She Seems to Struggle with Having a Wife - Chapter 23

Yan Huan and Gao Jingchen had just stepped out the door when they witnessed this romantic scene, the two embracing in the chilly wind, warm and blissful, with an ambiguous atmosphere that seemed to spread like pink hormones through the air, rippling outward.

The wind picked up just then, tangling their hair together, evoking the poignant imagery of star-crossed lovers reuniting. Coincidentally, Wei Qing’an glanced down at Qin Mu with a slightly shy expression, her gaze tender and sweet, even the corners of her lips curved upward.

Truly, fools in love.

She’s clearly the older one, yet she looks so clueless.

Qin Mu had her back turned, so her expression remained unseen, only her long hair dancing behind her.

But this beautiful scene was anything but lovely in Gao Jingchen’s eyes. The two had only just met Xiao Anzi wasn’t the type to take initiative, and Qin Mu wasn’t one to get close to others. How had their relationship progressed so quickly?

Were they friends? But the way Xiao Anzi looked at Qin Mu wasn’t just the way one looks at a friend.

And the way they smiled so sweetly at each other.

Gao Jingchen’s mind raced with speculation, his expression darkening like storm clouds. His fists clenched in his pockets as if he wanted to crush something. He was both angry and furious, but his heart was also tangled and conflicted.

One was like a little sister to him, the other the person he loved. Whatever he said now would be inappropriate. In the end, Gao Jingchen chose silence, turning to Yan Huan and saying, “I have something to do. I’m leaving.”

With that, he walked away sternly, his expression colder than the night wind.

Only then did Yan Huan remember Gao Jingchen standing beside her. She called out anxiously, but he didn’t stop. She sighed helplessly. When it came to Qin Mu, Xiao Chenzi never even had a chance, he was destined to lose from the start.

Hearing Yan Huan’s voice, Wei Qing’an and Qin Mu looked over, following her gaze to see Gao Jingchen’s departing figure. He vanished cleanly into the night without a backward glance, clearly furious.

Wei Qing’an released the person in her arms, her gaze slightly unfocused. At noon, Xiao Huanzi had said that she and Qin Mu needed to let Xiao Chenzi know about their relationship. So, half of that embrace had been genuine, and half had been deliberately for him to see.

“Do you care about him that much?” Qin Mu asked Wei Qing’an, noticing the obvious worry on her face.

Gao Jingchen liked her Qin Mu knew that. She had rejected him and kept her distance, but she never felt guilty or sorry because she believed it was his issue. Her stance had always been firm and distant.

The recent embrace might make Gao Jingchen overthink, but his anger and tantrums didn’t matter to Qin Mu. She only cared about what Wei Qing’an thought. Would Wei Qing’an distance herself to spare his feelings?

Yan Huan, standing nearby, understood the deeper implication in Qin Mu’s question and shifted her gaze to Wei Qing’an. But Wei Qing’an was still staring blankly in the direction Xiao Chenzi had left, probably not even hearing Qin Mu’s words. What a blockhead.

Yan Huan couldn’t help but sweat for her.

Say the wrong thing now, and she’d be kneeling on the washboard when she got home.

Wei Qing’an lowered her head to look at her, “Mm, I care.”

Her words were spoken quite frankly.

“Uh.” Yan Huan instinctively rubbed her head. She decided to take a taxi home first and not get involved in their marital matters. “Xiao Anzi, Qin Mu, I’ll head off too. Drive safely on your way back. I’ll message you when I get home.”

Wei Qing’an stepped forward, “I’ll see you off.”

“No need, bye!” Yan Huan waved and left. The blockhead just wouldn’t get a clue, and there was nothing she could do about it.

Qin Mu’s temperament meant she definitely wouldn’t get angry with Wei Qing’an, but she was probably going to stew in silence all night, slowly digesting her feelings.

The two left one after another. It was just an ordinary meal, yet everyone seemed to part on a somewhat sour note.

As soon as Yan Huan left, Qin Mu also turned her back, adjusted the bag on her shoulder, and headed toward the parking area.

