Qin Yuhe stood by the train door. His innate alertness made him feel a prickle down his spine, as if a hidden gaze was secretly watching him and Song Xinya from the shadows.
He pressed the spoon against her soft lips, the white plastic leaving a slight indentation on her red mouth, and looked at her, asking, "Do you feel like something is wrong?"
Song Xinya looked toward the inside of the carriage.
In a corner seat, a person wearing a black hat, a black mask, and black glasses shrank his neck, turning his face inward to hide among the crowded passengers.
Song Xinya said, "It seems like nothing is out of the ordinary."
Qin Yuhe swept his gaze around the carriage. His eyes paused for a fraction of a second, and a fleeting smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Pfft."
Song Xinya asked, "What is it?"
She followed Qin Yuhe's gaze.
"Tsk."
Qin Yuhe asked, "Spotted him?"
Song Xinya replied, "Yeah."
Neither of them paid any attention to the person in the corner, treating him as if he were thin air.
Sitting down all the time was uncomfortable, but standing constantly was also tiring.
Time ticked by, and the sky gradually darkened.
Song Xinya sat in her seat, her body swaying with the train. After a long day of traveling, it would be a lie to say she wasn't exhausted. She rested her head on the back of the chair and fell asleep.
The space was cramped, her body curled up. Sleep was supposed to be a state of relaxation, but because she was sitting in a chair positioned at a strict ninety-degree angle, her body couldn't fully relax even while asleep.
Her head resting on the chair back tilted to one side.
Her head slid down the back of the chair in a downward arc, about to fall toward the floor.
An elegant and strong hand caught her head.
Song Xinya groggily opened her eyes, a misty haze lingering in them. Her voice carried the soft sweetness of someone just waking up as she murmured, "Qin Yuhe."
When she was fully awake and conscious, she never called him by his full name.
Qin Yuhe gave a soft hum of acknowledgment, his voice incredibly gentle. "Come with me."
Song Xinya asked, "Have we arrived at the station?"
Qin Yuhe replied, "No, I managed to book a sleeper berth."
Song Xinya's eyes lit up brightly. "Really?"
Qin Yuhe said, "When have I ever lied to you?"
He pushed the luggage with one hand and led her forward with the other.
As their figures gradually faded into the distance, the person in the corner grew anxious. Where were they going?
Song Xinya cast a glance behind them. "He is following us."
Qin Yuhe said, "If the idiot wants to follow, let him."
The two of them arrived at the sleeper carriage.
Song Xinya looked around. "Just one bed?"
Qin Yuhe said, "I kept refreshing the page, but there was only this one berth available."
Thinking of how a wealthy young master like him was enduring such harsh conditions just to accompany her, Song Xinya said, "You sleep."
Qin Yuhe placed his hands on her shoulders and pressed her down to sit on the bed. "You sleep."
Song Xinya asked, "What about you?"
Qin Yuhe replied, "I will sit next to you and keep you company."
Song Xinya said, "I have a great idea. I will sleep on the bed for the first half of the night, and you can sleep on it for the second half. That way, we both get a few hours of sleep on the bed."
The hands pressing on her shoulders suddenly exerted force, pushing her down flat onto the bed.
He kept one foot on the floor and knelt with his other leg wedged between hers. A strong, domineering aura of masculine pheromones enveloped her overwhelmingly.
His deep, crisp voice was kept very low, meant only for the two of them to hear. "Listen to me. You sleep on the bed, and I will keep you company right here. If you disagree..."
His gaze trailed down her face and peeked into her collar.
She was breathing heavily now, her full chest rising and falling with each breath.
"My hand will slip inside your clothes and touch you."
Song Xinya's cheeks flushed a deep peach pink. She quickly pulled the nearby blanket over her chest.
Qin Yuhe chuckled, lifted himself off her, and stood up straight.
Song Xinya hid under the blanket to calm her racing heart, and after a short while, she drifted off to sleep.
A slender, fair leg lifted, kicking the blanket aside.
Qin Yuhe noticed her cheeks were flushed and her forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat.
It was summer. The carriage was crowded and hot. Even just sitting there doing nothing would make a person sweat.
Qin Yuhe sat beside her, holding a hand fan, and fanned her throughout the entire night.
When Song Xinya woke up the next morning, she felt she had slept incredibly well, like she had been completely revived.
