Translator: Paperplane Editor: DarkGem
The blonde woman was Lucy, the wife of a director Lu Jinnian had met while filming in Hollywood, and a psychologist. After learning that he was back in America tonight, she personally invited him to have dinner together.
When the car stopped at the hotel’s doors, Lu Jinnian said “Thanks” to Lucy, then pushed open the car doors and got out. Who knew that Lucy would actually get out of the car and called for him to stop.
Lu Jinnian turned his head towards Lucy, who said with a beaming smile, “Jinnian, I think you’ve been a little restless tonight. You just seemed so distracted. Is something troubling you? Tell me, perhaps, I can help you.”
“I’m fine,” Lu Jinnian said flatly.
“Jinnian, you can’t lie to me. Don’t forget what I do for a living. Even if you tried hard to pretend to look calm tonight, I could still feel that you were acting strange. For example, during dinner tonight, you looked over at the window nineteen times. When I started the car up, you stared at the rear view mirror in a daze. Also while we were chatting tonight, there were four occasions when you didn’t even reply to me…”
Just as Lucy spoke enthusiastically, they suddenly heard a delicate voice by their side.
“Hubby!”
When Lu Jinnian heard that voice, his whole body trembled.
Lucy, who had been speaking at that time, furrowed her brows at his abrupt reaction and asked worriedly, “Jinnian, what’s wrong?”
Lu Jinnian didn’t even have time to shake his head at Lucy before a small frame suddenly rushed over and into his arms. “Hubby, where were you? I’ve been here waiting for you for so long.”
Lucy jumped in shock at Qiao Anhao’s sudden appearance. Though she didn’t understand Chinese, she at least knew a few words, and “Hubby” was one of them. She creased her brows while staring at Lu Jinnian, and asked in English, “Jinnian, you’re not married, right? Why is she calling you hubby?”
Qiao Anhao understood English, so as soon as she heard Lucy’s questions, she was certain that her and Lu Jinnian’s relationship was abnormal.
No matter if Lu Jinnian really liked this foreign woman, or if he faked his affection for her, she was definitely going to find a way to make her back off and never disturb him ever again.
Qiao Anhao’s eyes turned. Then, as though to show off her power, she tiptoed, and pecked Lu Jinnian on the cheek twice. Lu Jinnian, who had only just come to terms with had just happened, fell for it again, and he froze once more.
Qiao Anhao, on the other hand, seemed practically addicted to her act. She continuously called him her husband in a playful way. “Hubby, I came all the way from Beijing to find you. Hubby, I’m so tired from the flight. Hubby, I have something to tell you…”
Qiao Anhao casually said the last word without thinking about what news she had for him, so after a short pause, she blinked and said, “Hubby, I’m pregnant!”
Right right right! If she was pregnant, then the foreign woman would definitely back off!
After she said that, Qiao Anhao realized that she spoke in Chinese. What if that blonde woman couldn’t understand?
Qiao Anhao suddenly blinked her big eyes. She turned to look at Lucy, then shifted her gaze back at Lu Jinnian and repeated her sentence in English. “Hubby, I’m pregnant! Aren’t you happy?!”
Translator: Paperplane Editor: DarkGem
Lucy, who had only understood the word “Hubby”, looked over at Lu Jinnian once again with startled eyes, and asked, “Jinnian? Pregnant?”
Lucy’s astonishment fell on Qiao Anhao’s eyes. In her mind, it looked like the woman had just realized that her boyfriend had a wife and she was looking for his confirmation.
How could she ask for confirmation?
Since the blonde woman still wasn’t backing off, then she couldn’t blame her for going overboard!
Qiao Anhao then hugged Lu Jinnian’s neck and repeated her words in English in the sweetest voice she could muster while wearing a dazzling smile. “Hubby, I came all the way from Beijing to find you. Hubby, I’m so tired from the flight. Hubby, I haven’t eaten dinner yet, I’m so hungry, so hungryyyy…”
After a long time, Lu Jinnian who needed a lot of time to snap back from Qiao Anhao’s actions that were without rhyme or reason finally came back to his senses.
Who could tell him, just what was Qiao Anhao playing at? What kind of scene was she acting out?
He gave Lucy an apologetic look and said, “Sorry…”
As his words fell on Qiao Anhao’s ears, she thought he was clearly trying to keep the beautiful blonde woman around. How could she give him that chance?
Under such extreme circumstances, Qiao Anhao didn’t even think twice about it. She tiptoed and forcefully pulled Lu Jinnian’s head down. On a busy street on foreign soil, Lu Jinnian swallowed the words “Excuse me” when her lips covered his.
