She Seems to Struggle with Having a Wife - Chapter 19

She bowed and scraped like a guilty person begging for mercy.

Qin Mu looked down at her with a heartless expression.

The dream that followed was too surreal, jolting Qin Mu awake. Covered in sticky sweat, she threw off the covers, got up for a quick rinse, and returned to bed to continue sleeping.

The next day, Qin Mu woke up and went to work as usual.

Wei Qing’an had been away on a business trip for several days without any news, and even her routine updates about meals had become sporadic sometimes in the afternoon, sometimes in the early hours of the morning, with no set pattern.

The subtle shifts between them faded away with Wei Qing’an’s departure, settling back into the calm of everyday life.

It was as if nothing had ever happened.

Including that possessive kiss born of jealousy.

Yan Huan had agreed to collaborate with Liu Nian, so Qin Mu had been busy at the company these past couple of days. By the time she got home in the evening, it was nearly 11 p.m., sometimes even past midnight. She was so exhausted that insomnia wasn’t an issue she’d collapse into sleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

“Optimize the content in this section. For the later filming, the overall color palette needs to be brighter.”

“Understood, President Qin.”

After giving instructions to the marketing team, Qin Mu went to check in with the designer, Yang Shengjie, and Yan Huan, exchanging a few polite words.

Temporary Studio.

Qin Mu knocked on the door, pressed the handle, and entered.

“Old man, this part of the design isn’t logical. Your wildly imaginative thinking is hard for anyone to keep up with, and it’s certainly creative, but you also need to consider how the final product will turn out.”

The two seemed to be discussing the design draft.

Qin Mu slowed her steps as she approached.

Li Jiashan noticed Qin Mu entering and was about to call out to her, but Qin Mu raised a hand and made a “shh” gesture.

Understanding, Li Jiashan continued standing to the side.

But these two really knew how to argue.

Yang Shengjie scratched his head in frustration and said, “But if I don’t fill in this part, I feel like something’s missing.”

Yan Huan straightened up angrily, crossed her arms over her chest, and said with a stern face, “If something’s missing, then revise it until we’re both satisfied. But this absolutely won’t do. Even if President Qin agrees, I won’t.”

“Ah,” Yang Shengjie sighed deeply, bending down to pick up his pencil and continue sketching on the draft paper.

After their argument subsided, Qin Ming waited a moment before stepping forward. “Teachers, lunch will be ready soon. If you can’t come up with a suitable design, why not take a break?”

“No need,” Yan Huan waved her off.

But Yang Shengjie straightened up as if deliberately opposing her, set down his pencil, and said, “I need a break.”

Yan Huan pulled a long face. “Suit yourself.”

Qin Mu sighed inwardly and turned to tidy the messy desk, sorting the papers and rulers to clear a space for their meal.

Yang Shengjie walked over and, seeing how capable Qin Mu was, couldn’t help but praise, “Ah, our President Qin is so much more pleasant to look at. Not like a certain someone who spends all day arguing with me.”

“I’ll go get you some water,” Qin Mu said, steering clear of their disputes and keeping her distance.

Yan Huan seized the moment to retort, “See? She doesn’t even want to deal with you, you grumpy old man.”

Yang Shengjie: …

If he had a beard, it would’ve bristled with anger.

Lunch was specially prepared by the company’s kitchen four dishes, one soup, and two servings of rice. For a work meal, it was quite lavish. Moreover, President Gao had even bought a refrigerator for the studio, stocked with fruits and drinks.

This level of treatment was practically VIP-class.

The cook delivering the meal knocked on the door and entered right on time. After setting the tableware, they took the empty lunchbox and left.

Li Jiashan would take care of the trash after the meal.

Not wanting to disturb their dinner, Qin Mu walked toward the door and said, “Enjoy your meal. If anything comes up, have Jiashan contact me. I still have some matters to attend to, so I’ll get going now.”

“Alright, go ahead, go ahead,” Yang Shengjie waved, already picking up his chopsticks before even sitting down.

Yan Huan stood by the workbench, watching Qin Mu’s retreating figure when something suddenly occurred to her. As soon as Qin Mu stepped out, she picked up her phone and forwarded a news article to her.

