The Eleventh Year of Secretly Loving Her - Chapter 2

It was the first time Qi Sinian had been this considerate.

In the past, he would always shower and sleep on his own afterwards, paying no attention to her.

Their married life was sparse. The Qi Group covered real estate, hotels, entertainment, and more, and over the years, Qi Sinian frequently traveled for work, returning only every few months.

He treated her more as a means to satisfy his needs.

She, on the other hand, was someone who honored her side of the contract. Since she had received benefits, she would fulfill her obligations. No need to be dramatic.

Zhong Xiran soaked in a hot bath for twenty minutes. When she came out, Qi Sinian wasn’t in the bedroom. He had probably gone to the study.

Qi Sinian was a workaholic; even on their wedding night, he had left her to work, let alone now.

Exhausted, Zhong Xiran lay down and quickly fell asleep.

That night, her sleep was restless.

She dreamed again of that snowy night four years ago.

She had been abandoned by Huo Xin, standing alone in the thick snow.

The swirling snow and wind seemed ready to knock over her delicate frame.

Out of the hazy distance, two dim car headlights appeared. A man in a black coat walked through the wind and snow toward her.

Could it be that he actually came?

How could it be?

She had never waited in vain before and had never received this.

Years of nightmares had finally reached an ending; she thought she would feel happy, but she didn’t.

Missing the moment she most wanted meant that even if she received it later, it wouldn’t be what she had truly wanted.

She just felt a bit lost.

She didn’t understand why she was dreaming this; she had no lingering attachment to Huo Xin, and yesterday had already closed the chapter on any obsession with the outcome.

In the next moment, she finally saw the man’s face—it was Qi Sinian.

He wore a calm expression, his gaze cold. Without a word, he pulled her into the back seat of a car, holding her hands above her head with interlaced fingers.

This damn man, he was even crueler in her dreams.

Fortunately, she didn’t have to be strong in her dream.

She couldn’t help but shed tears, crying as she cursed him, “You damn man—”

Qi Sinian lit a cigarette in the study.

His assistant, Jiang Zheng, called.

“Mr. Qi, we’ve got the surveillance footage. Your wife went in at 6:37 p.m. and came out at 6:49 p.m. A total of twelve minutes.”

“There’s no surveillance inside the private room, so we can’t see what she said to Huo Xin.”

Twelve minutes, there wasn’t much she could have done.

But she had attended the meeting, and she had lied.

Qi Sinian’s voice was cold. “Mm.”

Jiang Zheng said cautiously, “A paparazzo caught photos of Huo Xin and your wife entering the building in quick succession. Take a look…”

Qi Sinian: “Buy them out.”

He hung up, extinguished his cigarette, and returned to the bedroom.

The bedside lamp was on, casting a warm yellow glow on her face.

Her eyes were closed, her long, delicate black lashes perfectly separated, making her look like a doll.

A small strand of black hair lay on her cheek. Qi Sinian walked over and gently brushed it aside with his fingertip.

She slept quickly, shameless little thing.

Qi Sinian got into bed and was about to turn off the light when he suddenly noticed her shoulders trembling.

He turned his head to look at her.

Though she was clearly still asleep, tears involuntarily welled up at the corners of her eyes.

It was the first time Qi Sinian had seen her cry.

She had always been obedient and composed in front of him, rarely showing any strong emotions.

He had never comforted a woman before and wasn’t quite sure what to do.

After a brief pause, he remembered to grab a tissue and wiped away her tears for her.

Just as he was about to ask if she’d had a nightmare, he heard her curse, “You damn man.”

Qi Sinian’s gaze darkened. His hands clenched almost imperceptibly, crumpling the tissue in his grasp. He suddenly got up, preparing to leave.

The next moment, he heard her whimper softly, her voice delicate, “Qi Sinian, slow down… it hurts…”

Qi Sinian froze in his tracks.

—Was she… cursing him?

Zhong Xiran was awakened by the ringing of her phone.

