Marry by Relying on Favor: Chapter 118 - Unable to Sleep at Night
Chapter 118: Unable to Sleep at Night
The room was dim and quiet. Wen Shuchen lifted the blanket, got out of bed, and walked to the table to pour himself a cup of tea. Barefoot, without even putting on shoes, he tilted his head slightly as his Adam’s apple moved with each swallow. After finishing one cup, he poured another.
“Put your clothes on.”
He Qingchi was afraid he’d catch a chill, but once Wen Shuchen finished drinking, he quickly returned.
He lay back under the blanket again. As he moved, the old wooden bed let out a few creaks.
Hearing it made He Qingchi feel awkward. She hid under the blanket, then lifted her head to glance at the man lying beside her. Fortunately, after drinking tea and cooling down, Wen Shuchen seemed calm enough… though tonight he probably wouldn’t be getting much sleep.
He Qingchi was light, and adding a child didn’t make the bed too heavy either. Who would’ve expected that once Wen Shuchen lay down, even a little movement would make the bed creak that clearly?
He was an adult man after all—different from her.
When He Qingchi shifted slightly closer, her forehead brushed his shoulder. Wen Shuchen then wrapped an arm around her waist. Her slender waist fit perfectly in his palm; his fingertips traced the curve lightly, almost restlessly.
He had originally intended to use this to get closer to her, but the creaking bed threw his plans off.
A trace of frustration surfaced in Wen Shuchen’s handsome features as he leaned in, his thin lips brushing through her hair.
He Qingchi, however, wasn’t feeling conflicted anymore. It was fine that he didn’t get his way. Her lashes fell shut as sleep crept up on her.
Beside her, Wen Shuchen breathed in the fragrance of her hair, his voice low as he softly called her name, Qingchi.
He said it again and again, as if he could never get enough. Then, unprompted, he began talking about the past few years.
Eventually, He Qingchi grew too tired to respond. His low voice lulled her into a dream.
The night passed quickly. When the sky outside had only just begun to pale, Wen Shuchen was already up from the old wooden bed. He worked quietly, careful not to make a sound that might wake the woman curled beneath the blankets.
He picked up the shirt beside the pillow with his long, pale fingers, put it on, then retrieved his suit pants from the floor.
After dressing neatly, he took his suit jacket and stepped outside.
The early morning air was cool; wisps of white mist still lingered in the courtyard.
Fei Ying hadn’t slept well the entire night—perhaps the surrounding silence only made her restlessness worse. As she stepped out of her room, she heard a few low coughs coming from next door.
She froze and turned her head.
A tall, slender figure stood beneath the corridor eaves. From a distance, the faint early morning light softened his handsome face; his entire demeanor left an impression of gentle restraint.
He shook his suit jacket lightly a few times, unhurried. Seemingly sensing someone staring, he lifted his eyelids and glanced over, indifferent.
Fei Ying stiffened for no reason, staring blankly.
Seeing the Wen family man in person felt completely different from identifying him from a photo.
Just his presence made her subconsciously believe he would never do something truly vile. Even if he had offended a woman, he wouldn’t shamelessly deny it.
Fei Ying didn’t know what made her trust him like that—maybe it was simply that… he didn’t look like someone who would.
Wen Shuchen didn’t spare her another second of attention. The door behind him opened, and He Qingchi stepped out—her cheongsam collar fastened neatly, her long black hair cascading to her waist. Bare-faced, her skin glowed with a soft, healthy radiance.
The two stood in the corridor for a while, speaking in low tones. Wen Shuchen even lowered his head to kiss her hair.
He Qingchi pushed him away and headed toward Yao Jing’s room.
Throughout the whole scene, Fei Ying felt like a complete outsider—transparent, irrelevant to their marriage.
After breakfast in the courtyard, Wen Shuchen prepared to take He Qingchi with him. He first went to speak to the grandmother, and with her approval, the group left Wushan Town around nine.
Fei Ying naturally followed, looked after by Yao Jing in another car.
She was pregnant and already anxious. After witnessing Wen Shuchen’s attitude toward He Qingchi that morning, she felt even more suffocated, uncertainty gnawing at her.
After more than an hour of driving, Fei Ying noticed their car splitting off from the one ahead. She tensed up and asked Yao Jing, “Did we go the wrong way?”
Yao Jing, expression neutral, replied, “Miss Fei Ying, President Wen arranged a place for you.”
Wen Shuchen hadn’t said a single word to Fei Ying that morning. Surrounded by bodyguards and secretaries, she couldn’t even approach him. Earlier, she wasn’t worried—she thought that once they reached Jiangcheng, his territory, she’d be able to speak with him.
But now she hadn’t even seen him since getting in the car.
Yao Jing’s words left Fei Ying stunned and uneasy. “Is he sending me to Wen Yue?”
Compared to Wen Shuchen, she had at least seen Wen Yue once—during the time he verbally humiliated her.
That man had been so vicious she still carried the psychological shadow.
