Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
He then opened another one, which read: “Hope you’ll find true love.”
“Hope you’ll find kindness in your heart.”
He continued to unfold all of the paper cranes, only to find that none of them had well wishes about his health and longevity written on them.
Pei Yi could not help but feel like he had suffered a huge loss.
The paper cranes, which he usually deemed to be useless, were giving him a headache now.
He was flustered and puzzled as his mind was sent into a whirlwind.
Just how did Jin Qingyan know that she is still alive?
Did he find the video to be implausible?
Or did he have her fortune told?
But isn’t An Xiaoning incapable of reading her own fortune? If that were the case, it would have been impossible for other fortune-tellers to read her fortune too, wouldn’t it?
Just how did he find out, then? Was it just his gut feeling? Did he just choose to trust his instincts?
Pei Yi sank deep into thought as a million questions filled his mind.
He continued to watch the surveillance cameras’ footages over and over again but did not find anything unusual with An Xiaoning’s behavior when she was in the room.
He really did not expect for An Xiaoning to have managed to escape, just as he thought she was completely in his control.
It had been less than twenty days since he caught her.
It seemed like Jin Qingyan had gone through painstaking efforts and resorted to extreme means in order to rescue her. Clearly, she had meant a great deal to him and was not merely just his ex-wife.
Pei Yi was appalled by how much Jin Qingyan loved her.
Sitting by the office desk with the mouse in his hand, he kept his eyes glued onto the surveillance camera footage that was playing on the screen. At last, he saw his mother and Qin Guo standing by the side in his bedroom while the subordinates dragged An Xiaoning away forcefully. He could not help but feel his heart wrench at the sight of An Xiaoning struggling to break free from their grip.
However, she was still taken away forcefully in the end.
He switched off the computer and returned to his bedroom.
Staring at the scratch marks she had left behind on the couch, Pei Yi bit his lip tightly in anger and exclaimed in his head, An Xiaoning, we’ll meet again, for sure. Just you wait and see!
——
Halfway through the journey, they alighted from the helicopter and boarded the private jet instead. It was already five o’clock in the morning by the time they reached S Nation.
There was a 12-hour time difference. Jin Qingyan woke up feeling refreshed and energized after having slept throughout the entire journey.
Meanwhile, An Xiaoning had just fallen asleep not long ago.
She was the opposite of him.
Not long after, the jet touched down in the private hangar of Wei Ni Estate.
Everyone alighted, leaving the two of them alone in the plane.
Jin Qingyan gestured for his subordinates to leave and instructed them not to wake her up. Yet, he felt an urge to do so himself.
After days of not seeing the woman in his embrace, he found that she was still as thin as before.
She did not weigh much and it was extremely easy to carry her in his arms.
Unable to resist his urge, Jin Qingyan lowered his head and planted a kiss on her soft, pillowy lips, which sent a shiver down his spine and left him desiring for more.
An Xiaoning was in the midst of a deep sleep. She felt as if she had plunged into a ball of cotton and felt weak all over.
She moaned lightly and opened her eyes slowly.
She woke up to the sight of Jin Qingyan’s immaculate features right before her. Under the dim lights, she could clearly see his complexion.
Noticing that she had opened her eyes, Jin Qingyan became more brazen with his actions. He stuck his tongue deep inside her mouth and gave her a deep, passionate French kiss.
An Xiaoning’s mind went blank, filled with utter shock and disbelief. As she slowly regained her senses, she subconsciously tried to push him away, only to have him grab her wrist.
He then turned onto his side and pinned her down beneath him gently. He began licking and nibbling her earlobe while saying in a tender voice, “Xiaoning, I still love you as much as I did before. I’m willing to give up everything I have for you…”
An Xiaoning’s heart melted upon hearing his words. Tears welled up in her eyes as she thought about everything that he had done for her to save her from the predicament she’d been stuck in. She began tearing up and extended her arms to hug him tightly.
Jin Qingyan lit up in joy and surprise and kissed her on her neck. “I won’t dare to distrust you again. Please give me another chance…”
An Xiaoning burst into tears. She had rarely shown her vulnerability in front of men, especially Jin Qingyan.
She began bawling loudly, for she finally had an outlet to release all the pent-up fear, worry, grievances, and emotions she had bottled up for the past twenty days.
He patted her shoulders gently and did not utter a single word.
They’d grown emotionally closer since the divorce.
After she was done weeping, she let go of him and wiped her tears with a piece of tissue paper. Staring at him with reddened eyes, she said gently, “Thank you for saving me. I know you don’t like to hear me thanking you but…”
He interjected, “Why did you still do it, then? You’re going to be punished for breaking a rule you’re aware of.”
“Even then, I still have to thank you. Jin Qingyan, I’m not a fool. I understand how you feel about me…”
“You’d be a fool if you don’t reciprocate my feelings for you.”
He had successfully made her speechless and broke her train of thought. She smiled and said, “Could you be less of a tyrant? But you did very well this time. I’m incredibly touched. This time is different from the incident in the Autumn Palace. Don’t string the two together.”
He held her hand and said, “I won’t compel you. Xiaoning, you’d better not show your face for the time being. Move in with me for a while to avoid suspicion. Sometime later, I’ll plan an appropriate chance for you to appear in public.”
“Well, I could stay in the Gu family mansion and just put on my mask…”
“Are you out to upset me?”
“Since when did I…”
“You’re still refusing to admit it. You obviously know how much I yearn to see you every single day! I believe you’re not that heartless.”
“…”
What else could she say?
“I’ll go ahead with your suggestion.”
Jin Qingyan broke into smiles and held her hand in his. “Follow me, I’ll bring you to the room you’ll be staying in.”
An Xiaoning alighted from the plane together with him and arrived at the main mansion after a car ride that lasted several minutes.
Fan Shixin scurried toward them and explained, “Congratulations for making it home in one piece, Young Sir and Ms. An!”
“Hmm?” Jin Qingyan shot him a glance.
Fan Shixin immediately yelled again, “Congratulations for making it home in one piece, Young Sir and Young Madam!”
“You may just call me ‘Ms. An,’” said An Xiaoning.
Thinking to himself that he ought to be Jin Qingyan’s wingman, Fan Shixin followed closely behind and said, “No. It’s been really hard on Young Sir. During the time that you were not around, Young Sir would go to sleep while holding your photo in his hand. He almost tried to kill himself again for you. If it weren’t for me, you probably wouldn’t have been able to see him again, Young Madam!”
Fan Shixin even began tearing up as he spoke.
Jin Qingyan was thoroughly impressed by his acting chops.
An Xiaoning was immediately flustered, for she believed Fan Shixin’s words.
Perhaps he did indeed exaggerate a little. But Jin Qingyan was definitely upset about me.
“It’s been hard on you too, Chief.” An Xiaoning then turned to Jin Qingyan and said, “You must reward Chief Fan with a bonus this month.”
“You call the shots. I’ll double his salary for this month.” Jin Qingyan then said to Fan Shixin, “What are you waiting for? Get out.”
“Thank you so much, Young Sir and Young Madam. I’ll leave right now!” Fan Shixin exclaimed excitedly, grinning widely from ear to ear.
An Xiaoning turned around and walked toward the guest room, only to be stopped by Jin Qingyan, who said, “Why are you going there? The room you’re going to stay in is upstairs.”
Thinking that he must be referring to Jin Yiheng’s room, she proceeded to make her way upstairs. She could not tolerate it further when he dragged her into the master’s bedroom and finally questioned, “Are you thinking of making me sleep with you at night?”
“If you’re not willing to, I promise I won’t touch you. I mean what I say. I won’t force you at all.”
