“And besides, when you were bullying my Qin Qing, why didn’t you think about sparing her for my sake?”
“Excuse me, make way!”
The man’s voice was not low, and every word clearly reached Qin Qing’s ears.
My Qin Qing~
Tsk tsk! He’s never called me that to my face before!
Swoosh!
Qin Qing pulled open the door.
A bit too excited, the movement was a bit too forceful—the door slammed against the wall.
The sound drew everyone’s attention.
Especially the man standing in the middle of the small courtyard, carrying something. Seeing her come out, he frowned instantly.
Qin Qing didn’t care. She took a few quick steps forward.
“Husband~ Let me help you~” Her voice was so sweet it could melt bones.
Almost an audible gasp rippled through the crowd.
“Captain Zhou’s little wife really is—a fox spirit!”
“What decent woman talks like that!”
Qin Qing paid no mind to the whispers. With a coquettish tone, she walked over, ignoring everyone’s stares, and draped herself over the man’s arm.
Fortunately, Zhou Yansheng’s arm strength was up to the task. He didn’t even stagger, steadily supporting the petite woman’s weight.
He merely raised an eyebrow.
“Husband~ Let me carry that for you~”
Qin Qing repeated, her tone even more sugary, pretending to reach for the bag in the man’s hand.
So they say I’m a fox spirit, huh!
So they say I’m seductive, huh!
I’ll just put on a show for them~
If I disgust you, I’m honored!
“No need. Go inside.” Zhou Yansheng’s eyes held a hint of a smile, allowing the young girl to press half her body against him as he led her toward the house.
Just before entering, Qin Qing stopped and turned her head. “Zhao Xiaolin, right? It was wrong of me to hit you yesterday. I’ve been spoiled by my husband and couldn’t help myself. I apologize again.”
As her words fell, an eerie silence descended over the small courtyard.
Zhou Yansheng chuckled softly and turned as well, only to hear the girl beside him continue, “I’ll have my… husband withdraw the investigation request. Not for any other reason, just for some peace and quiet.”
With that, she turned back. “Husband, close the door.”
The amusement in Zhou Yansheng’s eyes deepened. He nudged the door shut with his heel, cutting off the prying gazes from outside.
Whew—
Qin Qing plopped down onto a stool, instantly deflated.
She wanted to stand her ground to the end, but causing trouble for Zhou Yansheng right after arriving would be too thoughtless.
She wasn’t the Qin Qing from her past life anymore.
Besides, Zhao Xiaolin had taken a solid slap from her and had come to apologize sincerely.
She knew when to quit while she was ahead!
After all, it sounded like Zhao Xiaolin’s father held quite a high position.
She really shouldn’t cause any trouble for Zhou Yansheng…
Zhou Yansheng set down the bag in his hand.
He looked at her with some surprise.
This little girl seemed to have changed quite a bit since coming here.
“Um… why are you staring at me?”
Feeling uncomfortable under the man’s gaze, Qin Qing’s face flushed red.
She hadn’t felt this awkward even when she kept calling him “husband” earlier.
“Come here.” The man beckoned her.
“What for?” Qin Qing protested verbally, but she was already standing close to him.
She watched him lean in… bend down…
His movements were slow.
Was Zhou Yansheng going to… kiss her?!
Qin Qing nervously closed her eyes.
Her heart was beating so fast!
So hot!
Then, she felt the man’s slightly calloused hand brush aside the stray hairs on her forehead.
And then… that was it.
That’s all?!
Qin Qing couldn’t help but twitch the corner of her mouth.
He was just teasing her!
She opened her eyes and glared at him!
But the man ignored her.
“It’s getting late. I’m going to return the bike and grab some food on the way. We’ll keep lunch simple—I have to head to the company this afternoon.”
With that, he was already gone.
Ahhh!
The door closed, and Qin Qing belatedly recalled the “great achievements” of the entire morning.
She couldn’t help but stomp her feet in the room for a long while.
