Bringing the Nation’s Husband Home - Chapter 650-674

 

Qiao Anhao didn’t say anything, she just dialed “Home” from her Contacts.

It was Mian Xiu Garden’s home phone number.

Though Zhao Meng had gotten them both into this mess, nevertheless, it was for her.

Furthermore, that script… She really couldn’t do it.

Lin Shiyi had clearly paid to change the script to mess with her. If she agreed to shoot the face slapping scene, who knows what else Lin Shiyi would do to embarrass her!

Qiao Anhao made a call to simply try her luck. She wasn’t sure that Lu Jinnian would definitely be home.

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However, as it turned out, her luck wasn’t too bad. After three rings, she heard Lu Jinnian’s clear voice through the phone. “Qiao Qiao?”

“En,” she responded.

“What’s up?” said Lu Jinnian asked.

Qiao Anhao could hear the faint sounds of the chair skidding across the floor, and she suddenly became a little nervous. If she told Lu Jinnian that she was using him to show off in front of other people, then wouldn’t he think of her as a vain woman and look down on her?

Lu Jinnian waited for a while but hearing nothing spoke up himself. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”

“I…” Qiao Anhao’s words caught in her throat, only a single word escaping.

Lu Jinnian was actually more patient that she imagined. To make sure that she knew he was listening, he gently said, “En?”.

Qiao Anhao bit her bottom lip, shut her eyes, and took a deep breath. To hell with it! Let’s lay the cards out on the table! Lu Jinnian was her husband and she was being picked on by someone. If she didn’t look for him, who would she look for? What’s more, having him look down on her was better than having the whole crew look down on her. Even if it was embarrassing, she could leave it behind closed doors.

At that thought, Qiao Anhao opened her mouth to speak with some confidence. “Do you have some free time right now?”

“Uh huh, yeah.” Lu Jinnian didn’t pause when he answered.

“Then could… you come to the set?”

Qiao Anhao was afraid that Lu Jinnian wouldn’t come. She paused for a while, and thought about what she ha just said.

In the end, who would have known that Lu Jinnian would answer instantly over the phone, “Alright, wait for me. Twenty minutes.”

Qiao Anhao heard the ruffling of clothes through the phone. She felt a little uneasy, but at the same time, her insides warmed. He didn’t even ask her why she wanted him to come over to the set?

Qiao Anhao, who had let her imagination run wild, heard Lu Jinnian’s voice again through the phone. “I’m hanging up, have to leave now.”

“En,” responded Qiao Anhao. With that, Lu Jinnian hung up.

–

Lu Jinnian grabbed the keys and said in fluent English into the video conference on the computer, “Apologies, my wife is in a little trouble, I have to go check it out. As for our launch proposal, let’s look into it when I come back tonight. If it’s possible, I’ll make some time for us to talk more about it in detail.”

One of the middle-aged foreign men wore a shocked expression. “Mr. Lu, you’re married?”

“Yes.” Lu Jinnian didn’t even notice admitting it. With his brows gently furrowed, he said, “Next time you guys come to China, my wife and I will look after you both.”

Then Lu Jinnian cut the video conference short, quickly closed the laptop, and turned out to walk out of the study room.

–

Around ten minutes after he hung up, the director came over to rush Qiao Anhao and Lin Shiyi to get their make up retouched to start shooting.

 

Qiao Anhao calmly sat in her seat, waving for her make up artist to be still.

The make up artist didn’t quite understand what Qiao Anhao meant, but stood by the column beside her.

Nearby, Lin Shiyi wore a cold smile, as she watched what had just happened. She calmly raised her chin to let her make up artist retouch her make up.

After checking the set, the director walked back into the make up room to check if the two of them had finished preparing yet. He couldn’t help but furrow his brows when he saw that Qiao Anhao sat relaxed and hadn’t even started yet. “Xiao Qiao, why haven’t you started getting your make up retouched?”

Qiao Anhao looked towards the two scripts in front of her. Without leaving any space for negotiations, she pointed at the earlier script and said, “If we’re shooting this script, then I’ll get my make up retouched. If we’re shooting this script, then I’m not shooting.”

“Not shooting? Then my make up was all for nothing?” asked Lin Shiyi angrily, suddenly turning her head towards the director.

On set, the investor was always the person who called the shots. Even the director had to listen to Lin Shiyi, as she brought the investment to their drama, so when he heard her words, he immediately glared at Qiao Anhao. “Xiao Qiao, don’t forget that you signed the contract. Do you think if you say you’re not shooting, then you really aren’t going to shoot?”

He then shot the make up artist that stood to a side a fierce look and said, “Hurry up and retouch her make up. What are you doing just standing there?”

With that, he also mumbled to himself, “Acting so big… out here being so picky with the script? If you’ve got the balls then why don’t you invest in the drama yourself and be the boss?”

On hearing the director’s complaint, Lin Shiyi burst out laughing, and used Zhao Meng’s words to mock her enigmatically, “Director, you must be careful! Qiao Anhao has someone big backing her. He has so much power, he can not only give us all paid leave, he could also cut my role at any time. Oh! If that wasn’t enough, he could stop production at any time…”

Before Lin Shiyi could finish, the make up room doors opened and a surprised voice cried, “Mr. Lu!”

Just then, everyone in the make up room looked over at the entrance to find Lu Jinnian dressed in a long black coat. His tall handsome figure stood there radiating a bright, majestic, and benevolent aura.

Lu Jinnian’s appearance silenced the entire make up room in an instant.

Everyone wore an astonished expression on their faces, feeling a little lost. This man was the best screen actor for six consecutive years, the CEO of Huan Ying Entertainment, and the man who recently acquired Xu enterprises. Why would such a legendary man like him appear here?

Lu Jinnian’s face still wore a cold expression as though he were thousands of meters away from others. However, it was cold in its own unique way.

He stood at the door, staring to his left and right in a callous pose, as though he was looking for something. Eventually, his eyes fell on Qiao Anhao. Then, in front of everyone in the make up room, he didn’t hold back as he called her with her nickname, “Qiao Qiao.”

The entire make up room instantly fell silent. The make up artist who was retouching her make up stopped moving.

All eyes were on Lu Jinnian, then they shifted onto Qiao Anhao.

She sluggishly got up from her seat. Under everyone’s stares, she walked around the dressing table and towards Lu Jinnian.

Even if Qiao Anhao had remained calm while being mocked by Lin Shiyi and the director, their words still had an affect of her mood.

When she walked closer, Lu Jinnian saw that between her brows, the hint of annoyance. His own brows instinctively started to crease up. “What happened?”

 

When Qiao Anhao walked closer, Lu Jinnian saw that between her brows, the hint of annoyance. His own brows instinctively started to crease up. “What happened?”

On a normal day, it would take at least half an hour from Mian Xiu Garden to the set, even without traffic.

On the phone, he told her to wait for twenty minutes, which she thought was him speaking casually. She never thought that he’d come in fourteen minutes flat!

Perhaps because he had ran out of the house in a hurry, the inside of his shirt’s collar was a little creased up.

All of a sudden, Qiao Anhao felt like she was being a little unreasonable. Wasn’t someone just looking down on her? Was it worth her making it such a big deal, to even calling him over?

Seeing as Qiao Anhao just stared at him, hesitant to talk, Lu Jinnian furrowed his brows even harder. He then lifted his head and scanned the room full of people with an intense look. When he saw that some people looked uncomfortable, he vaguely understood something. He lowered his head again and asked again in a quiet and good-natured tone of voice, “Just what happened? Did someone pick on you?”

Well she wasn’t completely being picked on per say… Lin Shiyi was trying to trouble her, but Zhao Meng’s sharp tongue had forced her to retaliate, so she didn’t really lose out.

What’s more, when she called, he didn’t even ask her for a reason and rushed over here in a hurry.

Even if she was severely wronged, in that very moment, she felt that it wasn’t even worth bringing up. She gently shook her head at Lu Jinnian.

No matter how smart Lu Jinnian was, he could only guess that someone had upset Qiao Anhao. As for what made her so upset, he didn’t have a clue. For a moment, he was worried that she was in a physical fight, where she lost out, so he looked her up and down. When he was sure that she was fine, he reached his arm out and brushed the hair that draped over her face behind her ears, and said in soft voice, “Tell me, who picked on you?”

In that moment, the director snapped back to reality, and immediately wore a smile on his face to suck up to him. He hurriedly walked over to Lu Jinnian, speaking in a friendly tone, “Mr. Lu, well actually, nobody bullied Miss Qiao, it’s all just a misunderstanding…”

Before the director could finish, Lu Jinnian, who was staring at Qiao Anhao with gentle eyes, suddenly lifted his head and swiftly swept his sharp eyes towards the director. The expression on his face was frighteningly arctic. When he spoke, his voice was distant and quiet, with the power to stop someone in their tracks. “Did I ask you?”

The director froze when he saw Lu Jinnian’s expression when saying those four words. He stopped walking, too afraid to draw any closer, and his smiling face had become a little awkward.

Even though Qiao Anhao was prepared to embarrass herself in front of Lu Jinnian, when it came time to ask him, she still lowered her head, feeling a little ashamed.

Lu Jinnian quickly turned his eyes back to Qiao Anhao, and waited patiently for her to speak.

Because his attitude towards the director just now had been overly terrifying, nobody dared to speak recklessly. They could only quietly wait as well.

