Chapter 143: Conditions

"You must not have any contact with him for a year." He paused, then added, "Not even hugging or holding hands."

Lu Yan could do the same scheming, fawning things as Xia Xiyue. Since that man knew full well that Qingyi was his wife yet still dared to harbor such thoughts, he shouldn't blame him for also playing dirty. Lu Yan did everything based on his own capabilities, and this time would be no exception. He would make his wife willingly return to his side again.

"Alright!" Shen Qingyi replied without hesitation.

Lu Yan's gaze flickered, and he pursed his lips. "I have one more condition."

"Go ahead."

Lu Yan did not respond immediately. After a long moment, he spoke in a cold, low voice, "Kiss me."

Shen Qingyi looked at the handsome, refined man with an immaculate aura. She was stunned that he would say such a thing, but recalling how Lu Yan often did things contrary to his usual image, she felt a sense of relief. She did not hesitate; she walked up to Lu Yan, stood on her tiptoes, and wrapped her arms around his neck. She could only reach his elegant jawline, and when she tried to make him bend down, she realized his body was taut with tension.

She saw his distinct, sharp Adam's apple bob, and he said softly, "You're so short, how am I supposed to kiss you?"

Shen Qingyi was five foot four, barely reaching Lu Yan's shoulder.

Lu Yan’s eyes landed on her upturned red lips, his gaze darkening. He leaned down to meet her, and as she took the initiative to capture his soft lips, a tingling, numbing heat spread through every nerve and seeped into his very bones. It was so blissful it made him shiver. This sensation was completely different from the sudden kiss he had forced upon her last time.

For the first time, Shen Qingyi greedily and brazenly sought his breath. The man had no scent at all, yet just being near him allowed her to feel his presence. She had always felt he was like the pale moonlight in the sky—too high and too far away, so pristine and untainted that she constantly felt unworthy. Perhaps that was why, during the four years he had ignored her, she had never felt a shred of resentment in her heart. At most, she had thought of it as retribution for forcing him into marriage.

Thankfully, that wasn't the case. She discovered that he loved her too, even more than she had imagined. That was why she dared to be so unbridled, so frantic, and so greedy in this moment.

Lu Yan endured his wife's passion, feeling as though his mind was about to explode; he was enjoying it so much he forgot how to respond.

Only when her neck began to ache from standing on her tiptoes did Shen Qingyi let him go. As her heels touched the floor, she realized Lu Yan was half-holding her. "Lu Yan, let go!"

Lu Yan reluctantly released his grip, and Shen Qingyi stood firmly on the ground. Looking at his gentle, clear-cut features, she whispered, "When will you write the divorce application report?"

Lu Yan was silent for a moment. "After I go to work."

Shen Qingyi nodded. "Starting tomorrow, I might not be home often. Don't tell An'an yet."

"Are you in that much of a hurry?" His wife’s reactions always defied his logical reasoning. He had been assuming that she was divorcing him because of the condition set by Mother Han—that she would testify for the professor—and that she was only hesitating because she couldn't bear to leave him. Now, it seemed that wasn't the case. He didn't understand how one could actively kiss and embrace someone if they didn't love them.

Shen Qingyi fell silent for a moment. "If I don't keep my end of the bargain, you can make sure I never see An'an again for the rest of my life."

For the rest of her life? Lu Yan remained silent. He had always believed that every problem had a solution, but with his wife, there seemed to be no logic or reason to be found. After a long pause, he finally spoke, "Have you ever thought about how An'an would feel? I won't use that to hold you hostage."

With that, Lu Yan turned and walked out the door.

Shen Qingyi closed the door behind him. She stood there in a daze for a moment before snapping back to reality, taking the business card her mother had given her from her bag to look at it once more. The area code on the phone number was for Yangcheng. Below it was the address of a storefront. Could it be that her mother already had her own shop in Yangcheng?

She tucked the card back into her bag. When she returned to the table, she noticed the bankbook she had pushed toward Lu Yan was still sitting there. She paused briefly; Lu Yan truly had no concept of money.

Early the next morning, Shen Qingyi woke up to find Lu Caiqing counting the number of wallets and bags, full of enthusiasm and drive. Shen Qingyi felt a strange pang of envy for her state of mind. Lu Caiqing felt the light dim and looked up to see Shen Qingyi leaning over with her hands on her knees, watching her work. "Did I wake you?"

"No, I was just thinking about something."

Lu Caiqing stopped what she was doing. "What is it?"

"Don't turn in the money you earn from now on. Save it up and buy a storefront."

Lu Caiqing was surprised and excited. "How much would that cost?"

"It depends on the location, but a decent one would cost at least fifty thousand to start."

Lu Caiqing had never thought in that direction, but after this nudge, she felt it was a brilliant idea. If she could own a storefront in the capital, she would truly have a firm footing here.

"Alright, I'll listen to you!"

Shen Qingyi smiled. "At the rate you're growing, two years will be more than enough."

Lu Caiqing felt a surge of anticipation, her eyes gleaming. "Right, once we have a shop, we'll specialize in wholesale."

After saying that, Lu Caiqing suddenly remembered something. "By the way, I can't go to Wang Chunhua's stall to sell bags anymore."

"Is she back?" Shen Qingyi asked excitedly.

Lu Caiqing nodded, then asked, "Why are you looking for her? To be honest, those shoe inserts she makes aren't worth much. They're unique, sure, but they're hidden inside shoes—who's going to see them?"

"Hmm," Shen Qingyi replied dismissively.

"I have to head out. Second Brother said I don't need to make breakfast, he'll do it when he gets up." Lu Caiqing loaded the counted goods onto the back of her bike and pushed it out the door.

After washing up, Shen Qingyi checked her watch and saw it was only six-thirty. Seeing that the house was quiet, she decided to make breakfast. She went into the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and took out some eggs, planning to make egg noodles.

Just as she took out the noodles and reached for water to boil them, she heard Lu Yan's voice behind her. "Let me."

Shen Qingyi knew her cooking couldn't compare to the siblings', so she handed the spatula to Lu Yan.

Lu Yan took it. "I've finished writing the divorce report. I'll hand it in after I get to work."

Shen Qingyi gave a soft "mm," then added, "An'an needs to go to kindergarten soon. Are you taking her, or am I?"

"We'll go together!" Lu Yan blurted out without a second thought.

Shen Qingyi hesitated. "Aren't you angry with me?"

Lu Yan lowered his long lashes. "Being angry doesn't solve anything."

He hadn't slept much the night before, his mind racing to find the best way to handle the situation. Since he had decided to make her return to him willingly, he would start now—he wouldn't miss a single opportunity.

Shen Qingyi nodded. "Alright."

After breakfast, Lu Yan and Shen Qingyi each took one of An'an's hands and headed toward the kindergarten. An'an walked happily between her parents. At the school gate, she waved goodbye to them.

On the way back, Shen Qingyi said to Lu Yan, "I need to go take care of something, you go on ahead."

"Where are you going?" Lu Yan asked, looking up at her.