Chapter 59:

It was already evening when Shen Qingzhou made the phone call. He was lying in bed, and Lin Qiao stood beside him watching. After he hung up, he casually set the phone aside and looked at her, asking, “Not going to sleep yet?”

Lin Qiao coughed lightly and shifted her gaze away from his irresistibly handsome face, replying with restraint, “I still have some documents to read. We need them for tomorrow’s meeting.”

Shen Qingzhou remained silent, leaning against the pillow. He wore deep blue cotton pajamas, his hands outside the blanket, fingers long and fair, nails neatly trimmed and clean, the fingertips so smooth and translucent they seemed flawless.

Lin Qiao stood not far from him, close enough to catch the pleasant scent of his showered skin. After a moment of silence, he slowly sat up straight, illuminated by the bright fluorescent light, glowing softly in the ambient glow.

“Come lie on the bed and read them. You have neck pain, don’t you?” He suggested sincerely, his tone considerate and faultless.

Lin Qiao felt a warmth in her heart. His profile, slightly contemplative, was beautifully sculpted—his prominent nose and perfect jawline formed an exquisite curve. His side profile was serene and cool.

“Okay.”

Such a request was neither necessary nor possible to refuse. Lin Qiao agreed and went to fetch the documents from the study.

She had already changed into her pajamas—a comfortable white lace nightgown with a sheer, lightweight jacket over it. Her long, fair legs made her steps seem light as if she were walking on clouds.

She climbed onto the bed with the files, lifted the blanket, and snuggled next to Shen Qingzhou, opening the folder and preparing to read.

Shen Qingzhou didn’t disturb her. He lay quietly beside her, reading alongside her and occasionally offering a suggestion. His pleasant voice could melt any woman’s heart. Eventually, Lin Qiao lost all interest in the documents.

Without drawing attention, she closed the folder and placed it on the table. She got up, turned off the main light, leaving only the dim night lamp on, and then returned to the bed, lying on her side facing him.

Shen Qingzhou gazed at her with lowered eyelids, his expression gentle and reserved, his voice low, “Why did you stop reading?”

Lin Qiao gave a short laugh, then snuggled into his arms, rubbing her face against his chest like a cat, murmuring, “How can I focus on work when you’re here?”

Shen Qingzhou replied innocently, “I was helping you, giving you suggestions.”

“I know,” Lin Qiao admitted. “You gave suggestions, and every one was useful.”

“So why can’t you focus when I’m here?” He asked immediately.

Lin Qiao studied his expression. He looked genuinely puzzled, his brows slightly furrowed as if troubled, yet the corners of his lips curled into a barely noticeable smile. That smile immediately told her he was pretending.

“Hmph,” she huffed softly, then directly removed her jacket and climbed on top of him.

Straddling him, she felt the change beneath his body and smirked, leaning close to his ear and nibbling on it, whispering, “You talk so properly, but your thoughts aren’t so innocent.”

Shen Qingzhou flipped her over, pinning her beneath him, his forehead resting against hers, his voice deep and calm, “That was just a trap, to lure the unsuspecting little white rabbit.” He pulled the blanket over both their heads and whispered in the darkness, “Now, the little rabbit has fallen into the trap.”

……

By September, the weather in the city had started to turn cooler, though it was still barely tolerable.

It was a city always bustling with travelers, noisy and crowded, carrying the dreams of countless people for the future. Here, opportunities and failures coexisted. Many young people knew that failure was far more likely than success once they arrived, yet they still came without hesitation, holding onto a sliver of hope and precious courage, hoping they might be the lucky ones.

To these people, those who had already succeeded were seen as fortunate and happy. Yet not all of these so-called successful individuals cherished their hard-earned achievements.

Fang Zheng was one such example.

Of course, perhaps Fang Zheng had developed this kind of personality not because he didn’t value his success, but because much of his success came through shortcuts, luck, and his family background. Success had come too easily to him, so he didn’t value it.

Fang Zheng had been born into privilege, with a father who spared him the need to struggle—something many could only dream of.

However, his mother passed away early, and his father was too busy with work to give him proper guidance. Growing up in the U.S., he made mistakes and was sent back to China, but by then it was too late.

On the day Fang Zheng left the police station and returned home, he didn’t meet his father. Instead, he was met by the legal advisor of Fang Mingjun’s company.

This was very bad news to him. He knew his father was in China, and his lawyer had notified the other party that he was coming home today. Yet Fang Mingjun hadn’t waited for him at home. That meant his father had completely given up on him.

Fang Zheng received notice from the legal advisor, informing him that Fang Mingjun would not see him in the short term and had forbidden him from leaving the house. The restriction would only be lifted once Fang Mingjun had resolved the issues Fang Zheng had caused.

Though Fang Zheng was unhappy, he didn’t refuse. He understood Shen Qingzhou well—there was no way Shen would let him off so easily. He was sure Shen had more tricks up his sleeve, so it was better to obey his father for now.

Fang Mingjun had been staying at Xie Jiayi’s place. Every evening he returned there. Sometimes Xie Jiayi wouldn’t open the door or wasn’t home, so Fang Mingjun would wait outside until Xie Jiayi couldn’t stand it anymore and opened the door, letting him squeeze in to sleep in the guest room again.

