Chapter 38 Who is Qianqian?
Zhao Chen's fingers tapping on the keyboard suddenly stopped!
As if the pause button had been pressed, his entire body froze instantly. His originally focused yet relaxed expression faded at a visible speed, replaced by an extreme coldness and vigilance!
He stared at the frantically vibrating phone screen. Deep within his amber eyes, a thick, unbreakable gloom and... a hint of icy hostility surged, a look Yu Ling had never seen before! His gaze was as sharp as a drawn blade, carrying a chill that kept people at a distance.
The warm and sweet air in the living room seemed to solidify and freeze in an instant.
Yu Ling was startled by his sudden, utterly different transformation, and subconsciously held her breath. She had never seen Zhao Chen look like this before. He had the dangerous aura of a beast, ready to devour its prey, like a beast whose reverse scales had been touched!
The gentle husband in an apron, the man smiling at her in the sunshine, disappeared without a trace at this moment.
The vibration continued, and the buzzing sound was particularly harsh in the silent living room.
Zhao Chen's thin lips were pressed into a cold line, his jawline tense. He stared at the number for a full three seconds before, with reluctance and suppressed anger, he reached out his hand, his fingertips fiercely swiping towards the answer button.
He didn't turn on the speakerphone, but just put the phone to his ear, his voice very low and cold without a trace of warmth. He didn't even say "Hello", but just listened silently.
A man's voice seemed to come from the other end of the line immediately. He spoke quickly, with obvious anxiety and... a hint of persuasion. Yu Ling wasn't far away and could vaguely catch a few blurry English words:
“…Zhao…long time…need talk…serious…” (Zhao…long time no see…need to talk…serious…)
Zhao Chen's expression darkened suddenly at the sound of a certain word, like the sky before a storm. His fingers gripped the phone so tightly that his knuckles turned white, and the veins on the back of his hand bulged slightly. He pursed his lips tightly, remaining silent. The low pressure emanating from his body made the temperature in the living room drop by several degrees.
The voice on the other end of the phone continued, and it seemed to mention a name. Yu Ling's ears caught a clear Chinese name with a certain specific pronunciation -
“Qian Qian…”
This name was like a key, instantly igniting the suppressed anger in Zhao Chen's eyes! The last trace of warmth in his eyes completely disappeared, leaving only cold disgust and an extremely impatient anger!
The person on the other end of the line seemed to want to say something more, but Zhao Chen had already lost all patience. Without even a final word, he rudely and fiercely pulled the phone away from his ear, his fingertips slamming heavily on the red hang-up button!
The movements were crisp and decisive, with an unquestionable determination and a hint of imperceptible irritation.
beep--
The busy tone sounded.
The world fell into silence again.
Zhao Chen stood there, holding his phone, like a cold statue. He lowered his head slightly, his hair covering his eyes, revealing only his taut jawline and tightly pursed lips.
Yu Ling curled up on the sofa, not daring to breathe. She stared at Zhao Chen's isolated figure, his tense shoulders, her heart pounding wildly in her chest. That name—"Qian Qian"—was like a stone dropped into the lake of her heart, instantly shattering the surface calm, stirring up huge ripples and countless questions.
Qianqian? Who is she?
Why did this name instantly change Zhao Chen into a different person?
Who's that international caller? Sounds like someone you know?
What happened between them?
Countless questions swirled in Ling's mind, causing her to feel an inexplicable panic and... a sharp pain. The peaceful, stable feeling of happiness she had just felt was gone, replaced by a cold and uneasy feeling of being isolated.
She looked at Zhao Chen's silent and cold back, and for the first time she realized so clearly that beneath this man's seemingly unconditional tenderness and pampering of her, there was a world hidden that she was completely unknown to, full of complicated pasts and dangerous atmosphere.
Zhao Chen seemed to finally break free from his cold, violent state. He took a deep breath, his shoulders relaxing slightly, but the gloomy aura around him remained thick. He didn't turn around immediately, but instead raised his hand and pinched his brow hard, his movements expressing deep fatigue and irritation.
After a moment, he slowly turned around.
When his gaze fell on Yu Ling lying on the sofa again, the terrifying coldness and hostility on his face had faded like the tide, so quickly that Yu Ling almost thought that everything just now was just an illusion.
His amber eyes were once again filled with the tenderness that Yu Ling was familiar with, but deep within that tenderness, there seemed to be a layer of gloom that was difficult to dissolve and a hint of subtle tension?
He pulled the corners of his mouth, trying to reveal a soothing smile, but the smile seemed a little forced and stiff:
"It's nothing, just a friend... I haven't spoken to in a while." His voice was deliberately soft, with a hint of deliberate ease, trying to gloss over the situation. "Wrong number, a bit annoying."
He casually described the call that brought the storm as a "wrong number", and then casually slammed the phone, which was like a hot potato, with the screen facing down on the coffee table, making a light "pop" sound.
To Yu Ling, that light sound was like a heavy hammer, hitting her defenses that had just loosened.
Friend? Wrong number? Annoying?
Yu Ling looked at the gentle smile he deliberately maintained on his face, looked at the lingering gloom and tension deep in his eyes, and then thought about the heart-pounding cold and violent outburst when he answered the phone just now... A huge sense of absurdity and cold suspicion instantly swept over her.
She opened her mouth, her throat was a little dry, and the words "Who is Qianqian?" almost burst out.
However, just as she was about to speak—
Zhao Chen seemed to have anticipated her question. His smile suddenly deepened, a gentleness that was almost eager to dispel the gloom. He strode over to the sofa and, under Yu Ling's astonished gaze, leaned down, one hand resting on the backrest beside her, and with the other gently lifting her chin.
His actions carried an irresistible force and a hint of imperceptible panic?
Without giving her any chance to ask questions, his warm lips with the fragrance of coffee pressed down heavily with an almost predatory eagerness and strong emotion!
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