Chapter 35: Even male model photoshoots aren't this pleasing to the eye

Hiss!

The moment the door opened, the water that gushed out drenched Ning Jinli from head to toe.

She quickly stepped back, wiped her eyes, and realized that the pipe must have burst, turning the small bathroom into a water curtain cave.

Bath supplies were scattered all over the floor.

Xiao Qidi also fell to the ground.

Without thinking much, she rushed in again and shut off the valve amidst a leak as heavy as a downpour.

Then, instinctively, she tried to help Xiao Qidi up.

But seeing him completely naked, she was so startled she lost her balance, stumbled, and fell onto him.

Xiao Qidi let out a muffled groan, his brows slightly furrowed.

Ning Jinli's face flushed red, she scrambled to her feet, and in her panic grabbed a nearby washbasin and clanged it down over Xiao Qidi's lower abdomen.

The bathroom fell silent.

Ning Jinli's momentarily blank mind gradually came back to her.

Thud… thud… thud…

She heard her own heartbeat.

Heaven knows what she just saw!

Xiao Qidi broke the silence: "I didn't adjust the water temperature properly earlier, scalding the wound on my back, and accidentally broke the switch, then knocked things over."

Ning Jinli took several deep breaths to calm her heartbeat, "Are you hurt from the fall?"

Xiao Qidi shook his head: "It's fine. I'm sorry, it seems I've damaged your bathroom."

Ning Jinli looked at the mess all over the floor, then at the dignified king of Xuan Guo lying like that on the bathroom floor, and she felt a bit guilty.

This bathroom is tiny; usually Ning Jinli can barely turn around when she bathes.

Xiao Qidi is as tall as 1.98 meters; one can imagine how awkward his bumping around in there must have been.

"It's fine, it's fine…" Ning Jinli wiped the water from her face, trying hard not to look at his body.

But she couldn't help it a little.

An eighteen-year-old youth, so tall…

Being tall would be fine enough, but his physique is also excellent.

Broad shoulders, narrow waist, long legs—his muscle lines look as if they were carved.

Add to that his somewhat gloomy yet strikingly handsome face, and his wet black hair hanging loosely over his shoulders.

Hiss…

Even male model photoshoots aren't this pleasing to the eye.

She even wanted to pull out her phone to take a picture.

Hey, no other meaning.

Just felt like he was a work of art that could be photographed and admired slowly…

When people are lost in thought and feeling anxious, they unconsciously rush to find something to do to hide their embarrassment.

Ning Jinli was flustered, not stopping to consider the situation, and squatted down to pick up the scattered items on the floor.

Xiao Qidi tried to get up.

"Don't move, I'll handle it myself." Ning Jinli pressed down on the washbasin covering his lower abdomen.

Xiao Qidi: ……

He hadn't expected to help her tidy up while completely naked.

Just lying on the hard floor was somewhat uncomfortable.

Moreover, Ning Jinli was soaked through, her clothes clinging to her body and outlining a faint, graceful curve.

Her thin short-sleeve top became somewhat see-through.

Xiao Qidi suddenly realized that the scant, oddly shaped fabric he had seen earlier was actually clothing.

It was worn under her outer clothing……

That was……

He quickly averted his gaze.

He felt two streams of heat flowing from under his nose, and while Ning Jinli wasn't looking, he secretly wiped them away.

The tiny bathroom was very quiet, with only the sound of Ning Jinli frantically scrambling to pick up things from the floor.

Suddenly, thud!

The plastic washbasin covering Xiao Qidi's lower abdomen made a sound.

Ning Jinli, squatting on the ground, turned her head in confusion: "What sound."

Xiao Qidi turned his head to the side, his cheeks tensed, his Adam's apple rolling, and even the veins on his neck bulged.

"You… what's wrong, are you in pain?" Ning Jinli became even more puzzled.

Thud!

The washbasin sounded again, as if it might even jump up.