In that instant, the make up room fell completely silent.

Qiao Anhao’s silence made Lu Jinnian feel that the situation was more serious than he had imagined. A hint of hostility emerged from the usual cold expression he wore on his face, and he suddenly lifted his head and told Zhao Meng, “You, tell me what happened.”

 

Zhao Meng was someone who never lost out to anyone. Even though Lu Jinnian wasn’t backing her but Qiao Anhao’s, she stared at Lin Shiyi, who sat restlessly in her chair, and then let out a chuckle. Without concealing anything, she went straight to the point, “It’s Lin Shiyi. She’s bullying Qiao Qiao.”

Lin Shiyi… When Lu Jinnian heard that name, a flash of bewilderment crossed his eyes, as though he didn’t know who she was. His eyes then scanned the make up room, before finally falling on Lin Shiyi’s face. Suddenly he remembered.

Wasn’t this the woman he banned, and the woman who had targeted Qiao Anhao all the time during last year’s shooting of “Alluring Times”? Who would of thought that after so much time had passed, they would actually bump into each other again! It’s truly inevitable for you to bump into your enemies.

Lu Jinnian’s eyes suddenly turned cold, and his brows creased, as though something had clicked in his mind. He abruptly lowered his head and said to the little lady next to him without much thought, a little helplessness and fondness in his voice, “How are you so stupid to get picked on by the same person every time?”

He was clearly calling her stupid, but Qiao Anhao felt an obvious sense of warmth in her heart. She pouted at him and finally spoke the first words since he arrived. Her voice was quiet, with a slight spoiled tone, “Well it couldn’t really count as bullying.”

“Does it or does it not count as bullying? What on earth happened? Tell me.”

Women were always argumentative but sweet creatures, and this nature would amplify to no end especially when they encountered someone they relied on.

Perhaps it was because Qiao Anhao had kept her silence after debating to herself on whether or not to tell Lu Jinnian about everything and have him look down on her, or if it was his absolutely patience, or perhaps it was how he called her stupid, or further yet, his question “Does it or does it not count as bullying?”… Those words were overly permissive.

Anyways, Qiao Anhao’s heart softened up. She decided it couldn’t be called telling on Lin Shiyi, but more like complaining, so then, as though no one else were around, she told Lu Jinnian, “The company prepared this drama for me last year. At the time, the director was chosen and Lin Shiyi didn’t have a part, but when time came for the shoot, she found a rich boyfriend who invested a lot of money, so he cast her into the movie and gave her the role of the supporting female character.”

“En,” responded Lu Jinnian to signify that he was listening.

His reaction made Qiao Anhao feel a little more comfortable. After stuttering earlier, she now spoke more fluidly, regaining her usual voice and attitude. “I already didn’t like her, but she would even show off her boyfriend every day. If that wasn’t annoying enough, she then changed my script so that…”

After so long, she finally got to the main point. She was unhappy because the script was changed…

Lu Jinnian didn’t interrupt Qiao Anhao, just staring at her with a serious face as he waited for her to continue.

“The script clearly said that I was meant to slap her in the scene, but in end, it was all changed and she had to slap me. Not only once, but…”

When Qiao Anhao said that, a tinge of annoyance emerged in Lu Jinnian’s eyes. “And then?”

Qiao Anhao bit her bottom lip and thought about what Lin Shiyi and Zhao Meng had said in their argument.

 

Qiao Anhao bit her bottom lip and thought about what Lin Shiyi and Zhao Meng had said in their argument.

She wasn’t sure if Lu Jinnian would be fine with Zhao Meng using him to compare and argue with other people.

If he really was unhappy, then what if Zhao Meng got dragged into this?

Even though Qiao Anhao didn’t do it, she racked her brain over it and ended up blaming it on herself. “So I was so miserable, I started arguing with her…”

She may have been complaining, but besides putting Zhao Meng words onto herself, she explained everything else truthfully. “I cursed her out first…”

In reality, it was Zhao Meng who had first called Lin Shiyi ‘shameless’.

As she said that, Qiao Anhao, who wasn’t very confident, sneakily raised her eyes to look at Lu Jinnian. Seeing that he wasn’t mad at her for shouting at someone else first, she continued to recount what happened. “She then told me that whoever has money calls the shots…”

Lu Jinnian furrowed his brows.

“She also said that if I was so big, then I should invest several thousand millions and change the script back to how it was before…”

Lu Jinnian furrowed his brows even tighter.

“In the end, she even said I had no power, which irritated me…” After talking for so long, Qiao Anhao finally got to the point once again. She didn’t dare look at Lu Jinnian, keeping her head down when she said in a little voice, “I couldn’t take it, so I told her to stop showing off her man everyday. My man is better than hers by far. Don’t even mention treating everyone to afternoon tea, he could give everyone paid leave. Don’t even mention changing the script, he could cut her role at any time…”

The entire make up room fell extremely silent. Qiao Anhao was there just rambling at Lu Jinnian, and in his eyes, he was facing the woman talking to him as though nothing existed around him.

The more Qiao Anhao spoke, the less confident she got. Suddenly, she got a “My dad is Li Gang” sense of déjà vu. In her mind, she resisted, but then her little face reddened. ‘I’m done for!’ Lu Jinnian was going to definitely see her as a vain and boastful woman, thought Qiao Anhao, saying as quietly as a fly, “I also said that you could stop production at any time.”

Oh god. How could Zhao Meng put such a big lie out there?

It wasn’t enough for her to put such a big lie on the open, she actually made it happen by really calling Lu Jinnian over…

Don’t even mention Lu Jinnian looking down on her, she now even looked down on herself a little. He must be so disappointed in her, right?

Qiao Anhao was about to stick to his chest, like a kid who had done something naughty. She nervously grabbed his sleeve, and continued to honestly say, “Lin Shiyi didn’t believe me and said I was just bluffing, so I called you…”

When Qiao Anhao said that, it was all finally crystal clear now.

She didn’t dare imagine how Lu Jinnian looked at that moment, even more so lift her head to check.

The make up room was deadly silent, which made Qiao Anhao feel even more uneasy. She still felt that Lu Jinnian would probably be unhappy, so she tried to make him feel better by adding, “Actually, I don’t even want to compare my man with hers. I was just so mad that she said my man was so old he could be my father and I was ashamed to show his face, I… I…”

No matter how she explained it, it sounded weak…

 

Eventually, Qiao Anhao simply fell silent. She lowered her head and stood there for a while, ready to honestly admit that she was immature and wrong to Lu Jinnian, when suddenly, he opened his mouth. “So, the real reason why you called me over was to actually tell other people that your man was as powerful as you said he was?”

When Qiao Anhao, who was already apprehensive, heard Lu Jinnian’s words, she instantly felt like she could die right then. Crap crap crap! Did that mean Lu Jinnian was getting angry? In front of so many people, if he flipped out…

This time, Qiao Anhao didn’t even dare speak. She just gave an especially quick nod and instinctively prepared herself to say in a pitiful voice, “I was wrong”. But then, his hand suddenly rubbed her head.

Qiao Anhao was so shocked in that instant, the words immediately got stuck in her throat. She hurriedly shut her eyes, wu wu wu… Lu Jinnian must of gotten extremely mad this time. Did this mean that he was just going to hit her straight away?

Ey?

Before the thought could settle in her mind, Qiao Anhao suddenly blanked out. Lu Jinnian was stroking her head. Not only that, but he was so gentle…

She silently raised her head with a little disbelief, sneakily looking over at Lu Jinnian. To her astonishment, there wasn’t even a hint of gloomy coldness on his face. Instead, she saw a neutral smirk, which brought warmth to his usual frosty and handsome complexion.

Qiao Anhao thought that she was seeing things. After two hard blinks, she realized that Lu Jinnian still had that warm and affectionate expression. In that instant, she stared at him with her big, dark eyes in a daze, a little shocked by his affection.

Lu Jinnian looked as though… Not only was he not angry, he seemed so delighted…

Qiao Anhao’s cute, silly, blank look amused Lu Jinnian so much, his eyes became soft. Then, he took her hand and held it.

Honestly speaking, Lu Jinnian didn’t really understand what was going through Qiao Anhao’s mind. In truth, she couldn’t have called him over because she was angry about the script being amended, right? How could they argue half a day just to compare their men?

All right, he admitted it. For Qiao Anhao to compare guys, it was like a little student competing if she had the most sweets. It was immature and absurd of everyone involved, but he couldn’t help but admit just how much he enjoyed every time the words ‘my man’ came from her mouth. In that instant, he decided that he didn’t mind being immature and absurd with her at all.

Since she was the one who started comparing, she couldn’t give up half way.

What’s more, he only had one wife. If he didn’t protect her, then who would?

Lu Jinnian first pushed Qiao Anhao back into her make up chair, and then looked over at several multicolored bottles placed to one side. He was very familiar with those bottles, because every time he opened the fridge in Mian Xiu Garden, he’d find those same bottles lined up row by row.

She must of personally grabbed a few of them to drink on set, and so Lu Jinnian casually grabbed for a pink bottle. He removed the lid and placed it in front of Qiao Anhao to signal for her to first take a sip of fruit juice. He then reached over to the table and grabbed a script, “Is this the amended script?”

“No, it’s this one.” Zhao Meng hastily brought over the other script, and swapped it with the one in Lu Jinnian’s hands.

