Chapter 41 The Marriage Proposal: "We have a marriage proposal that we need to get married sometime..."
Since Qiao Zhende left, Qiao Yunzheng has rarely seen such a calm and reserved atmosphere at home.
Wen Hong was dressed exceptionally formally today, his suit was impeccably tailored, his cuffs were exquisite, and his black leather shoes were spotless. He sat upright on the sofa, smiling as he chatted with Yao Jing, looking like a model straight out of a financial magazine.
Qiao Yunzheng only came back to her senses when Yao Jing called her name again.
Wen Hong also turned her head to look in the direction of the stairs, met Qiao Yunzheng's somewhat dazed gaze, and smiled: "Awake?"
Qiao Yunzheng was amazed by the 180-degree change in Ms. Yao Jing's attitude.
It's unclear what happened while she was in bed, but Yao Jing now looked at Wen Hong with a loving gaze, seemingly very satisfied with the young man before her, a far cry from her previous fear and apprehension.
What surprised her even more was that after their unpleasant parting yesterday, Wen Hong could appear here without any reservations, looking at her with a tender gaze that was almost sickeningly sweet.
For a moment, it was impossible to tell which event was more surreal.
Qiao Yunzheng's hands, hanging by her sides, tightened subtly as she pinched the flesh on her thigh.
It hurts, it's not a dream.
Seeing her standing there motionless, wearing only a thigh-length nightgown and with a bare face, Yao Jing's expression was a little unnatural. She gave Qiao Yunzheng a reproachful look: "This child usually doesn't sleep in late, I don't know what's wrong with her today, you insisted on stopping me from waking her up, and waited for her to wake up naturally..."
The second half of the sentence was addressed to Wen Hong.
Wen Hong smiled gently and naturally picked up the conversation: "She's been too tired lately, it's rare for her to get a little more sleep."
Qiao Yunzheng looked at the surreal scene before her, tugged at the hem of her skirt which barely covered her thighs, and slowly went downstairs.
Breakfast was already laid out on the table, steaming hot.
Qiao Yunzheng had little appetite and asked Wen Hong directly, "Why are you here?"
Before Wen Hong could answer, Yao Jing spoke first: "Wen Hong just told me that you two are going on a business trip together for a while?"
"Business trip?" Qiao Yunzheng asked instinctively, then turned to look at Wen Hong.
He looked back at her calmly, as if he was certain she wouldn't expose him.
Yao Jing was also somewhat worried, as she had only just learned that Wen Hong was currently working as Qiao's legal support.
It's not that I doubt Wen Hong's words, but after the argument between the two of them yesterday, can they really continue to work together without any resentment today?
After a long silence, Qiao Yunzheng finally sighed inwardly and slowly nodded: "Yes, there's a project that requires me to go over there for a few days."
Hearing her say that, Yao Jing secretly breathed a sigh of relief, glanced at the time, and urged, "Then let's hurry! Didn't we say we had to catch a flight?"
“Okay,” Qiao Yunzheng walked straight across the dining table, “Then I’ll go clean up.”
Wen Hong also stood up from the sofa. He was tall and had long legs. He walked to Qiao Yunzheng's side in a few steps and grabbed her wrist.
His eyes were gentle, his voice soft and slow, with a hint of indulgent affection that could be misunderstood: "Eat something first."
At this moment, he was completely different from his usual carefree and arrogant self. Every word and action of his was humble, polite, considerate, and gentle to the extreme, which was completely different from the young master of the Wen family that was rumored to be around.
Yao Jing watched from the side without saying a word, but her eyes curved into a satisfied smile.
Qiao Yunzheng lowered her eyes and looked at his hand holding hers, momentarily stunned: "I'm not eating, I'm not hungry, aren't we in a hurry?"
"It won't make a difference to take a little more time." Wen Hong had already led her to the dining table and pulled out a chair for her.
She had no choice but to sit down obediently, enduring Ms. Yao Jing's intense gaze, and accept the porridge Wen Hongsheng gave her, then began to eat it in silence.
"Slow down..." Wen Hong watched her from the side, his eyes smiling.
Qiao Yunzheng was startled by this, choked, and coughed repeatedly.
Wen Hong had already handed him a glass of warm water: "No rush..."
Qiao Yunzheng found the meal utterly unpalatable. After finishing, she quickened her pace and fled as if escaping.
Reaching the corner of the spiral staircase, she turned to Wen Hong: "Um, Wen Hong... could you come up here for a favor? I need some documents reviewed..."
“Okay,” Wen Hong nodded, then looked at Yao Jing and politely asked for permission, “Auntie, then I…”
Before he could finish speaking, Yao Jing waved her hand with a smile, "Go quickly! Don't delay your trip."
He nodded, and then slowly went upstairs.
As soon as they got upstairs, Qiao Yunzheng grabbed his arm and dragged him into her room, shoving and pulling him in, before closing the door.
The document was just an excuse to escape Yao Jing's sight.
The bedroom door was like a magical barrier; the moment you stepped inside, all pretense and politeness vanished.
Qiao Yunzheng cut to the chase: "I don't recall having any business trips listed in my recent schedule. Would you like to explain, Lawyer Wen?"
Wen Hong remained calm, unperturbed by her merciless exposure. He looked up at her with a hint of mockery: "Or, you could just tell your mother that we have a wedding to take some time to arrange, and I might be even happier."
Qiao Yunzheng froze: "Married?"
