Chapter 130: Giving Yuan Yuqing a Massage?

Special thanks to Feiyang Rujian for the generous tip, and to Zhanlan Haianxian for the three tips!

Professional matters should be left to the professionals. While Liu Wentao and the others weren't exactly experts, they were certainly capable of handling things just as well as Zhang Ye. His role was simply to steer the ship, keeping the overall direction of the internet cafe clear so it wouldn't lose its way in the fog of a fledgling business.

Compared to the previous period, Zhang Ye had loosened his grip significantly. For the past month, he had been largely hands-off. While it might have seemed like he was just being lazy, his true intention was to allow them to manage the cafe with greater maturity, preparing them for the upcoming expansion into a chain.

So, when Yuan Yuqing called while he was in the middle of price negotiations with Boss Cai, he left immediately.

They hadn't seen each other for a long time since she had helped him out of a jam. Hearing the weariness in her voice over the phone, and remembering how much she had done for him, he couldn't possibly refuse.

Arriving at her apartment building, Zhang Ye was about to head up when he spotted a fruit stand nearby. On an impulse, he pulled out his wallet and bought a few pounds of apples and oranges.

Familiar with the route, he knocked on the door. To his surprise, it wasn't locked and swung open at his touch. Glancing inside with a sense of unease, he walked in with a wry smile.

"Auntie Yuan? Are you home?" Zhang Ye closed the door behind him, placed the fruit on the table, and approached the bedroom.

*Click.*

The bathroom door opened, and Yuan Yuqing stepped out, her hair damp, wrapped only in a bath towel.

Her mature, enchanting face, the heaving curves of her chest, her shapely figure, and the heat radiating from the bathroom—Zhang Ye’s blood surged instantly, and his nose felt a sudden, prickly heat.

"Auntie Yuan..." Zhang Ye stammered, his face flushing with embarrassment.

He couldn't deny the temptation. Under such extreme allure—especially the snowy expanse of her chest and the deep valley between—the "little Zhang Ye" began to swell visibly. It pushed against the fabric of his slightly loose brown casual trousers like a serpent trying to escape, becoming painfully obvious.

Zhang Ye wasn't a stranger to desire, but since returning to this time over a decade ago, he had exercised rigid self-control. Managing his youthful, energetic body had been an arduous task, often leaving him sleepless in the dead of night. Now, confronted with such breathtaking beauty, the raw, hazy temptation radiating from Yuan Yuqing’s figure proved too much to resist. His facade crumbled.

Yuan Yuqing darted a quick glance downward, her face turning crimson. Pretending not to notice, she said, "You're here. Come on in." She walked past him, headed straight to the bedroom door, opened it, and stepped inside.

"She saw..." Zhang Ye’s expression shifted, and he wished he could crawl into a hole. He stood there awkwardly, twisting his legs in a futile attempt to hide his unsightly bulge, cursing his own lack of restraint.

"Come in..." She called out. Zhang Ye blinked, nodded, and followed her inside.

"Auntie Yuan, what did you need me for?" he asked, following her into the room. He looked around cautiously, feeling guilty, especially when his gaze fell toward the foot of the bed and he recalled the discs he had seen there once before.

"I’m so tired. Give me a massage."

Yuan Yuqing showed no particular expression. She walked to the bed, laid face down on the pillow, and turned her head to look at him. Even after her shower, her face remained delicate and beautiful; she didn't need makeup to look stunning. Yet, the exhaustion etched between her brows could not be hidden.

"Ah..." Zhang Ye’s mouth hung open for a second before he agreed.

She was usually a woman of iron will, but seeing this rare moment of vulnerability, his heart softened. He sat down on the edge of the bed. However, seeing her rounded curves and slender waist, his composure began to slip again.

"Auntie Yuan, you have such a great figure," Zhang Ye murmured, placing his hands on her shoulders.

The softness and smoothness of her skin, combined with the lingering, fragrant scent of her shower, left him dazed for a moment. He finally regained his focus and began to knead her muscles with slow, firm pressure.

"Mmm... harder," Yuan Yuqing breathed, stretching out with a satisfied sigh.

"I’m getting older," she murmured. "My face and skin can't compete with the young ones anymore, so I have to keep my figure in shape, otherwise I’d lose all my appeal."

"Not at all. Your face and skin are both beautiful—you’re one of the most attractive people I’ve ever met. Besides, you aren't old; you're still very young," Zhang Ye said, his tension gradually easing. His hands moved with more rhythm, working her shoulders, collarbone, back, and waist with a mix of light and heavy strokes.

Even through the towel, he could feel the suppleness of her skin. The temptation made his throat dry, forcing him to find topics of conversation to distract himself.

"Hehe, you're a smooth talker," Yuan Yuqing said, her mood seemingly lifting as she chuckled, her shoulders trembling slightly.

"I’m serious. I never lie. You can ask Little Caitou next door; every time he asks me for candy, I tell him I don't have any. I’m a grown man; who carries candy around all the time?" Zhang Ye said with mock seriousness.

"Giggle... you little rascal," Yuan Yuqing laughed. "You only know how to tease me with these jokes." She turned her head to look at him, her gaze filled with charm.

"But really, Auntie Yuan, you aren't old," Zhang Ye smiled. He had realized that something was bothering her, so he was racking his brain to lift her spirits. Even if he couldn't solve her problems, he could at least make her laugh. It seemed to be working.

"Then why do you keep calling me 'Auntie'?" she rolled her eyes at him playfully.

"Sister, then. Sister Yuan. I was just worried about messing up the seniority," Zhang Ye quickly corrected himself. Seeing her expression soften, he continued to tell her jokes.

Zhang Ye had a rich repertoire of jokes. In his past life, he had spent plenty of time browsing the internet for humor, often sharing them with friends over drinks to liven up the atmosphere. Now, as he told them, he had Yuan Yuqing laughing uncontrollably. Her shoulders shook as she giggled non-stop.

The bath towel shifted with her movements, threatening to slip at any moment, revealing glimpses of fair, smooth skin that were infinitely alluring.

But as she laughed, she suddenly went still. Zhang Ye leaned over to look, only to see that she had started to cry.