We moved to Golden Courtyard

Aponia certainly wouldn't refuse Xu Qi.

She gently stroked the back of Xu Qi's head, as if soothing a baby.

"This time, it's really unlike you. Even when you faced Xia in Shanghai, I've never seen you this nervous. Otto... is he putting this much pressure on you?"

"Different."

Xu Qi finished speaking, but did not continue.

However, Aponia provided an answer for him.

"Back then you could be carefree, but now, with the battlefield outside Shanghai, you can't shake off that worry."

Why don't you say it? Is it because you're afraid that saying it will put unnecessary pressure on us, making us feel like you're holding us back, right?

Xu Qi had a bitter smile on his face.

He slowly got up and rolled down to Nia's side.

How do you always know what I'm thinking?

Aponia turned to the side, her soft body pressed against Xu Qi's, and reached out to stroke his cheek.

"Didn't you say it yourself? I'm your sister Nia, of course I know what you're thinking, right?"

"That's a foul..."

Aponia pulled Xu Qi's hand and pressed it against her heart.

"Xu Qi, do you feel anything?"

"Sister Nia, take a break, I haven't recovered yet."

Aponia blushed and flicked Xu Qi's forehead with her finger.

"I think about this kind of thing every day. I want you to feel my heart—Xu Qi. This heart beats for you, but it also belongs to me."

Did you even ask for our consent before arbitrarily defining us as someone you need to shoulder this responsibility?

Xu Qi opened his mouth slightly, unable to answer.

Aponia leaned close to him, so close that Xu Qi could feel Aponia's breath on his face.

"Xu Qi, you only need to take responsibility for us when it comes to matters of the heart. As for other things, we are partners, so naturally we should each shoulder half the responsibility, right?"

Xu Qi was deeply moved after hearing this.

Nia, I love you so much...

And this love began to transform into something tangible. The large hand that Aponia had taken to her heart began to move in a strange way, experiencing that soft and tender feeling.

"It's still early, we..."

However, Aponia raised a finger and placed it on Xu Qi's lips.

"Would you like to... go to the entrance first?"

Xu Qi: ?

Xu Qi got out of bed with a puzzled look in her eyes. She was about to get dressed when she thought about Aponia's attitude earlier and felt that she was not one of those little girls who hadn't grown up yet. So she just wrapped herself in a bathrobe and walked to the door.

As soon as I opened the door, I heard a panicked "Whoa!" from outside.

Seemingly not expecting the door to open suddenly, the girl outside had nowhere to grab onto and immediately leaned forward, then unsurprisingly crashed into Xu Qi's arms.

Looking down, I exclaimed—oh? Isn't that Padovalius?

The two looked at each other, and in the end, Maomao couldn't bear the shyness in her heart and tried to get up slowly, but Xu Qi suddenly reached out and hugged her tightly!

"!"

"Were you eavesdropping outside the door just now?"

"me……"

Cat hesitated for a long time, unable to come up with a better explanation to answer Xu Qi, especially since her petite body was being held in Xu Qi's arms.

He sniffed the air and immediately smelled the boss's scent—he had just finished "that" with Sister Nia, and the smell of hormones was even stronger.

Finally, he could only manage a weak reply: "I was just curious... and the boss has never... never touched me."

Xu Qi was both amused and exasperated.

You were the one who resisted the previous times, weren't you?

At that moment, Aponia's voice came from behind Xu Qi.

“Xu Qi, bring Pado in. We can’t let your mistakes from Europe continue.”

A mistake in Europe?

Xu Qi quickly realized what was going on; it meant he hadn't eaten Pado while he was in Europe...

Yes, that is indeed a mistake!

1192. Aponia said, "You must eat the cat."

Cat clearly realized what was happening too. Her eyes darted around, and she actually tried to sneak out of Xu Qi's arms.

Hmph! Trying to escape?

Xu Qi closed the door first, then picked up the cat in his arms and carried it to the bedside. This time, the cat was really unable to stay calm.

"Wow! Boss! ...Boss? Tonic, tonic..."

Pado struggled a lot, but in reality, she didn't use much strength at all.

How could Xu Qi not see through such an obvious act of playing hard to get?

“I hesitated in Europe, but now that we’re back in the courtyard, it would be wrong of me to let you escape again.”

Having said that, he tossed Paddy onto the bed.

The soft, bouncy mattress made the cat bounce several times before it finally settled. Aponia rolled her eyes at Xu Qi in displeasure.

"How can you be like this?"

Cat was also a little confused. She could tell that her boss seemed a bit off today, much more aggressive than usual!

