Marry by Relying on Favor: Chapter 115 - Closing in Step by Step
Chapter 115: Closing in Step by Step
Before Wen Shuchen fully woke in the morning, he first reached out to feel for the warmth he expected beside him.
When he didn’t touch anything, he opened his tightly shut eyes—just in time to see He Qingchi, wearing her nightdress, carrying the child as she quickly ran into the bathroom. She was barefoot, not even wearing shoes.
He stared blankly at that slender figure for a moment. This scene had appeared countless times in his dreams, yet this was the first time he’d seen it happen in reality.
Sunlight outside was bright, and the room was warm.
Wen Shuchen sat at the edge of the bed for five or six minutes before getting up. With two long fingers pinching her slippers, he walked to the closed bathroom door and politely knocked twice.
After a moment, with a soft creak, He Qingchi opened the door herself.
She hadn’t washed up yet—still in her nightdress, hair messy, standing inside. Behind her, the little one sat innocently on the sink counter, his chubby short legs swinging back and forth.
Wen Shuchen lowered his gaze, looking over the mother and child, then set the slippers by her feet. “Put your shoes on.”
He Qingchi’s lashes swept lightly over his handsome profile before quickly looking away. She stiffly followed his instruction, slipping into the slippers. Her fair legs instinctively wanted to hide beneath the hem of her dress, pale skin at her knees faintly showing.
In front of the child, Wen Shuchen still held himself back. He looked at her, noticing how she avoided meeting his eyes.
Maybe because last night’s emotions hadn’t fully settled, he didn’t overthink it.
“You’re helping our son brush his teeth?”
He asked quietly.
The little one could actually brush his own teeth. He Qingchi only needed to squeeze toothpaste for him and pour a cup of warm water.
When she handed it over, the boy gave her a bright grin, showing neat little white teeth.
“Thank you, Little Sister Xiao Chi!”
He Qingchi smiled back. The mother and son seemed to have formed some kind of secret pact.
Wen Shuchen, however, was completely kept in the dark. Unaware of the agreement between them, he turned away and headed into the walk-in closet to change. He put on a gray-blue suit, carefully choosing his tie and cufflinks. Rarely, he even wore gold-rimmed glasses today.
Because he was in a good mood, his look appeared casually refined, still maintaining a gentleman’s grace.
The little one had also changed clothes. He poked his own eye with a small finger and said, “I want to be like Daddy too!”
He Qingchi found him a cute jacket. Seeing he wanted to imitate his father, she went back to the closet and fetched a pair of children’s sunglasses—frog-shaped ones.
The boy was delighted. Then he pointed at his little mouth.
She glanced at him. With Wen Shuchen watching, she could only lean over and give him a peck.
“Little Sister Xiao Chi, what do you call me?” the child asked, tilting his face up, voice milky sweet, deliberately dragging the words.
Looking at this little tail-wagger who seemed smug enough to fly, He Qingchi could only surrender. “Big Brother Xiao Ci.”
The boy giggled happily. “Why are you calling me that?”
“Go eat your breakfast,” she said, picking up a glass of milk to block his mouth.
Early in the morning, he had already received a kiss and gotten to be called Big Brother Xiao Ci.
His tiny vanity was thoroughly satisfied. He grabbed the milk and happily drank it.
He Qingchi peeled an egg. As she lifted her gaze, she met Wen Shuchen’s searching look.
She seemed to sense his suspicion but pretended not to understand, lowering her head again.
After finishing the milk, the little one kept calling her “Little Sister Xiao Chi” over and over.
Throughout the entire breakfast, He Qingchi practically humbled herself to serve this “little crown prince.”
Wen Shuchen’s eyes swept over them several times, his brows occasionally knitting.
He had purposely worn glasses this morning, making him appear much younger, yet he still failed to draw her eyes—his own son repeatedly stealing the spotlight instead.
After eating, the little one puckered his lips again, wanting another kiss from her.
This time Wen Shuchen calmly pressed a tissue over the boy’s mouth. “Go get Daddy’s phone.”
The boy was very obedient. His attention instantly shifted, and he ran toward the stairs on his short legs.
Watching his tiny figure, He Qingchi faintly smiled—but quickly dropped the expression when Wen Shuchen spoke beside her: “Do you have some kind of leverage over our son?”
“……”
She pretended to sip her milk, ignoring him.
Wen Shuchen slowly wiped his fingers with a tissue, gaze fixed on her. “If something’s troubling you, you can tell me. My son listens to me.”
“……”
If she could tell him, she wouldn’t be held hostage by the boy in the first place.
Unable to bear it anymore, she finally looked up at this man dressed like a refined rake. “What exactly do you teach him?”
“Hm?”
One more word, and she refused to continue.
She set down the cup and changed the topic. “I’m going back to Wushan Town today.”
Wen Shuchen’s smile thinned slightly, but he quickly recovered his usual calm, nodding to show he would arrange it.