Ning Jinli gasped, "What's going on! Did a mouse crawl in?!"

The factory dormitory is old, and in the midsummer heat, it's also the time when mice are active and appear frequently.

Xiao Qidi just lay there motionless, without touching the washbasin with his hand—so that could only be the case!

She quickly lifted a gap in the washbasin.

Then her expression instantly went blank; in just a second her face flushed to the base of her neck, and she silently put the washbasin back down.

But at that moment, the washbasin seemed to lift itself up.

She instinctively pressed with her hand.

Only halfway through pressing did she realize what was happening; her already flushed face turned completely red.

And Xiao Qidi's complexion could no longer be described as merely unpleasant.

"Sorry… I… I…" Ning Jinli wished she could find a crack in the ground to hide in.

No crack? A drain will do!

Xiao Qidi squeezed out a few words from his tightly pressed thin lips, "Or… you could go out first?"

Saying that, he covered the washbasin with one hand, pushed himself up with the other, and stood.

"All right, all right, I'm going out… you… you be careful… I'll go buy you clothes and breakfast!" Ning Jinli covered her face and fled.

How embarrassing, so embarrassing!

Even after she drove out of the factory, her face was still burning.

She even forgot to change out of her wet clothes.

"Ah, what on earth is this…?" Ning Jinli turned the car's air conditioning to the lowest, shivered, and finally felt a bit better.

She immediately pressed the accelerator and headed straight for the nearby clothing store.

The factory was located in the suburbs, in a rather remote area.

It took her over half an hour to find a decent shop.

After roughly describing the man's build to the shop assistant, she began picking out clothes and shoes.

"Pretty lady, your boyfriend has a great figure," the assistant said with a smile.

Ning Jinli's cheeks flushed again, "No, no, no… he… he isn't my boyfriend."

The assistant gossiped, "Buying a full set of clothes for someone is one thing, but you also bought underwear—if he's not your boyfriend, what is he? Oh… are you still ambiguous? Haven't you defined the relationship?"

Ning Jinli wanted to dig a hole again.

"Pretty lady, you've picked everything—go check it over," the assistant said.

"Um…" Ning Jinli gathered her courage and whispered, "The… underwear… is a bit small."

The assistant showed an expression of understanding, swiftly swapped it for a larger one, and said enviously, "Pretty lady, you're really blessed…"

"Huh?" Ning Jinli looked bewildered.

"Oh, I get it—you two haven't…?" the assistant gave a mysterious smile, "Don't worry, you'll understand later."

Soon after, Ning Jinli had bought the clothes and assorted breakfast items, then drove back to the factory.

At some point, an inconspicuous van began tailing her from behind.

Inside the van sat several men with unsavory looks.

They smoked while keeping their eyes on Ning Jinli's car.

"Is that her?" someone asked.

Another looked at the photo again, nodded, and said, "Exactly, it's her."

The driver smirked maliciously, "When the time comes, who among us gets to go first?"

The others immediately clamored, each shouting that they should be first.

For this they argued endlessly, finally deciding that whoever does not take a share of the reward for this task will go first.

The van followed Ning Jinli all the way to the vicinity of the factory.

After watching her go inside, the van pulled over to a hidden spot nearby; the men decided to wait until nightfall to act.

…

Ning Jinli returned to the dormitory carrying big and small bags.

During that time, Xiao Qidi opened the bathroom valve and took a makeshift shower.

"This is a towel—wipe yourself first." Ning Jinli turned her head, slipped the towel through the bathroom door gap with her hands behind her back, "Then I'll reapply medicine to your back wound."

Soon after, Xiao Qidi came out.

His waist was wrapped in a long towel.

Ning Jinli quietly took a few deep breaths, moved a chair over, and said, "Sit here."

"Yes, Miss Ning." Xiao Qidi's expression was calm.

Ning Jinli took the external medicine, stood behind him, and slowly applied it.