The long-awaited softness and warmth made the blood in Lu Jinnian’s entire body run against its flow. It was as if the pressure points on his whole body had been pressed; there was no way could raise his arms and push Qiao Anhao away.
When Lu Jinnian had said “Sorry”, Lucy instinctively thought that he would excuse himself, so she had never imagined that the pretty, little black-haired woman would suddenly kiss him on the lips. Lucy couldn’t help but gasp in surprise at her actions. Then, shaking her head with a smile on her face, she stepped back and got into the car. She started it up and left.
When Qiao Anhao heard the sound of the car driving away, she thought that she’d successfully warded off the foreign woman. With that, her heart couldn’t help but feel unbelievably satisfied. She tore her lips away from Lu Jinnian with the expression of content on her face.
There were foreign men all around who couldn’t help but whistle at the startled Lu Jinnian. With this, he finally responded to the fact that Qiao Anhao had actually forced him into a kiss just now. A silent smear of red crept up his cold and distant face, and his expression changed a number of times. Then he abruptly pulled Qiao Anhao away from his neck and arms, turned around, and took big strides in a rush to get into the hotel.
After Lu Jinnian threw Qiao Anhao aside, her footsteps staggered for a moment. Then, dun-dun-dun, she stamped her high heels, chasing after him. She reached her arm out and grabbed his wrist.
Lu Jinnian’s muscles suddenly tightened up. He didn’t turn around to face Qiao Anhao behind him but forcefully struggled to pull his wrist free. This only triggered Qiao Anhao to raise her other hand and hug his arm even tighter in hers.
Lu Jinnian furrowed his brows for a moment, then continued to struggle out of her grip. When he realized he couldn’t break free, he said in a cold voice, “Let go!”
Qiao Anhao’s body gently shivered, but she hugged his arms even tighter.
Eventually, Lu Jinnian couldn’t take it anymore. He turned his head and stared into Qiao Anhao’s eyes in rage. “What the hell are you doing?”
Translator: Paperplane Editor: DarkGem
In the past, she said he wasn’t worthy of her because of Xu Jiamu, and gave him no choice but to let go and leave. Now, she flew all the way from Beijing to America to harass him. In front of Lucy, she even repeatedly called him her husband and that she was pregnant with his baby, like she was giving an oath of sovereignty.
What did she really want?
Perhaps it was the overbearing look in his eyes that made Qiao Anhao instinctively lower her head to avoid his glare. She then said in a quiet voice, “I lost my purse.”
She really did lose her purse, though it had been on purpose.
Lu Jinnian stared at her scruffy hair without saying a word.
Qiao Anhao quietly raised her eyelids to find that he still wore the angry expression he had had earlier, which didn’t let anyone read his thoughts. She wasn’t quite sure if he believed her or not, so she gently held one of his hands and flipped with the other through her own pockets.
She then said in low voice, “I’ve really lost it. When I left the restaurant, I walked a distance and hailed a taxi back to the hotel. When it came time to pay, I realized that I had lost my purse. I had to borrow money from the front desk to pay for my taxi fare.”
Although she had carefully calculated every move, when it was time to tell him, her mind couldn’t help but go back to the time when she went to Hangzhou during university. Her purse was stolen, and she had to send him a text to ask him to come find her far from his place. Yet, now, all he gave her was a cold and callous look.
A trace of sorrow crept into her heart, and the rim of her eyes started to redden. Her voice sounded quite pitiful when she spoke next. “They didn’t let me borrow it at first, so I told them that I had a friend here who would repay them, only then did they let me borrow the money. Yet they didn’t let me go up to rest, they said I had to wait in the lobby for you to come back. I waited for over two hours for you to come back. I haven’t even eaten, I’m hungry.”
Every letter of Qiao Anhao’s soft words lit Lu Jinnian’s heart.
Though she lowered her head so he couldn’t see her face, his mind sketched out her pitiful and aggrieved face from her words.
Lu Jinnian shut his eyes and silently took a breath. He tried hard to get his senses back, then pulled out a thick pile of notes from his wallet and handed it to Qiao Anhao.
Qiao Anhao stared at the money but didn’t reach her hand out to take it. She shook her head and said, “This isn’t enough. One night’s stay in the hotel costs several million.”
Lu Jinnian furrowed his brows, pulled out a bank card, and handed it to Qiao Anhao. “You know the pin.”
Since being reunited after four months apart, this was the first time Lu Jinnian had spoke to Qiao Anhao in a normal tone of voice. Though he was still quite callous about it, there was no longer any of that will to defy and reject her from his very bones. It was especially so when he said “You know the pin”.
