She Seems to Struggle with Having a Wife - Chapter 27

“Just got off work?” Wei Qing’an asked another question.

For some reason, even though they had been married for so long, no matter how late Wei Qing’an worked overtime or how many consecutive business trips she took, she never felt the urge to call Qin Mu or chat with her. But this time on a business trip, she really wanted to talk more with Qin Mu.

Whether through WeChat or a phone call, just hearing her voice would be enough. But Wei Qing’an was afraid it would be too sudden and disturb Qin Mu.

Qin Mu replied, “A little while ago.”

She didn’t mention being with Yan Huan. After all, bringing up such a topic with Wei Qing’an now would be too heavy. They could talk about it when she returned from her business trip and they had more time. However, through her conversation with Yan Huan, Qin Mu could confirm that Wei Qing’an did not like Ling Xi.

All those years of jealousy had been for nothing.

Yan Huan knew she was on the phone with Wei Qing’an, so she didn’t rush her. After taking a sip of her now-cold milk tea, the thoughts lingering on her brow still hadn’t dissipated. She lit another cigarette on her own.

Wei Qing’an, hearing Qin Mu’s brief replies, thought she was tired and said, “You should rest early.”

“Okay.”

They hung up.

Qin Mu put away her phone and returned to the bench. Yan Huan uncrossed her legs, leaned forward, and deftly flicked the ash from her cigarette with her slender fingers, asking, “What did Xiao Anzi say?”

Qin Mu answered truthfully, “I didn’t mention this matter to her. We just briefly discussed the hot search. She called at noon to explain, but I didn’t understand what she meant at the time. Now that I know, I called her back.”

“Mm.” Yan Huan nodded.

This was something for the two of them, as a couple, to figure out on their own.

The night deepened, and the traffic on the road dwindled.

The two sat side by side, with no intention of leaving.

Yan Huan had already said everything she needed to, but Qin Mu still had many questions on her mind. She started with the one she most wanted to know: “How did she injure her hand? Was it serious?”

“Well!” Yan Huan hesitated, her brow furrowing again. “It’s better if you ask Xiao Anzi about this in person.”

The hand injury had affected Xiao Anzi too deeply, it nearly ended her career so bringing it up would only reopen old wounds. Besides, Qin Mu was her lover, so it was more appropriate for Xiao Anzi to explain it herself.

Qin Mu’s expression darkened. How could she bring up such a thing?

Wouldn’t it just be rubbing salt in Wei Qing’an’s wounds?

Forget it, she’d wait for the right time to bring it up.

Qin Mu asked Yan Huan her second question: “About this conference and Ling Xi does Wei Qing’an know?”

“Yes, Xiao Anzi may only be interested in work, but she’s not completely out of the loop. After all, our Teacher Wei is still the eldest daughter of the Wei family and has dealings with the Ling family, so she’s aware of everything.”

Qin Mu felt relieved. “That’s good.”

After that, the two chatted a bit more before heading their separate ways. Yan Huan didn’t let Qin Mu see her off she still had other things to do.

Before leaving, Yan Huan asked for time off. She had an event to attend the next day, which would end around four, so she would return to the company to work overtime after that. Qin Mu agreed. After Yan Huan left, Qin Mu sent a notice in the company group chat about the next day’s work arrangements.

The three-day Cultural Artifact Appreciation Conference concluded successfully.

At the conference, Wei Qing’an bid farewell to a group of professors, scholars, and seniors with humble and gentle words, while Ling Xi stood by her side, smiling along. There was supposed to be a dinner later, but judging by Wei Qing’an’s eagerness to leave, she likely wouldn’t be attending.

After greeting nearly everyone she knew, Wei Qing’an left the conference without looking back. Ling Xi, who had quietly followed her out, called out to her just as Wei Qing’an was checking her phone while waiting for her ride back to the hotel.

“Qing’an.”

Wei Qing’an turned around calmly at the call.

