Translator: Kingbao Editor: DarkGem
Without even glancing at the documents that had piled into a mini hill on his desk, Lu Jinnian replied, “I’m done.”
Not pausing, he asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing…” Qiao Anhao seemed to have something to say but held it in. She hesitated before replying, “Lu Jinnian, if you aren’t busy, you can come to the restaurant on the top floor of Hua Yuan hotel. I’ll treat you to dinner.”
“Sure, I’ll come right now.”
After he hung up, he grabbed his jacket and rushed out the door, not even bothering to turn off his computer.
Just then, Lu Jinnian’s assistant came to look for him. Before he could knock on the door, it was yanked open violently, scaring him backwards. He hurriedly greeted, “Mr. Lu.”
Lu Jinnian ignore him, taking large strides to the elevator.
His assistant trailed behind. “Mr. Lu, you have a dinner today…”
Lu Jinnian entered the elevator. Lifting his head, he interrupted, “I haven’t switched off my computer, help me do that and remember to close the windows, it might rain.”
Before giving his assistant any opportunity to speak, he closed the elevator door, descending.
–
Since it was knock off time, the streets were littered with cars. In the end, Lu Jinnian gave up, using the public bus lane.
Even so, it was 7 pm when he finally reached Hua Yuan hotel.
Lu Jinnian hurriedly parked his car before rushing to the main hall. He took the elevator all the way to the top floor. Without waiting for the waitress to ask, he reported the details, “Table 116, Miss Qiao.”
Hua Yuan hotel’s top floor restaurant was a rotating restaurant. In the middle of the room was a stage and a girl dressed in a ball gown sat there in front of a piano, playing a melodious tune. The surrounding tables were all facing the window.
After Lu Jinnian walked around the stage, he saw Qiao Anhao sitting alone in a two people table, her head titled sideways as she looked out the window. He bypassed the waitress and headed straight to her. When he was about five meters away, he paused.
He had spotted two large suitcases beside her.
The waitress who was left behind walked to Qiao Anhao’s table. She turned to look at Lu Jinnian who was three meters away before speaking politely, “Mister, this is your seat.”
Qiao Anhao turned in the direction of the waitress’s voice. When she saw Lu Jinnian, she waved at him. “Lu Jinnian.”
Lu Jinnian’s gaze moved from the suitcases, and he walked towards her with uncertainty and confusion. He turned to look at her, trying to decipher her mood.
Why did she bring two suitcase when she asked him out for dinner? Was she in shock because of Xu Jiamu’s affair? Was she preparing to leave Beijing? Was this meal her farewell to him?
When Qiao Anhao saw Lu Jinnian’s dazed expression, she raised her hand, waving it in front of him. “Hey, Lu Jinnian, stop dreaming! Sit down!”
Lu Jinnian came back to his senses. He nodded lightly, his glance still focused on Qiao Anhao. After about two seconds, he pulled his chair to sit down.
Translator: Kingbao Editor: DarkGem
“I waited for half an hour! I’m starving, hurry and order something.” Qiao Anhao rested her jaw on one hand and pushed the menu to Lu Jinnian with the other.
Lu Jinnian continued to stare at Qiao Anhao, not touching the menu.
Qiao Anhao waited a while longer before grabbing the menu back out of hunger. She turned to the waitress at the side, ordering four dishes and one soup.
The waitress repeated her order before asking, “Would you like anything to drink?”
In the past, Qiao Anhao would either drink tea or freshly squeezed orange juice, but this time, she tilted her head to the side to ponder. Without asking Lu Jinnian, she said, “One bottle of red wine, Château Lafite Rothschild.”
“Sure, give me a minute.” The waitress left politely after recording their order.
She was actually drinking…. Her mood must be worse than it seemed…
Lu Jinnian licked his lips. Just when he was about to call her, the conversation from the table behind them flitted over. “Have you heard? Qiao Anhao was dumped by Xu Jiamu.”
Lu Jinnian’s heart fell. He scanned the surroundings, not daring to look at Qiao Anhao, afraid to see tears or sorrow on her face.
Qiao Anhao heard the conversation as well. She turned to look at the table behind, there were three ladies who were from the Beijing business circle. Even though Qiao Anhao wasn’t close to them, they had spoken several times.
“I heard about it but I’m not sure of the details.”
“Xu Jiamu hooked up with Lin Qian Qian, I heard that their relationship has been going well. Recently when I met her, she had even claimed that Xu Jiamu had gotten her two limited edition Chanel bags.”