 

When Zhao Meng said this, Lu Jinnian was a little annoyed, but because he didn’t know how the script was changed, he maintained his composure.

When he was filming, he would often memorize the script which resulted in him learning to go through a script really quickly. He practically flipped through a page, then another soon after.

As he went through the script page by page, his face grew increasingly more arctic.

Usually, Lu Jinnian barely wore any emotions on his face, which would stress people out very much. Right then, the atmosphere in the make up room started growing more tense due to the change of his expression. Practically no one dared to take a deep breath, besides Qiao Anhao of course, who sat cool and collected by Lu Jinnian’s side. She bit her straw and drank her juice every now and then, making sucking noises at times.

Suddenly, Lu Jinnian slammed the script shut, and let out a dull sound, which made Qiao Anhao feel a little curious, and she lifted her head up from the straw. But before she could take a clear look at what happened to Lu Jinnian, the abrupt sound of the man’s arrogantly cold voice was heard. “Now, in the next scene to be shot, she has to…”

While saying that Lu Jinnian first pointed at Lin Shiyi, then raised his hand to pat Qiao Anhao’s head, which was at hip height whilst she was sitting. “Hit her?”

In the make up room, no one dared to speak.

Lu Jinnian was clearly there to help Zhao Meng and Qiao Anhao put up a front. Yet, when Zhao Meng saw Lu Jinnian’s stance, she was still a little afraid, though she tried to stay calm, hastily nodding at him. “Yes.”

“Yes?”

Suddenly, Lu Jinnian let out a cold laugh, and gave a sharp glare to everyone in the room. He ruthlessly smashed the script onto he table with a “Pa!”, scaring quite a few people in the make up room to shivers. Then he said in an emotionless voice, “All right. Then start shooting. I want to see who dares to hurt a single hair of Qiao Anhao’s under my watch!”

In that moment, not just Zhao Meng, but even Qiao Anhao was so frightened by Lu Jinnian’s brimming anger that she bit her straw, not daring to drink her juice. She didn’t even dare look at his face, just to silently sneak a glance from the corner of her eyes.

The director was so frightened by Lu Jinnian’s stance, his legs were a little numb. In that moment, he couldn’t care less about Lin Shiyi and the investment she brought to their crew. All he wanted to do was not get dragged down by Lu Jinnian’s anger. His voice trembled when he said, “No… No… Mr. Lu, this isn’t the next scene to be shot. That script… script, was just something we made to joke with Miss Qiao… we’re going with the earlier script…”

“Joke?”

This joke was such a joke in itself. He already made her so upset, and yet he said he was just joking with her?

Lu Jinnian suddenly grabbed the two scripts from the table and thrust them towards the director, smacking him directly on the head. “Who gave you the power to randomly joke around with her?”

The director lowered his head without saying a word, as he felt his legs start to shiver.

“Also, don’t tell me that you’ll go by the earlier script. Write me a new script just how you rewrote the original!”

 

“My only request is that I get paid back tenfold for the amount of slaps she has written in the script you gave Qiao Anhao!”

Lu Jinnian only used a single “she” to replace Lin Shiyi. His expression spoke that it wasn’t even worth calling her by the name.

Pay back tenfold… implied that he had to think of a way for Qiao Anhao’s character to slap Lin Shiyi several times over, because she had thrown money away to change the script just to slap Qiao Anhao’s character.

So to speak… Lu Jinnian didn’t cut her screen time at all?

Lin Shiyi sat in her own seat with her chin slightly raised, and thought about that.

She couldn’t mess with Lu Jinnian. In fact, he had previously made her suffer enough, but no matter how bad it got, she would just be cast out. She didn’t need to be like the others, in a sense that she needn’t kiss up to Lu Jinnian to survive in the industry.

Since that was the case, then she didn’t need to embarrass herself in front of Lu Jinnian with so many people around, and chose to suffer in silence.

What’s more, she had her investor to back her. Lu Jinnian wouldn’t want to get on someone’s wrong side over a woman, right…

At that thought, Lin Shiyi let out a chuckle, for she wasn’t the least bit afraid, and said, “Didn’t you say that you could cut my screen time at any moment? Why haven’t you cut it? So as it turns out, Mr. Lu isn’t as good as Qiao Anhao was boasting?”

When Lin Shiyi said that, everyone in the room broke a sweat for her.

Everyone assumed that Lu Jinnian would direct his anger towards her, but who knew, he treated her as though she didn’t exist. He completely ignored her words and continued to stare at the director menacingly. “Since Qiao Qiao said to stop production, then this drama is going to stop shooting for three months.”

He really was going to halt production… that would be such a big loss… the director instinctively opened his mouth to beg, “Mr. Lu…”

Lu Jinnian didn’t even give the director a chance to speak, as though it wasn’t up for negotiation. He said, “Five months.”

The director naturally looked over at Qiao Anhao for help. “Miss Qiao…”

“Eight months.” Lu Jinnian didn’t even think twice as he threw out those two words. “If you dare say another word, I’ll stop production for a year.”

The director didn’t dare to make even a sound.

Qiao Anhao, who sat to one side, bit down hard onto her straw, her emotions going up again after she had calmed herself down when she saw Lu Jinnian not angry. Wasn’t he taking this a little too far?

Lu Jinnian neutrally pulled his eyes away from the director and slowly landed them on Lin Shiyi, who sat to one side. “Miss Lin, your boyfriend is so rich, the several thousand million investment could stretch for seven to eight months and he shouldn’t mind at all, right?”

Lin Shiyi pursed her lips, but didn’t say a word.

Lu Jinnian continued to calmly and slowly say, “If Miss Lin really wants to kick off production, that’s isn’t impossible, you can just return my investment and let your boyfriend cover it all. By then, don’t even talk about the script, you can change it from a modern drama to a period drama.”

Lin Shiyi balled her hands into fists, but still didn’t say a word.

Lu Jinnian raised a hand and placed it sluggishly on the back of Qiao Anhao’s chair. He then asked again, as if in afterthought, “Oh right. Miss Lin, what did you just say? That I didn’t have the power to cut your part at any time?”

Lu Jinnian lowered his eyes and chuckled as though he’d heard a really funny joke.

 

Lu Jinnian lowered his eyes and chuckled as though he’d heard a really funny joke.

Then, in an instant, his expression suddenly became cold. “I don’t have the power to do this? Lin Shiyi, didn’t you learn from filming ‘Alluring Times’?

“I thought that you would have learned your lesson from back then. I never thought that Miss Lin had such a cockroach-like imperishable attitude, that on the road to disaster you would choose to walk further and further down it. At this point, Miss Lin, I’m quite impressed.”

Lu Jinnian’s words were as sincere as they could be. So sincere, in fact, that Lin Shiyi’s complexion looked worse for wear, as though she couldn’t hold in her anger anymore.

It seemed like Lu Jinnian had nothing more to say, as he put on a face as though he couldn’t be bothered to talk with Lin Shiyi. He turned his head and glanced at Qiao Anhao, who was biting her straw, then patted her head with his outstretched hand and said, “Get changed, let’s go home.”

“Okay.”

Qiao Anhao hurriedly put the bottle in her hand down, stood up, and just before she left her spot, Lu Jinnian, who stood beside her, suddenly saw two boxes on the table. He remembered how Qiao Anhao had told him that Lin Shiyi had treated everyone to afternoon tea, and so, as though he had just realized something, he suddenly picked up the two paper lunch boxes. Without so much as a blink of an eye, he immediately threw them into the bin to one side.

Everyone there ate Lin Shiyi’s afternoon tea, and so naturally they knew it was Lin Shiyi who had especially ordered them. Yet Lu Jinnian went and threw them directly into the bin like that, with a face of extreme disgust. He was really something…

Someone sneaked a cheeky glance over at Lin Shiyi to find that her face was pale, then suddenly red.

Even though Qiao Anhao loathed Lin Shiyi, she felt that Lu Jinnian had helped her to completely vent her anger. Just when she thought that the situation was over, who knew that after she had stepped no more than five steps towards the changing rooms, Lu Jinnian’s voice could be heard from behind her again. It was like he would never end.

He said in a lighthearted tone of voice, “Oh, that’s right. Miss Lin, I have something else to tell you. If your boyfriend pulls his investment from “Love at First Sight” because of what happened today and breaks up with you, then don’t worry. I’ll pay for you to continue as the supporting female role.”

Lu Jinnian paused for a moment, then gave a light laugh and added, “The only reason why I haven’t cut your screen time is not because I can’t, but because I want to see your face as you cannot bare to see Qiao Anhao yet have to put up with her!”

The highest point of torturing her was not to completely erase her from the eyes, but to make it so that she had no choice but to face you and see as you outdo her in every area.

Since Qiao Qiao really wanted to compete with her, all right then… let’s go all out until she completely gives in. From here on out, she’ll never dare to compete with Qiao Qiao again!

Lin Shiyi suddenly grabbed the phone of the table and stormed out of the make up room.

–

Qiao Anhao changed her clothes, removed her make up, and when she went to the bathroom to wash her face, she quickly went to the toilet as well.

When she came out of her cubicle, she saw Lin Shiyi standing in front of the sink, wiping her tears. She noticed that someone was behind her, so she quickly lowered her head, turned the tap on, and washed her face.

Qiao Anhao stood in front of the furthest tap from Lin Shiyi. She washed her hands and just when she pulled out some tissue to wipe them, Lin Shiyi coincidentally turned her head. Her eyes were full of resentment.

