Chapter 12

To be honest, it tasted awful.

Yan Qiuzhi's hand froze in mid-air. She was a bit afraid to look at the man beside her.

She swallowed the mouthful of wine and quickly put down the cup, "Sorry."

Facing the curious and gossiping eyes of everyone, Yan Qiuzhi explained, "I thought it was my drink."

Although this explanation wasn't necessarily believed by everyone, she did genuinely pick up the wrong drink.

Bo Yu's eyes were full of playful banter. He wanted to tease a bit more but caught the gaze Chen Lunan cast in their direction.

Bo Yu raised his eyebrows slightly, a smile playing at the corner of his mouth, and the words he was about to say vanished as he felt Chen Lunan's scrutinizing gaze.

"The private room is too dark; it's normal to grab the wrong drink."

—Someone's protecting his wife; not fun.

Hearing Bo Yu's words, the others laughed in response.

Lin Jing glanced over and, with a slightly darkened expression, ordered, "Brighten the lights in the private room."

The people in the private room tacitly understood and didn't say much.

Yan Qiuzhi paid no attention to the gazes of others. After putting down Chen Lunan's cup, she stopped playing games.

She chatted casually with Shen Muqing, revealing her slender neck as she lowered her head. Under the fluctuating lights, her white neck was eye-catching.

Chen Lunan, with a slight lowering of his eyes, looked at his drink that was almost downed. He casually unbuttoned a button on his shirt and then drank the remaining contents of his cup.

His actions were straightforward, leaving the staff member, who had just thought of offering him a replacement drink, momentarily speechless.

"Teacher Chen..."

The staff member asked in a low voice, "Do you need another drink?"

Expressionless, Chen Lunan replied, "No need."

The staff member opened his mouth, intending to persuade him further, but a sweep of Chen Lunan's profound gaze silenced him instantly.

"Then I'll add some more wine for Teacher Chen."

Chen Lunan's Adam's apple rolled up and down slightly, "En."

After the person pouring the wine left, Yan Qiuzhi glanced at the cup with the corner of her eye. It felt glaring to look at. Was Chen Lunan crazy? Why would he still want to drink from that cup?

Thinking about it, she angrily kicked him under the table.

Chen Lunan slowly raised his eyes, meeting her captivating gaze.

Inexplicably, Yan Qiuzhi read a few words from his eyes—What's the matter?

She was frustrated. She always felt that this person was doing it on purpose, but she couldn't figure out why.

In the end, Yan Qiuzhi could only release her frustration by giving him another small kick.

Dog man, always deliberately trying to embarrass her.

Chen Lunan felt her movement and was about to speak when Yan Qiuzhi turned her head and glared at him, conveying a meaning similar to the night he didn't serve her chicken soup.

He paused slightly and let her be.

Yan Qiuzhi was also a reasonable person. Seeing Chen Lunan being so obedient, she didn't take advantage of the situation.

She stopped kicking after approximately three, four, five, six kicks.

Taking advantage of everyone singing, she messaged Chen Lunan on her phone.

Yan Qiuzhi: 【When are you going back?】

Chen Lunan: 【Tonight.】

Yan Qiuzhi: 【?】

Chen Lunan lowered his head to drink, casually tilting his head, and lowered his voice: "I have something to do later. I'll leave after finishing."

Yan Qiuzhi was stunned for a few seconds before reacting. The man's low and sexy voice had just brushed past her ears, causing a slight tingling sensation.

She subconsciously touched her ear, still warm from the man's presence, and replied, "Oh."

In truth, she wasn't very concerned.

After leaving KTV, Director Guan and the others did indeed have something to attend to and left early.

Gradually, everyone dispersed and returned to the hotel.

Yan Qiuzhi and Zhu Zhu walked together, chatting quietly.

Zhu Zhu asked in a hushed tone, "Sister Yan Yan, did you hear what Guan He said about you?"

Yan Qiuzhi raised an eyebrow, "What did she say?"

Zhu Zhu sat not far from Guan He. When Yan Qiuzhi drank Chen Lunan's drink, Guan He made a veiled remark, calling her a scheming woman.

