The next day, after waking up, Song Xinya saw Qin Yuhe walking out of the bathroom again. His hair was wet, and droplets of water traced down his neck.
Why was he taking a shower early in the morning again?
The young master was in the mood again.
Taking a shower whenever he was in the mood—what a healthy mood the young master had.
Song Xinya pondered over this "mood" Qin Yuhe spoke of. It probably meant he was in good spirits today.
If he were in a bad mood, he wouldn't have any interest in such things, right?
Yeah, that must be it. Probably.
Today, the swelling in Song Xinya's ankle had completely gone down.
This meant she could go back to work normally.
It also meant... shouldn't Qin Yuhe be leaving?
Song Xinya showed off her fully healed ankle to Qin Yuhe.
Keeping in mind his past words about "respecting each other like guests and not interfering in each other's lives," she constantly played the role of a reasonable and understanding wife. Her words sounded incredibly magnanimous.
"Mr. Qin, thank you so much for taking care of me these past few days. I truly felt your meticulous care and the warmth of your timely help. Now that my foot is healed, how could I let my matters delay your work any longer? You should go back."
Qin Yuhe lifted his eyes to look at her. "Tossing me aside now that you've got what you need?"
Song Xinya found his gaze a bit strange. Why didn't he look particularly happy?
"Mr. Qin, I'm just worried about affecting your work. Really, I don't mean anything else."
As soon as she said she didn't mean anything else, Qin Yuhe's face darkened even more.
Song Xinya's heart skipped a beat. Did she say something wrong? Was she still not being reasonable and understanding enough?
Did she need to be just a tiny bit more reasonable and understanding?
While she was deep in thought, she heard Qin Yuhe say, "I'm not going back to Shanghai today. I'm staying here."
Song Xinya didn't say anything.
Because she would reasonably and understandingly respect whatever decision he made.
Qin Yuhe's phone rang; it was a business partner calling.
Seeing the title "CEO" on the caller ID, Song Xinya automatically backed out of the study and thoughtfully closed the door for him.
For the entire morning, she didn't go check on him even once.
And she planned to do the same for the whole afternoon.
Being this reasonable and understanding, Song Xinya thought, would surely touch Qin Yuhe to tears!
But plans couldn't keep up with changes. At noon, Qin Yuhe walked out of the study on his own.
At that moment, Song Xinya was eating lunch with Song Tingye.
The siblings sat across from each other at the dining table, talking and laughing. The atmosphere was relaxed, happy, and warm.
Qin Yuhe stood off to the side, looking like an outsider.
"Brother-in-law, why did you come out?" Song Tingye asked curiously, a piece of savory beef rib pinched between his chopsticks. "Do you need something?"
Qin Yuhe replied, "What, I can't come out? Do I need a reason to walk around in my own home?"
Song Tingye scratched his cheek.
Huh, his brother-in-law didn't seem to be in a very good mood today.
Qin Yuhe walked over to Song Xinya, looked at her, and asked, "Why didn't you call me for lunch?"
Song Xinya said, "I had the servants save some food for you. I know you're used to eating lunch at exactly twelve every day. It's only eleven-thirty now, and Xiaoye was hungry, so we started eating first. That's why I didn't call you."
Qin Yuhe did indeed eat lunch at twelve o'clock every day; it was a long-standing habit of his.
His gaze landed on her face, as quiet as falling snow in the dead of night, and he said, "Habits can be changed."
Song Xinya tilted her fair, smooth neck up to look at him, a flash of surprise in her watery eyes.
With his noble status, he could make anyone accommodate him however he wanted, yet now he was willing to change his own habits.
She looked at him, feeling an inexplicable sense of daze.
Qin Yuhe met her gaze. "Mrs. Qin, I want to eat."
Song Xinya snapped back to reality. "We're eating together?"
Qin Yuhe sat down right next to her. "Yes."
A servant promptly came over, set out a bowl and plate in front of Qin Yuhe, and reached out to serve him some rice.
Qin Yuhe said, "You don't need to serve me."
Song Xinya asked, "Shall I serve you?"
Qin Yuhe replied, "Yes."
Song Xinya scooped a bowl of rice, placed it in front of him, and asked, "Is this too little?"
Qin Yuhe said, "It's perfect."
There was a dish on the table: spicy stir-fried shrimp.
Whenever Song Xinya and Qin Yuhe ate together, if there was any food with shells, he would always peel it for her.
This had formed a habit in Song Xinya; she subconsciously assumed he would definitely peel them for her.
She glanced at the spicy stir-fried shrimp several times, but Qin Yuhe didn't react.
Suddenly realizing something, Song Xinya turned to him and said, "Mr. Qin, let me peel some shrimp for you."
