After leaving her aunt’s house, they first returned to the eastern suburbs, where Xia Tian was still staying. The next day, they went back to University East Road. With that, the New Year holiday came to an end, which is the perk of having fewer relatives—visiting them only takes two days. Aside from the annoying situation with Zhong Lan, Wen Yi felt relatively comfortable; there wasn’t the pile of trivial dramas she had imagined or heard about. Of course, she had to put aside the fact that she could see the big dog drooling over her whenever she turned around.

After saying they would sleep in the master bedroom together, Qin Nanshan moved his books back to the guest bed. She had agreed to let Xia Tian roam freely in the house, so the living room had now become the dog’s battlefield. As soon as they got home, the big dog ran around wildly. However, the dog seemed to take after its owner, and for now, there were no signs of destruction.

Pregnancy brought fatigue and drowsiness without much exertion, and Wen Yi also found herself easily irritable. As soon as she entered the house, she went straight to bed and instantly fell asleep on sheets that no longer smelled brand new. She slept until evening when Qin Nanshan knocked and came in. “It’s time to eat.”

Wen Yi rolled over in the blanket and mumbled. Qin Nanshan didn’t hear her clearly and approached the bedside. “What?”

“… Just wait a bit longer…” Wen Yi responded weakly, half-awake. Qin Nanshan didn’t press her, and he left the room. Half an hour later, he came back again. “Wen Yi…”

Wen Yi pulled a pillow over her head. “You’re so annoying.”

“The food is heated. I have an online meeting later. You can eat by yourself.”

“Oh.” 

True to his word, he didn’t come back in. Wen Yi strained her ears, listening for any noise from outside, but it was silent. After lying there for another ten minutes, she finally dragged her still lethargic body out of bed. 

It was dark outside, and a light rain was falling. Even through the windows, the chill in the air was palpable. 

In the guest bedroom, David, a professor on Qin Nanshan’s computer screen, noticed his absent-mindedness and asked in English, “Qin? Is something wrong?”

Qin Nanshan snapped out of it. “I’m fine, please continue.”

He was part of an international mathematics research group, made up of top domestic and international peers. They had a video conference once a week. The foreign professors were aware that it was the Chinese New Year and brought a festive atmosphere to the meeting, making it more relaxed than usual.

David: “We should hold an in-person meeting in China sometime. You have to host us well.”

Qin Nanshan: “We’d be happy to welcome you all to China.”

Gary: “Zhong and Li are both married. Qin, you might have more free time.”

Qin Nanshan: “I didn’t get a chance to tell everyone yet, but I just got married last week.”

David: “Wow, congratulations! What a surprise.”

They chatted for a bit longer before a sudden clattering sound came from outside. Qin Nanshan couldn’t resist, and he said to the group, “Sorry, my wife is in the kitchen. I need to check on her.” 

Everyone went silent for two seconds, then burst out laughing. But Qin Nanshan had already taken off his headset and hurried outside. 

When he got to the kitchen, he locked eyes with Wen Yi, who was still holding her oven mitts and heating the food. “Why are you out here?”

Qin Nanshan glanced behind her, frowning slightly. “What broke?”

Wen Yi turned to look, “Oh, nothing broke. The chopsticks just fell into the sink.”

Qin Nanshan stepped in, washed the chopsticks, set them aside, then removed her gloves and took out the reheated dishes from the microwave, setting them on the table. After heating up three dishes, he said, “Don’t clean up after you’re done. I’ll handle it later.”

Wen Yi felt like she was being treated like a fragile doll, but she didn’t mind and obediently sat down to eat. 

Tonight’s dishes were leftovers from the eastern suburbs, specially prepared meatballs and vegetable balls that Xuan Ying had made after noticing how much Wen Yi liked them. Her mother-in-law was gentle and kind, and Wen Yi appreciated that she didn’t resemble Zhong Lan at all. It seemed that these intellectual types had independent minds and wouldn’t blindly follow others’ opinions.