After hearing Zhu Zhu's relayed words, Yan Qiuzhi choked for a moment, touched her nose, and said, "That was genuinely an accident."

Zhu Zhu laughed happily, "I know."

Yan Qiuzhi paused, surprised at Zhu Zhu's remark, "How did you know?"

Zhu Zhu said, "Sister Yan Yan, you don't like Teacher Chen. Why would you deliberately drink from his cup?"

Yan Qiuzhi thought about it and found Zhu Zhu's words very reasonable, "You're right."

The two whispered as they entered the elevator, coincidentally meeting Lin Jing and others.

Yan Qiuzhi nodded politely, Lin Jing returned the nod, and suddenly his gaze fell on her, "You don't handle alcohol well?"

"Huh?"

Yan Qiuzhi looked at him, smiled, and nodded. "Average."

Lin Jing acknowledged and said in a low voice, "Don't drink recklessly in the future."

Yan Qiuzhi blinked for two seconds, then suddenly smiled, "Director Lin, it really was an accident."

Lin Jing uttered an En and didn't say anything more.

After everyone got off the elevator together, and just as Yan Qiuzhi was about to enter her room, Lin Jing stepped past her and said, "That's not what I meant."

Yan Qiuzhi glanced at his back and didn't think too much about what Lin Jing meant.

Regardless of what he meant, it actually didn't have much to do with her.

On the other side, Chen Lunan and the others indeed had something to attend to.

This time, they came to choose a shooting location for the movie. There was a late-night scene where the male and female protagonists walked along the beach. Director Guan pursued a realistic portrayal for this shot, aiming to satisfy his particular vision.

So, the group arrived at the seaside in the middle of the night to observe the coastal scenery.

In the distance, there were brightly lit lamps, forming a beautiful straight line that looked particularly enchanting in the night.

If there were a couple in the silent night, blowing in the sea breeze, listening to the sound of the waves, whispering and embracing, it would undoubtedly create a beautifully outlined scene.

Director Guan and the accompanying crew were excited to walk along the beach, while Chen Lunan and Bo Yu remained in place, taking a rare moment to smoke for refreshment.

Looking at his wristwatch, Bo Yu suddenly said, "Yan Qiuzhi is quite interesting."

Chen Lunan remained expressionless, flicking the cigarette ash into the trash can in front of them.

Bo Yu continued, "It seems like Lin Jing has some interest in Yan Qiuzhi." He glanced at Chen Lunan and added, "What do you think?"

In response, Chen Lunan raised his eyelids slightly and calmly said, "Don't know."

Bo Yu lightly chuckled, "Is it really that you don't know, or you didn't pay attention?"

Chen Lunan looked at him with indifferent eyes.

Boyu smiled faintly, "Even if Lin Jing pursues her, it seems like you won't be interested." He casually added, "I heard from the staff that, after a month, when Yan Qiuzhi finishes filming, Lin Jing might confess to her."

Chen Lunan remained expressionless, not even blinking.

Bo Yu, finding it uninteresting, said, "Forget it, I won't waste words with you. Handle your own wife yourself."

After saying that, he extinguished his cigarette and cheerfully called out, "Director Guan, wait for me. I'll join you for a stroll."

Chen Lunan stared at the calm sea for a moment, his index finger slightly bent, flicking the cigarette ash halfway off.

The next day, when Yan Qiuzhi woke up, she saw a message received at 5 am on her phone.

Chen Lunan had gone back.

Yan Qiuzhi put her phone down, not particularly interested in the whereabouts of this mysteriously disappearing person.

In the following days, Yan Qiuzhi diligently filmed scenes, hoping to wrap up the shooting as soon as possible.

On this day, Yan Qiuzhi took a leave and returned to City A.

She had a previously scheduled promotional event and had informed Lin Jing in advance.

Yan Qiuzhi and Zhu Zhu returned discreetly. Feeling a bit tired these days, she fell asleep as soon as she boarded the plane, only waking up when it landed.

However, contrary to the expected low-key arrival, as soon as Yan Qiuzhi emerged from the corridor, she heard the fans' screams and shouts.

