Qin Feng paused for a moment. “You’re smart; you should be able to guess its meaning. You gave me my name and surname.”


  Though she had guessed as much, Qin Shu did not expect that she was the one to give him both. It was a curious turn of events. What on earth happened between them such he would take her surname?

  “Won’t you tell me how it came to be?”


  Qin Feng mulled over the question, relenting with some hesitation, “I’ll look for you tomorrow. We should have this conversation in person.”


  “Okay.”


  After hanging up the phone, Qin Shu padded over to her suitcase. She stuffed the transfer documents back into the document bag, throwing it into her the maw of her luggage. Stepping out of the room, she half-expected to see Fu Tingyu grovelling somewhere close by. Instead, he was nowhere to be found.

  Did he head out?

  Qin Shu sat down on the sofa with a headful of questions, questions that lacked answers. Picking up her laptop, she resumed her unfinished work.

  It was only around dinnertime did Fu Tingyu make his presence known. She did not need to open the door for him; he had a copy of the room’s key.

  His sudden, unannounced entrance caught her by surprise. She could not help but cast a suspicious glance in the direction of the coffee table. Where did he get a key to her room?

  No sooner had she asked herself the question than an answer popped into her mind. Fu Tingyu must have obtained one from the front desk. It was well within his ability to do so, the cunning man that he was.

  “Babe, wash your hands. It’s dinner time.” Fu Tingyu hovered at the living room’s entrance, calling in soft, dulcet tones. He did not step into the living room, merely calling her before setting the table, garnishing it with mouth-watering dishes and elegant cutlery.

  Qin Shu’s hands stilled but quickly returned to their previous task. She was almost done, anyway.

  It took her a few minutes to wrap up.

  By then, all the dishes were ready and waiting. Seeing that his wife had not joined him, Fu Tingyu got up and checked in on her. It looked like she was still busy. Quietly, he joined her on the sofa. He did not rush her; he knew better than to do so. He merely accompanied her in silence.

  His gaze fell on her hands. The rapid smattering of her fingers against the keyboard resembled a pianist in motion. Sages of old once said that the hands are only second to the face. Qin Shu’s hands were the colour of fresh milk, her knuckles forming ridged contours as if painted by an artist with meticulous attention to detail. It was mesmerizing.

  With a final flourish, the graceful fingers dancing over the keys stopped. At last, their work was complete.

  Fu Tingyu stood up, offering her his hand.

  Qin Shu closed her laptop and stowed it away. She got up without his help, callously brushing away the proffered hand and strutting off in the direction of the dining room.

  Fu Tingyu’s hand that had just reached out stopped in mid-air. He helplessly retracted his hand and followed them into the dining room.

  All the dishes on the table were those Qin Shu favoured.

  Without waiting for Fu Tingyu, Qin Shu picked up her chopsticks and helped herself to the food laid out. She seemed absent-minded as she ate as if her mind was elsewhere.

  Fu Tingyu joined his wife at the dinner table. He, too, seemed pensive. Halfway through the meal, he could not help but think of supper. The thought caused him to grind to a halt. Looking up, he asked, “Babe, what would you like to eat for supper? Do you want to eat wonton or shrimp dumplings?”


  Qin Shu stopped chewing on her food, glancing up at Fu Tingyu.

  This small action alone was enough to delight Fu Tingyu. With a megawatt smile, he felt like he was approaching cloud nine. Qin Shu possessed a heaven-defying beauty capable of toppling countries. Even the slightest smile was enough to cause one’s heart to flutter and their mind to waver.

  Qin Shu quirked an eyebrow and said, “I’m not eating supper.” Having made herself clear, she continued enjoying her meal.

  Fu Tingyu did not know how to react. Dazed, he asked, “Then what if you get hungry?”


  Qin Shu did not respond, not having anything else to say on the matter at hand. She finished her bowl of rice and put down her chopsticks. It was time for her shower.

  Fu Tingyu stared at the barely touched food before him and then at Qin Shu’s departing figure. Helpless, he sighed.

  While Qin Shu went to taker her shower, Fu Tingyu cleaned up the table.

  Once he was done, he took off for the balcony. Closing the door behind him, he fished out a box of cigarettes from his pocket and lit a stick. Soon, he was puffing away, wallowing in his misery.

  He smoked one cigarette after another in quick succession, but he could not think of any means to coax his wife out of her acrimonious anger.

  After a period of fruitless contemplation, he took out his phone and dialled Mo Chengxu’s number.

  Fu Tingyu was desperate for a love doctor.

  Mo Chengxu eventually picked up.

  “Brother Yu, what’s going on? Are you up for a drink?”