In an instant, three out of the four had left.

Wei Qing’an turned around and, not seeing anyone, quickly caught up to walk alongside her. She reached out to put an arm around Qin Mu but, sensing the aura of anger emanating from her, timidly withdrew her hand and stuffed it into her trench coat pocket.

The familiar silence returned on the road. Qin Mu lowered the car seat, tilted her head, and closed her eyes to rest, showing no intention of speaking.

Wei Qing’an quietly turned off the music. When they arrived home and saw Qin Mu still asleep, she unbuckled her seatbelt and called out to her.

“Qin Mu, we’re home.”

Wei Qing’an called softly, afraid of startling her.

Qin Mu woke up groggily, glanced at Wei Qing’an first, then reached to unbuckle her seatbelt, covering her mouth with her hand. “Cough, cough.”

Her throat felt dry, and Qin Mu found it itchy.

The Thai food they had eaten was also quite spicy.

Wei Qing’an was about to get out of the car when she heard the coughing. She turned back with concern, “Why are you coughing? Was it the wind?”

The wind was strong that night, and Qin Mu wasn’t dressed warmly. The cough sounded a bit like a cold.

“Mm.” Qin Mu opened the car door and explained, “The wind made my throat a bit dry. I’ll be fine after drinking some water at home. Let’s go.”

Wei Qing’an got out and followed her.

Worried, she instinctively placed a hand on Qin Mu’s back.

In the elevator, Qin Mu coughed again.

After arriving home and changing shoes in the entryway, Wei Qing’an finished first and headed to the kitchen to make Qin Mu a cup of honey water.

But Qin Mu followed her from behind, took Wei Qing’an’s hand, and slowly tightened her grip, her fingers warm as she said, “Go pack your luggage. You still have to attend the conference tomorrow. I can handle this myself. Do you want yours cold or warm?”

“Warm,” Wei Qing’an replied hesitantly.

“Okay, go pack then.”

Qin Mu released her hand, walked to the kitchen, skillfully took out the honey and a cup, and scooped two spoonfuls of golden honey into the glass. One cup was mixed with warm water, the other with cold.

Wei Qing’an watched, gradually lowering her gaze.

She returned to the room to pack her luggage, weighed down by an unresolved gloom.

After preparing the honey water, Qin Mu brought it to the room and silently placed it by the bedside lamp. Turning around, she saw the clothes in Wei Qing’an’s suitcase three shirts, jeans, straight-leg pants, all seemingly casual. She asked, “Why didn’t you bring any formal attire?”

Wei Qing’an folded her socks and put them in a storage bag. She wanted to grab her underwear but, seeing Qin Mu standing there, felt too embarrassed to do so. “I only need to bring one set of formal wear. The conference will have sponsors providing outfits, so there’s no need to bring too many.”

“Okay.” Qin Mu didn’t ask further.

Afterward, Qin Mu took a fresh set of pajamas and went to shower. By the time she came out, Wei Qing’an had already finished packing her luggage. Qin Mu walked to the balcony, retrieved the clothes Wei Qing’an had washed the night before, sorted and folded them neatly, then placed them one by one into their respective closets.

Each of them went about their own tasks without disturbing the other.

Occasionally, they exchanged a few words about household matters or engaged in casual conversation.

The Thai food they had for dinner didn’t suit Qin Mu’s taste, so she ate very little. Though she wanted to sleep, hunger kept her awake. She put on an apron, boiled some broccoli and chicken breast in the kitchen, sprinkled a bit of salt and pepper, and ate it as her dinner.

After finishing, she washed the plate and the pot, then prepared the ingredients for the next morning’s breakfast and set out milk for both of them.

Once Qin Mu had freshened up and stepped out of the bathroom, she walked over to the dressing table, picked up a bottle of moisturizing toner, and poured some into her palm. As she applied it, she made her way toward the bed. Wei Qing’an had already gotten into bed, wearing glasses and engrossed in a history book.

“Are you going to sleep?” Wei Qing’an closed her book.