“Old-fashioned one, don’t blame me, I’m actually helping you.”

Leaning on the table with one hand, Yan Huan felt a slight pang of heartache, though it was Qin Mu she felt sorry for.

Because her sister’s heart was about to be broken.

Just as Qin Mu stepped out of the studio, her phone vibrated twice in her pocket. She took it out and glanced at it while walking, it was a news article sent by Yan Huan. Qin Mu opened it, and the moment she saw the headline and content, she froze abruptly, her face instantly turning deathly pale.

Former School’s Best Duo, Now Collaborating Again.

The featured subjects of the report were Wei Qing’an and Ling Xi.

According to the latest report, the Artifact Appreciation Conference would be held on the 25th of this month, during which…

Qin Mu read the article word by word. As she scrolled down, she not only saw Wei Qing’an and Ling Xi’s names side by side but also a photo of the two standing together.

One dressed in black, the other in white, both wearing high heels and equal in heightth eir figures and looks appeared strikingly compatible.

Ling Xi gazed at Wei Qing’an with a radiant smile, and in her returned glance, one could almost detect a hint of genuine affection.

The two truly lived up to their reputation as the school’s former power couple, dominating the campus CP rankings for years. Even now, as they stepped into society, they still looked perfectly matched.

Qin Mu gripped her phone tightly, her knuckles gradually turning white. Her eyes reddened and swelled as if tears were about to fall at any moment.

Further down were excerpts from an interview with the two.

Reporter: How does it feel to collaborate again? Any differences?

Ling Xi: Differences? I suppose we’ve both matured, so our ideas are more in sync now.

Reporter: What about you, Ms. Wei? ** Wei Qing’an:** There is some tacit understanding in our thinking, but since it’s been a while since we last saw each other, we still need time to readjust.

Reporter: Would you mind if I asked a personal question?

Ling Xi: Go ahead.

Wei Qing’an: Sure.

Reporter: Both of you are currently single and widely regarded as the golden couple in your field. Many people are rooting for you two. What are your thoughts on that?

Ling Xi: Haha, I think it’s better for Ms. Wei to answer that.

Wei Qing’an: Work comes first.

Work comes first? Did work with Ling Xi come first?

Qin Mu turned off her phone, her expression now beyond just “ugly.” Her black high heels clicked sharply against the floor, tap-tap, as if she wanted to stomp right through it. The fishtail hem of her dress swished back and forth, mirroring the fury raging inside her.

Yet, for the entire afternoon, Qin Mu remained focused on her work, interacting and speaking with her colleagues as usual. At one point, Yan Huan even came out specifically to check on Qin Mu, only to find her acting as if nothing had happened showing no signs of jealousy or anger.

Could it be that the two of them truly had no feelings for each other?

Then why get married? Yan Huan couldn’t understand.

By 10 p.m., Qin Mu turned off the lights and prepared to leave. The entire office area was plunged into darkness, with only her having stayed late to work.

Qin Mu slung her bag over her shoulder and walked expressionlessly through the dimly lit corridor, stopping at the elevator. She raised her hand and pressed the cold down button. The red numbers on the left flickered floor by floor, the surroundings so silent that not a sound could be heard.

Beep. The elevator arrived.

As the elevator doors slid open, Qin Mu received a WeChat message from Wei Qing’an.

Wei Qing’an: I’m back. I’ll be home in half an hour.

Qin Mu replied: Okay.

By ten o’clock, the asphalt roads were nearly empty of cars. Green taxis, bathed in the gloomy moonlight, began weaving through the city’s corners, bustling for their livelihoods.

As she approached the residential complex entrance, Qin Mu slowed down, waiting for the car ahead to enter before turning the steering wheel to follow. The two vehicles entered the underground parking garage one after the other.

After parking, Qin Mu turned off the engine, unbuckled her seatbelt, and got out. She had just closed the car door and stepped into the middle of the lane when, from not far away, came the grating sound of suitcase wheels dragging across the ground, followed by a familiar voice calling, “Qin Mu.”

