Xiao Qi, Wait: Chapter 14
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Glossary
Chapter 14: Xiao Qi, Don’t Go Past The Walls
From the start the small courtyard of the Song fu was not that large, and then to have two more adult men enter it seemed even more crowded.
Xiao Qi was still a bit indignant when it was time for bed. She had seen people that bully women before, for example, Song Liang Zhuo who had hit her twice, if the time that he flicked her forehead was also counted. But she had never seen this type of bullying women, to so arrogantly take someone else’s things and even act self-righteous about it.
There was an old saying about this, something like only by knowing their friends would you know the person. Song Liang Zhuo had such unreasonable friends, he truly proves that saying “similar things group together, similar people fit together”.
Ha Pi, because there wasn’t someone to specifically look after him everyday, would explore everywhere, beneath pots, in nooks and corners, so his sleeping place had already successfully been shifted from Qian Xiao Qi’s bed to the bed footrest in front of the bed. Qian Xiao Qi dropped her arm to stroke that Ha Pi who was dirty from all that exploring as she looked in the direction of the outer room, wide awake.
Song Liang Zhuo was also awake, he had lit a small lamp in the outer room and was reading. Listening to the sound of Xiao Qi tossing and turning inside, he lifted the corners of his mouth and said: “Xiao Qi hasn’t slept yet?”
“I can’t fall asleep!” Qian Xiao Qi jumped up into a sitting position and said melancholically: “Sleeping right after eating and nothing much to play with. How many hours today are there in the day? Just sleeping we sleep away six.”
The above is a literal translation, so ancient Chinese ‘hours’ were actually two hours. So there were 12 ‘hours’ a day. To sleep away 6 ‘hours’ is half the day. Not sure if it’s meant to be literal or Xiao Qi’s exaggeration.
“Come out and read for a while.”
Qian Xiao Qi thought for a moment, then put on her shoes and walked to the outer room.
It was currently early summer and tonight it was particularly hot. Su Qi Qi came out wearing light, pure-white, silk inner clothes. Her black hair was loose and swaying as she casually sat down and started flipping and picking through the books on the table.
Silk material, from the start was soft and slippery. When Xiao Qi propped up her arms to rest her cheek on her hand, that wide sleeve that was covering her arm slide down, exposing half a small arm which, in the faint light of the lamp, looked glistening and bright. Song Liang Zhuo glanced over, seeing her listless appearance, said in a warm voice: “What, bored again?”
“I am really bored! Your fu is stuffy and boring, boring like you!” Xiao Qi pouted.
This was the first time Song Liang Zhuo saw a woman acting indolent and spoiled like this. He gave an embarra.s.sed cough and said: “It’s only been steady for a couple days.”
“Official Song.”
“Hm?”
Xiao Qi propped up her chin with both hands, her eyes opened wide, as she sighed: “When will you finish repairing the dam?”
“Xiao Qi is concerned about the flood containment matters?”
“I’m concerned about when I’ll be able to go home.”
“Oh, that’s early yet.”
“Huh?” Qian Xiao Qi blinked: “What does ‘that’s early yet’ mean?”
Song Liang Zhuo’s eyes lowered, his expression seemed slightly displeased, but a moment later returned to his usual mildness. Qian Xiao Qi squinted her eyes as she sized up Song Liang Zhuo and humphed: “Official Song, you’re not coming up with some sort of bad idea, are you?”
By ‘bad’, the connotation is corrupt or useless ideas.
“I never come up with bad ideas.” Song Liang Zhuo thought for a moment, then said: “How about I take you out of the city for a stroll?”
“For real?!” Xiao Qi’s dull and bored expression was swept clean. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Song Liang Zhou, the splitting image of Ha Pi when he wants meat to eat.
The corner of Song Liang Zhuo’s mouth slowly lifted, exposing the rare sight of two rows of teeth as he said: “Of course for real.”
“Ah!” Xiao Qi suddenly stood up and smiled as she picked up the palm fan on the small couch, then eagerly ran behind Song Liang Zhuo to attentively fan him for a moment before her movements paused. She asked dubiously: “Official Song really wants to bring me out to play? It couldn’t be to watch you work at flood management, right?”
Song Liang Zhuo looked slightly embarra.s.sed as if he had been seen through. He covered his mouth and gave a light cough: “Taking you to see a scenery.”
“What scenery?”
“You’ll know when we get there.”
Qian Xiao Qi happily starting thinking of Tongxu county’s sceneries, recalling all the places she had visited before. Then she realized, all the places she had been to before were inside the city county. Though she did leave the city to take walks a few times during the spring, she never did see any particularly unusual scenery.
Qian Xiao Qi was full of expectations from the bottom of her heart. She laughed as both her hands increased in enthusiasm. That lamp flame which was barely larger than a pea flickered twice before the room instantly plunged into darkness.
