Chapter 166: I Was Wrong!

Lu Yan was not disappointed either, responding warmly, "Alright!"

After dinner, Lu Yan accompanied An'an to finish assembling his robot for a bit before giving him an early bath.

He was hoping to coax An'an to bed by eight o'clock.

Usually, An'an would drag it out until nine o'clock before finally falling asleep.

Though reluctant, An'an climbed into bed eagerly when his father told him there was a brand new story, especially novel and interesting.

Holding his son in his arms, Lu Yan began to tell the story in a low voice while gently patting his back.

He kept the rhythm of the story soothing, leaving no cliffhangers and nothing that required deep thought—just a pleasant little tale.

Listening quietly, An'an soon drifted off to sleep.

Having finally gotten An'an to sleep, Lu Yan got up on tiptoe, put on his coat, but as soon as he reached the living room, he saw Lu Caiqing sitting on the sofa watching television.

On the screen, a man and a woman sat tenderly on a bed, and Lu Caiqing was covering her mouth with a chuckle.

Lu Yan formed a fist with his hand and gave a light cough against his lips.

Lu Caiqing hurriedly turned her head to see her second brother standing not far away in the living room, fully dressed in a trench coat.

"Sec... Second Brother, aren't you putting An'an to sleep?" Remembering what scenes were about to follow, Lu Caiqing rushed to turn off the television.

"An'an is asleep!"

Seeing that Lu Yan was still standing there, Lu Caiqing stood up and offered him her spot, "Do you want to watch?"

Recently, her second brother indeed had the habit of sneaking around to watch television, and he even watched the same channel as her—it was downright eerie.

Instead of walking over, Lu Yan said, "You should go to sleep early too."

Lu Caiqing gave him a strange look, then quickly got up and returned to her room.

As soon as Lu Caiqing's door closed and all sound from inside vanished, he walked over to Shen Qingyi's door and knocked gently.

Shen Qingyi opened the door, the light spilling onto her face and casting a soft glow over her smiling eyes, "Come in."

With his hands in his pockets, Lu Yan walked in and saw two bottles of red wine and two crystal goblets placed on her desk, along with a small dish of peanuts and a small dish of braised meat.

She pulled out a chair for Lu Yan and motioned for him to sit. Once he was seated, she sat down beside him.

"These two bottles of red wine were given to Dad by Professor Wang all those years ago. I heard they were bought at the Huaqiao Store and were very expensive, so they were kept as treasures," Shen Qingyi said as she poured Lu Yan a glass of wine.

Lu Yan rarely drank. Except for the night they registered their marriage, when he took Shen Qingyi to meet his superiors and mentors and felt an inexplicable surge of joy that made him unable to refuse their toasts, he had drank a few extra cups. Half-drunk and half-sober, that sensation was something he still could not forget.

His cheeks burned, his mind remained lucid, yet his actions became difficult to control. It was that very night when his wife slept beside him and rested her hand upon his shoulder.

He had intended to remain still, but when her rosy lips pressed close, his instinctive reaction rendered him completely unable to restrain himself.

With a sort of untaught mastery, he pinned her beneath him, and that night he kept her tossing and turning for a long time.

She had whimpered, begging him to be gentler, yet it was precisely that sound that completely shattered his reason...

Afterwards, feeling somewhat remorseful, he asked her if it hurt, and she had lain beside him, looking utterly docile as she said it didn't hurt.

He raised his eyes to look at his wife, "Do you like drinking?"

He didn't think he had ever seen his wife drink before.

Shen Qingyi poured a glass for herself and sat down, "It's alright. I had some at Old Qian's place—it was red wine too."

She had only taken a few symbolic sips, and she couldn't really say whether the taste was good or bad. Because she had to take care of An'an, she wouldn't dare get drunk.

Holding her wine glass with a smile in her eyes, Shen Qingyi raised it towards him, "Let's celebrate the new breakthrough and opportunity in Dad's case."

Lu Yan raised his glass to clink it against hers.

Shen Qingyi downed hers in one go. Soon, her delicate little face scrunched up into a ball. She smacked her lips, let out a long breath, and the sour and astringent taste in her mouth faded slightly, replaced by a mellow and rich aroma that lingered in her mouth.

It felt somewhat magical. She poured herself another glass, and seeing that Lu Yan's glass was also empty, she went ahead and filled it for him.

"Another one, to wish me a smooth journey to Pengcheng this time."

Down went another cup, without eating a single peanut.

When Lu Yan handed his glass over again, he noticed that her cheeks had flushed slightly, though it was clear she was in a very good mood.

This kind of wine didn't easily go to Lu Yan's head; he calmly and rationally watched every move his wife made.

Her full lips were coated with a glistening moisture from the red wine, sparkling under the light. In her tipsy gaze, the faint smile from earlier had vanished, seemingly gradually replaced by a trace of subtle grievance.

She didn't speak, quietly pouring herself another glass as if she had forgotten him entirely.

She drank two more glasses on her own, muttering under her breath, "This is so good!"

With that, she picked up the other unopened bottle of wine, handed it to Lu Yan, tilted her head, and asked with a hint of spoiled coquetry, "Help me open it."

Obediently taking the wine bottle from her hands, Lu Yan asked with a straight face, "What's in it for me?"

Shen Qingyi suddenly burst into laughter, stood up, leaned in, and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Is this okay?"

After the kiss, she sat back down in her original spot and complained with a grievance, "Lu Yan, you are truly bad!"

Lu Yan's hand paused. Looking at her hazy expression, he knew she was drunk. He set the wine down and asked gently, "How am I bad?"

"Why is it that when you don't like someone, no matter how enthusiastic they are, you can cast them aside and ignore them for years, yet the moment you do like someone, you can make them surrender their heart at any moment?" She finished, pouting aggrievedly, "Why don't I have that ability? I refuse to let you have your way so easily. It's completely unfair."

Lu Yan's heartstrings trembled violently, as if someone had pierced a hole through them, aching profoundly, yet at the same time feeling as though a brilliant cluster of fireworks had been set off, making his blood surge with joy. He stood up, stepped closer, and pulled his wife tightly into his arms.

"Alright, then punish me properly until you feel it's fair," his voice was raspy as he stroked her hair with the utmost gentleness and boundless cherishing.

Seeming to understand, Shen Qingyi looked up at him again, her hazy eyes carrying a hint of drunkenness, "But I can't bear to."

Dizzy as she was, Shen Qingyi had no idea what kind of impact this sentence had on the man before her.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment. Lu Yan was speechless; he only felt that the piece of his heart that had once been savagely carved out was now entirely filled back in.

After a long while, he finally came to his senses. Breathing in the scent of red wine on her body, he wished he could knead her into his very flesh and blood.

He thought to himself that if she were to demand his life right now, he would gladly hand it over.

Uncomfortable, Shen Qingyi struggled in his arms and complained incoherently, "Doing this again?"

Lu Yan quickly let go and asked nervously, "What's wrong?"

"Do you know you're very strong?" Shen Qingyi scolded him, "Holding hands is like this, hugging is like this, and... and in bed too. Your technique is so lousy that I'm still scared of it even now!"

Saying this, she tugged at his collar and interrogated him, "Gentleness, do you understand gentleness? Don't just grow a gentle and scholarly face."

Lu Yan was stunned for a moment, then instantly understood. He took her hand and pressed it against his cheek, his attitude sincere and doting, "I was wrong!"