Chapter 151 The safe's combination is my birthday.

Qu He didn't know how she fell asleep.

When I woke up, it was already pitch black outside the window, and I could hear the howling wind even through the glass.

A glass of warm water appeared on the bedside table.

She glanced at the time; it was almost 8 p.m.

My head is still a bit dizzy, especially the muscles connecting my waist to my thighs, which feel sore and weak, as if my body has been disassembled and reassembled.

The pajamas she was wearing weren't the original ones; did Zhuang Bieyan change them for her?

Just as he was lost in thought, the bedroom door was gently pushed open, and Zhuang Bieyan came in carrying a tray with a bowl of steaming clear soup noodles and a box of medicine on it.

Seeing that she was awake, he quickly went over and put the things on the table next to him.

He first reached out and touched her forehead, then silently breathed a sigh of relief.

Qu He looked somewhat bewildered.

"I had a slight fever this afternoon and slept for a long time. Now that I've sweated it out, it should have gone down. Are you hungry? How about we have some noodles and then you take your medicine?"

He carefully coaxed her.

No wonder I felt unwell and had no energy all day.

It turns out he was sick.

She had a fever while she was asleep, and her pajamas were soaked with sweat, so he helped her change.

Qu He looked at him and gave a soft "hmm".

Seeing that she did not resist, Zhuang Bieyan relaxed a little.

While she was sleeping, the people sent to investigate brought back the results of yesterday's art exhibition.

Yesterday, the surveillance footage of all public areas on both floors of the art exhibition was checked, and Yan Shu's behavior was normal. The only interaction between her and Qu He was when they nodded to each other at the door before Qu He left.

Perhaps he was overthinking it.

She got caught in the rain when she came back yesterday, and today she developed a fever and fell ill. Her unusual behavior may simply be due to physical discomfort, and not because of any other reason or other person.

He sat down on the edge of the bed and placed a soft cushion behind her back for support.

He picked up the noodles again, blew on them to cool them down, and then brought them to her lips.

The movements are skillful and patient.

Qu He looked at the concern in his eyes and was momentarily dazed.

Perhaps because her fever had just subsided and she wasn't fully awake, she still craved his tenderness as before.

The aroma of noodles wafted through the air, and Qu He almost instinctively thought that everything that had happened in the past two days was an absurd nightmare.

But eventually, people will wake up.

She opened her mouth and took two bites, then shook her head.

Zhuang Bieyan knew that she had just recovered from a fever and had a poor appetite, so he did not force her.

He fed her the medicine, and then ate the rest of the noodles using the bowl and chopsticks she had used.

Qu He couldn't help but stop him, "Don't eat it, aren't you afraid of catching it from me?"

Zhuang Bieyan paused for a moment, and when he saw that she was finally willing to take the initiative to talk to him, his eyes lit up.

He smiled and said, "Don't worry. If you get infected, I'll stay home with you and we won't go anywhere."

Zhuang Bieyan put down his empty bowl and tentatively asked, "Ahe, how about we go on our honeymoon? The autumn scenery in Canada is beautiful, or we could go skiing in Switzerland. Wherever you want to go, we'll go."

He tried to paint a picture of a bright future, but Qu He just watched him quietly.

She didn't answer, silently withdrawing her gaze and also withdrawing the slight tenderness she had shown earlier.

Zhuang Bieyan felt an emptiness in his heart, a clear sense of loss that he couldn't quite put his finger on, but it was gone.

He reached out to hold her hand, a hint of pleading in his voice, "Ahe..."

"I'm tired, I want to rest a little longer," Qu He interrupted him, and crawled back into bed.

She turned her back to him, using her actions to draw a line once again.

Zhuang Bieyan's Adam's apple bobbed, and he reached out his hand to tuck her in. "Okay, then you can sleep a little longer."

He tiptoed out of the bedroom.

The phone vibrated as soon as the door closed.

The screen lit up; it was an encrypted email.

He opened it, and the images in the document loaded one by one.

[Mr. Zhuang, this is your wife's itinerary this afternoon.]

The photos clearly show Qu He and Qian Zhaoye leaving the Lovers' Hall one after the other, as well as their conversation through the window at the entrance of Wanhua Garden, and their tug-of-war at the elevator...

