She Seems to Struggle with Having a Wife - Chapter 4

Their eyes met, and the air was thick with unspoken awkwardness.

Wei Qing’an, recalling the words she had spoken at the exchange event earlier, felt utterly mortified. She lowered her head to hide her embarrassment, cleared her throat softly, and bent down to change into her slippers.

After slipping them on, she walked into the living room, her gaze darting nervously, unable to meet Qin Mu’s eyes directly. Still, she mustered the courage to say, “That outfit looks really good on you today.”

Qin Mu chuckled lightly. “Thank you. Is work over?”

Her smile was gentle and harmless, yet Wei Qing’an inexplicably sensed a trace of coldness in it.

“Not yet,” Wei Qing’an replied, pointing toward the study. “I came back to grab my glasses. I need to head to the museum soon.”

The implication was clear she hadn’t been wearing her glasses earlier.

After speaking, she stole a glance at Qin Mu, hoping to detect some understanding or sympathy for her nearsightedness.

Back then, the surroundings had been too dark, and the person standing beside Xiao Chenzi was strikingly beautiful and refined. Besides it had been so long since she last saw her. That was why Wei Qing’an hadn’t recognized Qin Mu, simply thinking that this person was so good-looking, she resembled her wife.

Qin Mu remained as composed as ever, even standing up to ask, “Did you drive? Do you need me to give you a ride?”

Knowing she was at fault, Wei Qing’an didn’t dare trouble her further and quickly declined, “No need, I’ll take a taxi later. It’s already so late you should get some rest.”

Qin Mu reached behind her back and unzipped her dress, walking toward her room as she said, “Let me change, then I’ll drive you.”

Her tone left no room for refusal.

There was a domineering quality to it that didn’t quite match her younger sister’s usual demeanor.

Wei Qing’an’s eyes followed her retreating figure. As the zipper came down, Qin Mu’s pale, slender back was fully exposed.

The contrast between the black evening gown and her fair skin made her complexion appear even more luminous, more exquisite than the purest jade bowl Wei Qing’an had ever seen like a one-of-a-kind masterpiece.

Qin Mu entered the bedroom and closed the door. The dull thud of the door snapping shut jolted Wei Qing’an back to reality, making her acutely aware of how inappropriate her gaze had been. A wave of flustered heat rushed to her cheeks, and she immediately averted her eyes.

Once Qin Mu had changed into casual clothes, she came out, bent down to pick up her small bag from the sofa, retrieved her car keys and phone, then turned to Wei Qing’an, who was already waiting by the entrance. “Let’s go,” she said.

“Okay,” Wei Qing’an replied, following behind her.

They stepped out, and Qin Mu pressed the elevator button, casually asking, “I thought you took time off to rest? Why are you still busy? Don’t the leaders at your museum care about you?”

Standing beside her, Wei Qing’an turned her head and inadvertently caught a whiff of Qin Mu’s perfume. She leaned in slightly, sniffed, and countered with a question, “Is this the perfume I gave you for Qixi Festival? It smells wonderful.”

“Mm,” Qin Mu acknowledged, lifting her eyes to meet Wei Qing’an’s gaze.

Both were wearing sneakers, and since Qin Mu was shorter than Wei Qing’an, she had to look up when addressing her.

Beep the elevator arrived, and they stepped inside.

Instinctively, Wei Qing’an reached out and wrapped an arm around Qin Mu’s waist, leaning closer to her. The elevator was empty, giving Wei Qing’an the boldness to lower her head and press her nose against Qin Mu’s shoulder, inhaling her scent deeply.

The moment she leaned in, Qin Mu’s body stiffened. Staring at the reflection in the elevator mirror, the person nestled against her shoulder her heartbeat and breathing faltered, thrown into disarray.

After a moment, Wei Qing’an lifted her head, pulling Qin Mu a little tighter, and asked, “Have you been working at Xiao Chenzi’s company all along?”

“Since last year.”

Last year, after graduating, Qin Mu had joined Liunian.

Wei Qing’an looked up and also gazed at the mirror opposite, but her eyes involuntarily drifted toward Qin Mu. As she watched, a thought crossed her mind, and she suddenly smiled, asking, “So, when you proposed to me, was it before or after you joined Liunian?”

Qin Mu answered truthfully, “After joining Liunian.”

At that time, she had just started at Liunian for a week and felt the office decor was too monotonous. So, over the weekend, she went to a nearby flower shop to buy some flowers, never expecting to run into Wei Qing’an there.

And so, right there in the flower shop, she proposed to Wei Qing’an.

With a ring made of roses, witnessed by the shop assistant, they exchanged rings and placed them on each other’s fingers.

But that was their first meeting.

Her proposal had been sudden, and Wei Qing’an’s acceptance just as abrupt. After exchanging rings, they held hands and left, quickly heading to get their marriage certificate that same day. Unknowingly, she and Wei Qing’an had already been married for a year.

The elevator arrived, and Wei Qing’an let go of her hand.

Neither of them spoke again on the way.

The car stopped in front of the museum. Wei Qing’an unbuckled her seatbelt and reminded her, “Drive carefully on your way back. I won’t be home tonight, I’ll be working overtime at the studio.”

Qin Mu, as always, complied obediently, “Okay.”

Wei Qing’an opened the car door and stepped out. Standing in the night, she tucked one hand into her pocket and waved at Qin Mu with a smile.

Qin Mu nodded in acknowledgment, started the car, and drove away.