Qiao Anhao wasn’t certain why but tears started rolling down her face and crashed onto to the back of his hand, as she tightly pulled his sleeve.
The tears were warm, yet they scorched Lu Jinnian’s heart. He could clearly feel the very heart he had tried to harden up start to soften.
Qiao Anhao raised her hand and carelessly wiped the tears from her face. With her head raised, she looked at Lu Jinnian with teary, puppy dog eyes, and said in an aggrieved and pitiful voice, “I don’t want money, I want food.”
Translator: Paperplane Editor: DarkGem
Want food… It was so obviously funny, but Lu Jinnian couldn’t laugh aloud.
He moved his lips as though to force himself not to let the words escape. However, eventually, he said it. “First, get in and pay them back.”
Qiao Anhao was so afraid that Lu Jinnian would throw her aside and leave, she didn’t dare let go of his hand. She didn’t listen to him and stubbornly stood on the spot without moving.
Lu Jinnian stared at Qiao Anhao for two seconds before finally conceding. He silently turned around and let her hold his hand into the hotel lobby.
As Qiao Anhao dragged his hand, she could only walk forward under the force of his pull.
His footsteps were fast, and so to be able to keep hold of his hand, she had to jog behind him.
When Lu Jinnian heard the hurried sounds of her high heels, he slightly lowered his head to one side and saw that her legs moving non-stop. He then slowed down.
They walked up to the front desk where the receptionist asked politely, “Sir, how may I help you?”
Lu Jinnian didn’t bother with her. Instead, he turned his head and looked at Qiao Anhao with neutral eyes. He asked with no emotions, “How much?”
As though she were a mistreated young wife, Qiao Anhao quietly said, “Forty.”
Lu Jinnian pulled out a hundred and threw it on the front desk, like he was unsatisfied with them for making Qiao Anhao wait for over two hours alone on the sofa. He didn’t even bother saying “Thank you”, but directly threw out the words “Take the change”. Then they turned around and headed for the lobby.
Lu Jinnian hailed a taxi by the side of the road, pulled the doors, and glanced over at Qiao Anhao. He said in a frigid voice, “Get in.”
With that, Qiao Anhao let go of Lu Jinnian’s hand and climbed into the car. Then, as though she was afraid Lu Jinnian would suddenly close the car door on her and walk off, she quickly pulled onto his sleeve, yanking him into the car with her.
Lu Jinnian creased his brows without saying a word, as he realized how comfortable he felt in his heart with Qiao Anhao’s obedient, pitiful actions. Like a cat, he followed behind her, entered the car, and gave the driver a location.
Throughout the journey, Qiao Anhao and Lu Jinnian never spoke to one another. It was only after they stopped and found themselves outside the same restaurant Lu Jinnian and the blonde women had been to that Qiao Anhao said in quiet voice filled with jealousy, “I don’t want to eat western food.”
Lu Jinnian furrowed his brows as though to complain how demanding she was.
“Ah, western food is fine,” said Qiao Anhao, quickly changing her tone.
Lu Jinnian didn’t even bother with her. He apologized to the taxi driver and gave another location.
This time, the taxi stopped in front of a Chinese restaurant.
Lu Jinnian paid the fare and got out of the car. He glanced over at Qiao Anhao, who had tightly clutched his sleeve without much reaction through the whole drive. He just waited for her to crawl out of the car, then took big strides towards the restaurant.
When they sat at the table, Lu Jinnian grabbed the menu and threw it straight in front of Qiao Anhao.
Translator: Kingbao Editor: DarkGem
The restaurant was situated in a popular area, so during normal dinning hours, there would be a large crowd. In order to save on staff, there was a paper menu on each table for the customers to tick and send to the counter.
Lu Jinnian glanced over at Qiao Anhao, and when he realized that she wasn’t going to tick anything on the menu, he grabbed a pen at the side and tossed it to her.
Qiao Anhao jumped, lifting her head to glance at him. She widened her eyes in shock, her gaze clear and harmless.
Even though there wasn’t much expression on his face, his tone softened without conscious thought. “Tick whatever you want to eat.”
“Oh.” Qiao Anhao picked up the pen and scrutinized the menu. Out of habit, she started to chew on the tip of the pen . Occasionally, when she saw something she wanted, she would lightly tick the menu.
Lu Jinnian’s gaze turned blurry as he remembered an event from the past. It was after their physical education lesson, and while hugging a soccer ball, he had deliberately passed by Qiao Anhao’s class. She was having a quiz and had been allocated a seat at the far end of the classroom, but he could still spot her at a glance.
At that time, she was still in third class. When she couldn’t solve the question, she would start to chew on her pen, just as she was doing right now, but with a frown etched on her face. After a long while, she would release the pen to tick her choice.