Zhuang Bieyan stared at the photos, the veins on the back of his hand gripping his phone bulging.

He dialed a number directly and said, "Completely ban Zhaoye Technology. I want it to disappear from Beicheng completely."

After hanging up the phone, he turned to look at the closed bedroom door, his deep eyes swirling with obsession and possessiveness.

He never thought Qu He was wrong.

The one who's wrong is Qian Zhaoye, that persistent ghost who's been trying to steal her away from him.

It was he who disrupted their peace.

Qu He drifted off to sleep again, and when she woke up, she heard the sound of water coming from the bathroom.

This time I was much more alert.

I picked up my phone and glanced at it; it was 10:20.

Five minutes ago, I received an unread email with the subject "gift".

Almost instantly, Qu He remembered what Yan Shu had said that afternoon: 'If you can watch the whole thing today, I'll give you a gift.'

An ominous premonition arose.

My hand clicked before my brain could process it. There were no attachments, no pictures, just one sentence:

The combination to the black safe is my birthday.

Qu He stared at that line of text for a long time until her eyes started to ache before she was sure she wasn't dreaming.

How could Yan Shu know that Zhuang Bieyan had a black safe?

He always kept it in his study.

As mentioned before, the things inside are very important to him.

But the password was actually Yan Shu's birthday.

I read that sentence over and over again.

Just then, Yan Shu called.

"Did you see the email?" Her smug laugh came from the other end of the phone.

Qu He pursed her lips, remaining silent.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Her smile became even more pronounced.

"Haven't you always wanted to know where the swallow pattern on his tie came from? Go open it and take a look."

"How did you know the password?" Qu He's voice trembled slightly.

"Heh, what do you think?" She chuckled, a mixture of pity and mockery in her voice. "By the way, do you need me to verify this for you? Want to make a bet?"

Qu He didn't understand what she meant by those words.

But the next second, Yan Shu suddenly lowered her voice and said mysteriously, "Do you believe that I can make him come out to see me with just one phone call?"

After saying that, the phone was abruptly hung up.

A busy tone sounded, and the phone returned to its black lock screen.

Qu He stared at the dark screen, feeling as if it were a bottomless pit, slowly sucking the air out of her body.

Zhuang Bieyan's phone was charging nearby. If she went over and turned it off, he wouldn't be able to receive Yan Shu's call, and her verification would fail.

But a voice inside is clamoring, like a gambler staring at the last card.

It was almost self-torture; she wanted to take a gamble on whether to choose between Yan Shu and her, and how to decide at the Zhuangbie Banquet.

Not long after, the sound of water in the bathroom stopped.

Zhuang Bieyan dried his hair and came in, his pajamas loosely undone at the neckline. He saw that she was already awake and was sitting on the bed, a gentle look in his eyes.

"Awake?" He walked over and reached out to feel her forehead. "Is your head still dizzy?"

Qu He did not dodge, but gently shook her head.

Zhuang Bieyan saw that she was no longer resisting him and was about to say something when the phone charging next to him suddenly rang.

Qu He's hand, which was under the blanket, trembled. At that moment, her heart felt like it was being suspended by a thin rope thousands of meters in the air, swaying back and forth.

Zhuang Bieyan frowned in displeasure and went to get his phone.

Qu He kept her eyes fixed on him.

He frowned slightly when he saw the caller ID, hesitated for a moment on the screen, and finally unplugged the charging cable. "I'm going to answer this call. It's Tan Cong."

Qu He looked into his eyes, and the rope hanging over her heart was half broken, with only the last bit of connection holding it together.

He's lying to her again.

Is it really Tan Cong?

But she didn't call him out on it, and instead replied, "Okay."

Zhuang Bieyan straightened the blanket, took his phone, and went to the living room balcony.

Qu He could not hear any sound.

I was tense all over, and dared not relax for a moment.

She is waiting.

When he came back, he said, "It's nothing, let's go to sleep."

He will prove with his actions that she did not lose the bet.

A few minutes later, Zhuang Bieyan returned, looking somewhat hurried.

He walked to the bedside and ruffled her hair, saying apologetically, "Ahe, there's an urgent matter at the company. You should go to sleep first, don't wait for me."

The room fell silent instantly, with only her own breathing, light and labored.

The rope that was suspending them snapped completely.