After fastening the seat belt for her, Ye Linhan closed the door before walking to the other side of the car. However, he seemed to recall something, and he took his suit jacket off to cover Shen Qi. “Keep yourself covered. You must not catch a cold.”
Shen Qi stared at the suit jacket before glancing at him, but she didn’t reject him.
Ye Linhan treats me really well.
If I am not in love with Ye Moxuan, I might be able to be with him.
However, even right now, my mind is filled with Ye Moxuan’s face, and I just can’t lie to myself.
Shen Qi shut her eyes when she thought of that, and she stopped chatting with Ye Linhan completely.
The car started moving forward, and Shen Qi had no idea how much time had passed, but they finally reached the Ye residence’s garage.
Shen Qi got out of the car in a hurry because she was afraid that Ye Moxuan might misunderstand if he were to see them together. In fact, she left the suit jacket in the car once she got out of her seat. Ye Linhan couldn’t help but flash her a bitter smile. “You don’t have to worry. I asked the servants beforehand. Moxuan did not come back at all.”
Shen Qi froze when she heard that, and she stood rooted to the spot. Then, she turned around to look at Ye Linhan who was staring right back at her too.
“I’m sure you don’t want to know where he has gone, right?” he added with an indifferent smile. He looked gentle as usual, but there was a hidden dangerous gleam in his eyes. Shen Qi caught sight of that, and she lowered her head.
To be honest, I don’t even have to guess. After all, Han Xueyou appeared in front of me with that pair of stud earrings yesterday. Although I dropped by the jewelry shop to inquire about the earrings, I still have a glimmer of hope that there’s another explanation for all of this.
Maybe the salesgirl lied to me, or perhaps my eyes deceived me. Maybe the stud earrings Xueyou was wearing were not the same pair as the ones Ye Moxuan had bought. How could Xueyou possibly be involved with Ye Moxuan?
Hence, Shen Qi wanted to look for Ye Moxuan to check if the pair of stud earrings were with him or not just to confirm what she was thinking.
“So, you don’t have to rush. Just take your time. Maybe let me walk you to your room?”
“No need for that,” Shen Qi rejected Ye Linhan’s kindness coldly before he could approach her. Then, she walked away slowly, but she came to a sudden stop after taking several steps and turned around to look at Ye Linhan.
Ye Linhan couldn’t help but smile when he saw her turning around and called out to her reflexively. “Qi…”
“Linhan, I know that you treat me well. I am also very grateful for your sincerity, but feelings can’t be forced. If you don’t mind, you will always be my brother-in-law no matter what happens between Moxuan and me.”
Ye Linhan’s eyes flickered and dulled when he heard that. After a moment of silence, Ye Linhan smiled bitterly. “Is that all you have to say to me?”
“Yes, I will never repeat myself in the future. Linhan, thank you for yesterday, and I’ll take my leave now,” replied Shen Qi before turning around to walk away.
Ye Linhan stared at her departing silhouette until she was out of his sight before he looked at his palm with a faint smile. He touched her with his palm earlier, and it felt as if his fingers still smelled like her.
Ye Linhan stood there for ages before finally leaving the garage.
…
After Shen Qi returned to her room, she realized that Ye Moxuan was really not home yet as the room was quiet and empty.
It’s been two whole nights. Is he not planning to return home even after two days?
Shen Qi was lying in the hospital for the whole night, and she felt extremely uncomfortable. Hence, she went ahead and took a shower. When the warm water came pouring down, Shen Qi recalled with a start that she had to keep her wounds dry. But it’s been a few days, so I think it should be fine. Besides, there will be germs if I don’t wash them soon. Thus, she ignored her initial thoughts and showered briskly before changing into fresh clothing and leaving the bathroom.
Shen Qi came out of the bathroom, wearing nothing but a nightdress, since Ye Moxuan was not home.
Shen Qi felt an icy-cold aura shrouding over her the moment she walked out from the bathroom. She stood rooted to the spot, puzzled, before a feeling of shock gripped her when she realized the presence of another man in the room.
“Where did you go last night?”
His voice was so cold that it felt like she might freeze over, and his tone hit her like a ton of bricks.
The man in the room was none other than Ye Moxuan. He was sitting in his wheelchair, wearing an eerily cold expression as if he was the devil himself. His eyes stared daggers at her when he asked Shen Qi the previous question.
“You…” Shen Qi stared at him, bewildered. “Why are you suddenly here?”
Didn’t he not return for the past two nights? Why did he show up here all of a sudden? Furthermore, how did he know that I didn’t come home last night?
“What?” Ye Moxuan chuckled coldly. “This is my territory. Since when do I have to ask for permission to be here?”
His words sent chills down Shen Qi’s spine, so she explained in a quiet voice, “That’s not what I meant. I am just—”
Before she could finish her sentence, Ye Moxuan approached her by rolling his wheelchair forward. Then, he gripped her wrist and yanked her into his arms.
“Ah!” Shen Qi cried aloud in surprise while lying on top of him.
Beads of water were still clinging onto her skin since she had just showered. Besides, she wasn’t wearing any undergarments, so she could clearly feel the hardness of a certain area on his body when she fell into his embrace. Shen Qi blushed furiously and tried to push him away.
Ye Moxuan wore a dark expression, and he seemed to be in a foul mood.
“That’s not what you meant? In that case what did you mean? Are you saying that my sudden appearance is interrupting your escapades?”
“What?” Shen Qi looked at him in shock. She stretched out her arm and wanted to push him away, but he held on to her wrist firmly. It was so painful that she turned pale as he tightened his grip around her. “You are hurting my hand.”
“I see you know how pain feels like,” replied Ye Moxuan while regarding her with a cold stare. He sneered, “Why didn’t you think of that last night when you didn’t return home, huh? Do you know that you are a married woman? Don’t you know what you should do and what you shouldn’t do?”
Shen Qi finally understood the reason behind Ye Moxuan’s anger when she heard that, so she stared at him with widened eyes. “H-How did you know that I did not return last night?”
“Do you think that you could hide a secret from me?” Ye Moxuan asked with a mirthless laugh. “You are getting bolder ever since you’ve married into the Ye family, I see. How dare you not return home for the night? Spill! What were you doing last night?”
Initially, he sounded as if he was reprimanding her, and toward the end, he sounded as if he couldn’t care less.
In the beginning, Shen Qi felt guilty and scared because Ye Moxuan knew that she didn’t return home. How could he possibly find out about it?
However, now that he was interrogating her so demandingly, Shen Qi came to her senses. Who is he to interrogate me?
Hence, she looked up slowly to meet Ye Moxuan’s gaze, and her tone was exceptionally calm.
“Do you care what I did while I was out?”
Ye Moxuan’s pupils constricted when he heard that, and he squinted at her menacingly. “What did you say?”
Shen Qi was not afraid of him at all; instead, she pursed her lips while gazing deep into his eyes. She spoke softer on purpose when she answered him.
“Don’t you understand what I’m saying? Ye Moxuan, if you can stay out, why can’t I do the same? You’re yelling at me for staying out one night, but what about you who did not return home two days and nights consecutively?”
