Reborn in the 1970s — Married a Proud Rough Man-Chapter 143 - 61: Hard and Cold, How the Hell Can I Sleep?
Qin Mei was suddenly full of energy, quickening her pace and sometimes even breaking into a jog. Jie Jingchen, tall and long-legged, was mindful of her pride. He deliberately kept a distance of two paces from her; if he walked too fast and passed her, she would feel immense pressure.
Qin Mei returned home panting. She didn’t bother to shower, just washed her face and feet, changed into her pajamas, and collapsed into bed, falling asleep instantly.
It was unclear if Qin Mei was simply dazed from exhaustion or if she truly saw him as a eunuch, because she changed into her pajamas without even turning away from him.
Qin Mei wasn’t from this era; her upbringing wasn’t so traditional and prudish. Besides, she was covering everything that needed to be covered. It wasn’t like she was stark naked, so she saw no need to make Jie Jingchen turn away.
"She really does fall asleep the second she decides to." Jie Jingchen shook his head helplessly, washed his face and feet, emptied the washbasin, changed into his pajamas, and got into bed.
The moment Jie Jingchen lay down, Qin Mei expertly burrowed into his arms, clinging to him like an octopus. While she slept soundly, Jie Jingchen was left thoroughly tormented.
Jie Jingchen looked down at the peacefully sleeping figure in his arms and gave a helpless, wry smile. ’She really does think I’m a eunuch, doesn’t she?’
The sun was high in the sky when Qin Mei was woken by hunger. She got out of bed, changed her clothes, and washed up.
Qin Mei stood at the doorway, gazing distractedly at the man sitting in the wicker chair under the tree. There was something very attractive about a man engrossed in a book.
Sunlight poured down, making his almost devilishly black hair gleam. His thick eyelashes, straight nose, and thin lips, which curved slightly into a perfect line, all gave him a roguishly charming aura that was utterly captivating.
"Awake?" His deep voice held a hint of softness. Jie Jingchen looked up at Qin Mei standing in the doorway, his amber eyes as deep as a cold pool. A roguish smile played on his sinfully handsome face.
Qin Mei coughed lightly. ’Jie Jingchen’s smile is stunning enough to topple kingdoms; it’s far too bewitching.’
Qin Mei keenly sensed that Jie Jingchen was a little different today. She didn’t know if she was just imagining things, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that he was deliberately flirting with her.
"Morning," Qin Mei said as she walked toward Jie Jingchen.
"Not so early. The sun’s already high in the sky." Before Jie Jingchen could finish speaking, a rumbling sound was heard, and Qin Mei awkwardly rubbed her stomach.
"Is there anything to eat?" Qin Mei asked. Aunt Zhang was coming back today, which meant the other aunt wouldn’t be coming to cook.
"Yes. I’ll go get it for you." Jie Jingchen put down his book and got up, heading toward the kitchen.
Qin Mei watched the wicker chair sway. Whenever Jie Jingchen was home, that chair seemed to be his exclusive seat. After Xu Chunwang had broken the last one, Jie Jingchen had immediately bought a new one.
’Is this wicker chair really that comfortable?’ Qin Mei couldn’t resist sitting down in it and rocking a few times. "It really is," she murmured. "Much more comfortable than the stone stool."
Jie Jingchen came out carrying a tray of food. Seeing Qin Mei’s childish actions, the corners of his lips curved up slightly.
It was lean pork congee with a side of green vegetables, which Qin Mei loved. It was inconvenient to eat in the wicker chair, so Qin Mei got up and sat on the stone stool. She ate quickly, finishing everything, then took her dishes to the kitchen to wash them.
After washing the dishes and drying her hands, Qin Mei walked out of the kitchen, came up to Jie Jingchen, and asked, "Have you taken your medicine?"
"I have," Jie Jingchen replied.
Qin Mei nodded in satisfaction. Without saying more, she went to Jie Jingshan’s room to give her acupuncture. Jing Qi was not in a good mood today. After the treatment, she didn’t ask Qin Mei to push her outside, choosing instead to stay in her room and study.
Qin Mei knew what was affecting Jing Qi’s mood but didn’t press her. If she wasn’t willing to talk, forcing the issue would be useless.
Some bad moods just needed time to settle on their own, and some wounds had to be licked clean by oneself.
In the courtyard, under the tree, Jie Jingchen sat in the wicker chair. For once, he wasn’t reading a book, but was instead holding a piece of paper.
Seeing Qin Mei come out of Jie Jingshan’s room, he waved her over. "Come here."
Without a second thought, Qin Mei trotted happily over to Jie Jingchen and stood before him, beaming. "Jie Jingchen, this wicker chair is great. Buy me one, will you?"
