Сhарtеr 9: Fighting for the Cоntrаct Wife 9
Аfter an аftеrnооn оf hеartfеlt соnversаtion bеtween fаthеr and dаughter, it wаs аlrеadу 7 р.m. when Shеn Jiаоjiао rеturnеd to hеr residеnсe.
She opеned thе doоr tо find thе lights оn inside and immеdiatelу sроttеd Xiе Yanqing sitting оn the sofа.
Не wаs wеaring а black bathrоbе, his hаir slightlу dаmp, with stray strаnds fаlling оver his fоrehеad, making him арреar less mаturе than usual.
“Yоu’re baсk?”
Хiе Yаnqing stoоd uр, and before he could аpрrоасh, Shеn Jiaоjiao cаught a whiff оf alсohоl.
He frowned. Why had she been drinking? Her unsteady steps suggested she had consumed quite a bit.
Shen Jiaojiao lifted her drunken, misty almond-shaped eyes and murmured unconsciously, “Why are you home?”
Perhaps due to the alcohol, her voice sounded softer than usual.
Watching Shen Jiaojiao sway as she tried to take off her shoes, Xie Yanqing quickly stepped forward, wrapping an arm around her slender waist to steady her, while using his other hand to fetch her slippers and help her put them on.
In the brief moment he bent down, Shen Jiaojiao’s two pale, slender arms wrapped around his neck.
Xie Yanqing’s body stiffened slightly. That uncontrollable, heart-racing sensation had returned.
He took a deep breath and effortlessly scooped her up in a princess carry. The soft, boneless feel of her made him pause for a few seconds.
Xie Yanqing looked down to find Shen Jiaojiao tilting her head to gaze at him, her rosy lips slightly parted, revealing pearly white teeth.
She was truly heavily intoxicated.
“Jiaojiao, why did you drink so much?” Xie Yanqing’s tone shifted, feigning nonchalance as he asked, “With whom?”
“With whom?”
The drunken Shen Jiaojiao’s mind was sluggish. After a few seconds, she drawled, “With my dad.”
Xie Yanqing fell silent for a moment. It seemed he truly knew too little about Shen Jiaojiao and her family.
He carried her a few steps, intending to take her to her room, but Shen Jiaojiao mumbled softly, “I want water, I want water.”
Xie Yanqing had no choice but to set her down on the sofa. In the process of moving her back and forth, both their clothes became wrinkled and disheveled.
From his angle, the expanse of snowy skin below her collarbone made Xie Yanqing’s breath catch.
His eyes darkened, their depths concealing unfathomable emotions.
“Water…”
Her kitten-like plea snapped Xie Yanqing back to his senses. Regaining his usual composure, he turned and walked to the bar to pour Shen Jiaojiao a glass of water, then half-supported her as he helped her drink half of it.
After drinking the water, Shen Jiaojiao seemed slightly more alert. She swayed as she tried to return to her room but stumbled over the carpet, tumbling straight into Xie Yanqing’s arms.
Xie Yanqing steadied her with one hand while the other, still holding the glass, tightened its grip.
If this continued, his self-control would truly vanish.
Xie Yanqing tilted his head back and downed the remaining water in the glass. As his Adam’s apple bobbed, a droplet of water slid down and disappeared into his black bathrobe.
He blinked, suppressing the fiery heat and restlessness in his chest.
But the next moment, an unconscious remark from Shen Jiaojiao completely shattered his remaining self-control.
“Xie Yanqing, Dad wants me to divorce you…”
Thud—
The glass fell onto the carpet with a muffled sound.
Xie Yanqing’s hand trembled, his usually calm dark eyes now shadowed, as if brewing a storm.
After a long silence, a chilling, light laugh suddenly echoed through the quiet living room.
Xie Yanqing looked down at Shen Jiaojiao, who had already closed her eyes. His gaze was sharp and profound, tinged with an abnormal obsession.
“You are my wife.””How could we ever get divorced.”
After murmuring to himself, Xie Yanqing lifted his veined hand to tilt Shen Jiaojiao’s chin and kissed her without hesitation.
Finally, those red lips he had dreamed of day and night—he could at last taste their sweetness.
“Mmm…”
Shen Jiaojiao was slightly breathless. Her delicate, lovely face was now flushed with rosy clouds, her eyelashes fluttering incessantly like dancing butterflies.
She opened her misty almond-shaped eyes, as if trying to see clearly the person before her.
“Is this a dream?”
Shen Jiaojiao whispered, placing a hand on Xie Yanqing’s face, tracing from his deep-set brow bone to his high-bridged nose, then down to his slightly reddened lips.
Xie Yanqing’s dark eyes were filled with passion and desire. “It’s not a dream.”
With that, his lips covered hers once more, no longer holding back.
The two fell onto the sofa.
The next second, the smart curtains automatically closed.
The room, bright as daylight, returned to darkness.
………
………
Until the sky grew faintly light, Xie Yanqing emerged from the bathroom refreshed and invigorated. The spring-like radiance on his face was unmistakable, his brows carrying an air of satisfaction.
He lay back down on the bed, propping his head up with one hand as he gazed tenderly at Shen Jiaojiao.
Her face still bore traces of grievance, her eyelashes were still damp, her nose red, the corners of her eyes red, even the area beneath her temples was flushed.
It was clear she had cried for quite some time.
Xie Yanqing lovingly kissed her little red nose, then reached out to gently tidy her hair.
This hair—he had just washed and dried it for her earlier.
Shen Jiaojiao was particular about cleanliness, and during the intense emotions earlier, she had even lashed out and hit him a few times in a fit of temper.
Xie Yanqing, tickled by her actions, loved her even more. He adored this vivid, spirited Shen Jiaojiao.
“Jiaojiao, we won’t get divorced.”
Xie Yanqing pulled Shen Jiaojiao into his embrace, pondering why her father had suddenly suggested they divorce.
Could it be…
His dark eyes grew somber. He had heard rumors recently that the Shen Corporation was facing some issues.
Shen Zhenghao had not approached him directly, nor had he made any requests through Shen Jiaojiao.
Xie Yanqing ran through his speculations one by one, dismissing each in turn.
He truly couldn’t fathom why Shen Zhenghao would want Shen Jiaojiao to divorce him at this time.
But now, he and Jiaojiao had truly become husband and wife.
That meant the Shen family’s affairs were now his own.
Xie Yanqing picked up his phone and sent a message to Assistant Li: “Look into what issues the Shen Corporation is facing.”
As it happened, Shen Zhenghao’s fiftieth birthday was in two days. When they visited the Shen family then, he could prepare everything properly and strive to persuade Shen Zhenghao to abandon the idea of having them divorce.
Lost in thought, Xie Yanqing’s gaze fell upon Shen Jiaojiao’s abdomen.
The child they had spoken of last time…
Xie Yanqing’s eyes flickered briefly, but in the end, he restrained a certain impulse.
He had to respect Jiaojiao’s wishes.