Chapter 18: He Slept for Eight Hours Last Night!

Even though they really weren’t that familiar yet.

Today, she had called him both “husband” and “Yanjing” in front of her parents.

Wen Zhixian hesitated for a moment before softly saying, “Yanjing.”

Qi Yanjing smiled slightly, “Go take your shower.”

She quickly turned and slipped into the bathroom, closing the door and leaning against it, her heart racing.

How odd. She hadn’t felt this nervous when she called him “Yanjing” or “husband” in front of her parents. Why did her heart start racing when she said it directly to him?

She whispered to herself, “Yanjing,” but still felt a little awkward and lowered her head to start her shower.

When she came out, Qi Yanjing had just finished a phone call. He turned to look at her, pausing for a few seconds. Zhixian’s face was flushed from the hot water, and since he’d never seen her like this, he stared a little longer than usual.

Wen Zhixian, noticing his gaze, touched her face. “Is there something on my face?”

“You just look nice, so I stared a bit longer.”

His comment made her blush, and she quickly ran into the bedroom, leaving behind, “Go take your shower!”

Qi Yanjing chuckled. Zhixian really was shy.

She slipped off her shoes and climbed onto the bed, lying flat and letting out a sigh of relief.

She turned her head to look at the space next to her. Since they were married now, they’d have to sleep in the same bed, right?

She had never shared a bed with a man before.

Would Qi Yanjing expect anything more? It wouldn’t be unreasonable; after all, she was 26, and it wasn’t like it was impossible. But with no real emotional foundation, would that count as a “legal one-night stand”?

As she pondered, the bedroom door opened, and Qi Yanjing sat on the edge of the bed.

Wen Zhixian leaned against the headboard, pulling the quilt up a bit, noticing how the warm yellow bedding didn’t match his style at all.

Qi Yanjing lifted the covers and lay beside her. She lay still, like a lamb awaiting slaughter.

“I’ve told my parents that we got married.”

“So when should I visit them?”

Qi Yanjing thought for a moment. “I’m free tomorrow afternoon. We can go then.”

He added, “Before that, I’ll stop by your parents’ house in the morning on my way to school.”

“My parents will be over the moon!” she said, laughing. Although they had watched Gu Yuchen grow up, he never really cared much for them. He’d only visit during the holidays, likely because that was just his habit. Even after they got together, he still treated her parents like distant elders.

In contrast, her parents might warm up to Qi Yanjing very quickly.

“Then I’ll go with you tomorrow morning.”

Her eyes sparkled as she looked at him, and for a moment, Qi Yanjing was very satisfied with his impulsive decision from the night before—and how swiftly he acted on it.

“Of course. After all, I don’t even know where your parents’ house is.”

Wen Zhixian smiled, “Then let’s get some sleep.”

Qi Yanjing turned off the light, and the bedroom was plunged into darkness.

They both lay flat on the bed. Wen Zhixian’s bed wasn’t very big, and with Qi Yanjing there, she wasn’t sure if he was hanging off the edge.

“Sorry, I’ve always slept alone, so the bed’s a bit small.” She began shifting to the side to give him more space.

But just as she finished speaking, she was pulled into a warm embrace.

“This way, it’s just right,” he said softly, gently stroking her slightly stiff body. “Relax. It’s just sleep; I don’t intend to do anything.”

After a moment, Wen Zhixian asked quietly, “Really?”

“I won’t force you. I’ll wait until you make the first move.”

They didn’t have much of an emotional foundation yet. The fact that she didn’t refuse to sleep next to him was already a good sign. As for their marital obligations… well, she didn’t seem like the type to reject him once they had their marriage certificate. Still, he wanted to leave the choice in her hands. He didn’t want her to have any regrets.

Every time Mr. Qi spoke, Wen Zhixian’s fondness for him grew a little more.

The room fell quiet again.

She hadn’t shared a bed with anyone since she was a child, so her mind was unsettled for a long time. It wasn’t until she heard the soft sound of his breathing that she finally began to relax and drift into sleep.

---

The next morning.

When Qi Yanjing woke up at 6:00 a.m., he lay in bed for a long while, stunned.

He had slept nearly eight hours the night before, and it had taken him less than an hour to fall asleep!

He glanced over at his newly-wedded wife beside him. He wasn’t sure if it was because he had only slept for three hours the previous night or if it had something to do with her.

---

When Wen Zhixian woke up, Qi Yanjing was no longer beside her.

She was still in disbelief about how she had married Mr. Qi yesterday, a man she had met fewer than ten times. And to top it off, her parents had temporarily approved of him…

Then she remembered they were supposed to visit her parents’ house that morning. She quickly got up, changed clothes, and washed up before stepping out of the bedroom.

Qi Yanjing was already in the kitchen, making breakfast. When she walked over, he was just placing the food on the table.

“You’re up early.”

He glanced up at her, flashing a bright smile. “Sit down and eat.”

After speaking, he turned back to the kitchen to fetch chopsticks.

Wen Zhixian paused for a moment. It was the first time she had seen Mr. Qi smile so warmly. Before, his smiles had been faint and fleeting—never as radiant as today.

Qi Yanjing sat down, handed her the chopsticks, and began eating.

“Mr. Qi, are you in a good mood today?” she asked, genuinely curious.

His gaze fell on her. “Thank you. I slept for almost eight hours last night.”

Wen Zhixian suddenly felt a bit sympathetic. “Don’t work too hard.”

Qi Yanjing gave a faint smile, not saying much more, but he did correct her. “Not Mr. Qi.”

Wen Zhixian chuckled, “Yanjing.”

“Mm.”

After breakfast, they tidied up and got ready to head out. They stopped by a fruit shop to pick up two boxes of seasonal fruit, along with some cigarettes and alcohol. Although they had given gifts yesterday, it was important to follow the proper etiquette for the first formal visit to her parents’ home.

By 7:30 a.m., they arrived at her parents’ neighborhood, carrying the gifts through the gate.

As soon as they entered, they ran into Auntie Wang, who was out for her morning exercise. “Zhixian, here to visit your parents so early?”

Auntie Wang’s gaze landed on Qi Yanjing. “Oh my, who’s this?”

Wen Zhixian smiled and greeted her. “Good morning, Auntie Wang. This is my husband.”

Auntie Wang was momentarily stunned. She remembered Zhixian’s boyfriend was that young man who used to visit during the New Year, wasn’t he?

“Good morning, Auntie Wang,” Qi Yanjing also greeted her.

Hearing his polite greeting, Auntie Wang quickly forgot about the previous boyfriend and smiled widely. “Oh, wonderful, wonderful! Zhixian has good taste. I can only imagine how happy your parents will be to see their son-in-law visiting so early. You two better head on up.”

“Thanks, Auntie Wang. See you later.” Zhixian waved as she and Qi Yanjing headed for the building.

Once inside the elevator, she couldn’t help but laugh. “Qi…”

She was about to call him “Mr. Qi” again, but remembered he had corrected her that morning. So she quickly changed it to, “Yanjing, you’re really well-liked.”

Compared to Gu Yuchen, Yanjing was indeed more likeable. Even though both were rather reserved, Mr. Qi paid far more attention to the little things that mattered to her.

Qi Yanjing curved his lips slightly. “Are you complimenting me?”

“Of course.”

Zhixian was about to unlock the door with the code, but since this was Qi Yanjing’s first official visit, they needed to follow proper protocol. She rang the doorbell instead.

“I’m coming, I’m coming.”

When the door opened, Wen Xingzhi stood frozen at the entrance. From inside, Shen Ling’s voice called out, “Who is it?”