Chapter 23 Parking the car and driving into the villa garage, ...
The car drove into the villa garage and the engine turned off.
Shen Shutong unbuckled his seat belt, took a deep breath, and tried to suppress his chaotic thoughts.
Fu Jingchuan got out of the car first, walked around to her side and opened the door for her.
The two of them walked into the entrance in silence. The room was very quiet.
"Would you like something to drink?" Fu Jingchuan took off his suit jacket and hung it on the hanger. "Warm water? Or hot milk?" He remembered that she sometimes drank a little before going to bed.
Shen Shutong shook his head: "No need. You should rest early."
Fu Jingchuan paused and looked at her. She seemed a little different tonight, more tolerant of him.
This small change aroused a trace of greed that he dared not express out loud.
He was silent for a few seconds, then whispered, "Shutong..."
"Huh?" Shen Shutong was about to go upstairs, but stopped when he heard the voice and turned to look at him.
He avoided her gaze, his eyes fixed on the stair railing. "The doctor said I'm recovering well now. Can I... tonight?"
He feared this request might be too much. But he desperately wanted a child, a child that would bind them together once more. He also longed for her warmth and closeness, something that would briefly dispel the loneliness deep within him, proof that their relationship wasn't just a cold agreement on paper.
Shen Shutong was stunned. He didn't expect him to suddenly make this request.
Memories of the past were still swirling in his mind, and Fu Yannian's harsh words were even clearer.
Did he leave for anything other than money? Was there something else? Was he threatened by Fu Yannian?
Looking at his cautious appearance now, and then comparing it with the young man in her memory who was confident and focused in the laboratory, and laughed happily with her at the foot of the snow-capped mountains... a strong feeling of heartache and sadness suddenly surged up.
She was silent for a long time.
The glimmer in Fu Jingchuan's eyes gradually dimmed. He pursed his lips, pretending to be indifferent and changing the subject: "Nothing, I'm just asking casually. You should go to bed early..."
"Go take a shower." Shen Shutong interrupted him, "You smell of alcohol."
Fu Jingchuan looked up, his eyes full of disbelief and even a hint of panic.
Shen Shutong felt a little uncomfortable when he looked at her, so he looked away, turned around and walked upstairs, leaving behind a sentence: "Hurry up."
Fu Jingchuan was still frozen in place, and only when her footsteps disappeared around the corner of the stairs did he slowly come back to his senses. His heart began to beat faster.
He took a deep breath, suppressed the slight trembling of his body, and walked quickly to the guest bathroom on the first floor.
Shen Shutong returned to the master bedroom first. She put down her handbag, walked to the window and stood for a while, looking at the quiet courtyard outside, her mood still in turmoil. She didn't know why she made this decision, but at that moment, she didn't want to see the light in his eyes extinguished again.
She heard the faint sound of water coming from the guest bathroom downstairs, so she picked up her pajamas and walked towards the bathroom in the master bedroom.
The hot water washed over my body, but it couldn't wash away the chaotic thoughts in my mind.
Could it be that the resentment and unwillingness of the past five years are just a misunderstanding?
She pushed open the bathroom door. There was only a dim bedside lamp on in the bedroom. Fu Jingchuan was already standing quietly in the room, his hair half dry and his body smelling faintly of shower gel. He seemed to have been waiting for a while.
He looked at her with deep eyes.
Shen Shutong walked to the bed, lifted the quilt and lay down in it, lying on his side with his back to him, leaving space for the other half.
The other side of the mattress sank slightly, and Fu Jingchuan lay down in it.
There was a little distance between the two of them, but their body temperature and breath could not be ignored and quietly intertwined in the air.
Fu Jingchuan turned sideways, gently wrapped his arms around her waist, and held her soft body in his arms. His chin rested on the top of her head, and the fragrance of her hair filled his breath.
Shen Shutong's body stiffened slightly, but he didn't push him away.
His kiss trembled a little on the back of her neck...
Shen Shutong softened a little, with some pity...
…
Everything happened naturally, yet with a sense of strangeness that hadn't been seen for a long time.
No more words.
At the end, Fu Jingchuan hugged her tightly, buried his face in her neck, and calmed his breathing.
Shen Shutong leaned quietly in his arms, feeling his heartbeat slowly become steady.
The air was filled with the unique scent of intimacy.
After a long while, Fu Jingchuan lowered his head and kissed her forehead lightly, then carefully turned over and lay back on his side, but still held her in his arms, reluctant to let her go.
Neither of them spoke again.
Physical fatigue quickly set in, Shen Shutong's consciousness gradually became blurred, and he fell into sleep.
Hearing her even and long breathing, Fu Jingchuan opened his eyes in the darkness, unable to fall asleep for a long time. He gently closed his arms and hugged her tighter, feeling her real body temperature.
Everything tonight seems like a dream.
He didn't know why she suddenly changed her attitude, was it out of sympathy? Or because of... something else?
But he didn't dare to think too deeply, nor did he dare to ask. He just held on to this unexpected warmth tightly, even if it was only for one night.
He lowered his head and touched her hair with his lips silently.
