Chapter 69:

Shen Qingzhou rarely showed mercy, but this time he was kind enough to offer Lin Qiao a reading. Although Lin Qiao had intended to joke around, she didn’t miss the opportunity.

After their playful moment, Lin Qiao grabbed a pen and paper, sat cross-legged with the paper on her knees, and held the pen in one hand while covering her belly with the other. She looked up at him and asked, “Can I write an extra character?”

Shen Qingzhou made a gesture indicating permission, saying nothing, but slightly raising his eyebrows as he fixed his gaze on the blank paper on her lap. His dark, expressive eyes were large and captivating; his lips were slightly pursed, showing careful attention. His tall, slender frame seemed to conceal boundless strength.

After a moment of thought, Lin Qiao wrote the characters for “black smoke.” The sight of it made Shen Qingzhou glance up at her, slightly furrowing his brows. Lin Qiao, noticing, asked worriedly, “What’s wrong? Is there something wrong?”

Shen Qingzhou shook his head and asked, “Why did you write these two characters?”

Lin Qiao replied honestly, “I always feel that Zhao Chunjun is like black smoke—everywhere and full of ill intentions. It’s annoying.”

Shen Qingzhou slightly curved his lips into a smile, then lowered his gaze to the characters on the paper. Lin Qiao, without hesitation, handed the paper to him, stood up, curled up beside him, leaned against him, and looked at the characters with soft eyes. His profile, illuminated by the light, was pale, almost bloodless.

“Can you see anything?” Lin Qiao asked curiously.

Shen Qingzhou nodded slightly and said in a low voice, “It’s something I’d rather not say.”

“Why?” Lin Qiao asked, puzzled.

Shen Qingzhou turned his head to look at her, his expression flickering between light and shadow. “Divining about my wife’s entanglement with another man—do you think I’d be in the mood for that?”

Lin Qiao was taken aback, then couldn’t help but laugh and gently punch him, pouting, “Don’t mess around.”

Shen Qingzhou didn’t evade and began to explain directly: “The character for ‘black’ belongs to water and corresponds to the north. You live in Beijing, and so does he. You’ll meet in the north—that’s already known.” He turned the paper to face Lin Qiao directly and continued smoothly, “This character for ‘black’ you wrote looks at first glance like a cat, staring straight at you with its eyes, legs stretched forward, lying still… Hmm.”

He ended with a vague sound, followed by a few unsettling words that made Lin Qiao feel uneasy.

“What does that mean?” she asked nervously.

Shen Qingzhou reached out and gently patted her head to calm her. His eyes remained fixed on the characters without looking away.

“Nothing much—it’s just a rather ominous character. Looking at it differently, the character for ‘black’ also corresponds to the Earthly Branch Hai. This month happens to be the Gui-Hai month. The structure of the ‘black’ character consists of ‘four’ sitting on ‘earth,’ which in turn sits on ‘water.’ This means you will travel north this Gui-Hai month to a place with water and encounter this cat. The cat belongs to the same category as the tiger, corresponding to the Earthly Branch Yin, which refers to time. Do you remember what time you met Zhao Chunjun in the afternoon?”

Lin Qiao recalled and replied dryly, “Around five o’clock, I think…”

Shen Qingzhou nodded and casually said, “Yin also refers to time. The encounter happened during the Yin hour, between three and five o’clock.”

Lin Qiao stared at him in astonishment, then muttered, “You really are amazing…”

Shen Qingzhou slightly lifted the corner of his lips without smiling and continued: “The first character is explained. The second one is simpler. The character for ‘smoke’ can be broken into ‘fire’ and ‘cause.’ The ‘fire’ corresponds to your birth chart, indicating that your financial fortune will be strong at the end of the year. However, the ‘cause’ is not so favorable.”

“What’s wrong with it?” Lin Qiao asked.

Shen Qingzhou folded the paper into a ball, threw it into the wastebasket, and looked at her calmly. “The character for ‘cause’ is one stroke away from ‘imprisonment.’ It means your good fortune from the ‘fire’ is just a false hope. Also, you won’t gain any advantage from the person represented by the ‘black’ character.”

After saying this, Shen Qingzhou got off the bed, took off his suit jacket, unbuttoning as he went. “Road and air laugh with the mountains; only after removing the crown can one see the moon shining bright. Don’t blame heaven for too many blessings; brilliance lies in hardship. The interpretation of your two characters means you must learn to be independent, not always relying on others. Success must come from your own hands.” He paused, hung his shirt and jacket on a hanger, and walked toward the balcony.