“But Qiao Anhao grew up with Xu Jiamu, it hasn’t even been a year and she was dumped?”
“Lin Qian Qian is younger than her and her family background is definitely much better… It’s quite normal she got dumped.”
Lu Jinnian kicked the chair behind him abruptly, walking over to the table ferociously. He glared at the three of them, then snarled, “Before discussing about others, you should make sure the person isn’t around.”
The three ladies who were engrossed in their conversation froze in shock before looking around. When they caught sight of Qiao Anhao behind them, they paled instantly, embarrassment clouding their faces.
Qiao Anhao remained calm in her seat. She smiled faintly, greeting them.
The three ladies’ face changed instantly, from white to green. They hurriedly greeted Qiao Anhao and stood up to foot the bill. Without even having their meal, they left.
Lu Jinnian returned back to his seat, his entire face black. After a while, he raised his head to look at Qiao Anhao, saying carefully, “Qiao Qiao, don’t listen to their…”
Qiao Anhao knew that her divorce would definitely bring gossip, but her conscience was clear and she didn’t care what others thought.
Translator: Kingbao Editor: DarkGem
Even when they were gossiping, she just listened with interest. She was especially entertained when their faces changed upon hearing Lu Jinnian’s warning.
And in that instance, her lips were curled upwards into a smile.
But when Lu Jinnian returned to his seat, with an uneasy expression, reassuring her, “Qiao Qiao, don’t listen to their…” At that moment, she paused, not able to continue smiling.
She remembered the night before, in Beijing hotel, when he had grabbed Xu Jiamu by the collar, she recalled the conversation he had with his assistant that she had overheard, in that moment, tears clouded her eyes.
Lu Jinnian started to panic, but luckily the server came over with the dishes. Lu Jinnian clumsily pulled the chopsticks from the tissue, passing them over to her. “Aren’t you hungry? Have some food. What do you want to eat?”
Right after he asked, Qiao Anhao’s gaze coincidentally stopped at the roast chicken. Lu Jinnian immediately placed a piece in her bowl.
The tears in her eyes flooded, streaming down into the bowl.
Lu Jinnian’s hand trembled, dropping the chopsticks onto the floor. He hurriedly bent to pick them up, but the moment he touched the chopsticks, he seemed to have remembered something. He tossed them back to the ground and straightened, passing a tissue over to her.
Qiao Anhao, who was observing him, saw his hurried and messy actions. She chuckled, reaching over to take the tissue. As she wiped her tears, she spoke with a hint of a smile. “Lu Jinnian, why did you toss the chopsticks after picking them up?”
It was only then that Lu Jinnian realized what he had done. His lips curled upwards, breaking into a faint smile as he continued to focus his gaze on Qiao Anhao worriedly.
Qiao Anhao took a deep breath, calming her overwhelming emotions. She picked up the wine bottle and poured into both their glasses. Passing a glass over to Lu Jinnian, she raised her own glass. “Cheers!”
Throwing her head back, she downed the glass.
Lu Jinnian swallowed his saliva before raising his glass to down the contents.
Qiao Anhao lifted the wine bottle to refill the glasses. This time, she didn’t down hers immediately. She gazed at Lu Jinnian before saying seriously, “Lu Jinnian, that glass was to thank you for what you have done recently.”
“This glass, is to celebrate my return to being single.” With a bright smile on her face, she gently touched her wine glass against the side of Lu Jinnian’s and threw her head back to down the contents.
The second glass was to celebrate her being single… What did she mean? Lu Jinnian frowned, staring at her motionlessly.
Qiao Anhao placed the glass down and wiped her lips. When she saw that Lu Jinnian hadn’t drunk, she nudged her jaw towards his glass. “Why aren’t you drinking?”
Lu Jinnian blinked, ignoring her question. “What did your words mean?”
Qiao Anhao looked into his eyes for a few seconds before explaining, “It’s as I said, Jiamu and I divorced today.”
Translator: Kingbao Editor: DarkGem
Qiao Anhao looked into his eyes for a few seconds before explaining, “It’s as I said, Jiamu and I divorced today.”
Lu Jinnian froze, disbelief clouding his eyes.
When she said that she was single again, the thought had crossed his mind, but he wasn’t sure, so he had asked her. Yet he never expected her to be so open about it.
