She Seems to Struggle with Having a Wife - Chapter 21

The two entered the elevator, where a colleague inside was startled to see Qin Mu. Thinking how unlucky they were to run into their boss while sneaking down to grab some milk tea, they nervously hid the drink behind their back and greeted, “Hello, President Qin.”

“Hmm.”

Qin Mu responded, turning to press the floor button.

Wei Qing’an followed her in and stood slightly behind and to her right.

The elevator ascended quietly. Unsure where to look, Wei Qing’an’s gaze drifted and settled on Qin Mu.

Qin Mu stood with her back turned, her jet-black hair cascading down, revealing small, delicate ears adorned with silver earrings. From the side, her jawline and neck appeared even more sharply defined.

Her fair, cool-toned skin made the faintly prominent veins on her neck clearly visible, lending her an alluring air. Today, she wore a dark denim shirt, half-unbuttoned at the collar, with a black camisole underneath, a look that was both stylish and commanding.

Wei Qing’an couldn’t help but wonder: the person she had seen in the morning seemed gentle and domestic, so why did Qin Mu feel so different in the office?

Beep. Just as she was staring, the elevator doors opened.

Thinking they had arrived, Wei Qing’an instinctively stepped forward to exit, only for several people to enter instead. Qin Mu moved aside to make room but didn’t notice Wei Qing’an behind her, and her stiletto heel came down hard on Wei Qing’an’s foot.

“Ouch!” Wei Qing’an jerked back instantly.

The pain in her toes felt like they were about to split open.

“Hello, President Qin.”

“President Qin.”

The colleagues who entered greeted Qin Mu.

Qin Mu nodded slightly. “Hmm.”

The cramped space grew crowded, yet it remained eerily quiet.

Wei Qing’an leaned against the wall, biting back a whimper and not daring to make a sound. It had been a long time since she’d been stepped on so hard by high heels this one felt like it had pierced straight to her heart. It took a while before the pain began to ease.

Beep. This time, they had truly arrived.

The colleagues filed out, leaving only the two of them in the elevator.

Qin Mu turned around, her expression softening as she reached out to support Wei Qing’an. “I’m sorry, I didn’t notice you earlier. Does it hurt badly?”

Wei Qing’an nodded, her eyes glistening. “Yes.”

A pang of sympathy struck Qin Mu. Holding Wei Qing’an’s arm with one hand and gently supporting her lower back with the other, she guided her out, saying, “Let me help you to the studio first.”

“Okay.” Wei Qing’an stumbled with every step.

As Qin Mu assisted her, she glanced down at the wound on Wei Qing’an’s right hand, noting it had healed considerably since before. Still, with a cut that long, they’d have to be careful to prevent scarring later.

The two walked out of the elevator and headed toward Yan Huan’s studio. The distance was somewhat far, and colleagues passing by couldn’t hide their astonishment at their intimate posture.

Though President Qin was more approachable in private than at work, no one had ever seen her this close to anyone even Zhang Fan was merely an acquaintance. And during work hours, in the middle of the open office, such intimate behavior was unheard of.

“Who is that?”

“Could she be President Qin’s mysterious girlfriend?”

Whispers and murmurs rose around them, but Qin Mu paid no mind, acting as though the subject of discussion wasn’t her at all.

Still, their looks complemented each other so well.

Walking side by side, they were truly a feast for the eyes.

As the saying goes, good news never leaves the house, but bad news travels far and wide. Before Qin Mu and Wei Qing’an even made it to the studio, Gao Jingchen, who had caught wind of the situation, rushed downstairs without a moment’s delay.

“Director Qin,” Gao Jingchen panted as he approached, eager to see which woman Qin Mu was supporting. If he found out, he definitely wouldn’t let it slide.

“Little Chenzi.”

Wei Qing’an straightened up and walked toward him with a smile.

Her steps were no longer unsteady.

Qin Mu, noticing her steady gait, froze for a moment, her expression darkening slightly as she withdrew her still-outstretched hand and let it fall to her side.

“Little Anzi? What are you doing here?”