Before she could react, Zhu Zhu said, "Sister Yan Yan, it seems like Lin Yuan is back."

Yan Qiuzhi was stunned for a moment, almost blurting out the question: Who is Lin Yuan?

Just as the words were on her lips, she remembered this character.

While Zhu Zhu was still in her ear, she added, "Lin Yuan's fans are known to be crazy. Sister Yan Yan, let's go that way."

Yan Qiuzhi pressed down on her hat. She wasn't eager to run into fans, "Alright."

Even though they reached the parking lot, the fans' shouts were still echoing in their ears.

Lin Yuan, a famous actress with excellent acting skills, beautiful and gentle, was the idol of many people.

However, Yan Qiuzhi was not very familiar with her. She occasionally heard news related to her, mostly filled with praise and admiration.

Yan Qiuzhi was invited to represent a brand, and in just a few hours, the event concluded.

After the event, she didn't rush back to City X for filming. Her scenes were light these two days, and she had agreed with Lin Jing to return the next afternoon.

Thinking about it, Yan Qiuzhi asked the driver to take her home.

When giving the address, Yan Qiuzhi almost mentioned her apartment but had to shift to the direction of the villa.

When she arrived home, it was still early.

The house was quiet, and since there was no one around, she didn't bother to send a message to Chen Lunan. After entering the villa, she went straight to the bedroom to freshen up.

She didn't know when she developed this habit; no matter if she was in a hurry, or at what time she got home, she would always take a shower before going to bed.

After showering, Yan Qiuzhi checked Weibo using her secondary account. The photos from the afternoon event had already been posted and were trending.

Many fans used flattering compliments, praising her appearance in the blue dress she wore during the event.

She quite enjoyed the rainbow farts from fans, feeling a certain vanity.

Yan Qiuzhi had a fan who was particularly skilled at photo editing. Every time, she could transform Yan Qiuzhi into a heavenly figure. Looking at herself, she couldn't help but marvel—she seemed quite impressive.

After browsing through the rainbow farts, Yan Qiuzhi put away her phone and prepared to sleep.

When Chen Lunan arrived home, he saw the shoes tossed at the doorstep.

Staring at the high-heeled shoes for a moment, he suddenly recalled an incident after he and Yan Qiuzhi got married.

At that time, she was still the dignified, virtuous, and adorable Mrs. Chen, always displaying graceful bearing no matter what she did.

Of course, there were occasional moments of slip-ups.

Once, she accidentally got drunk while having dinner with friends. As soon as she entered the house, she started taking off her shoes, randomly tossing them by the door, then began undressing.

At that moment, Chen Lunan happened to be on the sofa talking to his manager. He didn't know if he was shocked by Yan Qiuzhi's behavior or if the enticing figure in front of him was too captivating. His mind momentarily froze. By the time he reacted, Yan Qiuzhi had already pounced into his arms, cuddling against his neck, saying she wanted water.

That was the first time Chen Lunan felt that the Mrs. Chen he brought home seemed a bit different.

Chen Lunan poured her a glass of water, intending to hand it to her, but Yan Qiuzhi tilted her head up, gazing at him with a pair of watery autumn eyes that were exceptionally alluring.

She wanted Chen Lunan to feed her, mouth-to-mouth.

That incident changed the dynamic between them.

Chen Lunan withdrew his gaze from the high heels, his eyes darkening slightly. He suppressed the memory in his mind, loosened his collar, and headed straight upstairs.

A lamp was left on in the room, a habit of Yan Qiuzhi before going to sleep.

Looking at the person on the bed, Chen Lunan paused for a moment, then walked over directly.

Half-asleep, Yan Qiuzhi felt someone pressing down on her, making it difficult for her to breathe. She subconsciously opened her eyes and was met with an enlarged handsome face.

She furrowed her brows, still muddled. Then she heard the familiar husky voice, "Do you want water?"

Yan Qiuzhi happened to be a bit thirsty, so without thinking, she replied, "En, yes."

Chen Lunan smiled faintly, leaned down, and kissed her, feeding her water mouth-to-mouth.