Yao Jing didn’t answer, only looked straight ahead.
Meanwhile, Wen Shuchen’s car had already entered the villa. He personally helped He Qingchi out. Their child was carried by a bodyguard. The villas on both sides had been bought out by him at high cost—this area was sealed off enough that no one would disturb them.
“I cleared out the entire third floor for your embroidery room. Tell Song Chao whatever you need.”
He was completely acting like he intended to keep her hidden away in a golden house—except what he was hiding wasn’t a caged canary, but the rightful Mrs. Wen.
He Qingchi noticed he’d changed residences again—likely because reporters had been blocking the previous one—but she didn’t comment.
Their little one had even brought the two toy yellow ducks from Wushan Town, happily stroking their pretty feathers. Upon seeing the swimming pool in the backyard, he ran toward it in excitement.
Song Chao quickly followed. With bodyguards and staff watching the child, He Qingchi could finally relax.
She sat on the large sofa in the spacious living room, watching as Wen Shuchen brought her tea.
The furnishings here were even more refined and thoughtfully arranged than at the previous residence. Her photo frame sat on a side table, and everywhere carried traces of daily life.
“Have some water.”
He Qingchi’s drifting thoughts were pulled back by his voice. She lifted her eyes to the glass held out in front of her.
She tried to take it herself, but Wen Shuchen insisted on feeding her.
Instinctively, He Qingchi glanced around. The bodyguards had already stepped out, and there was no one else present, so she lowered her head and took a sip.
She wasn’t thirsty, so Wen Shuchen finished the rest in one go.
After a while, the quiet atmosphere made her uneasy. She searched for a topic and asked, “Where did you send Fei Ying?”
A faint smile appeared in Wen Shuchen’s eyes, as if he had been waiting for her to ask.
“I bought a villa next to Wen Yue’s place for her to rest during pregnancy. There are two bodyguards and a nanny to look after her.”
“…” No wonder he first bought up the villas on both sides of his own.
He Qingchi had nothing to say to that. Seeing him walk over and sit beside her, she tried to stand up to find the child.
He wouldn’t let her go so easily. He lifted his arm and pulled her back into his arms with little effort. His long fingers slid across her delicate chin. “I need to head out around noon. I might be home late, but I’ll try to be back before eleven. You can rest here, stay with the child. If you get bored, you can call Qu Bixin over to keep you company.”
He wanted to arrange every minute of her day, hold everything in his hands… though he would still yield if she resisted.
“Go handle your work. You don’t need to worry about me.” She reached up to push his hand away, but instead, her fingers were caught.
Wen Shuchen lowered his head. His cool lips touched hers.
Her long lashes trembled as she closed her eyes halfway. Her breath was filled with his overwhelming warmth, vivid and real.
After a long while, he finally released her. Their foreheads remained pressed together.
His gaze was deep as he stared at her small, quick breaths. Her face had turned red, even the tips of her ears.
He Qingchi felt weak all over. If not for hearing the faint sound of their child laughing outside, she might have remained lost in his arms. Flustered, she stood and straightened her hair and the cheongsam she wore.
Wen Shuchen picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip calmly.
Their little one came running over on short legs, completely unaware of what had happened between his parents. He threw himself at Wen Shuchen, tugging his suit pants with tiny hands and chirping, “Daddy, can I raise the little yellow ducks in your swimming pool?”
Wen Shuchen lowered his head and gently guided him. “You need to ask Mommy. This is her home too.”
The child looked at He Qingchi with wide, blinking eyes. “Mommy…”
His childish voice stretched long as he acted spoiled.
He Qingchi smiled at him. Her tongue was still numb from Wen Shuchen’s kiss, so she didn’t speak.
The child then rushed into her arms, calling her “Little Sister Xiao Chi” one moment and “Mommy” the next.
Her heart softened completely. She could hold him in her arms twenty-four hours a day. His little cheeks were flushed with excitement as he said, “Mommy, I want to invite Little Daddy to see my new home and the yellow ducks!”
Every time the child called Shen Fu “Little Daddy,” He Qingchi needed a moment to adjust.
Wen Shuchen seized the opportunity to explain. When he had gone abroad for treatment years ago, there was an incident that scared the child badly. After that, whenever he had to leave Jiangcheng, he would send the child to stay with Shen Fu for a while.
From his earliest memories, the child had only known two men.
One was his biological father, the other was Shen Fu, the nanny-dad.
Hearing this, He Qingchi didn’t object to the child inviting Shen Fu. At noon, Wen Shuchen stayed to eat with her and the child before leaving. She toured the villa by herself afterward, then went to sit quietly on the second-floor terrace.
Downstairs, the child was using the landline, speaking to Shen Fu in his soft, milky voice.
Upstairs, her own phone rang. It was Qu Bixin.
Not because she had particularly sharp information networks; as soon as the call connected, she said bluntly, “Your President Wen called me. Said you don’t have company in Jiangcheng. Should I bring my man over for dinner at your place tonight?”
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