Gao Jingchen stared at Wei Qing’an in confusion. He had assumed it was some other woman never expected it to be Little Anzi.

Wei Qing’an replied, “Teacher Yan messaged me to come. Didn’t she tell you?”

Gao Jingchen glanced back at Qin Mu and shook his head. “No, Little Huanzi didn’t say anything to me.”

Did they come together?

Or did Qin Mu go pick up Little Anzi.

Having worked with Gao Jingchen for so long, Qin Mu could almost read his thoughts from a single look. She stepped forward to explain, “Teacher Yan invited Teacher Wei. I just went down to fetch her.”

“Oh, I see.” Only then did Gao Jingchen stop overthinking.

Qin Mu walked past Wei Qing’an, knocked on the studio door, and pushed it open. As soon as the door swung inward, the familiar sound of arguing greeted them. Li Jiashan stood between the two quarreling parties, trying to mediate with gentle words, only to be sharply rebuked.

Qin Mu had grown accustomed to it over the past couple of days. With the contract in place, she didn’t mind them arguing as long as the work got done.

“They’ve been like this the whole time. Come on in.”

The two filed in, with Qin Mu closing the door behind them.

Li Jiashan turned and saw Qin Mu, feeling as if his world had suddenly brightened. He walked over with a headache, reporting as if seeking comfort, “They’ve been arguing since we started at nine this morning. They’ve already finished two bottles of water and still won’t stop.”

Qin Mu lowered her voice and said, “No need to mediate next time. Just give them water when they’re thirsty and food when they’re hungry.”

“Alright, got it.”

With that instruction, Li Jiashan breathed a sigh of relief.

Finally, no more being the punching bag.

Wei Qing’an walked over and joined the chaotic fray. Watching Wei Qing’an and Yan Huan standing side by side, Qin Mu was suddenly reminded of the news article she had seen yesterday featuring Ling Xi and Wei Qing’an. Would they collaborate like this in the future?

The 25th, today was the 24th, so that meant tomorrow.

Wei Qing’an would probably go see Ling Xi this afternoon.

Before lunch, Qin Mu called the cafeteria and asked them to prepare an extra meal, to be delivered to the studio as usual.

During the lunch break, Wei Qing’an and Yan Huan finished their meals and sat quietly on the rooftop, enjoying the rare moment of peace.

The sun was just right today, warming them and making them feel lazy. Wei Qing’an couldn’t hold back a yawn as drowsiness washed over her, she really wished she could lie down and sleep soundly.

Hearing her yawn, Yan Huan pulled out a cigarette and lighter from her pocket, offering one to Wei Qing’an. “What’s wrong? Didn’t sleep well last night? Did your wife keep you up?”

Wei Qing’an chuckled wryly, accepting the cigarette. “She didn’t keep me up, she just teased me and then ran off.”

“Oh?” Yan Huan wore a gossipy expression and asked, “Have you told Qin Mu about your collaboration with Ling Xi?”

“No.” Wei Qing’an shook her head.

Qin Mu didn’t care about these things anyway, so whether she was told or not didn’t matter.

Yan Huan paused for a moment and told her about what happened yesterday: “Yesterday, I sent the news about your collaboration with Ling Xi to your wife, but judging by her expression, there didn’t seem to be any change. Looks like this girl didn’t marry you for your looks.”

Wei Qing’an raised an eyebrow. “You showed her the news?”

“Mhm.”

Yan Huan lowered her head and lit a cigarette.

She wasn’t particularly fond of e-cigarettes.

Wei Qing’an recalled Qin Mu’s unusual behavior last night. Could she really have been jealous? But getting jealous over just a piece of news wasn’t that a bit too narcissistic? Besides, Qin Mu didn’t seem like the jealous type.

“In college, she wasn’t close to either me or Ling Xi, and she didn’t know about our history. What reason would she have to be jealous?” Wei Qing’an said dismissively.