 

Qiao Anhao pretended as though she saw nothing, nonchalantly wiped her hands clean. She pulled the door open and walked out.

It was not until Lin Shiyi heard the door close that the angry expression on her face disappeared, replaced with rolling tears down her face.

In the past, she had never accepted losing to Qiao Anhao because Lu Jinnian was always there. Every time she collided with her, she’d end up in the worst situation. Every time! Now she and Qiao Anhao were on the same set again, and she only dared to treat Qiao Anhao like that because she had heard that Lu Jinnian had left Beijing. However, who would of thought… it was just the same as before. She moved a boulder again to only smash it on her own foot.

Didn’t they say that Lu Jinnian had disappeared? How did he suddenly reappear again?

Lin Shiyi’s brows suddenly furrowed. She remembered how she saw a figure as cool as Lu Jinnian with a tall foreign woman go into a room, just when she was with her boyfriend at the Four Seasons hotel last night… At the time, she’d thought that the back of the man looked like Lu Jinnian’s but dismissed it since he was missing. Now, though, it seemed like it really could have been him…

–

When Qiao Anhao left the bathroom and returned to the make up room, Lu Jinnian was already gone. Just as she picked up her bag, ready to look for him, an eighteen year old woman curiously raised her head and cried, “Sis Anhao”. She nosily asked, “Is Mr. Lu really Sis Anhao’s boyfriend?”

–

Since Lu Jinnian had to wait for quite some time for Qiao Anhao, he went out to light up a cigarette. Just when he headed back to the make up room and pushed the door half-way open, he heard someone ask Qiao Anhao this question. He didn’t know why, but at that moment, his footsteps paused at the entrance and his eyes locked onto Qiao Anhao’s face.

Today, it was originally Zhao Meng and Lin Shiyi who had started arguing, and so Qiao Anhao had called Lu Jinnian to come over. At the very least, she could tell everyone that their relationship wasn’t normal.

She and Lu Jinnian has been married for over ten days, yet he had never announced their relationship, and so she didn’t dare to announce it either.

Suddenly, for someone to ask that question, how was she going to answer?

Qiao Anhao thought deeply about it for a moment, and eventually shook her head slowly. “No.”

Lu Jinnian, who stood outside the door, balled his hands into tight fists. His heart unexpectedly fell to the lowest pit.

In the room, Qiao Anhao gently smiled at the young woman and said in a soft voice, “Lu Jinnian isn’t my boyfriend, he’s my husband.”

It was clearly the truth, so why was she so guilty? Would Lu Jinnian be angry with her?

Lu Jinnian, who was disappointed and hurt, suddenly felt his heart tremble.

He really didn’t think that she would say such a thing.

The only reason why he didn’t announce their relationship was because he wasn’t sure about the feelings they shared. But today, she called him to show off, and openly admitted that he was her husband… Could she really like him?

Lu Jinnian felt his heart race like crazy as he watched Qiao Anhao talking to a young girl through the crack of the doors. He didn’t disturb her, but waited for her outside.

–

Qiao Anhao was afraid that Lu Jinnian was waiting for her, and so she hurriedly said goodbye to the young girl, then rushed over to the entrance. However, just as she walked a few steps forward, she suddenly heard the voice of someone crying.

“Qiao Anhao.”

 

Qiao Anhao was afraid that Lu Jinnian was waiting for her, and so she hurriedly said goodbye to the young girl, then rushed over to the entrance. However, just as she walked a few steps forward, she suddenly heard the voice of someone crying.

“Qiao Anhao.”

She halted for a moment. Why was Lin Shiyi calling her?

She thought about Lu Jinnian, who was still waiting for her outside, and didn’t felt like being held back by Lin Shiyi, so she just ignored her and continued to walk away.

“Qiao Anhao!” Lin Shiyi shouted out even louder. After that, Qiao Anhao heard the hurried sound of high heels emerge behind her. Before her hand could pull the door open, Lin Shiyi was one step ahead, stopping in front to block her way.

Because she’d just been crying, her face didn’t look so good, the rims of her eyes still red.

Qiao Anhao was a little annoyed by Lin Shiyi’s pestering, so her tone of voice was hostile when she said, “Lin Shiyi, just what do you want? Perhaps you don’t think that you were embarrassed enough…”

“Qiao Anhao, save your patronizing ways in front of me!” Lin Shiyi briskly interrupted Qiao Anhao’s words. She curved her red lips into a mocking smirk, then said in a voice only the two of them could hear, clearly explaining the very reason why she had called her name. “Relax. I didn’t call you to argue with you. I called you to tell you that your man, who just stood up for you – Lu Jinnian – do you think that he would really be devoted to you alone?”

Qiao Anhao’s eyes slightly froze. Her lips moved, wanting to fight back with words, but Lin Shiyi didn’t give the slightest chance. She continued to say in a low voice by her ear, “I’ll tell you the truth. Last night at twelve at the Four Seasons hotel, I saw Lu Jinnian drive a beautiful foreign woman into the hotel. What’s more, he entered the hotel room with her and stayed there for a really long time…

“Qiao Anhao, a man and a woman alone in a room together… in the middle of the night… what do you think happened between the two of them in the room? Most importantly, why was your man not spending the night with you, but with that woman?”

Lin Shiyi let out a chuckle. “Qiao Anhao, you can only be this arrogant because you’ve got Lu Jinnian in the palm of your hands, isn’t that right? If you didn’t have him, then what are you even? Yet, from what I see, you don’t even really have any pull on that man!”

With those words, Lin Shiyi swept a glance towards Qiao Anhao’s delicate white hands and said, “You just told someone that Lu Jinnian was your husband? You both got married? After marriage, he didn’t even buy you a wedding ring?”

When Lin Shiyi said this, Qiao Anhao instinctively hid her hands behind her handbag. She tried hard to maintain a calm expression on her face. “Are you done? If you are, then please do move aside.”

Lin Shiyi seemed like she hadn’t imagined that Qiao Anhao would have that kind of response, as she was stunned for a second there before asking, “You don’t believe what I said?”

“Lin Shiyi, don’t you find your own question funny?” Qiao Anhao looked like she had just heard a hilarious joke, suddenly laughing out loud. She turned her head around and scanned Lin Shiyi up and down. “From head to toe, what part of you exactly is worth believing?”

 

When Qiao Anhao finished speaking, she walked right around Lin Shiyi, and pulled open the make up room door.

Her words drained the blood from Lin Shiyi’s face. She slowly lifted her chin, turned around, and faced Qiao Anhao, who was eager to leave. She purposefully opened her mouth again to speak in a serious tone, “Oh, that’s right. Qiao Anhao, I forgot to tell you just now… The room they booked at the Four Seasons is room 1002, the presidential suite.”

The hand Qiao Anhao used to hold the door trembled slightly, but from behind, she looked incredibly calm. She leisurely stomped out with a crisp ‘ta-ta-ta’ sound of her high heels, as though Lin Shiyi wasn’t talking to her at all.

–

When they left the set, it was already time to have dinner. On their way back to Mian Xiu Garden, they coincidentally passed a Cantonese restaurant, so Lu Jinnian turned the car towards it.

He ordered the food, choosing only light dishes.

The restaurant served the food very quickly. Before they started eating, Lu Jinnian personally handed Qiao Anhao a wet towel. Throughout their meal, he would pick up some food and place it onto her plate, but he didn’t really eat himself at all. From the start, it seemed like he was at Qiao Anhao’s beck and call, circling her.

When she put down her chopsticks, he immediately handed her a napkin. When she almost finished drinking her cup of tea, he immediately filled it up for her. When she sneaked a glance at a plate, he immediately grabbed food from that plate for her. When there was a dish with fish or shrimp, he would debone or deshell it and hand her the soft meaty flesh.

In the days since Qiao Anhao and Lu Jinnian had gotten married, they’d spent three meals a day together. It wasn’t like Lu Jinnian had never pulled out a chair for her, handed her a napkin, or poured tea for her, but he was never as attentive and enthusiastic as tonight.

Just as Qiao Anhao chewed the shrimp Lu Jinnian had just peeled, she couldn’t help but raise her eyes. She observed him, who was pouring her tea, to find that he still had the same cold expression on his face. However, his relaxed brows told her that his mood was particularly good after leaving the set tonight.

But on the set, she clearly caused him trouble…

At that thought, Qiao Anhao remembered Zhao Meng’s boastful words, causing her little face to immediately heat up.

If it wasn’t enough for Zhao Meng to not think before speaking when she randomly gloated, Qiao Anhao then had relayed it all to him. And after that, he actually went along and carried out every word.

Especially the part where he stopped production of “Love at First Sight” for eight months! Also, for Lin Shiyi’s boyfriend to contribute such a big investment, he must be someone with a powerful background… Before Lu Jinnian even asked who the investor was, he stopped production just like that, with her single word… Her momentary unruliness and impulse… will it cause Lu Jinnian trouble?

At that moment, Qiao Anhao became a little shy. She couldn’t help but lower her head, from which she discovered that there were two peeled shrimps and a piece of deboned fish already in her bowl.

She felt even more uneasy and guilty. She pouted and picked up a shrimp and put it into her mouth, then raised her head and stared at Lu Jinnian in front of her, carefully asking, “This afternoon on set… did I cause you trouble?”