Lu Jinnian fell into a daze, seemingly shocked by her revelation. After staying motionless for about half a minute, he revealed worry with a hint of heartache on his face. Carefully, he said, “Qiao Qiao, don’t be too sad….”
Recently, Lu Jinnian had been wondering, if the affair was exposed, how would he console her. In the middle of the night, he had even secretly searched online on what to say, memorizing the words. But now that he was faced with the scenario, his mind went blank. He would rather be the one experiencing her pain.
“I’m not sad..” Qiao Anhao was indeed not sad. She was even relieved and ecstatic to be able to finally end the marriage, having only accepted the marriage to approach him, not that she would ever dare to tell him that.
To clear the misunderstanding between him and Xu Jiamu, she paused and explained, “I was actually the one who wanted a divorce. In order to help me, he went to find Lin Qian Qian….”
Qiao Anhao was the one who initiated the divorce… Lu Jinnian froze once more, trying to process what she had just said. When he finally understood her words, a hard-to-explain happiness and excitement filled his heart.
She was the one that initiated the divorce, did that mean she didn’t like Xu Jiamu anymore?
“Basically, Brother Jiamu and I will still be good friends in the future… What I’m trying to say is that I’m really not upset…” Qiao Anhao emphasized once more before looking at Lu Jinnian seriously. “But Lu Jinnian, even if I’m not upset, I still want to thank you for all your care and concern.”
Lu Jinnian wanted to ask why she initiated the divorce when she had spent her entire youth loving him, but he was afraid that it might stir up unhappy memories.
He concluded that his worry was unfounded as not all couples have happy endings. After spending a long time together, they might have found each other unsuitable.
Why bother to ask so much?
The most important thing was that they were divorced. Now he was allowed to love her, wasn’t that the happiest part?
An unexplained happiness erupted, filling up his entire soul. He couldn’t contain the excitement any longer. Trembling, and with bright eyes, he said with an undetectable trace of joy, “You’re welcome.”
Translator: Kingbao Editor: DarkGem
“Hey, Lu Jinnian, shouldn’t you down that second glass?” Qiao Anhao nudged her jaw towards his glass forcefully again since Lu Jinnian remained motionless.
“Yes, yes,” Lu Jinnian replied in agitation before downing the entire glass without flinching.
When he placed the glass down, he pinched himself violently in a spot she couldn’t see. Sharp burning pain ran through his body, and it brightened his mood.
Lu Jinnian poured himself another glass, downing the contents to calm his excitement. Glancing over at Qiao Anhao, he asked, “Now that you’re single again, do you have any plans?”
“Plans, hmm, not yet…” Qiao Anhao shook her head, reaching for a sweet vinegar pork rib, but before she could reach the plate, Lu Jinnian had already placed the biggest piece in her bowl.
Qiao Anhao bent her head to munch on the pork rib. Later, lifting her head, she added, “But as for now, the most important thing would be to complete the filming for “Heaven’s sword”
Lu Jinnian seemed to be reminded then that when they acted as a couple, she had climbed into his bed. Till today, he still wasn’t clear about her reasons. She didn’t lack money, so why did she enter the industry?
He asked, “Qiao Qiao, I never asked you before, but why did you enter the entertainment industry?”
“Because…”
Of you… Those words almost came out, but Qiao Anhao managed to stop them in time. She munched on the pork rib a bit more before replying, “…I want to be the best screen actress.”
Best screen actress would definitely be part of the best screen couple.
Back when she couldn’t get close to him and could never be a real couple with him, her deepest wish was to settle for being a fake, on-screen couple.
Qiao Anhao bit on her chopsticks while lifting her eyes to glance at Lu Jinnian. “Oh, right, didn’t you ask me what I intend to do in the future? “Heaven’s Sword” is just a short term goal, in the future, I want to settle down with a good man.”
Hope flashed passed Lu Jinnian’s eyes. He held onto her words, asking sincerely, “What do you consider good?”
‘Just like you…’ Qiao Anhao thought inwardly. She continued to bite on her chopsticks. After a short while, she spoke with a bright smile on her face. “Someone who treats me well is considered good.”
–
Even though Qiao Anhao wanted to treat him, Lu Jinnian still managed to pay in the end.
They both pulled one suitcase when exiting Hua Yuan hotel. Lu Jinnian placed both suitcases in his car boot, then opened the passenger seat for Qiao Anhao. Only after making sure she was well seated did he move to the driver seat.
After starting the car, Qiao Anhao said, “Lu Jinnian, you can drop me off at Four Seasons hotel.”
