Chapter 30

Kong Xiyan certainly wouldn't actually let Chi Wanzhao strip for her to look, but she was still upset about the embarrassing incident. After Chi Wanzhao left, she immediately took a bra out of the wardrobe and put it on, her hands trembling and her face flushed red.

That humiliating sense of shame, as if she wished she could dig a hole and hide in it, had yet to fade.

Thinking about how she had just been in a nearly half-naked state, she felt a lump of frustration stuck in her chest that she couldn't swallow down.

She was listless the entire evening, tossing and turning in bed, unable to fall asleep.

Luckily, she didn't have to film tomorrow, otherwise with her current state, she'd surely be doomed.

In the middle of the night, the restless Kong Xiyan couldn't sleep. She sighed, picked up her cup, and went downstairs to get water. As she passed by Chi Wanzhao's room, she hesitated for a moment, then hurried past and descended to the second floor in one breath.

After pouring the water, she dawdled instead of returning to her room, instead sitting on the living room sofa, curling her body up, hugging her knees, resting her head on them, and gazing sideways out the window.

The living room lights were off, and the whole apartment was pitch dark. Moonlight slanted in from outside the window. Kong Xiyan could vaguely see swaying branches, mottled shadows, and hear the howling cold wind filling her ears.

For some reason, her restless mood calmed down a bit.

Such tranquil night scenery made her think of the countryside, of those children who had warmed her cold heart with their purest affections.

Back then, she had been in total despair, muddling through each day, forgetting what day it was.

She could only watch helplessly as her name appeared in the daily entertainment gossip, described with the ugliest words and the most malicious speculations.

After seeing her father off, she didn't know where to go.

This world was too big, and yet too small.

There was no place for her.

It wasn't that she hadn't thought about fighting for herself, but it was too late—the overwhelming public opinion, the betrayal of both family and company, and one irrefutable piece of evidence after another all pinned her down, leaving her no way to turn things around.

It was meeting Wang Haining and those little angels that happened when she was at her most desperate.

Later, she was gradually warmed.

Seeing those children still growing up tenaciously in difficult circumstances, watching Haining teach them day after day without seeking anything in return, her dead heart began to beat again, little by little.

Wasn't this just a fall?

It was okay. At worst, she could stand up all over again.

Even if it took five years, ten years, she would still get back up.

But she never expected it to happen so quickly.

Chi Wanzhao found her.

Kong Xiyan hugged her legs, leaning on the sofa, her body gradually relaxing, eyes closed, breathing steady.

There wasn't a single sound in the large living room.

When Chi Wanzhao came out of the studio, she saw Yanyan trotting forward. She didn't make a sound, and only when she saw Yanyan sitting by Kong Xiyan's door did she whisper, "No."

Yanyan meowed once. Chi Wanzhao stepped closer and saw Kong Xiyan's door was wide open.

Her expression changed. She rushed into the room, and when she saw that the person who should have been sleeping in bed wasn't there, her face sank, hinting at a storm about to break. Yanyan obediently followed behind her without making a peep.

Chi Wanzhao put her hand under the covers—they were cold.

Clearly, Kong Xiyan had been gone for a long time. Her bright eyes held a chill as she scanned the room again—everything was as usual.

She stood up and opened the wardrobe. Seeing Kong Xiyan's clothes still hanging inside, the sharpness in her eyes softened a bit.

But where could she have gone in the middle of the night?

To film?

Or had she temporarily left because of tonight's incident?

Chi Wanzhao's temples throbbed. She quickly walked back to her own room, picked up her phone, and just as she was about to call Zhou Sheng, she reconsidered and called Kong Xiyan's phone first.

The buzzing sound came from downstairs. Chi Wanzhao hung up, turned sideways, and looked down. She could vaguely make out a figure sitting on the sofa, curled up into a ball, with a slender back. Chi Wanzhao let out a sigh of relief. The chill in her eyes faded, replaced by a hint of tenderness.

She took the stairs two at a time, not turning on the lights. The light from the second-floor corridor cast down, landing on Kong Xiyan, enveloping her in a faint glow.

Chi Wanzhao approached her a couple of steps, then reached out and pulled her into her arms, her hands trembling slightly.

She had just thought—she had left.

Kong Xiyan was clearly extremely sleepy. Even being held like this, she didn't seem to wake up. Chi Wanzhao, in the faint light, carefully studied Kong Xiyan's delicate features. Finally, she rested her chin on top of Kong Xiyan's head and, lowering her head, kissed her hair.

The uneasy place in her heart was quickly filled. A warm current overflowed, racing through her blood.