The corners of Qin Yuhe's lips curled up. "Alright."
She put down her chopsticks and reached for a shrimp.
Her wrist was suddenly caught in his palm. Qin Yuhe said, "I'll do it."
Song Xinya asked, "Didn't we agree that I would peel them for you?"
Qin Yuhe replied, "I don't need you to do this kind of thing."
Just having the intention to peel the shrimp for him was enough.
Song Tingye was holding a soft-shell turtle with both hands. He bit off the turtle's head in one bite, and as he spoke, the turtle head could faintly be seen rolling around in his mouth.
"It's just peeling a shrimp, it's not tiring. It's fine, my sister used to peel them for me all the time."
Qin Yuhe said, "From now on, if I'm here, I peel them for her. If I'm not here, you peel them for her."
Song Tingye protested, "I don't like peeling shrimp. I like eating shrimp."
Qin Yuhe replied, "You don't have to peel them. But from now on, you'll only be eating dirt."
Song Tingye puffed out his chest. "As a manly man, what's wrong with doing a little work? Hard work is a traditional virtue of the Chinese nation. As a successor of the new socialist generation, I am duty-bound to carry on this virtue! Brother-in-law, rest assured, whenever you're not around, I will definitely peel shrimp for my sister. I don't want anything in return; I just want to be hardworking!"
Qin Yuhe cast a sidelong glance at him. "The turtle head fell out of your mouth."
Song Tingye reached up and shoved the turtle head back into his mouth.
The spicy stir-fried shrimp had a glossy sheen, looking incredibly fresh and appetizing, coated in a thick, savory sauce.
Qin Yuhe peeled the shrimp slowly and methodically, without any rush, placing the peeled meat into Song Xinya's bowl.
Song Tingye watched Qin Yuhe eagerly and called out, "Brother-in-law."
Qin Yuhe took a wet wipe and slowly cleaned his hands. "No need to look at me. I'm not going to peel shrimp for you. As a man, you need to be hardworking."
Song Tingye sighed, "Fine."
After lunch, just as Qin Yuhe was about to head back to the study, Song Xinya's phone rang.
It was her stepmother, Li Cuirou, calling.
"Xinxin, it's your mother."
Song Xinya replied, "My mother died a long time ago. What's wrong, are you planning to go to the underworld to keep her company?"
Li Cuirou said, "Child, what nonsense are you talking about? I've married your father. From a legal standpoint, I am your mother."
Song Xinya shot back, "Are you that proud of going from a mistress to a wife? Showing off like this."
Li Cuirou felt a sharp pain in her chest.
She couldn't be bothered to play the hypocritical mother-daughter game with Song Xinya anymore and said directly, "Last time I asked you to go on a blind date with my business partner who is on his second marriage and has two kids, but you didn't go. I have another business partner who doesn't have a wife. He's seventy years old this year, with a pension of forty to fifty thousand a month. If you marry him, not only will you catch up with the trend of granddad-granddaughter romances, but you can also enjoy wealth and glory without having to lift a finger."
Song Xinya: "Why is it that none of your business partners have wives? Other people jinx their husbands, but you jinx your business partners. You really are a bad luck charm."
Li Cuirou was furious.
"Song Xinya, don't talk nonsense! What do you mean I jinx my business partners? What does them not having a wife have to do with me?"
Song Xinya: "What does you wanting to do business with them have to do with me? Do you not have a daughter of your own or something? Why are you always trying to ruin me, a stepdaughter you neither gave birth to nor raised? Where do you get the confidence to think I'd be willing to sacrifice my whole life for you?"
"Li Cuirou, give up on the idea of me marrying your business partners. I've already told you, I'm married."
Li Cuirou said with full mockery, "Look at you, so tacky, fat, and round. So what if you're married? What kind of good man could you possibly marry? Even though I haven't met your husband, I can guess that he's just an idle, jobless punk."
"What's the point of your marriage? Hurry up and get a divorce."
"Whether it's the fifty-year-old divorced man with two kids or the retired old man I introduced to you, which one of them isn't better than your husband?"
Song Xinya: "None of them are better than my husband."
After the phone was hung up, Li Cuirou said disdainfully, "Saying none of them are better than her husband? This Song Xinya is living in a fantasy world she can't get out of. All she knows how to do is brag."
Zhang Yingying chimed in with a sneer, "Isn't she just married to some young punk? Look how smug Song Xinya is."
In the living room, Qin Yuhe heard the conversation between Song Xinya and Li Cuirou, and his footsteps toward the study paused.
He didn't like hearing anyone belittle or look down on her.
Qin Yuhe turned back, walked up to Song Xinya, and said, "Mrs. Qin, it's time we make our marriage public."