Qin Mu disliked sleeping with the lights on, if they were too bright, she would toss and turn, unable to fall asleep, and her nerves would feel strained.

Qin Mu lifted the blanket and slipped into bed. As her legs slid in, she felt the warmth it seemed Wei Qing’an had already warmed it up, and it wasn’t the least bit cold. “Not yet, you can keep reading. I’ll play on my phone for a bit before sleeping. It’s still early.”

After saying this, Qin Mu lay down, turning on her side. Her slender, pale arm rested outside the covers as her fingers tapped on her phone’s nine-key keyboard, replying to someone’s messages. She typed away for quite some time.

Wei Qing’an turned a page of her book and, out of the corner of her eye, noticed Qin Mu’s arm exposed. Remembering how Qin Mu had coughed a few times after returning that evening, she reached over and pulled the blanket up to cover her shoulders, saying, “It’s getting cold. Make sure to cover up properly so you don’t catch a cold.”

“Okay, I will.”

Qin Mu replied lazily and tugged the blanket a little higher herself.

Hmm? Wei Qing’an was slightly surprised.

Tonight, Qin Mu seemed unusually compliant.

Could it be that the hug she gave Qin Mu at the restaurant entrance had not only warmed her body but also her heart?

Thinking this might be the reason, Wei Qing’an couldn’t help but smile. It seemed girls really did need a little coaxing.

That night, Wei Qing’an slept soundly, but her bedmate, Qin Mu, tossed and turned restlessly. At two in the morning, Qin Mu got up and took a sleeping pill. Clutching the bedsheet tightly, she buried her face in the pillow, waiting for the medication to take effect before slowly drifting into a dreamless sleep.

At seven in the morning, the alarm clock rang punctually.

The phone beside the pillow also began to vibrate with its alarm.

If she took a sleeping pill at night, Qin Mu would set her phone alarm as well, afraid she might oversleep otherwise.

The floor-to-ceiling curtains in the bedroom were wide open. After a night of wind, the weather was exceptionally clear. Scattered rays of sunlight streamed in, reflecting off the floor and filling the entire room with brightness.

The first thing Qin Mu did upon waking wasn’t to turn off the alarm but to glance beside her, only to find it already empty.

Her heart tightened. She lifted her head slightly and reached her right hand under the covers, but there was no warmth left, it seemed Wei Qing’an had been gone for quite some time. Qin Mu’s eyes dimmed. The bright sunlight illuminated the room but failed to chase away the shadows in her gaze.

The alarm beside her ear continued to ring, as if it would never stop.

After getting up, Qin Mu washed up and went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. However, when she saw the ingredients she had prepared in advance on the counter, her heart suddenly felt heavy, and she lost her appetite. So, she simply grabbed her bag and headed straight to work.

Liunian Studio.

In the morning, Yan Huan and Yang Shengjie revised the initial draft. Once it was finalized, Qin Mu and her colleagues held a meeting to vote and approve it. The hands-on production phase officially began, which was a crucial part of the entire project, so Qin Mu went to supervise the work.

Yan Huan, wearing her work clothes, was strenuously kneading clay, while Yang Shengjie assisted her. The studio was so quiet that only the sounds of their busy work and the hum of the machinery could be heard.

Although Qin Mu was supervising, she didn’t disturb them. Instead, she found a sunny spot and worked on her laptop. Bathed in sunlight, Qin Mu appeared even fairer, her distinct ear contours glowing with a faint pink under the light, her clean skin as smooth as jade.

She looked immaculate, exuding a natural beauty that was serene, warm, and tranquil.

Li Jiashan, sitting across from her, happened to witness this scene. Unable to resist, he picked up the drafting paper and pencil he was holding and secretly began sketching Qin Mu, occasionally smiling to himself.

Just as Yan Huan finished kneading the clay and was about to take it to the machine, she accidentally caught Li Jiashan’s gaze. At first, she was stunned in disbelief, then inwardly rolled her eyes in exasperation. She didn’t want to get involved in gossip, so why did it keep coming her way!

And Wei Qing’an, did I owe you something in my past life?

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