Volume One, Chapter 11: To Cure Ninth Master's Illness, Become Even Closer
“Can you walk?” Qin Zhan placed his hand on her thigh. The leg beneath her dress was slimmer than his palm, and he gently kneaded it. Li Qiuning blushed and her heart raced at his touch. She struggled not to dwell on the complicated intimacy between men and women; Ninth Master was unlike other men, and his kindness toward her was not born of those feelings.
Tears streaked her delicate face as she nodded with determination. “I can. I’ll walk on my own.”
Qin Zhan was reluctant to let go, but feared she might resist as she had before. “Go have something to eat first,” he said. “I’ll speak with the doctor.”
Li Qiuning quietly responded, casting a complicated glance at the elderly physician before heading to the dining room.
The old Chinese doctor respectfully addressed Ninth Master. “I had heard about your condition before coming. Generally, acquired cases like yours are highly likely to be cured. Are you still indifferent and powerless towards women?”
Qin Zhan recalled last night, when, for the first time in ages, he had felt something stir within him while with Li Qiuning. “Three months ago, I slept with a woman, but I’m not sure if it was real or a dream. Afterwards, I still felt no desire for women.”
He thought it was probably just a dream. Even when he was close to Li Qiuning, he’d always been calm.
The old physician replied, “Perhaps you need a greater stimulus. Even if it truly was a dream, deep down you must have such needs. Simply rejecting them isn’t helpful for recovery. Why not indulge yourself, just once?”
Qin Zhan glanced at the picky young woman nearby, his Adam’s apple shifting. “Mm.”
Li Qiuning regarded the table laden with delicious dishes, unable to enjoy them yet unwilling to waste them.
When the man entered the dining room, her eyes sparkled as she looked at him. “So? What did the doctor say?”
Qin Zhan sat beside her, noting she’d eaten little. He asked the auntie to prepare more dishes and ordered some from a restaurant. “I might be cured,” he said, staring intently at the innocent girl.
Li Qiuning’s brows arched, thinking it was good news. “What did the doctor say about treatment? If you cooperate, you’ll surely regain your vitality!”
Qin Zhan’s gaze grew darker. “He said I need a stronger stimulus. Ning’er, I always thought I had no interest in women, that I’d never feel that way. But last night, it stirred. The doctor says if I keep stimulating it, it may help my recovery.”
He was hinting that she should help him.
Li Qiuning stared in disbelief at the aloof, restrained Ninth Master. She never thought he was being lewd or deceitful; he didn’t like her, after all. He simply wanted to heal.
What shocked her was that Ninth Master would ask her for help, and only felt anything with her…
“I… I don’t know how… how to help you.” She lowered her head, gazing at the white rice in her bowl, terribly embarrassed.
Her cheeks burned as if aflame. She wasn’t a naive girl ignorant of the world; to help a man in such a way meant… Beyond that night, she’d never touched another man.
Qin Zhan looked at her bashful face with tolerance and expectation. “Perhaps just a few hugs, some intimate contact would suffice. Ning’er, I won’t hurt you, nor will I cross the line.”
He spoke seriously, like a gentleman, yet only he knew that beneath his noble pretense surged a tide of desire and dark thoughts.
“Do you trust me?”
Li Qiuning’s mind buzzed. Besides him, who else could she trust? Ninth Master had long become the most important person in her life. Even if he crossed the line, she would never blame him.
“I trust you. If I can help, I’m willing to do anything. I hope you truly get what you wish for, to have a child with the one you love.”
She offered her blessing sincerely, not daring to claim anything for herself.
Qin Zhan’s expression subtly shifted at her words. He picked up some lotus root and placed it in her bowl, his tone gentle. “Eat quickly, before it gets cold.”
His eyes were like a bottomless pool, cold and dark, threatening to consume everything they beheld.
She was unaware of the selfish thoughts lurking in her heart, so she smiled and agreed to his unreasonable request, not realizing he wanted far more than a hug—he wanted all of her.
Li Qiuning took a bite of lotus root; it tasted fine.
After sampling over a hundred dishes, she was finally full, preferring sour and intensely flavored foods.
Secretary Zhang entered. “Ninth Master, the plane for the return trip is ready.”
Qin Zhan watched Li Qiuning as she finished her meal and prepared to take a walk; his gaze never wavered. “And the Shang family?”
“Despite the chaos at the engagement banquet, they still claim the wedding will proceed. Shang Lu insists he will marry Miss Li.”
Secretary Zhang thought to himself how greedy the Shang family was—even after the engagement banquet was ruined, they refused to let go of Miss Li.
Qin Zhan’s expression chilled. “Still clinging to their ambitions. Gather all evidence against the Shang Group and send it to the Audit Office.”
Secretary Zhang complied. Ninth Master had long prepared this, but had held back because of Miss Li.
He had originally wanted to give the evidence to Miss Li as her weapon for self-preservation, but she seemed too naive; she’d probably hand it straight to Shang Lu.
They didn’t return to the capital until the evening.
After boarding the car, Qin Zhan wrapped his arm around the girl’s waist, his gaze deep and sincere. “Come here.”
He patted his thigh.
Beneath the black suit trousers, his long, muscular legs were firm and alluring.
Li Qiuning was still a bit uneasy. Ever since she’d agreed, she seemed to be always sitting with him, nestled in his embrace, tightly held.
Her mind wavered. She leaned on Ninth Master’s arm and deftly settled herself on his lap, her feet leaving the floor, her whole weight resting in his embrace.
“Ninth Master…” she hesitated, her eyes bright and moist like freshly washed gemstones.
Qin Zhan held her close, lowering his head near hers, his breath brushing against her neck. “Hmm?”
Li Qiuning swallowed, meeting his dark gaze. “My stomach hurts.”
She guided his hand to her slightly rounded belly.
Qin Zhan gently stroked it, even through the fabric he could feel its softness. “Do you feel nauseous?”
“A little. Could you rub it?” She’d discovered on the plane that when he massaged her stomach, the discomfort eased.
Qin Zhan’s elegantly jointed hand moved naturally over her belly, his touch gentle as he watched her face for any change.
Li Qiuning frowned. Even with the window open, she clung tightly to Ninth Master’s ringed hand. “Stop the car!”
She certainly didn’t want to vomit inside.
Once the car stopped, Qin Zhan helped her out. She spent some time retching by the roadside.
Suddenly, something unexpected happened.