Compared to Qiao Anhao’s genuine restlessness, Lu Jinnian appeared calm and composed. So much so that he seemed like he didn’t care at all. “How much trouble could you have caused me?”

With Lu Jinnian’s vague and lighthearted question back, another peeled shrimp fell into Qiao Anhao’s bowl.

 

“After all, Lin Shiyi’s boyfriend invested so much money, which goes to say, he must be quite a big deal…”

“Whether her boyfriend is a big deal or not, is that something you should be worrying about?” Lu Jinnian picked up a piece of fish. As he deboned it, he interrupted Qiao Anhao in a nonchalant voice, cutting off her words. “What if I caused you to have an enemy in the business industry? Then what?”

Qiao Anhao’s words were left stuck in her throat, and she gulped, staring at Lu Jinnian for about five seconds. She then realized what he had meant. Her eyes suddenly twinkled, and she drew her face closer. “Lu Jinnian, are you acting jealous?”

Lu Jinnian turned his gaze from the fish to Qiao Anhao’s face, and stared at her with a neutral look. “Do you really think that a man who set his eyes on Miss Lin is worthy of my jealousy?”

Ayah… She was clearly being looked down on, so why did it make her feel so good?

Qiao Anhao’s eyes were curved as she pouted her bright red lips from the hot chillis. “You’re clearly jealous… It’s because I said that her boyfriend was a big deal that you’re acting jea…”

Before she could say her final word ‘jealous’, Lu Jinnian suddenly picked up the deboned fish and shoved it into her mouth, stopping her from talking once again.

When Qiao Anhao swallowed the fish, she clearly saw Lu Jinnian’s pale face gain a slight tinge of pink. She couldn’t help but laugh whilst eating, which made him glare at her even more intensely. She hurriedly bit her lip and held her laughter in.

She then her eyes into a crescent moon shape. Like this, she looked the most charming and attractive self. Lu Jinnian couldn’t help but turn his head towards the window, and the tint of red on his face grew even more evident.

However, even with Lu Jinnian’s nonchalant words as guarantee, Qiao Anhao still felt uncertain. She was afraid that he would judge her for what she’d said, and so after eating the last shrimp, she asked in an obedient voice, “Lu Jinnian, did I go a little overboard this afternoon?”

Lu Jinnian took the last peeled shrimp and shoved it into Qiao Anhao’s mouth. Then, he grabbed a napkin and slowly wiped his fingers. When he spoke, his tone of voice was rather flat but there was also a mix of infinite affection and pampering. “I wouldn’t mind if you’d went even more overboard.”

I really don’t mind if you went a little overboard.

On the contrary, I really like it when you go overboard.

It gave me a sense that in your world, I am someone who you can’t be without.

I love you, I like you, I want to spend the rest of my life with you… Those were the world’s most sentimental terms of endearment. To randomly spit any one of those lines would touch someone.

But, Lu Jinnian had said “I don’t mind if you went a little overboard”.

Qiao Anhao thought that those words were the most beautiful words she’d heard in the world. The warmest of sweet words couldn’t even compare.

Even though she didn’t believe Lin Shiyi’s words, her one line of “after marriage, he hadn’t even bought you a wedding ring?” had prodded the softest part of her heart.

On their way off set, she had told herself over and over again that Lin Shiyi was just saying it to upset her. She mustn’t get upset, or she’d fall for her trap.

What’s more, wasn’t it just a wedding ring?

 

What’s more, wasn’t it just a wedding ring?

What’s the big deal? Who said that you needed a ring to be married!

She and Lu Jinnian wanted to be special!

However, even if she found infinite ways to comfort herself, she knew deep down in her heart that she was still a little upset.

Yet, at that very moment, she felt so warm and so happy because of his words.

“Lu Jinnian, was I a little overboard this afternoon?”

“I wouldn’t mind if you’d went even more overboard.”

How beautiful were those words…

–

After dinner, Lu Jinnian called the waiter for the bill, but he then suddenly looked like he had remembered something. He reached his hand out towards Qiao Anhao. “Mobile phone.”

She blinked in confusion at first, but then slowly came to a realization. She hastily pulled out her phone from her bag and handed it to Lu Jinnian.

He took it, and after his fingers flew across the screen, he gave it back to Qiao Anhao. “If something comes up, call this number.”

Qiao Anhao responded with an “oh”. When she picked up her phone, she saw that it was an American number. She furrowed her brows, then raised her head and asked, “You’re back in China now, are you not going to change your number to a domestic one?”

The waiter, who Lu Jinnian had called over, brought a card machine over to him. He picked the pen to sign as he replied, “After a while, I’ll get a new number. When I do, I’ll let you know.”

“Why do you need a brand new number?” asked Qiao Anhao confused. “Was the last one not good? Couldn’t you have bought a new sim and asked for your old number?”

The previous mobile number… When Lu Jinnian heard those words, he clearly stopped signing his name for a moment. His expression then ran cold, but only for a split second. He snapped back to his senses and continued to sign, but his writing wasn’t as fluid as before.

After he handed the waiter back his pen, he grabbed for his jacket that hung on the side and said in a flat tone, “Let’s go.” He turned around and walked out of the room.

Why did Lu Jinnian suddenly look a little unhappy, Qiao Anhao wondered. She hadn’t said anything wrong…

Qiao Anhao sat in her seat alone, full of bewilderment for a time. Only then she picked up her bag and walked out of the room.

When she walked out of the restaurant, Lu Jinnian had already started the car up and was waiting by the entrance for her. His facial expression looked normal, just as it was during dinner. It was so normal in fact that when she got into the car, he personally fastened her seat belt. It was as though the flash of annoyance in the restaurant had been all just in her head.

It was late when they got back to Mian Xiu Garden. As usual, Qiao Anhao got a shower first, then left the water on and called Lu Jinnian’s name.

In bed, Lu Jinnian hugged Qiao Anhao, but didn’t do much else.

Qiao Anhao purposefully wriggled in his arms, but eventually he only just kissed her lips while locking her down so she couldn’t move.

She didn’t know how long had passed, but the skies outside had already darkened and everything was silent. Just as she had shut her eyes, about to drift off to sleep, she suddenly felt Lu Jinnian gently slipping away from her.

In that split second, she instantly wasn’t sleepy anymore. With her eyes still shut, she motionlessly pretended to be deep asleep.

She clearly heard Lu Jinnian quietly crawl out of bed, then walk towards the changing rooms. Next came the sound of ruffling clothes.

 

Why was Lu Jinnian getting dressed?

Qiao Anhao furrowed her brows when she heard Lu Jinnian come out from the changing room, and then shut the bedroom door on his way out.

The room fell silent once again, and her eyes were filled with suspicion when she opened them. She soon heard the door open downstairs and her brows furrowed even tighter. She instinctively threw the covers off of herself, jumped out of bed, and ran towards the balcony. From there, she saw Lu Jinnian get into his car. The car lights lit up. He slowly turned the car around and drove out the courtyard.

Why wasn’t he asleep? What did he sneak out on his own for? In the middle of the night nonetheless…

Qiao Anhao stood on the balcony in bewilderment for a long while, before running back into the bedroom. She grabbed her phone, ready to call him when… who else went through her head but Lin Shiyi’s earlier words.

Four Seasons Hotel… a foreign woman… a man and a woman alone in a room… room 1002, the presidential suite…

Those words were as full of impact as an explosive in Qiao Anhao’s mind, going off again and again.

Her hand trembled and the phone fell down and crashed next to her feet. Her delicately white skin instantly became red, but she didn’t seem to feel any pain at all, as she remained frozen there.

Lu Jinnian liked her so much… How could he go look for another woman?

However, for as long as they’ve been married, he had never once made a move on her. Even tonight, she made a move to fall into him, yet he didn’t do a thing. But in the afternoon, Lu Jinnian had looked after her, and when she mentioned another man over dinner, he’d gotten jealous. He clearly cared about her.

No-no-no, she had to trust Lu Jinnian… For him to go out like that, he must have his reasons… She couldn’t let herself be affected by Lin Shiyi…

Qiao Anhao forcefully shook her head, shut her eyes, and took a deep breath. She tried her best to calm herself down, as she continuously told herself to stop thinking about it, but the more she told herself not to, the wilder her thoughts ran. Eventually, she sat by the side of her bed as though she’d lost all the strength in her body and looked around the empty bedroom. Her heart was overwhelmed with panic.

A thought came to mind that impelled her to look into it, but another thought forced her to stop.

The two thoughts fought one another in her mind for a long time, before Qiao Anhao finally stood up and walked towards the changing room.

She had no idea how she got dressed, nor how she walked out the door. In short, when she finally snapped back to reality, she was already at the entrance of Mian Xiu Garden’s neighborhood, having hailed a taxi.

She got into the car, and when the driver asked her where she was headed, she paused for a long moment before saying, “Four Seasons Hotel”.

It was one in the morning. The streets were empty and extremely silent, and the sound of the speeding car traveled through Qiao Anhao’s ears.

She didn’t know for how long they had been driving when the car came to a stop. She just stared blankly out the window without any reaction.

The driver turned his head and patted the back of his seat. “Miss, we’re here.”

With that, Qiao Anhao seemed to nod in retrospect. She pushed open the car door and got ready to get out.

“Miss, you haven’t paid your fare!”

 

After the taxi driver’s reminder, Qiao Anhao took half a minute to understand what he meant, then hastily pulled out her purse and paid the fare.

