She Seems to Struggle with Having a Wife - Chapter 22

Suddenly, the conversation died, and the atmosphere grew awkward. Yet, in the past, they had been inseparable attending classes together, chatting endlessly. Even when they worked outside with their professor and were exhausted from sharing a large bed, they could always manage a few playful words.

But at some point, their relationship had changed. In Wei Qing’an’s eyes, it was no longer just herself and the artifacts she loved; gradually, another woman had appeared. It was her who had altered the dynamic between Ling Xi and Wei Qing’an.

Ling Xi picked up her coffee cup, gripping the handle tightly as she tilted her head back and finished the entire unsweetened brew.

No matter how bitter the coffee was, it couldn’t compare to the bitterness of her years of unrequited love for Wei Qing’an something Wei Qing’an seemed completely oblivious to.

They had been sitting there for a while without getting to the main point. Since Wei Qing’an still needed to return to Liunian later to review Yan Huan’s designs, she took the initiative and asked, “Last night on the phone, you mentioned wanting to discuss some details. What did you have in mind?”

Ling Xi gradually calmed her emotions. After all these years without any reciprocation from Wei Qing’an, it was clear Wei Qing’an had no such feelings for her. But Ling Xi wasn’t one to give up easily.

A smile returned to Ling Xi’s face. “When the conference begins, reporters will likely ask personal questions again. Our response should be consistent: we’re both single. If they ask about our preferences in partners, we can answer based on our own thoughts.”

“Alright,” Wei Qing’an agreed, though she wondered if such a matter really warranted a special meeting.

This wasn’t their first collaboration, and when it came to handling personal questions, Wei Qing’an felt she had more experience than Ling Xi.

Just as Wei Qing’an suspected, Ling Xi’s next words were the real point of their meeting, and she noticeably lowered her voice.

“As you know, after graduation, I didn’t pursue artifact restoration but switched to ceramics. The only reason I was invited to this conference is because of the Ling family’s support. So, when the time comes, I’ll need you, Miss Wei, to lend a hand to an amateur like me.”

Wei Qing’an nodded in understanding. So that was it.

No wonder Ling Xi had been invited.

Such arrangements were nothing new to Wei Qing’an; it wasn’t just the Ling family, the Wei family had done similar things before.

Although these kinds of collaborations weren’t openly discussed, they were mutually beneficial, and no one would question them.

Wei Qing’an accepted the request. “Alright, I understand.”

Ling Xi felt a bit relieved; at least she wasn’t completely insignificant in Wei Qing’an’s eyes. “Thank you,” she said.

With the main topic of their meeting concluded, Wei Qing’an glanced at her watch. They had been sitting there for nearly half an hour. If there was nothing else to discuss, she was ready to leave Yan Huan was waiting.

Noticing Wei Qing’an checking the time, Ling Xi asked considerately, “Do you have plans later?”

“Yes,” Wei Qing’an replied directly. “My senior sister scheduled a review of design drafts today, so I need to head back soon.”

Design drafts.

Wei Qing’an suddenly remembered something.

That day at the restaurant, Xiao Chenzi had mentioned that this project had initially been offered to Ling Xi, but she had turned it down. If Ling Xi were to ask about it now, would it be inappropriate to mention that Liunian had hired a new artist and that it was Yan Huan?

Whether she found out on her own or someone from Liunian told Ling Xi, it was better than Wei Qing’an telling her herself.

Fortunately, Ling Xi didn’t press further. “If you have something to do, go ahead. I’ll sit here a little longer.”

“Alright, see you at the conference.”

“See you at the conference.”

Without hesitation, Wei Qing’an picked up her bag and left the café. She drove back to Liunian. Having remembered the floor and the way to the studio from her morning visit, she didn’t ask Qin Mu to come pick her up.

When Wei Qing’an arrived at the studio entrance, she pushed the door open and went in.

Yan Huan was struggling with the final touches of the design draft. Seeing Wei Qing’an return, she anxiously called out, “Why did you take so long? Hurry up and help us figure out the ending design.”

“Okay.” Wei Qing’an walked over.

By eight in the evening, the initial draft was completed, though it still needed a thorough round of detailed revisions the next day. The rest would depend on whether Yan Huan could execute it, and the coloring process would also require timely follow-up.

After receiving the initial draft, Qin Mu sat at her desk and carefully reviewed it. The overall design aligned well with their requirements even exceeding their expectations. As expected of three masters in the art world, the result was truly impressive and highly artistic.

Beep, beep. While Qin Mu was focused on reviewing, a message popped up on WeChat on her computer.

Putting down the hand that had been propping her chin, Qin Mu didn’t reply via the computer. Instead, she picked up her phone and opened the message. It was from Wei Qing’an: “Off work yet? Teacher Yan wants everyone to have dinner together, Thai food.”

After a day of bickering, Yan Huan had suggested they go out for a meal to ease the pent-up frustration she’d been struggling to contain lately. Otherwise, when they officially started production the next day, she was afraid she might end up snapping at everyone.

Qin Mu replied: “You all go ahead. I’ll review some materials a bit longer. The company has another project to handle.”

The afternoon meeting had dragged on for an hour without yielding any results, so she was feeling particularly stressed and not in the mood for dinner.

After sending the message, Qin Mu set her phone down, furrowed her brow, and continued reviewing the materials.

A short while later, Wei Qing’an sent another message: “Your boss said no overtime tonight. Hurry up and come down for dinner. Tomorrow’s tasks can wait until tomorrow. Come down now.”

Upon reading it, Qin Mu rubbed her throbbing temples. Was this dinner really non-negotiable?

Ten minutes later, Qin Mu stepped out of the company.