Chi Wanzhao carried Kong Xiyan up to the second floor. Yanyan wobbled and swayed behind them, occasionally lifting her head to look at Chi Wanzhao, who was carrying someone, her blue eyes showing a hint of obedience.

After taking Kong Xiyan back to her room, Chi Wanzhao didn't go back to her own room either. Instead, she lay down beside Kong Xiyan. Having not slept for two consecutive nights, she quickly fell into a deep sleep, holding Kong Xiyan.

Yanyan, being sensible, didn't jump onto the bed but slept on the sofa nearby. She raised her head once to look at the two people embracing on the bed, and seeing everything as usual, she buried her head into her paws, with her ears pricked up, twitching occasionally.

Moonlight faintly filtered in through the gaps in the curtains, adding a touch of tranquility.

The next morning, as dawn was just breaking, Kong Xiyan slowly woke up. She opened her eyes, and seeing the familiar ceiling, she jolted upright. She realized she was sitting in her own room, the door properly closed, with nothing out of the ordinary.

But last night, hadn't she been in the living room?

How did she end up back in her room?

Kong Xiyan scratched her head in confusion. Could she really be sleepwalking?

No—that couldn't be, right?

For the first time, Kong Xiyan doubted her own perception. She sighed, got up, and when she opened the door, she saw Yanyan sitting at her doorway, wagging her big tail, her blue eyes fixed on Kong Xiyan.

"Meow!"

"Meow meow!"

Kong Xiyan picked her up from the floor and, remembering the incident from last night, said with some resentment, "It's all your fault, you little thing. Today, you're punished—no food!"

Yanyan's blue eyes instantly lost their sparkle, and she let out a muffled, "Meow..."

Chi Wanzhao, who had been standing behind the one-person-one-cat duo for quite a while, spoke calmly, "Miss Kong, isn't this an abuse of power?"

Kong Xiyan, holding Yanyan, turned around with some wariness and saw Chi Wanzhao, who was wearing a bathrobe. She seemed to have just woken up, her long hair spread out messily, and the dark circles that were visible yesterday had faded. Her pretty face was fair with a hint of pink, her bright eyes black and shiny.

She evidently slept very well.

Kong Xiyan muttered internally: Of course she slept well.

Last night, she had gotten quite a show.

How could she not sleep well?

Chi Wanzhao, seeing her expression shifting unpredictably without a word, calmly looked away and passed by her to go downstairs.

The morning sunlight felt warm on people. After entering the kitchen, Chi Wanzhao skillfully cooked two bowls of plain noodles. When she came out of the kitchen and saw Kong Xiyan still standing on the second-floor corridor, she asked, "No shooting today?"

Kong Xiyan, catching the faint fragrance, snapped back to reality, lowered her head, and said, "No."

Chi Wanzhao hummed in acknowledgment, sat down at the dining table, and said, "Come over for breakfast."

Only then did Kong Xiyan remember she hadn't washed up yet. She hurriedly put Yanyan down and went back to her room. As soon as she stepped into the bathroom, she was stunned by what she saw in the mirror.

Was this disheveled, puffy-eyed, pale-faced person really her?

Compared to Chi Wanzhao, who had been radiating charm with her loose hair just now, her own appearance—how was she any different from a female ghost in a horror movie, who could go straight to filming without makeup?

Kong Xiyan, irritated, tied her hair into a messy bun, washed her face and brushed her teeth. Before going downstairs, she deliberately pressed a cold towel over her eyes for a long while, until her eyes in the mirror weren't so puffy anymore.

Chi Wanzhao had already finished breakfast and was sitting on the sofa watching the news. When she saw Kong Xiyan come down, she only glanced at her before looking away. Kong Xiyan sat at the dining table and picked up noodles with her chopsticks.

In the living room, only the sound from the television could be heard. Yanyan was sitting on the dining table, staring at Kong Xiyan with round, expectant eyes.

Kong Xiyan glanced at the back of Chi Wanzhao's head, then lowered her head to eat noodles. Her phone on the table dripped with a notification. She leaned in to look at the screen.

It was a message from Fu Qiu.

—Sister Kong, you said you'd contact me last night.

Kong Xiyan knitted her delicate brows. She had almost forgotten about the Yanyan matter.

Yanyan tilted her head to look at her phone, then reached out a paw to tap on it, her eyes full of curiosity. Kong Xiyan held her paw and called to the person on the sofa, "CEO Chi."

Chi Wanzhao turned around: "Hmm?"

Kong Xiyan met her clear eyes and felt her breath catch. After a pause, she said, "Assistant Zhou said you're going to the countryside with me tomorrow."

