Madam, Please Behave-Chapter 6: Disheartened

Li Qing crouched in the corner, trying to stay out of sight.

She held the book tightly with both hands, covering the lower half of her face, her cheeks already flushed bright red.

She regretted everything. What should have been a meaningful reunion had turned into an embarrassing disaster. If there were a crack in the ground, she’d gladly crawl in and never come out again.

Her eyes darted around as she carefully peeked out from behind the wall.

From this angle, she could only see Liu Changqing’s face from below, and his expression didn’t look good.

If she hadn’t already felt anxious, seeing his sour expression only made her more worried.

He looks so mad. What do I do?

Feeling increasingly uneasy, she began tapping her feet nervously while staying crouched, making her resemble a little duck.

Passersby couldn’t help but glance at her curiously. She was clearly pretty, but her behavior made her seem a bit… odd. Most hurried past, afraid this foolish-looking girl might do something unexpected.

Finally, as if steeling her resolve, Li Qing gathered her courage.

What’s meant to come will come eventually. She decided to face him head-on.

However, misfortune rarely comes alone.

Having crouched for so long, her legs had gone numb. As she tried to stand, they gave out beneath her, and she tumbled forward.

“Ahhh!”

She let out a cry as her body hit the ground with a thud.

Hearing the commotion, Liu Changqing immediately stood up.

His expression shifted as he saw someone sprawled on the ground outside.

Is this some kind of new performance art? Lying on the ground in broad daylight?

“Ouch… that really hurts…”

Muttering to herself, Li Qing examined her palms, which had scraped against the pavement. The stinging pain made her eyes well up with tears.

Kneeling on the ground, she looked at the raw skin on her hands where her palms met her wrists. The burning pain made her feel like today was the unluckiest day of her life.

“Are you okay?”

Liu Changqing recognized her immediately.

Although he hadn’t seen her face clearly earlier, he remembered her outfit.

Not sure what she was trying to pull this time, Liu Changqing resolved not to let her escape again.

Walking to the door, he picked up the book she had dropped, dusted it off, and gripped it tightly before turning his attention to the girl still kneeling on the ground.

Her sense of grievance momentarily overshadowed her embarrassment, and Li Qing turned her tearful eyes to Liu Changqing.

“My hand hurts!”

“Let me see.”

At his words, Li Qing extended her hand toward him.

Squatting down, Liu Changqing examined her palm.

His expression shifted immediately.

“That’s terrifying!”

Li Qing nodded solemnly, agreeing wholeheartedly.

“In a few minutes, it’ll probably heal completely!”

“...”

Li Qing froze for a moment, confused.

“But it really… really hurts…”

Her pitiful tone, trembling with emotion, made it hard for Liu Changqing to make any sarcastic remarks. He could tell from her voice that she was on the verge of tears.

“Come inside. Wash your hand with water first, and I’ll put some medicine on it,” Liu Changqing said as he walked back into the store.

Li Qing stared at his retreating figure, watching his back as it overlapped with the one etched in her memory from that night.

A smile broke through her tear-streaked face as she quickly got to her feet, brushed off the dust from her clothes, and followed him inside.

“Um… about that book…”

“Don’t worry about that right now.”

He led Li Qing to the store’s restroom, turned around, and grabbed her wrist. She let out a startled yelp as he turned on the faucet and started rinsing her hand under the running water.

After a brief rinse, he examined the wound.

It was just a small scrape, barely enough to bleed. If it were him, he’d probably just give it a quick rinse and wait for it to heal naturally. Girls really are a bit more delicate, he thought.

Once the rinsing was done, Liu Changqing let go of her hand and motioned for her to follow him to the counter.

He pulled open a drawer, rummaged through it, and took out a bottle of powdered Yunnan Baiyao. Opening the lid, he looked at Li Qing, who obediently extended her hand toward him.

Pouring the powder onto her wound, he heard her hiss sharply as the sting set in.

Li Qing felt a sharp, burning pain and was about to cry out, but stopped herself. She didn’t want to seem overly dramatic after having already caused him so much trouble.

Clenching her teeth and turning her head away, she shut her eyes tightly, her body trembling slightly as though she were enduring an electric shock. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears.

This girl…

Liu Changqing couldn’t help but feel amused.

Putting everything else aside, her attempt to endure the pain was oddly endearing.

Looking closely at her, he noticed she had a hint of baby fat. Her black hair fell loosely over her shoulders, framing a round face that was soft and pleasing to the eye.

While her features weren’t stunning, they were delicately attractive, perfectly complementing her facial structure. She had a natural charm that made her seem like a “girl-next-door” type.

Her hands were soft and slightly plump—not the frail, bony kind.

Her clothes were loose, making it hard to tell what kind of figure she had.

“All done. The wound should scab over by tomorrow, and it’ll probably heal completely by the afternoon,” Liu Changqing said.

“Thank you…”

Her voice was so quiet it was almost inaudible, making Liu Changqing wonder if he’d misheard her.

Leaning back in his chair, he looked at her and asked, “Now, care to explain?”

“I didn’t do it on purpose… I was just… too embarrassed…”

Staring at her toes, Li Qing didn’t dare meet his gaze.

“Too embarrassed?”

Liu Changqing glanced at the book’s title and his lips twitched.

Well, that makes sense now.

“Young people these days… why are you so careless about safety?”

Scratching his face awkwardly, he added, “Alright, I’ll let it slide this time. But next time, don’t just grab something and run off. Having kids is a normal thing—it’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Be bold. Be confident.”

“I’m not, I’m not!”

Waving her hands frantically, she looked utterly flustered.

“I’m not p-p-pregnant! I just grabbed the wrong book!”

“Really?”

“Really!”

Watching her nod furiously, Liu Changqing felt puzzled.

Why is she going to such lengths to explain herself to me?

“Well, since it’s all cleared up, let’s not make a habit of this,” he said, waving his hand dismissively. His message was clear: if there’s nothing else, you can leave.

“Um…”

“What is it?”

Seeing her hesitating, Liu Changqing asked, “Is there something else you need?”

“It’s just… haven’t we met before?”

Her words made Liu Changqing look at her, his gaze meeting hers.

In her eyes, there was an inexplicable hint of hope.

Time seemed to slow.

Li Qing felt her heartbeat quicken with each passing second.

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“You do look a bit familiar, but I don’t think we’ve met. I don’t recall knowing anyone your age,” Liu Changqing replied, lowering his gaze.

Hearing this, Li Qing’s face turned pale. Her mouth opened as if she wanted to say something, and she even took a small step forward.

But in the end, she couldn’t bring herself to speak.

Her expression shifted—less anxious now, but tinged with disappointment.

Walking toward the door, she glanced back at Liu Changqing, who had already resumed typing on his keyboard.

Letting out a long sigh, she stepped outside.

Meanwhile, An Yuan Yao sat on a sofa, her gaze fixed on the clock hanging on the wall.

The second hand ticked away, its sound echoing in the empty living room.

Her eyes shifted to a photo hanging nearby.

In the picture was a mature, steady-looking man standing expressionlessly next to a woman clinging tightly to his arm, smiling brightly.

The woman was An Yuan Yao.

She was waiting.

Waiting for him.