Chapter 20:

Lin Qiao followed Du Xinling to Xiaoning’s hospital room. When they entered, Xiaoning was sitting on the bed with her legs crossed, playing with the model car Lin Qiao had given her last time. Shen Qingzhou stood by the window on the phone, speaking in a low voice, barely uttering more than a few “hmm” and “oh” responses, sounding anything but enthusiastic.

Hearing footsteps, Shen turned his head lazily. When he saw that Lin Qiao had actually come with Du, his expression shifted subtly, as if unsure what to make of it. He quickly said, “Talk next time,” hung up the phone, and then shot a meaningful glance at Du Xinling.

Du, naturally quick to catch on, immediately understood his partner’s intention and said in haste, “Oh, I just remembered I bought a new toy for Xiaoning and left it in the car. I’ll go get it. Miss Lin, why don’t you chat with Qingzhou for a bit first?”

Lin nodded and said, “Please go ahead, Mr. Du. Take your time and don’t rush.”

Du laughed, “Alright, I’ll walk slowly, slowly.” With that, he swiftly turned and left, making sure to close the door behind him.

Lin stood at the door, locking eyes with Shen for a moment before silently walking to the bed and sitting on the chair, watching Xiaoning, who had been staring at her.

“What are you looking at?” she asked curiously.

Xiaoning opened her mouth but hesitated before replying, “Auntie Lin, you really came?”

Lin smiled at her words and pinched her nose gently, “Of course, unless the person sitting in front of you is a ghost?”

Upon hearing this, Xiaoning quickly came to her father’s defense, “My dad can catch ghosts! If you need a ghost caught, call him!”

Shen Qingzhou’s mouth twitched slightly as he raised his hand to massage his throbbing temple, correcting her, “Xiaoning, that’s called Maoshan techniques. What Dad studies isn’t exactly that.”

Xiaoning shrugged indifferently, “Whatever. My dad can do anything. Whenever there’s a problem, just call my dad—he’ll definitely solve it!”

This child worshipped her father to the highest degree, practically idolizing Shen Qingzhou like a superhero.

Lin Qiao quietly looked at Shen and said gently, “You’re done with your call; why are you still standing there? Come sit.”

Shen was momentarily stunned, not expecting Lin to speak to him so directly. According to Du, Lin had been with him for a while and had seen all his worst sides—she should have been avoiding him like the plague. This turn of events was quite unexpected.

After a brief hesitation, Shen sat down on the other side of the bed as she had suggested, saying politely, “Thank you. Kids can be stubborn. I’m surprised you came.”

Lin made a face at Xiaoning and said, though her words were directed at Shen, “I’m not as petty as someone I know.”

Shen slightly furrowed his brow, then stood up and walked to the side of the bed, standing behind Lin as he said to Xiaoning, “Son, it’s time for your nap.”

Xiaoning clung to her toy unhappily, looking at her father with pleading eyes.

Shen remained unmoved, his tone firm, “Be good.”

Xiaoning’s face fell, and she turned to Lin Qiao, who, unable to bear the sight, looked at Shen and said, “Maybe let her play a little longer?”

Shen replied, “No, she needs to ensure sufficient sleep every day.”

Lin knew Xiaoning’s medical condition and understood that Shen wouldn’t say this without reason. Helplessly, she looked at Xiaoning, signaling that she couldn’t help.

Xiaoning reluctantly let go of the model car and obediently crawled under the covers, whispering, “Good afternoon, Dad. Good afternoon, Auntie Lin.”

Shen bent down to pat her head, and Lin smiled at her, saying, “Good afternoon.”

Xiaoning slowly closed her eyes and obediently fell asleep. The large hospital room grew quiet, and Lin Qiao couldn’t help feeling a bit uneasy.

“The kid’s asleep now, so I’ll head out first.” Lin picked up her bag and stood up, turning to leave.

Shen didn’t stop her but said, “I’ll walk you out.”

Lin looked at him. The slight upward curve of his lips gave his expression a half-smile, half-serious look. With his hands behind his back, the crisp black suit accentuated his tall, upright figure, like a jade tree in a grove.

“Alright,” she replied.

Shen noted her two unexpected responses in his mind. Walking behind her, just as she was about to open the door, he suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the restroom by the door.

Closing the restroom door, Shen Qingzhou forcefully pressed Lin Qiao against it and kissed her lips fiercely.