"Yes."

"Then what about Yanyan?"

Chi Wanzhao's bright eyes were deep: "Yanyan will be with Zhou..."

She swallowed the rest and asked back, "What do you want to say?"

Kong Xiyan smiled: "I have an assistant who's very good at taking care of cats. How about leaving Yanyan with her temporarily?"

Chi Wanzhao lowered her eyes: "Assistant?"

Kong Xiyan: "Yes, Xiao Qiu."

Xiao Qiu?

Chi Wanzhao calmly looked away, her voice turning three degrees colder: "No need."

Kong Xiyan: "Huh? Then what about Yanyan?"

Chi Wanzhao turned off the TV, glanced at her wristwatch, and said, "Yanyan will naturally come with us. Miss Kong, it's your duty to take care of Yanyan, so you should take her wherever you go."

Kong Xiyan: ...

Chi Wanzhao: "Also, I can't do without Yanyan at night either."

Kong Xiyan: ...

Pervert! Cat freak!!

Watching Chi Wanzhao leisurely leave the apartment, Kong Xiyan glared at her back, wishing she could bore two holes through it!

The apartment door opened and closed, shutting.

Kong Xiyan withdrew her gaze and lowered her head to text Fu Qiu: "It's all taken care of."

Fu Qiu: ??

Seeing the two question marks from Fu Qiu, Kong Xiyan sighed. Yanyan curled her body into a ball, resting her head on the dining table, her tail sweeping back and forth around the noodle bowl, which softened Kong Xiyan's irritation.

Although she said she'd punish Yanyan by not feeding her, when she saw Yanyan's pitiful eyes, Kong Xiyan softened and went to make some cat food.

Thinking that once they returned to the countryside, Yanyan might not get to eat this, Kong Xiyan made a little extra.

So Yanyan, who was supposed to be on a diet, ate until she was full, too lazy to move even a step. She sprawled out on the sofa, not even having the energy to lick her paws.

After the meal, Kong Xiyan went up to the second floor, took out her suitcase, and started packing. She didn't have much. She had only brought two suitcases when she came, and this time, her belongings couldn't even fill one.

But there were quite a few things downstairs.

Kong Xiyan dragged her suitcase downstairs and sat in a corner of the apartment. She organized the things she had unloaded from the car yesterday, first putting the small items back in place, then sorting the clothes in the big bags.

They were all down jackets, not heavy. After compression, they weren't big either, so they didn't take up much space.

Only after putting everything in order did Kong Xiyan walk over to the coffee table, pick up her phone, and call Wang Haining.

She had been here for over two months now.

This was the first time she was calling her.

The phone rang for a long time, and no one answered. Kong Xiyan called again, and finally someone picked up.

"Haining?"

A soft voice came from the other end: "Teacher Wang isn't here."

Kong Xiyan identified the voice and asked softly, "Is it Yuanyuan?"

"Teacher Kong!"

Yuanyuan's voice was still childish, but filled with too much joy and excitement. She didn't wait for Kong Xiyan to speak and continued, "Teacher Kong, is that you? When are you coming back? Teacher Wang said you're so busy, and told us not to disturb you, but we miss you so much..."

Kong Xiyan's eyes welled up at this heartwarming talk. Her voice became hoarse as she said, "Teacher Kong will be back tomorrow. I miss you all too..."

It was as if she could see the smiling faces before her, waving and calling out warmly, "Teacher Kong!"

Kong Xiyan wiped the tears from her cheeks, while Yuanyuan kept chattering on in her ear. Her voice choked as she asked, "Yuanyuan, what would you like Teacher Kong to bring back for you?"

Yuanyuan paused: "Teacher Kong, Yuanyuan doesn't want anything, just for you to come back."

Kong Xiyan broke into a smile through her tears: "Alright, Teacher Kong promises you. You'll see me tomorrow."

Yuanyuan's excited voice changed pitch, her childish tone turning somewhat shrill. She was talking to the people beside her: "Teacher Kong says she's coming back tomorrow!"

"She wouldn't lie to me!"

"Teacher Kong is on the phone with me right now!"

"Hmph!"

Kong Xiyan listened to the intermittent exchanges from the other end, staying quiet without saying a word, just listening silently.

Until Yuanyuan called out, "Teacher Wang."

Then the noisy sounds from the other end gradually faded, and Wang Haining's voice came through: "Coming back tomorrow?"

Kong Xiyan's eyes curved like crescents: "Mm. You'd better tidy up my room well."

Wang Haining stood in the cold wind, thinking of the room that had been cleaned out early on, and smiled faintly: "Alright."

