Qi Hong was mature and steady, carrying an air of gentle refinement and scholarly grace.
It was said his family circumstances weren't very good; he had relied on his own exceptional talent to test into Peking University and then establish himself in the capital.
Wan Yu hadn't had much contact with Qi Hong, but facing someone of such talent, she felt admiration and reverence.
"You helped me pull out my shoe heel last time, Mr. Qi. I haven't had a chance to thank you properly yet. I'm making a late-night snack later; may I invite you over to share it?"
After speaking, Wan Yu's long eyelashes fluttered slightly, clearly a bit nervous, fearing his rejection.
Qi Hong's eyes and brows remained warm and gentle, a faint smile curving the corners of his lips. "Sure."
Hearing his agreement, Wan Yu breathed a sigh of relief.
Back in her apartment, she began preparing the late-night snack.
She simmered a pot of millet congee and planned to stir-fry three more dishes.
Not long after, the doorbell rang.
Qi Hong had changed his clothes before coming over.
Previously, whenever she saw him, he was always dressed in exquisite, tailored shirts and suit pants. This was the first time Wan Yu had seen him in a T-shirt and casual trousers.
Shedding that mature, stern demeanor, he looked considerably younger and more handsome.
Qi Hong walked into the kitchen. Seeing her chopping vegetables, he said in a gentle voice, "Let me help you."
Wan Yu was somewhat surprised. "You know how to cook?"
Qi Hong gave a low hum of affirmation. "I learned to cook for myself by six or seven."
He naturally took the kitchen knife from her hand.
His fingers were fair and slender, and his chopping motions were fluid and deft.
Wan Yu stood to the side, watching his elegant, handsome profile. Suddenly, the image of Madam He flashed through her mind.
She had never connected the two before, but now she realized Qi Hong bore some resemblance to Madam He in her youth.
Especially when he pursed his lips slightly, a faint dimple appeared by his cheek.
In a flash of insight, Wan Yu suddenly understood the purpose behind Wen Yan asking him for Qi Hong's sample!
Noticing Wan Yu staring at him unblinkingly, Qi Hong narrowed his clear, dark eyes slightly and asked in a low, cultured voice, "Is there something on my face?"
Only then did Wan Yu snap back to reality, realizing she had been staring at him for quite a while.
Twice in one evening, she had made a fool of herself in front of him!
"No…" She quickly averted her gaze from Qi Hong's face, her pearly white teeth lightly biting her lower lip. "You're a guest; I can't trouble you. Please, let me handle it."
Qi Hong's lips curved slightly. "It's fine. You go rest outside. I'll call you when the stir-fry is ready."
Wan Yu hadn't expected a man to also know how to cook. When she was with He Xiuyuan before, he never cooked. He always believed cooking was a woman's duty; a man just needed to focus on his career outside.
Just as Qi Hong finished stir-frying two dishes, he suddenly heard Wan Yu call for him. "Mr. Qi, could you come help for a moment?"
Qi Hong walked into the living room bathroom to find Wan Yu trying to block a malfunctioning faucet with a towel.
Qi Hong hurried over. "Let me fix it for you."
Wan Yu fetched the repair tools for Qi Hong. While he worked on it, water splashed all over him.
But fortunately, he had it fixed before long.
His hair and T-shirt were completely soaked. Wan Yu handed him a clean towel.
As he raised his arm to dry his hair, the contours of his arm and chest were clearly outlined. The soaked T-shirt clung to his body, faintly revealing the outline of his eight-pack abs.
[Oh my goodness, this is too sweet! I'm grinning like a proud auntie.]
[So Qi Hong has liked Sister Wan Yu for a long time? He even personally cooks her a late-night snack. Just go ahead and spoil her, why don't you?]
Wow, Wan Yu's faucet really knows how to create an intimate, flirtatious moment for the two of them. Who knew Qi Hong had such a nice figure? With the T-shirt clinging to him, those eight-pack abs are faintly visible~ How wonderful.