Lu Jinnian glanced at her doubtfully. She understood instantly, explaining, “I moved out from Brother Jiamu’s mansion, but I didn’t want to return to Qiao Mansion, and since everything had happened in such a rush, I didn’t have time to find accommodation yet.”
Translator: Kingbao Editor: DarkGem
“It’s not safe for a girl to stay in a hotel.” Lu Jinnian paused before suggesting, “If you don’t mind, do you want to stay with me?”
He was afraid that she would reject, so he added, “I have to work in the morning and I have to go out for dinners sometimes, so I don’t spend much time there…”
Qiao Anhao thought that she would probably be the one disrupting him if she stayed… She turned, and Lu Jinnian paused, his palms soaked in sweat from anxiety. This was the first time he was so proactive towards a girl.
Their gazes collided, and after a moment, Qiao Anhao said, “If you don’t mind, I won’t mind either.”
Lu Jinnian went blank momentarily, before joy coated his eyes. “Do you want to stay in the mansion or apartment?”
“They’re both fine,” she replied, reaching for her phone to cancel the hotel reservation.
The mansion out of the city was a little far and the mansion in the city was beside Xu Jiamu’s mansion… After a moment’s thought, he suggested, “How about Ming Zhu Garden? It’s quite high and in the heart of the city, it’ll be convenient if you need anything, and the view is pretty…”
Before he could finish his sentence, she interrupted. “Sure.”
Lu Jinnian shut his mouth, heading towards Ming Zhu Garden.
When they passed a 24-hour supermarket, Lu Jinnian stopped to get some daily necessities.
Even though Ming Zhu Garden was an apartment, it was two-story high and its size was comparable to the house in Mian Xiu Garden
Lu Jinnian brought the keys up, entering the apartment first before bending to grab a pair of male house slippers for her. “There’s only male ones, tomorrow I’ll get a female pair for you.”
After she was snug in the slippers, he brought her upstairs. He pushed open a bedroom door on the North side. “Here’s the main bedroom and there’s a bed, do you mind?”
Qiao Anhao shook her head.
Before she could react, Lu Jinnian passed the bag of daily necessities he had bought and pointed to the bathroom. “You should have a hot shower.”
He then pulled her two suitcases to the changing room.
After her shower, Lu Jinnian had already hung up all her clothes in the changing room, even her makeup had been neatly arranged on the vanity.
Qiao Anhao wore a night gown with a low neck and hem line, exposing her slender legs and seductive collar bones. After the hot shower, her skin had a faint pink glow.
Lu Jinnian felt his throat go dry. Turning his head, he hurriedly said, “You should rest.”
He then walked out of the bedroom.
–
Qiao Anhao fell into a deep sleep. The next day, when she woke up, it was close to 11 am.
The first thing she did was reach for her phone—she had fur unread texts from Lu Jinnian.
[Breakfast is in the cooler box.]
[I placed the keys on the dining table.]
[If you need anything, you can call this number.]
This one also contained a string of numbers.
Translator: Kingbao Editor: DarkGem
[If you can’t find anything or don’t know anything, you can ask me.]
–
Lu Jinnian didn’t have much work the entire afternoon. When it was finally time for a meeting, he had even fallen into a daze. The night before had seemed like a dream, it was so surreal.
After enduring through the meeting, he returned to his office and reached for his phone to write Qiao Anhao a text. [Are you awake?]
Qiao Anhao was prepared to have the breakfast he bought. There were dough fritters in her hands, so she sent a voice message instead. She replied in a murmur, “I’m awake.”
[What are you doing?]
Qiao Anhao sent him a photo.
Lu Jinnian glanced at the familiar dining area and the breakfast he had bought earlier, his heart finally assured.
He wasn’t dreaming, Qiao Anhao and Xu Jiamu had really divorced. She was single and living in his house….
In an instance, mixed emotions clouded his mind. He had never dared to think of entering her heart, but now, he seemed to see the light to his long wait, but he still couldn’t help feeling insecure.
She was the woman he had been loving for thirteen years, one he gave up on only when he realized that she was in love with Xu Jiamu. Now, that she no longer had anything to do with his brother, Lu Jinnian finally had the opportunity he had been waiting for. He was prepared to use his entire life to get her.
No one could know how much courage was needed to advance friendship into a relationship as any mistake would send one straight down to the dumps.
It was a gamble, and Lu Jinnian didn’t have any confidence at all. Regardless, he was not willing to easily give up on her.