On his broad shoulders were also muscle lines carved like an artist's work, making Ning Jinli blush.

Suddenly, she noticed that besides the previous wound, his back also had some stripe-like scars.

They resembled thorns, covering his skin.

"Is this… an old injury of yours?" Ning Jinli unconsciously touched it with her fingertip, "What a strange scar—so long—how did you get it?"

Logically, as a noble of Xuan Guo and the legitimate heir to the throne, he shouldn't need to constantly fight on the front lines.

Why would he have so many scars?

Xiao Qidi remained silent.

Ning Jinli pursed her lips, "Forget it, pretend I didn't ask."

After a while, Xiao Qidi said lightly, "It was lashed with a whip."

"What?" Ning Jinli couldn't believe it, "You're a prince—who would dare whip you?"

Xiao Qidi let out a cold chuckle, "Before I was born, Xuan Guo suffered a crushing defeat; my father was sent to the victorious nation as a hostage, and from the moment I was born I, too, was a hostage."

Ning Jinli's fingertip trembled slightly.

She recalled the rough records of this in the history books.

Indeed, as he said, he had been a foreign hostage since birth.

Xiao Qidi murmured, "When I was three, my father abandoned me and my mother, fled back to Xuan Guo, and I remained a hostage prince until I was nine, when I was finally taken back."

Ning Jinli's heart faintly ached.

It's really hard to imagine what kind of days his childhood was.

The wounds left by these whips are probably just the smallest harm he suffered during his long life as a hostage prince.

Ning Jinli gazed at these wounds, and two streams of clear tears silently flowed.

Tears fell onto Xiao Qidi's back, slowly sliding down.

"Cough..." she lightly wiped, turned around, and said, "I also bought you pajamas; change into them, then have breakfast."

After saying that, she walked out of the dormitory and casually closed the door.

Then she leaned against the corridor wall and wept uncontrollably.

A few minutes later, Xiao Qidi's voice came from the room: "Miss Ning, I've changed."

Ning Jinli wiped her tears dry, smoothed her hair, tried to look normal, pushed the door open and went in.

Xiao Qidi wore the summer pajamas she bought, ordinary pajamas, yet he made them look like a model's runway outfit.

Ning Jinli opened the breakfast she had bought and sat opposite him at the table.

"These are meat buns, steamed dumplings, baked wheat, fried dough sticks with soy milk and tofu pudding, plus bread, milk, eggs, sausages... I don't know what you like, so I bought a bit of everything."

"Thank you, Miss Ning."

Xiao Qidi looked at the food piled high on the table, almost unable to know where to start eating.

It's too abundant.

Even if he were in the imperial palace, he had never seen so many varieties of snacks.

"Let's try the bun first." Ning Jinli split open a large meat-filled bun and handed it to him.

Xiao Qidi's Adam's apple rolled as he took it in his hand and took a big bite.

A large bun disappeared in two or three bites; the more he ate, the brighter his eyes became.

Not only because it tasted good, but also because last night's continuous battles and exertion had drained his stamina greatly.

Ning Jinli rested her chin on her hand, watching him eat, somewhat entranced, and four words popped into her mind— "a sight to feast upon."

"Hehe..." she couldn't help laughing out loud.

Xiao Qidi stopped moving, his cheeks puffed, speaking indistinctly: "Miss Ning, aren't you eating?"

Ning Jinli quickly suppressed her unconscious smile: "You eat first; I can't eat much."

"Then I won't stand on ceremony." Xiao Qidi continued to lower his head and eat voraciously.

An amount enough for several adults' breakfast was quickly swept away by him like a wind sweeping away clouds, leaving nothing.

He straightened his back, clasped his fists, and said: "I'm full; I need to return to Lin Xian Village."

Ning Jinli widened her eyes: "Didn't I say to let you rest here?"

Xiao Qidi shook his head: "Last night the Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Army wiped out Ba Yong and all his troops; there are still matters I need to arrange and handle."

