Qin Yuhe stared at the message that had gone unanswered.
Then he thought of her going off to look for some other dog.
His teeth clenched hard.
Why were there so many shameless men in this world trying to seduce his wife?
Scoundrels!
Every last one of them was a scoundrel!
He had to criticize that Han guy!
At that moment, Old Master Qin was seated beside Qin Yuhe. The old man had traveled across the ocean to the other side of the world to see his beloved Big Grandson.
In the solemn, dignified conference hall, Old Master Qin suddenly heard a strange clicking sound.
Was it a rat gnawing on something?
The old man leaned close to Qin Yuhe’s ear and asked, “Big Grandson, do you hear a rat grinding its teeth?”
Qin Yuhe opened his tightly clenched mouth. “No.”
Ever since Big Grandson opened his mouth to speak, the sound of the rat grinding its teeth had disappeared.
Old Master Qin smiled. His Big Grandson had such presence. The moment he spoke, even the irritating clicking sound of a rat grinding its teeth vanished.
The host onstage began announcing the program, introducing the conference proceedings in a passionate, rousing voice.
He then proceeded to introduce the distinguished guests attending the conference.
When he called out Qin Yuhe’s name in his loudest voice, the entire hall fell silent.
Everyone waited for the handsome, strikingly elegant man to rise.
The crowd looked around the hall, but no one stood.
At that moment, Qin Yuhe was gazing down at his phone, his eyes fixed on his chat with Song Xinya—the message that still had no reply.
Old Master Qin reached over and nudged his Big Grandson.
Qin Yuhe came to his senses. He rose calmly and nodded to everyone in the hall, his bearing dignified, gentlemanly, and elegant.
A wave of applause rang out through every corner of the hall.
After he sat back down, Old Master Qin gave him a surprised look.
As the eldest grandson of the Qin family—and the only son of his branch—Qin Yuhe had always been composed and self-disciplined, placing the family business above all else. He had never made a mistake like this before.
Old Master Qin’s voice was cool and heavy, both a question and a warning. “Who has managed to distract you like this?”
Qin Yuhe closed the chat with Song Xinya and replied, “Failing to control my emotions is my own problem. It has nothing to do with anyone else. It’s my fault.”
Old Master Qin secretly chuckled. He was certainly protective of her.
The host called Qin Yuhe’s name once more, this time inviting him to the stage to give a speech.
Qin Yuhe rose. His figure was tall and straight, his pace unhurried, an easy confidence radiating from him—the composure and effortless charm forged by years spent at the top.
He stood beneath the dazzling lights and began to speak in a pure, authentic American accent. Without a script, he delivered his entire speech in English.
………
At that moment, Song Xinya was at his residence in the United States, making him a birthday cake.
New York. Manhattan. The Upper East Side. A top-tier private mansion.
Qin Yuhe’s residence there was so luxurious it was almost absurd.
Its design was completely different from the traditional Chinese style of his home back in China. Every object was steeped in the decadent, extravagant atmosphere of the West.
Standing inside the opulent penthouse duplex, Song Xinya felt as though she had become the heroine of an American television drama.
And she was making a cake for her hero.
The entire apartment had already been decorated. Multicolored balloons stretched from the entrance to the roses in the center of the living room, while photographs of the two of them covered the walls.
She had decorated not only the apartment, but herself as well.
She had already showered and sprayed on perfume. Over her body was an elegant long dress, and underneath it she wore that purple lingerie.
All he had to do was peel away her long dress to discover the breathtakingly seductive sight hidden beneath it.
She knew him far too well. After being apart for so long, he would surely be burning with impatience.
The dress she wore today was made of light, delicate fabric—very easy to tear.
After three hours of work, the birthday cake was finally finished.
It was shaped like a heart and decorated with one tiny star after another.
Along the edge, she had written: “May I be with you every year, and may you be with me through every passing season.”
In the center, she had written: “Qin Yuhe, happy birthday.”
Song Xinya placed the birthday cake in the middle of the dining table.
Everything was ready. All that remained was for the male lead to come home.
………
After Qin Yuhe finished the conference, he was supposed to attend a banquet.
Old Master Qin said, “Everyone attending tonight is a prominent figure in politics or business. Move around and socialize at the banquet. It will help the Qin Group expand further into the international market in the future. You have to lead the Qin Group and turn it into the most powerful multinational corporation in the world.”
Qin Yuhe said, “I want to go home.”
Old Master Qin wondered if he had misheard. “What did you say?”
Qin Yuhe said, “I want to go home.”
Old Master Qin said, “The banquet hasn’t even started. What do you mean, go home?”
For some reason, Qin Yuhe could not explain it himself, but there seemed to be an invisible pull drawing his heart home.
The house in the Upper East Side of Manhattan was nothing more than a place for him to stop and rest. Yet tonight, he found himself strangely longing for it, desperate to return at once.
Could it be because…
Qin Yuhe glanced at his phone screen. His chat with Song Xinya still showed no reply.
Could it be that because his wife had refused to answer his messages, he was feeling so dejected that he wanted to curl up at home and lick his wounds?
He had never been such a fragile person.
Forget it. He simply wanted to go home.
As Qin Yuhe headed out of the conference room, Old Master Qin called after him. “Come back. Attend the banquet before you leave. This is important to the family business.”
Qin Yuhe replied, “I know the family business is important. Since it’s so important, you can handle it, Grandpa.”
Without looking back, he strode toward home.
An hour later, Qin Yuhe stood outside the penthouse duplex in Manhattan.
He lowered his head and glanced at his phone screen once more. His wife still had not replied.
Who had she flown thousands of miles to see?
Why wasn’t she answering his messages?
It felt as though tens of thousands of ants were gnawing at his heart, leaving him restless and agitated.
Qin Yuhe’s brows drew tightly together, his mind in turmoil.
He opened the door to the apartment. Before his hand could even reach the light switch, every light in the room suddenly flickered on.
Qin Yuhe raised his head and saw Song Xinya standing in the middle of the room.
………
