Help! The Frosty Noble's Son Is in Love With Me!-Chapter 317: Seeking Benefits

"What game?" Qu Fulan’s eyes were full of vigilance, ready to refuse if something seemed amiss.

"I’ll count to twenty, let you swim first, and if I can catch up with you before you reach the end, you agree to one thing for me; likewise, if you win, how about it?"

Qu Fulan looked at the hot spring; it was his private villa, quite large, and if she swam first for twenty counts at a normal pace, she might not make it to the end.

If she won, she could take the opportunity to make a request not to let him touch her for a few days.

Although such things are quite enjoyable, day and night without end she couldn’t handle it, so she might as well take the chance to get some rest.

But she’s not foolish; she first asked what his punishment would be. If it wasn’t worthwhile, she wouldn’t play.

"That booklet, you blindly pick a page; we’ll try it," he said unhurriedly.

What kind of booklet was that? It turned out to be a book of pictures he somehow got, full of various patterns, some seen, some unseen, richer than modern times, proving the ancients lived colorful lives.

No wonder Qu Fulan feels a bit disillusioned with Pei Ji’an, formerly appearing uninterested in women, but secretly indulging in such pictures?

Turns out he explained that it was gifted by others, and he had only glanced at it without interest, tossing it aside; now it could be useful?

Useful for what?

Back then, Qu Fulan kicked him hard, refusing to play along. He said nothing and didn’t insist, not expecting he’d bring it up again at this crucial moment.

Qu Fulan bit her lips in vexation; playing would have a considerable cost, but not playing, he’d torment her anyway, except not with the embarrassment of the booklet’s contents.

Might as well bet; if she won, she could see the light!

The thing is, blindly picking, she might not choose those indescribable pictures, there might be some relatively innocuous ones.

After painful deliberation, Qu Fulan gritted her teeth, "Fine! The loser cannot go back on their word!"

Pei Ji’an heard her words, a corner of his lips curled up, but he remained calm, repeating her words, "The loser cannot go back on their word."

If it ended here, it would show Qu Fulan’s carelessness. Naturally, she remembered a more crucial issue, "The key is how will you count? We have to set a pace; otherwise, if too fast, I’d be at a disadvantage."

Finally, agreeing on a normal speed, he recited "one, two, three" for her to hear. If he sped up, she wouldn’t concede.

Once agreed, they began.

Qu Fulan didn’t dare to be negligent. As he uttered "one," she immediately turned and dove into the water, swimming rapidly away.

His voice penetrated strongly, and although she dove, she vaguely heard him, and he kept his word.

After swimming a distance, she surfaced and turned to look at him. Sure enough, he sat calmly by the poolside, already counting to ten; she wiped her face and swam more vigorously forward.

The further the distance, the greater her chances of winning.

Thanks to her perseverance in exercising, she managed to swim this long and was able to continue.

Halfway through, he lazily called out, "Twenty."

Then came the sound of splashing, his dive into the water.

Qu Fulan was startled, wishing she could reach the end instantly!

But with one more push of effort, she was nearly there, the end in sight.

Push harder, harder!

She couldn’t help but glance back to see where he was, but the misty hot spring revealed no trace of him, unsure if she left him far behind or if he lurked somewhere.

It didn’t matter anymore; five meters, three meters, two meters...

Victory was close!

Qu Fulan’s heart raced at the final charge; just one more push—

"Splash!"

Qu Fulan thought one last push would reach the end, but suddenly collided with a person emerging from the water.

She was shocked, about to speak, when in the next moment, her lips were blocked...

Heir Pei merely collected some interest first and released her when her face flushed from lack of breath.

"Lanlan, you need to improve in this area; how could someone as clever as you not grasp this?"

Improve what? Not everything in this world is worth mastering!

Qu Fulan slumped against the shore, gulping in air.

As Pei Ji’an went to fetch the booklet, the woman wore a hopeless expression.

She didn’t escape.

She surrendered to her defeat, unable to object.

Blind picking meant randomly flipping, whichever page it landed on. Or opening her eyes and wherever it opened.

"Alright." Qu Fulan didn’t close her eyes; she flipped casually, sealing her fate.

Reality wasn’t as straightforward; the book’s flap caused the page to linger.

Visibly, the page underneath was innocuous, while the top was indescribable.

Qu Fulan’s heart leaped, wishing to blow it away yet fearing breaching rules for greater punishment, so she watched helplessly as it "settled."

In the end, the cover fell to conceal the indescribable page, her heart leaped—it seemed heaven pitied her!

In the following second, a gust of wind came from nowhere, flipping the page traitorously!

Qu Fulan stood abruptly, looking at Pei Ji’an. If he weren’t sipping tea, both hands busy, she’d suspect deceit.

"This area’s position isn’t right; we should go somewhere windless for fairness!"

Pei Ji’an set his cup down, tone tinged with slight sympathy and regret, "Lanlan, the loser cannot go back on their word."

...

After a morning of antics, Qu Fulan utterly collapsed.

Pei Ji’an, bright and refreshed, dried her hair, meticulously served her as she had on the tea-picking day, but even more so.

"Do you have any wishes you’d like to fulfill?" He felt given what occurred, doing something for her was essential.

Qu Fulan lay on the bed, eyes unable to open, yet remembering a merchant’s nature always seeks profit, and since it was a benefit delivered, she couldn’t waste the earlier sacrifice.

"Can you fulfill any wish I have?" She opened her eyes to a slit to gaze at him.

"As long as you can say it, I’ll do everything to realize it." He affectionately stroked her head and leaned to kiss her red lips.

If I could return to the civilized modern era? Qu Fulan scoffed inwardly.

"Can I look at the Li Family’s dossier?" she said.

"What?" Pei Ji’an thought he misheard, for this answer was far off from his expectation. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

"I want to view the Li Family case dossier." She repeated.

Indeed, she never forgot, even now as a Young Lady of the Pei Mansion, she always kept the Li Family matter in mind.

Paying tribute for the water drunk, since she occupied the original owner’s body she must do something for the Li Family, she couldn’t selfishly thrive and ignore them.

If left to her abilities alone, surely obstacles would abound; if he helped, many problems would be eased.

"The Li Family case has long closed, decreed by the Emperor himself; why review the dossier?"