After Yan Qing finished speaking with such boldness, she shamelessly threw herself into Zhan Yan Chen’s arms, her voice softening to the extreme. “Husband~ strawberries are no sweeter than your wife.”
Yan Qing tugged at his collar, pulling him down, and took the initiative to kiss his lips.
Their lips and tongues intertwined, the sweet and sour taste of strawberries mingling with each other’s breath, filling their mouths.
Five minutes later, Yan Qing, panting heavily, fled from the study as if escaping.
Zhan Yan Chen followed her out in a good mood, his tone teasing. “Wife, where are you going?”
“To my best friend’s house.” Yan Qing fixed her makeup and quickly walked to the door, opening the top cabinet to grab something. Zhan Yan Chen reached out and covered the sharp corner of the cabinet door to prevent it from hitting her head.
“Wife, when will you come home?” Zhan Yan Chen closed the cabinet door and handed her the bag. “Shall I pick you up?”
“No!” Yan Qing glared at him, both embarrassed and angry. “I’ll be back before dinner. Remember to send the collaboration proposal to Chen Tai once you finish writing it.”
“Okay.” Zhan Yan Chen instantly turned pitiful, looking utterly dejected.
Yan Qing’s heart softened. After putting on her shoes, she cupped his face and kissed him. “Wait for me at home, be good.”
“Okay.” Zhan Yan Chen saw her into the elevator. As the door closed, his cunning and handsome face was reflected in the glass.
His wife still had the energy to go out and have fun. He shouldn’t have gone easy on her last night.
Dongfang Apartment.
Yan Qing and Zhan Yunduan arrived at Rong Yan’s door and rang the bell for a while before it finally opened.
Rong Yan had just woken up, her long hair slightly disheveled and her eyes drowsy, giving off a hazy beauty. “Qingqing, Duanduan, what brings you here?”
“Yanyan, were you sleeping?” Yan Qing’s anxious heart settled. With the incident from the rooftop five years ago as a cautionary tale, she was afraid Rong Yan might be having dark thoughts again.
Rong Yan nodded and let her best friends inside.
“Have a seat for a moment. I’ll go change my clothes.”
Zhan Yunduan walked into the living room and saw two empty wine bottles on the small round table on the balcony. “Qingjie, Yanyan-jie secretly drank without us.”
“Last night, both of us were drunk. Even if Yanyan wanted to drink with us, we couldn’t have kept her company.” Yan Qing went to the balcony to clean up the wine bottles on the table. Seeing the bustling traffic below, she felt another wave of fear. “Duanduan, next time we can’t both get drunk at the same time.”
“Mhm.” Zhan Yunduan put down the lunch bag she had brought and grabbed a trash bin to help clean up.
Rong Yan washed away the smell of alcohol, changed her clothes, and came out. The three best friends had lunch together.
Yan Qing, still worried, reminded Rong Yan, “Yanyan, next time you want to drink, you must let Duanduan and me keep you company.”
Rong Yan sighed helplessly. Five years ago, she wasn’t trying to end her life—she was just enjoying the night breeze.
“Okay.”
Zhan Yunduan vaguely remembered what happened before getting in the car last night. “Yanyan-jie, was that Xu Ting trying to take advantage of Fu Zhan Yu?”
Rong Yan’s expression turned icy as she nodded slightly.
“Yanyan, how did you handle it?” Yan Qing asked.
“Knocked her out.”
“That’s it?” Zhan Yunduan was furious. “Didn’t strip her naked and throw her out?”
Rong Yan lowered her eyelids, hiding the terrifying killing intent in her eyes. In the past, she would have done exactly that.
“What happened after that?”
Rong Yan recounted how Fu Zhan Yu pretended to be drunk last night.
“I never thought Fu Zhan Yu could be so sneaky!” Zhan Yunduan cursed, then grinned mischievously. “But Yanyan-jie, kissing him and then running away—truly my best friend.”
Rong Yan: “…”
Yan Qing chuckled but couldn’t shake her unease. “Yanyan, why did Fu Zhan Yu suddenly ask you about what happened six years ago? Is he starting to regain his memory?”
Rong Yan stated firmly, “He won’t recover his memory.”
Zhan Yunduan and Yan Qing exchanged glances, wanting to ask about their past, but every time they inquired, Rong Yan remained silent, as if that part of her history was a forbidden topic.