Even though it wasn’t much, he stopped outside her class and stared for at least ten minutes. It was only when Xu Jiamu, drenched in sweat, came running to him did he finally avert his gaze.
Some people and some memories would constantly be hovering around despite any attempts to forget them. In the past four months, he never once thought about her affairs, but now, her unconscious action was able to awaken the past that he had sealed.
Lu Jinnian had already eaten his dinner and Qiao Anhao couldn’t eat much, so she only chose one dish after a long time of contemplation. Finally, she placed the pen back down and passed the menu back to Lu Jinnian.
Her act snapped his attention back to the present, and coldness and remoteness clouded his eyes. Casually, he flipped through the menu. When he saw that she had only picked one dish, he frowned. Without bothering to consult her, he picked up the pen and quickly ticked a few other boxes before standing to place the order.
It was after dinner hours, so the crowd had started to leave. The dishes were served quickly.
Qiao Anhao realized that the items he had picked so swiftly – four dishes, a soup, and dessert were all her favorite.
The long email that he had written to his assistant came to her mind, dampening her spirits slightly.
When he ticked the menu just now, he seemed to be very familiar with the positions of the dishes… Did that mean he was a regular and would always pick these few dishes? Did he always patronize the restaurant alone to eat her favorite dishes?
She could feel a slight sting in her eyes. Biting down on her lips, she whispered, “I’m sorry.”
Translator: Kingbao Editor: DarkGem
Qiao Anhao’s abrupt apology sent Lu Jinnian into confusion, and he just continued to look at her.
She lifted her head and looked into his eyes with a bright, teary gaze. “Lu Jinnian, I’m really sorry for making you wait so long and for things I said that day…”
Qiao Anhao was referring to the words that she had said in his office.
But Lu Jinnian had misunderstood, assuming that she was talking about the text.
His eyes darkened, he beat down on the table aggressively and growled, “How many times do you need me to tell you, I don’t want to hear about that!”
Qiao Anhao trembled, clearly frightened by his sudden outburst. She didn’t even dare to look at him, hurriedly hanging her head down.
Lu Jinnian’s aggressive act attracted stares from the other patrons, and Qiao Anhao could vaguely hear that they were discussing them. Instinctively, she clenched her fists and hung her head lower.
A pressuring force continuously emitted from Lu Jinnian, and his chest was rising up and down furiously. Qiao Anhao was afraid that he would turn and leave just like before.
Ignoring the fear deep in her heart, she reached out to grab his sleeve.
Lu Jinnian sensed her move. He turned and saw her slender hand tugging at his sleeve, and deep inside, his anger started to fade. After about a minute, he exhaled deeply and passed a pair of chopsticks over to her. “Eat.”
Qiao Anhao lifted her eyes slightly to study him. When she saw that he no longer had that scary aura, she reached over for the chopsticks, though her other hand still held onto his sleeve tightly. Lowering her head, she started to eat obediently.
Zhao Meng was right – He was indeed unwilling to talk about the past… But she could sense that deep inside he still cared about her. Was Zhao Meng’s suggestion the only solution left?
Qiao Anhao tightened her grip on the chopsticks. When she took in a mouthful of rice, she peaked over at Lu Jinnian. He was staring out the window in a daze.
Qiao Anhao glance around the restaurant. When she saw the drinks located at the vending machine, she bit her lip and turned to Lu Jinnian. “I want orange juice.”
Lu Jinnian had been staring at Qiao Anhao’s reflection on the window all this while. When he heard her, he turned and stared at her slightly before heading for the vending machine.
Qiao Anhao stared at his back. When she saw him reach for his pocket to grab a new note while scanning the rows of drinks, she bit down on her lip and swiftly fished out the pill box and placed its contents in an empty cup.
Translator: Kingbao Editor: DarkGem
At that moment, Lu Jinnian bent down to reach for a bottle of orange juice and turned to get his change.
Qiao Anhao hurriedly stuffed the box back into her pocket. She held onto the empty cup, concealing the pill inside.
When he came back with her drink, he first unscrewed the bottle before passing it over to her.
She reached for the bottle and poured some into the cup with the pill, heaving a sigh of relief. Reaching for another empty cup, she poured the orange juice in.
Qiao Anhao placed the remaining juice on the table before passing the cup with the pill over to Lu Jinnian. Looking up at him, she fluttered her long lashes and said in a sweet tone, “Here’s yours.”
Lu Jinnian usually opted for coffee, tea, or just plain water. He never touched sweet drinks. Glancing at the juice, he shook his head in rejection. “I don’t want it.”
In hesitation, he added another sentence to sound less harsh. “You can have it.”