After being dragged along like this for several days, Xie Jiayi finally decided to move.

Standing in front of Shen Qingzhou’s door, Xie Jiayi said to Lin Qiao inside, “That’s the situation. I’m here seeking refuge. Please take me in.”

Lin Qiao was momentarily stunned, then slowly came to her senses and stepped aside, “Auntie, you’re too polite. You can come here anytime and stay as long as you like. Please, come in.”

Satisfied, Xie Jiayi dragged her suitcase inside, smiling, “Such a good girl. My son found a great wife.”

Hearing the compliment, Shen Qingzhou walked out from the dining room, glanced at the darkening sky outside, and said indifferently, “It’s so late, and you’re dragging luggage here. So what you said at the door just now was serious?”

Xie Jiayi sighed, “Do I look like I’m joking?”

Shen Qingzhou gave a slight snort and turned his head away, saying carelessly, “Who knows.”

Xie Jiayi smirked, “Alright then. I’ll unpack later. I’ll stay downstairs and won’t disturb the two of you upstairs. For now, let me have something to eat. What’s for dinner tonight?” She strode into the dining room, her heels clicking sharply on the floor.

Lin Qiao followed slowly behind, honestly replying, “Sichuan cuisine—shui zhu yu (spicy fish), red-braised ribbon fish, sweet and sour pork ribs…”

Xie Jiayi sat in front of the chair, looking eager to eat but also hesitant, “It’s all meat?”

She turned to Lin Qiao with a pained expression.

Lin Qiao slowly replied, “Yes… I’ve been craving spicy food lately… and meat too…”

Xie Jiayi narrowed her eyes slightly, then suddenly looked at Shen Qingzhou. The sharpness in her gaze made him frown slightly as he said coldly, “You want me to feed you for free and still complain? Eat it. Eating meat without starch won’t make you fat.”

Xie Jiayi rubbed her temples, “That’s not what I meant.” She lowered her voice, glancing between Lin Qiao and Shen Qingzhou before finally fixing her gaze on Lin Qiao and asking, “Qiaoqiao, forgive my boldness, but I’d like to ask—did your period come this month?”

Lin Qiao hesitated, unsure, “I think it didn’t…”

“What do you mean ‘I think’? Either it came or it didn’t. Don’t you know your own body?” Xie Jiayi said helplessly.

Lin Qiao awkwardly touched her face, trying to gather her scattered thoughts, “It hasn’t come yet.”

Xie Jiayi calculated mentally, “It should have been due by now. It’s almost the end of the month.”

Lin Qiao nodded without denying, vaguely sensing what Xie Jiayi was implying.

Sure enough, after hearing her answer, Xie Jiayi clapped her hands in delight, “Could it be that you’re pregnant? Come on, no more dinner. Let’s go to the hospital first for a checkup.”

Lin Qiao froze, a bit flustered as she looked at Shen Qingzhou. He frowned, as if contemplating the possibility of this situation. After a moment, he asked her, “What do you think?”

Lin Qiao’s face flushed slightly but she still answered, “I bought a pregnancy test on my way home today. I just haven’t used it yet…”

It seemed she had already suspected it herself. Xie Jiayi was quite satisfied, “You’re not as indecisive as you appear. Since you bought it, go try it now. If it shows two lines, we’ll go straight to the hospital for confirmation.”

Lin Qiao reluctantly agreed and hurried upstairs to get the pregnancy test. Behind her, Xie Jiayi called out in dissatisfaction, “Slow down, slow down! What’s the rush? No one’s pushing you. What if you fall?”

Lin Qiao shouted back from the corner, “Okay!” and disappeared from sight. Xie Jiayi sighed, then turned to Shen Qingzhou with a proud expression, “Well, you have to admit, your mother’s timing was spot on.”

Shen Qingzhou stood there with his arms crossed, his deep eyes shining brightly, “If this is true, then you can stay here for a while.”

“What if it isn’t?” she asked.

Shen Qingzhou’s expression immediately turned cold, his voice devoid of emotion, “If it isn’t, then you leave immediately. Raising someone’s hopes only to dash them—no, I won’t have the patience to host you.”

Xie Jiayi looked at him unhappily, “Am I really your mother?”

“You should know the answer to that yourself. I’ve doubted it too. After all, our IQs are on completely different levels. Based on your genes alone, you couldn’t possibly have given birth to a son like me.” Shen Qingzhou replied bluntly.

Xie Jiayi touched her face and said, “You’re right. I really couldn’t have given birth to such a handsome and capable son. Although your father wronged me, he did right by you. You’ve inherited every good trait from him without exception. I just hope you don’t inherit his emotional intelligence, which might hurt the woman you love now.”

Shen Qingzhou disliked hearing about his father and immediately said, “Don’t compare me to him.”

Xie Jiayi didn’t want to anger him further, so she shrugged and said no more. The two waited together for Lin Qiao to return with the test result.

Lin Qiao didn’t take long. She came downstairs after about ten minutes, holding the pregnancy test in her hand, her expression complicated.

Shen Qingzhou immediately furrowed his brow and asked, “What’s the result?”