Chapter 61 A Huge Misunderstanding (Part 2)

This went on for three days.

Every night, Zhuang Bieyan would still cook for her, and the dishes on the table were all her favorites. Fresh flowers would also be delivered each time to keep the food fresh.

But she still sensed that something had changed.

He no longer chats with her before bed like he used to, and the goodnight kiss he used to ask for is gone too.

These past few days, he always waited until she was sound asleep before going to bed, and by the time she woke up in the morning, he had already left the room.

She was still just as gentle and considerate, yet there was a deliberate sense of distance between them.

He seems to be... avoiding her.

When Qu He told Si Yue all this, she was completely confused.

Her voice was much louder on the phone: "What's going on, Mr. Zhuang? Weren't you two all lovey-dovey just a few days ago? Why are you avoiding me now?"

Qu He sat on the sofa, looking at the bunch of pink lychees in the vase, and smiled self-deprecatingly: "Maybe... he was never really good to me, he was just good to 'Mrs. Zhuang'."

And she just happened to become Mrs. Zhuang, nothing more.

They got married out of necessity, so she shouldn't ask for too much.

"Senior, don't overthink it," Si Yue comforted her over the phone. "Zhuang Bieyan doesn't seem like that kind of person."

Qu He shook her head and whispered into the phone, "It's okay, this is fine too."

"So you're just going to keep doing this?"

"I don't know." Qu He stared blankly out the window.

She recalled the night before they registered their marriage, when Zhuang Bieyan held her hand and said, "Only then will our future have meaning..."

But now, that "future" seems to be getting further and further away, becoming more and more blurry...

...

After ending her phone call with Si Yue, Qu He went back to her room for a nap until she was woken up by another phone call.

When she saw the word "Mom" flashing on the screen, she knew something was terribly wrong!

Sure enough, as soon as the call connected, a harsh voice came through the other end, "Qu He! You didn't tell your family about such a big thing as your marriage? If your college classmate hadn't let it slip, how long were you planning to keep it from us?"

You could vaguely hear his father's cautious persuasion on the other end of the phone, but it was quickly drowned out.

Qu He subconsciously moved her phone further away, turned on speakerphone, and placed it next to her pillow.

"No, Mom, let me explain... I didn't intend to hide it from you, I just wanted to tell you later..."

"Trying to wait and tell us? We know about your relationship with Qian Zhaoye, what's there to hide from us..."

Qu He clicked her tongue, suppressing the anger on the other end, and forced herself to speak softly, "Um... I... didn't marry Qian Zhaoye..."

There was silence for a few seconds on the other end of the phone.

Qu He quietly moved to the side a little, and sure enough, the phone rang the next second.

"What! You didn't marry Qian Zhaoye?... Then who did you marry? What exactly happened?... I don't care what your problem is, you have to bring him back tomorrow!"

Qu He rolled up the blanket and headed towards her phone. She opened her mouth, then subconsciously looked towards the door.

Zhuang Bieyan hadn't spoken properly to her for three days.

She bit her lip and whispered, "Mom, he might not be available..."

"No time?"

The voice on the phone suddenly rose, "You've already got the marriage certificate, but you don't even have time to meet the parents? You have to come back tomorrow. Your dad and I have already taken leave! This is the final warning!!"

After hanging up the phone, Qu He lay on the bed clutching her phone, kicked her legs twice, and screamed silently.

What can she do when she has a mother who is the head of the teaching department?

How should she bring it up?

Does she have to say, "Mom, my husband and I haven't spoken for three days, and he doesn't even want to look at me now"?

...That's absurd.

Who would believe that?

She lay on the bed, sighed deeply, and walked out of the room.

In the living room, Zhuang Bieyan had just put the food on the table.

He remained silent during the meal.

Qu He secretly glanced at him, wanting to speak, but swallowed the words back.

He probably... doesn't want to go either.

After taking a shower that evening, Qu He lay in bed, not really paying attention to her phone, but she kept her ears perked up.