Inwardly, he laughed bitterly. Even after she had caused him so much hurt, he still felt an urge to cheer her up when she felt down.
Qiao Anhao held the cup in the same position wordlessly, staring at him with the same clear, harmless eyes.
Lu Jinnian couldn’t handle the gaze any longer. He reached over and took the drink from her hands.
Qiao Anhao smiled, her eyes curving into crescents. Reaching for her own drink, she touched her cup to his before downing the whole juice in one go.
Lu Jinnian stared at her smile, mesmerized. Placing the cup back down, Qiao Anhao realized that he hadn’t moved, so she asked him about it. At that moment, he lowered his lashes and took a sip.
It was sweet, sickeningly so, and a little sour. It wasn’t a taste that he enjoyed, but just when he was about to place the cup down, he noticed her gaze. After just a moment of hesitation, he downed the entire cup.
Qiao Anhao stared at him till he finished the entire cup, only then did she pick up her chopsticks to resume eating. Deep down, she was starting to get anxious.
Zhao Meng told her that the pill would take effect in half an hour… This meant that she had to return to the hotel soon…
Qiao Anhao hurriedly finished the entire bowl of rice. Turning to look at Lu Jinnian who was staring out the window, she said, “I’m done.”
Lu Jinnian averted his gaze. He wordlessly reached for his wallet and headed to the cashier.
Once they left the restaurant, Qiao Anhao and Lu Jinnian entered a cab and returned to the hotel.
As they entered the elevator going to the top floor, Lu Jinnian’s face started to redden, and his breath started to get uneven. His gaze started to get fiery, as though suppressing an overwhelming inner desire.
When the elevator finally reached the top floor, Lu Jinnian took large steps forward, as though trying to get rid of Qiao Anhao.
Qiao Anhao could sense his abnormality. Without allowing him any opportunity, she ran after him. Just when he was about to open his room’s door, she dashed forward into his embrace.
Translator: Kingbao Editor: DarkGem
Qiao Anhao’s unique scent clouded Lu Jinnian’s mind, jolting his senses. With the limited restrain he still had, he struggled to pry her off him, but somehow, he couldn’t seem to lift his arms.
Qiao Anhao stood on her toes, sealing his lips.
The soft tenderness brought out his inner desire, chasing away any willpower he might have had left. His mind went blank. Without thinking, his legs lifted, kicking the door open. Carrying Qiao Anhao in his embrace, he entered the room and kicked the door shut, pressing her against the wall, deepening the kiss.
Lu Jinnian’s kiss was passionate and aggressive, stripping away her strength, leaving her light headed.
Due to the pill, his actions were impatient, tugging away her clothes roughly. The long row of buttons seemed to frustrate him. He pulled and tore the cloth apart, sending the buttons flying all over the floor.
Before they even reached the bedroom, their clothes were almost entirely gone, strewn across the entire living room. Lu Jinnian’s breathing turned ragged. He pushed the bedroom’s door open and pressed Qiao Anhao down onto the bed, anxiously entering her.
After staying celibate for such a long time and being under the influence of the pill, he was more aggressive than usual. Qiao Anhao was awake but light headed. When it finally ended and she wanted to take a breath, he suddenly hugged her, changing her position for another round.
When it was finally over, she could no longer keep track of the number of times they had done it… Was it four times, or five? She just felt as though her entire body was wrecked and all her energy was sucked out.
She slouched down onto his chest tiredly, sinking into deep sleep.
–
When Lu Jinnian woke up, the skies were still dark. He reached out for his phone but instead felt a soft tenderness. He frowned, with the faint glow from outside the window, he saw Qiao Anhao nestled in his arms, fast asleep. His mind froze instantly. Only after a long while did he process what had happened the day before… he most likely had been drugged by Qiao Anhao.
He stared at her sleeping face for a long while before removing her from his embrace. Settling her gently on the pillow beside him, he headed to the bathroom.
After a shower, he returned to the bedroom in a bathrobe and glanced at Qiao Anhao. She was still fast asleep. He walked towards the door and left the bedroom.
Outside, the floor was filled with both of their clothes. Lu Jinnian paused for a moment before bending down to pick them all up, tossing them into the laundry basket in the living room.
Walking towards his phone, he glanced at the time, it was 4 am.
Exhausted from the night before, he brewed a cup of coffee for himself. Holding onto it, he walked towards the balcony and sat onto a chair. Reaching for the cigarette box in front of him, he took a stick out and started to smoke as he stared out at the night sky.
Behind every puff of smoke, his face remained impassive, his gaze blurry as though everything was fine, but deep inside, his heart was in a mess.