The taxi driver had stopped the car opposite the Four Seasons Hotel. After waiting for the taxi to leave, Qiao Anhao stared up at the dazzlingly lights of the hotel across the wide road in front of her.

She couldn’t say why, but the nerves started to take over her heart. She kind of wanted to go over, and yet she kind of didn’t.

She stood on the street for five whole minutes before turning around, walking casually toward the Sky Bridge and onward, step-by-step.

She descended the Sky Bridge, and her eyes instantly locked on to the car at the hotel’s entrance.

It was Lu Jinnian’s car.

He had really come to the Four Seasons Hotel…

In that instant, her chaotic heart completely collapsed.

Could it be that what Lin Shiyi had said was true?

Lu Jinnian had come to the Four Seasons Hotel to hook up with a foreign woman?

However, they had clearly fallen asleep together in bed last night… In the morning, it was also her who had woken up first. He rested beside her, in the same hugging pose as the night before.

She stared at his car for a long while, before her gaze honed in on the Four Seasons Hotel. She lifted her head and looked up at the top floor.

The highest floor was the presidential suite… Lin Shiyi had even told her the room number. Could they really be in room 1002?

Qiao Anhao gulped and hesitated for a moment. Eventually she strode over towards the hotel.

In the Four Seasons Hotel, even if you wanted to visit, you had to register.

All she had to do was give Lu Jinnian’s name and ID number, then she’ll know if he was in room 1002.

At the front desk of the Four Seasons Hotel, there were only two members of staff on duty. Perhaps because it was very late, they were slightly dozing off. When they saw Qiao Anhao walk over, one of the gentlemen immediately summoned his energy and smiled. He kindly asked, “Excuse me Miss, are you here to check in?”

Qiao Anhao’s expression seemed calm when she shook her head. After taking her phone out and finding Lu Jinnian’s ID number, she said to the front desk, “I have a friend here. I’m here to see him. His ID number is…”

The gentleman quickly typed the series of numbers that Qiao Anhao had given into the computer.

When he finished entering the eleven digit ID number, he politely asked Qiao Anhao to “Please wait”. He then pressed search. After waiting for about half a minute, the gentleman pointed over to the elevator. “Mr. Lu is in room 1002, allow me to take you up.”

In that instant, Qiao Anhao couldn’t quite describe how she felt.

Actually, the reason for why she came out in the middle of the night was because her woman’s intuition told her that there was something Lu Jinnian has been hiding from her.

As soon as she saw his car at the entrance of the Four Seasons Hotel, she had already felt that there was a possibility that what Lin Shiyi had said was true.

Yet, her heart still hadn’t grasped onto the idea and was reluctant to believe her, so she had to run to the front desk to be certain.

Qiao Anhao felt like her heart had been ruthlessly cut open by someone and the fresh blood poured endlessly out of her. She was so pained that her face instantly turned pale white and her feet got cold.

But even then, her heart still repeatedly argued that everything wasn’t real.

 

“Miss? Aren’t you looking for Mr. Lu? Please.” Seeing as Qiao Anhao stood stunned on the spot for half a day, the gentleman politely reminded her of her goal.

She slowly nodded at him with a pale face. Slightly preoccupied with her own thoughts, she then followed him towards the elevators.

The gentleman helped her swipe her card, then pressed for the top floor. He smiled at her and told her the room number again, before taking his leave.

Qiao Anhao stood alone between the four cold walls of the elevator, staring continuously at the jumping red numbers. Her heart started to race.

It took just three minutes for the elevator to reach the top floor from the first. However, Qiao Anhao felt as thought it had taken several centuries. The elevator doors stopped, but she stood motionlessly until the alarm rang. Just as the doors were about to shut, she stretched out her arm out and pressed the elevator button and slowly walked out.

It was silent in the corridor as Qiao Anhao walked down the red carpets. She stared in front of her and took a deep breath. She turned left and walked past room after room before turning right, and to the very end. There, she finally reached the doors of room 1002.

She stared at the tightly shut door and raised her hand a few times, but in the end she couldn’t bring herself to press the doorbell.

Lu Jinnian was inside… It was said that there was also a foreign woman in there… He had reached here before she did… What could they be doing right now?

Qiao Anhao really didn’t want to turn herself into an angry wife, but these wild thoughts and guesses just wouldn’t stop running through her mind at that precise moment. She was just too conflicted. A part of her told her to believe Lu Jinnian, yet the other part of her couldn’t stop itself from picturing Lu Jinnian and the foreign woman sleeping together.

The two of them had been apart for four months He had been in America. Who in hell had he meet?

In the letter he’d hidden in the porcelain doll, he’d clearly laid out his deep love for her. And he was already married to her…

Qiao Anhao felt that she was truly stubborn. The situation was already at this point, and yet she still had to see it with her own eyes before she could drop it.

Yes. She had to see it with her own eyes. In the end, she could never believe that the man she loved this much would betray her.

Even if… even if he betrayed her… she still wanted to take him home… this was her husband, her legal husband!

At that thought, Qiao Anhao shut her eyes, took a deep breath, then counted to three in her head. She clenched her teeth and suddenly knocked hard on the door.

She didn’t know how many times she had knocked, but it was at least until the back of her hand had started to hurt. Then a familiar voice came from the other side… Lu Jinnian’s voice.

“Who is it?”

Qiao Anhao didn’t utter a word but continued to knock hard on the door. Suddenly, the door in front swung open and her hand froze in the air. She lowered her head silently for a whole half a minute, before raising it up. She saw a well-dressed Lu Jinnian standing before her. His brows were creased, and his eyes carried a hint of astonishment, like he wondered how she had followed him to here.

Qiao Anhao stood motionlessly on the spot, staring into his eyes for a while. Then her eyes fell to his shoulders and into the room, where she discovered two glasses of red wine on the table, a pack of cigarettes, and Lu Jinnian’s jacket randomly chucked on the sofa.

Her pitch-black pupils quivered, before looking up again at Lu Jinnian’s deep, beautiful eyes.

 

Neither one spoke. Instead, they quietly stared at one another.

Qiao Anhao didn’t know how much time had passed when the sound of high heels came from behind Lu Jinnian and a familiar voice, in English, was heard. “Nian, who is it?”

When the last syllable fell, Qiao Anhao saw the blonde woman in the long red dress walk over from inside the room. She recognized her from first glance. It was clearly the woman Lu Jinnian had taken to dinner in America!

Could it be that she had never given up on him even after learning that she was pregnant with Lu Jinnian’s baby? Had she chased him all the way to China?

The instant Lucy spoke, Lu Jinnian snapped back to reality.

Wasn’t Qiao Anhao asleep? How had she follow him to the Four Seasons Hotel? That wasn’t the point… It was the middle of the night, and he was in a room with someone of the other sex…

Suddenly, a hint of panic emerged beneath Lu Jinnian’s eyes. He nervously cried out, “Qiao Qiao…”

Before he could finish, Qiao Anhao, who stood in front of him like a statue looked like she was provoked by something. Her body started to tremble lightly. Then, the next second, she abruptly grabbed onto his hand, as though she was afraid that what he said next would shatter her. She beat him to it and said, “Lu Jinnian, why did you leave by yourself? I didn’t dare sleep on my own.”

In a situation like this, normally speaking, shouldn’t the woman hysterically hit or curse?

Why was Qiao Anhao’s reaction so strange?

Lu Jinnian had clearly not done anything to let her down, but in that moment, he’d completely lost her trust. “Qiao Qiao, listen to me. Lucy and I…”

Lucy looked at the scene before her in confusion, then at Lu Jinnian and asked, “Nian?”

As though Lucy’s voice had set Qiao Anhao off, she suddenly screamed the words, “Lu Jinnian, I want to go home!”

As her voice dropped, she jumped into Lu Jinnian’s arms. She hugged his neck like a little girl, whining in a low and pitiful voice, “Home… home… Lu Jinnian, let’s go home. Please?”

“Alright, alright,” he responded, afraid that she would lose it again. He didn’t even grab his jacket, as he hurriedly left Lucy with a “Sorry” behind him. He immediately stretched his arms out and carried Qiao Anhao with big strides towards the elevators.

On the way down, Qiao Anhao looked like she was afraid of something, for her body trembled in his arms. As she hugged his neck, she wouldn’t stop gripping harder onto him as the time went on. When they reached the final floor, Lu Jinnian’s breathing was a little irregular, yet he didn’t dare say something to remind her.

Just as he carried her out of the hotel’s lobby, Qiao Anhao suddenly spoke. “Lu Jinnian, start up the car. I’m going to the toilets.”

“I’ll carry you.” When he said this, he turned around, about to rush over to the lobby’s restrooms.

“I don’t want you to. I want to go on my own!” said Qiao Anhao in a muffled voice. She struggled out of his arms, then didn’t wait for him to react as she ran over to the restroom.

Lu Jinnian didn’t actually start up the car, but followed behind her.

He stood at the entrance of the restroom for twenty minutes, but didn’t see Qiao Anhao come out.

 

Lu Jinnian waited impatiently, then got up and paced a few steps at the entrance of the restrooms. In the end, he stopped at the women restroom door. He hesitated for a moment, then pushed open the door and walked right in, as though he couldn’t care about this now.

Luckily, it was the middle of the night, so there was no one in the women’s public restroom in the lobby. However, as this was the first time Lu Jinnian had ever entered the women restroom, he still had a mental barrier, and his posture while walking exposed his unease. He quickly sped past, opening every cubicle and carelessly sweeping his eyes across them.

