Song Qingtang thought for the first time that it was possible for a person to be this embarrassed.
Song Qingtang felt a wave of heat sweep through her entire body in an instant, even her cheeks burning hot.
She didn’t even dare to glance in Jin Zhuochuan’s direction.
And yet, he acted as if nothing had happened at all.
He looked at Song Qingtang with perfect composure, his brow slightly raised.
He tugged at the corner of his mouth and let out a faint laugh.
It was like mockery, and yet also like teasing.
Song Qingtang’s ears were burning.
“Song Qingtang, why do you blush so easily?”
There was a hint of amusement in Jin Zhuochuan’s tone.
As if he were in an exceptionally good mood, even the gloom between his brows had vanished.
The teasing in his tone was unmistakable.
Song Qingtang’s back went stiff, and her face grew even redder.
She was almost at a loss for words, not knowing how to respond.
All she could do was scream inwardly—
Stupid face, stop turning red!
When would she ever get rid of this habit of blushing so easily because of her thin skin?
Jin Zhuochuan watched her with an especially relaxed posture, and only after a long while did he finally bother to move his legs.
He slightly reined in his smile and stretched out his legs.
His tone was lazy: “With skin this thin, you still talk behind people’s backs—that’s not a good habit.”
His voice was light.
But it was filled with pure mockery and sarcasm.
It made one feel utterly ashamed in an instant.
Song Qingtang’s face flushed even deeper.
How could this person be like this?
He was truly insufferable.
She pressed her lips together, looked up, and shot him a glare of indignation.
But unexpectedly, she met his eyes, which held a trace of a smile.
His eyes were clearly dark as ink, yet that hint of laughter was like a star—visible at a glance.
He was languid in posture, and when faced with her slightly angry gaze, he merely raised an eyebrow.
His tone sounded resigned, yet also like a sigh: “So fierce.”
“And you’re glaring at me.”
Song Qingtang choked, saying with some disbelief, “When did I glare at you…”
Her voice was small, clearly lacking confidence.
Jin Zhuochuan looked at her, slightly raising his brow, his tone carrying a hint of teasing. “Oh, so you won’t admit it.”
“You…”
Song Qingtang wanted to argue, but she didn’t know where to start.
She was the one standing, yet she was the one at a disadvantage.
At a loss and flustered, while he remained completely at ease.
“What about me?” Jin Zhuochuan rested his head on the back of his hand, looking at her as he asked, “I think I’m the pitiful one.”
Song Qingtang: “…”
After lamenting his own misfortune, Jin Zhuochuan sat up and rose from the sofa, saying in a calm tone, “I wanted to come home early to surprise my wife, but who would’ve thought—I ended up hearing something I shouldn’t have.”
“Don’t you think so, Mrs. Jin?”
Song Qingtang: “…?”
Song Qingtang didn’t know what to say.
How could something like this, when spoken by him, make her sound so utterly wicked and beyond redemption?
She didn’t know how to respond.
Seeing that she wasn’t speaking, Jin Zhuochuan didn’t linger either. He withdrew his gaze and walked up to the second floor.
Song Qingtang watched his back for two seconds before looking away.
He’d finally gone up.
Song Qingtang let out a sigh of relief and sat down on the sofa nearby.
The phone in her hand began to vibrate frantically.
It was a call from Lin Qiaoshi.
Song Qingtang pressed her lips together before answering.
“What’s going on, Qingqing? Why did you hang up on me?”
Lin Qiaoshi’s voice carried a playful lilt.
“It’s not that…” Song Qingtang lowered her voice and said, “Jin Zhuochuan was actually home just now. He hadn’t turned on the lights, and I didn’t know, so he heard everything I said. And then it was so awkward just now—I even got mocked for it.”
Song Qingtang reached up and rubbed her head.
In all her life, she’d never been ridiculed in that tone before.
Although Song Huaiyi was strict with Song Qingtang, he still coddled her in many ways.
Being spoken to like that by Jin Zhuochuan brought embarrassment, shame, and a faint, indescribable feeling.
“Ah, damn!” Lin Qiaoshi paused for a second, then burst into laughter.
“It was me who cursed, not you. If he mocks you, just snap right back at him!”
Lin Qiaoshi laughed for quite a while before stopping, then concluded, “Qingqing, you’re adorable.”
