Chapter 49 (Chapter 49) It will dehydrate.

Yu Qiwen was speechless, and Yu Zeheng hung up the phone abruptly.

Qiao Shu raised an eyebrow and looked at him coldly: "Yu Zeheng, what's wrong with you?"

Using his full name and surname, he's really angry.

What exactly was he saying to Yu Qiwen?

Yu Zeheng handed the phone back, his tone blunt: "We're all adults, you can say whatever you want. You're not their messenger."

While that statement is correct, his focus is definitely not on that.

“You don’t need to make up high-sounding reasons for yourself. These are not excuses for the evil you just committed.” Qiao Shu sat up, otherwise she would have already lost in terms of momentum.

What if someone hears this? She might as well lose her face.

Yu Zeheng was confused, but said confidently, "I'm just stating the facts. He doesn't need to come to you about this. Even if he wants to know, he can ask me. If you say the last sentence, I think it's okay for me to say it. It is indeed time to go to bed."

Qiao Shu wanted to kick him off the bed.

"Yu Zeheng, you're quite good at avoiding the important issues."

Is she just referring to the incident where someone took her phone and said a bunch of nonsensical things?

"Did I make you uncomfortable?" The light shone on his fair face with red lips and white teeth, and he looked somewhat innocent. "But you said before that you liked it, that you liked my hands."

Qiao Shu suddenly felt hot.

"Shut up."

The headache is that she really said those words. She praised his hands for being beautiful, with long, slender fingers of even thickness and perfectly placed veins on the back of his hands. They were both beautiful and functional.

Yu Zeheng pulled her hand and gently squeezed her fingers: "I was wrong, so punish me."

Qiao Shu decisively pulled her hand back: "Fine, I'll punish you. You're going to go back to your room to sleep tonight."

Yu Zeheng paused for a second: "It's not that heavy."

Qiao Shu laughed in anger, forcing out the word "get lost" through gritted teeth. How could there be such a shameless person as Yu Zeheng?

Yu Zeheng leaned closer, as if embracing her, face to face, eye to eye. He said guidingly, "You can punish me by making me stand facing the wall in repentance."

Qiao Shu imagined him standing facing the wall in repentance, that tall man, standing there gloomily as punishment. She would definitely not be able to resist taking a picture to remember the moment.

A slight smile appeared on her tense face: "You said it yourself."

"I said it."

"Alright, then I'll punish you by making you stand facing the wall in repentance." Just saying it out loud was already satisfying.

Yu Zeheng asked, "How long?"

Qiao Shu thought for a moment: "One hour."

"are you sure?"

"I'm sure you can't even handle this little bit of time." Qiao Shu tugged at his collar, pulling him towards her with a light touch, nose to nose. "Or are you just trying to comfort me?"

Yu Zeheng corrected her: "It's not that I can't stand it."

He sighed.

"It will dehydrate."

Qiao Shu's intuition told her that what she thought was "reflecting on her mistakes" was not the same as what he thought was "reflecting on his mistakes."

With a click, the lights were switched off. Feeling the heat approaching in the darkness, Qiao Shu immediately became alert and leaned back: "What are you doing?"

“I’m accepting the punishment you’ve given me.” He paused. “Baby.”

He pronounced his words very clearly, and the way he called out "baby" was sudden and overly ambiguous, but in that particular context, it was like a gentle stream flowing in the darkness.

Qiao Shu: "?"

The silk fabric was pushed aside, like layers of petals piled around her waist. Caught off guard, she was pulled down by her waist. He looked down, groping in the darkness, his high nose poking at her flat, soft abdomen. Only then did Qiao Shu suddenly realize what he meant by "facing the wall in repentance".

Whether it's punishment or reward, only he himself can tell.

Qiao Shu kicked her legs, wishing she could kick him off the bed.

As soon as I lifted my leg, my knee was grabbed and pulled down until it was pressed into the fluffy sheets.

When the punishment truly began, Qiao Shu's brain briefly went blank. It was like a vast expanse of white after a heavy snowfall. She tilted her head back and bit her lip. In the darkness, apart from her dulled vision, everything else became acutely sensitive: the wet touch, the scorching temperature, the sound of churning water, and the smacking sound of sucking.

"Bastard, bastard, bastard..." Qiao Shu cursed a hundred times in her heart.

She bit her lip, whimpering with grievance and distress. Only by pulling his hair and pinching his shoulders could she relieve that feeling of helplessness.

The punishment period was still less than an hour.

Yu Zeheng kissed her cheek and said considerately that the human body should not lose too much water in a short period of time.

