Chapter 35: Zhixian Seems to Like It

“I just got out too. You’re pretty quick,” Qi Yanjing replied.

He had only waited about ten minutes. Any longer, and it might’ve been Zhixian waiting for him instead.

Zhixian felt relieved she wasn’t late; otherwise, she might’ve seemed unreliable.

The car fell silent for a while. Qi Yanjing glanced sideways at Zhixian, who was focused on driving.

Zhixian, on the other hand, was thinking about that kiss from the morning and found herself at a loss for words, feeling awkwardly formal.

“Today…” Qi Yanjing began, but Zhixian interrupted him nervously, “What about today?”

A knowing smile flashed in Qi Yanjing’s eyes. “Did anyone come looking for you today?”

So that’s what he wanted to ask.

“Yes,” Zhixian replied. “Aunt Zhao came by to apologize and tried to give me a red envelope as compensation, but I didn’t take it.”

After a brief pause, she added, “Aunt Zhao is Gu Yuchen’s mother.”

“I heard your families are close.”

Zhixian nodded. “Yeah, our grandfathers were close friends. Even now, our families have a good relationship.”

They were family friends spanning generations.

“And Miss Xie, the woman who came to the store yesterday, she came again today with her assistant.”

At the mention of Miss Xie, Qi Yanjing’s gaze darkened slightly, but he asked casually, “She didn’t give you any trouble, did she?”

“No, she even tried to give me a gift to make up for yesterday, but I didn’t accept it.”

Qi Yanjing relaxed, leaning back against the seat and closing his eyes. From his throat came a soft, languid hum, “Hmm.”

The single sound, drawn out and low, carried an inexplicable charm.

When they arrived home, Zhixian parked the car steadily and turned to look at Qi Yanjing, who still had his eyes closed. Thinking he might have fallen asleep, she hesitated about waking him. But just as the car stopped, he opened his eyes. “We’re here?”

“I thought you were asleep.”

As they exited the elevator together, Qi Yanjing unlocked the door and said, “I don’t fall asleep easily.”

Then, leaning slightly closer to her ear, he whispered in a low voice, “Hmm… But it’s easier with you.”

He chuckled softly, shrugged off his black trench coat, and draped it over the sofa before rolling up his shirt sleeves and heading to the kitchen.

The warmth of his breath brushed against her ear, making her instinctively shrink her neck.

…

The night before, Qi Yanjing had been so engrossed in chatting with Zhixian about the past that he had forgotten to make a few calls.

When he finally dialed, Qi Yaochuan laughed on the other end. “You’ve been calling me quite a lot lately. I feel honored.”

“Why did my sister go to see Zhixian again today?” Qi Yanjing asked, his tone concerned though he knew there was no malice involved.

“Anru insisted on apologizing and even brought a gift, but Zhixian didn’t accept it.”

“There’s something else,” Qi Yaochuan hesitated before adding, “Anru said she saw Miss Shen at Zhixian’s store today, though they don’t seem to know each other.”

Qi Yanjing responded calmly, “Got it.” For him, it wasn’t much of an issue.

“As long as you’re aware. It’s almost ten. Go to bed early.”

“Okay.” Just as he replied, he heard a sound from the balcony. Turning around, he saw Zhixian returning from her shower.

Zhixian seemed completely relaxed after her shower. When she entered the bedroom, she saw Qi Yanjing standing on the balcony, finishing his call. As soon as she climbed into bed, he pushed open the glass door and walked in.

Sitting on the bed, Qi Yanjing looked down at Zhixian, who lay there blinking her long, curled lashes at him—utterly captivating.

His deep gaze held a flicker of desire, which Zhixian immediately caught.

In the next moment, Qi Yanjing leaned down and kissed her, one hand braced against the pillow.

His technique was impressive, making her melt almost instantly. Her eyes grew hazy as his hand slid from the pillow to her shoulder, lightly brushing against the thin fabric of her clothes.

His fingers instinctively tugged at the edge of her collar before he abruptly stopped.

Retracting his hand, he pulled away from her lips, his eyes filled with lingering affection and reluctance.

Looking at the still-dazed Zhixian, Qi Yanjing rolled over and lay down beside her.

Stopping so suddenly left both of them a bit uncomfortable.

In a low, hoarse voice, Qi Yanjing said, “I’m not taking advantage of you. I’ll wait for you to take the lead.”

He already felt that marrying her had been a form of taking advantage. Though she had regained her clarity at the time, her emotions were still at a low ebb. If he pushed further in such matters, it would be inexcusable.

Wen Zhixian, still dazed from his prolonged kiss, lay there weak and limp.

After a long while, she finally responded woodenly, “Okay.”

Qi Yanjing’s mind lingered on the memory of Zhixian’s entranced gaze—so alluring that he pressed his lips together, his mouth suddenly dry.

“Gu Yuchen doesn’t strike me as someone inexperienced,” he said, unreserved in discussing her ex. He wanted her to completely move on from the past.

“Huh?” Zhixian blinked, confused by his words.

Qi Yanjing glanced sideways at her with a faint smile. Had the kiss left her completely dazed?

When she finally processed what he had said, she replied, “That never happened.”

For a moment, he couldn’t quite figure out what Gu Yuchen was thinking. Was it love or just possessiveness?

If it wasn’t love, why would he harm Zhixian with something as trivial as a broken cup? If it was, why couldn’t he bring himself to cherish her?

Perhaps Gu Yuchen himself was conflicted, the broken cup a symbol of the distance between them.

But Gu Yuchen’s thoughts didn’t matter to Qi Yanjing. After all, Zhixian was his now.

A sudden smile crossed Qi Yanjing’s lips, his voice low and magnetic. “Zhixian seems to like it.”

Zhixian’s face flushed red in an instant. She rolled herself up in the quilt and turned her back to him. “Time to sleep.”

Qi Yanjing reached out to turn off the light, but his phone vibrated under the pillow. Retracting his hand, he pulled out the phone to check the message.

It was from Zhou Chuyu:

[Hey… Yanjing, guess what shocking thing just happened? Shen Zhi somehow got my contact info and messaged me out of the blue. I’d almost forgotten she existed.]

Qi Yanjing’s expression darkened. Shen Zhi’s name had already come up more than once tonight.

He tapped out a single word: [Oh.]

What did it have to do with him?

Zhou Chuyu continued: [She was just asking how I’ve been and casually mentioned you.]

[What did you say?]

[Told her to check the school’s official website if she’s curious—everything’s there.]

Qi Yanjing smirked faintly.

Zhou Chuyu sent another message: [Alright, go to sleep, go to sleep.]

Had Zhou Chuyu not been so shocked, he wouldn’t have messaged Qi Yanjing past ten o’clock. They’d been college classmates, and Zhou knew about Qi Yanjing’s sleep issues. While it didn’t show much during the day, Qi Yanjing’s temper at night was a force to be reckoned with.

Qi Yanjing already had trouble sleeping. A disturbance like this would only worsen his temper—one Zhou found hard to endure.

However, since Qi Yanjing had mentioned registering their marriage, his harsh demeanor seemed to have softened. Though he still appeared indifferent, as his longtime classmate, colleague, and friend, Zhou could sense a subtle but real change in him.

Zhixian noticed that there hadn’t been any movement next to her, and the light was still on. Turning her head to see what Qi Yanjing was doing, she immediately met his gaze. Embarrassed, she shrank back under the covers.

Qi Yanjing chuckled softly, put his phone down, turned off the light, and leaned in closer to her as they fell asleep.