Kong Xiyan thought for a moment: "The quilt must be moldy by now, right?"

"No, it isn't."

"Are the flowers in front of the house still there?"

"They're all there."

Kong Xiyan laughed twice. The brief conversation lifted her spirits. She stroked Yanyan's head, then suddenly remembered something. Biting her lip, she said, "Haining..."

"I'm bringing someone extra with me this time."

Wang Haining gave a puzzled "Mm", then her voice remained warm: "Alright."

"I'll prepare the room."

Kong Xiyan's brows carried joy: "Thanks."

Wang Haining's soft laughter came through the phone: "What's there to thank? Between us, there's no need to be so polite."

"Safe travels."

"Okay."

Kong Xiyan hung up the call, looking pleased.

At around two in the afternoon, Chi Wanzhao, quite unusually, left work early.

Assistant Zhou went to the office and found it empty. He called Chi Wanzhao and only then learned that she had already returned to the apartment.

He resignedly hung up, feeling that ever since she got a wife, the CEO's good schedule had been thoroughly disrupted. The rest area in the CEO's office used to be just a decoration; now every afternoon nap, the CEO would go in there to catch up on sleep.

Even so, he still saw dark circles under her eyes from time to time.

Lateness had become a common occurrence, and now she was even leaving early.

He had been following her since Country A, a total of four-plus years, and he'd never seen Chi Wanzhao behave like this because of some personal matter.

This wife—she really was something else.

Chi Wanzhao had no idea that Assistant Zhou had been thinking such things after hanging up. She glanced around the apartment, saw the two suitcases and a black plastic bag in the corner. The bag was about half the size of a suitcase, quite long, and bulging full.

Kong Xiyan wasn't in the apartment, and neither was Yanyan. She assumed that the two of them had gone out for a walk.

Chi Wanzhao set down her briefcase, took off her trench coat and sat on the sofa. She stared at the unopened TV in front of her for quite a while before getting up.

When Kong Xiyan returned from her walk with Yanyan and opened the apartment door, she was taken aback. A familiar figure was already standing in the kitchen, and the aroma of cooking wafted into her nose. She pulled out her phone to check the time—it was just past five.

Chi Wanzhao had come back from work already?

So early?

When she put down Yanyan, closed the door, and walked further into the apartment, she realized it wasn't just the early return. Chi Wanzhao's suitcase was placed right next to her black plastic bag. It was a very compact suitcase, which didn't seem like it could hold much.

She pressed her lips together upon hearing Chi Wanzhao's voice: "You're back."

Kong Xiyan responded: "Mm."

Chi Wanzhao brought the dishes to the table with elegant movements. She turned to Kong Xiyan and said, "You'd better not take Yanyan out for a while. It's cold, and she can't stand the wind."

"Alright."

Hearing her name, Yanyan excitedly circled around Chi Wanzhao, rubbing her chubby body against Chi's calves, meowing nonstop.

Kong Xiyan, afraid that Yanyan would disturb Chi Wanzhao's cooking, stepped forward, picked her up, sat on the sofa, and kneaded her for a while. Before long, a rhythmic purring sound could be heard.

When Chi Wanzhao finished cooking, she looked at the one-person-one-cat on the sofa with a tender, lingering gaze.

Just past six, the sky had darkened at the horizon, and streetlights outside came on. Chi Wanzhao, after finishing her shower, came down from upstairs, wrapped in a bathrobe, her hair up in a bun. She entered the kitchen, brought out a soup bowl, and called out to Kong Xiyan, "Come eat."

Kong Xiyan, who had been dozing off on the sofa, started at the sound of Chi Wanzhao's voice. She looked up, rubbed the bridge of her nose, and went over to take a seat at the dining table.

Tonight's dishes were lavish. There were clearly only the two of them, and yet six dishes and a soup had been prepared. Kong Xiyan wondered to herself: So sumptuous—could it be Chi Wanzhao's birthday today?

That's not right, either.

When they got married, she had seen Chi Wanzhao's ID.

Her birthday was in June.

Then what good day was today?

Kong Xiyan wore a puzzled expression, while Chi Wanzhao remained calm and composed, frequently serving her food. Kong Xiyan felt flattered; she wanted to ask but didn't know how to bring it up.

Only after she had eaten her fill did Chi Wanzhao speak lightly: "Is it good?"

Kong Xiyan answered seriously: "Delicious."

Chi Wanzhao's bright eyes were dark and glistening, intently locking onto Kong Xiyan's expression: "Then you'd better remember this taste well, especially after you go back to the countryside."

Kong Xiyan's lips twitched, her expression dazed.