did I find out? I tricked it out of him,” Su Qinghu answered straightforwardly. “Erdan confessed on his own.”

Afraid of being dropped and unable to reach Chen Lie’s neck for stability, Su Qinghu could only cling to the front of his shirt.

“...” Chen Lie suddenly realized his mistake and fell silent.

When he saw that letter and those childish handwriting, how did he end up blaming Su Qinghu for sending it?

Now that Chen Lie was quiet, Su Qinghu started her performance. “I know I was wrong too. I shouldn’t have left my drawings out for the kids to see.”

Chen Lie eyed Su Qinghu, trying to guess her next move.

Was she going to complain to him like a child and ask him to discipline the kids?

Su Qinghu said, “I’ve already scolded Erdan, so you don’t need to worry about it.”

Chen Lie was silent.

“So, do you have any more questions about the letter?” Su Qinghu asked.

Chen Lie: “...No.”

Su Qinghu smiled and nodded. “Since there aren’t any, you go back to your guesthouse, and I’ll go back to mine.”

If she didn’t go back, she’d have no clean clothes to wear tomorrow.

And right now, Chen Lie was still carrying her in his arms, just to avoid too much physical contact.

Yes, carrying her in his arms—not a princess carry, not anything romantic.

At this moment, she didn’t feel like a woman at all, but more like a wounded soldier being carried off the battlefield."