Qiao Shu was too lazy to even stay angry. She held the water glass and drank the whole glass before she could calm down.

Yu Zeheng turned the light back on. When Qiao Shu glanced at him, her gaze fell on his lips, which were excessively red. Her mouth was dry, so she silently picked up her cup and drank some water.

"Shouldn't you change my contact name?"

When Yu Zeheng hugged her again, he rested his chin on her shoulder and asked, "Even Yu Qiwen has a name, don't I deserve a title?"

Qiao Shu then remembered that such a thing had happened.

He saw it then, and that's where he focused his attention.

Qiao Shu said "Oh," and reached out to grab her phone. The faint light from the screen illuminated their two faces, and the pair of eyes behind them seemed to be watching.

It seems like he won't be able to sleep tonight unless he changes the contact name to one that satisfies him.

Qiao Shu thought for a moment and changed her WeChat nickname to "Aheng".

good.

Yu Zeheng reminded him: "Make a phone number in your contacts."

As Qiao Shu casually opened her phone book and found Yu Zeheng's number, the person behind her let out a cold sneer and uttered two words in a chilling tone: "Ex-husband, that's right, I am your ex-husband."

Yu Zeheng took the eccentric and unconventional style to the extreme.

"We can get into bed together, but once we get out of bed, we're no longer in a relationship."

Qiao Shu suppressed a laugh, but she really didn't have the energy to play with him anymore. She quickly changed the way she addressed him as "boyfriend," then turned around and quickly kissed him on the cheek: "If you want to change it again later, you'll have to fight for it yourself. Do your best."

"May I try to show off now?" he asked, eager to do so.

"No, you can't."

Qiao Shu put down her phone, her eyelids drooping: "I'm so sleepy."

—

Spring came earlier than usual.

The lingering chill of winter hadn't yet dissipated, but new green leaves were already adorning the branches; the cycle of old and new is always the same.

Song Yue investigated the relationship between Qiao Kaiyu and Zhou Wanying.

They were indeed lovers.

The two kept their relationship discreet, rarely meeting alone at the company, never bumping into each other after get off work, and having no financial dealings. The only odd thing was that Zhou Wanying lived in an upscale neighborhood near the company, where the rent was over ten thousand yuan, which was beyond her salary.

Zhou Wanying comes from a modest family; her parents live in a small county town, and their income is insufficient to support her living expenses.

Song Yue went to check the house she lived in. The house was registered under Qiao Kaiyu's name. By following the investigation, she learned that Qiao Kaiyu would sometimes come over, but he would not come in and leave with her. He would stay for a few hours and then leave alone.

As the accountant, Zhou Wanying likely played a role in Qiao Kaiyu's embezzlement of company funds and taking kickbacks.

Qiao Shu handed the task over to Guan Han, who naturally had specific reasons to check the company's accounts, mainly focusing on cash flow issues.

The company conducted an internal review, following standard procedures.

Zhou Wanying knew that the investigation would eventually reach her. She had sent a message to Qiao Kaiyu, who told her not to worry. But she was restless. How could she not worry? After thinking it over, she took the documents and knocked on Qiao Kaiyu's office door.

"Mr. Qiao, I have some documents here that need your signature."

Zhou Wanying walked in amidst Qiao Kaiyu's astonished gaze and closed the office door.

Qiao Kaiyu threw down his pen, stood up abruptly, his office chair sliding half a meter behind him. His face was contorted with rage as he strode toward her: "Are you crazy? How dare you come looking for me so openly?"

The document was thrown into Qiao Kaiyu's arms. Zhou Wanying glared at him and said, "If you don't reply to my messages, I'm really going to go crazy."

"I told you, it's just a normal procedure, so don't worry. I'll talk to the people in charge of the review, and no one can touch you."

Qiao Kaiyu pinched his brow in frustration. He was overwhelmed with worries lately. His phone was flooded with debt collection messages, and now even Qiao Shu was urging him to pay back money. In addition, his family knew that he was trading futures, and Chen Yi was constantly nagging him. Now, even Zhou Wanying was bothering him with this little thing.

When will this ever end?

Zhou Wanying said, "You make it sound so easy. If anything goes wrong, I'll be the one who has to take responsibility. Besides, you still have some money to pay back. If that gets found out, I'm doomed!"

Money, money, money, it's always money.

Qiao Kaiyu grabbed Zhou Wanying's arm: "You can't even do this simple thing, what use are you anyway?"

"How could you say such a thing? Haven't I done enough bad things for you?" Zhou Wanying's eyes glistened with tears.

