Bab 10: 010 Or, I should consider staying a few more days...
She stuffed her smartphone into her pocket, and with a lazy stretch of her arms, Chu Nanxi walked out of the bedroom.
Know thyself, know thy enemy, and you shall win a hundred battles.
Before Julie could dig up dirt on Li Hannian, Nanxi wanted to get to know him better to prepare for their encounter that evening.
Her gaze swept past the door to Li Hannian's bedroom not far away as Chu Nanxi turned and walked to the opposite side of the hallway, pushing open the door to the study.
As the door parted, the sight before her truly took Chu Nanxi by surprise.
Li Hannian's study was indeed a proper study, with walls of bookshelves reaching up to the ceiling, neatly filled with various types of books, among which were some ancient volumes encased in glass.
Noticing the category labeled "clothing and jade artifacts" on the second shelf on the east wall, Nanxi's eyes instantly lit up.
She had been brewing the idea of writing a historical novel and had been worried about not being able to find the right research materials. She never expected that he would have them in his collection.
She carefully pushed a ladder over, climbed up with sure-handed grace, and skimmed through the titles on the shelf: "Song Dynasty Kesi Flowers and Birds Exhibition Catalogue," "Chinese Dragon Robe Embroidery," "Sotheby's Twenty-Year Collection of Treasures"...
My goodness!
This guy sure has a lot of good books.
Gazing at the old books on the shelf, Chu Nanxi's expression was no different from that of Columbus discovering the New World.
"Li Hannian, ah Li Hannian," she murmured, "I never thought I'd find such an unexpected treasure here... perhaps I should consider staying a few more days..."
Her fingertips lightly brushed the spines, her nose catching the faint scent of ink in midair. A true bibliophile, Chu Nanxi was fully immersed in the books before her, completely oblivious to the arrival of the house's owner, who was now pushing open the door to the study.
Hearing her voice, Li Hannian raised his face, watching the silhouette on the ladder.
The setting sun filtered through the gauze curtains, casting the entire study in a gentle golden-orange hue.
Atop the ladder, the girl tiptoed, reaching out to retrieve a book from the shelf.
Her ink-black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, flashing with a gentle glow.
Her loose sweatshirt, strained by her movements, delineated the charming contours of her slender back and waist.
The pale blue jeans hiked up, revealing a delicate ankle.
Slim and frail, barely able to contain a grip.
Li Hannian's phoenix eyes slightly narrowed as he focused on her ankle, seemingly thinking of something, with his already deep eyes growing even more unfathomable.
His right hand, hanging by his side, clenched into a fist as if grasping something.
After a moment, the hand gradually relaxed.
Above him, Chu Nanxi's fingertips had hooked onto the bulky tome.
Alas, it was packed too tightly between the others, and when she tried to pull it out, it wouldn't budge.
Balancing on her tiptoes, she gripped the spine with her right hand and tugged.
The tome slid smoothly off the shelf, but her canvas shoes slipped on the ladder rung, and she lost her balance, tumbling toward the ground.
In her panic, all she could do was embrace the book tightly to her chest and curl up, trying her best to minimize the impact of the fall.
As she fell, it wasn't the hard floor that met her, but a pair of arms.
A faint scent of pine filled her nostrils.
Chu Nanxi looked up in alarm, finding herself gazing into a concerned, handsome face.
The dying light of the sun streamed through the window curtains onto the man's profile, so close that she could clearly discern his eyelashes.
The man's skin was unnaturally smooth, exhibiting an almost gem-like quality in the sunlight.
Those glassy eyes were now looking at her with intense worry and concern.
His gaze, burning and powerful, as if she were not herself, but a precious treasure he cared deeply about.
"Are you okay?"
The man's voice, urgent with concern, resonated from his chest harmoniously, like the deep and pleasing notes of a cello.
Li Hannian?!
...
...
Master Mutterings:
After more than two months, I'm back—I want all your collections, comments, votes, and five-star ratings.
Friendly reminder: The heroine has a wicked streak, the hero is ruthless, and the author is proud, narcissistic, and hot-tempered, so proceed with caution when interacting with them!
Hadiah
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