Married The Crybaby Childhood Crush First, Then Fell in Love - Chapter 37.2

That evening, Lin Wanqing cooked a table full of dishes. She didn’t have school today and had specifically gone to the market to select the freshest ingredients.

She didn’t know how to make Yan Qiu happy, so she could only cook her favorite foods.

“Ah!” Her finger was burned by the flame. Lin Wanqing quickly put her stinging hand under the running tap.

The icy water flowed over the hot, burning wound, and a blister immediately formed.

The housekeeper worried, “You should let the maid do the preparatory work, Miss Lin. You don’t need to do this kind of rough work.”

Lin Wanqing put her scalded finger into her mouth. “It’s fine, I’m used to it.”

Lin Wanqing glanced at the time. “It’s already past nine in the evening. When will CEO Yan be back?”

The housekeeper hesitated. “The company has been very busy lately. CEO Yan probably won’t be back until after midnight.”

Lin Wanqing looked at the table of dishes. “She’ll probably have already eaten dinner by then.”

Her heart felt empty, and a cold draft passed through her, making her shiver all over.

The look of disappointment and loneliness in Yan Qiu’s eyes earlier that day—just remembering it made her chest hurt.

Lin Wanqing lowered her eyes, packed the dishes one by one, and put them in the refrigerator. “Okay, I’ll wait for her at home.”

The housekeeper suggested, “Why don’t you call and ask?”

Lin Wanqing shook her head, a bitter smile on her lips. “She doesn’t want me to bother her.”

The outside world said Yan Qiu was moody and volatile. But during her time with her, Lin Wanqing felt Yan Qiu had the best personality; she always smiled at her and cared for her like an elder.

She had become so accustomed to Yan Qiu’s meticulous care that any slight hint of unfamiliarity was unbearable.

She had been spoiled.

The affection she never received from her father or mother was now sought entirely from Yan Qiu. She wanted more.

She wanted to occupy Yan Qiu’s entire heart and mind, but now everything was messed up.

Lin Wanqing helplessly returned to her room. The bed in the spacious bedroom was neatly made. She shook out the blanket and slept on Yan Qiu’s side.

“Sister Qiuqiu, I miss you.”

Yu Fei: “So, Boss, did you and Miss Lin have a quarrel?”

Yan Qiu tapped the stem of a champagne flute. “No.”

Yu Fei asked strangely, “Then why hasn’t Miss Lin called even once?”

Yan Qiu rubbed her temple with a headache. She didn’t know how to go home and face Lin Wanqing, so she had to attend a boring banquet.

Yu Fei said, “A lover is out mingling, wining and dining with handsome men and beautiful women, smelling of other people’s perfume… what wife could tolerate that?”

Yan Qiu irritably glanced at her secretary. “Shut up. No one thinks you’re a mute.”

As the boss’s confidante crossed out, Yu Fei could instantly see the source of the boss’s concern and gloom.

Yu Fei sincerely advised, “Miss Lin is just a child. She hasn’t even graduated from university and has never been in a relationship. Any mistake is to be expected. Why should the boss bother with a child?”

Yan Qiu countered, “A child wouldn’t use her charm to deceive me.”

Yu Fei looked at her boss as if she were seeing a ghost. “Deceive you out of what? Money or her body?”

If the boss was really being deceived out of money by Miss Lin, she should be happy, to be honest.

Yan Qiu took a sip of champagne. “She deceived me out of my sincere feelings.”

Yan Qiu slowly took a drag from her cigarette. Cigarettes and wine—the more you have, the more you want.

Yu Fei covered her mouth. “Ah… ha ha ha ha ha.”

Yan Qiu gave her a long, meaningful look.

Yu Fei instantly covered her mouth.

She hasn’t even had much to drink. How is she already drunk?

Yu Fei cocked her little finger. “Miss Lin really shouldn’t have done that. She knew the boss only had one pure, innocent heart, yet she just took it away. That’s really too much~”

Yan Qiu: “…”

The ballroom was filled with music and dancing. Everyone around was with a male or female companion, but Yan Qiu sat there alone and aloof, with only her secretary accompanying her.

It was too bleak.

Too lonely.

Yu Fei let out a long sigh. “If Miss Lin were here, she would definitely peel pine nuts for the boss. Oh, right, Miss Lin isn’t good at drinking, so she would probably be so tactless as to fall asleep on the boss after a couple of sips. That would be completely inappropriate~”

Yan Qiu rubbed her aching temple. “How about you resign?”

Yu Fei’s smile froze. “Boss, I’m your confidante.”

Yan Qiu thought, I don’t need this kind of confidante.

She tiredly put down the champagne she had only tasted twice, went to the balcony, and let the cold wind blow over her for a while. Looking at the time, it was almost midnight.

Her Miss Rabbit should be in bed resting by now.

Yan Qiu said, “Let’s go back.”

The host saw Yan Qiu about to leave and quickly bowed, trying to persuade her to stay. “CEO Yan, the fun part is still coming. We just hired a few young celebrities from the neighboring small country. The way they dance~ I guarantee you’ll like it.”

Yan Qiu felt disgusted looking at the host’s fat, self-satisfied face. “Perhaps you’ve forgotten, I am a married woman.”

The host’s smile faltered. He thought, A married woman wouldn’t come to a banquet like this late at night. Don’t pretend.

Yan Qiu’s cool gaze fell upon the man. “My wife at home is young and can’t be left alone. She is very jealous. If I don’t go back tonight, I’m afraid there will be a quarrel.”

What else could the host say? He could only politely usher her out.

“Those young celebrities are truly beautiful and charming. Next time, I invite CEO Yan and your wife to come and enjoy.”

