Chapter 11: The Wife Hasn’t Returned Yet

After returning to her room, Zhuang Jianxi changed into a clean set of clothes, avoiding the areas where she had been injured.

When she came out, the maid brought her a meal, a small table filled with a dazzling array of dishes.

Unlike the heavy-flavored dishes she usually ate with Qiu Yixun, her meals were cooked with exquisite color, aroma, and taste, and were lighter. There was steamed seafood, flavorful pastries, bird’s nest, and even a sweet soup with medicinal properties that she couldn’t name…

She was tired and hungry after a day of work, so she sat down directly, eating slowly and looking at the scenery outside.

From the balcony, she could not only appreciate the vibrant colors of the garden in front of her, but also take in the entire mountain lake scenery.

The environment here was truly beautiful and perfect for living, like a paradise specially created by wealthy tycoons. Ordinary people, without a certain level of strength and opportunity, would find it hard to even dream of spending a night here. In the past, the Zhuang family had wanted to buy a piece of land here, but they couldn’t even get the paperwork processed.

Yet, she had become the rightful owner of half of this place. If people knew, they would envy her luck and good fortune.

But Zhuang Jianxi never felt lucky.

She was nothing more than a bargaining chip. What wasn’t hers would never belong to her. Even if she accepted everything and obediently became Qiu Yixun’s wife, after completely surrendering her body and heart, there was no guarantee that she could live peacefully for the rest of her life.

A man like Qiu Yixun, who could have anything he wanted, would come and play with her when he took a fancy to her, and discard her whenever he got bored.

The only thing she could do now was to guard her heart and not let it be completely corrupted.

But how long could she hold on?

After all, she had no control over her own fate from the beginning. If she resisted too much and angered Qiu Yixun, both she and the Zhuang family would face an unknown fate. But if she willingly submitted to him and let him manipulate her, her pride and self-respect wouldn’t allow it…

Early the next morning, Zhuang Jianxi came downstairs. She was about to sneak out unnoticed, but Song, the housekeeper, appeared like a mole, suddenly blocking her path and saying respectfully, “Good morning, Madam. Please come to the dining room for breakfast.”

Song had taken care of Qiu Yixun for over a decade. Although she had always been unable to fathom the young master’s thoughts, now that she saw his deep affection for Zhuang Jianxi, she couldn’t treat her as casually as before.

Zhuang Jianxi tried to walk around her, saying lightly, “No, I have to go out.”

Song smiled kindly, “Madam, as the saying goes, a good breakfast keeps you healthy until old age. The breakfast here is clean and nutritious. You should eat before you go out.”

Zhuang Jianxi frowned. She had gotten up early specifically to avoid meeting Qiu Yixun and didn’t want to eat breakfast. But Song was so persistent, and she couldn’t refuse the old woman’s kindness, so she had to go to the dining room.

As she passed through the living room, she noticed with the corner of her eye that a blank wall in the center was now adorned with her graduation piece, “Half-Mountain Lake Scenery.” It was not only beautifully framed but also had a special small light embedded above it…

It had been photographed only yesterday, and they had hung it up so quickly. Seeing her own painting, Zhuang Jianxi felt a strange and indescribable feeling.

She frowned, withdrew her gaze, and sat down at the dining table expressionlessly.

Sure enough, after a while, the sound of steady footsteps came, and Qiu Yixun came downstairs, dressed in his usual attire.

His tailored business suit accentuated his broad shoulders and long legs, making him look dignified and elegant. His slicked-back hair revealed his full forehead, making him appear even more neat and radiant, more handsome than a celebrity male model.

After taking his seat, Qiu Yixun’s gaze lingered on her, a charming curve forming on his lips as he greeted her gracefully, “Morning.”

Zhuang Jianxi glanced at him indifferently, stirring her spoon and drinking her sweet rice porridge without a word.

Seeing that she liked porridge, Qiu Yixun looked down at his own bowl of fragrant Lanzhou spicy noodles and asked the maid to bring him a bowl of millet porridge too.

During breakfast, his gaze lingered on Zhuang Jianxi’s hand, and he said with concern, “Does your hand and knee still hurt? How about I apply medicine for you again later?”

“No need.” Zhuang Jianxi had already taken care of it in the bedroom, a small scratch was nothing serious.

“Where are you going later? Let the driver pick you up.” Qiu Yixun said again.

“No.” Zhuang Jianxi sped up her pace of drinking porridge, rejecting him again.

“Rejection invalid.” Qiu Yixun sipped his porridge leisurely, “Unless you don’t go out.”

As soon as the words fell, Zhuang Jianxi’s fingers tightened around the spoon.

He wouldn’t let her go out if she didn’t let the driver pick her up, would he?

Qiu Yixun looked at her, her side profile immediately frosted over, as if she was angry but holding back, her lowered eyelashes were long and curled, her cheeks puffed out, quite cute.

He said softly, “I just feel sorry for you, you have to walk a distance every time you go out.”

Zhuang Jianxi said coldly, “I like to walk, is that wrong?”

Qiu Yixun smiled, “Then I’ll accompany you for a walk every day after dinner.”

That would be worse than not walking at all!

Slightly annoyed, after finishing breakfast, Zhuang Jianxi had just stepped out of the villa’s front door when a low-key luxury car pulled up beside her.

The driver got out and opened the car door, respectfully saying, “Madam, Young Master Qiu instructed me to be your dedicated driver, specifically responsible for picking you up and dropping you off.”

Zhuang Jianxi was afraid that Qiu Yixun wouldn’t let her go out later, and since there was a car to pick her up, she might as well take it, so she didn’t say anything and got into the car directly.

Zhuang Jianxi arrived at the personal cultural relic restoration studio opened by Professor Zhang in the city.

In university, she took a course on cultural relic restoration and protection, painting was just her hobby, while her real ambition was to devote herself to the restoration of ancient calligraphy and painting.

When she was ten years old, she started learning from her grandfather’s friend, Professor Zhang Shixuan, a famous restorer of ancient calligraphy and painting, and participated in the restoration of many damaged ancient calligraphy and paintings. In the past few years of university, she would go to Professor Zhang’s cultural relic institute to work part-time from time to time. In terms of work experience, she had already had three or four years.

Zhuang Jianxi didn’t think about making big money, she just wanted to do what she wanted to do. Being connected to Qiu Yixun was not her intention, but it didn’t affect her life plan.

Professor Zhang took good care of Zhuang Jianxi, treating her like his own granddaughter. She was his only closed-door disciple and proud student. Zhuang Jianxi respected Professor Zhang very much. In front of the old man, she was a polite and well-behaved child, completely devoid of her usual icy demeanor.

For the whole day, she was practically immersed in the studio.

In the evening, Qiu Yixun’s car returned.

After getting off the car and entering the door, Qiu Yixun handed his coat to Butler Song and the first thing he asked was, “She’s back?”

“Not yet.” Butler Song respectfully replied, “Madam hasn’t returned yet.”

Qiu Yixun glanced at the clock in the hall, it was almost seven o’clock, and he had been delayed by a meeting before returning, she still hadn’t come back?

“Did the driver go to pick her up?”

Butler Song reported truthfully, “Um… no, I just asked, the driver said Madam instructed him not to go.”

Qiu Yixun’s brows furrowed even deeper, he took out his phone and dialed Zhuang Jianxi’s number.