A partner should come before everyone and everything else...
Isn't this the legendary favoritism?
Pondering over these words, the assistant asked doubtfully, "Mr. Qin, didn't you say at the beginning that you and Miss Song would treat each other with polite respect and not interfere in each other's lives?"
Qin Yuhe: "Does mutual respect and non-interference mean I can't care about my own wife?"
It's not that you can't, it's just...
The assistant replied, "Your version of mutual respect and non-interference is a bit different from how I understand it."
Staring at the zero on the step-count leaderboard, Qin Yuhe's eyes were filled with anxiety. An urgent command slipped through his lips: "Book a ticket."
Knowing that Qin Yuhe's patience had run out, the assistant didn't dare delay any further and ran out the door to book the flight.
Ten minutes later, the assistant pushed the door open again, looking troubled.
"Mr. Qin, I've confirmed with the Civil Aviation Administration. There might be thunderstorms and gale-force winds later. All flights from Shanghai to Jingbei have been grounded."
Qin Yuhe unlocked his phone, his fingers tapping across the screen as if searching for something.
The assistant sighed, "It's truly unpredictable weather. Planes definitely can't take off in thunderstorms and strong winds. This is force majeure. Mr. Qin, you won't be able to go back today."
"Who said I can't go back today..."
Qin Yuhe stood up from his chair, his expression cold and his posture tall and straight, and strode toward the door.
"I just checked. The weather in Wuxi is clear for takeoff, and the highway hasn't been closed yet. I can drive to Wuxi first and then take a flight back to Jingbei."
The assistant stared at Qin Yuhe in utter shock.
The moment Mr. Qin heard that Miss Song might be in trouble, he was willing to brave thunderstorms and strong winds, drive for two and a half hours, cross 120 kilometers and an entire province, and detour to Wuxi just to go back and see her.
How on earth was this "mutual respect and non-interference"?
Was there something wrong with his reading comprehension, or had Mr. Qin's understanding of the language gone completely off the rails?
The assistant jogged to catch up with Qin Yuhe. "Mr. Qin, I'll go back with you. I can drive for you."
Qin Yuhe: "No need. My departure is sudden, and there are many unresolved matters. I need you to stay here and take charge. Proceed with the afternoon meetings; you'll stand in for me."
The assistant instantly felt a heavy weight on his shoulders.
With a soft ding, the elevator arrived, and Qin Yuhe stepped inside.
When the elevator doors opened and Qin Yuhe walked out, thunder was roaring in the sky, and the rain was pouring down in buckets.
While all the pedestrians were rushing to find shelter indoors, Qin Yuhe resolutely walked outside, plunging headfirst into the storm.
Raindrops soaked his hair, and the howling wind carried a chill that seeped into his black suit.
Against the stormy weather of the entire city, he went to find her.
On the 120-kilometer journey from Shanghai to Wuxi, bean-sized raindrops smashed against the car's windshield, making heavy thuds.
A sudden and fierce downpour had halted the steps of countless people, but it couldn't stop him.
Fortunately, the further he drove, the better the weather became.
From torrential rain to clear skies, when Qin Yuhe stepped out of the car, he was greeted by bright sunshine and a dazzling sun.
He successfully boarded the flight to Jingbei.
...
At the Forbidden City Mansion, Song Xinya lay in bed. Her injured leg was stretched out straight, and she didn't dare to move it; any slight movement sent a sharp pain through her ankle.
Her originally slender ankle had swollen into a chubby radish.
Her phone suddenly rang. Song Xinya picked it up and answered.
Qin Yuyan's crisp voice came through: "Teacher Song, is your foot better?"
Song Xinya: "No, it'll probably stay swollen for a few more days."
Qin Yuyan: "Let me invite the best doctor in the country to take a look at your foot."
Song Xinya: "The bone isn't hurt, it's just swollen. Reducing the swelling isn't an overnight thing; it takes time. Even a famous doctor wouldn't be able to speed it up. You don't need to invite anyone."
Qin Yuyan let out a long sigh. "I haven't seen you all day."
Song Xinya chuckled. "Why do you want to see me every day?"
Qin Yuyan: "If I don't see you for a day, I lose my appetite and can't focus on anything. This must be the taste of love. Teacher Song, I've fallen in love."
Song Xinya: "Fallen in love, my foot. You just want me to be your mom."
Qin Yuyan: "No, my dad isn't good enough for you. I think my brother would be a good match."
It was just, sigh—her brother was already married, and the bride wasn't Teacher Song.
Whenever Qin Yuyan thought about this, she felt a tightness in her chest.
Song Xinya asked, "If I married your brother, wouldn't you worry that I'd steal his love for you?"
Qin Yuyan: "If you married my brother, I'd compete with him for your love."
Song Xinya: "You like me that much?"