The two had an argument, but because they were at the company, they had to lower their voices and control their emotions.

"You don't care about me, do you?"

Qiao Kaiyu took a deep breath, trying his best to remain calm: "I'm just telling you to calm down. As long as I'm in the company, no one can touch you, understand?"

Zhou Wanying wiped away her tears and composed herself: "You'd better remember what you said."

"Alright, I'll handle this. Don't come here again." Qiao Kaiyu frowned, then smoothed his brow. "You'll be fine."

Zhou Wanying took a deep breath, pushed open the door, and walked out with the report in her arms.

As she entered the elevator, a beautiful figure approached, wearing a pink chunky knit sweater and a floral long skirt, exuding a faint and pleasant fragrance. Upon recognizing the person, she greeted her as "President Shu."

"Hello."

Qiao Shu greeted her with a smile, "You don't look too well, are you sick?"

Zhou Wanying subconsciously touched her face, then paused for a moment: "No, it's probably because I haven't been resting well lately."

When the elevator arrived at the floor Qiao Shu wanted to go to, she said gently, "Get some rest."

Zhou Wanying hummed in agreement, "Thank you."

After Qiao Shu left and the elevator doors closed, she leaned against the elevator, feeling lost and confused. Even though Qiao Kaiyu said he would take care of it, she was still in a state of turmoil, as if something bad had happened.

—

After the weather warmed up, Qiao Zhenkai regained some of his energy and suggested that he go to Qingling Temple to burn incense.

This time, the whole family went together, including Qiao Mingjie, who in turn invited Ye Yuzhen.

This was Qiao Zhenkai's first long trip since his illness. His mother, Li, made all the preparations, packing a small box full of medicine and bringing along a nurse to minimize the inconvenience of the journey.

They plan to stay overnight at Qingling Temple.

Qiao Shu was packing her luggage when she heard Ye Yuzhen's voice on her phone. It was a rare opportunity for her to participate in the Qiao family's activities, and she wanted to make a good impression on the old man, so she asked what she needed to prepare.

Ye Yuzhen then asked her what her aunt liked so she could prepare a gift.

Although it was already spring, there was still a chill in the mountains. Qiao Shu took out a coat, a down jacket that could wrap her up from head to toe. As she folded the coat, she said, "Aunt Ye, you don't need to prepare any gifts. Haven't you suffered enough at the hands of your aunt? Just pretend you didn't see her when you go."

My aunt is used to fawning over the powerful and belittling the weak; her attitude towards people has nothing to do with what she receives as a gift.

Ye Yuzhen smiled nonchalantly: "How can that be? It's a rare opportunity to meet, I still want to leave a good impression."

After packing her luggage, Yu Zeheng went upstairs and asked her if she had finished packing.

Qiao Shu squatted on the ground, hugging her knees, and examined the suitcase: makeup bag, change of clothes, pajamas, eye mask... She looked up, thinking that Yu Zeheng couldn't leave because of work, and shook her head: "I haven't finished packing. I wanted to pack you up and take you with me."

Yu Zeheng chuckled: "Then you'll probably need to get a bigger suitcase."

“Perhaps you’ve heard of burlap sacks?” Qiao Shu closed his suitcase. “Since you’ve been with me for so long, you can choose a color yourself.”

At night, Qiao Shu would hug her personal human heater, her whole body warmed up by the warmth.

"I might have insomnia," she predicted. Habit is a terrible thing, and she would miss his presence in unfamiliar surroundings.

Yu Zeheng's nose touched the top of her head, rubbing against her hair: "Four years have passed, and it seems my status hasn't improved much."

It used to help princesses sleep, and it seems it still does now.

Qiao Shu chuckled: "You are very clear about your own position."

It's still different, the difference lies in the methods of helping people sleep. In the past, it was through exercise, but now it's not necessary. Just touching his skin and smelling his scent is enough to help him sleep.

"I'm honored." Another kiss landed on the top of her head.

The next morning, the Qiao family set off in a large group of four vehicles. Qiao Shu and Qiao Zhenkai rode in the same vehicle, which was the last one, along with a nurse.

The grandfather and granddaughter had a conversation after the share transfer was signed some time ago. Qiao Zhenkai asked her how she was doing at the company, and if she liked this kind of work, she could go to Shengyu, which was her mother's former business, and it would be better than being a vice president with no real power in the company.

Qiao Shu wondered whether the old man genuinely thought she was suitable, or if he was using the guise of a reward to actually transfer her away from headquarters.