"You wiped out all the enemies?" Ning Jinli exclaimed delightedly.

"Yeah, not a single one left."

"You're amazing!"

"Miss Ning, you flatter me; mainly thanks to the equipment you gave me, I was able to form a formidable cavalry."

"Hehe... the battles are over; what else do you have to be busy about?"

Xiao Qidi, while thinking, told her there were still many things to do.

The enemy corpses need to be handled.

The remains of the segment general at Xi Tun Guan and the thousands of fallen soldiers also need to be properly buried.

Moreover, we need to inventory the captured enemy supplies, reorganize the defenses of Xi Tun Guan, and so on...

Ning Jinli felt her head swell.

She furrowed her brows: "You're a king, big brother."

Xiao Qidi: "Huh?"

Before, she always called him little brother; at first he wasn't used to it, but gradually got used to it—then suddenly she called him big brother, which felt oddly awkward.

"No, little brother," Ning Jinli said, tapping the table with a serious expression: "I see that commanders like Duan Wu and Li Yao are quite capable and reliable; let them handle it—why do you need to do everything yourself?"

Xiao Qidi thought for a moment: "That makes sense, but—"

No 'buts,' Ning Jinli said, stern-faced. "If you take on all these things yourself, when you eventually control the whole country, won't you work yourself to death? What you need most right now is a good night's sleep."

Listen to me, your older sister—don't think about anything, just rest first.

She pointed to the bunk beside her and said, "Just sleep there—this is the only bed in the whole factory where someone can actually sleep."

Xiao Qidi asked, "What about you? You didn't rest last night either—won't you get some sleep?"

Ning Jinli cocked her head and teased, "What, you still want me to keep you company while you sleep?"

Xiao Qidi's ears flushed at once. "Miss Ning, I didn't mean it like that…"

Then why don't you go to sleep?

Yes… I'll sleep.

Ning Jinli couldn't relax and insisted on watching him lie down.

Xiao Qidi had no option but to sleep on her bunk.

The pink sheets and pillow were soft, and a pleasant fragrance lingered around.

He closed his eyes and drifted into deep sleep…

Ning Jinli watched him for a moment, made sure he was asleep, then slipped out of the dormitory on tiptoe.

She was also exhausted, but too excited to sleep.

She paced the hallway, recalling the secret history Professor Zheng Lao had mentioned earlier, and analyzed it carefully.

Xiao Qidi wiped out all of Yu Guo's enemy forces—did that mean he successfully changed his fate?

With no enemy forces left at Xi Tun Guan, he wouldn't be captured, wouldn't become a Human Stick, wouldn't be replaced by a puppet—so he would truly become the Xuan Ancestor Emperor.

Given his abilities, he could certainly establish an even stronger Xuan dynasty.

So theoretically, it would affect later events, and then affect the present day.

Having analyzed this far, Ning Jinli took out her phone and began searching online for information.

However, nothing changed.

Ning Jinli muttered, "Could it be that I overthought things? Although he became the ancestor emperor in official history, everything afterward remained unchanged?"

"No, even if that were the case, the official records should at least mention the Battle of Xi Tun Guan."

"And I provided so many gadgets, yet left not a trace? Not to mention gunpowder and stirrups—these two didn't even become things that appeared during the Xuan Guo period... That shouldn't be."

The more she pondered, the more she felt something was off, and a sense of foreboding grew in her heart.

After staring at her phone for a long time, she decided to call Zheng Lao to ask.

This is currently the only way to verify it.

If Xiao Qidi's fateful turning point at eighteen had truly been changed, then... that tragic secret history would not exist.

The call was quickly connected.

Ning Jinli exchanged a few greetings with Professor Zheng Lao, then anxiously asked:

"Grandfather Zheng, I'd like to ask you something: did anything special happen in the year when Xuan Prince Xiao Qidi was eighteen?"