Halfway through her meal, Qin Nanshan came out again. Wen Yi glanced at him and said, “I’ll eat by myself; you don’t have to watch me.”

He sat across from her. “The meeting is over.”

She was still feeling a little upset, so she deliberately picked at a dish that was obviously freshly stir-fried and said, “This vegetable is too bland.”

He replied, “The meatballs are greasy, and we’ve been eating heavy dishes all through the New Year, so I didn’t use much oil or salt.”

“But this tastes like it was boiled in water. I have no appetite.”

There was an odd tension in the air. Even Xia Tian, lying nearby, seemed to sense the subtle friction between them, ready to ignite at any moment. But Qin Nanshan didn’t argue with her, and the fight fizzled out. “If you don’t like it, don’t eat it. I’ll make something else tomorrow.”

Wen Yi realized she was being unreasonable and tugged at the corner of her mouth, saying no more.

Half an hour later, Qin Nanshan came into the master bedroom to get clothes for a shower. “I’ve got more work later. You go ahead and sleep.”

Wen Yi didn’t respond and slid into the covers, turning her back on him. When the bedroom door closed, Wen Yi glanced at the door and angrily messaged Qiao En: [I can’t take this anymore!]

Why was he so calm? No matter how much she threw a tantrum, he didn’t react. Would he still be so indifferent if the world exploded? And this, on top of working non-stop during the New Year—he should go marry his job!

Qiao En replied: [Zhuang Yue added me, asking if I want to go out for dinner tomorrow. Should I say yes?]

Wen Yi: [I’m saying I can’t take it anymore!]

Qiao En: [Why don’t you two come along? It’d be awkward for me to go alone.]

Wen Yi: [Qiao En!!]

Qiao En: [It’s not a big deal. You knew what he was like before you married him. Emotional stability is better than guys who are alcoholics or violent. I think it’s great—someone finally has the upper hand over you.]

Wen Yi was speechless. She shut off her phone, tossed it onto the bed, and lay back, staring at the ceiling.

She had slept so much during the day that she was wide awake at night. After mulling over it for a while, she grabbed her laptop and got to work. Everyone has work to do, after all.

The group chat was filled with New Year’s chatter, but Tian Jia had already shared some insider news with her: the Strategic Innovation Department would be officially established after the holiday, with the leadership temporarily appointed from the Vice President’s office. This meant Wei Yuan’s chances of getting the position were slim. 

Wen Yi had already chosen sides, and if she switched at the first sign of change, she’d be looked down upon. For now, all she could do was work hard and show her irreplaceable value to the higher-ups.

But she also knew that in a corporation like Nuan Group, positions above middle management weren’t secured through hard work alone. Networking, social skills, and what value you brought to the leadership were equally important.

After reading reports until ten o’clock, Wen Yi stepped out to get some water. The guest bedroom was completely silent, and even the dog was nowhere to be seen. She deliberately made some noise, but no one came out. He must be solving problems, just like Qin Xi had said—once he starts, it’s like he goes deaf.

At eleven, she set her laptop aside and prepared to sleep. Whether he came back or not didn’t matter.

At midnight, Wen Yi turned over, her mind unusually clear. She knew she shouldn’t have slept so much during the day.

After a while, feeling a bit peckish, she decided to go out and buy some snacks. It was still New Year’s, so the streets should be lively. 

She changed and walked out, only to unexpectedly find someone in the dining room. 

Qin Nanshan was sitting there, fully dressed, clearly having moved his workspace into the dining room. Wen Yi guessed his dog friend was probably fast asleep in the guest room.

She snorted and went to the entryway to change her shoes.

Qin Nanshan looked at the shoes she had kicked out of place and, frowning, asked in confusion, “Where are you going?”

Without looking back, Wen Yi replied, “I want something sour to eat.”

“Do you really need it now?”

“Yes.”

The man glanced at his watch: 12:07 AM.

Outside, the fine drizzle mixed with sparse snow.

Qin Nanshan sighed softly, stood up, and said with resignation, “I’ll go get it for you.”