“Sister Yanyan, since Fu Zhanyu won’t regain his memory, why don’t you dare confess your feelings to him?” Duanduan couldn’t understand.
Rong Yan stayed silent.
Zhan Yunduan’s imagination ran wild. “You like Fu Zhanyu but can’t be with him. Could it be… you’re blood-related siblings?”
Rong Yan’s eye twitched. “No.”
“If two people in love separate, it must be because the problems outweigh the love,” Yan Qing comforted her friend. “Yanyan, don’t be afraid. No matter what the issue is, we’ll face it together with you.”
Zhan Yunduan chimed in, “Right, as long as it’s not a blood relation, there’s no problem we can’t solve.”
Rong Yan’s cold heart warmed. She wanted to tell her friends the reason, but she didn’t dare.
Those who loved her had abandoned her, and those she loved had abandoned her too. She was afraid even her longtime friends might abandon her.
Yan Qing took Rong Yan’s hand. “Fu Zhanyu losing his memory is a chance for you two to start over. Yanyan, be brave.”
Rong Yan shook her head. “I don’t dare.”
After a pause, she added, “My world can’t withstand another collapse.”
Zhan Yunduan wanted to persuade her further but was stopped by a look from Yan Qing.
Two sighs.
The next day.
Zhan Yanchen helped Yan Qing finalize the cooperation proposal, and Yan Qing agreed to drop him off at Jing University first.
The car stopped by the roadside near Jing University, and they both got out.
After handing Zhan Yanchen his backpack, Yan Qing noticed a group of female students gathered at the university entrance, and a sense of foreboding washed over her.
Were they waiting for Zhan Yanchen?
As soon as the thought crossed her mind, a long-haired female student stepped forward, holding a cup of milk tea. With a flushed face, she offered it to Zhan Yanchen.
“Senior Zhan, please have this milk tea.”
Yan Qing looked at the girl’s shy expression and thought to herself: Why did I have to bring Zhan Yanchen to school and cause myself trouble?
Zhan Yanchen politely declined, “Thank you, but I only drink milk tea from my wife.”
“Wife?” The female student looked incredulous. “Senior Zhan, you got married so young?”
Yan Qing took Zhan Yanchen’s hand and announced to all the female students, “Juniors, Zhan Yanchen is mine.”
Zhan Yanchen smiled, withdrew his hand to wrap it around Yan Qing’s waist, introducing and showing off at the same time, “She is my Mrs. Zhan.”
The female students visibly deflated, their hearts shattered.
There’s a kind of heartbreak called not having had the chance to confess.
Yan Qing secretly pinched Zhan Yanchen’s waist. If he’s already attracting so much attention before graduation, how many admirers will he have once he starts working?
Having a husband who’s too outstanding isn’t necessarily a good thing.
Just then, one student said, “I think Senior Zhan’s wife looks familiar?”
“The forum!” Another student suddenly jumped excitedly. “I’ve seen her photo on the Jing University forum. She’s Senior Yan Qing, who graduated from Jing University at eighteen!”
“Oh my god, I actually got to see the legendary top female student of Jing University in person!”
“The two top students of Jing University got married!”
“I’m going to shake hands with the top student so I won’t fail my next exam!”
“Me too!”
Seeing everyone rushing over, Yan Qing hurriedly said, “Zhan Yanchen, study hard. I’m heading to the company.”
Yan Qing pulled her hand away to leave, but unexpectedly, Zhan Yan Chen hooked his arm around her waist. As their bodies pressed tightly together, Zhan Yan Chen lowered his head and kissed her delicate lips.
Yan Qing was stunned—this was right at the school entrance!!
The footsteps of the rushing students came to an abrupt halt, followed by gasps of surprise one after another.
A female student exclaimed with envy, “What incredible luck to be kissed by Senior Zhan.”
Another cupped her face, saying dreamily, “It feels as intoxicating as if he were kissing me.”
Yan Qing: “…”
From now on, she would never send Zhan Yan Chen to school again!
After seeing Yan Qing off, Zhan Yan Chen turned and entered the university to attend class.
Twenty minutes later, Yan Qing’s car stopped at the company building. Just as she got out of the car, Xiang Wanqiao’s vehicle pulled over by the roadside.
Yan Qing sighed softly and walked over. “Cousin, have you found out if there’s anything wrong with my husband?”