The Tycoon’s Enchanted Mermaid
Chapter 195: Leisure Time

Chapter 195: Chapter 195: Leisure Time

Ah Da’s fingers clenched the quilt tightly when she saw him wake up, then she let go and whispered softly, "Qin Yu, you’re awake."

"Mhm," Qin Yu responded, lifting his hand to touch her cheek with a voice that was hoarsely stimulating to the eardrum, "Why are you up so early? Why not sleep a little longer?"

Ah Da felt the warmth of his long fingers and her cheeks involuntarily blazed with heat. Although she had been in a daze last night, she was not completely out of her senses, especially towards the end. She felt as though her body no longer belonged to her, like a fish drying on the shore.

The tormenting heat did not subside; instead, her blood churned, her breathing quickened, and her soul felt like it was about to leave her body. The feeling that followed made her shudder with fear.

It was too strange, too terrifying.

She was still a bit scared now.

"I... I couldn’t sleep." The girl spoke with her head lowered, fiddling with her fingers, her voice very soft and gentle.

Qin Yu sat up and lifted her small face, seeing her blush reaching the roots of her ears, her sharp chin, highlighting her round and spirited eyes, gleaming, bright, and teary.

As Ah Da met his gaze, she hurriedly looked away and, propping herself on the quilt, jumped out of bed, "I... I’m going to wash up."

Watching the girl flee in a panic, her hair billowing out behind her, Qin Yu thought of last night in the bathroom, how she was soaked through, seizing his arm, gazing up at him pleadingly, calling his name in a way that set him ablaze. His patience last night might have surpassed the endurance he had trained over the past decades.

Qin Yu’s breath caught and he averted his gaze, pressing his palm to his forehead, sighing lightly for indeed, one should not think of such things in the morning.

Ah Da splashed water on her face repeatedly until the heat subsided a bit before stopping. Looking at herself in the mirror, she couldn’t help but notice her neck and shoulders.

Red marks trailed from the side of her ear down her neck to her collarbone, like red plum blossoms on snow.

Ah Da covered her chest, daring not to look any further. She knew Qin Yu was helping her, and she was also aware that if it weren’t for him last night, she didn’t know if she would have made it through, even when it was she who had pressed herself against him, so she couldn’t blame anyone else.

But still, it was too embarrassing; why would something that felt both good and bad exist in the world?

How could people be like this?

Ah Da covered her face, taking a good while to compose her emotions before brushing her teeth and washing her face, followed by changing her clothes in the walk-in closet.

Thinking of the many marks on her body, she instinctively reached for a pink tulle dress with a round neck and a large bow tied at the back; from the front, it resembled the wings of a butterfly, fluttering as she moved.

Her hair was braided into a single fishtail on one side, and though Ah Da was not very skilled and it took a long time, she eventually completed it satisfactorily, tying a small daisy elastic at the end.

Twirling twice in front of the full-length mirror while holding her braid, Ah Da was quite pleased with herself, slipping on her shoes and heading downstairs.

Not seeing Qin Yu in the hall, the maid informed her that Qin Yu was outside in the open-air dining area.

Following behind the maid, Ah Da glimpsed Qin Yu from afar in the glass pavilion of the open-air restaurant, surrounded on all sides by floor-to-ceiling glass with hanging vines, tender green tendrils entwined along the rooftop, and clusters of pink and purple flowers swaying in the wind.

Not far away was the ocean, the sunlight just right, the breeze mild and cool on the face.

Qin Yu was dressed in mid-length patterned shorts with a short-sleeved shirt, his chest exposed as he left the buttons undone.

He reclined on a long wooden chair with a pillow at his back, holding a tablet, with a computer and a cup of milk laid out on the table, his short hair occasionally ruffled by the wind.

Ah Da, donning slippers, hurried past the maid to his side and sat down, holding her braid and asking him, "Qin Yu, look, I braided it myself. What do you think?"