Ling Xi was wearing a simple, elegant long dress today, her hair tied back, looking completely different from her usual flamboyant and alluring self.

The stairs were quite steep, and Ling Xi wasn’t as agile as Wei Qing’an. After calling out to her, it took her a moment to catch up, breathing lightly as she looked up at Wei Qing’an, her eyes shimmering with emotion. “Are you really not going to the dinner later?”

Wei Qing’an replied without hesitation, “No, I have work waiting for me at the office. I need to head back tonight.”

“Is the work that urgent?” Ling Xi sounded a bit resentful.

The dinner was filled with senior figures in the field of cultural relics, a perfect opportunity to network and Wei Qing’an was just letting it slip away.

Wei Qing’an had already called a car, and as they spoke, the driver pulled up, rolled down the window, and called out, “Hey, ladies, which one of you ordered the car? Are we going or not?”

Wei Qing’an silently thanked the driver for hurrying things along. She deliberately glanced at her watch and said calmly, “I have a high-speed train at nine. I still need to go back to the hotel to get my luggage, so I can’t chat with you now. Let’s catch up another time.”

Though reluctant, Ling Xi waved and said, “Alright.”

Once in the car, Wei Qing’an urged the driver to hurry, then took out her phone to send a message to Qin Mu: “I’m on my way to the station.”

Qin Mu had just finished showering at home. Drying her hair, she went to the walk-in closet to pick out clothes for the evening. The wind had picked up, and it might get chilly. Wei Qing’an hadn’t packed any warm clothes when she left, so Qin Mu grabbed an extra jacket.

After selecting her outfit for picking up Wei Qing’an, Qin Mu tossed it onto

After getting dressed and putting on her makeup, Qin Mu bent down to pick up the jacket she had brought for Wei Qing’an and walked to the entrance, where she grabbed the spare car key that Wei Qing’an had left there, a key she hadn’t touched in a long time. Her own car was restricted by the traffic rotation policy today and couldn’t be driven.

At 8:50, Qin Mu arrived at the high-speed rail exit. No matter the time, the station was always a place bustling with crowds.

The exit was brightly lit, and as she walked slowly outward, she entered a small square veiled by the night.

On the square, people carried suitcases and bags of all colors. Some stood still, staring at their phones, the screen’s glow reflecting on their glasses, illuminating only that small patch of brightness. Others hurried out anxiously, rushing toward those waiting at the exit.

Qin Mu watched for a moment before withdrawing her gaze, raising a hand to press against her chest. Why had her heartbeat suddenly quickened?

She sat quietly in the car until exactly 9 o’clock, then picked up the jacket from the passenger seat, opened the door, and walked toward the exit.

This was the first time she was picking Wei Qing’an up after a business trip. Walking forward under the lights, Qin Mu felt a sudden surge of emotion, a tingling warmth that spread through her entire body. It wasn’t a negative feeling born of sadness or melancholy, but something closer to warmth and tenderness.

It was like the mixed emotions of joy and shyness a wife feels when hearing her partner has returned home from a trip.

Shaking her head as she walked, Qin Mu decided not to dwell on it. First, she needed to pick Wei Qing’an up and go home.

A few minutes past nine, a new wave of passengers surged from the exit, and the once-sparse passageway grew noisy again. In this autumn season, some wore short sleeves, while others had long sleeves or jackets on. The crowd bustled outward in a lively commotion.

With the jacket draped over her arm, Qin Mu craned her neck and finally spotted a familiar figure in the crowd.

Wei Qing’an was pulling her suitcase with her left hand, chatting animatedly with two middle-aged women beside her without paying attention to her surroundings. She even gestured with her right hand from time to time. As they drew closer, Qin Mu realized Wei Qing’an was speaking Korean.

The three of them stopped nearby. The two middle-aged women folded their map and warmly stepped forward to hug Wei Qing’an, saying something Qin Mu could understand: “?? ?????.”

It meant, “Thank you very much.”

Wei Qing’an smiled and replied, “You’re welcome.” She said something else afterward, but Qin Mu didn’t catch it.

