Chapter 144 She pretended to be asleep, and he followed.
Just as Zhuang Bieyan put the dishes on the table, he heard the sound of entering a password coming from the doorway.
Qu He pushed open the door and came in.
He stepped forward and took her bag, his movements somewhat tense.
After Tan Cong reported the trending topic "[The dealer has good news]" in the afternoon, he immediately sent people to remove it.
But the speed at which information spreads online is difficult to control, and he worried that she would still see it.
He was even more worried that she would misunderstand it as a deliberate hint he was sending, taking it as a subtle form of coercion.
"Wash your hands and eat first." He pulled out a dining chair.
"good."
Qu He responded, washed her hands, and sat down at the dining table, her expression no different from usual.
Zhuang Bieyan ate somewhat absentmindedly, but his gaze kept lingering on her face.
Finally, as she lowered her head to drink her soup, he casually asked, "How was your day at Heyuefang?"
Qu He paused in her drinking of soup, the broth falling from the spoon and rippling outwards.
"I'm fine. I've been busy preparing my entry for the Qinglan Cup lately. Why are you asking me this all of a sudden?"
Seeing her composed expression, Zhuang Bieyan felt a little relieved.
Perhaps she really didn't see it.
He secretly breathed a sigh of relief and casually added a spoonful of soup to her bowl: "It's nothing, I was just worried you were too tired. It's the first day of your period today, is your stomach still upset?"
"I feel much better," Qu He smiled, her tone relaxed. "After drinking so much brown sugar ginger tea, I don't feel as bad as before."
"That's good."
After dinner, the two snuggled up on the sofa and watched a movie for a while.
Zhuang Bieyan noticed that Qu He's eyes were mostly vacant, and her mind was not on this.
Before bed, as usual, he massaged her lower abdomen. Qu He nestled quietly in his arms, and as he listened to her gradually even breathing, he slowly fell asleep.
It was late at night.
A gust of wind rustled outside the window, and the leaves danced in the breeze.
There was a slight movement under the covers on the bed. Qu He opened her eyes, and after confirming that Zhuang Bieyan was asleep, she carefully removed his hand from her waist and quietly got out of bed.
The door closed.
Zhuang Bieyan opened his eyes.
Actually, he woke up when she got up, but he kept his eyes closed.
Listening to her quietly get out of bed and leave, and the sound of her footsteps fading into the distance, it seemed to be heading in...
Second floor.
I had a vague suspicion in my mind.
He waited a few minutes before getting up and following them out.
The second-floor corridor was dimly lit, with only a faint light shining through the crack in the door of the empty room at the end.
Zhuang Bieyan walked over and pushed open the half-closed door.
Qu He stood in the center of the room wearing only a thin nightgown.
Moonlight streamed in through the gap in the slightly open curtains. Her gaze was somewhat unfocused as she looked up slightly to survey the empty room, her fingers tracing patterns in the air.
Zhuang Bieyan recognized it as the outline of the design drawing on his tablet.
She was so focused on watching that she didn't even notice him approaching.
He deliberately made his footsteps louder so as not to frighten her.
Sure enough, Qu He shrugged and turned around after hearing the sound.
She stared at him, somewhat bewildered: "You... why are you up?"
Zhuang Bieyan stepped forward, took her hand in his, and said in a particularly deep voice in the quiet night, "Why did you come here in the middle of the night? Aren't you afraid of catching a cold?"
As he spoke, he pulled her outside and closed the door behind him.
Qu He let him hold her hand, muttering softly, "You know I'm not asleep?"
Zhuang Bieyan sighed, somewhat helplessly: "Do you think I don't know whether you're asleep or not? It's so quiet tonight, unlike you."
Qu He lowered her eyes, her eyelashes casting a shadow under her eyelids, and did not refute.
Tonight, she was unusually obedient.
On the first day of her period, she would usually toss and turn in bed like a cat with its fur standing on end, complaining for a long time.
First, they complain that the design of sanitary napkins is anti-human, then they complain that their backs ache when lying down, and they are afraid of leakage when lying on their side. Finally, they angrily question God why menstrual cramps cannot be removed from China.
Only after completing this set of fixed procedures will she prepare to go to sleep.
But tonight, she simply found a quiet spot in his arms and quickly "fell asleep," her deliberately controlled breathing clearly indicating that she was faking it.