Qin Yu set down his tablet and pulled her over, taking her braid and inspecting it seriously. He pointed to a section and said,

"This is wrong."

Ah Da tilted her head to look and indeed, there was a strand of hair going in the opposite direction. It wasn’t obvious unless looked at closely. She lightly pressed down on it and said cheerfully, "It’s fine, next time I’ll definitely braid it properly."

Qin Yu rubbed the back of her neck, his eyes falling to her nape, which was somewhat ambiguously enticing because her skin was so startlingly white that even the slightest redness was particularly striking.

"Does it hurt?" Qin Yu asked softly, touching her with the tip of his finger.

Ah Da’s cheeks heated up and she immediately pushed him away to sit on the chair beside her, awkwardly changing the subject, "The view here is so beautiful. It must be so comfortable to eat here."

Qin Yu took a deep look at her profile, sat up, and shut his laptop, followed by the maid coming over to clear and clean everything on the table, laying down a white tablecloth.

The breakfast spread was varied, with small portions seemingly focused on tasting. Ah Da especially liked drinking porridge, particularly seafood congee, but today’s was plain congee, very light in flavor with some floating green onions, smooth to the palate.

Accompanied by lobster dumplings and small bread, it was satisfying with just one bite. She wasn’t very fond of things like eggs, sausages, and tomatoes; despite how exquisite and pretty they were made, they just lacked flavor.

Qin Yu, on the other hand, was leisurely eating with a knife and fork, expressionless, making it impossible to tell whether he found the food delicious or not.

After Ah Da had her fill and set down her spoon, Qin Yu glanced over and noticed that she left all the broccoli on her plate.

He had long known her habits; she only loved meat dishes and seldom touched vegetables. Before, he didn’t know if it was because she was afraid of him or something else, but she would finish the vegetables on her plate. Now, she was becoming less and less discreet about her willfulness, simply not eating them.

Qin Yu put down his utensils and wiped his fingers while the maid came over to clear the table and placed a pot of tea to cleanse the palate.

Ah Da was originally leaning on the railings, enjoying the scenery and the sea breeze, but the corner of her eye caught Qin Yu preparing the tea and she suddenly found herself unable to look away.

Qin Yu’s fingers were long and well-defined, with the blue veins on the back faintly visible, making for smooth, pleasing lines that turned the white jade tea set in his hands into an impromptu poetic tableau.

Watching him, Ah Da unwittingly became mesmerized until a cup of green tea was pushed in front of her.

"It’s good for the digestion," Qin Yu said softly.

Ah Da uttered a thank you, cupped the white jade tea cup in her hands and brought it to her lips. The taste was an extremely rich tea flavor with a sweet and refreshing aftertaste, clearing away the greasiness from her earlier meal.

"It’s so fragrant, and not at all bitter," said Ah Da, her eyes gleaming as she looked at the tea cup, then turned her gaze to Qin Yu.

Qin Yu took a light sip and placed it back on the table, leaning back in his chair to watch her, "If you want more, make it yourself."

Ah Da indeed set about making it herself, because the teapot was only the size of a palm, and after one cup for Qin Yu and one for herself, it was empty.

Qin Yu watched her with half-lowered eyelids, appearing indifferent. Ah Da thought to herself that making tea couldn’t be that hard from what she had just seen—there was no reason she couldn’t do it successfully.

She had never imagined that although tea-making seemed simple, it turned out to be a hectic mess in practice. Qin Yu occasionally offered guidance, "Rub the lid on the tea, press the cup rim tilted, and turn it twice."

Following his instructions, Ah Da placed her fingers on the lid and barely twisted it before she rapidly pulled her hand back, clutching her ear and frowning at the tea water as if facing a formidable enemy.

"The water’s so hot," she said with a pouting, aggrieved look.

Qin Yu watched her, a chuckle escaping him as he thought that it was a good thing she didn’t have to ingratiate herself with the older members of the Qin Family; otherwise, just her tea-making skills might have reduced her to tears, crying a floor full of pearls.