Chapter 79:

Shen Qingzhou inexplicably got angry, so Lin Qiao simply stopped talking to him. After all, he had always been so busy that he was rarely seen at home. By the time she saw him in the evening, whether they spoke or not hardly mattered anymore. However, although this man was usually quiet and reserved, he was never hesitant in bed, fulfilling his nightly duties punctually without delay. Previously, he enjoyed whispering sweet nothings to set the mood during their intimate moments, but now even then, he remained silent, leaving Lin Qiao somewhat unaccustomed to the change.

Yet, with time, even the most uncomfortable situations eventually become routine. Thus, the two silently endured a mutual cold war for about seven or eight days. Around this time, the trial for Xu Boqin’s case was approaching. Lin Qiao watched Shen Qingzhou and Rong Lun studying the case details in the living room late into the night, past midnight, and grew anxious, but ultimately said nothing and went to bed by herself.

Downstairs, Rong Lun caught a glimpse of Lin Qiao’s graceful figure disappearing around the second-floor corner. Recalling her hesitant expression earlier, he couldn’t help but ask Shen Qingzhou, “Maybe we should continue tomorrow? It’s already so late. Your wife might be upset.”

Shen Qingzhou continued scanning the documents without looking up. “She’s been angry at me for days already. She won’t mind a little longer.”

Rong Lun asked in surprise, “Why did you two even fight?”

Shen Qingzhou glanced at him. “I thought you were a lawyer, not a nosy neighborhood committee auntie.”

Rong Lun pouted. “Qingzhou, we’ve known each other for years. We’ve been close since we were in school. Let me speak frankly, as a friend—only your wife can tolerate your temper. You really should treat her better.”

Shen Qingzhou raised an eyebrow. “You say only she can handle me, but why do so many women still chase after me?”

Rong Lun replied, “Because they don’t know the truth.”

Shen Qingzhou scoffed. “Hmph. You just haven’t seen all the love letters those girls used to write me. They’d have been willing to be my slaves if I’d only agreed to be with them.”

Rong Lun said earnestly, “Qingzhou, what’s a love letter, really? It’s just exaggerated flattery. If you truly wanted to be with someone, you wouldn’t be able to bear enslaving them after you were together.”

Shen Qingzhou lowered his eyes thoughtfully, as if recalling something.

Rong Lun continued, “So, why exactly are you fighting with your wife?”

Shen Qingzhou pursed his lips. “We didn’t really fight. We just haven’t been talking much. I’ve been busy lately. I upset her a few days ago, and I still don’t know how to make it up to her.”

Rong Lun smirked. “I don’t believe you don’t know how to make up with her. You’re just too busy and too scared to try.”

Shen Qingzhou put down the documents and frowned. “Are you here to discuss business or to lecture me?”

Rong Lun raised an eyebrow. “I stand for justice, whether in public or private matters.”

Shen Qingzhou clenched his fist, coughed lightly, and stood up. “Enough. It’s late. You can stay in the guest room. It’s the last room downstairs. Your wife already cleaned it for you earlier.”

Rong Lun stood up in surprise. “You knew? I thought you were too focused on the documents to notice her cleaning the room.”

Shen Qingzhou gave him a sidelong glance filled with warning. Rong Lun shrugged it off. “You’d better cherish such a beautiful and gentle wife. There are so many people who want her. Don’t think you’re completely secure. She takes care of the child, cleans the house, and puts up with your bad temper. Honestly, that’s like a spiritual practice.”

Shen Qingzhou exhaled sharply, frowned, and said, “Alright, you’ve talked enough for today. Rest now.” Then, he turned and walked away impatiently.

Rong Lun sighed, gathered the documents from the table, and carried them to the guest room. As he walked down the hallway, he remembered to switch off the living room lights.

Xie Jiayi hadn’t visited these past few days. Ever since the incident with Fang Mingjun, Xie had often been busy, leaving Lin Qiao to take care of the child alone. On top of Shen Qingzhou’s unreasonable anger, she was both physically and emotionally exhausted. She barely touched the pillow before falling asleep when the baby wasn’t fussing.

When Shen Qingzhou entered the bedroom, Lin Qiao was resting on the bed. Their daughter was asleep in the crib beside her, drooling. Shen Qingzhou tiptoed to the bed and sat beside Lin Qiao. Her hand still rested on the crib, her brows furrowed even in sleep. Her face had grown thinner since marriage, her chin sharper, making her oval face even more delicate. But the toll this beauty had taken on her was immense.

Filled with guilt and tenderness, Shen Qingzhou pulled the blanket over her. His long fingers gently brushed her pale cheek, intending to caress her, when she suddenly opened her eyes, looking at him with hostility.

He was taken aback, surprised by the hostility in her gaze. Even though she quickly relaxed upon realizing it was him, Shen Qingzhou couldn’t help but feel that whatever happened during his absence had deeply affected her.

After all, Lin Qiao was just a woman—she couldn’t endure hardship as he, a man, could. And he, the irresponsible man, had offered her no comfort after the incident, even treating her coldly. It was unforgivable, even by his own standards.

“You’re done?” Lin Qiao murmured sleepily. “Then go take a shower and sleep. Don’t you see what time it is? You can’t keep wasting your youth like this. You’ll regret it when you’re older.”

Shen Qingzhou stood up and walked toward the bathroom, his back heavy with weariness and loneliness, like a pet dog who had done something wrong and was seeking forgiveness.

Lin Qiao watched him enter the bathroom, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

“Hmph, looks like you finally couldn’t take it anymore, you jerk,” she muttered, changed into her pajamas, returned to bed, and picked up a book from the nightstand to read.