He had been waiting for thirteen years… Only after thirteen long years did he finally have this opportunity.
A lifetime was a long time. Even if he couldn’t get her in a year, he could try for another one, or even three, or four years… Or even the next thirteen years…
–
Before the afternoon meeting, Lu Jinnian sent Qiao Anhao another text to ask what she was doing again.
Halfway through the meeting, she replied with a voice message. He placed the phone to his ear, gathering that she was watching television. He even heard the faint advertisement being played in the background.
He placed his phone back down and asked, [What are you watching?]
Qiao Anhao sent yet another voice message back, but this time, when he placed the phone to his ear, the marketing director had just finished his presentation. He faced Lu Jinnian asking, “Mr. Lu, what do you think?”
Lu Jinnian’s lack of response caught the attention of the entire room. Everyone caught sight of him listening to his phone.
Even though he would faze out during meetings sometimes, this was the first time that he had done it so openly. The directors looked around at each other before finally the market research director asked again, “Mr. Lu?”
Lu Jinnian placed his phone down, and just when the directors were prepared to hear his comment, he started typing on his phone.
His assistant, who was sitting beside him, couldn’t help coughing to remind him before discretely kicking him under the table.
But he seemed to have used too much strength, which startled Lu Jinnian, and he accidentally clicked onto the voice message.
Translator: Kingbao Editor: DarkGem
The assistant seemed to have used too much strength, which startled Lu Jinnian, and he accidentally clicked onto the voice message.
At that moment, Qiao Anhao’s soft and tender voice filled the meeting room. “I’m watching the rerun of ‘The Voice of China’.”
In the voice message, the was a faint background noise. “The voice of china, the most traditional herbal tea.”
Silence fell in an instance. Mr. Lu was actually chatting with a girl and she sounded familiar…
Even though no of the directors dared to speak, they started to give each other weird glances.
Lu Jinnian lifted his lids, glancing at his assistant who was using his hands to shield his face.
Just when everyone thought that he was going to burst in anger, he returned his gaze back to his phone and started typing.
Everyone, even the assistant looked at him with disbelief.
The vice-president who sat on the other side of Lu Jinnian stuck his neck out to glance at Lu Jinnian’s phone—he was actually on Wechat, texting! There was even a hint of a smile on his lips.
The company workers had never seen him smile like that before, so the vice-president mustered up some courage to ask, “Mr. Lu, who are you talking to?”
“She’s a girl.”
“…” The meeting room went into silence, everyone digesting his words.
After Lu Jinnian had replied, he lifted his head to add, “I’m chasing her.”
Best screen actor Lu who had never been in a scandal was actually chasing a girl… The entire room went into a frenzy, losing the mood for a meeting in an instance. The other directors continued to ask questions, encouraged by Lu Jinnian’s response.
“What kind of girl is she to be able to attract Mr Lu?”
“Mr. Lu, do you even need to chase her? I’m sure she’s interested?”
Another female employee added enviously, “That girl must be pretty!”
Lu Jinnian’s mood lifted, he had never expected such reactions from his staff. He had wanted to avoid the topic to return back to business, but in that instance, he seemed to have thought of something. “How do you chase a girl?”
“When I chased my girlfriend, I spent a huge sum, spending a few thousands per month.”
“I chased my wife in university, we were classmates at that time. Just to get to know her, I treated my entire class a month’s worth of milk tea… After that, I had to eat instant noodles for the next few months…”
“I gave mine a fresh flower every day. When I suddenly stopped, my wife came after me…”
Lu Jinnian sat in his chair, taking in everyone’s advice seriously. In the end, he even knocked on his assistant’s laptop, signaling him to make a record.
Just like that, a meeting on the new business deal became a reminisce of of how everyone had chased girls.
Translator: Kingbao Editor: DarkGem
Lu Jinnian knocked off work early that afternoon. It was the first time in so many years, and it was also the first time that he yearned to return home, so much so that he even ran past a red light.
When he finally reached Ming Zhu Garden, he held onto the keys to open the door. As he changed into his house slippers, he shouted for Qiao Anhao, but no one replied.
Lu Jinnian shouted her name once more, a frown denting his temples. With only one slipper on, he rushed up the stairs into the changing room. Only when he saw that her clothes were still inside did he finally heave a sigh of relief, pulling out his phone to call her.
Qiao Anhao picked up instantly, but her background noise was very loud and the phone signal was bad, her voice coming out in patches. Only after a while did the background finally turn quiet. “What’s wrong?”