Qian Xiao Qi was embarra.s.sed but also a bit scared as she leaned towards Song Liang Zhuo. She forced a laugh: “Why wasn’t the window closed properly?”
Song Liang Zhou’s mouth twitched. He felt about on the table to find the flintstone.
Qian Xiao Qi was afraid of the dark, if not for the fact that she was not close with Song Liang Zhuo, reckon she would have jumped straight into his chest by now. At this time her position was also very close to Song Liang Zhuo. Song Liang Zhuo’s movements created an air current that faintly carried the scent of her fragrance.
The corner of Song Liang Zhuo’s mouth hooked and he light the lamp again by touch. Qian Xiao Qi was relieved, and moved back to properly sit in her original seat. In a self justifying manner she said with a smile: “The wind from the window is rather strong so I won’t fan you anymore.”
Song Liang Zhuo nodded and lowered his head to continue reading the book in front of him. Qian Xiao Qi also picked up a book and flipped through it. Seeing that it was all some historical data, she put it down again in disinterest. She plopped onto the table and looked up at Song Liang Zhuo who had his head bent to concentrate on reading.
Must say, this person is pretty good-looking! Qian Xiao Qi mulled over it in her heart. He’s just a bit unpleasing. Why is it that all the guys that are a bit good-looking are all so unpleasing?
Qian Xiao Qi’s eyes drifted to the side, staring at the thread of smoke emitted by the incense burner she gave a yawn.
Ankle area was a bit itchy. Qian Xiao Qi frowned as she pulled her legs up onto the chair and scratched, hugging her knees. She said with a pout: “Official Song, your room has mosquitoes.”
Song Liang Zhuo lifted his head and looked over to see Xiao Qi hugging her knees, her hair draped over her shoulders in a pet.i.te manner, and slightly knitted his brows. Seriously, she really doesn’t think of him as a man!
Song Liang Zhuo sighed, took off the scented sachet hanging on his waist and handed it over. Xiao Qi received it and sniffed it, then bent her head to tie it around her ankle.
“Such a vicious mosquito, it’s already swelling up.” Xiao Qi rubbed her ankle as she muttered.
“Official Song, no mosquitoes bit you?”
Song Liang Zhuo put down the book: “If there is a mosquito there will naturally be someone who gets bitten.”
“That is how things are, but I seem to remember that Mother once said it before and she wouldn’t get bitten by mosquitoes.”
I think what QXQ means is the phrase “such vicious mosquitoes”, like if you curse at the mosquitoes mosquitoes won’t bite you.
“Mosquitoes also have their own preferences.”
Xiao Qi thought about it and said with a smile: “That’s true. Mosquitoes are also living things, if it’s living then it’ll have its own preferences.” In the blink of an eye Xiao Qi had switched to a bitter expression, frowning: “But why bite me? Is my blood particularly fragrant?”
But it was only for one instant and she was smiling again: “Perhaps. Mosquitoes don’t bite you is because they’re avoiding your stink. Haha, that’s definitely it. Stinky blood!”
Xiao Qi slightly lifted her head and giggled mischievously, then placed her chin on her knees as she continued to mutter.
Song Liang Zhuo shook his head, then picked up that book which contained nothing much to look at and began reading again.
Qian Xiao Qi muttered this and that for a long time, her voice gradually diminishing. Song Liang Zhuo raised his head and saw Qian Xiao Qi was already curled into a ball on the chair and looked fatigued, swaying, one nod, two nods, almost falling off the chair.
Song Liang Zhuo placed the book down and walked over to stand where Xiao Qi was leaning. Xiao Qi probably found a support cushion. Once she leaned over she didn’t involuntarily jerk back anymore and leaned against Song Liang Zhuo’s chest, drooling. She lifted her hand to pat Song Liang Zhuo’s stomach as she muttered “Ha Pi” and rubbed her cheek against him before falling asleep.
Song Liang Zhuo softly humphed: “Such nerve, who do you think you’re treating as Ha Pi?”
Angry though angry, Song Liang Zhuo still leaned over to pick up Xiao Qi who was curled up into a ball and gently carry her into the inner room.
Qian Xiao Qi opened her eyes in a daze, seeing Song Liang Zhuo who was currently covering her with a blanket she pouted and exerted her strength to say: “Official Song, this bed is mine.”
The corners of Song Liang Zhuo’s mouth twitched again.
“Official Song, eat breakfast…… Oh, deep-fried breadsticks.”
油条 youtiao, they taste soo good dipped in a light or savory soup.
The tip of Song Liang Zhuo’s eyebrows twitched.
“En, sleep.”
Song Liang Zhuo helplessly shrugged.
Song Liang Zhuo watched as Xiao Qi turned over and flung her arms and legs wide to the side, shook his head, lowered the mosquito net and left the room.
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Credits: Translated by Chiyomira, Edited by Sonia