He Qingchi sat in the living room. Soon, the boy ran downstairs with the phone, seeking praise from his father.
Wen Shuchen told him to give it to He Qingchi, adding slowly, “Whenever you miss Daddy, use this to call me.”
This way, even if she didn’t want to accept his phone, she had no choice.
She could avoid contacting Wen Shuchen—but she couldn’t stop the child.
The boy happily handed her the phone, then hugged Wen Shuchen’s suit pants and asked in a spoiled, sweet voice: “Daddy… aren’t you coming with me to visit Little Sister Xiao Chi’s home?”
Wen Shuchen still hadn’t gotten He Qingchi’s approval to go to Wushan Town, so he arranged for dozens of bodyguards to escort them. He coaxed the child with all sorts of reasons and never pushed this question onto He Qingchi.
After all, the tense relationship between the two had only just eased a little. He didn’t press her step by step.
In this regard, He Qingchi felt that Wen Shuchen was very good at maintaining boundaries. His forceful kisses and embraces last night felt like a dream—now, they seemed almost unreal.
But that feeling vanished quickly. When the child was carried outside by the bodyguards, Wen Shuchen deliberately stopped her steps, leaving the two of them behind.
He reached out and took her wrist. His fingers were long and strong—He Qingchi couldn’t pull away. Using his tall frame as cover, he drew her a half-step backward.
He leaned down, his handsome face brushing her cheek, his gaze darkening as he moved toward her lips.
Since the bodyguards were all outside the villa, He Qingchi was trapped by his tall figure against a wall in the living room, unable to escape on either side. She lowered her face, trying to dodge his mouth, but Wen Shuchen didn’t mind—light kisses fell along her chin.
She had intended to push him away, but he was faster—he caught her wrist, his warm palm pressing against her skin. Her breath grew unsteady. The moment she parted her lips to speak, he sealed them with his own.
He Qingchi’s dark eyes stayed open, watching the man only inches away deepen the kiss.
It took Wen Shuchen five or six minutes to finally end it. Even then, his thin lips lingered reluctantly. His voice dropped low: “In a few days… can I come see you?”
He Qingchi had been surprised earlier when he calmly let her return home.
She didn’t expect him to wait for her here—his fingers slid from her wrist upward, finally resting on her shoulder. Her entire body was trapped between the wall and him, unable to even lower her head
His gaze was deep and intent as he stared at her slightly flushed face from the kiss.
He Qingchi only shook her head, biting her lip unconsciously.
“I won’t stay overnight,” Wen Shuchen added when he saw her refusing, compromising another step.
He Qingchi hesitated. Her lips tingled from the kiss. After a long moment she finally managed, “You say you won’t stay overnight when you come to Wushan Town… but who knows if you’re just lying to me?”
At first he’d been so restrained in front of her—he didn’t even touch a single finger.
So she hadn’t expected this—him suddenly taking advantage of the moment while the child was gone.
If she let him come to Wushan Town… who knew what might happen?
On the surface, she wanted to treat Wen Shuchen coldly, but she couldn’t stop her tears. She softened so easily.
At this rate… she didn’t need anyone else to warn her.
She knew herself—very soon, she would give in to him completely again.
Wen Shuchen seemed to see the resentment in her eyes. After thinking a moment, he said gently, “I promised your father not to disturb your life. Qingchi, if I go to Wushan Town, I don’t have to get out of the car. I don’t even have to show my face. Is that alright?”
Even just sitting in the car and seeing her would be better than enduring this longing.
He Qingchi had no words at that. She turned her face away. “Just… don’t come often.”
When Wen Shuchen saw her give that small nod, his eyes softened with a smile. “Don’t worry, I won’t disturb you or your grandmother.”
After receiving permission, he finally let her go, watching as she got into the car.
She raised the car window; the tinted glass blurred her vision, and she could only faintly make out the figure of the man in his suit.
Her lips were still swollen, tinged with a faint red.
It was from the forcefulness in the last two minutes of his kiss. He Qingchi couldn’t help lifting cool fingertips to her lips, trying to wipe away the lingering sensation of him.
Beside her, the little one—completely unaware of what his father had done—muttered softly, “So slow…”
He Qingchi lowered her hand, looked at his round little face—three parts similar to Wen Shuchen’s—and said, “You and your dad are both bad.”
“What!” The little guy widened his eyes—he understood.
He Qingchi pinched his chubby cheek; with Wen Shuchen no longer here, the so-called “leverage” the child had didn’t work anymore.
The little guy took out the phone, pouted, and grumbled, “I knew you were gonna attack me! I had a backup plan!”
He Qingchi froze for a second—then saw with her own eyes that he had somehow sent a voice message… and worse, sent it to a group chat, not a private chat. A group where more than just Wen Shuchen could hear it.
“……”
At that moment, He Qingchi suddenly had the urge to throw the child out of the car.
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