“Where are you?”
“I’m in Cheng Jian building’s supermarket.”
The supermarket was near Ming Zhu Garden. Lu Jinnian walked there without taking his car. Just when he reached the entrance of the supermarket, Qiao Anhao walked out, carrying a huge bag of groceries.
Lu Jinnian hurriedly went forward.
Qiao Anhao reached for her phone. When she realized that it wasn’t even 5 pm, she asked in confusion, “Why are you back so early?”
“There wasn’t much work.” Reaching for the bag, Lu Jinnian frowned, realizing that it was filled with vegetables and condiments.
Qiao Anhao explained, “My appetite has been getting bad from eating out everyday.”
“Oh,” he responded as they headed back, shoulder to shoulder.
The sun was about to set, the horizon a beautiful shade of red, brightening the path as they strolled leisurely. There were many elderly couples strolling by as well. Qiao Anhao turned to glance at Lu Jinnian’s ridiculously handsome features, and just then, she suddenly remembered a suitable phrase: My most beautiful wish is to walk hand in hand with you under the sunset, enjoying the cool breeze.
–
Qiao Anhao cooked while Lu Jinnian washed the dishes, their chemistry akin to a newly married couple.
After their meal, the skies were still bright, so they decided to take a walk outside. When they returned, Qiao Anhao held onto a box of strawberry Häagen-Dazs, while Lu Jinnian held onto a bag filled with tidbits.
When they reached home, it was just 8 pm. Qiao Anhao curled up on the sofa, watching television, a packet of chips in her arms.
Lu Jinnian came out of the study room with his laptop to sit beside her while he attended to his work.
When the advertisement played, Lu Jinnian suddenly called for Qiao Anhao. She turned with the chips in her hands. Lu Jinnian didn’t look at her, his gaze focused on the laptop screen, his fingers on the keypad. “Come over.”
“Why?” she asked as she leaned over.
As she came close, a faint aroma flitted over, and Lu Jinnian’s back tensed instantly. Turning the laptop screen towards her, he spoke in his usual cold voice.
“The company has a new modern movie where the male lead will be confessing to the female lead. There have been a few ideas, but which one would you prefer? Since you’re part of the target audience, your suggestion would be useful.”
Translator: Kingbao Editor: DarkGem
Qiao Anhao scanned the screen as she continued to munch on her chips. When she realized that the venue was a prestigious hotel in Beijing, she asked, “It’s going to be filmed in Beijing?”
“Yea.”
Qiao Anhao scanned through all the hotels before pointing to one of them. “This one, you can see the palace through the window. If they were to eat dinner here, the scenery would be beautiful and the scene would be amazing.”
“Oh.” Qiao Anhao tilted her head to continue scanning the description. “Candle light dinner, girls prefer that… For flowers, you should use blue roses, it’ll look elegant, even though I prefer Chinese Bellflowers… For meals, western… red wine…”
“Yea,” Lu Jinnian repeated continuously, pretending to be seriously considering her suggestions, but deep inside, he was silently memorizing everything.
After Qiao Anhao was done with her suggestions, she curled back in her corner to watch her show, while Lu Jinnian sat beside her, typing on his laptop occasionally.
Qiao Anhao was watching a romance drama where the female lead was dumped by her husband. She met with the rich male lead and the two of them fell in love after their encounters, in the end. When they were prepared to get married, the male lead’s family strongly opposed her because of her past.
Before the advertisement, Qiao Anhao didn’t think too much of the drama, but after when she saw how resolutely the male lead’s mother opposed the female lead, she suddenly recalled that even though she didn’t get a marriage license, she was considered a divorcee to everyone… Would Lu Jinnian despise her…
No matter how successful and confident a person was, in the face of their deepest love, they would still magnify their own flaws, worried the other party would mind.
Worry started to form in Qiao Anhao’s mind, and the more she thought, the more uneasy she became. In the end, she couldn’t help lamenting to Lu Jinnian, who sat beside her, “Oh god, I’m a divorcee just like the female lead, so will I be despised like her as well? But I’m still young! Lu Jinnian, do you think I won’t be able to get married?”
When he heard her complain, he glanced at the screen to stare at the female lead who was in tears as she broke up with the male lead. He lowered his head to look back at his laptop, saying faintly, “If no one wants you, I’ll marry you.”