The sound of water in the bathroom stopped, but Zhuang Bieyan's footsteps continued towards the study.

Qu He turned over and buried her face in the pillow.

This is so annoying, whatever.

Anyway, she's his parents' biological daughter, so they can't kill her!

Just thinking about the unknown 10,000-word instruction manual is giving me a headache.

......

The next morning, Qu He was awakened by noises coming from the kitchen.

She finished washing up and walked out of the bedroom, then froze when she saw the person in the kitchen.

Zhuang Bieyan was wearing the same style of home clothes as her, frying eggs in front of the stove. He rolled up the cuffs to his elbows, revealing his well-defined forearms.

Qu He rubbed her eyes, thinking she was still half asleep.

"Awake?" Zhuang Bieyan turned his head upon hearing the voice. "Do you want the fried egg runny or hard-boiled?"

Qu He: "...."

They haven't had a normal conversation like this for three days.

"...Just cooked through, thank you."

She suddenly remembered something and tentatively asked, "Why...are you cooking? Don't you have to go to the company today?"

As Zhuang Bieyan turned off the fire and turned around, sunlight shone on his brows and eyes, revealing a faint trace of melancholy.

"If Mrs. Zhuang doesn't come to the kitchen and show off her skills soon, she might forget that she even has a husband."

His voice was slightly hoarse, and Qu He inexplicably sensed a hint of... grievance?

She felt her cheeks burning and stood there awkwardly.

The breakfast prepared by Zhuang Bieyan was placed on the table.

He slowly walked up to her, his gaze deep: "Qu He, don't you have anything to say to me?"

Qu He was stunned.

say what?

She said her parents wanted to meet him?

Or was she actually somewhat bothered by his deliberate distancing?

She opened her mouth, the words swirling in her throat before finally turning into a silent whisper.

Seeing her conflicted expression, Zhuang Bieyan's competitive spirit suddenly dissipated.

He sighed, reached out and pulled her into his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head, his voice soft: "I'm sorry, I haven't been in a good mood these past few days, I won't do it again."

What else could he possibly be dissatisfied with?

Everyone is his now.

If I have to blame someone, it's because I didn't try hard enough.

Qu He's body froze instantly, and all she could hear was his strong heartbeat.

He's... apologizing?

Why?

Zhuang Bieyan released her, his fingers gently stroking her back, tentatively asking, "You're still angry with me for announcing our relationship without asking your opinion last time, aren't you?"

"Huh?" Qu He was even more confused.

What?

"I'm not angry...aren't you the one who's angry?"

Zhuang Bieyan was stunned.

The air seemed to freeze for a few seconds.

He looked at the blankness in her eyes and finally realized what was happening.

After all that, it turns out that all the things he's been agonizing over these past few days—"Does she still think about Qian Zhaoye?", "Does she not care about me?", "Does she want a divorce?"—were just his own monologue.

He's been obsessing over things these past few days, constantly struggling with himself.

After all that, it turned out to be a misunderstanding.

He couldn't help but chuckle softly, a hint of self-deprecation mixed with a sense of relief.

Qu He realized what he meant from his expression and glanced at him. "So you've been avoiding me these past few days because you thought I was angry? Zhuang Bieyan, is that how you see me?"

"I was being narrow-minded."

He immediately admitted his mistake and tried to appease her.

Seeing the frustration in his eyes, Qu He's pent-up anger suddenly dissipated, and she even felt like laughing.

"It's my fault. I made you breakfast as an apology; it's all your favorite dishes."

Zhuang Bieyan pulled her to sit at the table and pushed the freshly cooked porridge in front of her.

The morning light shone on the dining table as Qu He lowered her head and drank her porridge.

Although she didn't look up, she could still feel the gaze falling on her head.

It was too hot for her to ignore.

Qu He finally couldn't help but look up, and her eyes met his. She inexplicably sensed a hint of... expectation in his gaze?