She curled up and put on a pitiful expression as she spoke.

"Boss... Boss..."

Originally, Xu Qi thought he would let her go, but little did he know that Pado's performance only aroused Xu Qi's sense of conquest even more!

In addition, Xu Qi was not wearing any clothes to begin with. After taking off his bathrobe, his masculine and virile body was displayed in front of Pado.

It's not only women who attract men.

Pado stared blankly as Xu Qi grabbed her little foot and pulled her closer, without offering any symbolic resistance.

Perhaps it's because he's her boss, but more likely, she's already attracted to Xu Qi.

To be honest, even Aponia couldn't help but take a few more glances.

Being suppressed by a powerful man is a different experience for a woman.

When I did that kind of thing with Xu Qi, the psychological submission was far greater than the physical sensation.

Xu Qi grabbed her ankle and pulled her close, but Pado didn't experience the rough treatment she had expected. When she opened her eyes, she only saw Xu Qi's mocking gaze.

"Boss?"

"What? You really think I'm going to lay a hand on you, you cat?"

After Xu Qi finished speaking, even Aponia was somewhat surprised.

When did this man change his ways?

Xu Qi pulled Pado into his arms and lay down next to Aponia.

"I said before that I wanted to let Xiao Paduo experience the feeling of being in love before I could 'eat' her. That still stands. I'm not that impatient."

Pado was taken aback, not expecting that her boss still remembered the promise they made on the Ferris wheel.

But Aponia's eyes turned resentful.

"You've made your move on Himeko and Durandal, and even that Kaffa and that outsider Kiki, but you just don't want our Padma..."

What? Are you looking down on the youngest child in our courtyard?

Xu Qi and Pado blinked at the same time, looking at each other in bewilderment.

Clearly, neither of them had considered this possibility.

"Ni... Sister Nia, you've thought of so much for me..."

Pado nestled in Xu Qi's arms, somewhat at a loss.

She knew that everyone in the courtyard cared about her.

However, Little Paddo never thought that way on her own initiative. Now that she can directly feel Aponia's love for her, she is somewhat confused.

"But I'm fine, being the youngest is great, right? Hehe~~ And what the eldest said, I... I'm actually quite looking forward to it too, like dating and stuff..."

Kids who grow up on the streets, where have they ever experienced love?

Forget about experiencing it, I've never even heard of it.

They only think about how to survive every day, and as for other emotions, they are naturally useless and should be discarded.

Xu Qi always cherished this point.

Aponia affectionately ruffled Paddo's hair.

"Since you have this plan, I won't say anything. But why do you always like to eavesdrop in the corner? This isn't the first time, is it?"

At this point, Xu Qi's expression became somewhat strange.

He was actually aware of it; his mental energy could sense the cat's faint fluctuations nearby, but he always thought it might just be passing by.

Didn't I expect it was eavesdropping?

What kind of strange quirk is this?

Speaking of this, Pado couldn't help but blush a little.

She placed her hands on her chest, poked her index fingers together, and said in a rather embarrassed manner, "I... can I not say?"

Xu Qi grinned and threatened, "If you don't tell me, I'll eat you!"

"Oh!" Paddy immediately panicked, as if her hair had been blown off, and said, "I'll talk! I'll talk!"

Why does it feel like they're engaging in some kind of inappropriate play?

“I…I’m curious too…Of course I want to see what a girl’s final step is like, and…” As she said this, Pado couldn’t help but glance at Xu Qi.

"And what?"

"The boss has such a great physique, I want to look at him a little longer..."

Actually, there's something Pado didn't mention: she occasionally dreams about Xu Qi. As for what happens next, that goes without saying.

Xu Qi was both amused and exasperated; it seemed he had become the object of other people's imaginations?

And yet, this person is a cat?

Xu Qi leaned closer to the cat and said, "If you really look like..."

"Um! Never mind! ...I...I...I'm afraid of pain."

Well, another one where you want something but are afraid of being...

Aponia couldn't help but laugh out loud, but recalling her first experience, it was indeed quite painful. Fortunately, Xu Qi was very gentle.

Xu Qi couldn't resist teasing Pado and uttered a classic line from a scumbag.

"It was only the first time; it got comfortable after that."

"The boss just wants to trick me into bed!"

"Don't say that! I just wanted a hug, nothing else."

The cat pretended to be fierce and bit Xu Qi's arm. "You're not a cat, you're a dog, aren't you?"

By this time, Aponia had rested enough and got up to whisper in Paddo's ear, "Since we can't do it for real, why don't we try something else? Paddo always likes to watch these kinds of things, she must be really looking forward to it..."