Jie Jingchen didn’t answer. He habitually flicked at his pant leg and stood up gracefully. Qin Mei mistook this as him offering her the chair. Without waiting for him to move aside, she pushed him away and plopped down into it.
She rested her hands on the armrests and leaned back, loose and lazy, her contented expression like that of a cat who had just gotten the cream.
Seeing this, Jie Jingchen didn’t try to take the chair back. Instead, he handed the paper in his hand to Qin Mei. "Here."
"What is it?" Qin Mei hesitated for a few seconds before taking it. When she saw what it was, the smile froze on her lips, and her expression was a picture. ’It’s a workout plan. He’s actually serious! He only mentioned it last night, and today he’s already putting it into action. A true man of action.’
’He’s even drawn up a schedule. Chest exercises, back exercises, leg exercises... So comprehensive!’
"I’m illiterate, I can’t read." Qin Mei casually tossed the paper aside. ’I don’t have an athletic bone in my body; forcing me to exercise is just cruel. My motto is: never walk when you can stand, never stand when you can sit, and never sit when you can lie down.’
Jie Jingchen bent down and picked up the paper, his expression serious and earnest. "It’s fine if you can’t read. I’ll read it to you."
’He’s really not letting this go.’ Qin Mei crossed her arms and closed her eyes. "Sorry, I’ve suddenly come down with a case of selective hearing loss. I can’t hear anything."
"Chest: Flat bench press, incline press, flat bench flyes, 10 to 15 reps per set. Back: Behind-the-neck pull-ups, standing rows, upright rows, 10 minutes each. Legs: Squats, lying leg curls, calf raises, 10 minutes each." Jie Jingchen’s deep voice was calm, but to Qin Mei’s ears, each word was like the crack of a whip.
Qin Mei’s eyes flew open. She glared at Jie Jingchen and ground out through clenched teeth, "Jie Jingchen, don’t you think you’re asking too much?"
"This workout plan is perfect for a beginner like you. You can train a different body part every day. Qin Mei, the exercises I’ve chosen are based on your ability. Each set is 10 to 15 reps, and the timed exercises are kept under 10 minutes. Of course, you can also do each set to failure," Jie Jingchen explained.
Qin Mei arched an eyebrow and declared in a loud voice, "Your humble servant is incapable of such a feat!"
"Trust me, you can do it," Jie Jingchen encouraged her.
"I’m not doing it," Qin Mei said bluntly. ’Whether I can do it or not isn’t the point. The point is, I don’t want to.’
"Qin Mei." Jie Jingchen’s face fell. He stared at her coldly, his entire being exuding a chilling, formidable aura.
Qin Mei knew all too well that Jie Jingchen was as stubborn as an ox. Once he made a decision, no one could change his mind. At Modu Hospital, his vitals hadn’t met the criteria for discharge, but he had insisted on leaving, and so he left. At the train station, he was set on returning to Shijiu City while she wanted to go to Dazhuang Village, and in the end, they went to Shijiu City together.
When Jie Jingchen was set on something, he always got his way. No matter how much she resisted, he always had a way to make her compromise and obediently follow his arrangements.
Qin Mei took a deep breath and asked, "Jie Jingchen, tell me honestly, do you look down on me because I don’t have a job?" 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢
’Making up things for me to do... isn’t that just because he can’t stand seeing me idle?’
"I can support you. You don’t need to work," Jie Jingchen said, his deep voice laced with its usual arrogance.
"I think I need a job. Jie Jingchen, how about this? You find me a job, any job, I’ll take it. I promise I’ll work diligently and seriously." Qin Mei would rather go to work than exercise.
’My figure is perfectly average, neither fat nor thin. If the body’s original owner had been overweight, I would have been determined to exercise and lose weight for the sake of my appearance. But just exercising for the sake of exercising? No thanks.’
’What if I work out and turn into some muscle-bound Barbie?’
A flicker of light passed through Jie Jingchen’s eyes. He looked at Qin Mei, his brow furrowed. "You’re really that opposed to exercising?"
Qin Mei nodded so hard her head was a blur. She thought that seeing her firm stance, Jie Jingchen would have the sense to give up. Instead, he simply said:
"It’s fine. I’ll help you overcome it."
Qin Mei was speechless. She let out a heavy snort, tilted her head to the side, closed her eyes, crossed her arms, and even crossed her legs. She couldn’t be bothered with him anymore.
When you couldn’t see eye to eye, even a single word was too many.
Jie Jingchen’s gaze softened slightly as he stealthily drew closer to Qin Mei.