The old man closed his eyes to rest for the first half of the journey, and was reminded by the caregiver to take his medicine for the second half.

"What do you think of what I said the other day?" Qiao Zhenkai swallowed a small handful of pills and took them with water.

Qiao Shu picked up her phone to reply to the message. Upon hearing this, she turned her head and also played along, saying that she didn't have much ability and that she was already quite happy with the dividends from her shares.

Qiao Zhenkai placed his hand on the blanket: "I still have shares in Shengyu. I can give them all to you after you have a child and become a mother."

The old man had urged her to have children more than once or twice, and she was used to it. But this was the first time she heard him set conditions, which made Qiao Shu instinctively feel disgusted with the idea of ​​having children.

We'll sign the project agreement and give you shares.

Give birth to the child, and I'll give you all the glory.

Qiao Shu slowly realized that this seemed to be a test of her obedience.

Does the goal mean she should have a child, thus forging a deep bond between the Qiao and Yu families?

No matter how uncomfortable or disgusted she felt inside, she would still smile on the surface and say that she and Yu Zeheng would work hard to help the old man hold his great-grandson as soon as possible.

The car had already entered the national highway from the expressway. There was already a hint of spring at the foot of the mountain. As the car wound its way up the mountain road, the trees along the way were bare, which was far less beautiful than the scenery that Qiao Shu and Yu Zeheng had seen last time. As they drove all the way to the temple, the mountain wind was cold, like ice blades scraping their faces.

The old man got out of the car and, with assistance, sat in a wheelchair.

The rest of the Qiao family also got off the bus one after another. Chen Yi did not take Qiao Yan with her, as the mountain air was cold and she was afraid he would get sick. Her aunt wrapped herself in a cloak, took a few deep breaths, and told the old man that the mountain air was so fresh.

The servants unloaded supplies for the temple, including some daily necessities, onto the car.

The host came out and greeted the old man.

Ye Yuzhen, having been rebuffed by her aunt, sheepishly approached Qiao Shu: "This place is really nice, quiet and secluded. I wonder if the temple here is effective for praying for children?"

Qiao Shu was completely wrapped up, with only her eyes showing. Upon hearing this, she slapped down her hand and said, "It will work. Sincerity is key."

Ye Yuzhen held her hand, her gaze falling on Qiao Mingjie, who was talking to his uncle in the distance: "Your dad is quite happy this time too, it's rare for your father-in-law to be willing to see him."

Qiao Shu sighed, "If he behaves himself, Grandpa won't stay angry with him forever."

Ye Yuzhen nodded: "He's been much better lately, he hasn't been out fooling around, so don't worry."

The old man entered the temple, followed by the Qiao family. They offered incense, made vows, and prayed for blessings. After the prayers, the eldest uncle's family surrounded the old man and chatted with the abbot, creating a lively and intimate atmosphere. Qiao Shu did not go forward but turned and left.

Ye Yuzhen sincerely prayed for a child, so she dragged Qiao Mingjie along and prayed repeatedly. Afterwards, she went to draw lots and listened attentively to the interpretation of the lots.

They ate vegetarian meals and were assigned rooms. Qiao Shu lived alone in an old wooden bed with clean, faded bedding.

Qiao Shu had nothing to do, so she went outside to pet the orange cat. The cat lay obediently on the stone slab, stretched with its mouth open, and squinted its eyes to enjoy being petted.

She suddenly remembered that she had written a prayer plaque before, and Yu Zeheng had also written one, which was hung high up. She was curious about what he had written.

Qiao Shu walked over. Qingling Temple was not very popular, and there were few tourists. Even fewer people hung up prayer plaques. Qiao Shu looked around the general area and asked the master if he could help her get a prayer plaque with her name "Qiao Shu" written on it, and the one next to it with "Yu Zeheng" written on it.

According to the rules, it was not allowed, but Qiao Shu was sweet-talking, so the master made an exception and removed the prayer plaque.

"Thanks."

Qiao Shu took it, and she immediately recognized the handwriting—

May all her wishes come true.

Yu Zeheng.

Qiao Shu held the prayer plaque, pressing the edge against her palm, feeling a slight tug at her heartstrings.

She exhaled, then looked at the darkening sky. The night gave the trees an even deeper black. She smiled and licked her lips: "Who makes a wish like that?"

"Fool."

Qiao Shu asked the master to hang the prayer plaques again, hers and his still close together, for fear that the gods might make a mistake.

"Are you making a wish?" Ye Yuzhen's voice came from behind.

She hummed in agreement.

