Chapter 233

She was interested in these things only on the premise that both parties were fully conscious—especially that she had to be fully conscious. That was the only way to ensure things wouldn’t get out of control and cause harm.

Trying them for the first time, and while drunk at that—alcohol amplified emotions and easily led things beyond control.

Zhong Ning felt a surge of guilt, but her gaze once again slid over to the collar lying to the side.

After a pause, she picked up a cushion and covered it.

Xie Shiqing hadn’t woken yet. Her breathing was steady—she was fast asleep.

Zhong Ning packed away everything they had used, putting them in a bag which she hung on her wrist. Then she gently wrapped the sleeping Xie Shiqing in a blanket, carefully picked her up, and carried her back to the bedroom.

A whole night had already passed. A shower could wait. It was better to let her sleep well first.

Zhong Ning went to take a shower herself. While looking in the mirror, she discovered a bite mark on her shoulder…

Absurd.

What an absurd night. They were clearly a couple, yet the whole thing felt like a one-night stand.

After getting dressed, she went downstairs to instruct the kitchen to prepare something easy to eat, then returned to the bedroom and lay back on the bed.

The moment she lay down, Xie Shiqing automatically rolled over and burrowed into her arms.

After all this time, Zhong Ning sometimes felt—or perhaps had to come up with a reason—that maybe Xie Shiqing simply had the kind of body that didn’t gain weight. It was hereditary, genetically determined, which was why she couldn’t gain no matter what.

Zhong Ning exercised regularly; even just walking the dog was a highly physical activity. She had a thin layer of muscle, a low body fat percentage—that was how she could burn off all the rich, delicious food she usually ate.

Xie Shiqing ate too. Each meal she had a bowl of rice—not too much, not too little—but her weight never increased.

Zhong Ning tilted her head, her gaze so tender it could fill the whole room. With her fingertips, she gently brushed away the strands of hair sticking to Xie Shiqing’s face, and tucked the corner of the blanket around her again.

Xie Shiqing slept until the afternoon.

She hadn’t opened her eyes yet, but leaned instinctively into the familiar warmth. After snuggling for a while, she gradually began to wake.

Before her memory returned, her body already remembered the soreness.

Her legs ached, especially the insides of her thighs—they felt like they’d been marinated in vinegar and then made to run ten kilometers. Her lower abdomen was slightly swollen, her waist felt twisted, her arms were weak—just lifting a hand was exhausting.

Even her eyes didn’t want to open. It felt like she’d cried for too long—her eyelids were swollen, dry and gritty.

“…Ning Ning.”

She opened her mouth, but no sound came out—only a raspy half-breath. That was when she realized her throat hurt terribly too.

But Zhong Ning was already awake. The moment she moved, Zhong Ning turned to look at her. “Are you feeling unwell anywhere, Shiqing? Are you okay?”

“Are you hungry? Do you want to eat something first, or take a shower first?”

Xie Shiqing struggled to squeeze out two words: “Shower.”

“Okay, okay, I’ll carry you. Don’t talk anymore.” Zhong Ning’s heart ached. “I’ll go run the water. You just lie here—I’ll be back quickly.”

She hurried off to fill the bathtub, then rushed back, carried Xie Shiqing into the bathroom, and carefully placed her into the tub. She even placed a towel along the edge so her head could rest on it.

Zhong Ning was truly a seasoned hand when it came to bathing Xie Shiqing.

“What happened last night… I’m really sorry. I was drunk. It was my fault.”

Zhong Ning spoke with a heavy tone. “I’m sorry.”

Xie Shiqing shook her head. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She only mouthed a few words, and Zhong Ning leaned in. “What did you say?”

“I liked it. Let’s do it again next time.”

Zhong Ning straightened up with her lips tightly pressed together, the tips of her ears gradually turning red. She gave a soft cough. “Okay. Okay… we’ll continue.”

“Once you’ve had enough rest.”

Xie Shiqing curved her eyes in a smile. Her moist, rosy face looked like a freshly washed peach, flushed and dewy.

After helping her bathe, Zhong Ning then fed her a meal. Seeing that it was about time, she got dressed to go out and visit Dr. Feng.

“You don’t need to come with me.” She pressed Xie Shiqing, who wanted to follow, back onto the bed. “Just rest well. We’ll have dinner together when I get back.”

“Then Ning Ning, be careful on the road.”

“Mm!”

Leaving a kiss on Xie Shiqing’s forehead, she quickly walked out of the room. If she dawdled any longer, she really would be late.

She couldn’t very well say she wanted to kiss her beloved a little more, so she decided to take a helicopter to the therapist’s office—how ridiculous.

She drove her own car, foot on the accelerator, and finally arrived five minutes early.

After Zhong Ning left, a little while later, Xie Shiqing felt strength returning to her limbs. The soreness had eased somewhat. She got out of bed, slowly shuffled her steps, and walked into the piano room.

The piano room was spacious and sparse, containing only one grand piano. Soft white curtains fluttered in the breeze, like a piece of cloud cut from the sky, floating gently.

Through the gaps between the drifting clouds in the blue sky, a corner of blue peeked through, like the lightest hue of sapphire.

Xie Shiqing slowly walked over and lifted the dust cover from the piano.

This piano had many years on it—it was bought when she was a child learning to play. It had been one of the most top-of-the-line instruments back then, now discontinued and out of production. The materials used were so fine that even after all these years, its tone was just as rich and clear as ever.

The low notes were deep and resonant, the high notes crisp and bell-like.

The last time she tuned it was over half a year ago, during a bout of jealousy.

And before that… was before the car accident.

It had been a long time since Xie Shiqing last touched a piano. She thought her hands would be stiff, but the moment they landed on the keys, with her eyes closed, she played a nocturne.

The music flowed from her fingertips—so natural, so pure.

Back when she was taking her level exams, her teacher had sat in the judges’ panel, frowning, looking pleased yet displeased.

She had said that Xie Shiqing’s playing lacked emotion, containing only technique. But this very technique was so exceptional, she could replicate sheet music flawlessly, like AI-generated perfect sound—without a single mistake or deviation.

She had still received her certificate.

But the teacher sought her out afterward, urging her to focus on her inner world, to listen to her own voice, and to seek her soul within. Only then could she play better music.

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