Lin Qiao sat upright and asked, “Where are you going? So, were those two characters a good omen or a bad one? Is it a bad sign?”

Before opening the balcony door, Shen Qingzhou turned back and looked at her. “Neither good nor bad—just ordinary. Overall, as long as you stay with me, you’ll have nothing to worry about. Also, today is my favorable western direction. I used up a lot of brainpower helping you interpret the characters. I need to go out for some fresh air—very auspicious.”

Although Shen Qingzhou said he was just going out for fresh air, Lin Qiao felt he meant something else—perhaps to “replenish his spiritual energy.” So she didn’t stop him.

She leaned back on the pillow, resting her chin on her hand, watching his tall silhouette beyond the glass door. The figure blurred by the glass looked softened, more gentle than usual. His back was to her, his arms resting on the balcony railing, one hand supporting his forehead, his expression hidden. Yet she could admire the sharp, handsome lines of his profile.

The reading he had given was so accurate that Lin Qiao, for the first time, felt the real power of such things. Her heart couldn’t calm down. Shen Qingzhou, who usually seemed untouchable, now appeared even more mysterious and insightful. For the first time, she felt he had the aura of a sage. Even his silhouette outside the window suddenly seemed ethereal, surrounded by a faint glow, both close and distant—like the tide, appearing and disappearing.

Without thinking, Lin Qiao took out her phone, opened the messaging app, and sent him a message: “Goodnight” with a crying emoji.

After sending it, she looked at him again. He took out his phone, idly flipping it in his hand. Soon, she received a reply.

He asked: “Crying yourself to sleep?”

For some reason, Lin Qiao suddenly felt a surge of girlish affection and replied sweetly: “I should go to bed early. It’s better for the baby. Also, I’m planning to return to Beijing tomorrow to rest properly. I’ll give birth to a healthy baby for my husband when the due date comes. Aren’t you proud of how responsible I am?”

After sending the message, she nervously held her phone and stared at Shen Qingzhou’s back. He pressed a few keys on his phone, and Lin Qiao soon received a reply: three dots followed by two words: “…Fine.”

Lin Qiao couldn’t help but smile. She looked at his back again and softly murmured, “I love you,” before pulling the covers over herself and truly going to sleep.

Shen Qingzhou stayed on the balcony for a while, gazing at the cityscape below under the night sky. The sea breeze brushed across his emotionless face, making his pale complexion seem even more gloomy.

Shen Qingzhou rarely showed such benevolence as to offer Lin Qiao a fortune-telling session. Although Lin Qiao intended to tease him, she wouldn’t pass up this opportunity.

Once their playful banter subsided, Lin Qiao took a pen and paper, sat cross-legged with the paper on her knees, one hand holding the pen and the other resting on her belly. She looked up at him and asked, “Can I write one more character?”

Shen Qingzhou made a gesture of invitation without speaking, his eyebrows slightly raised as he gazed at the blank paper on her knees. His dark eyes were large and expressive, his lips pressed together in a serious and cautious manner. His tall yet slender frame seemed to contain boundless energy.

After careful consideration, Lin Qiao wrote the two characters “黑烟” (black smoke) on the paper. Seeing this, Shen Qingzhou couldn’t help but look up at her. Noticing his slight frown, Lin Qiao asked worriedly, “What’s wrong? Is there a problem?”

Shen Qingzhou shook his head and said, “Why did you write these two characters?”

Lin Qiao replied honestly, “I always feel that Zhao Chunjun is like black smoke—omnipresent and full of malice. It’s annoying.”

A faint smile touched Shen Qingzhou’s lips as he lowered his gaze to the characters on the paper. Lin Qiao handed him the paper, curled up beside him, and leaned against him, her eyes soft as they both examined the two characters. The side of his face, illuminated by the light, was pale and bloodless.

“Did you figure anything out?” Lin Qiao asked curiously.

Shen Qingzhou nodded slightly and said in a deep voice, “I’m a bit reluctant to say.”

“Why?” Lin Qiao asked, puzzled.

Shen Qingzhou turned to look at her, his expression flickering with uncertainty. “Telling fortunes about my wife’s entanglement with another man—do you think I’m in the mood?”

Lin Qiao was taken aback for a moment before she couldn’t help but laugh and gently punch him, chiding, “Stop joking.”

