Chapter 39:

By the time the firefighters arrived, it was already dusk. The mountain grew chilly at night, especially inside the cave. Lin Qiao had used up most of her energy on something and now curled up in Shen Qingzhou’s arms, too exhausted to move. Her arms and legs exposed outside her clothes felt cold, and she instinctively snuggled closer to him, slipping her slender legs between his strong thighs. The warmth she felt from his body brought her slight comfort.

“Are you very cold?” Shen Qingzhou asked softly, his voice melting like snow.

Lin Qiao’s forehead rested against his shoulder blade as she lazily hummed in response.

He pulled her closer, his ear attentively listening to the surrounding sounds. Besides the buzzing of insects, the heavy footsteps of many people were drawing nearer, and the dim light outside had suddenly become brighter.

“Lin Qiao, don’t fall asleep. We have to go.”

Shen Qingzhou gently stroked her face to wake her. Lin Qiao sleepily opened her eyes to glance at him, then closed them again, clearly reluctant to move.

A faint smile touched Shen Qingzhou’s lips, softening his usually stern features into something unexpectedly warm.

“We found them! They’re in here!”

A strange male voice called from above, followed by the beam of a flashlight shining into the cave. Shen Qingzhou shielded Lin Qiao’s eyes and squinted toward the cave entrance, then lifted her into his arms, waiting for the firefighters to arrive.

“Are you okay in there? We’re from the fire department!” the man shouted.

Shen Qingzhou replied calmly, “We’re fine. You arrived just in time.” Any earlier would have been unnecessary.

Hearing his reply, the firefighters relaxed and began preparing the rescue. At that moment, another figure appeared at the cave entrance.

“Son, long time no see.” Xie Jiayi half-squatted at the cave’s mouth, her expression emotionless as she gazed inside.

Shen Qingzhou frowned at her, his eyes gleaming in the darkness. Despite the distance, Xie Jiayi could clearly sense her son’s warning.

She sighed, stepped aside to let the firefighters pass, and leaned against her arms a little further away, waiting for Shen Qingzhou and Lin Qiao to be rescued.

During the rescue, Lin Qiao inevitably woke up. She awkwardly avoided the gazes of the serious firefighters, as if hiding some guilty secret.

Shen Qingzhou studied her briefly and found the source of her discomfort—a fresh string of love bites on her neck, clearly visible even in the dim light.

He smirked slightly, his expression a mix of mockery and amusement. He turned his head away, waiting as the firefighters helped Lin Qiao out first, then followed himself.

Once both were out, Xie Jiayi approached. Shen Qingzhou thanked the firefighters and, before she could speak, asked, “How did you know I was here?”

“Du Xinling told me you came here to meet a client. When I couldn’t find you at the client’s place and your phone went unanswered, I called the police. They said you had dialed 119, so I came right away.”

“What a coincidence.” Shen Qingzhou arched a brow.

“Call it a mother’s intuition.” Xie Jiayi turned and started walking away. “Let’s go back. Lin looks exhausted. You young people really have no restraint.”

Shen Qingzhou glanced at Lin Qiao, who hugged herself against the cold. Xie Jiayi’s presence and words hadn’t shaken her much—she had already mentally prepared herself to face the future mother-in-law when she chose Shen Qingzhou.

“Do you want to go back with her?” Shen Qingzhou whispered gently by Lin Qiao’s ear. “If you don’t like it, we can go separately.”

Xie Jiayi had already walked a few steps ahead, but she clearly heard Shen Qingzhou’s words. She sighed inwardly at how a son forgets his mother once he has a wife, and quickened her pace toward the car without waiting.

Lin Qiao nodded. “Let’s go with your mother.”

Shen Qingzhou wrapped an arm around her shoulders, warming her with his body heat. A slight smile curved his lips. “Unexpected. I thought you’d refuse.”

Lin Qiao shook her head. “No. Since I’ve decided to be with you, I should learn to get along with her.”

Shen Qingzhou ruffled her hair, his tone barely concealing his affection. “Thank you.”

She glanced at him. “Not a problem. You won’t have it easy with my dad either.”

“…”

“You brought it on yourself. Serves you right.”

Well, that was indeed self-inflicted.

Xie Jiayi drove them back to the city. The matter of inspecting the feng shui of the ancestral home was dropped, and her true purpose remained a mystery to Shen Qingzhou.

After sending Lin Qiao to rest in her hotel room, Shen Qingzhou knocked on Xie Jiayi’s door. She had just entered and quickly opened it, stepping aside to let him in and handing him an apple without a word.

“Just washed. Eat it.” She had changed out of her heels and elegantly bit into another apple as she asked, “Should I bring one for my future daughter-in-law?”

Shen Qingzhou sat down with the apple and looked at her. “Didn’t you say you disliked her?”

“When did I ever say that?” Xie Jiayi glanced at him. “I was just worried you’d end up like me and your father. But I’ve thought about it—maybe your story will be different.”