Just a split second before she opened her eyes, Qin Yuhe put the fan away.
Song Xinya asked him, "Did you sleep last night?"
Qin Yuhe said, "I sat right next to you and slept through the night."
Song Xinya studied his face. "You do not look like it."
Qin Yuhe asked, "Do I look awful?"
He didn't look awful at all; he was still breathtakingly handsome. However, Song Xinya pointed out, "You just do not look very energetic."
Qin Yuhe replied, "If you sleep with me right now, I will instantly be full of energy."
Song Xinya lightly punched his shoulder. "Stop talking nonsense."
She jumped out of bed and went to the washroom to freshen up.
The train arrived at the final station. Qin Yuhe held the luggage in one hand and Song Xinya's hand in the other.
Stepping out of the station, they were greeted by lonely, desolate mountains.
Song Xinya had checked online beforehand. "Now we need to take a coach bus."
Qin Yuhe said, "We are not taking that."
Song Xinya argued, "We have to take the bus to get to Bilao Mountain."
Qin Yuhe said, "I remember you get carsick. A rundown bus, bumpy mountain roads, shaking like you are sitting inside a washing machine, all mixed with the sweat smell of a bus full of people. Can you handle an environment like that?"
Song Xinya said, "If I can't handle it, I will just throw up. I can endure it, and it will be over soon enough."
"Do not force yourself," Qin Yuhe said. "The Qin Group has a branch office in this city. I have already arranged for employees to pick us up. We can take a luxury car there."
Song Xinya asked in surprise, "The Qin Group even has a branch office in such a remote little city?"
Qin Yuhe replied, "The Qin Group's business spans the globe."
Song Xinya cheered, "CEO Qin is so awesome!"
Qin Yuhe corrected her, "You should say, my husband is so awesome."
Song Xinya repeated, "My husband is so awesome."
Qin Yuhe turned his head to look at her and chuckled. "Shouldn't you say, 'Hubby, you are so awesome'?"
"Comet hits the earth, CEO Qin is the best of the best," Song Xinya joked, then pointed ahead. "Look, your employees are here."
The reason Song Xinya could instantly recognize the group of people ahead as Qin Yuhe's employees was because...
In a place where the average person wore large shorts and flip-flops, the group of people ahead, just like their boss, were dressed in white shirts, black suits, and ties. They were dressed to the nines.
In truth, Qin Yuhe hadn't asked them to dress like this. Wearing such formal attire was entirely their own initiative.
After all, they were far from headquarters, and since they finally got a chance to meet the big boss, they had to dress their absolute best.
Before arriving, the employees had even gone to a hair salon together to get slicked-back, side-parted hairstyles.
Every single one of them had hair so slicked down it looked like it had been licked flat by a calf.
What a group of human greaseballs.
As Qin Yuhe and Song Xinya walked over, a strong scent of hairspray assaulted their noses. It was incredibly fragrant.
One of the slick-haired men offered to ride in the same car as Qin Yuhe and Song Xinya. Unsurprisingly, CEO Qin did not agree to that.
The car sped along the highway. Qin Yuhe rested with his eyes closed, and Song Xinya sat quietly beside him, careful not to disturb him.
Halfway through the drive, he fell asleep, his head tilting outward toward the window.
Sitting on the inner side, Song Xinya gently cupped his cheek and guided his head toward her, letting him rest against her shoulder.
Qin Yuhe was always so busy with work, constantly swamped with matters to handle. They had never experienced anything like this before—spending twenty-four hours a day entirely in each other's company.
In a strange way, Jian Shuibing kidnapping Jian Yiyi had afforded Song Xinya and Qin Yuhe this rare pocket of alone time.
Song Xinya tilted her head and quietly studied him. His long, straight eyelashes were lowered, casting fan-like shadows over his cool, fair skin. His thin, slightly red lips weren't pressed into their usual tight line; instead, they were relaxed and naturally closed. As he slept, he lost that usual noble, aloof, and untouchable aura. Instead, he looked somewhat... soft?
Perhaps soft wasn't quite the right word. Fast asleep and leaning against her shoulder, he exuded a completely harmless yet utterly captivating charm.
It made her want to pinch his cheeks, stroke his face, and kiss him.
Song Xinya pressed her lips to his forehead, leaving a gentle kiss.
You've worked so hard, Baby Qin.