After seeing the two Korean friends off, Qin Mu walked toward Wei Qing’an, intending to take the suitcase from her.

But when Wei Qing’an turned around, she only saw a tall woman suddenly approaching on the spacious path ahead. Assuming she was in the way, she glanced up distractedly and said, “Sorry.”

Without another word, she walked right past Qin Mu, pulling her suitcase and striding ahead without looking back.

Qin Mu froze for a moment, then helplessly raised a hand to scratch her eyebrow. All the anticipation and shyness she had been holding onto vanished instantly, replaced by a surge of frustration and gloom rising from the depths of her heart. When would this person finally see her and stop mistaking her for a stranger?

Sighing unconsciously, Qin Mu turned and hurried after Wei Qing’an, afraid she might walk too far. Catching up to her, she reached out and tapped her on the shoulder.

Wei Qing’an felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around. Those hazy, beautiful eyes of hers were strikingly lovely even in the night, but their only flaw was her nearsightedness she couldn’t recognize people easily and always had to take a closer look for a while.

Seeing that she was still staring, Qin Mu had no choice but to speak up: “Qin Mu. If you don’t know me, let’s get acquainted now?”

“Ah, President Qin,” Wei Qing’an exclaimed in sudden realization.

Qin Mu: …

The evening breeze picked up, bringing a chill. Wei Qing’an was only wearing a thin shirt. Qin Mu didn’t have the heart to scold her. Instead, she bent down, took the coat draped over her arm, straightened the collar and sleeves, and wrapped it around Wei Qing’an from behind.

Wei Qing’an obediently slipped her arms into the sleeves.

As Qin Mu adjusted the collar and straightened the hem, she accidentally noticed that Wei Qing’an was actually wearing a pair of black flip-flops, her slender, pale ankles exposed to the air. Qin Mu took a step back, bent down to look, and frowned as she asked, “Where are your shoes?”

Wei Qing’an turned and lifted one foot, wiggling it slightly as she explained, “I haven’t worn high heels in a while, and they were rubbing my feet. I didn’t bring sneakers, so I just wore flip-flops back.”

Her honesty left Qin Mu momentarily speechless, unable to find words to reprimand her. She could only take the bag from Wei Qing’an’s suitcase and say, “Let’s go. It’ll be warmer in the car. Are you hungry?”

“Starving.”

She had only eaten a few bites of boxed lunch all day.

“Let’s go eat.”

Going home to cook would mean making her wait too long, so Qin Mu drove back to the city and parked in front of a barbecue restaurant. She had been here before with Zhang Fan and the others. It stayed open until midnight, and the food was pretty good.

The two got out of the car. As Wei Qing’an waited for Qin Mu to come around from the driver’s side, the wind blew Qin Mu’s trench coat open, and Wei Qing’an finally noticed her figure. It had to be said Qin Mu’s regular Pilates practice paid off. Her body was perfectly proportioned, slender and toned.

Her long, straight legs could easily grace a runway, and the collarbones and swan neck visible under her V-neck were both sexy and pure. Every step she took exuded an unspoken aura of a sophisticated older sister.

Wei Qing’an admired her for a moment with considerable satisfaction. Just as she was about to step forward to meet Qin Mu, she suddenly remembered she was still wearing flip-flops, the kind that made her look ready to sit down and chat with a bunch of aunties. Her confidence instantly deflated.

Please don’t let anyone mistake this for a mother taking her daughter out for a meal after all, there was only a three-year age gap between them.

Qin Mu, busy locking the car, didn’t notice her scrutiny. When she approached, she simply said, “Let’s go, time to eat.”

“Mm.” Wei Qing’an tightened the coat around her.

With every step, her flip-flops slapped against the ground.

Listening to the sound, Wei Qing’an regretted it so much her intestines were turning green. If she had known she’d end up this embarrassed, she would’ve worn shoes even if it meant her heels got rubbed raw.

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