When he shut the final door, his brows furrowed tightly.

Qiao Anhao wasn’t in the restroom at all!

As Lu Jinnian took big strides out of the women restroom. He pulled out his phone, ready to call her, when he suddenly saw the emergency route in the restroom. At that moment, he turned around and walked towards the elevator as though he’d confirmed a guess of his. He desperately pressed the open button by the elevator, walked in, and headed straight for the top floor.

The corridor of the top floor was silent. Lu Jinnian followed the way down it and turned at the corner. Before he could walk on, Qiao Anhao’s calm voice traveled from the very end of the corridor in front of him.

“I came here to see you, because I have something to tell you. Whatever you want to tell me, I don’t actually want to hear it.

“Lu Jinnian is my husband. My legal husband, under Chinese law. I have a marriage certificate here. I believe you wouldn’t understand it.

“I don’t care about what happened between you and him in America, but what I want to tell you now, is the you and him must end it here.

“Because the one who will grow old with him, the one who will give birth to his beautiful children, and the one who will take care of them as they grow up is – ME, not YOU. So I hope that you will stop pestering him. His future will never have you in it. Nor will I allow you to be in his future.

“I’ve said everything I wanted to say. Thank you for your cooperation. Goodbye.”

Qiao Anhao’s voice wasn’t loud, but the clarity in her every word traveled through the silent corridors and into Lu Jinnian’s ears. As he listened, his heart skipped a beat.

It was not until he heard the sound of her high heels draw closer and closer to him that he abruptly snapped back to reality. Seeing as she hadn’t noticed him, he took the opportunity to quickly turn around and walk back to the elevator.

–

After Qiao Anhao entered the elevator, the rims of her eyes couldn’t help but redden.

The Lu Jinnian who loved her so much and who did so much for her… How could he mess around with other women?

She knew that when a wife normally discovered her husband doing such things, they’d hit the mistress, curse out the husband, or even harsher yet, they’d file straight for divorce. Some would even go as far as to ruin their husband’s reputation altogether.

When she had knocked on room 1002, in her mind, she had asked herself that if she saw Lu Jinnian, what would she do? Would she give him a cool slap on the face, then grit her teeth and cry divorce?

Yet when she opened the door and really saw him, she realized that she couldn’t bring herself to divorce him. Even if she understood that this would remain as a thorn in her heart, which she could never pluck. She would mind. She would mind until she reached the end of her life, but she would rather mind, because she couldn’t divorce him.

So, in reality, she chose the most cowardly method. She didn’t cry or throw a tantrum. She pretended to not understand a thing, as if nothing had happened between them.

She stepped out of the elevator on the second floor, and followed the emergency stairway down to the first floor.

 

When she came back down, she didn’t head to the main hall directly. Instead, she turned towards the restroom to wash her face and calm down.

The moment she entered the main hall, she saw Lu Jinnian’s back. Amid the cold winter season, all he had on was a thin shirt, but even then he appeared elegant, as though unaffected by the cold.

Qiao Anhao clenched onto her shirt and took a deep breath. “Lu Jinnian.”

He turned his head instantly, his face clear off any anxiety, as though nothing had happened. There was a glimmer of joy in his eyes while his temples remained soft. Gently, he asked, “What took you so long?”

He was a man that was caught in a woman’s room, how could he act so nonchalantly? Or was it that he didn’t mind being caught?

Lu Jinnian’s bright spirits seemed to increase her uneasiness.

Only when he held her hand did she finally snap out of her thoughts. She turned to gaze at him, at his usual impassive face that seemed to have a hint of joy.

Qiao Anhao couldn’t figure out what he was thinking, and her heart grew increasingly more uneasy.

The entire journey back to Mian Xiu Garden, they didn’t talk much. Qiao Anhao sneaked several peeks at Lu Jinnian, trying to study his expression.

Even though he could sense her gaze, he remained oblivious, staring straight ahead, thinking about the scene in Four Seasons Hotel. His lips couldn’t help curling into a smile when he glanced at her through the rear mirror.

The moment Qiao Anhao saw his smile, her face darkened visibly, and she hugged her bag, looking uneasy and upset. The sight further brightened Lu Jinnian’s spirits.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to explain himself, it’s just that he wanted to see her uneasiness first.

How should he put it… Her uneasiness warmed his heart, it made him feel loved.

The car steadily steered into the yard of Mian Xiu Garden. After unbuckling his seat belt, Lu Jinnian alighted, preparing to open the door for Qiao Anhao, but before he could walk over, she had already pushed the door open and hurriedly entered the house.

Lu Jinnian chuckled, following after her. Just when she was about to head upstairs, he called out her name as he removed his shoes, “Qiao Qiao.”

Qiao Anhao froze.

Why was he calling her? Was it going to be a confrontation? He was caught having an affair… Did that mean he didn’t care about their marriage? Was he going to tell her that he didn’t love her anymore and was now in love with the women from Four Seasons Hotel?

The more her thoughts ran, the more worried she got, and without waiting for Lu Jinnian to continue, she suddenly turned to look at him. “Lu Jinnian, I want a cup of water.”

Lu Jinnian nodded, heading to pour her a glass. “Qiao Qiao.”

“Wait, let me finish this.”

Tilting her head upwards, she downed the entire glass.

 

“Wait, let me finish this.”

Tilting her head upwards, Qiao Anhao downed the entire glass.

Passing the glass to Lu Jinnian, she seemed to have forgotten what she’d said. She turned to him and said hurriedly, “I’ll sleep now, I’m tired. We can talk tomorrow.”

Without waiting for a response, she turned and ran up the stairs.

Lu Jinnian held onto the glass, his lips curled upwards as he gazed at the tiny figure running up.

He knew… She was afraid that he was going to say something she didn’t want to hear, and running away was her solution.

So… Qiao Qiao, does that mean that you actually care about me?

Lu Jinnian fiddled with the glass, leaning against the staircase, staring up at the ceiling lamp. At that moment, he could feel a heaviness that clouded his heart start to fade bit by bit.

After about two minutes, he averted his gaze, turning to the kitchen. After less than two steps, he felt something below his slippers. He looked down and saw a tiny red booklet with the words “Marriage certificate” written on the cover.

Lu Jinnian frowned, bending to pick it up. His certificate was locked in the cabinet in the study room, so this one must be Qiao Anhao’s?

Just a while ago, she had used it to brag, but now she had dropped it… Such a klutz.

Lu Jinnian shook his head with a indulgent smile on his face. He placed the glass in the kitchen before heading to the bedroom.

Qiao Anhao had already changed into her pajamas and was lying on the bed with her eyes shut, seemingly asleep.

Lu Jinnian walked towards the bed. When he saw her fluttering lashes, he knew that she was listening to his movements. Reaching out his with hand, he lightly pinched her tender face. “Qiao Qiao, where’s your marriage certificate?”

Marriage certificate… Why was he asking about that? Did he want a divorce?

Qiao Anhao clenched onto the bed sheets, shutting her lids tightly.

She was asleep, she couldn’t hear anything.

In order to appear realistic, she deliberately deepened her breathing, producing a slight snoring sound.

Lu Jinnian stood by the bed, patiently staring down at Qiao Anhao for a while before using the red booklet he picked up to lightly tap her face.

Qiao Anhao’s temples moved. What did he use to tap her face? It seemed like a small booklet?

She lifted her lids slightly, and just then, she saw the red booklet in his hands. In order to see what it was, she lifted her lids a bit more. That was when the words “Marriage Certificate” came into sight.

Lu Jinnian was holding his marriage certificate… Why would he ask for her marriage certificate? He must want a divorce…

Qiao Anhao covered her entire head with the blanket.

She couldn’t see anything, she couldn’t hear anything, she didn’t know anything.

She was asleep.

Helplessly, Lu Jinnian laughed. Pausing slightly, he pondered how long it had been since he last laughed.

The next instance, he ripped the blanket, pulling Qiao Anhao out. Waving the red booklet in front of her, he said, “It’s yours…”

 

 

“Lu Jinnian, you thief!” Qiao Anhao jumped, her whole universe erupting. She glared at Lu Jinnian, interrupting his words.

He was too much!

He actually stole her marriage certificate to divorce her!

Qiao Anhao’s eyes rotated one round, then she snatched the red booklet violently.

Lu Jinnian had wanted to ask “You want it?” but froze, clearly startled by her accusation. When he finally got back his senses, the marriage certificate was already gone. She clenched onto it, looking around anxiously as though searching for a place to hide it.

Lu Jinnian broke into laughter once more, amused by her actions.

But before he could laugh out loud, he saw her blinking, as though finally settling on something before ripping the booklet into two. She didn’t seem satisfied, ripping the book continuously into tiny pieces. When she finally stopped and was about to toss the pieces, she froze once more. She seemed to be worried that he would stick the pieces together, so she grabbed the whole bunch and stuffed it into her mouth.

“Qiao Qiao!” In an instant, Lu Jinnian, who had been watching her actions with merriment, seemed to have been left in shock. Without hesitation, he grabbed her elbow, pulling her towards him. “Spit them out!”

Qiao Anhao started to stuff the pieces into her mouth more aggressively, her throat moving up and down as though she was about to swallow the pieces. In anxiety, Lu Jinnian didn’t bother thinking. With one hand, he held onto her jaw to lift her face and with the other, he reached into her mouth to pull the pieces out.