Wen Hong leaned lazily against the door frame, reverting to his usual nonchalant and unrestrained demeanor: "President Qiao wouldn't have forgotten so quickly, would he?"
Qiao Yunzheng certainly hadn't forgotten, but in her opinion, after all that had happened, the so-called contract was no longer meaningful.
"I thought we had made ourselves very clear yesterday."
Wen Hong shrugged, frowned, and pretended to think for a moment before asking, "What did we say?"
Qiao Yunzheng knew that Wen Hong was doing it on purpose.
Once he becomes shameless, she has never been able to handle it.
She twisted the hem of her skirt at her side, forcing herself to meet his gaze: "You know what I mean. I think we don't need to keep going like this; it's not good for anyone."
"Persistence?" Wen Hong's nonchalant expression cracked upon hearing those two words. He pressed his fist to his lips, chuckled coldly a few times, and a glint of tears welled up in his eyes. "You think I'm pestering you?"
A faint taste of blood lingered between his teeth.
Qiao Yunzheng bit her lip until it bled, hardened her heart, and said coldly, "Yes, and it's very annoying."
Wen Hong looked down at her, and after a long while, he suddenly stood up straight.
"Yun Zheng, do you think that as long as you say harsh words, I will turn around and walk away like I did five years ago, and never bother you again?"
Qiao Yunzheng barely dared to look at him; she lowered her eyes and stared at her toes.
Suddenly, a pair of shiny black shoe tips appeared in my line of sight.
Suddenly, a strong arm grabbed my waist and gripped it tightly.
Through the thin fabric of his clothes, Qiao Yunzheng could feel his intense body temperature.
He held her tightly in his arms, like an impenetrable fortress, leaving her nowhere to escape.
The scorching heat seemed to have burned away his reason. He stared at her, his eyes reddening: "Qiao Yunzheng, you've messed with me, do you think you can escape so easily?"
The danger was closing in, and before Qiao Yunzheng could even react, her lips and teeth were easily snatched away.
He tightened his grip on her arms, almost lifting her up completely. With no foothold, she couldn't muster any strength.
She instinctively wanted to punch him, but with each effort, the intense imbalance brought her even closer to him.
Qiao Yunzheng then realized that beneath his seemingly slender frame lay such astonishing and domineering strength.
He half-embraced her, burying his head deeply in her arms.
The breath between their lips clung to her, and no matter what she did, she couldn't shake it off or break free.
Unlike yesterday's painful caresses, today he kissed her tenderly with irresistible allure.
His other large hand slipped into her hair, and her loose bun easily came undone.
The woody scent and sweet hair fragrance, characteristic of men, linger and entwine in the quiet room.
Wen Hong gently put Qiao Yunzheng down only when she was almost completely exhausted.
He gently tidied her disheveled hair, his fingertips caressing it inch by inch.
He gently brushed his fingers across her earlobe, her brow bone, her nose, and then down to her glistening lips.
He chuckled softly: "At least, you see, your body likes me. Let's just stay like this, entangled until death, never to be apart."
Amidst trembling and painful struggle, Qiao Yunzheng had to resign herself to admit that she could never rationally resist this man's temptations.
The steam blurred Qiao Yunzheng's eyes, and large drops of water rolled down her cheeks.
Looking at the familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar man before her, her heart felt as if something had crushed it: "Wen Hong, don't be like this."
He remained calm and unhurried, wiping away her tears, his voice hoarse: "How are you?"
"Where is your pride? Where is your self-respect?" she asked, her voice choked with emotion.
Wen Hong smiled, as if he didn't understand her words, and said, "Let's get married, right now."
"What if I disagree?"
He still smiled: "You have no other option. This is what you promised me." A black hard drive appeared in his hand at some point, and he waved it in front of her. "If you want the Wen family's Achilles' heel, you'll have to trade yourself for it."
A thunderclap suddenly exploded in Qiao Yunzheng's ears.
Her lips trembled: "You...you knew..."
Wen Hong put the hard drive back into the inner pocket of his suit jacket: "You went to great lengths to investigate Shen Xingduo's information, copying his material requisition forms and attendance records from the past five years. I could easily find out if I paid a little attention."
A nameless fear crept up her spine, and Qiao Yunzheng realized for the first time how terrifying the man in front of her was.
"So, you suspect that Shen Xingduo plotted to kill your father, and that Shen Xingduo is now with the Wen family. You suspect that the Wen family is the mastermind behind this..." He said this without much change in expression. He even hugged her and comforted her slightly trembling body.
“Perhaps you also suspect that I played some role in this, at the very least, the role of covering it up.” Wen Hong patted her back gently. “You don’t trust me, and you even want to cut me off.”
He recounted it so calmly, laying bare her base suspicions and his own embarrassment before her.
Five years later, she once again took up the sharp blade and plunged it fiercely into the heart she had stabbed five years earlier.
Wen Hong's tone remained gentle: "I don't blame you for not believing me, but you can't be so heartless as to take away even those short three months, can you?"
Seeing that the two hadn't come down for a while, Yao Jing went upstairs and knocked on the door to urge them: "If you don't leave now, you'll miss your flight, won't you?"
The knocking on the door was like a heavy hammer striking her heart.
Qiao Yunzheng suddenly realized.
It turned out that he had figured her out, understood her suspicions, and realized that she was unwilling to entrust the rest of her life to him.
But instead of turning away, he cautiously used official business as a pretext to ask her for marriage.
Author's Note: For my next book, I'm going back to writing my sweet and lighthearted stories, sob sob.
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