Even though Qiao Anhao knew that he was just trying to comfort her, her heart skipped a beat. Staring intently at the screen, she took a moment to calm herself before smiling brightly. “Sure, when the time comes, I’m sure everyone will be envious of me.”
Lu Jinnian paused, his fingers turning stiff. He struggled to calm himself before turning to look at Qiao Anhao.
Her profile shone under the light, her long lashes slightly curled, her dark eyes staring straight at the screen, blinking occasionally.
When Qiao Anhao stopped hearing his typing, she turned over curiously, colliding with his gaze.
Translator: Kingbao Editor: DarkGem
Lu Jinnian’s beautiful eyes were deep and bright, with a hint of a mysterious glint. In just an instance, Qiao Anhao was mesmerized.
Just like that, the room narrowed in on them, and they could only see the other in their eyes.
Lu Jinnian’s eyes deepened. He stared for a long while before leaning closer.
Qiao Anhao had a tingling suspicion for what was to come, and her lashes trembled, but she didn’t try to hide.
Lu Jinnian’s features magnified gradually, and just before his lips touched hers, she shut her eyes. She could distinctively feel his warm breath on her face, and her hands tightened on the sofa as she prepared for the kiss. But just before he reached her lips, her phone rang.
Lu Jinnian stopped, staring at Qiao Anhao for a while longer before forcing himself away.
Qiao Anhao flushed a deep shade of red. She glanced at her phone before walking to the window to pick up. “Sis.”
“Qiao Qiao, you moved out of Jiamu’s mansion?”
“Yea.”
“Then why didn’t you come back to stay?”
“I intend to get an apartment in the city, didn’t you get one for yourself as well?”
“All right…” Qiao Anxia paused for a bit before adding, “If you see anything you like, don’t hesitate to get it.”
Qiao Anhao hung up. When she turned, she saw Lu Jinnian walking out of the bathroom.
In the past, they would use their deal as an excuse, but now that they decided to be friends, their almost kiss seemed weird. Qiao Anhao averted her gaze, while Lu Jinnian remained at ease. He glanced at the time. “It’s getting late, get some rest.”
The words seemed to be Qiao Anhao’s saviors. She nodded, hurriedly threw a “Goodnight!”, and ran up to her room.
Even though Lu Jinnian indeed wanted to do certain things, he was willing to wait till after his confession, when she accepted him and they became an official couple.
Yet even though that was his intention, that night at 1am, he was still reminiscing about what almost happened on the sofa.
At night, Qiao Anhao was awakened by thirst, probably due to the ice cream and chips that she had eaten earlier.
Using the glow from the staircase light, she ran down the stairs in her nightgown. She poured herself a cup of water before throwing her head back to down the water. Just then, the lights in the living room turned on.
Qiao Anhao jumped in shock, her hand trembling, spilling the contents onto her chest. She turned, seeing Lu Jinnian walk out of the study room on the first floor.
Qiao Anhao wore a white night gown, and now that it was wet, it was almost transparent.
Lu Jinnian’s gaze fell on the wet patch on her chest.
Qiao Anhao froze for an entire minute before snapping back to her senses. She placed the cup down, and shielding herself with her hands, she ran towards the stairs. As she brushed past Lu Jinnian, he suddenly reached out to grab her hand, pressing her against the wall behind her. Lowering his head, he covered her lips.
Translator: Kingbao Editor: DarkGem
The bedroom was almost dark with only the faint, warm glow from the night lamp in the corner of the bedroom. Lu Jinnian used his elbow to prop half his body up as Qiao Anhao laid flat below him. His eyes brightened and dimmed as he looked into her eyes, his breath unstable from the kiss.
His fiery gaze, or maybe the long absence of intimacy, caused Qiao Anhao to feel increasingly more anxious, her face flushed as though it was their first time.
Lu Jinnian stared at her, taking in her shy but mesmerizing expression. He seemed to have been influenced as well, anxiety spreading across him. Even though he had kissed her against the wall earlier on impulse, his senses had already returned. His body was clearly aroused, and now that it had started, he could no longer hold it in, but he still suppressed his inner desires to ask her out of respect, “Qiao Qiao, can I continue?”
It wasn’t a transaction, he wasn’t a substitute – it was purely just the two of them. Was it okay?
Lu Jinnian’s voice was soft, with a hint of seduction, sending a shiver down Qiao Anhao’s spine. Her heart thumped rapidly, her lashes trembled, and deep inside, she had already agreed. But how could she say it out and yet still keep her dignity?
