Chapter 35: Listen to Me?
The old man was silent for a while, then suddenly looked at Qin Ce, his previous seriousness gone, and asked with a smile, "How far have things progressed between you two?"
Qin Ce remained silent for a while before sighing, "Is that all you wanted to ask?"
"Yeah, you've been married for so long, haven't you two made any progress?"
"I don't know." Qin Ce frowned. He really didn't know what progress was or how to define it.
The old man was displeased. "What do you mean you don't know? It means you two didn't hold hands, kiss, or sleep together..."
"Grandpa!" Qin Ce interrupted him, a vein throbbing on his forehead. He said patiently, "You should go to sleep early. If you're hungry, just heat up your takeout. I'm leaving now."
"Hey, where are you going? You still haven't told me what's going on between you two!"
The old man called from behind, but Qin Ce walked out without turning his head.
He returned to Qiao Xing's house, where Qiao Xing was discussing the transfer of ownership with her uncle and aunt.
When Qiao Xing saw him return, she quickly said, "Qin Ce, you're back just in time. We've already discussed it, and we'll go to transfer the property this Friday. Why don't you come with us then?"
Qin Ce's mind was filled with the old man's words, and he didn't listen carefully to what Qiao Xing was saying. He nodded absentmindedly and said, "I'm going back to my room first."
Seeing that he seemed a little off, Qiao Xing quickly said goodnight to her uncle and followed him into the bedroom.
Qin Ce turned on his computer, crossed his arms, leaned back in his chair, and stared blankly at the computer screen.
Qiao Xing closed the door, walked up to him, and asked softly, "Qin Ce, what's wrong?"
Qin Ce snapped out of his daze and shook his head. "It's nothing."
Did Grandpa say something to you?
"No."
He still had a blank expression, but unlike usual, he was clearly preoccupied.
Qiao Xing was silent for a moment, then said, "Then let me discuss something with you."
Qin Ce turned his head and glanced at her. "What is it?"
Qiao Xing pulled up another chair and sat down next to him. "I've been thinking about it, and I think it's better to put the house in your name since you paid the most money. But I also paid money, so I just need the right to reside there, but the house is still yours."
Qin Ce was stunned for a moment, and he looked at Qiao Xing with confusion.
It took him a long time to react to Qiao Xing's words, and he said, "No need, just write your name."
"How can that be? You've spent so much money, aren't you afraid of losing out if you put my name on it?"
Qin Ce suddenly found this amusing. He pulled his chair back, turned around, and sat facing Qiao Xing.
He stared intently at Qiao Xing, his deep eyes revealing a hint of coldness that was hard to detect. This gaze suddenly made Qiao Xing feel a great deal of pressure.
Qiao Xing unconsciously took a step back as well.
"Qiao Xing," Qin Ce suddenly called out to her.
"Hmm..." Qiao Xing nodded. "W-what's wrong?"
Qin Ce hesitated for a moment before speaking: "What are your thoughts on marrying me?"
"Huh?" Qiao Xing didn't understand what he meant at first. After thinking for a moment, she awkwardly said, "It's... it's about buying a house. Didn't we agree on that before?"
Qin Ce pondered for a moment and asked, "What happens after we buy the house?"
"this……"
Qiao Xing was stumped by his question. At the time, she was only thinking about how to get the money and buy the house, and she hadn't really thought about what would happen next.
"I don't know either, but I'll do whatever you say."
"You'll listen to me?"
Qiao Xing nodded, looking at him sincerely. Whether they made do or got a divorce, she had no objection.
Qin Ce reached into his pocket for a pack of cigarettes, then, as if remembering something, asked Qiao Xing, "Is smoking allowed in the bedroom?"
Qiao Xing hesitated for a moment, but when she met his dark gaze, she nodded and said, "Go ahead and smoke."
Qin Ce didn't smoke, but instead tossed the cigarette back onto the table. "See, you're hesitating. You clearly have your own ideas, so why should you listen to me?"
Qiao Xing was speechless for a moment, not knowing what to say.
Then, under his powerful gaze, she silently lowered her head.
"Qiao Xing, don't tell me to listen to you. I want to hear your truest thoughts, that is... what you think about after you marry me or in the future."
Qiao Xing bit her lip, not understanding why he was being so serious.
Writing his name is for his sake, isn't it? And you're even trying to reason with her.
Qin Ce gazed at her silently, waiting for her answer.
Qiao Xing remained silent for a while before stammering, "Actually, I hadn't thought about it."
She took a deep breath, raised her head, and met the man's unfathomable gaze. "I don't have any grand ambitions, nor do I think about things that far ahead. I just want to live each day to the fullest."
“I don’t know what kind of girl is your ideal spouse, and I’m not sure what will happen in the future. So, all I can do is prepare for potential conflicts if there are any disputes over interests in the future.”
Qin Ce remained expressionless.
Qiao Xing looked at him and continued, "Maybe it's just going with the flow. You might think I'm unambitious, but that's just who I am."
"Qin Ce, I know that we disagree on some points of view, and I may even be at a disadvantage in front of you, so I am handing over the decision-making power of this marriage to you."
"Because I can't find any fault with you, and I haven't thought about divorce yet. If you feel it's not right, I... have no objection to divorce. These are all my thoughts."
After listening to her words, Qin Ce smiled. Although the smile was faint, it was still clear that it came from the heart.
"That's right, you have quite a few ideas, don't you?"
For some reason, her face flushed when she heard him praise her.
Qin Ce tapped the table with his finger, seemingly deep in thought.
After a while, he said, "Let me share my thoughts too. Actually, we're pretty much the same. It seems neither of us is thinking about divorce right now."
Qiao Xing was stunned for a moment.
Qin Ce pondered for a moment and said, "To be honest, I myself am not sure what the criteria are for choosing a spouse, but I think there is no precise definition for this."
"If you put too many criteria on your life partner, then that person is no longer unique, but becomes a commodity. Anyone who meets those criteria can become your life partner."
"This is not what I originally intended, nor does it align with my concept of a partner."
Qiao Xing was surprised that he could say these things. They had been married for so long, and this seemed to be the first time they had such a serious conversation.
At the same time, she was also greatly shocked. Everyone she met had some requirements when choosing a partner.
Whether it's appearance, financial status, or character, these are all requirements or conditions for choosing a partner.
Qin Ce's words didn't sound like he was looking for a spouse; rather, they seemed to be about finding a soulmate who was compatible with him.
"Looks like people who have lived abroad are really different," Qiao Xing said with an awkward laugh, finally managing to utter this sentence after a long pause.
Qin Ce opened his mouth, hesitated, but finally spoke, "Actually, there's something I want to ask you."
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