Chapter 12.1

Wen Yi woke up once at four in the morning. When she stretched out her hand, she touched something hard. It took her two full minutes to fully wake up and realize that there was a man lying beside her. After that, she could not fall back asleep no matter what.

That night at the hotel, she had slipped away in the middle of the night, so they never had the chance to share a bed. Wen Yi had originally thought, what was the big deal about sleeping next to a man? Besides, his bed was two meters wide; even rolling over a couple of times might not bring them into contact.

But the reality was that even without touching, Qin Nanshan’s presence was so overpowering that she could not ignore him. She had recently been reading up on pregnancy related knowledge. In the second trimester, hormonal changes caused shifts in a woman’s physiology, and sexual desire far exceeded the usual levels.

She thought maybe they should just sleep separately after all. Having this living “aphrodisiac” right beside her, even a saint would not be able to hold out.

It was not until past six, when Qin Nanshan woke up and left the room, that she finally drifted into a hazy sleep. She then slept until the sun was high in the sky. After getting up, she decided she would bring up the matter of sleeping in separate beds later.

There was no en suite bathroom in the master bedroom. She tidied herself up, went out to wash, and after finishing, put the clothes she had not washed last night into the washing machine.

Entering the living room from the balcony, she discovered that the entire space had been transformed. All the little stickers and small lanterns she bought yesterday were hung up. Everything she saw was bright red, finally giving the place a bit of New Year atmosphere.

On the dining table was breakfast: a bowl of congee and a steamer of small soup dumplings. Wen Yi reached out to touch them; they were still warm.

She glanced at the closed door of the secondary bedroom, sat down, and started eating.

Qiao En sent her a message asking how married life was going. Wen Yi replied: [A complete mess.] Then she went into great detail about Summer’s existence.

Qiao En responded: [That’s really unfair to the dog. Such a big demolition expert forced to squeeze into a tiny secondary bedroom of just a few square meters.]

Wen Yi had no experience raising pets and froze for a moment. The guilt in her heart increased by another couple of points.

She finished the steamer of soup dumplings without really tasting them, then went to knock on the door. From inside came a bark and a response: “What’s wrong?”

Wen Yi gathered her courage and pushed the door open.

This was her first time seeing the layout of the secondary bedroom. It was much smaller than the master bedroom. One entire wall was filled with a bookcase packed with books, there was a tatami platform by the window, and a desk. Basically, there was no extra space for movement.

Summer’s little bed was under the desk. Right now, he and his friend were both looking toward the door. Perhaps aware that this new “friend” did not like him, he did not bark anymore and stayed perfectly quiet.

Wen Yi’s gaze fell on the rope tied around his neck and secured to the desk leg. Guilt rushed straight to the top of her head.

She had apparently deprived a dog of his freedom. This was truly unbearable.

Wen Yi looked up at the man sitting properly at the desk. “Um, I finished breakfast. Thank you.”

“It’s fine. Rest a bit more. Later, pack two sets of clothes. We’re heading to the eastern suburbs villa.”

“Oh.” Wen Yi’s gaze dropped again and met Summer’s fluffy face. Those big eyes blinked and blinked, as if filled with expectation.

She bit her lower lip hard, overcoming the fear in her heart. “Will Summer… come with us?”

Qin Nanshan paused. “You…”

Wen Yi looked away, pretending not to care. “Aren’t we staying a few days? It would be pitiful for him to stay here alone.”

He was silent for a while but ultimately did not reject the suggestion.

They set off at noon, first stopping at Changle Lane to deliver small lanterns to Wen Hongyu. Qin Nanshan said they could buy some New Year goods on the way and bring them together. Wen Yi mentally praised him for being so thoughtful; her status as the daughter was probably in jeopardy soon.

Wen Yi sat in the passenger seat, Summer in the back. She sat ramrod straight, trying her best not to look behind her.

The dog was clearly not new to car rides. He squatted obediently in the middle of the back seat, mouth open, panting happily.

Qin Nanshan glanced at the woman beside him who was staring straight ahead, then reached back to pet Summer. His voice was gentle. “Be good.”

Summer nuzzled him, then tentatively nudged Wen Yi’s shoulder. She instinctively jerked away, a scream rising to her lips before she swallowed it back down.

The corners of Qin Nanshan’s mouth lifted. He started the car. Once they were smoothly on the main road, he called to her, “Wen Yi.”

Wen Yi hugged her chest. “What!”

“Do you want to hear Summer’s story?”

“Go ahead.”

Qin Nanshan paused for a few seconds before asking first, “What year did we graduate high school?”

“2013?”

“Mm, Summer was born in 2013.” Qin Nanshan gripped the steering wheel tighter, recalling, “Summer’s mother used to live with us too. Her name was Maomao, given by Qin Xi because she thought Maomao looked like a fuzzy caterpillar. Back then, we lived in another house, much bigger than the current one. Maomao had plenty of space to move around and was very healthy. If she were still here today, she would be thirteen.”