Lu Jinnian could no longer keep his desires. Impatient but not willing to force her, he reached out his hand to pull her zipper slowly, as though seeking her permission.
When his fingers brushed past her skin, a numbing sensation pulsed throughout Qiao Anhao, sending desire down her spine. Instinctively, she grabbed onto the bed sheets below her, and gradually, she shut her trembling lashes.
Lu Jinnian had been focusing on her all this while. When he confirmed that there wasn’t disgust or unwillingness on her face, he mustered up his courage, slowly pulling her nightgown off…
Even though it wasn’t their first time, he was more careful than he had ever been.
In the past, when it happened, it was either when they were drunk , he was sick and unconscious, or when he wasn’t willing to let her get close to other guys, using the transaction as a reason. There was even once when he lost control and raped her in the car out of jealousy for Xu Jiamu…
Truthfully, if a man really loves a woman, just looking at her is enough to stir his desires. No matter the reason behind the act, the man would always feel satisfied but every time it ended, he would feel lousy about himself if it was under bad circumstances.
Tonight was the very first time that both Lu Jinnian’s body and heart were able to be satisfied and content.
Because this was the very first time he used only his own identity, that of Lu Jinnian, to experience the most intimate act with her.
–
Maybe Qiao Anhao was too tired or maybe she was too sleepy, but when it ended, she rested her head on his chest, falling into a deep sleep.
But Lu Jinnian was wide awake, his eyes open as he gazed at Qiao Anhao, who was nestled in his arms, his heart agitated.
After a long while, he finally managed to fall asleep. The next morning, the moment he opened his eyes, he looked down at Qiao Anhao, who was still in his arms. Even though she was still fast asleep, everything felt surreal. He reached out to caress her face, and it felt warm beneath his fingers. Only then did he believe that the night before was not a dream.
Translator: Kingbao Editor: DarkGem
In the past, when they acted as a couple, when he saw her in his arms still asleep in the morning, it wasn’t that he didn’t feel happy or touched, but now, everything was different. He felt a strong wave of emotion hit him, and he was even a little moved.
Thirteen years, soon to be fourteen…. From the initial lack of capability to love her to the forbidden deep love to finally being able to tell her he loved her. He had to endure over five thousand nights… His net worth grew from below three digits to over ten digits… He could finally love her.
Lu Jinnian was never an emotional person, but at that moment, moisture started welling in his eyes.
Since he woke up, he had been staring at Qiao Anhao, as though he could never get enough of her. Last night, she had fallen asleep on his arm, and they remained in the same position through the night. Right now, his arms were numb, but he didn’t want to move an inch.
Only at 8 am did the alarm start to ring. Lu Jinnian carefully took Qiao Anhao’s head off his arm. Lowering his head, he placed a loving kiss on her forehead before leaving the bed.
After preparing for work, he went to get breakfast for her and placed it in a thermoflask. Only then did he finally head off to work, sending her a few texts on his way to remind her to eat and that the gym card, the lounge card, and a bank card were placed on the table. The gym and lounge cards could be used in the mall nearby so that she could have some entertainment.
–
Qiao Anhao slept all the way till 10 am, her body weak and in pain. She flipped to the side, hugging a blanket, and shut her eyes to continue resting. Five seconds later, she seemed to have realized that she wasn’t wearing anything.
After a momentary freeze, her eyes flew open and she inspected her body – it was covered in kiss marks. She turned and saw her nightgown peeping from under the bed, that was when she recalled the events from the night before.
Without being under any form of transaction, they had made love…
A day ago, Qiao Anhao could still believe that they were still friends, but after last night, they were no longer pure.
She hadn’t seduced him the previous night. Regardless of how one saw it, it was all Lu Jinnian. But he hadn’t explained anything… What did he mean?
One night stand? Friends with benefits? Girlfriend? But Lu Jinnian hadn’t even confessed or officially asked her out…
Qiao Anhao’s mind started to run. After a while, she still wasn’t able to figure out his intentions. Climbing off the bed, she went to wash up. When she returned for her phone, she saw Lu Jinnian’s text.
She came downstairs to the dinning table, taking in the cards that were on the table. Behind the bank card, there was a small note with the password, Qiao Anhao could tell that it was probably Lu Jinnian subsidiary card.
She stirred the porridge as she gazed at the cards, her mind in a mess.
As she ate in confusion, her phone suddenly rang. Glancing over, she saw that it was from Lu Jinnian.