Caught off guard by the sudden move, Lin’s eyes widened as she stared at his handsome face just inches away. The cool, soft yet forceful sensation on her lips sent tingles down her spine. Her heart raced, and all she could hear in her ears were their mingled breaths.

“Um…”

After a long while, Lin found herself involuntarily letting out a soft moan. She had even forgotten to resist, letting him hold and kiss her. His arms gradually moved from the door to her waist, pulling her tightly against him. His clean, neat teeth occasionally lightly nibbled at her lips, an excruciating provocation that completely overwhelmed Lin.

“Shen Qingzhou…”

In between breaths, she called his name in a broken whisper, her voice husky and gentle, like a cat purring. The realization embarrassed her greatly, her face reddening like a boiled shrimp. She couldn’t even bring herself to look at him again.

“Hmm,” Shen responded, gradually easing his movements and relenting. He was quite satisfied with her unconsciously clinging arms around his shoulders, hugging her tightly and resting his chin on her shoulder, letting out another low, sexy “Hmm?” as if asking a question.

Lin buried her face in his shoulder, standing on tiptoe slightly, since he was so tall. In this posture, his voice, as he spoke, brushed against her ear, making her heart, which had just begun to calm, pound violently again.

“You…” Lin hesitated for a moment, then, gathering her courage, asked, “Do you like me?”

The girl’s brave question eased some of the hesitation in Shen’s heart, born from the fear of rejection. He exhaled slightly and replied in a deep, low voice, “You’ve known all along, haven’t you? Why do you insist on hearing it from me?”

Lin tightened her arms around his neck, hanging onto him as she whispered, “But you wouldn’t say it before. Why are you saying it now?”

Shen was silent for a moment before speaking, his voice seeming to come through layers of fog, carrying a restrained, almost oppressive quality, “Because I feel an increasingly intense sense of crisis.”

Lin was taken aback, then gave a bitter smile and pushed herself slightly away from him, slightly embarrassed, “But isn’t this too sudden? I always thought you didn’t like me. After all, from the very beginning, you seemed to have a lot of objections to me. When you first arrived in Beijing, you even told me, ‘You don’t like me either.'”

Shen hadn’t expected Lin to hold such a grudge, but he wasn’t stumped by the question. A smile gradually appeared on his face, his dark eyes carrying a convincing authority, “There’s a quote from Gu Long that can answer your question.”

“What quote?” Lin asked.

Shen said, “Friendship is accumulated, but love is sudden.”

“…Love?” He had spoken the word so directly, making Lin feel a bit lightheaded.

How to put it—since meeting Shen a few months ago, Lin had only gradually realized her growing feelings for him. She had considered the idea of pursuing a relationship with him. He met all her criteria for a boyfriend in every aspect, except for his strange personality.

As Lin was internally debating whether to confess her feelings, Shen continued, “Lin Qiao, love that grows over time is unreliable. Relationships that start with settling for someone just because there’s no better option aren’t acceptable to me.”

Lin was taken aback by his words and hesitated before saying confusedly, “But I didn’t really feel anything special when I first saw you.”

Shen grabbed her chin, speaking in a dangerously new tone she’d never heard before, “Because you were too busy being shy back then.”

Thinking about how she had blushed and lowered her head repeatedly under his gaze and words, Lin couldn’t help but shyly pull her hand away from his. She hesitated with dignity for a moment before murmuring, “But who confesses in a restroom like this? And why do you even like me? There’s no reason for it.”

Shen naturally wouldn’t use a cliché like “love needs no reason” to brush her off. He didn’t think this question was hard to answer at all. He replied calmly, “There is a reason.”

Lin perked up, curious, “What reason?”

Shen started from the beginning, “Because you helped Xiaoning, so I agreed to come to Beijing to help you. Although I don’t mind your doubts about me, the facts have proven you were wrong.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, you’re a big-hearted person who’s always tolerated me. I know that, I can see it. So then? What’s the reason?” Lin interrupted directly, firing off questions rapidly.

Shen looked at her for a moment. His long, narrow phoenix eyes slightly curved, making him look especially handsome as he said, “The reason is, you’re pretty, and you don’t pay attention to me.” He widened his eyes, as if deeply wronged, “You really didn’t pay attention to me. I’ve never met a woman like you before. To prove you wrong, I had no choice but to keep in touch with you. And over time, anything can happen.”

Exactly. So as a man, his adrenaline and dopamine surged, triggering that typical male instinct to conquer, leading things to develop to this point…

Oh God, Descartes, Hermann, or even Einstein—anyone, please save this man!