Li Qianfan was no longer the rookie he was before last summer.
Shen Chongchong.
Dai Paipai.
Xiao Nitang.
These three individuals, with their diligent sweat, had shown Li Qianfan the duties and responsibilities a man should fulfill.
If Jessica, who harbored no affection but only a desire for mutual revenge, were added, then they would be the Four Great Mentors.
The Four Great Mentors, together, led Li Qianfan forward on the path to happiness.
Therefore, he clearly understood what girls were and what women were.
Undoubtedly, Chu Yazhi was a woman.
And the kind of woman who had once had a son, and had lived to see him married.
Yet, such a complete woman as she was, gave Li Qianfan a sense of reality, akin to being with Chongchong.
And Chu Yazhi's reaction was inconsistent with her actual age.
Her prolonged struggle before falling asleep was purely due to her mature thinking; it was the confidence in her heart to handle Li Qianfan that sustained her.
This was simply too unscientific!
"I don't know either."
Chu Yazhi emerged from the bathroom, slowly curled up beside Qianfan, her face full of bewilderment. "Master, forgive me for saying something you might not like. When I married that man (the unfortunate father of Lan Yunhai) back then, I didn't feel as overwhelmed as I do now. If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have thought this was just the result of being too excited after finally fulfilling a long-held desire after a prolonged period of abstinence, causing my nerves and muscles to tighten."
Li Qianfan gently stroked her curves and said, "Forget it, it's not a bad thing, no need to dig too deep."
Mm.
As Chu Yazhi nodded obediently, she suddenly paused.
Li Qianfan asked, "What is it? Did you think of something?"
"Master, have you noticed that my skin is much better than before?"
Chu Yazhi turned over and sat up, staring at her lower abdomen. "The stretch marks I used to have are now completely invisible."
Women who have had children are left with stretch marks.
Of course, women who persist in exercising can get rid of them.
But Chu Yazhi had been a lady of leisure, and even her exercise was in a gym; no matter how good her figure, she would still have stretch marks.
Women know their own bodies' changes best.
Now, her stretch marks were gone.
Crucially, her skin was indeed much better than before.
Of course, it couldn't compare to Dollface or Her Majesty the Empress.
"When I was a lady of leisure, my life was relaxed and comfortable; now, my mind is constantly occupied with serving Master."
Chu Yazhi continued, "From this point of view alone, my skin shouldn't be improving."
She made a valid point.
"Could it be because of the original male 209?"
Li Qianfan's heart stirred, and the image of Her Majesty the Empress flickered in his mind.
However, Chu Yazhi said, "But before, I hadn't been infected with 209 by Master."
Li Qianfan remained silent, but looked at her mouth.
Chu Yazhi understood instantly!
The vampires currently rampant overseas were based on 209; their transmission routes, besides the traditional sexual contact and blood, also included sweat.
The original 209, more "authentic" and powerful than vampires, was activated by Dai Paipai. Was it not normal for it to be transmitted through saliva and the like?
(Before activation, it was not contagious at all; and even if infected after activation, it would not lead to the phenomenon of rapidly reaching the peak of beauty like Dai Paipai. It would only gradually evolve into female 209.)
To verify his guess, Li Qianfan asked Chu Yazhi if she had been having good dreams at night.
She did.
Especially during the seven days before and eight days after her period, the dangerous phase, she had good dreams every night.
The sole male protagonist of these good dreams was her great Master!
Chu Yazhi further admitted that even if she were bored now and her mind wandered, she would not think of her ex-husband.
Her ex-husband now felt as if he had never appeared in her life at all.
Absolute, perverted loyalty—
This was one of the biggest characteristics of the original male 209!!
Let alone Chu Yazhi, even Her Majesty the Empress, whose willpower was a hundred times stronger than hers, could not break free from the selfish clutches of the original 209: "After following me, you must never think of any man other than me."
Li Qianfan was almost certain.
Chu Yazhi's blood was already teeming with female 209.
As a woman of male 209, 209 would not allow her to have sagging skin, but would only maintain her in her most beautiful state.
In short—
Although the current Chu Yazhi would not experience the phenomenon of reverse aging like Her Majesty the Empress, she was much younger than before she met Li Qianfan.
Male 209 had truly interpreted the true meaning of "a woman adorns herself for the one who pleases her."
"Master, it is truly my good fortune to have met you, Zhizhi."