The book was Shen Qingzhou’s—a book on feng shui. She had bought it a long time ago but never had the time to read it. Even when she tried, she couldn’t understand it. Later, after becoming close to Shen Qingzhou and eventually marrying him, she could just ask the author himself when she didn’t understand something. That convenient advantage gave her great confidence, making her believe that after a few years, she’d probably become somewhat knowledgeable herself.

Unknowingly, Lin Qiao, once a skeptical Peking University graduate, had gradually become immersed in this world. It wasn’t that she was superstitious or overly dependent on or devoted to it. She simply believed in her man and had genuinely experienced the mysteries he spoke of.

After finishing his shower, Shen Qingzhou stepped out wearing only a loosely wrapped towel around his waist. Although they were married, their relationship was still in the sweet, shy phase of newlyweds. Although it wasn’t the first time he walked out like this, Lin Qiao still blushed.

He picked up his electric razor, bent sideways to shave, and searched for something. His arm muscles tensed as he rummaged around. He didn’t seem to work out often, yet his well-defined inverted triangle torso and perfectly sculpted abs were undeniably attractive. Watching him half-naked in front of her, Lin Qiao felt her heart race as if it were vibrating along with the buzzing sound of the razor.

Clearly, Lin Qiao’s gaze was too intense to be ignored. Shen Qingzhou placed the razor back and lifted the blanket to lie beside her. He loosely draped the blanket over his abdomen, pulled the white towel from under the blanket, and tossed it aside. Then, lazily stretching, he turned his head slightly, eyes half-closed as he looked at her.

“Why are you staring at me like that?” he asked, seemingly puzzled, though he didn’t wait for her answer. “Oh, right. We haven’t ‘fulfilled our duties’ yet today.” As if suddenly realizing, he threw the blanket aside and pounced on Lin Qiao. She couldn’t help but scream at the sudden attack, then quickly covered her mouth, worried that Rong Lun downstairs might overhear or that the baby might wake up.

Seeing her flustered expression, Shen Qingzhou couldn’t help but nuzzle his nose against hers affectionately, whispering softly, “I won’t make you angry anymore. Please stop giving me the cold shoulder. Let’s make up.”

Lin Qiao stared at his handsome face just inches from hers, blushing. “You’re the one who started this war in the first place.”

Shen Qingzhou sighed. “How could I bear to ignore you? I was angry at myself. I left you alone to face those scumbags and scared you so much. It was unforgivable. I can’t even forgive myself.”

Lin Qiao looked at him doubtfully. His expression was sincere, his eyes earnest. Clearly, he meant every word. At that moment, all her anger vanished.

“I’m fine,” she replied gently. “It’s just… you’re running back and forth between two places, so tired and exhausted. It’s all my fault for being so useless. I can’t help you at all. I feel really guilty.”

Shen Qingzhou felt a surge of bitterness in his heart, too many emotions to express. Words failed him, so he simply pulled the blanket over both their heads, shutting out the outside world, and entwined himself with her.

At last, the two were finally reconciled.

As the saying goes, harmony at home brings prosperity in all things. After Lin Qiao and Shen Qingzhou made up, everything seemed to improve. Even Xu Boqin’s case took a positive turn. Xu’s lawyer suddenly announced he would no longer represent him, and Xu himself sent someone to negotiate with Shen Qingzhou about withdrawing the lawsuit, indicating he no longer intended to proceed with the case against Shen.

Shen Qingzhou had a vague idea of who was behind this change. Without being foolishly stubborn, he readily agreed to Xu Boqin’s request.

Thus, the once widely publicized lawsuit was resolved quietly and simply. Xu Boqin even gave another interview, claiming that the entire matter was merely a misunderstanding between him and Shen Qingzhou, blaming everything on a real estate developer who had tried to create discord between them. In short, he retracted all his previous accusations.

After having so firmly accused someone of fraud before, it was difficult for anyone to believe him again, no matter how eloquently he spoke. People simply assumed he was using Shen Qingzhou’s name for publicity, trying to gain attention through sensationalism.

Ultimately, the biggest loser was undoubtedly that mysterious real estate developer in Zhoushan. However, after the lawsuit was resolved, the developer disappeared completely, as if he had always been just a shell, manipulated by someone else all along.

Within just a few days, many troubling issues were resolved. While Lin Qiao felt relieved, she also felt uneasy, suspecting whether this might be another scheme by their enemies. Hearing her concerns, Shen Qingzhou was pleased that she had finally learned to be cautious and reassured her.

“You can rest assured. This time, it’s truly over,” he said calmly, gently brushing a strand of hair from her ear.

“Why are you so sure?” Lin Qiao asked.

Shen Qingzhou looked away. “You don’t know what Mother has been up to lately, do you? The reason no one can find that Zhoushan developer is because he never existed. His so-called real estate company was just a shell set up by Fang Mingjun. Now that the owner has decided to stop playing, of course the shell must be taken back.”

Lin Qiao thought for a moment and realized that if that were the case, then everything really was over. It seemed that Fang Mingjun and Xie Jiayi had reconciled well, and Fang Mingjun truly had no intention of troubling Shen Qingzhou anymore. Now, the most pressing matter for Shen Qingzhou was dealing with Zhao Chunjun, who had been watching the conflict unfold from the sidelines.

“You’ve probably guessed it already,” Shen Qingzhou continued. “Next, we deal with Zhao Chunjun.” He lowered his voice slightly, his expression contemplative.