She wore a denim shirt under a black blazer, looking quite striking. At some point that evening, the wind had picked up, and a sudden gust tousled her hair. Qin Mu swept the strands back from her forehead and walked over to Wei Qing’an’s car.

The three people in the car were momentarily captivated.

The way Qin Mu had brushed her hair aside was breathtaking.

But Qin Mu’s beauty couldn’t simply be described as “pretty,” because she embodied different styles depending on what she wore. Today, she seemed more refined and handsome than in previous days. As the wind swept through her hair, there was an unexpectedly heart-stirring youthful charm about her.

Qin Mu stopped beside Wei Qing’an’s car, leaned down, and peered inside. Wei Qing’an was in the driver’s seat, while Yan Huan and Gao Jingchen were in the back, leaving the passenger seat open for her whether intentionally or not, she didn’t know.

Wei Qing’an started the car and waved at her. “Get in already. What are you staring at? Do you think wind can fill your stomach?”

Yan Huan, sitting in the backseat and hearing this: …

She really wanted to tape Wei Qing’an’s mouth shut right now, how could anyone say something like that to their wife?

Thankfully, Qin Mu had a good temper.

Knocking the wooden fish for Wei Qing’an, adding merits one by one.

As soon as she finished speaking, another gust of wind blew over. Qin Mu tucked her hair behind her ear and said somewhat reluctantly, “Can’t you three go eat by yourselves?”

“No,” Yan Huan leaned forward from the backseat, pointing at Gao Jingchen inside, “Your boss doesn’t let you work overtime. If the project isn’t progressing, let your boss take responsibility. Hurry up and get in the car if we’re late, there won’t be any seats left.”

Yan Huan spoke quickly, as if urging her along. Qin Mu had no choice but to open the passenger door and get in.

Once Qin Mu was seated, Wei Qing’an rolled up the window, and the sound of the wind outside instantly faded into silence. The car grew quiet.

The noise by Qin Mu’s ears suddenly vanished, and for a moment, it felt as if she had gone deaf.

The car slowly merged into the traffic, with Wei Qing’an driving steadily.

Wei Qing’an knew how to drive and had been licensed for quite some time, though she didn’t drive often, usually opting for taxis when going out. As a result, Qin Mu rarely rode in Wei Qing’an’s car. The last time she had was right after they got married, before she bought her own car.

That day, she had worked late, and it was pouring rain. Qin Mu waited for an hour but couldn’t hail a taxi. She had considered texting Wei Qing’an but worried she might be busy, so she kept typing and deleting the message, never actually sending it.

Eventually, the rain lightened, and she walked to a shared bike station, scanning one to ride home. The chilly drizzle mixed with the wind, and by the time she arrived, her face and hands were red from the cold. Thankfully, her hair, protected by her hood, wasn’t completely soaked.

As she neared home, Qin Mu stopped riding and decided to walk the last stretch. Just as she parked the bike and stepped onto the sidewalk, she heard persistent honking from the road beyond a row of greenery.

At first, she thought it was a frustrated driver stuck in traffic. But when she shivered and turned to look, she saw Wei Qing’an’s grim face. Wei Qing’an pulled over, got out, and strode across the greenery, taking off her coat as she approached.

Then, a jacket was draped over Qin Mu’s shoulders, accompanied by Wei Qing’an’s reproach: “Next time something comes up, you can call me. I’m not invisible.”

From that day on, Wei Qing’an’s spare car key always sat on the entryway cabinet. Even after Qin Mu bought her own car, the key remained there, untouched.

“Let’s play some music. It’s too quiet in here,” Yan Huan suddenly said, sounding drowsy.

Qin Mu snapped out of her thoughts and instinctively glanced at Wei Qing’an. The overlap of memory and reality made her feel momentarily disoriented, almost as if she had slipped back to a year ago.

Wei Qing’an connected to Bluetooth and started playing music.

She didn’t listen to music much mostly random love songs on shuffle.

After driving for nearly forty minutes, they arrived at the Thai restaurant Yan Huan had been craving. The four of them got out and headed inside.

Yan Huan had reserved a private room in advance and pre-ordered the dishes, so as soon as they sat down, the waitstaff began serving.

They had ordered signature dishes: Thai curry shrimp, tom yum soup, pineapple fried rice, and the like.

Qin Mu didn’t have much of an appetite and ate very little.

However, she ate slowly, making it seem as if she had eaten a lot.

Perhaps everyone was tired from a day of work, the meal proceeded in complete silence, with only the sound of cutlery to be heard.

After finishing the meal, they didn’t linger and immediately got up to leave.

As they stepped out of the private room, Yan Huan and Gao Jingchen excused themselves to use the restroom, while Qin Mu followed Wei Qing’an outside to wait for them.

The moment the server pushed open the glass door, a strong gust of wind swept in, and Qin Mu couldn’t help but shiver. The wind was even fiercer than before, howling past buildings, trees, and cars with a roaring sound, making it necessary to raise one’s voice to be heard.

Qin Mu sniffled, tightened her coat, and her hair was blown into a tangled mess, resembling a ghost in the night so disheveled it was almost unbearable to look at.

“Are you cold?” Wei Qing’an asked, noticing how tightly she was bundled up.

Qin Mu nodded, her nose red, and pulled her coat even tighter around herself.

Wei Qing’an turned and stepped into the direction of the wind, then reached out to grasp Qin Mu’s arm, pulling her closer. Just like in a TV drama, she opened her trench coat and, with great care and a hint of stiffness, wrapped Qin Mu inside.

Throughout it all, she avoided making direct eye contact with Qin Mu.

Feeling the warmth of Wei Qing’an’s embrace, Qin Mu looked up at her in disbelief, her natural long eyelashes fluttering as her tired, listless eyes suddenly sparkled with brightness.

Their silhouettes merged into one in the darkness of the night.

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