Again, his cellphone began to vibrate on the desk. He looked at the screen again and silenced it again. Qian Meng noticed the last two digits of the unknown number.

  "You don't need to answer that?"

  "I'll call them back later," he said quickly. "Do you want to feed me? What are your plans for the evening?"

  "I do. I'll just make sure you eat and then go into the room. I have to catch up with updates from Shanghai and the other launches, too," she announced.

  "Good. I'm sure you miss working in the headquarters."

  She nodded. "I like the idea of working from another place, but my office makes me want to work harder. After I am done, I want to take a walk around the city. Maybe eat at a famous restaurant," she prompted. "You might not be able to finish work, so I will sneak in food for you."

  He frowned. "I'll be safe with the bodyguard with me," she said firmly. "You can work without feeling the need to follow me."

  "You don't have to sneak in any food. I'll finish work and accompany you," he promised.

  She shook her head. "Take all the time you need. There is no rush. I still have a lot to do myself."

  "Whatever you want to do, Yun Qian Meng."

  Qian Meng crinkled her nose in distaste when he called her that. Why was he being formal with her? What happened to Qian Meng and 'baby'?

  Again, his phone began to vibrate. Again he silenced it. Qian Meng did see the number. It was the same one. She started to wonder if it was someone he really didn't want to talk to, or if it was someone whom he didn't want to talk to in front of her.

  "Are you sure you don't want to get that? Seems like they have something important to say." She wanted to see his reaction.

  "They can leave a voicemail," he answered. "Right now, I am focusing on you."

  Qian Meng flinched. He was hiding it from her. He didn't want to talk to this person in front of her. Usually, he would take calls freely in front of her. Only sometimes, he would go to the other room. Usually, he kept the door open so that she could hear him talking.

  But occasionally, he would close the doors and talk. Like he was hiding. She hadn't thought about it closely before, but the look of slight panic and irritation in his eyes as the call came in made her suspicious.

  They looked at each other in silence for a few moments. She started to feel anxious. Why was there an awkward tension between them? Where did it come from? There was something up with him since the morning which made her nervous. The twinkle in his eye from last night was nowhere to be seen. He had been passionate last night, but that day, he seemed distracted.

  It made her sad.

  "Is everything okay?" she blurted out. How would she know if she didn't ask?

  "What do you mean?" He seemed surprised by her question.

  "You just seem… off since the morning." She didn't know how to explain the change.

  "Off?"

  She nodded. "You look like something is bothering you. And you were anxious last night." He never made noise at night and he never fumbled around. What had happened to make him walk on eggshells around her?

  "I'm fine," he assured. He sighed deeply and ran a hand through his hair, messing it up a little. "I just had a lot on my mind since last night."

  Qian Meng blinked. "Anything you feel like sharing with me?"

  The ball was in his court.

  "Nothing terribly interesting. Don't worry about it."

  And then he ran his hands through his hair again. He always did that when he was anxious or bothered by something. She knew that much, but aside from telling her, he was private about his worries.

  Her curiosity was definitely sparked if it hadn't been before.

  "I'll leave you to your work," she said quietly before going into the bedroom. As she went, she tried to find out the first digits of the number she had seen. Turned out, it was from the central jail. The code was unique to it.

  "Qian Meng, I'll send back the stale food and order something fresh, okay? I'll be right back!" he called from behind her.

  She turned and saw the cellphone vibrating on the desk. Mo Qingchen clearly saw it vibrate but once again didn't answer it. And it irritated her.

  The only people she could think about who were in prison were those who shouldn't be calling Mo Qingchen. Who was he trying so hard to avoid?

  So, she decided to find out. She reached for the phone and pulled it to her ears before the person on the other side could hang up.

  "Hello?"

  The person on the other line was silent for a moment too long, making her wonder if they were going to answer her at all.

  "Oh, hi," the man finally spoke. The voice was slightly familiar, but she couldn't pinpoint who it was. "Who am I speaking with?"

  "I should be asking that question, sir. This is my husband's phone you are calling."

  She looked over at Mo Qingchen, who was leaning against the door with a small smirk on his lips. It irritated her more. He hadn't even stopped her from taking the call.

  "Oh, Yun Qian Meng, is it? How have you been, bitch?"

  Qian Meng's eyes widened.

  "Excuse me? Who the fuck are you?" she spoke.

  "Bai Ye Qing."

  Her eyes widened. Why was Bai Ye Qing calling Mo Qingchen? And how did he sound so different from usual? Why wouldn't Mo Qingchen take his call in front of her? What did he not want to say in front of her?

  "Was that you blowing up my husband's phone just now?" she questioned.

  "Oh, so he was ignoring me on purpose."