“Oh, right, get ready for tomorrow’s events. Auntie Han will probably be home tomorrow too, so be prepared.”
Lin Qiaoshi said.
Those words made Song Qingtang pause.
The Auntie Han Lin Qiaoshi referred to was Han Shuang.
Song Qingtang’s mother.
Also a world-renowned lawyer.
She’d taken on a case recently and had only just finished it today—she was probably home by now.
She would definitely know about Song Qingtang’s marriage by now.
Tomorrow was probably going to be tough.
Thinking about it, Song Qingtang rubbed her face and let out a sigh.
“Stop sighing and think about how you’re going to handle it,” Lin Qiaoshi said. “I’ll hang up now—I still have some things to take care of.”
Song Qingtang hummed in acknowledgment.
The call ended.
She placed her phone on the glass table, stood up from the sofa, walked to the kitchen, and opened the refrigerator.
The servants at Jin Zhuochuan’s house were always especially meticulous—they often did the cleaning after the two of them had left the house.
Besides that, there were always cut fruits in the fridge every day.
Very thoughtful.
Song Qingtang brought out the fruit, along with a small cake tucked in beside it.
She rarely ate things like this.
At home, from childhood to now, Song Huaiyi had kept Song Qingtang under extremely strict control.
From eating habits and daily attire to her circle of friends and even her bearing and demeanor, everything was tightly regulated.
If something like a small cake were to be seen by Song Huaiyi,
it would inevitably lead to a scolding, or even a punishment from the family rules.
In that household, there was always a sense of oppression and dullness.
And as for the marriage alliance—how could she not have had her own selfish motives in that too?
With that thought, she lowered her long lashes, concealing the look in her eyes.
She set the cake and fruit on the table, scooped up a small bite with her fork, and put it in her mouth.
A fine, soft, cloying sweetness spread across her tongue.
Very sweet.
In truth, she was quite content with her current state. In the Song family, constantly reining herself in—
it was truly exhausting.
At least now, she no longer had to live in that house where even the length of her steps had to be strictly measured.
After finishing the cake and fruit, she turned off the lights and headed upstairs as well.
Song Qingtang’s sleep was light that night, and she woke very early the next morning.
After getting dressed, washing up, opening the door, and descending the stairs, she found Jin Zhuochuan sitting by the sofa.
Today, he was rarely dressed in formal attire.
She was used to his usual casualness, but seeing him like this now, the languor about him had diminished considerably.
It added a touch of steadiness.
Song Qingtang walked down.
Jin Zhuochuan lifted his eyelids to glance at her, not lingering, and quickly looked away.
The maid had arrived early today. By the time Song Qingtang came downstairs, breakfast was already laid out on the dining table.
The breakfast was simple—purple yam and red date black rice milk, something she usually loved.
On a porcelain plate sat delicate, exquisite pastries.
Song Qingtang walked over and sat down at the table. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Jin Zhuochuan still sitting on the sofa, unmoving.
She thought about asking him.
But then she remembered how he had teased her yesterday, like playing with a little puppy.
She swallowed the words back down.
Eat if he wants, don’t eat if he doesn’t.
What did it have to do with her?
It wasn’t her stomach that would be empty.
After finishing the meal, the two of them got into the car and headed toward the Song residence.
Throughout the ride, Song Qingtang’s heart was suspended, especially tense.
The car came to a stop.
The two got out.
Song Qingtang was still thinking about how she would explain things to Han Shuang when the time came.
Jin Zhuochuan was already standing by her side.
His shadow loomed over her from above, and the sense of pressure radiating from him was impossible to ignore.
Song Qingtang looked up at the person beside her, about to speak.
Her wrist was caught in his grip.
His hold was light—she could break free with just a little effort.
His palm pressed against the skin of her wrist, carrying a faint, dry heat.
Song Qingtang froze for a second. She didn’t rush to pull away, but asked instead, “What are you doing?”
Hearing her question, Jin Zhuochuan lowered his head to look at her.
The predatory edge at the corners of his eyes had worn away considerably, making him seem a bit softer overall, yet the cold ruthlessness ingrained in his bones couldn’t be suppressed.
His voice was a little hoarse, sounding lazy and languid.
“Have you ever seen a married couple return to the bride’s home like strangers?”
He asked.
His tone betrayed no emotion.