Ye Yuzhen stopped walking, her tone somewhat surprised: "Someone's coming this late?"

A beam of headlights shone over, illuminating the temple area. Qiao Shu raised her hand, shielding her eyes with the back of her hand. The car pulled over and stopped, and the lights went out, briefly plunging the area back into darkness.

Someone got off the bus.

Qiao Shu squinted and saw a tall figure, just a rough outline, and couldn't see the face clearly, but she already recognized who it was.

She stood there, watching him walk towards her.

"It's Zeheng, Zeheng is here." As the people approached, Ye Yuzhen recognized them.

"Aunt Ye, Dad." Yu Zeheng lowered his head and greeted Ye Yuzhen and Qiao Mingjie.

Yu Zeheng turned his head and looked at Qiao Shu. He gently bumped into her and said, "And this snowman, hello."

Qiao Shu was wearing a white coat and a windproof scarf, with only half of her face showing. From a distance, she did indeed look like a snowman.

"Don't you have a job?"

"I came over as soon as I finished work." Yu Zeheng paused for a moment, "I was afraid you'd have insomnia and bother me at night."

Qiao Shu chuckled softly, her eyes sparkling like icy glass beads.

Yu Zeheng took her hand and said, "I'll go say hello to Grandpa."

"good."

Yu Zeheng's appearance surprised everyone else. Qiao Zhenkai said with relief, "You don't need to come all the way here if you have work to do. Are you tired from driving for so long? Get some rest."

"It doesn't matter."

After chatting with Qiao Zhenkai and his uncle for a few minutes, Yu Zeheng left.

A few lamps were lit in the temple, but their power was low, and the faint light seemed as if it could be swallowed up by the darkness at any moment.

They were here a while ago, taking a walk and picking chestnuts in the forest. Qiao Shu mocked him for not being able to tell the difference between chives and scallions, but he almost poisoned himself.

There weren't many activities at the temple at night, so everyone went back to their rooms early.

Qiao Shu has a slight case of mysophobia. She only took off her coat, leaving her in a sweater and trousers. She snuggled into Yu Zeheng's arms, greedily absorbing his warmth, burying her face in his shoulder and taking a deep breath.

Yu Zeheng grabbed the back of her neck and lifted her up: "What's the difference between you and Xiao Xi doing this?"

"Xiao Xi is cute, stop flattering yourself." Qiao Shu also missed Xiao Xi. If it were here, it would probably squeeze out of the blanket and show its little head.

She said in a rather arrogant tone, "I've discovered a secret about you."

Yu Zeheng placed his hand on her waist: "What?"

"I saw your prayer plaque. No wonder you wouldn't let me see it that day. You were afraid I'd find out, weren't you?" Qiao Shu curled her lips, looking troubled. "You like me that much?"

Yu Zeheng lowered his eyelids, his long eyelashes clearly visible, neither admitting nor denying: "My mouth is practically stretched to the back of my ears."

Qiao Shu scratched his chin, using the same technique she used on Xiao Xi: "How can you be so good at pretending?"

“At that time, I still disliked you subjectively,” Yu Zeheng explained his behavior, “but liking someone is instinctive.”

He repeatedly tried to get close to people he should have stayed away from rationally.

The adage "once bitten, twice shy" has repeatedly failed to apply to Qiao Shu.

Qiao Shu liked this explanation, and she quickly kissed his chin: "It's not your fault, it's my problem. It's normal that you couldn't control yourself."

She had this "I understand, I can see" look on her face, and she was incredibly arrogant.

She complained that she had been in the car for too long today, which made her back and waist very sore. She also muttered that she was prepared not to be able to sleep tonight: "Luckily, you came."

Yu Zeheng placed his hand on her waist and patted it twice: "Turn around."

Qiao Shu looked up, crawled out from under the covers, and frowned her pretty brows: "Isn't that a bad idea? This is a temple. You don't need to look up to see the gods."

And it's very cold, it might freeze you.

Yu Zeheng understood the meaning behind her words and fell silent for a moment: "How can I massage your shoulders if you don't turn around?"

Are you going to give me a shoulder massage?

"Otherwise, what do you think it is?"

Qiao Shu felt a burning sensation on her ears and silently turned her back to him.

A soft laugh came from behind him. Yu Zeheng's tone was helpless, as if she were a heartless capitalist who had exploited him to the extreme.

He sighed, "Can you let me take a day off? I haven't had a day off since we got together."

-----------------------

Author's Note: This couple just loves to act out little dramas wherever they want [clumsy dog ​​emoji]

50 red envelopes, kiss kiss!