Qin Mu turned around. A car was approaching from the dimly lit garage.

The bright headlights instantly illuminated the figure walking toward her. Her tall, well-proportioned figure seemed even more dazzling under the light. Wei Qing’an was wearing a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her forearms, one hand pulling a suitcase and the other holding a trench coat.

She walked toward Qin Mu along the beam of light, her smile as refreshing as a spring breeze, stirring an irresistible itch in one’s heart. Qin Mu, too, was momentarily captivated by Wei Qing’an’s silhouette against the light.

A car behind them honked abruptly. Wei Qing’an glanced back, then quickly strode over to Qin Mu, wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her aside. With concern, she said, “Why didn’t you move out of the way when there was a car? What were you spacing out for?”

Seeing her face, Qin Mu snapped back to reality. “I forgot.”

“Silly,” Wei Qing’an teased with a laugh.

Once the car had passed, Wei Qing’an glanced both ways to confirm no other vehicles were coming, then kept her arm around Qin Mu as they walked toward the elevator.

Qin Mu moved like a marionette, following her lead.

“Just got off work?”

The elevator was on the first floor and descended quickly. Once inside, Wei Qing’an let go of Qin Mu there were surveillance cameras inside.

“Yeah, just finished.”

Qin Mu’s tone was icy, devoid of warmth.

Wei Qing’an sensed something was off and looked at her closely. Not only her voice, but even her expression was stiff and unsmiling.

Was work too exhausting?

Wei Qing’an comfortingly ruffled her hair.

Once inside the apartment, Wei Qing’an changed into slippers and carried her suitcase to the bedroom to unpack her dirty clothes. Her business trip had been unexpectedly extended, and she’d only packed for three days, so she’d been rotating outfits all week. Everything needed washing.

While Wei Qing’an tidied up in the bedroom, Qin Mu stood in the living room, searching on Weibo for information about the Cultural Artifacts Appreciation Conference.

The conference ran from the 25th to the 27th, three full days. Did that mean she’d be away on business for another three days?

Qin Mu closed the page and typed “Ling Xi” into the search bar, finding her Weibo account. She clicked in and saw Ling Xi’s latest post was promoting the conference, clearly indicating she would also be attending.

Three days. They would be spending another three days together.

Qin Mu set down her phone and clenched her fists at her sides.

Even after all these years, Qin Mu still couldn’t let go of the fact that everyone had tacitly accepted Ling Xi as belonging to Wei Qing’an. The seed of this concern only took root and grew deeper with every connection between the two, eventually trapping Qin Mu in its grasp.

As Wei Qing’an sat on the floor sorting through clothes, her phone, which she had tossed onto the bed earlier, rang someone was calling.

She dropped the clothes and stood up to answer it, just as Qin Mu entered the room carrying a mug of warm water.

Wei Qing’an picked up the phone and saw the caller ID: Ling Xi.

She hesitated over whether to answer.

The phone rang for a while, and Qin Mu, noticing Ling Xi’s name on the screen, asked softly from behind, “Aren’t you going to answer?”

Wei Qing’an turned and saw Qin Mu. For some reason, she felt she shouldn’t take the call, but Qin Mu’s gaze was so innocent and harmless. Her hesitant finger finally tapped the screen, and she reluctantly answered, “Hello.”

“Are you home?” the person on the other end asked.

Wei Qing’an replied distantly, “Yes.”

Ling Xi seemed to still be driving, as the sound of a car horn could be heard. “About the conference tomorrow, if you have time, let’s meet to go over the details, okay?”

Just as Wei Qing’an was about to respond, Qin Mu stepped forward and handed her the water cup. “Have some water.”

“Huh?” Wei Qing’an took it, confused.

Ling Xi was still waiting for her answer on the phone. Wei Qing’an looked at Qin Mu and started to speak again, “Depending on the situation.”

“Mmph.”

Qin Mu suddenly moved closer, her right hand gripping the back of Wei Qing’an’s neck, and her flushed, assertive lips sealed the words Wei Qing’an was about to say.

Wei Qing’an froze completely, her eyelids falling shut.

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