In the rearview mirror, Wei Qing’an’s figure grew smaller and smaller, and the hollow feeling in Qin Mu’s heart deepened.

For the Nth time, Qin Mu imagined herself saying to Wei Qing’an, “Could you spare a little time to be with me? Even if we do nothing, just sitting together in the living room watching TV would be enough, as long as you’re by my side.”

She had repeated these words to herself countless times in her heart but had never once spoken them aloud to Wei Qing’an.

Because in Wei Qing’an’s eyes, work was everything. And Qin Mu would never make any demands regarding love or marriage, no matter how much she longed for them. Even if she wanted to ask, she would never voice it.

On her way home, Qin Mu stopped by a pharmacy to buy some digestive aids and then went to a flower shop to purchase a large bouquet of roses.

The next day, she woke up before eight.

After washing up and having a simple sandwich, she took the roses and headed to the cemetery in the suburbs.

The weather wasn’t great, a cloudy, overcast day.

It was the kind of weather that person had never liked.

Dressed in black, Qin Mu walked through rows of tombstones, holding the bouquet of roses. She turned onto a familiar path and stopped in front of a particular grave, her eyes slightly red and swollen.

“Xiaoxi, I’ve come to see you.”

The name engraved on the tombstone was Pang Jiaxi. A photo was attached, a girl with a radiant smile, wearing a white dress, arms outstretched as if dancing gracefully among a sea of roses, like an elegant butterfly.

Qin Mu stared at it for a while, then bent down and sat beside the grave. She cleared away the wilted roses left from her last visit and spoke to the girl, “She’s been back recently, said she’s on leave to rest, but she’s still very busy. Last night, I saw her at an exchange event she was busy with work. In the evening, she came home, grabbed her glasses, and left again, busy with work.”

As she spoke, Qin Mu finished clearing the old roses, then unwrapped the fresh bouquet. She took out the roses one by one, arranging them neatly in front of the tombstone.

“You say, why is she so busy? It’s been a year since we got married, and we haven’t even had time to sit down for a meal together. Because of her, I’ve also thrown myself into work and established myself in the industry within a year.”

Qin Mu looked up at the photo, smiling enchantingly. “Tell me, should I thank her?”

The quiet cemetery was filled only with the sound of the wind.

Qin Mu lowered her head and let out a bitter laugh.

After arranging the roses, she looked at them with satisfaction, nodded, picked up the wrapping paper, and stood up. “Alright, I’ve brought you fresh roses and arranged them neatly. I hope you like them.”

After saying this, Qin Mu bent down again, raised her hand, and gently brushed the girl’s nose with her index finger, smiling. “Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of that person for you, so she won’t grow old alone. And also…”

Qin Mu paused, her lowered gaze vacant as she stared at something. And also, I’m sorry…

I’m sorry, but I like that person too.

It’s not for your sake, though. I had already fallen for her before you did.

These words, Qin Mu could only say in her heart.

Even though Xiao Xi could no longer hear her, she still didn’t have the courage to say these words to her face.

Because to Xiao Xi, she was being too selfish.

Qin Mu swallowed hard, withdrew her hand dejectedly, and took a step back as she looked at the girl on the tombstone.

“I’m leaving now. I’ll come see you again next time. If there’s a chance, I’ll… bring her to see you in person.”

After saying this, Qin Mu stood there for a while longer, keeping Xiao Xi company, before turning and leaving the cemetery.

As soon as Qin Mu stepped out of the cemetery, her phone rang. The caller ID showed “BOSS.”

Even on a weekend, can’t people get a break?

Qin Mu sighed and answered the call.

“Do you have plans tonight? I’d like to invite you to dinner with my friend,” Gao Jingchen said directly.

Qin Mu took her car keys out of her pocket and walked toward the parking area. “I don’t have plans tonight, but Boss, why are you inviting me to dinner with your friend? Is it an important client?”

On weekends or holidays, Gao Jingchen almost always called Qin Mu to ask her out for a meal or some activity, but Qin Mu always refused and had never dined alone with him.

Gao Jingchen had grown accustomed to her refusals, so to get Qin Mu to come out, he had even once conspired with a client to arrange a work meeting on the weekend.

When she arrived, only Gao Jingchen was there.

After finding out, Qin Mu had a serious talk with him about it, and from then on, he never used work as an excuse to ask her out alone again.

But this time, he said it was a friend.

“Yes, it’s not a client trick. It’s a friend. Let’s meet at six tonight. I’ll send you the address.”

Qin Mu thought for a moment and agreed. “Alright.”

As the call ended, Qin Mu reached her car. She opened the door, got in, and drove home.

With nothing to do during the day, Qin Mu slept the entire day to adjust to the time difference from her recent business trip.

At one point, Wei Qing’an came back. She pushed open the bedroom door and saw Qin Mu sleeping soundly.

Not wanting to wake her, Wei Qing’an tiptoed in, grabbed a change of clothes, and left.

Around five in the evening, Qin Mu stretched and woke up.

The curtains were drawn, blocking out any trace of light.

She glanced at her phone to check the time and immediately sat up straight. Frantically throwing off the covers, she exclaimed, “How is it already 5:20? The boss scheduled to meet his friend at six!”

Qin Mu tossed her phone aside and hurried into the bathroom for a quick shower. Afterward, she dried her hair, applied makeup, and put on the outfit she had prepared before going to bed. Then, slipping into her high heels at the entryway and grabbing her bag, she rushed out the door.

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