After removing a large bunch, he reached into her mouth once more to ensure that there wasn’t anything left. At that moment, she bit onto his finger roughly.

Qiao Anhao used all her strength, and a sharp stinging pain pulsed through Lu Jinnian’s finger to the rest of his body.

He frowned, and was just about to pull his finger out, when suddenly he felt a droplet smash onto the back of his hand. He relaxed his finger instantly, sitting there motionlessly, allowing her to bite for as long as she wanted.

When the coppery taste entered Qiao Anhao’s mouth, she finally let go. Exhausted, she knelt on the bed biting down on her lip in silence. After a moment, she raised her head,. Her tear stained face scrunched up when she asked softly, “Lu Jinnian, you said that you won’t divorce me after we got married, and I already tore the marriage certificate, we can’t divorce now, right?”

Lu Jinnian was no longer amused by her anxiety, the happiness in his heart having thoroughly faded. An wave of heartache that he could not explain drowned his entire soul, and he stared at her tear stained face for a long while before reaching out to pull her into his embrace. “No divorce, we will never divorce.”

“Really?” Qiao Anhao turned to ask with glistening eyes, desperately seeking the confirmation.

“Really,” Lu Jinnian said, hugging her tighter.

 

Lu Jinnian’s hug and simple assurance seemed to finally lift the shadow in Qiao Anhao’s heart, she slouched onto his shoulder limply, finally breaking down.

His throat tightened, and he didn’t comfort her, allowing her to vent her frustration. After she was done, he carried her to the vanity table. There, he lifted her face, lightly, and used his fingers to wipe her tears.

“Qiao Qiao, Lucy is a wife of an American director who’s my friend, it’s not what you think it is. Besides, her husband was in the hotel room as well, he just wet to sleep earlier today.”

Qiao Anhao blinked her soaked lashes. “Her husband was in the room?”

Lu Jinnian nodded, reaching with a hand to caress her hair. “If you don’t believe me, I can bring you over now.”

Qiao Anhao thought of how she was upset over a misunderstanding… The woman was married and her husband was in the room… And she had ran over to say such hurtful things… Embarrassment engulfed her, she was not going to go back!

Hurriedly, Qiao Anhao shook her head. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It was for a private matter that has passed.” Lu Jinnian closed the topic easily, as though not willing to share, before asking, “Qiao Qiao, is the marriage certificate tasty?”

When the images of her before started to resurface, she puffed up her cheeks, and just then, she realized that there were still remnants of the pieces in her mouth. She blinked several times before gesturing towards him. “I’ll tell you if you come over.”

Lu Jinnian reached his head over.

Qiao Anhao lifted her head and covered his lips.

Lu Jinnian froze, then the next second, Qiao Anhao’s lips left. There seemed to be something new in his mouth..

Just when he stuck his tongue out to see, he saw her smiling face. In the same tone he had used, she asked, “Mr. Lu, is the marriage certificate tasty?”

There were still stains from the tears before, but now, she had on a sly and charming smile.

She was right in front of him. He just needed to reach out.

Lu Jinnian went into a daze. His throat moved, and without realizing it, he swallowed the piece of paper that Qiao Anhao had left in his mouth.

He didn’t react, staring straight at her. Qiao Anhao jumped down from the vanity table in shock, patting his back anxiously. ” Lu Jinnian, spit it out…”

Before she could finish her sentence, he picked her up once more, setting her back up on the same spot. The next second, she felt a tenderness on her lips…

The kiss sent her trembling, and the next moment, she felt his hands venturing into her pajamas. Her breathing hastened as their kiss deepened with a fiery passion.

When he entered her, she grabbed onto his shoulder, gripping hard. Her short nails jabbed into his muscles, exciting him further…

After the vanity table, Qiao Anhao was dragged onto the bed….

–

The next day, Lu Jinnian woke up to a phone call. When he opened his eyes, the skies were already bright.

 

 

The next day, Lu Jinnian woke up to a phone call. When he opened his eyes, the skies were already bright.

He frowned, not used to the light. Reaching for his phone, he realized that it was already 11 pm. After half a minute of confusion, he picked the call.

It was a call from America – there was an emergency meeting that he was needed in, and they had already booked a ticket for him.

After hanging up, he glanced at the time, it was three hours away from his flight. Instead of rushing to get out of bed, he shut his eyes, hugging Qiao Anhao.

She was a comfortable bundle in his arms. The traces of the passionate night before were still evident in her scent, and it seemed to have a calming effect, putting him at ease.

He still couldn’t believe that in just five months, there would actually be a day when he could sleep till daybreak. It was as if the past five months in America, where he spent his sleepless nights smoking, were just a distant nightmare.

No one knew how he was able to endure even a second in those few months in America.

He loved her so much. Even after she had hurt him that badly, he still couldn’t stop loving her.

But at the same time, he hated her, hated that she could be so cruel to him.

He had tried to forget her and yet spent his sleepless nights thinking about her.

It was such a dilemma, living in torture.

If he could, he never wanted to tell anyone of that dark experience.

If it was not for Lucy, he probably would have died in a foreign country,

Lu Jinnian opened his eyes, to look at what he had never taken off even when he showered or swam.

The scene of the night he received the text while waiting outside Qiao house flashed past his mind but he no longer felt the same suffocating pain and heartbreak. Instead, it felt like a daze, as though it hadn’t happened to him.

So… The woman he loved had such a strong power, she could push him into hell, and at the same time, bring him back to life.

Regardless, she finally fell in love with him, right?

If thirteen years of heartache and love were able to bring him happiness for the rest of his life, he was satisfied.

Finally, the Heavens were shinning on him.

Lu Jinnian’s lips curled into a slight smile,. He tilted his head to look at the exhausted Qiao Anhao. Reaching out, he caressed her face lovingly before lowering his head to plant a kiss on her temples lightly, careful not to wake her. Silently, he entered the bathroom. When he was done preparing, he grabbed a note and left a message on the bathroom mirror before quickly packing his luggage and heading off.

After he started the car, he seemed to have remembered something. Reaching for his phone, he dialed a number. “Lucy, it’s me… No, she’s good… but could I trouble you to come over with your husband… Yea, I’ll send you the directions in a moment. I have an emergency matter to tend to in America now… Yea, thank you…”

After hanging up, he looked towards the mansion that was shimmering under the sunlight before starting his car.

Even though she had believed him last night, he still wanted to invite Lucy over to explain it to her.

Even though he enjoyed her unease, he didn’t want her to stay that way.

 

Qiao Anhao woke up at 12 pm. When she entered the bathroom, she saw the note that Lu Jinnian had left.

He had actually gone on a business trip…

After brushing her teeth, she walked out to grab her phone to give him a call.

Lu Jinnian picked up instantly. Through the phone, she could hear the airplane boarding announcement.

“You’re awake?”

“Yea,” Qiao Anhao replied softly. “How many days will you be gone?”

“I’ll probably be back on Friday after I finish the work here.”

“Oh.” Qiao Anhao looked at the calender on her phone, it was only Monday.

Lu Jinnian heard her disappointment. He chuckled lightly before reminding her to have her meals on time and to tuck herself in at night…

Although he had already written the reminders on a post-it he had stuck on the bathroom door.

Only when the air stewardess came over to rush him to switch off his phone did he finally hang up.

Qiao Anhao saw that her battery was low, so she charged her phone before heading to the kitchen. After opening the fridge, she was about to prepare some food when the doorbell suddenly rang.

She switched off the stove, and turning to the door, she saw through the CCTV outside that it was a woman. She knew her as well, it was Lucy, and beside her stood a blond-haired man that she had never seen before.

Qiao Anhao frowned, and opened the door with confusion. She greeted the both of them before using simple English to ask, “Are you looking for Lu Jinnian? He’s out on a business trip.”

“Really? That’s a pity,” Lucy replied, smiling brightly at Qiao Anhao before pointing into the house. “Can we go in for a seat?”

“Of course.” Qiao Anhao hurriedly stepped aside, grabbing two pairs of slippers.

After bringing them to the sofa, she ran to the kitchen to bring a hot pot of coffee.

“Thank you.” Lucy seemed to love to smile, every sentence of hers was followed by a bright smile. “Are you Nian’s wife?”

Qiao Anhao nodded.

Lucy pointed to the man sitting beside her, introducing him, “He’s my husband, he was also in the hotel yesterday.”

Qiao Anhao was suddenly reminded of the night before, when she had accused Lucy. Her face blushed a deep shade of red. She lowered her head to apologize. “I’m really sorry for yesterday night.”

“It’s fine.” Lucy smiled brightly once more, praising the coffee as she sipped on it slowly. “Is this your and Nian’s house?”

“Yea,” Qiao Anhao pointed upstairs, “Care for a tour?”

Lucy’s face brightened from surprise. “Can I?”

Qiao Anhao nodded her head. She stood up and gestured for the couple to go ahead.

Mian Xiu Garden was a European style building. A famous designer from Europe had been hired to design it so it suited the tastes of the couple.

They toured the house, the guests constantly praising the furnishings as they passed. When they came back down, Lucy smiled to her husband. “I have something to tell Mrs. Lu. Dearest, do you want to go back to the hotel first?”

Lucy’s husband agreed readily, giving her a quick kiss and an enthusiastic wave to Qiao Anhao before leaving