Without further ado, Shen Qingzhou began explaining: “The character ‘黑’ (black) belongs to the water element and corresponds to the north. You live in Beijing, and so does he. You will meet in the north—this is already known.” He turned the paper to face Lin Qiao and continued smoothly, “At first glance, the character ‘黑’ you wrote looks like a cat, with eyes staring straight at you, legs crouched forward, motionless… Tsk.”

He ended with an interjection and a few somewhat eerie words, making Lin Qiao feel uneasy.

“What does that mean?” she asked nervously.

Shen Qingzhou reached out and patted her head, soothing her. His eyes remained fixed on the two characters.

“It’s nothing, just that this character carries a somewhat ominous energy. From another perspective, ‘黑’ is similar to ‘亥,’ which refers to time. This month happens to be the Guihai month. The structure of ‘黑’ consists of four strokes representing earth and water, indicating that you will travel during the Guihai month to a place with water and encounter this cat. Cats belong to the same category as tigers, which is ‘寅.’ What time did you see Zhao Chunjun this afternoon?”

Lin Qiao thought for a moment and said dryly, “Around five o’clock…”

Shen Qingzhou nodded casually. “ ‘寅’ also refers to time. The hour of Yin is when you saw him, between three and five o’clock.”

Lin Qiao looked at him in astonishment and after a long pause, exclaimed, “You’re amazing…”

Shen Qingzhou’s lips curved into a faint, humorless smile as he continued, “The first character is done. The second character, ‘烟’ (smoke), is less complicated. ‘烟’ can be split into ‘火’ (fire) and ‘因’ (cause). The ‘火’ character aligns with your birth chart, indicating that your financial luck will be strong by the end of the year. But the ‘因’ character is not so good.”

“What’s wrong with it?” Lin Qiao asked.

Shen Qingzhou took the paper, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it into the wastebasket. Looking at her with a calm expression, he said, “The character ‘因’ is just one stroke away from ‘困’ (trapped). This means your fire will bring empty joy, and you won’t gain any advantage from the person represented by the previous character ‘黑.’”

After saying this, Shen Qingzhou got out of bed and took off his suit. As he unbuttoned his shirt, he said, “The road and the air laugh at the mountain; only when you remove your crown can you see the moon in the sky. Don’t blame heaven for bestowing too many blessings; glory lies in hardship. The interpretation of these two characters is that you must learn to be independent and not always rely on others’ help. Success depends on your own hands.” At this point, he paused, hung his shirt and jacket on the hanger, and walked toward the balcony.

Lin Qiao sat up straight and asked, “Where are you going? So, are these characters auspicious or ominous? Is it a bad sign?”

Shen Qingzhou turned to look at her before opening the balcony door and said, “Neither auspicious nor ominous—just ordinary. In short, if you follow me, everything will be fine. Besides, today my luck lies in the west. I’ve used a lot of mental energy helping you with the fortune-telling. I need to go out and get some air for good luck.”

Although Shen Qingzhou said he was going out to get some air, Lin Qiao felt he meant he was going to “absorb spiritual energy,” so she didn’t stop him.

She leaned against the pillow, cupping her chin as she watched his tall figure standing outside the glass door. His silhouette, softened by the glass, seemed gentler than usual. He stood with his back to her, lost in thought, his arms resting on the railing and one hand supporting his forehead. Though she couldn’t see his expression clearly, she could make out the handsome lines of his profile, from his high nose bridge to his jawline.

What he had divined was so accurate that Lin Qiao was experiencing the mystique of fortune-telling firsthand for the first time, leaving her unable to calm down. Shen Qingzhou, who usually seemed aloof and unapproachable, paired with his profound and almost supernatural insight, gave her the feeling that he was otherworldly. Even his背影 outside the window suddenly seemed ethereal, surrounded by a hazy glow, as if he were both near and far—like the tide, faintly visible yet elusive.

Unconsciously, Lin Qiao took out her phone, opened the messaging app, and sent him a text: “Good night,” followed by a crying emoji. After sending it, she looked at him again, watching as he took out his phone and played with it idly. A moment later, she received his reply:

“Crying yourself to sleep?”

For some reason, Lin Qiao suddenly felt a surge of girlish emotion, overwhelmed with happiness. She replied sweetly, “I need to rest early. It’s good for the baby in my belly. I plan to return to Beijing tomorrow to focus on my pregnancy. When the due date comes, I’ll give my husband a healthy baby. Aren’t you proud of me for being so sensible?”

After sending the message, Lin Qiao nervously clutched her phone, staring at Shen Qingzhou’s back. Shen Qingzhou held his phone, pressed a few keys on the bright screen, and soon Lin Qiao received his reply: “…Barely.”

