Zhong Chu was aware of her resistance, but instead of letting go, she held her even tighter, speaking as if it were the most natural thing in the world: “Starting from the first step of your treatment, of course, is getting you more accustomed to my touch.”
She rested her forehead against An Yanqing’s chin, her voice soft and sweet. Her fuzzy crown rubbed against An Yanqing’s skin, causing the itching sensation to double.
How could An Yanqing’s overly sensitive skin withstand such stimulation? Soon, her entire chin was flushed crimson.
The culprit, completely oblivious and immersed in her own unique train of logic, comforted her in a gentle, soft voice: “We’ll start by increasing our physical contact and help you get rid of your psychological barriers step by step.”
“I am your wife, after all. Don’t worry, and there’s no need to feel inferior about it. I will help you. Rest assured, I won’t give up on you just because of this little problem.”
This time, An Yanqing sharply caught the key point in her words. Her previously chaotic mind suddenly snapped into clarity: “What am I feeling inferior about?”
The pity in Zhong Chu’s eyes became even more apparent. She gently patted An Yanqing’s back as if soothing a child: “There, there. Being frigid isn’t a fatal disease. You don’t need to feel like you can’t hold your head up just because of this little flaw.”
An Yanqing: “…”
She pressed her fingers against Zhong Chu and applied some force, successfully prying Zhong Chu off of her.
Her gaze darkened, her expression unreadable. “I… am frigid? A flaw?”
Last time, simply because she craved a moment of possible intimacy, she hadn’t immediately denied it. As a result, through a series of misunderstandings, this notion had become deeply rooted in Zhong Chu’s mind—so much so that she had successfully made An Yanqing doubt her own physical health.
This was truly a case of being too smart for one’s own good. For the first time, An Yanqing found herself in such a thorny predicament.
Just as she was about to prove herself, Zhong Chu had already turned away hurriedly and pulled open the bedroom door: “Let’s head down quickly. Don’t keep Grandpa waiting.”
Interrupted like this, An Yanqing realized that now was indeed not the right time to offer an explanation, so she temporarily set the thought aside.
The meal proceeded at a moderate pace. With Zhong Chu present, the atmosphere between Old Master Zhong and An Yanqing was relatively relaxed.
The members of the Zhong family were all busy people. There weren’t many times in a day they could gather for a meal, so they usually took advantage of these rare opportunities to discuss private matters; consequently, there was no “no talking at the table” rule.
The two chatted idly about An Yanqing’s recent schedule and future plans. Zhong Chu would occasionally chime in to ask about Galaxy Media. With her unintentionally mediating between them, the meal ended with both parties being reasonably satisfied.
After dinner, Zhong Chu accompanied the Old Master for a walk. Afterward, following the Old Master’s routine, the two prepared for a nap.
The relationship between An Yanqing and Zhong Chu had softened slightly over the past two days, no longer as tense as before, but they weren’t yet familiar enough to share a bed. Naturally, An Yanqing was led to a guest room by a servant.
An Yanqing had frequented the Zhong household in her youth and shared a close bond with Zhong Chu; the room specially prepared for her was right next to Zhong Chu’s.
The moment An Yanqing stepped inside, she felt a sudden trance-like sensation as if time were flowing backward.
After she and Zhong Chu had had their falling out, no one in the Zhong family dared to mention An Yanqing’s name in front of her. This room had likewise been sealed away, and not a single piece of furniture inside had been moved.
If the style of Zhong Chu’s room next door had changed slightly, this room from the inside out retained the texture of yellowed antiques that had stepped out of the old days.
An Yanqing stood dazed. The servant who brought her was also a familiar face, though her features were slightly more weathered than they had been ten years ago.
Seeing her reaction, the old woman glanced inside and immediately misunderstood, explaining in a hurry: “The Old Master said yesterday that you two were coming back today, so we’ve already cleaned this place thoroughly several times. Miss An, please rest assured, we’ve made sure everything is spotless inside and out.”
An Yanqing snapped out of it and gave a gentle smile: “Mother Dong, that’s not what I meant. It’s just that coming back to a familiar place so suddenly, I had a momentary feeling of ‘the times have changed and people are different.'”
When she smiled, that cold aura that seemed to keep people a thousand miles away suddenly vanished. She no longer looked like the high-and-mighty star everyone knew; one could faintly see traces of her youthful innocence in her eyes.
The servant quietly breathed a sigh of relief, a sense of closeness blooming in her heart as she smiled familiarly: “Miss An, how can you say things have changed? The things are still the same, and the people haven’t changed either. You and the Eldest Miss are still as close as you were when you were children.”
“Although you were apart for a few years, you’ve become a family now. This is an even closer relationship than before.”
The Old Master cherished the past, and most of the people around him were still the same old faces. Familiar servant faces, a familiar room layout, familiar old decorations everything was an incredibly familiar scene.
The items in the room were maintained as if they were brand new; everything here seemed to be exceptionally graced by time. The God of Time had seemingly kissed these old objects with pity, sealing them with magic so that everything here was frozen in the long stretch of ten years ago.
Yellowed memories unfurled like a painted scroll before An Yanqing’s eyes, gradually overlapping with the familiar reality. Between her and Zhong Chu, it felt as though they were still those childhood sweethearts, cared for and loved by everyone’s watchful eyes.
An Yanqing lowered her eyes, her throat feeling as though it were being strangled by a steel wire. A sense of suffocation followed her like a shadow, torturing her body and mind at every moment.
Her throat tightened, making it impossible to speak. After a long while, she managed to force a slight tug at the corners of her mouth and said softly: “You’re right. Thank you.”
Mother Dong was about to considerately withdraw when An Yanqing quietly watched her leave.
Walking to the door, the woman suddenly thought of something and turned back to smile kindly at her: “Miss An, when are you and the Eldest Miss holding the wedding? Since you’ve already registered the marriage, the wedding should be soon, right?”
“The Old Master has always held you in high regard, and you two are such a perfect match both so excellent. I imagine this ‘wedding of the century’ will be handled with great pomp and flair, making the Old Master very happy. I can’t wait to eat your wedding candy.”
The steel wire suddenly snapped tight, the lethal weapon sinking deep into An Yanqing’s flesh. Every breath she took carried the scent of blood and sharp pain.
Memories turned into a dark tide; unable to distinguish between reality and the past, they suddenly surged up, attempting to swallow her whole.
A cold, mocking light flickered in An Yanqing’s eyes. Her body was so tense that her muscles twitched slightly, and her knuckles tightened soundlessly. On the surface, however, she maintained a timely, gentle smile: “Mother Dong, don’t worry. It should be soon.”
On the other side, Zhong Chu lay on her bed. It was her nap time, and combined with the fact that she hadn’t rested well the previous night, her body was exhausted. Her eyelids were drooping heavily, yet for some reason, her spirit was very hyper.
She unlocked her phone and found the family doctor’s WeChat. Because she was so tired, she could only squint her eyes as she typed: “Sister Su, I want to ask… how should one systematically treat frigidity?”