Just as Shi Ning finished her silent reflection, her phone vibrated. The caller ID flashed: Shi Qingyin. Shi Ning’s eyebrow quirked; the barrage spoilers, it seemed, were remarkably timely.
She didn’t rush to answer, instead picking up the phone and strolling out of the room in her pajamas. Aunt Zhang, just arriving with breakfast, greeted her respectfully, “Young Madam, you’re up.”
Shi Ning hummed in response, her gaze falling on the breakfast tray, noting a cup of coffee. “Breakfast for Qin Heye?” she inquired.
“Yes,” Aunt Zhang confirmed. “Master Qin is in the study.”
Shi Ning reached out, taking the tray and placing her phone on it. “Let me do it,” she offered.
Aunt Zhang looked confused. “Aren’t you going to answer the phone first?” The phone continued its persistent ringing. Aunt Zhang had glimpsed the caller ID; it was Second Miss Shi , and usually, the young madam answered her calls instantly.
“A phone call is not as important as my husband’s meal,” Shi Ning declared, heading towards the study with the tray. It was a perfect opportunity, she thought, for her and Qin Heye to listen to Shi Qingyin’s call together.
The ringing ceased just as Shi Ning pushed open the study door and walked in.
“You didn’t knock when you came in…” Qin Heye’s voice, initially cold and sharp, softened abruptly as he looked up and saw Shi Ning. “Stand still, I’ll do it.”
Shi Ning watched him frantically hide something on the table before he rose and strode towards her. He took the tray with one hand, gently clasped her hand with the other, and led her towards the desk. “Why did you bring the breakfast? Where’s Aunt Zhang?”
“We met at the door, so I brought it to you.”
Shi Ning’s gaze drifted to the desk. A computer, a few documents, and a photo of their marriage certificate lay there – a surprisingly simple setup. Her eyes then fixed on a piece of white paper beneath some other items. Was that what Qin Heye had been hiding?
Seeing Shi Ning looking, Qin Heye’s panic flared. He tugged at her hand. “Let’s go sit on the sofa and have breakfast together.”
Shi Ning looked up, amusement flickering in her eyes as she saw his guilty, flustered expression. She raised an eyebrow. “What did you hide just now?”
“Nothing!” Qin Heye insisted, refusing to meet her gaze.
Shi Ning understood immediately. “Company secrets? Then I’m out of here.” She believed in maintaining boundaries, especially with confidential matters. She turned to leave, but Qin Heye pulled her back.
“No, I’m not hiding any of this from you. It’s not a secret with you.”
Shi Ning’s eyebrow arched further. “So, did you do something shameful here?”
Qin Heye’s face instantly flushed crimson, and he wouldn’t dare meet her eyes.
Shi Ning, seeing his scarlet face, was intrigued. What on earth was he hiding that could make someone as cool and composed as Qin Heye blush?
[Oh my god! I just went to have a fight with some fans, and this is what happened when I came back? What is the villain blushing about?]
[The villain was hiding something behind the female supporting character, and when he got caught, he blushed.]
[The villain’s incredibly romantic mind, what else could he do? Draw everything he did with the female supporting character last night?]
[It would be best if our female supporting character caught him, and when she saw the pictures, she’d be like, wow, that would be so real, so juicy. I’m going to ply our study room, looking forward to it.]
[Big yellow girl, please stop thinking! The big villain’s brain is not that yellow, he is just writing an 800-word essay about wanting to be with the female supporting role. He hasn’t finished it yet and was caught. He is shy.]
The last comment made Shi Ning’s mind race back to the previous night. This, she realized, was the answer. It wasn’t a confidential document, nor was it a scandalous drawing.
Uncaring now, Shi Ning settled directly into the office chair. “It’s confidential, then I have to see it.”
“Wife…” Qin Heye, tray in hand, reached out to stop her, but it was too late.
Shi Ning had already picked up the paper from the bottom of the pile. It was an 800-grid composition paper, only half-filled, about 400 words. Shi Ning began to read aloud:
“I’ve been separated from my wife for 43 hours, 5 minutes, and 72 seconds. I miss her, everywhere. My ears want to hear her voice, my eyes want to see her, my mouth wants to kiss her…”
Qin Heye, standing beside her, turned a deeper shade of crimson, unable to meet her gaze. “Wife, stop reading.”
Shi Ning ignored him. Since her phone wasn’t ringing again, she continued:
“My hands miss my wife too. I want to hold her little hand, I want to hug her slender waist, I want…”
Qin Heye’s face was now a violent shade of red, as if blood was about to drip from it. He couldn’t bear to listen any longer and lunged to grab the paper back. “Aning, stop reading!” His voice was laced with something akin to exasperation, though he didn’t use his endearment “wife.” “Give it back to me!”
Shi Ning deftly dodged him, keeping the paper out of his reach, and continued reading. A 400-word essay on missing someone wasn’t very long. Qin Heye, fearing to hurt her, didn’t force the issue, watching as she neared the end.
Finally, he grabbed Shi Ning’s arm, pulling her up. He then sat in his office chair, pulling her down onto his lap, his fingers gently pinching her slender waist. He lowered his head, a playful threat in his voice. “Read it again, and I’ll kiss you!”
Shi Ning held the composition paper high. “My body wants it too… well.”
Before she could finish, Qin Heye’s head descended, and he kissed her disobedient little mouth, hard and deep. Shi Ning’s entire body softened, her raised hands losing their grip. The composition paper fluttered from her fingers, landing softly on the desk.
The long kiss ended when Shi Ning was utterly breathless. Qin Heye finally released her lips, only to tighten his grip on her waist. He lowered his head, his eyes burning with desire. “Do you feel how I miss you now?”
Shi Ning blushed, then deliberately quipped, “With the sanitary pad on, I can’t feel it… ah!”
Her words were cut short. Qin Heye pinched her slender waist and pulled her down with a forceful motion. “Now?”
Shi Ning’s face blazed. !!! Qin Heye, how did you become so brazen! He used to be so aloof, his clothes impeccably buttoned, like an old cadre! Now…
Seeing Shi Ning speechless, Qin Heye’s gaze lingered on her red lips. “Wife wants to develop a new area?”
The atmosphere crackled with tension. Then, the phone rang again.
Shi Ning, blushing furiously, stammered, “I, I’ll answer the phone first, help me get the phone.”
Qin Heye, not entirely a beast and mindful of Shi Ning’s discomfort, didn’t tease her further. But he didn’t release her either, merely holding her in his arms as he retrieved her phone. Seeing Shi Qingyin’s name on the screen, he frowned. Clearly, he disapproved of Shi Qingyin calling Shi Ning at this time, or indeed, at any time. Shi Qingyin’s calls, it seemed, were always intertwined with Shen Xizhou.
Shi Ning snuggled deeper into Qin Heye’s arms, pressed the answer button, and lazily said, “Hello.”
Shi Qingyin, who had likely expected Shi Ning not to answer, breathed a sigh of relief. “Sister, good morning.”
“Yeah.” Shi Ning idly pointed at the breakfast, then opened her mouth, subtly motioning for Qin Heye to feed her.
At the same moment, Shi Qingyin was also nestled in Shen Xizhou’s arms, the two exchanging knowing glances.
Shi Qingyin then asked, “Sister, is Master Qin by your side?”
Shi Ning glanced up at Qin Heye, then replied, “No, what’s wrong?”
Qin Heye isn’t by her side, she reasoned, but he’s holding her, and she’s sitting on his lap, which is under her. Hee hee, she didn’t lie, did she?