Lin Qiao couldn’t help but smile. She looked at his背影 again and whispered to herself, “I love you.” Then she pulled up the covers and obediently went to sleep.

Shen Qingzhou stayed on the balcony for a while, gazing at the cityscape under the night sky. The sea breeze brushed against his expressionless face, making his pale complexion seem somewhat gloomy.

Telling Lin Qiao’s fortune was, in a way, telling his own. Learning about Zhao Chunjun’s persistent entanglement with her naturally made Shen Qingzhou uncomfortable. He didn’t want to show his displeasure or worry in front of Lin Qiao, fearing it would trouble her, but that didn’t mean he lacked those feelings.

Fang Zheng’s case had already been closed. He was in prison and wouldn’t be released for many years. But Qi Zheng, who was eyeing Xiao Ning covetously; Fang Mingjun, who sought revenge; and Zhao Chunjun, who provoked for self-preservation—Shen Qingzhou had never forgotten any of them.

He understood their motives and weaknesses clearly but never revealed his hand. He knew that exposing his cards to the enemy, thinking he had the upper hand, would be a grave mistake.

He was still young and in no hurry. There was plenty of time. What mattered most now was Lin Qiao’s safe delivery and their family’s health and well-being. After all, no matter how great one’s achievements, good health was necessary to enjoy them.

As Lin Qiao had said, they returned to Beijing the next day. Shortly after they left, Zhao Chunjun went to their former room to look for them. Not finding them there, he immediately went to the front desk to inquire and was told that the two had checked out early in the morning. His mood instantly turned sour, nearly frightening the front desk staff.

This was not good news.

Zhao Chunjun took a taxi directly to the airport, boarded the earliest flight back to Beijing, and called Fang Mingjun to ask if there were any results regarding the matter he had previously asked him to investigate.

Fang Mingjun was older than the others and naturally more ruthless. There were few things he couldn’t accomplish once he set his mind to them. Zhao Chunjun successfully obtained the name of the hospital where Lin Qiao would be staying for her delivery from him. He then returned to the mental hospital where he worked and arranged to apply for procedures to transfer to that hospital under the pretext of “studying.”

Although Zhao Chunjun’s character was questionable, his achievements in medicine were considerable, and he was quite a renowned doctor in the field. His application to “study” at the hospital’s psychiatry department was more like going to guide, so it was naturally approved without issue.

By February of the new year, Lin Qiao’s due date was approaching, and it also marked the first birthday Shen Qingzhou would celebrate since they got together.

Shen Qingzhou’s birthday was on February 15th. The weather was cold, and Lin Qiao, with her large belly, couldn’t make elaborate arrangements for him. In the end, she insisted on cooking him a bowl of longevity noodles, and that was how he celebrated his birthday.

As the delivery date drew near, Xie Jiayi and Lin Huiming stayed at the hospital every day to help. Seeing the young couple celebrate so simply, they felt somewhat apologetic and secretly bought flowers and a cake. They brought them to the hospital at night, giving Shen Qingzhou a surprise.

Shen Qingzhou wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about it. He was too worried about Lin Qiao’s health, fearing complications during delivery.

A few days earlier, he had seen Zhao Chunjun in the hospital. Although he wasn’t surprised, he wasn’t entirely at ease either.

Even though he had made thorough preparations and estimated that Zhao Chunjun wouldn’t dare to actually harm a pregnant woman, his presence lurking around was still irritating.

After perfunctorily blowing out the candles, Shen Qingzhou was forced by Lin Qiao to take a bite of cake. As he distractedly pondered something, he suddenly heard Lin Qiao cry out in pain: “It hurts!”

Shen Qingzhou snapped back to attention immediately, put down the cake, and went to check on Lin Qiao. Xie Jiayi and Lin Huiming had already gone to fetch a doctor. The doctor arrived at the ward as quickly as possible, prepared everything, and sent Lin Qiao to the delivery room.

Just like that, Shen Qingzhou and Lin Qiao’s child was born on Shen Qingzhou’s birthday, miraculously sharing the same birth month and day as the child’s father.

As Shen Qingzhou had predicted, the child was a girl. Lin Qiao had a smooth delivery, with pain that didn’t last long. Both the baby and the mother were safe and sound, finally putting the worried family at ease.

Shen Qingzhou looked at the little girl brought by the medical staff. She was tightly swaddled, her small face not yet fully formed. Though it might sound exaggerated, he felt her features resembled Lin Qiao’s.

