Xiu Gou's Taming Record

Chapter 116 Stealing Half a Day of Leisure

We came back from Zhou Mengqi's place, and it was still early, not even ten o'clock.

When Yu Heng pushed the door open and came in, Bai Xinran was sitting cross-legged on the sofa.

She looked up and said, "You're back."

"Hmm." Yu Heng changed his shoes and went to the kitchen to make a cup of black tea.

He took his cup, walked to the sofa, and sat down. He glanced at the notebook in her hand and asked, "What are you drawing?"

"Just practicing..." Bai Xinran tilted the notebook towards him. The paper had an anime character on it that Yu Heng had never seen before; it must have been her original work.

Yu Heng blew on it and took a sip of tea.

Since my rebirth, I've lived a fast-paced life, always busy.

It's rare to have nothing to do this weekend, so I'm stealing a half-day of leisure.

The living room was quiet, and sunlight streamed in from the balcony, with dust particles slowly floating in the beams of light.

He leaned back on the sofa and let out a long sigh.

Bai Xinran stopped writing and turned to look at him.

His eyes were closed, and his brow was slightly furrowed.

She shifted her position, moving closer to him.

"Are you tired?" she asked, softening her voice.

"It's alright." Yu Heng opened his eyes and looked at her face as she leaned closer. "It's rare for me to relax like this for a while."

Bai Xinran smiled, put the notebook and pen on the coffee table, slid down a bit, and rested her head on his lap.

She's been doing this pose a lot lately. She was a little embarrassed at first, but now it feels much more natural.

Yu Heng didn't move, casually running his fingers through her hair, stroking it gently.

Her hair had grown quite a bit, and the ends brushed against his palm, making it a little itchy.

"What did you say when you went to their place this morning?" Bai Xinran asked.

"I talked about filming the video." Yu Heng briefly explained the concept of "Soul Pawnshop".

Bai Xinran listened quietly, then blinked: "That sounds interesting. What about me? What kind of role can I play?"

"You?" Yu Heng looked down at her. "Focus your energy on the live stream first. Use them to test the waters."

"Hmm..." Bai Xinran responded without asking any further questions.

She didn't really care whether she acted or not; she was just looking for a topic to start a conversation.

What she was more concerned about was the movement of his fingers, which was neither too light nor too heavy, making her scalp itch and other parts of it.

Bai Xinran rubbed against his leg, finding a more comfortable position.

"What do you want to eat for lunch?" he asked.

"Either is fine," Bai Xinran said. "How about I cook some noodles? It's easy."

"Mmm," Yu Heng responded, his heart pressed against the top of her head as he gently massaged it.

Bai Xinran felt comfortable from his massage and let out a soft purring sound, like a cat.

Yu Heng heard this and his lips twitched slightly.

He looked down at her; her eyes were closed, and her eyelashes were very long.

With delicate skin and exquisite features, it's a face that looks so pure. I doubt anyone would imagine that this face could also open its mouth and roll its eyes.

Bai Xinran rested her head on his lap, feeling drowsy from his caresses.

After an unknown amount of time, he called out, "Ah Ling..."

"Hmm?" Bai Xinran opened her eyes and looked at him in confusion.

"It's alright, it's almost noon."

Bai Xinran pouted and turned her head back.

Those two rubs made him a little irritated, so he patted her back: "Get up, didn't you want to cook noodles?"

She responded, propped herself up, and as she moved away from his legs, she casually pressed down with her elbow.

Yu Heng hissed and grabbed her arm: "Did you do that on purpose?"

Bai Xinran looked completely innocent: "What do you mean, intentionally? I wasn't sitting properly."

Yu Heng stared at her for two seconds, then released her and slapped her on the bottom: "Go cook the noodles. If they're too salty or too bland, I'll punish you."

Bai Xinran clapped her hand over her bottom and jumped back two steps, her eyes crinkling into a smile: "Okay, I know."

She turned and walked towards the kitchen, her steps a little lighter.

Yu Heng picked up the tea that had already cooled down and took a big gulp.

Watching her retreating figure, I couldn't help but smile. Keeping such a little thing around is quite a way to relieve boredom.

-

Lunch was simple noodles: clear broth noodles with a poached egg and a couple of drops of sesame oil.

It was cooked by Bai Xinran, and the saltiness was just right.

But since the game was going to end that night, she needed to find a reason to punish her, so Yu Heng pouted and said, "It's getting a bit bland, so I'll just write it down ten times."

"Huh?" Bai Xinran frowned. "You're cheating. It's clearly not bland."

Yu Heng forced a smile: "I don't care, I said it's faded, so it's faded."

"You're bullying me!" Bai Xinran said, looking aggrieved.

"No," Yu Heng snorted and shook his head, "What are you bullying?"

Bai Xinran pouted: "You! Are! Bullying! A! Dog!"

"Haha, okay," Yu Heng pushed the bowl away and leaned back in his chair. "I'm finished eating. I have to go to training soon."

"Okay," Bai Xinran said, sipping her noodle soup. "How long will it take?"

"Two or three hours, should be back before five." Yu Heng glanced at the time; it was almost one. "Aren't you broadcasting this afternoon?"

"Yes, it starts at 2 PM today. The earlier it airs, the earlier it will be taken down," Bai Xinran said, putting down her bowl with a hint of embarrassment. "Make sure to set aside time for it tonight."

Then she got up to clear the dishes. Yu Heng watched as she stacked the bowls together and carried them into the kitchen, where the sound of running water could be heard.

He opened his phone and saw a notification from the coach in the training group: they would meet at the gymnasium at 2 p.m. to practice tactics, and there was still an hour or so left.

Yu Heng walked to the kitchen door. Bai Xinran was facing away from him, her sleeves rolled up to her elbows, her hands soaking in the sink.

Her back was thin, and her shoulder blades rose and fell slightly with her movements. Yu Heng walked over and hugged her from behind, his arms around her waist.

Bai Xinran paused for a moment, but didn't turn around, and continued washing the bowl in her hands.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her voice flat.

"It's nothing." Yu Heng rested his chin on her shoulder, inhaling her scent.

Bai Xinran let him hold her, rinsed the bowl clean, and put it in the drainer.

Then she turned off the tap, dried her hands with a towel, and turned around.

Yu Heng didn't let go, so she nestled close to him, looking up at him.

"Why don't you take a nap?" she said. "There's still a while until two o'clock."

"I'm not sleepy." Yu Heng lowered his head and touched her lips briefly before pulling away.

Bai Xinran's eyelashes trembled. This was the first time Yu Heng had ever kissed her!

"Then be careful during your training this afternoon," she said, her heart racing a little, "don't fall down again."

Yu Heng let go of her, went upstairs to change into sportswear, and went out.

-

Training ended around 4 p.m., and Yu Heng came out of the gymnasium, squinting at Hao Junran and Wang Shuo walking side by side in front of him.

During training, Yu Heng noticed that whenever Wang Shuo had the ball, he would pass it to Hao Junran.

Whenever they took a break, Wang Shuo would hand Hao Junran water.

Hao Junran is so slow to react; he happily grabbed the drink and started drinking it right away. Brother, do you know your future is in danger?

Oh wait, Wang Shuo's score is zero, which means his future is in jeopardy.

He recalled the way Wang Shuo looked at Hao Junran, that cautious look that seemed to hide something, and couldn't help but click his tongue.

It was a complex look in his eyes, a desire that he dared not have, a fear of being discovered if he got too close, and a reluctance to leave if he stayed away.