Chapter 244: A Surprise
As Su Zhaozhao walked in, Li Tiantian immediately shut the door, a conspiratorial look on her face.
Su Zhaozhao looked at Li Tiantian. "What’s going on?"
"You helped Wei Chuan, and I really have no other way to repay you. So, Zhaozhao, all I can do is give you these things."
As Li Tiantian spoke, she opened her wardrobe and pulled a box out from the bottom drawer.
The box was inside another bag, and it was wrapped up so securely.
If you didn’t know better, you’d think there were classified documents inside.
"What is this?"
Li Tiantian handed the box right to Su Zhaozhao. "Open it and take a look. Go on, open it! It’s the good stuff, heh heh!"
Seeing Li Tiantian’s mysterious smile, Su Zhaozhao immediately opened the box.
There was another bag inside the box!
’What in the world is this? Does it really need to be wrapped up like this?’
When Su Zhaozhao opened the box and saw what was inside, she was stunned.
’What is this stuff?’
A leather whip and some rope, the kind that looked like it was for tying things up.
Other than that, there was also a set of clothes so sheer they were nearly transparent.
Su Zhaozhao: "..."
She looked at Li Tiantian.
"Zhaozhao, I had a hard time getting my hands on this. I even had someone bring it back from Hong Kong. I was so careful, worried my parents would find it and think I’m some kind of pervert."
"When did you get this?"
"A little while back. During the time you left West State for Jiang City."
Su Zhaozhao: "..."
"You can tie Brother Huai Zheng up, then whip him. He’s so fierce usually, I bet he gives you a hard time at home, right? I suggest you turn the tables."
Su Zhaozhao looked at the items. Even though she considered herself quite open-minded, she still felt Li Tiantian’s way of thinking was even more so.
After all, it was the eighties—the early eighties at that. Most people were still pretty conservative.
’I can’t believe Li Tiantian knows so much about this stuff.’
"How do you know about all this?" Su Zhaozhao asked, looking at Li Tiantian with curiosity.
She saw that Li Tiantian’s cheeks were flushed bright red, as if she had just thought of something.
Su Zhaozhao immediately snapped, "Li Tiantian! Enough! Can you stop letting your imagination run wild?"
’One look and I know she’s already fantasizing about me and Xie Huaizheng. This is just terrifying.’
’It’s just like how I used to be. When one of my friends got pregnant, I couldn’t help but try to calculate when they’d... done the deed...’
’Now that I’m the one in the hot seat, this is sooooo embarrassing!’
Li Tiantian snapped out of it and said, "Zhaozhao, I didn’t realize you were so cute even when you’re angry. Why don’t you try them on me first? Use these tools on me?"
She reached out and pinched Su Zhaozhao’s cheek.
’So pretty, so cute. Her puffed-up cheeks make her look like a little hamster. I’m going to die from all this cuteness!’
Su Zhaozhao glared at her and said immediately, "I don’t want this stuff!"
’Are you kidding me? If Xie Huaizheng saw this, he’d...’
She couldn’t imagine what his reaction would be if she used these things on Xie Huaizheng.
But she really didn’t want to use them.
The man already wore her out enough on a normal day. If they added these things to the mix... Su Zhaozhao could feel her face flushing red at the thought.
"No way, my dear Zhaozhao, I got this specially for you, and it cost a fortune. Look at me, I don’t have a partner, so I can’t use it. My parents, at their age, it’s not really appropriate, so that leaves you! Really, just take it home!"
"You really will say anything, won’t you?" Su Zhaozhao shot her a sideways glance. The box in her hands felt like a hot potato.
She closed the lid on the box. Out of sight, out of mind.
Still, she had read her fair share of this type of novel, so some images couldn’t help but surface in her mind.
’No, I will never use these things. In this respect, I’m still very traditional.’
Just thinking about it made her feel a little ashamed.
But in the end, Su Zhaozhao had no choice but to take the box home with her. Li Tiantian had said that if she didn’t take it, she would deliver it to her door personally.
"Li Tiantian, you really are a crazy girl."
"I just want to get some revenge on Xie Huaizheng. Your man is always so fierce with me. You have to whip him hard, you hear?"
’But what if he... enjoys it?’
Su Zhaozhao didn’t dare say this thought out loud.
She knew that Li Tiantian’s gift was partly motivated by a personal grudge, but Li Tiantian had most likely underestimated Xie Huaizheng.
As for her, she didn’t dare underestimate the man’s capabilities.
Therefore, the first thing she did when she got home was to hide all of it in the corner of her wardrobe.
She wasn’t ready to play such... novel games with Xie Huaizheng just yet.
Then, she went to prepare dinner for the evening.
She casually made some simple, tasty dishes, then took out some apples and brewed a pot of light apple tea.
The tea had a refreshing, sweet-and-sour taste. Someone who didn’t eat apples often would probably never guess it was made from them.
She had to continue helping Xie Huaizheng walk out of the shadows of his past.
Li Weichuan was already starting to get better bit by bit. Su Zhaozhao felt that Xie Huaizheng should be able to as well.
She also hoped that, in the end, Xie Huaizheng could emerge from the shadows of his past.
When Xie Huaizheng returned, Su Zhaozhao poured him a cup of apple tea.
She chose a transparent glass cup. The reddish color of the tea looked especially beautiful in it.
"Have a taste. It’s a fruit tea I was experimenting with today. If you like it, I’ll make it for you from now on."
Xie Huaizheng took it and, after a sip, couldn’t help but squint his eyes slightly in pleasure. "It’s delicious. Zhaozhao, everything you make is delicious."
The fragrance of the tea leaves, paired with the sweet and sour taste of the fruit, made Xie Huaizheng feel the fatigue from his day of training simply melt away.
After they finished dinner, Xie Huaizheng took charge of washing the dishes while Su Zhaozhao continued to read her English book, unable to resist reading some parts aloud.
As Xie Huaizheng came out of the kitchen, he heard her fluent and pleasant-sounding English.
He was momentarily dazed. Su Zhaozhao’s English proficiency seemed to be even better than she’d let on.
He may have been a playboy in the past, but his family had always been strict about his studies, so his own English was decent.
But hearing Su Zhaozhao read English now, she sounded as authentic as a native speaker.
He couldn’t help but wonder, ’Just how much does she know?’
’She knows psychological counseling, she knows English, and her sciences seem to be good too. Otherwise, where would she have found so many practice problems for Li Weichuan?’
’It seems she really should take the college entrance exams.’
Xie Huaizheng walked over, wrapped Su Zhaozhao in his arms, and kissed her on the cheek. "Zhaozhao, your English sounds beautiful. Keep reading."
Su Zhaozhao smiled, leaned against his arm, and continued to read.
They thought their peaceful days would continue on like this, but unexpectedly, an accusation letter arrived the next day, shattering their calm.