Xie Jiayi looked at the child with a smile and asked, “Have you thought of a name for her?”

Shen Qingzhou glanced at her and said, “Shen Ailin?” (Shen Loves Lin)

Xie Jiayi was speechless. “Are you sure?” That’s way too cheesy…

Shen Qingzhou smiled faintly and said casually, “No, I was joking.”

“…” You rebellious son! (╰_╯)

The case involving Fang Zheng had been resolved. The man was in prison and wouldn’t be getting out for many years. But Shen Qingzhou had never forgotten about others—Qi Zheng, who had his eyes on Xiao Ning; Fang Mingjun, who wanted revenge; and Zhao Chunjun, who had taken the initiative to provoke him for self-protection.

Shen Qingzhou understood their intentions well. He knew everyone’s selfishness and weaknesses but never showed it. Because he knew that revealing his cards to his enemies, letting them think they had an advantage, was actually a grave mistake.

He was still young and not in a rush. There was plenty of time. Right now, the most important thing was for Lin Qiao to give birth safely, and for their family to be healthy and live in peace. After all, even the greatest achievements meant nothing without good health.

As Lin Qiao had said, the two of them returned to Beijing the next day. As soon as they left, Zhao Chunjun went to their former room looking for them. Not finding them, he immediately went to the front desk to ask what had happened. He was told that the couple had checked out early that morning. His mood instantly soured, nearly scaring the receptionist.

That was certainly not good news.

Zhao Chunjun immediately took a taxi to the airport and caught the next flight back to Beijing. He called Fang Mingjun to ask if there had been any results from the investigation he had requested.

Fang Mingjun was older than them and naturally more ruthless. Few tasks he set out to do remained unfinished. Zhao Chunjun successfully obtained the name of the hospital where Lin Qiao would be staying for her delivery. Then he returned to the psychiatric hospital where he worked and arranged for a transfer, officially under the pretext of further study, to the hospital in question.

Although Zhao Chunjun’s character left much to be desired, his achievements in the medical field were indeed impressive. He was a well-known doctor in his field. His application to study at the hospital’s psychiatry department was more like a professional exchange than a formal request, so it was naturally approved.

As the new year arrived in February, Lin Qiao’s due date approached, and it also marked the first birthday Shen Qingzhou would celebrate together with Lin Qiao.

Shen Qingzhou’s birthday was on February 15th. The weather was still cold, and since Lin Qiao was heavily pregnant, she couldn’t prepare anything elaborate. In the end, at her insistence, he simply ate a bowl of longevity noodles to mark the occasion.

As the delivery date drew near, Xie Jiayi and Lin Huiming stayed at the hospital every day to help. Seeing the couple celebrate so simply, they felt a bit guilty. So they secretly bought flowers and a cake and brought them to the hospital at night, giving Shen Qingzhou a surprise.

Shen Qingzhou didn’t show much emotion. Right now, his main concern was Lin Qiao’s health. He feared something might go wrong during the delivery.

A few days earlier, he had seen Zhao Chunjun at the hospital. Although he wasn’t surprised, he wasn’t entirely at ease either.

Even though he had made thorough preparations and believed Zhao Chunjun wouldn’t dare harm the mother, the man’s constant presence still unsettled him.

He half-heartedly blew out the candles and took a bite of cake at Lin Qiao’s insistence. As he was distractedly thinking, he suddenly heard Lin Qiao cry out in pain: “It hurts!”

Shen Qingzhou snapped back to reality immediately, putting the cake aside and rushing to check on Lin Qiao. Xie Jiayi and Lin Huiming had already gone to fetch the doctor. The doctor arrived at the ward in no time, and after preparing everything, Lin Qiao was wheeled into the delivery room.

Thus, their child was born on the very day of Shen Qingzhou’s birthday—an amazing coincidence that the baby shared the same birthday as her father.

As expected, the baby was a girl. Lin Qiao’s labor went smoothly, with little pain. Both mother and child were safe and healthy, finally putting the anxious family at ease.

Shen Qingzhou looked at the nurse approaching with the baby girl wrapped tightly in a blanket. Her little face was still unformed, but—though it might sound exaggerated—her features seemed very similar to Lin Qiao’s.

Xie Jiayi stood beside, smiling as he asked, “Have you decided on a name yet?”

Shen Qingzhou looked at her and said, “Shen Ailin?”

Xie Jiayi was speechless: “You’re serious?” That was way too cliché…

Shen Qingzhou smiled faintly and said casually, “No, I was just kidding.”

“…” Unfilial child (╯_╰)!