He didn't point it out at the time, but followed her, wanting to see what she was up to.
Zhuang Bieyan led her back to the bedroom and pressed her to sit down on the edge of the bed.
He then half-squatted in front of her, a position that allowed him to look her in the eye.
Zhuang Bieyan grasped her hand, his tone tense but firm: "Ahe, you saw that trending topic on Weibo today, didn't you?"
Qu He remained silent for a moment, but did not deny it.
She did see it, although the trending topic was removed very quickly.
I originally wanted to pretend I didn't know, but then Zhuang Liuyue called to tell me the good news, Zhuang Yi asked me on WeChat, and even Ji Shu called to congratulate me.
All of this made it impossible for her to ignore.
Seeing that she admitted it, Zhuang Bieyan hurriedly explained, "Ahe, that was absolutely not my intention. I assure you, I never thought of implying or forcing you in any way. I'll lock that room tomorrow, okay?"
He was eager to express his opinion, fearing that she might misunderstand.
Listening to his flustered explanation, Qu He felt a pang of sadness.
She grasped his hand in return, looking directly into his eyes, "Zhuang Bieyan, what about you? Do you want it?"
The question came suddenly, but Zhuang Bieyan did not hesitate at all. "I only care about your thoughts. I will only look forward to it if you truly want it."
“Ahe, remember this: in my heart, you will always be number one, the only number one. Nothing and no one can surpass you.”
This wasn't just sweet talk; it was a promise he made from the bottom of his heart.
He loved her more than anything.
Hearing his statement, Qu He hugged his waist, inhaling his reassuring scent, and said in a muffled voice, "Give me a little more time, okay? I need some time."
She needs time to convince herself.
It wasn't that she distrusted Zhuang Bieyan; on the contrary, the love and security he gave her far exceeded her expectations.
However, the shadow left by that betrayal will take time to heal.
She herself is not opposed to having her own children, but she has lost miserably in the past.
It was Zhuang Bieyan that made her willing to believe in love again, but what if she also had a child...?
She couldn't afford to take such a huge gamble.
She was afraid of that one in a hundred million chance.
Zhuang Bieyan sensed her trembling and vulnerability, and felt as if his heart had been pricked by a needle.
He folded his arms. "No rush. We have a lifetime. You can take your time to think and prepare. No matter how long it takes, I will wait for you. As long as you are by my side, nothing else matters."
His promise dispelled the chill of the night.
Qu He gradually relaxed and nodded in his arms.
The long night was half over, and dawn was about to break.
The sounds of soft, suggestive breathing in the room finally subsided, leaving behind a lingering, sweet scent of passion.
On the messy bed, Yan Shu's face was flushed, but her eyes held a hint of emptiness after the event.
The man next to him threw off the covers, got out of bed, walked to the window, and lit a cigarette.
He took a drag, his narrow eyes narrowed, and he looked through the smoke at the woman lying on the bed, a playful smile playing on his lips.
He walked back to the bedside, leaned down, and suddenly pinched Yan Shu's chin, putting a puff of smoke into her mouth.
"Cough! Cough cough..."
Yan Shu was caught off guard by the choking and coughed violently twice.
She glared at him angrily and slapped his hand away.
The man chuckled, unconcerned by her resistance, and gently scratched her chin with his fingers as if teasing a cat.
"Why are you being so proactive today? Are you in a bad mood?"
You've crossed the line!
Yan Shu turned away to avoid his touch.
She grabbed the bathrobe from the floor, put it on, walked to the liquor cabinet, poured herself a glass of strong liquor, and drank it all in one gulp.
The burning sensation of the alcohol traveled from her throat down to her stomach, finally clearing her confused thoughts slightly.
"Don't pry into my affairs."
She said coldly, her back to him, "How's the matter I asked you to handle going?"
Her voice carried a commanding tone.
The man leaned against the headboard, lazily exhaling smoke rings: "You've begged me so enthusiastically, how could I not do it for you? Don't worry, this trending topic will have plenty of time to develop properly, I guarantee you'll be satisfied."
Yan Shu turned around and looked at the gradually brightening dawn outside the window.
The sky was divided into two halves, one bright and one dark.
Dawn is approaching, but undercurrents are already stirring.
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