[Oh my gosh, shipping this CP has me so excited I could wriggle like a worm.]
Wen Yan was sitting on a swing in the back garden, immersed in "eating melons" (enjoying the gossip/drama), when suddenly, a tall, imposing, and coldly stern figure approached her.
Not far from the swing was the Shao family's swimming pool. The man walked over and removed his bathrobe.
Wen Yan's attention was instantly captured by the man's broad shoulders and narrow waist—his excellent physique.
"Husband, are you going swimming tonight?"
The man turned and glanced at her.
Wen Yan's gaze swept over his solid, well-built chest and his clearly defined abdominal muscles.
Gulp—she swallowed.
[Wow! Is the dog man abandoning his abstinent, aloof style? Late at night like this, is he trying to drive me crazy?]
Si Moyan paid Wen Yan no mind. His handsome face was tense, and with a splash, he jumped into the pool.
Wen Yan belatedly realized he seemed a bit irritable and… not very happy.
Had she offended him lately?
Oh, she suddenly remembered she still hadn't gone to the mall to buy him underwear.
She'd definitely go tomorrow if she had time!
After swimming two laps, Si Moyan saw Wen Yan holding her lower abdomen as she headed back towards the villa.
"Wen Yan, what's wrong?"
Si Moyan threw on his bathrobe and strode towards her.
"It's nothing. I'm going back to my room to rest."
Si Moyan saw her hand pressed against her lower abdomen. His sword-like brows furrowed tightly as he grabbed her. "Where does it hurt?"
Wen Yan, "..."
[My period came, and my stomach just hurts a bit. Why is he interrogating me?]
The Si family members in the villa living room, hearing Wen Yan's inner thoughts, coughed awkwardly.
Si Moyan pressed his thin lips together, his voice low and slightly hoarse. "Stomach ache?"
Wen Yan nodded. "A little."
As soon as the words left her mouth, the man suddenly extended his long arms and scooped her up into a princess carry.
Caught off guard by the sudden lift, Wen Yan instinctively wrapped her arms around the man's neck.
He carried her to her room, his large hand gently rubbing her lower abdomen through a layer of clothing.
The warmth from his palm transmitted through the fabric to her skin.
The comforting heat soothed her heart immensely.
She raised her long eyelashes to look at the man before her. With his sword-like brows and starry eyes, handsome and noble yet cold, his features seemed as if meticulously carved by a craftsman—unbelievably perfect.
[Tsk tsk tsk, Iceberg Si is really so handsome it could drive a person insane.]
The look in his eyes as he gazed at her was dark, profound, tinged with a barely perceptible gentleness.
"Husband, do you… not dislike me as much as before?"
Si Moyan pressed his rosy, thin lips together. "And you? Do you still have feelings for Gu Beichen?"
"Long gone! Besides, he's inferior to you in every aspect, except—"
Si Moyan narrowed his dangerous, slitted eyes. "Except what?"
[Except for the system's description of Gu Beichen as a 'seven times a night stud' with great skills… I really can't find any other point where he's stronger than the dog man.]
Si Moyan, "..."
So, she thought Gu Beichen was better than him in that aspect?
He gritted his back teeth. "One day, I'll make you realize I'm not lacking either!"
After Wen Yan's stomach felt a bit better, Si Youyou brought her a glass of milk, and Old Master Si brought her a bowl of bird's nest.
Before falling asleep, a smile unconsciously tugged at the corners of Wen Yan's lips.
Although she stayed with the Si family for a strategic mission, during that period of interaction she had experienced the warmth of a family.
This was something she had never experienced in her previous life.
Middle of the night.
Si Moyan entered Wen Yan's room. She seemed to be having a nightmare, her forehead covered in cold sweat.
Simo Yan was just about to wipe the cold sweat from her brow when she suddenly reached out, grasped his wrist, and called out in a hoarse voice—
