Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
By the time she opened her eyes again, it was already the morning of the next day.
She was greeted with a pair of narrow eyes.
An Xiaoning immediately sobered up. Before she could even open her mouth, he pulled her into his embrace, causing her face to be pressed against his white shirt.
He often exuded a unique charm whenever he wore a white shirt.
She placed her hand on his stubbly chin and said, “When did you sneak in here? Do you know how dangerous that is? I have a feeling that Tuoba Gucheng has sent his people to watch us both. Although he has already promised me that he wouldn’t do that, I don’t quite believe him.”
“Didn’t you say that you wanted to see me?” he asked, allowing her to touch and pinch his features.
“Ah!” She threw her head back with a look of frustration in her eyes. “You saw that message!?!”
Jin Qingyan chuckled loudly and said, “You may have unsent it quickly but you weren’t as fast as my eyes.”
“Don’t come over randomly again. You’ll get into trouble sooner or later. It’ll be disadvantageous to the two of us if we get caught.”
“I don’t like letting myself be treated unfairly. If I become the president, does that mean…” Jin Qingyan began to say with a look of displeasure in his eyes.
An Xiaoning hurriedly covered his mouth and said, “Why don’t you think twice before saying anything? Don’t harbor such thoughts.”
“Why not?”
“The presidents have always been from the Tuoba family, outsiders are not allowed to take part in the presidential elections at all. Besides, being the president doesn’t equate to having freedom. You’ll have so much to worry about every day and things to be busy with, from foreign interviews to local affairs. I don’t want to be the president’s wife. You must abort such ideas.”
She then poked his forehead with her index and said, “Did you hear me?”
He wrapped her finger in his hand and said coquettishly, “I’ll listen to you.”
An Xiaoning did not want him to be in danger and did not want to see him involved in a bloodbath ever again. They had a hard time trying to be with each other, and she was content with the status quo.
“Did you come in openly from the entrance?”
“Of course not. Don’t worry, no one will find out. We’re very safe. I arrived before daybreak and I’ve been lying beside you quietly, for fear that I would wake you up. I’m not going to the office today, I can spend the day with you,” Jin Qingyan said with half-closed eyes, feeling a little sleepy.
“Go to bed then. I’ve had enough sleep, I’m getting up now.”
Just as she was about to sit up, he grabbed her and pulled her back into his arms. “Wait for me to fall asleep first,” he said.
An Xiaoning remained still and soon heard his rhythmic breathing as he slowly dozed off.
She supported herself up and pulled herself out of his embrace before covering him with the duvet.
She then put on her shoes and headed to the bathroom to wash up, after which she changed into a set of clothes and made her way downstairs for breakfast.
Smiling, Shi Qingzhou asked, “Is he still upstairs?”
“How did you know, Mother?”
Shi Qingzhou smiled and said, “No. 9 already told me when I woke up. He came here at about four o’clock in the morning.”
An Xiaoning sat by the dining table. Just as she picked up the spoon to have some porridge, she received a call from Lin Mingxi.
“Xiaoning! I’m pregnant!” Lin Mingxi exclaimed excitedly.
She was so loud that An Xiaoning felt as if she was about to go deaf.
“I expected it,” An Xiaoning said calmly.
“Your prediction was spot-on. You said that I would become pregnant within the next half of this year and I really did. Beicheng and I just went for a prenatal checkup. The fetus is 40 days old. Xiaoning, did you know? I feel like a proud mother now and my maternal instincts are so strong. I’m extra careful even when it comes to walking. It’s such an indescribable but amazing feeling,” Lin Mingxi explained, filled with joy and excitement.
“Okay, okay, I understand. Rest more and nurse your pregnancy. Stop letting yourself get stressed or worried. I’ll tend to the matters regarding the television series. Get Beicheng to manage your fitness center.”
“I’m not that fragile yet. I’m only 40 days along, the baby bump has yet to even show.”
“You’ve already gone to the hospital but I just woke up. I’m going to have breakfast now. Talk to you another time.”
“Alright.”
An Xiaoning ended the call while smiling. Halfway through her breakfast, No. 1 entered with a box that he then placed on the dining table and said, “This was sent by an anonymous sender from B City. It’s for you.”
“What’s inside?”
“I’ve checked it, it’s a pot of flowers.”
“Open it,” said An Xiaoning, holding her bowl in her hands. She turned around and watched as he opened the box from the bottom and lifted the top to reveal a pot of lilies.
The petals of the lilies were white while the bud was pink. It happened to be blossoming.
“Ah, they’re so beautiful.” Shi Qingzhou leaned forward to take a whiff of the fragrance from the flowers and said to An Xiaoning in surprise, “Don’t lilies only bloom from April to August? Why have they blossomed at this period of the year? Xiaoning, do you know who sent them?”
“I do,” An Xiaoning answered with a nod.
“Who was it?”
“The Autumn Palace,” An Xiaoning answered, after which Shi Qingzhou immediately knew who it was.
“Do you fancy this type of flowers?”
“Yes.” An Xiaoning put down her bowl, wiped her mouth, and rose from her seat. She continued, “I wonder if these lilies would last for a few days. Mother, let’s just leave them in the living room.”
“Alright.”
“No. 13, prepare two sets of lunch and send them upstairs later in the afternoon,” she instructed.
“Alright, Sis.”
An Xiaoning nodded and made her way upstairs.
Jin Qingyan was not sleeping well; he had a frown on his forehead even while sleeping. An Xiaoning sat beside him on the bed and poked his forehead to ease the tension.
She stood up and turned around to find that his forehead had creased into a frown again.
An Xiaoning sat down again and touched his forehead with her finger.
The frown uncreased yet again.
She remained seated until he stopped frowning before proceeding to do her makeup by the dressing table.
It had been a long time since she had gone to the production unit. Thus, she planned to send Jin Qingyan out of Sanqiao Estate secretly before heading there to check on the filming process.
She would usually take a short while to finish applying her makeup. However, she was much slower today since there was more than enough time.
She took a total of half an hour.
Right after she closed her cosmetics box, Jin Qingyan hollered, “Hold it right there!”
An Xiaoning scurried toward the bed to see that Jin Qingyan had just woken up from his dream and was gasping for air.
“Qingyan, did you have a nightmare?”
He once again wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his embrace. He remained quiet while stroking the hair beside her ears.
He hugged her tightly, as if he was about to lose her the next second.
“Qingyan…”
Pressing his face against her forehead, Jin Qingyan constantly repeated, “Don’t leave me. Xiaoning, promise me, don’t leave me.”
“Alright.”
“Tell me you won’t leave me. Say that you won’t leave me forever.” He let go of her and looked her in the eye. “I want to hear you tell me that.”
Not sure what sort of nightmare he just had, An Xiaoning said coaxingly, “I won’t leave you.”
“I dreamed that you left and you wouldn’t turn around no matter how hard I yelled for you to.”
“It was just a dream.”
“It felt too real.”