Her body still ached slightly. Not fully awake, she half-opened her eyes and saw the screen—producer Xu You calling. She answered.

“Hello…” she mumbled.

“Still not up? It’s almost 10:30,” Xu You said, somewhat surprised.

Zhong Xiran usually got up early, unless…

She quickly realized. “Your husband came back last night?”

Mentioning Qi Sinian instantly brought her fully awake.

“Mm.”

Xu You clicked her tongue playfully. “Wow, your husband really knows how to mess with you, huh?”

Indeed.

Zhong Xiran knew Xu You’s style and didn’t mind her teasing.

“So, why are you calling me so early?”

Xu You’s tone was a bit glum. “Jiahe pulled their investment. The person in charge said the evaluation showed the film’s profit potential isn’t high, so we need to find a new investor.”

Zhong Xiran sighed. “Got it. I’ll think of a solution.”

The film industry was tough right now. Several major investments last year lost money, making investors extremely cautious.

Although Zhong Xiran had won the Best Short Film award at the First Film Festival, she had never directed a theatrical release, making it hard for investors to trust her.

She got up.

Too tired last night, she had skipped pajamas and gone straight to bed after her shower. Now she grabbed the wine-red thin blanket from yesterday, wrapped it around herself, holding it to her chest with one hand as she went to the living room to get some water.

By now, Qi Sinian had already left.

She turned on speakerphone and placed her phone on the coffee table in the living room. Bending to fill her glass, she heard movement in the kitchen, probably the housekeeper preparing breakfast.

“With the current market, other investors won’t invest lightly, and I don’t have any spare funds.” Xu You suddenly had an idea, raising her tone a bit. “Xixi, you could ask your husband to invest!”

Zhong Xiran took a sip of water. “Switch to another option.”

“Why?” Xu You asked, confused. “For your husband, tens of millions is pocket change. Why not use such a good resource? Plus, you could pay him back with the profits.”

The Zhong family basically relied entirely on Qi Sinian now; she couldn’t lift her head in front of him.

But she couldn’t say that outright.

After thinking for a moment, Zhong Xiran said, “He’s not easy to talk to.”

The kitchen glass door slid open, footsteps approaching.

Zhong Xiran didn’t turn around. She pointed to the dining table, signaling the housekeeper to set the breakfast down.

Xu You’s voice from the phone teased lightly, “Why not just say what you need to say? One sleep, and it’s all solved, right?”

Zhong Xiran, still uneasy about last night, said, “I’m afraid one sleep won’t be enough.”

From behind her, a familiar, cool voice suddenly spoke.

“Not necessarily. Want to give it a try?”

Zhong Xiran jolted and turned around to see Qi Sinian.

“Y-you didn’t go to the office?”

“No.”

Qi Sinian was dressed in plain gray silk pajamas. His gaze remained cold and detached, but his mood was noticeably better than last night.

“Tired. Taking a half-day to rest.”

Zhong Xiran: “……”

From the phone, Xu You exclaimed, “Wow.”

Only then did Zhong Xiran, belatedly realizing, quickly hang up the phone.

Winter sunlight streamed through the window, landing on her shoulders, unexpectedly warm.

Under the blanket, Zhong Xiran wasn’t wearing anything.

Although she and Qi Sinian had done everything that was expected of them, it had all been in pitch-black nights, where any emotion could be hidden.

In broad daylight, his gaze made her uncomfortable.

She pressed her lips together, instinctively setting the water glass aside, and unconsciously tugged the wine-red thin blanket tighter around herself, as if it offered some extra sense of security.

Qi Sinian raised his eyelids and glanced at her, clearly displeased with her defensive gesture.

He walked over, lifted his hand, and instantly yanked the thin blanket off her.

! ! !

Zhong Xiran immediately covered her chest with both hands.

Qi Sinian said evenly, “What are you covering? Haven’t I seen all of you before?”

Zhong Xiran: “……”

Is he… a pervert???