Shen Qingzhou took a bite of the apple. “Wise decision.”

“Flattery.” She shrugged.

He continued, “You previously said she wasn’t suitable for our family. Have you found a solution?”

Xie Jiayi nodded. “Yes. Xiao Zheng won’t approve of her marrying you, and his father definitely won’t allow her into the Fang family. You messed up their feng shui, ruined their business, and caused chaos in the family. Now they’re even more against it.”

“They finally noticed?” Shen Qingzhou looked at her.

“Yeah, sorry. I couldn’t keep covering for you.” Xie Jiayi gave a helpless smile.

“No problem. I wasn’t planning to hide it anyway.”

“You could’ve at least thought of me.” She grumbled.

“I did send you abroad to relax, and gave you a big red envelope.” Shen Qingzhou replied.

“That was only fair. Call it emotional compensation.” Xie Jiayi said. “I divorced for you. Of course you should give me some money.”

Shen Qingzhou froze, narrowing his eyes. “What did you say?”

“I said, all the reasons I gave about Xiao Qiao not being suitable for our family were just considerations for the Fangs. I thought you’d follow my advice like before, but this time you didn’t. So I figured, since my son loves her so much, it’s only right for a mother to make a sacrifice.”

“You divorced Fang Mingjun? When did this happen?”

“Before I came here. We just signed the divorce papers. Fang Mingjun wasn’t too happy, but he signed anyway.” Xie Jiayi sighed. “After all these years, he still had a bit of conscience. He gave me a generous alimony without me asking, enough to live comfortably for the rest of my life.”

“Why didn’t you consult me first?” Shen Qingzhou stood abruptly, his sharp gaze piercing.

Xie Jiayi gently pushed him back into the chair, speaking softly. “Don’t rush, son. Your mother did this all for you. Now that I’m divorced from Fang Mingjun, there’s no more obstacle between you and Xiao Qiao. We don’t need the Fang family’s approval anymore.”

“Even if you hadn’t divorced, I would still be with her.” His voice was cold. “You always take matters into your own hands.”

“I know you have your ways, but I wanted to help in my own way.” She caressed his face, sighing. “You look so much like your father. Sometimes when I look at you, it feels like he’s back. I never wanted you to date anyone all these years, but now that you’ve found someone you love, I’m actually happy.” She softened her tone. “Son, go back to her. I’ll be fine. I’ve always had only your father in my heart. Divorce doesn’t change much. At most, I’ll live alone from now on. I’m used to it.”

Shen Qingzhou opened his mouth but couldn’t speak. As much as he tried to avoid it, he had to admit that legally, he was Fang Mingjun’s son, even if only a stepson. If Lin Qiao married him, she would officially enter the Fang family. Fang Zheng’s father was a man obsessed with reputation. Back when Xie Jiayi married Fang Mingjun, he had allowed Shen Qingzhou to keep his mother’s surname only because she insisted.

Shen Qingzhou exhaled deeply, his gaze fixed out the window, silent for a long time.

Xie Jiayi stood on tiptoe and ruffled his hair, earning a glare from him before she lovingly said, “Alright, go back and enjoy your last peaceful moments with your sweetheart. You’ve got a tough battle ahead once you return to Beijing.”

“I know.” He dodged her playful hand, his voice low. “Fang Zheng’s business is already in ruins. He won’t let this go, but don’t worry. I’ve asked a classmate in the U.S. to look into his past fraud overseas. We’re close to finding evidence.”

Xie Jiayi looked at him in surprise before finally saying, “Truly worthy of being Shen Yinming’s son. Brilliant!”

“You always say Shen Yinming was a great man, but to me, he was just a careless husband and father. Please, don’t mention him to me again.” With that cold remark, Shen Qingzhou turned and left. His tall, handsome figure was unusually graceful as he walked away, triggering a flood of memories in Xie Jiayi of the man she once loved.

“Right, how could I bring him up again? We promised decades ago not to think of each other. Yet even now, I still can’t let go.” Xie Jiayi murmured, gently touching her face and glancing at her reflection in the glass. She scoffed. “So old, yet still thinking like a lovesick girl over someone long gone. Enough already.”

Back in Lin Qiao’s hotel room, Shen Qingzhou found her already bathed and asleep under the covers. The curtains were tightly drawn, and the white sheets and pillow matched her pale complexion, except for her dark hair, like butterfly wings spread across the pillow.

He sat gently on the edge of the bed, his hand resting on her soft face, tracing the curve of her cheek with his fingertip before pausing at her dimple. He slowly withdrew his hand, letting out a barely audible sigh.

Lin Qiao slept uneasily, her brows slightly furrowed, as if caught in some troubling thought.

Shen Qingzhou first massaged his own temples, then gently smoothed the creases on her forehead, whispering softly, “Maybe I really do look like him, but at least my heart won’t be as fickle.” He gently flicked her nose, a faint smile on his lips as he murmured, “Sleep.”