Yan Huan took a drag of her cigarette and seriously analyzed it for her: “I’ve always felt that your wife has a lot on her mind. Back in college, you and Ling Xi were so well-known. Even if she didn’t actively listen, someone would’ve told her. Maybe your wife has had a crush on you since college. After graduation, she thought she’d lost her chance, but then she unexpectedly ran into you again and impulsively proposed.”

After she finished, Wei Qing’an leaned forward, looking her up and down, and laughed. “I never knew you were so good at connecting the dots. Qin Mu has no feelings for me. When she proposed, she said it was just to ward off admirers.”

“If it’s just to ward off admirers, why haven’t you two gone public? Why keep the marriage a secret? Are you two warding off loneliness?”

“Hmm…”

Wei Qing’an had thought about this question before but hadn’t figured it out.

Maybe all Qin Mu needed was the marriage itself. Whether it was public or not didn’t matter, as long as she wasn’t single.

Wei Qing’an leaned back in her chair, gazing at the clear blue sky and the drifting clouds. “Forget it, whatever the reason, we’re getting along fine now. As long as Qin Mu doesn’t bring up divorce, I’ll live well with her.”

Yan Huan looked at her, a bit exasperated. “You’re such a lovesick fool. You can’t even figure out your own wife.”

Wei Qing’an pursed her lips speechlessly: …

After a while, Wei Qing’an suddenly remembered something and happily shared with Yan Huan: “But being married is really nice. Every morning, I get to eat the breakfast Qin Mu makes. When I’m hurt, someone remembers to change my bandages. And there’s someone to drive me to and from work. Even better, there’s someone to hold when I sleep. Plus, Qin Mu is good-looking and has a great figure. Holding her at night is.”

“Enough, enough.” Yan Huan quickly cut her off, deliberately shifting her position to put some distance between them. “I’m still single. I have no interest in your PDA. Do whatever you want at night, just don’t tell me about it.”

With no one to share her “dog food” with, Wei Qing’an listlessly slumped back into her chair, closed her eyes, and pretended to nap.

The two of them hadn’t spent much time together like this recently, so they had more topics to chat about. Yan Huan took the opportunity to remind her, “By the way, I’ve noticed Xiao Chenzi has a thing for your wife, and it’s not just a day or two. If he finds out Qin Mu is your wife, he’ll definitely blow up. So, you should give him a heads-up recently, don’t let him find out about your marriage all of a sudden and break the kid’s heart.”

“Alright, I got it.”

She had been thinking the same; keeping it hidden wasn’t good in the long run.

Wei Qing’an put a cigarette in her mouth and was about to ask Yan Huan for a lighter, but then she thought of Qin Mu and took the cigarette back out, crumpling it in her hand. The dark yellow tobacco left bits of residue all over her palm.

Yan Huan noticed and clicked her tongue, saying, “Got a wife, so you’re not smoking anymore? You’ve changed a lot.”

“Of course.”

Wei Qing’an sounded quite proud.

Yan Huan sighed helplessly and blew out a puff of smoke.

At three in the afternoon, Wei Qing’an left Liunian and drove to a nearby café to meet Ling Xi. They discussed the details of their collaboration over the next three days and how to handle personal questions from reporters.

Wei Qing’an didn’t want to get too involved with Ling Xi.

From classmates to friends that was as far as it went.

On a weekday, the café was sparsely populated. Wei Qing’an had reserved a table further inside.

By the time she arrived, Ling Xi was already there.

Two cups of steaming coffee sat on the table.

Wei Qing’an walked over and sat down opposite, wearing a gentle smile. “Sorry I’m a bit late.”

Ling Xi met her smile. “It’s fine.”

As soon as she sat down, Wei Qing’an picked up her coffee and took a sip. It was bitter clearly, after having too much sweetness, she couldn’t handle bitterness anymore.

Ling Xi noticed keenly and said, “Don’t like it anymore? I remember you used to love it.”

“I’ve quit coffee. Switched to milk.”

Whenever Wei Qing’an was home, Qin Mu would prepare a warm glass of milk for her while making breakfast in the morning.

“Milk is good, it’s good for your health.”

Ling Xi agreed, though her expression noticeably dimmed.

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