Qin Yuyan nodded emphatically. "I do."
Song Xinya: "When you like someone, you have to like everything about them. Is that right?"
Qin Yuyan: "Right."
Song Xinya: "So you must also really like the math problems I explained to you, right?"
Qin Yuyan: "...Can I weakly ask, is it okay not to like those?"
Song Xinya: "No. Go review the math problems I taught you ten times. Next exam, don't score a 16; get a 106."
The little princess sat by her desk, staring at her math test paper, her small face turning as bitter as a melon.
Math was too hard! She couldn't learn it. What was she supposed to do? Ahhhhh!
...
After finishing the call with Qin Yuyan, Song Xinya slowly sat up, shifted off the bed, stood on one foot, and hopped her way out of the room.
Clinging to the staircase railing with both hands, she made her way down to the first floor step by step.
Song Tingye was sprawled over the table practicing his chicken-scratch handwriting. Looking up and seeing Song Xinya, he immediately stood up, walked over, and supported her arm.
"Sis, your foot is injured, why did you come down? Why aren't you resting in bed?"
Song Xinya: "If I stay in bed any longer, mushrooms are going to start growing on my head."
Song Tingye: "That sounds great! I'll pluck them and fry them up to eat."
The siblings made their way to the table.
Song Xinya picked up his calligraphy practice book and frowned. "You've been practicing so much, how is your handwriting still this ugly?"
Song Tingye touched his face and said, "It's probably because I'm too handsome. God is jealous of me, so He made my handwriting ugly to balance it out."
Song Xinya rolled her eyes at him. "Stop making excuses for your laziness. You just haven't practiced enough."
She picked up his language arts test paper and looked it over. "Song Tingye, your essay has gone completely off-topic again, all the way to the Himalayas!"
She checked the rest of the questions: "56 points, not a point more. The full score is 150. You failed!"
Song Tingye: "It's fine, I can get a perfect score in math."
Song Xinya: "What do you mean 'it's fine'? Go review the language arts questions I explained to you ten times. Next exam, don't score a 56; get a 106."
Song Tingye sat by the desk, staring at his language arts paper, his handsome face turning into a handsome bitter melon.
Language arts was too hard! He couldn't learn it. What was he supposed to do? Ahhhhh!
...
In the afternoon, Song Xinya received a message from Li Cuirou, saying that the house was being renovated and there were too many of her mother's belongings with nowhere to put them. So, she had packed up all of her mother's things and left them by the door for her to pick up.
The Song family lived in a villa, not a one-bedroom apartment. They had three basement rooms just for storing miscellaneous items. How could there possibly be no room for her mother's belongings?
That mother and daughter couldn't tolerate her, and they couldn't even tolerate her mother's belongings.
It didn't matter. Since they couldn't tolerate her, she wouldn't tolerate them either.
She had a good memory and always paid back her grudges.
Whoever poured cold water on her, she would boil it and pour it right back!
Song Xinya had a servant buy her a portable wheelchair and asked the driver to take her to the villa neighborhood where the Song family lived.
Her mother's belongings weren't placed inside the neighborhood at the door of the Song family's villa, but rather, right at the main entrance of the neighborhood.
Many people came and went at the main entrance. Her mother's private belongings were just left on the ground, open for anyone to look at and gossip about.
The driver loaded all the items left at the entrance into the car. "Miss Song, are we heading back now?"
"No, I still have one more thing to do..."
The wheelchair was placed on the ground. Song Xinya sat in it and rolled herself into the villa neighborhood.
She arrived in front of the villa where the Song family lived and placed a rectangular brocade box at the door.
The brocade box was beautifully crafted, carved with exquisite and intricate patterns, looking extremely elegant at first glance.
It made one assume that whatever was inside must be quite valuable.
This was the bait, tempting that mother and daughter to open it.
As for what was inside, it was a "gift" Song Xinya had meticulously prepared for them...
As Song Xinya rolled her wheelchair away from the villa, she saw Li Cuirou and Zhang Yingying walking toward her.
Li Cuirou and Zhang Yingying were both startled to see her.
Why had this noble heiress come to the neighborhood where they lived?
Although their neighborhood consisted of villas, compared to a top-tier estate like the Purple Gold Mansion, it was more than a step down.
Li Cuirou and Zhang Yingying stared at Song Xinya. With her stunning looks and noble temperament, even sitting in a wheelchair couldn't hide her peerless elegance. It was obvious at a glance that a noble lady like her was far beyond their league.
She definitely didn't live in this neighborhood; she must be here to see someone.
Song Xinya's lazy gaze swept over Li Cuirou and Zhang Yingying's faces with a look of disdain.
Zhang Yingying bit her lip, walked toward Song Xinya, faked a stumble with an "Ouch!", and forcefully shoved the wheelchair with both hands.
