1505 Unless You Don’t Like Me That Much
Ji’er went toward him and hugged him around the neck on tip-toe. She tried her best to lift her head up and touched her soft lips against his. It took her some difficulty to give him the kiss and she chuckled, “That’s right, my Lil Qi is really adorable.”
Chu Qi did not agree.
“It’s more appropriate to describe girls as adorable.” He insisted.
“I’m not treating you like a girl,” Ji’er said. She found this funny but later wiped the smile from her face and said, “Lil Qi, you like me a lot too, don’t you? Which is why you don’t want anyone else to touch my things. Am I right?”
Chu Qi finally found himself feeling exposed when he met the girl’s eyes, which seemed to see through him. She knew what he was thinking.
It was true that he did not want another man to touch her things.
That was the reason why he would rather wash everything personally.
Lucky for him, Ji’er did not continue asking questions about this. Instead, she said, “Let’s have breakfast, Lil Qi. I’m hungry.”
“Alright,” Lil Qi replied. He was about to take her into the room when a soft hand stuffed itself into his palms.
He lowered his head to look and saw Ji’er pouting a little unhappily. “Why aren’t you holding my hand, Lil Qi?”
Chu Qi looked at the petite hand in his palm and said softly, “It’s because you’ve grown up.”
“Mother isn’t young anymore, but Father still holds her hand all the time.” Ji’er blinked and said a little cunningly, “Unless you don’t like me that much.”
Chu Qi knew His Majesty was constantly holding hands with Her Highness, but…
Faced with the grown-up girl in front of him, he felt a little awkward about it.
However, he stayed silent when he met the young girl’s expectant eyes and in the end, grabbed her hand tight. “Let’s go.”
When she saw her hand being held in his, a pretty smile appeared on Ji’er’s lips. She finally cheered up.
She leaned in close to him and lifted her eyes to sneak looks at him.
That was when she saw the handsome face of the man, who had just been chatting casually with her, blushing slightly. She would not have noticed it if she had not looked closely.
Lil Qi was feeling shy.
This recognition lifted Ji’er’s mood and she ate quite a lot for breakfast.
After they were done, Chu Qi came out of the room dressed formally.
Ji’er asked when she saw this, “Where are you going?”
“Ji’er, you’ve been away for many days and it’s time to return to the Palace. I’ll escort you home,” Chu Qi said in a low voice.
She immediately frowned when she heard this. “I don’t want to go home. I haven’t stayed with you long enough.”
Chu Qi’s lips pressed slightly and he rubbed her head while comforting her gently, “If you don’t return home soon, His Majesty and Her Highness will start to worry.”
“But if I returned to the Palace, I won’t be able to see you,” Ji’er replied unhappily. Her good mood instantly vanished.
Chu Qi could not bear for her to leave as well, but Ji’er was an unmarried lady. There would be gossip if she kept spending her time around a grown man. The gossip would not bother him, but he did not want Ji’er’s reputation to be at risk.
“Be good, Ji’er. I’ll see you at the first opportunity I get. It’s really time for you to return home.” Chu Qi paused at this point and later continued, “We would need to inform His Majesty and Her Highness about us too.”
Since he had decided to marry Ji’er, he had to face His Majesty and Her Highness about it. No matter what, he had to inform them of their decision as a sign of respect to the Emperor, the Empress, and Ji’er.
Even though this might mean it would become difficult for him to see Ji’er again, he could not allow her to stay at his mansion without a legitimate reason. It would reflect negatively on her.
Ji’er was taken aback by his words, but it made her less resistant to the idea of returning to the Palace despite her unwillingness to leave Lil Qi.
She leaned in close to him and hugged him around the waist. “Are you worried about my reputation being sullied?”
Chu Qi caressed her hair, but did not say anything.
