Chapter 906: Chapter 886: Accompany Her Shopping
Nie Yixiao suddenly recalled the wild scene in the private room at the bar last night. Avoiding her gaze, he changed the topic and said, "Wake up early tomorrow."
"Hmm?" Qiao Yongyong was puzzled.
"I’ll take you shopping for some daily necessities."
Since she was staying here, even if it was just for a few days, besides pajamas, she needed to prepare some basic personal items.
A glimmer of anticipation filled Qiao Yongyong’s eyes. "Really?"
He had initially thought about asking Aunt Yue to buy them for her tomorrow, but in a flash, for some inexplicable reason, he blurted out that he would take her himself. Now, he couldn’t take it back, so he simply nodded. "Go to your room and sleep."
Qiao Yongyong nearly jumped with joy. She quickly returned to her bedroom, eager to rest up for tomorrow’s shopping trip.
Back in her room, she got under the blanket, but her heart was still beating wildly, refusing to calm down.
He had protected her in so many ways. To take revenge on those thugs, he had even stayed behind at Yunling for her sake...
Was this a sign he was starting to see her differently? Slowly accepting her and even willing to spend time with her?
With a sweet smile hanging at the corners of her lips, she hugged her blanket and gradually drifted into a peaceful, sweet slumber.
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The following morning, after breakfast, Nie Yixiao drove Qiao Yongyong to a department store in the city.
The two of them started off at the women’s lingerie section. As soon as Qiao Yongyong walked in, she smoothly began picking items.
Nie Yixiao, having never accompanied a woman to buy clothes, waited outside the counter on the sofa, sternly reminding her, "Hurry up and make your choice."
Seeing that he wouldn’t come in, Qiao Yongyong didn’t force him and could only leisurely select her items with the sales assistant’s guidance.
Half an hour had passed, yet the girl still hadn’t chosen anything.
Nie Yixiao’s expression grew darker. He couldn’t understand how choosing lingerie could possibly take this long. At the end of the day, wasn’t it just a couple of pieces of fabric?
Feeling his impatience, Qiao Yongyong suddenly picked up the bras she was considering and shouted loudly, "Brother Yixiao, how about this one? The comfortable and push-up type? Or this seamless, smooth-surface one with a pretty racerback design?"
Nie Yixiao’s face darkened even more. This girl really was thick-skinned by nature. He lowered his voice and said, "Whatever."
Qiao Yongyong muttered under her breath, "Lingerie is so important. Wearing the wrong size can distort your figure... How could you just say ’whatever’?"
Nie Yixiao: "..."
The sales assistant chimed in as well, "That’s right, sir. If your girlfriend picks good lingerie, it’ll make you happy to look at too. You could offer her some suggestions, you know."
Nie Yixiao finally couldn’t take it anymore. "Just buy all of them. Pack them up."
The sales assistant, delighted, quickly started packing the items.
Only then was Qiao Yongyong’s incessant shopping finally stopped.
After enduring this most awkward part of their shopping trip, everything else, like shopping for feminine hygiene products, didn’t seem so bad.
By the end of the day, Nie Yixiao was carrying bags upon bags of purchases as he drove Qiao Yongyong back.
Perhaps it was the exhaustion of the day, or maybe the lingering effects of last night’s drug hadn’t entirely worn off—Qiao Yongyong fell asleep just a few minutes after getting into the car, sleeping deeply.
As Nie Yixiao drove, he occasionally glanced at the girl beside him.
She slept with a satisfied smile on her lips. The soft glow of the setting sun filtered in through the car window, gently illuminating one side of her face, making her seem peaceful and serene.
Without realizing it, he slowed the car down a little. When they finally reached the apartment, he spotted a familiar car parked out front.
With a click, the car door opened, and Jiayi, seeing the two return, quickly got out of her car and walked over. "Brother Yixiao."
Early this morning, after Nie Yixiao had carried Qiao Yongyong back to the apartment, he called the Huo Family to reassure them, saying that Qiao Yongyong had been found.
When Jiayi received word from Nie Yixiao that Qiao Yongyong had been drugged at the bar and nearly assaulted, she had been alarmed, and even Huo Zhenyang had frowned at the news.
Even though they knew that Qiao Yongyong, under Nie Yixiao’s care, would be fine, given her status as a guest of the Huo Family, Jiayi had still come to check on her today.
Noticing that Qiao Yongyong was still asleep, Nie Yixiao stepped out of the car. Understanding Jiayi’s purpose, he said, "The girl’s fine. I took her shopping for some necessities earlier today, and she got too tired. She’s asleep."
Jiayi caught a glimpse of the shopping bags in the backseat, then looked at the peacefully sleeping Qiao Yongyong. Feeling reassured, she couldn’t help but have a thought and pulled him aside to test the waters. "Brother Yixiao, do you... have feelings for Miss Qiao?"
He knew what she was insinuating, and his heart skipped a beat. He replied immediately, "I don’t have any feelings for her."
Jiayi seemed doubtful. "Then why were you more anxious than any of us when Miss Qiao went missing, rushing to search the entire city? And why would you let her stay at your apartment and even accompany her to buy such personal items..." She paused for a moment before speaking earnestly, "Brother Yixiao, if you’ve fallen for Miss Qiao and want to be with her, I’d actually be happy for you. I can tell how much she cares for you."
Jiayi sincerely wished for Brother Yixiao to find happiness.
Hearing her push him toward another woman, Nie Yixiao thought he’d feel upset, but instead, he felt a wave of panic.
Like her?
How could he possibly like that girl?
The kindness he had shown Qiao Yongyong over the past few days was nothing more than him making amends for having taken her first time, that was all.
"Jiayi," Nie Yixiao interrupted her, "I went to the bar to find her and let her stay at my apartment because I didn’t want you all to worry. After all, the Qiao Family and Huo Zhenyang have always had a good relationship. If something happened to Qiao Yongyong, or if she complained to her brother that she was nearly assaulted in Yunling, Qiao Zonghan would definitely be furious. If that strained the relationship between the Qiao and Huo Families, is that something you’d want to see?"
Hearing him deny having feelings for Qiao Yongyong, Jiayi didn’t press further. Maybe she had overthought things.
Taking another look at the sleeping girl in the car, she said, "You should get back. Let Young Master Huo know that Miss Qiao is resting at my place for a couple of days and that there’s nothing to worry about."
Jiayi nodded and returned to her car, leaving first.
Nie Yixiao stood there silently for a moment before walking back to the car. Bending down, he unfastened Qiao Yongyong’s seatbelt and gently picked her up.
After a few steps, Qiao Yongyong stirred, her sleepy eyes barely opening. She instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, snuggling closer into his chest. Murmuring, she said, "Brother Yixiao."
Feeling his presence nearby, her face grew even more peaceful and serene, exuding a sense of trust and contentment.
He frowned slightly. "If you’re awake, then get down and walk on your own."
Still half-asleep, she tightened her arms around his neck as she murmured lazily, "... Who said I was awake? I’m not."
He couldn’t help but chuckle, his gaze falling on her sweetly sleeping expression. In the end, his face softened, and he didn’t set her down.
He carried her into the apartment and placed her on the bed in the bedroom. Aunt Yue followed them inside. "Mr. Nie and Miss Qiao are back."
Nie Yixiao instinctively shushed her softly, motioning for her not to disturb the sleeping girl. After tucking a blanket around Qiao Yongyong, he turned and walked out of the room, instructing, "Don’t wake her before dinner. Let her sleep... The bruises on her body have almost faded. Just apply a warm compress with medicinal ointment tonight."