…
Shen Shutong woke up in warmth, and Fu Jingchuan's arms were tightly around her, as if he was afraid that she would run away.
She didn't move immediately, slowly sorting out the chaotic thoughts of last night and even earlier.
Fu Yannian's harsh taunts in the corridor, the young man's focused and gentle profile under the Swiss snow-capped mountains, his cold back as he resolutely left five years ago, his pale and stubborn face in the hospital...
These images intertwine and collide, and eventually slowly settle down.
She had hated and resented for five years, until that moment yesterday when she suddenly felt a little tired.
If… If her departure back then wasn't out of betrayal or snobbery, but rather unspeakable hardship and necessity; If he had also been struggling in the mire for the past five years, perhaps even more miserable than her; If all his "calculations" and "entanglements" after his return were hidden behind a heart that wanted to get closer...
Did the hatred that she had been holding on to become a punishment and confinement for herself?
Fu Jingchuan moved a little, hugged her tighter, rubbed his chin against the top of her head, uttered a vague mumbling, and fell into deep sleep again.
Shen Shutong's heart softened.
Perhaps she could try not to dwell on the things in the past that could not be changed.
Not for the children, not for the agreement, just to give each other the possibility of starting over.
This thought quietly grew in her mind, with a hint of confusion, but strangely it relaxed her tense heartstrings.
She gently took away Fu Jingchuan's hand from her waist, not wanting to wake him up. He frowned, but did not wake up.
Shen Shutong got up from the bed and glanced back at him. Fu Jingchuan was lying on his side, soundly asleep, his coldness and defensiveness from when he was awake gone, appearing quiet and even a little vulnerable.
She sighed silently and went into the bathroom to wash up.
When she changed her clothes and came out, Fu Jingchuan had already woken up and was sitting on the edge of the bed, his eyes still a little confused from just waking up. Hearing the noise, he raised his head and looked at her.
When their eyes met, the air froze for a moment.
Shen Shutong looked away first, and said in a calm tone as usual as possible: "Awake?"
Fu Jingchuan was stunned for a moment, then shook his head, his voice hoarse from waking up in the morning: "Well. Did you sleep well?"
"Not bad." Shen Shutong walked to the dressing table, picked up the comb and combed her hair. Through the mirror, she saw that he was still sitting on the edge of the bed looking at her with complicated eyes. He seemed to want to say something but didn't know how to start.
She put down the comb and turned to look at him: "What do you want to eat in the morning? Aunt Wang shouldn't be here yet. There seems to be toast and eggs in the refrigerator."
Fu Jingchuan seemed to be unresponsive and hesitated for several seconds before saying, "It's all right."
"Then let's have some fried eggs and toast, hurry up." Shen Shutong said, and walked downstairs first, "I'll go downstairs and make coffee first."
Fu Jingchuan watched her leave and sat there. He noticed that Shen Shutong's attitude towards him seemed to have changed slightly.
He took a deep breath, suppressed his churning thoughts, stood up and followed.
In the kitchen, the coffee machine hummed, and a rich aroma filled the air. Shen Shutong stood in front of the stove, heating the oil in the pan. She was wearing simple home clothes, her long hair casually tied up, exuding a lazy and gentle aura.
Fu Jingchuan stood at the kitchen door, unable to move his feet for a moment. This scene was too homely and too warm, it was the scene he had been dreaming of for the past five years.
Shen Shutong noticed his gaze and turned his head: "Why are you standing there? Go get the dishes, the milk is in the refrigerator."
There was a casual familiarity in her tone, as if they had always been like this.
Fu Jingchuan replied "OK", walked into the kitchen, opened the refrigerator and took out milk and dishes as instructed.
Breakfast was quickly prepared, and the couple sat at the dining table, quietly eating a simple fried egg and toast, and drinking coffee or milk.
"Going to the company today?" Shen Shutong put down the coffee cup and asked.
"Well, I have a meeting this morning." Fu Jingchuan nodded, "I have a follow-up appointment with the doctor in the afternoon."
Shen Shutong paused for a moment: "Recheck? Are you feeling unwell?"
"No, it's a routine checkup." Fu Jingchuan explained, "Just to confirm the recovery."
"Oh." Shen Shutong lowered his eyes and poked the fried egg on the plate with a fork, "Let me know when the results come out."
Fu Jingchuan's eyes lit up: "Okay."
On the way to the company, Fu Jingchuan was driving the car. Shen Shutong sat in the passenger seat, watching the street scene rapidly receding outside the window.
When they stopped at a red light, Fu Jingchuan's phone vibrated. He glanced at it and saw that it was a meeting reminder from his assistant. He was about to pick up the phone to reply when Shen Shutong suddenly spoke.
"Don't be distracted while driving." She said in a flat voice, "It's not too late to reply when you get back to the company."
Fu Jingchuan paused and put down his phone as he was told: "Okay."
The green light came on and the car started again. Fu Jingchuan raised the corner of his mouth slightly. This kind of disciplined reminder, to him, was more touching than any sweet words.
-----------------------
The author has something to say: I hope to receive comments from babies [shy]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com