The wheelchair rolled down the slope, going faster and faster...
The harsh wind slammed against Song Xinya's face.
The wheelchair veered off course, crashing toward a nearby garden.
The garden was full of roses, covered in sharp thorns.
If she didn't jump from the wheelchair, Song Xinya's face and body would be pierced by the sharp thorns.
If she did jump from the wheelchair, her foot would be injured even more severely.
Caught in a dilemma, it seemed like a dead end either way.
Song Xinya closed her eyes. Just as she was about to jump from the wheelchair, a warm, large hand slipped under her arm, and a strong, muscular arm brushed across her back, pulling her body into a tight embrace.
Immediately after, the back of her knees was supported, and she was lifted into the air, swept into a broad, warm chest.
The crisp scent of a man brushed against her cheek—elegant, gentle, yet steeped in a uniquely masculine aggressiveness. It enveloped her completely, giving her an irreplaceable sense of security.
This wasn't the first time Song Xinya had smelled this scent...
The name Qin Yuhe flashed through her mind...
But how was that possible? Wasn't he busy with work in Shanghai?
Didn't work always come first in his heart?
Yet the embrace holding her was so tender and reliable. The familiar masculine scent lingered with deep affection as he lowered his head, pressing his warm cheek against her forehead.
The touch was so real.
Song Xinya opened her eyes and saw Qin Yuhe's face.
"Mr. Qin!"
Her voice trailed off with sweetness, surprise, delight, and joy.
"I'm here."
He looked down at her, the warm breath from his words brushing against her lips.
Song Xinya felt a slight tickle on her lips.
Qin Yuhe said, "Hold me tight."
Song Xinya obediently reached out, wrapping her soft, fair arms around his neck.
In such a posture, inevitably, her soft upper body pressed against his chest.
Qin Yuhe carried her toward a car parked nearby, his strides long and steady.
Placing Song Xinya in the backseat, Qin Yuhe stood outside. With one hand on the car door and the other resting on the roof, he leaned his upper body inside. His handsome, striking face was very close to Song Xinya's, and the sound of his breathing fell clearly into her ears.
"Wait in the car. I'll be right back."
Song Xinya didn't know what he was going to do, but she still agreed.
Qin Yuhe straightened up, and his scorching body heat pulled away and dissipated.
He walked toward Li Cuirou and Zhang Yingying.
The big shot they could only dream of meeting was now standing tall right in front of the mother and daughter.
A sudden fear gripped the two of them, sending chills all over their bodies.
There was no other reason than Qin Yuhe's overwhelming aura. His presence was too freezing and sharp, and his handsome face was so stern and cold that it terrified them.
Zhang Yingying nudged Li Cuirou, who then spoke up, "Mr. Qin, since you're already at our door, why don't you come inside for a cup of tea?"
Qin Yuhe ignored her words. His gaze, as cold and hard as a blade, locked onto Li Cuirou and Zhang Yingying. "You just hurt my person."
That woman belonged to the Crown Prince, Qin Yuhe!
Li Cuirou and Zhang Yingying felt a bone-deep chill.
They were also filled with disappointment.
What did the Crown Prince mean by that?
His person...
His girlfriend?
Li Cuirou quickly responded, "Mr. Qin, my daughter accidentally twisted her ankle just now and accidentally pushed her."
Zhang Yingying looked up at Qin Yuhe's intoxicatingly handsome face, her heart racing like a deer. Blushing shyly, she made her voice soft and whiny.
"Mr. Qin, I didn't mean to. I pushed her just now, and I've been feeling so guilty and uneasy about it."
Qin Yuhe's eyes held no warmth, as cold as ice. "I'm not here to watch you act. I'm here to make you atone."
His thin lips were pressed into a tight line, leaving no room for negotiation. It was the absolute crushing power of a superior over inferiors. "Right now, immediately, bow ninety degrees to my woman and apologize."
The window of the Rolls-Royce rolled down. Li Cuirou and Zhang Yingying bowed ninety degrees toward Song Xinya in the car, their heads lowered deeply. "Noble lady, we offended you today. We are sorry."
Song Xinya's lips curled into a cold sneer. Her slender, jade-like hands picked up a pair of sunglasses and put them on. "Get lost. Don't dirty my eyes."
...
At the Purple Gold Mansion, the driver bent down to open the car door, and Qin Yuhe carried Song Xinya out of the car.
Song Xinya lay in his arms, her beautiful cheek pressed against his chest, her soft arms clinging to his neck, and her warm palms resting against the back of his neck.
She looked up at him, her eyes meeting his sharp Adam's apple and perfectly contoured jawline.
There was one thing she couldn't figure out, so she asked, "Mr. Qin, why did you come back so suddenly?"
Qin Yuhe replied, "I missed you."