Yu Fei snorted a cold laugh. “The dozens of people in this room are all business rivals during the day, yet they’re all smiles and friendly now. It’s so hypocritical.”

Yan Qiu gave a non-committal “Mmm” and told her secretary to focus on the road.

Yu Fei turned on the high beams and looked disgusted. “No wonder. Turns out there’s a midnight session. Truly, everyone is friendly and equal at a silver party.”

Yan Qiu coughed unexpectedly.

Silver… silver party.

Yan Qiu wasn’t interested in that kind of activity in the bedroom. She had attended one a couple of years ago and only felt disgusted watching the young celebrities on stage twist and turn in body chains.

Now, recalling it, the silver chains hanging on the body were indeed beautiful, and they were adorned with two small bells. If only they could be used on Lin Wanqing…

The secretary didn’t know that her casual remark had sent the boss in the back seat into a train of thought, making her even forget the pain in her legs.

Yu Fei dropped the boss off at the mansion and was off work. Her bonus for the month was credited.

Yu Fei sighed in the car, “This family can’t function without me.”

Yan Qiu took the elevator from the basement to the first floor. The housekeeper and the maid were already asleep at this hour.

She hadn’t eaten anything at the banquet, and her stomach was now cramping with hunger, making the nerves in her legs ache as well.

Yan Qiu lowered her gaze and pressed her hand against her painful stomach.

She wheeled herself into the kitchen. Usually, the refrigerator only held the ingredients the maid needed for the next day.

Her family didn’t have the habit of eating leftovers, so it was normal for there to be nothing to eat when she got hungry in the middle of the night.

She opened the refrigerator without much hope, only to see it full of airtight containers. Each container was labeled with the name of the dish.

Not only that, but they also had the required microwave heating time attached.

Ginseng Chicken Soup, Braised Lamb, Fish-flavored Bamboo Shoots, Sweet and Sour Lotus Root…

Seven or eight dishes were neatly arranged. There was also some leftover rice in the pot that could be heated in the microwave with the rest.

She knew without a doubt that Lin Wanqing had done this.

Yan Qiu pulled out a container and lowered her eyes to heat it up.

The warm food in her stomach slightly eased the pain.

Shrugging off her exhaustion, she wheeled herself into the bedroom.

Miss Rabbit had been timid since she was a child. Growing up in that kind of family, her personality was even more reserved. She shouldn’t have gotten angry with Lin Wanqing today.

The bedroom door opened. Lin Wanqing was asleep on her side of the bed, covered by her blanket and using her pillow. She seemed to be sleeping restlessly, her eyebrows tightly furrowed, and her body curled up, lacking a sense of security.

“Sister Qiuqiu…”

The girl mumbled in her sleep.

Yan Qiu gently smoothed the wrinkle between her eyebrows with her finger. “Having a nightmare? Dreaming of me?”

She knew Lin Wanqing was unwilling to marry her, but she hadn’t expected even her dreams to turn into nightmares.

Yan Qiu smiled bitterly. She tucked the blanket around Lin Wanqing. “Be good. I won’t bother you today.”

Yan Qiu sat by the bed for a while, then slowly wheeled herself to the study to sleep.

There was only one main bedroom in the house, but the study had a large sofa, which would have to do for the night.

“Tiantian…”

Yan Qiu weakly stroked the photograph inside the pocket watch.

Secret love made one timid, and every flutter of the heart came with pain in all four limbs.

Lin Wanqing woke up to a familiar scent.

The space beside the bed was empty, but she was sure she had heard a sound.

Lin Wanqing rubbed her eyes and sat on the edge of the bed, staring blankly as the moonlight spilled across the room.

Yan Qiu hasn’t come back yet?

No, she had already returned.

Lin Wanqing thought, “There’s only one main bedroom. Where is Sister Qiuqiu sleeping?”

Lin Wanqing shuffled into her slippers, rubbing her messy hair.

It was her fault today. It was normal for Yan Qiu to be angry.

Lin Wanqing pushed open the bedroom door and saw the light on through the crack of the study door diagonally across the hall.

She clutched Yan Qiu’s pillow to her chest. Not fully awake, she was sleepy-eyed, like a rabbit that had eaten too much timothy hay.

She raised her hand and knocked. “Sister Qiuqiu, Sister Qiuqiu, are you inside?”

After a moment, a voice replied, “Come in.”

Yan Qiu was lying on the sofa, covered by a blanket that Lin Wanqing often touched.

Yan Qiu’s eyes were searching. “Did you wake up?”

Lin Wanqing thought she was still dreaming. Clutching the pillow, she pounced into Yan Qiu’s arms and only stopped when she smelled the familiar scent.

Yan Qiu was stunned by the hug. The girl’s body fragrance filled her nostrils.

Yan Qiu gently wrapped her arms around Lin Wanqing’s waist. “A nightmare?”

If it was a nightmare, she should be running away from me.

The little rabbit shook her head, muttering, “I didn’t have a nightmare.”

She had dreamed that Yan Qiu left without saying goodbye, and she searched the whole world but couldn’t find a trace of her.

Yan Qiu stroked her long, soft hair.

She remembered the last time she said goodbye to Lin Wanqing when she was nine. The little blind girl had rushed out of the house, her voice hoarse from crying, trying to chase her car, only to fall hard to the ground.

That was the only time Yan Qiu didn’t help her up.

Lin Wanqing clung to her shirt, affectionately smelling the scent on Yan Qiu’s neck. “I missed you so much. I thought you’d never come back.”

Yan Qiu’s eyes were deep and profound. “Why do you miss me? Don’t you dislike me?”

Tears misted over Lin Wanqing’s sleepy eyes. “I don’t dislike you. I was just scared…”

“I’m very timid. Sister Qiuqiu needs to be gentle with me, please.”