  “I’m not in town. I called you to ask for help. I need help coaxing a woman out of her shell.”


  “Me? I’m just some dandy, you know? Buying flowers, clothes, and so on, I’m no love doctor. Brother Yu, are you trying to get Qin Shu’s attention?”


  Ever since he had seen Qin Shu’s undisguised appearance, even he, a renowned playboy, could not help but sigh in admiration of her beauty. Qin Shu was the most attractive woman he had ever laid eyes on.

  As the saying goes, one who dies under a peony will return as a romantic even in their afterlife.

  It was no wonder his good Brother Yu was so infatuated with Qin Shu.

  Fu Tingyu frowned. How could he forget that Mo Chengxu was a playboy? The women around him did not need him to coax them at all. They were the ones who came up to him in swarms.

  “Fine. I’m hanging up.”


  Without waiting for Mo Chengxu’s reply, he hung up. Hah! He should have known better than to try asking Mo Chengxu for advice. Huffing, he took another long drag of his cigarette.

  Qin Shu stepped out of the shower and looked around. Fu Tingyu was nowhere in sight. Withdrawing to her room, she shut the door behind her.

  The room was lit in a warm orangey glow.

  Lying in bed, she propped her head up with a pillow and read a book for a time before laying down. Sleep arrived on swift wings, carrying her into the arms rest.

  Qin Shu could not be blamed for her fatigue. These few weeks had been trying for her, exhausting her mentally and physically.

  Subconsciously, she rubbed her bulging belly. She had not thought of a name for her unborn child yet.

  When Fu Tingyu had asked, she had not said anything.

  She was in no hurry, though. There was plenty of time for her to decide on a name. It would not be too late even if she waited for her baby to be born before choosing a name.

  Fu Tingyu stubbed the remains of his cigarette into an ashtray and reentered the living room.

  He had brought a change of clothes with him today.

  Donning his bathrobe, he went to the bathroom and took a shower, making sure to wash his hair thoroughly.

  Afterwards, he brushed his teeth and gargled his mouth to get rid of the smell of smoke.

  Once he had tidied himself up, he exited the bathroom.

  He made sure to be extra careful not to make a sound, afraid he would wake Qin Shu up.

  Fu Tingyu’s every move was light and intimately conscious of the sounds he was making.

  He did not even turn on the lights as he padded to the bed in his bedroom slippers.

  Lying down beside Qin Shu, Fu Tingyu turned sideways to face her, as was his habit. Gently, he hugged her from behind. There was something about feeling the warmth Qin Shu exuded against his skin that brought a sense of comfort and peace.

  Qin Shu woke the moment she heard the door open. Suddenly, she felt a pair of muscular arms bundling her up, pressing her into a well-toned chest. It was going to be quite a challenge falling asleep again.

  Instinct kicked in, and she struggled under the vice-like grip of those two limbs.

  Fu Tingyu, who was behind her, grew nervous. He was afraid she would wake up and force him to sleep on the sofa again.

  One night on the couch was torture enough. Any more and his back would protest.

  Nothing could beat the comfort of sleeping together with his wife.

  Qin Shu lurched forward in an attempt to break free, but just as she moved, the arm around her waist yanked her back forcefully, preventing her from moving the slightest bit.

  Fu Tingyu realized, then, that Qin Shu must have woken up. He buried his head in the crook of her neck, nuzzling it affectionately. “Babe, don’t hide from me, okay?” He whispered.

  Qin Shu stiffened, but she refused to look at him. “Don’t you have anything to say?”


  Fu Tingyu leaned forward, breathing in the heady scent of her body wash. It was a sweet scent that complimented her. “Babe, it was my fault for hiding things from you before. You can hit me and scold me as much as you would like, but I won’t let you ignore me.”


  Qin Shu retort was swift and merciless. “From the moment you met me, you’ve been lying. Like my mother, you’ve been lying, keeping secrets from me… How do you think I would react? You want me to distance myself from Han Xiao, Hua Wuyan, and all the others…”


  Inhaling a rattling breath, she cried, “Do you know how I feel? Do you know what kind of pain you’ve caused with all your lies? Everyone… They all believed and tried to make me believe I was the Little Munchkin, the Little Munchkin they loved and knew… How could you be so cruel? How could you lie to them all? How could you lie to me!”


  Fu Tingyu felt Qin Shu trembling against him. He renewed his hug, trying his best to console her. “I’m sorry, Babe. It’s all my fault. I was afraid you would remember what transpired before we parted ways on Mount Qi! I was afraid you would leave me…”


  A hush descended upon them as his words rang in the air.