After The Beautiful Drama Queen’s Marriage To The Wealthy Tycoon - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Thanks Husband

Even though the marriage and cohabitation were sudden, Jiang He adapted exceptionally well. He spent the morning at his shop and returned to his parents’ house for lunch.

Fu Ying held Jiang He’s hand and asked a flurry of questions, checking how he was getting along with Qi Hanchuan and if there had been any friction. She knew her son well—Jiang He never let himself be at a disadvantage, and having been spoiled by the family, he was admittedly a bit high-maintenance. She worried that someone like Qi Hanchuan, raised under the rigid education of the Qi family, wouldn’t be able to handle him.

Jiang He’s cheeks were puffed out with a meatball that tasted of his mother’s cooking, making his speech a bit mumbled: “We’re getting along great. He even slept in the same room as me last night and helped me pack my things.”

Fu Ying was shocked. “You slept together?”

She wondered if things were moving too fast. Jiang He had never been in a relationship before; she wasn’t sure if he really understood how things worked.

Jiang He swallowed and reached for a spare rib. “We slept in the same room, but he slept on the floor. It was too dark and I was scared to be alone, so he stayed with me.”

Fu Ying placed some corn and carrots in his bowl. Jiang He didn’t eat them, quietly nudging them to the side, planning to throw them away later.

Fu Ying caught the gesture but, for once, didn’t lecture him. She sighed with relief. “That’s good. Your father and I were worried your personalities were too different and you’d clash.”

“Not at all,” Jiang He said, throwing the corn into the trash while her back was turned, his face unmoving. “He gives in to me. Whatever I say goes.”

Fu Ying saw everything but didn’t expose him. Instead, she served him a large portion of cabbage—his most hated vegetable. “Mhm. If there’s a problem, communicate. Hanchuan is a man of few words, so try to speak a bit less around him so you don’t disturb him. There will be friction since you’ve just moved in together. Even if he yields to you, you shouldn’t take advantage of it. Understand?”

With his mother staring him down, Jiang He didn’t dare throw it away. He stuffed the cabbage into his mouth, his handsome face twisting in agony. He downed some water to wash away the taste before speaking: “Mom, don’t worry. He’s so quiet it’s crazy. I’ll say three sentences and he won’t reply to one. He only speaks if I repeat the question because I’m annoying him.”

Fu Ying stopped torturing him and peeled a shrimp for him, her voice turning soft. “Hanchuan’s upbringing was different from yours. He manages a massive company and must have a lot on his mind. Go out and play as you like, but don’t trouble him too much. If you hit a wall, find your father or brother.”

Qi Hanchuan was a child born late in his parents’ lives. His mother had passed away from complications during childbirth. He should have been the doted-on young master, but because of the circumstances of his birth, he was branded with the unlucky label of a “jinx.”

Old Master Qi, devastated by the loss of his wife, became increasingly eccentric. He refused to let anyone else raise Hanchuan and kept the boy by his side, leading to Hanchuan’s silent and withdrawn personality.

Fu Ying remembered seeing him at birthday banquets when he was a small child. He would stand in the crowd, his features exquisite and delicate, but his expression was deathly still nothing like the playfulness of children his age. The Old Master was incredibly strict, demanding perfection in everything from schoolwork to extracurriculars. Rumor had it that after Hanchuan lost a single point in a fencing class, the Old Master locked him in a room for three days without food until he fainted from hunger, only saved by his eldest sister’s intervention.

Fu Ying was a sentimental person. She used to feel deep pity for him, thinking that if his mother hadn’t died, he would be just like Jiang He—chirping away, seemingly without a care in the world.

But life has no “ifs.”

“Mom,” Jiang He raised his voice. “Mom!”

Fu Ying snapped out of it. “What is it?”

“I want that fish. Give me some.”

After eating his fill, Jiang He wiped his mouth and tossed the tissue into the bin. “If anyone bullies my husband, I’ll stand up for him too. Don’t worry.”

As he left, Fu Ying packed several bags of handmade snacks for him—things he liked to eat while watching dramas. She even sent a list of his likes and dislikes to Qi Hanchuan via her husband, fearing Jiang He would lose weight or get sick if he didn’t eat well at the Qi house.

Jiang He waved goodbye to his mother from the car window. Watching the car disappear, Fu Ying’s eyes suddenly grew moist. Just two days ago, he was still acting spoiled in her arms—how did he get married so suddenly?

Jiang He, unaware of her melancholy, was busy spamming Qi Hanchuan with photos of his snacks and selfies. They had exchanged contact info that morning. Qi Hanchuan had told him to message if anything came up. Jiang He felt he had something very important right now: “The Great Task of Chatting with Husband to Relieve Boredom.”

Qi Hanchuan didn’t reply to the many messages, but Jiang He didn’t mind. He tossed his phone aside and fell asleep in the car.

He arrived at his shop, Star Meow Bistro. After sharing some snacks with his staff, one of them asked, “Boss, how are you free today? Didn’t you say you were getting married yesterday?”

Jiang He checked his phone. Still no reply. “Already finished,” he said casually.

“So you got the certificate first and the wedding comes later?”

Jiang He turned his phone off. “Yeah. He’s busy, no time for a ceremony yet.”

He spent the afternoon busy with his cat cafe and his rescue shelter. Many animals at the shelter had the flu, so he stayed to help. To avoid bringing germs back to the cafe, he stopped by his friend Fang Zhiyi’s place to shower and change. He bought a mint-green T-shirt and white shorts—the bright colors making his fair skin pop.

The cafe was packed with university students. When Jiang He returned, several girls asked for photos. He smiled and posed for every single one. Remembering that Qi Hanchuan’s water cup was quite ugly, he put on an apron and handmade a “kitten cup” to give to him.

At 6:30 PM, Qi Hanchuan appeared at the door. Since Jiang He’s phone was off, a staff member had to tell him. Jiang He looked up to see the tall, broad-shouldered man and ran out. “Qi Hanchuan! Why are you just getting here? I almost fell asleep waiting!”

Qi Hanchuan noticed the change of clothes but didn’t ask. “Met a partner, got delayed.”

“Fine. Is it okay if I go to the old residence looking like this?”

Qi Hanchuan glanced at the boy’s white neck and slender legs. “It’s fine.”

“My mom gave me a ton of food, have the driver come get it. Oh, and I have a gift for you. Wait here!”

He left Qi Hanchuan standing in the crowded cafe. A girl with a baby face approached him. “Hello, Boss’s Husband. You can sit here; the Boss will be back soon.”

Qi Hanchuan’s aura was too strong for others to approach. He sat down and watched the room full of fluff. A brave cat hopped onto his table and meowed at him before being whisked away by a staff member who served him a coffee—”one of the Boss’s inventions.” It had a very strange flavor, but then again, it was Jiang He. He took another sip and felt the corners of his mouth twitch upward slightly.

Jiang He returned and shoved a gift bag into his hands. “Here! Don’t open it until we get home. You’ll definitely like it.”

Qi Hanchuan gave a cold “Mhm.”

As they walked to the car, Jiang He complained, “You’re so impolite. You’re supposed to say ‘Thanks, Wife’.”

“Thank you,” Qi Hanchuan said, omitting the second part.

As soon as he got into the car, Jiang He saw a large bouquet of sunflowers in the center of the back seat. He looked at Qi Hanchuan with sparkling eyes.

“The ones I promised yesterday,” Qi Hanchuan said tonelessly, as if he were just completing a task.

Jiang He didn’t mind. He pulled the flowers into his arms, sniffed them, and bloomed into a bright smile. “I love them. Thanks, husband!