Chapter 128: When Else?

With her own abilities as a wife, she could live well without him or even after leaving him.

Thinking of this, Lu Yan suddenly felt a surge of anxiety.

Shen Qingyi walked beside Lu Yan; at one meter sixty-two, she barely reached his shoulder. In the setting sun, his shadow completely enveloped her.

They strolled at an unhurried pace. Shen Qingyi suddenly felt a tight grip, as a large hand firmly held hers.

Instinctively, she pulled back slightly, and the grip tightened a fraction.

She lifted her eyes to see him looking ahead with a calm expression, as if this was the most ordinary thing in the world.

“Lu Yan!”

“Hmm,” he replied without turning to look at her.

“It’s not very proper to be seen like this,” Shen Qingyi said, unable to find any other reason to refuse.

“What’s improper about it?” He remained composed, betraying no hint of the nervousness he felt inside.

Ever since he discovered that his wife had stolen a kiss from him, he realized she did not dislike him.

Shen Qingyi said nothing further and let him hold her hand. His palm was large, slightly calloused, but the grip was too tight, making her walk awkwardly.

If not for his relaxed posture, one might think he was overly tense.

“Could you loosen your grip a little? My hand hurts.”

Only then did Lu Yan realize his overbearing behavior. As soon as he loosened his hold, the soft, supple hand slipped away from his.

He felt a void in his heart and was about to speak when his wife shook her reddened hand in front of him. “See what you do to me—always so rough and careless.”

Though she spoke in reproach, her tone was gentle and tender.

Lu Yan lowered his long lashes and whispered, “I’ll be more careful next time.”

After replying, he seemed to realize that her dissatisfaction extended beyond this incident. “Besides this time, when else?”

Shen Qingyi thought for a moment. That time he was drunk and probably didn’t remember. Besides, such things were difficult to mention, so she chose silence.

To prevent a repeat of his old ways, she clasped both hands behind her back and walked slowly.

As soon as they arrived home, An An dropped his toy and ran over swiftly. “Mom, is Aunt Feng okay?”

Shen Qingyi patted her son's head. “You care about Aunt Feng so much?”

An An nodded. “Yes. If Aunt Feng was unwell, then who would take Sister Chun Ni to school? If she can’t study, how could she get into the university in the capital to visit me?”

“Don’t worry, she’s fine,” Shen Qingyi assured him.

After answering, she saw the dishes on the table. Walking over, she touched the bowls. “They’ve cooled off a bit. I’ll heat them up before eating.”

“All right.”

Shen Qingyi carried the dishes to the kitchen and noticed the rock sugar pear water she had brewed for Lu Yan that morning remained untouched.

She set the pear water aside and began warming the food. Once ready, the three sat down to eat together.

There was a dish of braised pork stir-fry, shredded potatoes, and scrambled eggs with chives.

Shen Qingyi had eaten shredded potatoes for several days in a row and was tired of them. Today, she didn’t touch them at all, only picking at the braised pork.

Lu Yan looked at the shredded potatoes in front of her. “Aren’t you eating them anymore?”

“I’ve had them for days; I’m tired of it.”

He swapped the plates of shredded potatoes and braised pork in front of her and quickly finished the potatoes.

Of course, Shen Qingyi didn’t finish the pork either, and Lu Yan ended up finishing that as well.

Seeing his good appetite, she asked, “How have you been feeling these days?”

Lu Yan paused. “Okay.”

Had he recovered too quickly?

In the end, he felt a bit relieved—at least the cough remained.

After dinner, someone came to clear the dishes, and Shen Qingyi went to the kitchen to reheat the pear soup.

Lu Yan returned to his room to continue working, while An An sat on the sofa watching television.

This TV had been turned on by Shen Qingyi a few days ago but received no signal; unexpectedly, An An had fixed it.

She brought the reheated pear soup over to Lu Yan’s desk. “I forgot to tell you this morning that I made pear soup.”

Lu Yan took the bowl from her and drank it all in one go. “Don’t make it tomorrow.”

“Why? Didn’t it help?” Shen Qingyi asked with concern.

“It’s not very effective. Dr. Zhao went to the city to get some medicine for me,” Lu Yan replied softly.

“No effect? When my father had a cough, my mother made him this soup, and he got better in two days.” Shen Qingyi felt a flicker of unease. Could this not be an ordinary cough?

Mentioning Han Lanzi, Lu Yan recalled her once loving relationship with his teacher and couldn’t understand. “Qingyi, did your mother and father have a good relationship before?”

Shen Qingyi thought for a moment. “I always thought so, but even now, I don’t fully understand my mother’s feelings.”

Lu Yan looked at his wife’s confused expression and comforted her, “Forget it, don’t think about it.”

Shen Qingyi took the bowl back and returned to the topic of Lu Yan’s illness. “Shall we go to the city hospital for a checkup?”

“No need. Dr. Zhao said there’s nothing serious. I’ll work for a bit, then give An An a bath.”

That evening, after Shen Qingyi finished her shower and lay on the sofa, Lu Yan came over.

Recalling his recent uncharacteristic behavior, she quickly wrapped herself tightly in a blanket and sat up. “Has An An gone to sleep?”

Lu Yan noticed her nervousness and felt his breath catch. “Yes, he’s asleep.”

Had he been hallucinating or confused the night before?

She still hadn’t accepted him.

“You should go to bed early too. Plenty of rest will help you recover.”

The lights in the living room were off, and Shen Qingyi couldn’t clearly see Lu Yan’s expression.

“Xia Xiyue called you today,” Lu Yan said with an unreadable tone.

Shen Qingyi sighed in relief; so that was why he came. “Did he say anything?”

“He asked how much of your manuscript was finished, and if it’s done, to fax it somewhere.”

Since arriving here, Shen Qingyi hadn’t painted at all—no time and no proper workspace. “I’ll call him back tomorrow morning.”

“I’ll have someone bring a desk to your room tomorrow. You can work there whenever you want,” Lu Yan said sincerely.

Shen Qingyi hesitated. “Will it disturb you?”

He smiled, “No way. When the professor was here, he’d explain things on my left and on your right, and it never bothered me.”

Thinking of that made Shen Qingyi somewhat embarrassed. Whenever her father tutored Lu Yan, he merely used a pen to point or drew a guideline, speaking softly. But when tutoring her, he had to take deep breaths to control his tone and emotions, occasionally having to soothe her feelings.

Lu Yan never moved or glanced over.

“Did you think I was dumb back then?”

Lu Yan chuckled, “Not really.”

He just found her expression, nodding blankly and saying she understood, then hesitating when starting to draw, quite endearing.

Shen Qingyi thought her manuscript really needed to be worked on. Xia Xiyue had helped her so much; she should at least complete a normal workload.

“All right, put the desk by the window. I don’t want to be too close to you.”

“Get some rest early!” Lu Yan said after finishing the conversation and returned to his room.

The next day, after breakfast, a desk and chair were delivered, along with a tablecloth and a vase.

The glass cup Shen Qingyi had once made into a vase had been turned into a gift by Lu Yan.

He had specially sent someone to the city to bring it back yesterday.

Shen Qingyi looked at the tablecloth and glass vase on the desk, her thoughts stirring, but she quickly composed herself.