Yet it still couldn’t suppress the… excitement in her heart.
Yes, that was the only word for it!
Just look at what she’d done!
She’d kissed him… on the Adam’s apple!
She’d called him… husband!
Things she wouldn’t have dared to imagine in her past life.
Most importantly, he hadn’t pushed her away, hadn’t scolded her…
Qin Qing, keep it up!
The strategy is working~
After calming down for quite a while, she finally began tidying up the things she’d bought.
In just a few days, she’d already grown accustomed to this simple, crude little house.
Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad not to change to a bigger place.
At the very least, in such a small space, he’d have nowhere to hide from her!
Hmph!
Didn’t he sleep obediently in bed last night!
Why had she slept so soundly~ she hadn’t even gotten to see what he looked like asleep!
Qin Qing’s inner monologue continued nonstop as she went about her tasks.
She pulled out the photo frame she’d bought at the department store earlier, while Zhou Yansheng wasn’t paying attention.
From the bedroom drawer, she retrieved the photo of the two of them together.
Carefully, she placed it into the frame.
She breathed a puff of air onto the glass, then wiped it clean with her sleeve.
Much better looking than the photo on their marriage certificate!
Satisfied, Qin Qing set the framed photo in the most prominent spot on the desk.
Perfect!
However, Qin Qing had been eager to see Zhou Yansheng’s reaction to the photo but had yet to get the chance.
That dog of a man had hurriedly left after sharing a simple lunch with her at noon, saying only that something had come up at the company.
He hadn’t even stepped into the bedroom.
Gritting her teeth, Qin Qing said: “Alright.”
She really wanted to stop him, drag him into the room, point at the photo, and ask: “If you don’t like me, why are you hiding my photo, huh?”
Unfortunately, it was just a thought.
Another few muddled days passed, and Qin Qing felt like she was about to grow mushrooms on herself.
That old man was avoiding her again.
He’d gone to the company and hadn’t come back for so many days.
Could it be that she’d been too bold that day?
Did kissing his Adam’s apple scare him off?
This time, she didn’t ask anyone to bring her meals.
Every day, she went grocery shopping with Li Qin and the others, cooking and eating by herself.
It felt as if her days had reverted to those bleak, lonely final days of her past life.
That dog of a man!
If he agreed to let her stay, was this how he was going to treat her—ignoring her completely!
Irritated, uneasy.
But there was nothing she could do.
Over these past days, the initial excitement from when she first arrived had faded, and she spent each day pondering what she could do.
She hadn’t touched a piano in so many days.
Her fingers itched.
Sigh!
Surely she hadn’t traveled all this way to chase after her husband only to let her skills go to waste like this!
After all, she’d practiced for so many years.
Before, she hadn’t given it much thought, but now that she was truly staying, Qin Qing realized a very practical problem.
It was also the question Zhou Yansheng had asked her with a stern face earlier:
What could she do?
Was she really going to spend her days chatting with Sister Li and the others?
Just imagining that scene…
Qin Qing decisively shook her head.
She couldn’t just idle around here forever…
However, that very night when Zhou Yansheng returned, he gave her direction.
Zhou Yansheng rushed back and immediately said he was taking her out to eat.
Qin Qing followed along happily.
But the atmosphere at the dinner table wasn’t exactly harmonious—
“I refuse.” Qin Qing set down her chopsticks.
The entire table fell silent.
Yes, it was a full, crowded table.
Zhou Yansheng had organized the gathering.
The guest of honor was the principal of the unit’s affiliated elementary school.
Even the instructor from Zhou Yansheng’s division was invited to accompany the guests.
Qin Qing hadn’t expected that Zhou Yansheng’s enthusiastic invitation to dinner wasn’t a private date for just the two of them, but rather this kind of social gathering.
She knew he meant well.
She also wanted to endure it, to save face for him, and discuss it at home later.
But Principal Han had just told her to report directly to the school tomorrow.
What kind of situation was this?!