After hearing Li Qianfan's explanation, Chu Yazhi's eyes shone with an astonishing brilliance.
If it weren't for the fact that she simply couldn't bear it, she would have turned her back to her Master again, letting him admire the exquisite "colorful hanged ghost" once more.
(The "mud doll" who lasted two minutes and fifty seconds, if she knew that Chu Yazhi had broken down in one go, she would have pouted incessantly. But she would have overlooked the fact that Chu Yazhi's one-time breakdown could last for an hour.)
"Don't say that."
Li Qianfan patted her curves and said, "Oh, right. Besides negotiating with Bai Ziyan and fulfilling my promise to you, I also came to the provincial capital for another matter that I'd like you to help me analyze."
Chu Yazhi was now Master's most, most loyal servant (Li Qianfan had asked her to change her address several times, but she refused).
Therefore, she was also qualified to know many of Master's affairs.
What Li Qianfan wanted to tell her was related to Her Majesty the Empress.
He started from Ru Hua adding him as a friend—
The route of Le Bu Si Shu's trip to Lingnan to apologize, the first scandal spread by the Thirteen Noble Families, learning about the fraudulent scheme of Si Feng Rao Liang on New Year's Eve, Zhuang Wujian's plan to lie for money and plant蛊, Her Majesty the Empress turning on him and kicking him out of the backyard, and the phone he accidentally saw.
He even talked about watching a video with Ru Hua yesterday, from the bedroom at night to the workplace during the day.
In fact.
Li Qianfan spent more than an hour simply recounting the entire process.
During his narration, Chu Yazhi consistently played the role of a most loyal listener, listening attentively without uttering a word.
"Alas."
Li Qianfan sighed, "Zhizhi, I have a clear premonition. Due to the irresistible power of 209, she has completely collapsed. And due to her continuous assaults, I am also in retreat. Sooner or later, we will both be irredeemably lost. Tell me, what should I do now?"
Chu Yazhi's face was filled with surprise.
Li Qianfan thought she was surprised by the perverse nature of the events after hearing the whole story.
No.
Chu Yazhi said, "Master, please don't tell me that the perpetual sorrow in your eyes is because of your relationship with Her Majesty the Empress."
Li Qianfan asked curiously, "Is this matter not worth worrying about? Or, besides this matter, is there anything else that makes me feel uneasy even in my sleep? To be honest, even when my aging accelerated, I wasn't as worried and troubled as I am now."
"Master, you are getting attached."
Chu Yazhi turned over and sat up again, massaging Li Qianfan's shoulders. "I truly didn't expect that such a smart person as you would get attached."
Li Qianfan was even more puzzled. "How have I gotten attached?"
"In the eyes of most of us."
Chu Yazhi said earnestly, "You and Her Majesty the Empress have long been in perfect harmony."
Li Qianfan nodded. "Mm, I know that."
Chu Yazhi asked, "But would anyone do anything to you because they feel you shouldn't be together?"
Li Qianfan replied, "No. Since the sixth day of the new year, the rumors about us have been fading, and no one mentions it anymore."
"That means everyone approves of your relationship."
Chu Yazhi said slowly, "Since everyone approves of you being together, and no one has come forward to object, and they even think that only my great Master is worthy of the ageless Empress. Then why are you so worried that your relationship is gradually deteriorating? Why suffer because of the irresistible needs of your heart that you can't resist even if you try your best? More importantly!"
She emphasized, "If you are together, you both benefit; if you separate, you both perish! To put it disrespectfully, even a fool would know how to choose."
Li Qianfan stared at her dumbfounded, unable to speak for a long time.
He felt that Chu Yazhi was wrong.
Definitely wrong!
Yet, he couldn't find any reason to refute her.
However, Chu Yazhi could clearly see that the faint worry hidden in Li Qianfan's brow had disappeared.
This proved that in his subconscious, he had suddenly achieved enlightenment.
But his rationality was still stubbornly clinging to his untouchable principles.
Ding!
Li Qianfan's WeChat message arrived.
He took it foolishly, opened it.
Ru Hua messaged: "Old buddy, let's have a drink?"
Having a drink meant drinking.
But why did Ru Hua send a beautiful picture in the style of Xi Zi holding her heart?
Li Qianfan murmured, "She's here again."
Chu Yazhi snatched his phone, raised it high above her head, and took a picture of him.
After sending the masculine beauty photo, Chu Yazhi typed: "Come to Tiandong, let's drink and eat meat together."