Chapter 3

“Boss, have you been smoking again?” I asked.

“What, do I need to report to you before I smoke?”

“No, but…” I turned serious. “You should smoke less, Boss.

“An old man in our village smoked himself to death. One of the aunties said that when he went to the doctor, his lungs were already black. There was nothing they could do. He died not long afterward.”

“…”

“If you can’t say anything sensible, keep quiet. Get on with your writing.”

The boss was speaking through gritted teeth.

I wondered whether he’d taken any of it in.

I concentrated on writing, but the little snake kept crawling all over my notebook.

It seemed to have stopped understanding people. When I told it to keep still, it didn’t react at all.

I stood up, caught it in one hand, and lifted my shirt with the other.

Qin Sili pressed his fingers to his brow.

“You’re supposed to be writing. Why are you lifting your shirt?”

I kept going. “The little snake keeps bothering me. It likes my back dimples. If I put it around my waist, it’ll leave me alone.”

Before the snake reached my waist, Qin Sili grabbed it and tossed it aside.

It disappeared in a flash.

I was still holding up my shirt.

Qin Sili looked at my face first. Then his gaze slowly traveled down, finally settling on my lower back.

I couldn’t help asking, “Boss, people on Manjiao say back dimples are sexy. Do you think I’m sexy?”

Qin Sili said nothing.

He stared at those two spots without looking away.

“Boss?”

Just then, the housekeeper came downstairs. He froze when he saw us. “Sorry to interrupt. Just getting some water.”

“Hey!” I called to him.

He seemed not to hear. He walked even faster.

Qin Sili finally spoke. “What do you want with him?”

“I wanted to show him my back dimples too. Ask him if I’m sexy.”

Qin Sili narrowed his eyes. His voice turned chilly.

“Show anyone but me, and you’re dead.”

My eyes went round. The boss was so overbearing.

But I did as he said.

He paid my wages, after all.

“Got it.” I went on, “So do you think I’m sexy?”

It took a moment for his low voice to answer.

“Yes. Sexy.”

That was just what I’d wanted to hear. I glowed with satisfaction. I really was a sexy man.

Something warm touched the small of my back. I shivered in surprise.

Qin Sili’s hand was on my waist.

He slowly rubbed the two shallow dimples.

First with one hand. Then both hands closed around my waist.

His thumbs fitted right into the two hollows.

He sat on the sofa while I stood between his legs, my back to him.

Looking down, I could see his other fingers resting against my belly.

His hands were so big. They could almost span my waist.

Someone choked violently on water. I looked up. It was the housekeeper, glass in hand.

“Didn’t see a thing! Not a thing!”

I watched him hurry away.

Qin Sili let me go. His voice was hoarse. “Take the snake back to bed.”