Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I tossed the boxed lunch into the trash and took the elevator downstairs.

The two young receptionists lit up when they saw me return and greeted me cheerfully.

“Sister Meng, you’re not having lunch with the CEO today?”

I didn’t feel like explaining, so I just smiled and waved. If this had been yesterday, I would have launched into another over-the-top performance, dragging them into a full-blown display of how madly in love we were.

But the moment I remembered Qin Xian calling me annoying, irritation welled up inside me too.

I’d really taken the act too far lately. I’d even managed to fool myself.

The housekeeper was surprised to see me home so suddenly, but she didn’t ask any questions and simply prepared a meal for me.

After eating my fill, I slept until evening.

It wasn’t until I heard a car engine shut off outside at six thirty that I yawned and headed downstairs.

The man who normally didn’t come home until ten thirty was staring at me now, his dark eyes unreadable.

“Are you… not feeling well today?”

When I walked up to him without throwing myself into his arms like I usually did, Qin Xian’s fingers curled slightly. He frowned as he asked the question.

“No. You’re home pretty early today.”

I plopped down on the sofa and answered casually while eating watermelon.

Qin Xian slowly sat beside me, bringing with him that familiar cool scent of ebony, aloof and expensive.

Usually, the moment he came home, I would turn into a boneless creature and cling to him with my whole body. But now, when I saw him edge closer, I only found it irritating.

After swallowing my watermelon, I subtly shifted away. Qin Xian froze.

“Today, you…”

He was about to say something else when he suddenly frowned as if he could no longer bear it and let out a quiet hiss.

I set my phone aside and looked up at him. Only then did I notice the fine beads of sweat covering his forehead.

“Your stomach hurts?”

Because of his demanding workload, Qin Xian often forgot to eat whenever he got busy. But his stomach trouble hadn’t flared up once since I’d started pestering him into eating with me.

“Mm. You didn’t come at noon, so I forgot to eat.”

Whether he’d truly forgotten was anyone’s guess.

But the faint note of grievance in Qin Xian’s voice had the unmistakable scent of a kindred spirit.

I stared at him for several seconds.

Qin Xian was extremely handsome, though his face rarely showed any unnecessary emotion. He was the quintessential cold, reserved man.

Who knew Qin Xian was just as much of a performer as I was?

If I hadn’t personally heard him call me annoying at noon, I never would have known.

Qin Xian still felt unwell after taking his stomach medicine. He went back to the bedroom without even eating dinner, while I happily polished off two large bowls of food.

When I stepped out of the bathroom, I immediately saw Qin Xian lying on the bed with his chest half exposed and his bathrobe hanging loosely around his waist.

His long legs were partially drawn up, one arm pressed over his stomach, and his brows were faintly furrowed in pain.

I swallowed and walked over, then gently tugged his bathrobe lower.

“You…”

He looked at me in surprise, a flash of astonishment crossing his eyes.

“I’m not feeling well… and you still want to?”

I couldn’t blame him for being surprised. If this had happened yesterday, I would have massaged his stomach while holding him close, fussing over him and urging him to get some sleep.

Then Qin Xian would have gotten aroused under my touch and warmed by my coaxing, and our evening would have taken a much more pleasurable turn.

But I didn’t feel like putting on an act anymore. Skipping straight to the point did make me look rather ravenous and heartless.

“You don’t want to? Then why did you get hard so fast?”

I stared at him, the corner of my mouth curling.

In the next instant, he flipped me over and pinned me beneath him, his dark eyes simmering with irritation.

“If you want it, I’ll give it to you.”

He was even better at acting than I was. He was obviously the insatiable one. His stomach hurt that badly, yet he moved faster than anyone.

Once I was thoroughly satisfied, I rolled over to sleep.

I happened to glance at Qin Xian and noticed his face had gone even paler. He stared at me for a long while before speaking in a slightly hoarse voice.

“Get me two more of the stomach pills from your nightstand.”

Our eyes met, and I blinked.

“Can’t you get out of bed and get them yourself?”

Silence filled the room. Even beneath the dim yellow light, there was no hiding how pale Qin Xian was. His frown deepened.

“My… stomach hurts.”

He deliberately emphasized the last two words, as though expecting something from me.

Whatever. I was in a good mood now, so I casually tossed him the bottle and turned away.

The room seemed to grow a few degrees colder. I pulled the blanket higher.

Ever since I was little, I’d had to hug something to fall asleep. Before getting married, it had been a long rabbit plushie. After marriage, it became Qin Xian’s arm.

I buried my head against the familiar rabbit plushie and fell fast asleep under Qin Xian’s brooding stare.

Sometime after midnight, the softness in my arms seemed to change, replaced by the familiar feel of an arm.

Still half asleep, I mumbled and hugged it tighter. A sigh sounded above my head.