“In 2013, right after the college entrance exam, Maomao was pregnant and about to give birth. That day, my parents and uncle and aunt went out to celebrate my getting the top score in the province. We did not notice anything wrong with Maomao. By the time the family finished dinner and got home, it was already eleven. Maomao had dystocia and could not give birth on her own. She was lying behind the front door. In the end, at the pet hospital, out of Maomao and her three puppies, only he survived.”

Wen Yi’s heart tightened. She clasped her hands on her knees and said softly, “So that’s why he’s called Summer.”

“Yes.”

After that single word, Qin Nanshan said no more and focused on driving. Wen Yi looked at him. The man’s expression was calm; no trace of sadness or any other emotion was visible.

A moment later, Wen Yi warned, “When I go into labor, you have to stay by my side!”

Qin Nanshan turned his head and laughed silently. “Of course I will be by your side.”

“Do you want to pet him?”

“No.” Wen Yi was perfectly clear headed. “Do not think that telling a story will move me. I am only allowing him to move around freely. Do not push your luck.”

He indeed said nothing more, though the corners of his lips curved up faintly.

After a while, Wen Yi remembered to ask, “What about the guy who was your groomsman on our wedding day?”

“Which one?”

“The tallest one.”

“Zhuang Yue? What about him?”

“Qiao En asked.”

Qiao En never messaged without a reason. She was not really concerned about Wen Yi’s married life; clearly, she had ulterior motives.

That groomsman was quite good looking and tall. Qiao En was a single urban beauty; it would not be strange if the two hit it off.

Qin Nanshan said, “We were undergraduate classmates. But Zhuang Yue is now a teacher in administration, working in the office.”

Wen Yi raised an eyebrow. “Preparing to become a leader?”

“Probably. Zhuang Yue has strong work abilities, is eloquent, and the higher ups trust him a lot. Barring any surprises, in another year or two he could be promoted to office director.”

Wen Yi clicked her tongue twice. “You even know this kind of gossip?”

Qin Nanshan glanced at her. “Wen Yi, I am not sixteen or seventeen anymore. And I work in an office every day. Some things I hear whether I want to or not.”

“Yes, yes, yes. But you cannot blame me. It is the impression you naturally give people.”

“What impression?”

“Do not play dumb.”

Qin Nanshan chuckled, not particularly minding. “Then what is your impression of me now?”

“Handsome, rich, and has OCD.”

“……” Qin Nanshan ignored this completely insincere answer and turned right toward Changle Lane.

Wen Yi continued asking, “Your classmate is so promising. What about you? When are you going to become a little leader?”

Though she knew he probably had no great ambitions for official positions, Wen Yi was still curious. But Qin Nanshan clearly had no intention of satisfying her curiosity and said directly, “I do not want to be a leader for the time being.”

“Fine.” Wen Yi crossed her legs and said leisurely, “But I want to be one.”

She had no intention of becoming a housewife. Even with a child, her career would always come first.

Qin Nanshan looked over again, hearing the subtext in her words. “If you want to, no one will stop you.”

Right now she was barely holding onto her position; promotion and raise were pipe dreams. Wen Yi hummed and stopped responding. After getting through these two years of pregnancy and childbirth, what was hers would still be hers.

They bought New Year goods and delivered them to Wen Hongyu. Ms. Wen was not home. Qin Nanshan asked if she was still at work. Wen Yi said she was probably on a date and they should not worry about her.

It took another half hour or more to reach the eastern suburbs villa. Wen Yi adjusted her mindset and prepared to seriously play the role of a good daughter in law.

As soon as they got out of the car, Summer bolted straight to Xuan Ying. The old lady and the dog played joyfully together. Qin Xi came over and linked arms with her. “Sister in law, you are finally here. I have been driven crazy by Mom nagging me while I was home alone.”

Qin Xi had an outgoing and friendly personality. She had run around helping a lot at the wedding, and the two had gradually become familiar. Though there were several years between them, it did not feel awkward.

Wen Yi looked at the sweet smile on her sister in law’s face and once again suspected that Qin Nanshan was not biological. He was far too different from the rest of the family.

The Qin family had fixed customs for the holidays: the whole family ate together on New Year’s Eve, and on the first day of the new year they visited the eldest uncle’s house. This was a rule set by Grandpa Qin when he was alive, for the sake of family harmony.

According to what Qin Nanshan had said and Wen Yi’s later observations, the relationship between Qin Heng’s family and his brother’s was indeed good, far better than those families that fought bitterly over inheritance.

But perhaps that was also because none of the four in Qin Heng’s family had much ambition. The husband and wife and their son focused on research, while the daughter traveled and played everywhere. None of them had strong desires.

The New Year goods and dinner were mostly prepared. Wen Yi had planned to go to the kitchen and help out for appearances, but Xuan Ying shooed her away, saying she was pregnant and did not need to help.

With time on her hands, Wen Yi went to chat with her sister in law. Qin Xi was talkative, going on about her major one moment and her friends the next until her mouth was dry. Wen Yi passed her some water.

In the middle, Summer came over. When Qin Xi tried to hug him, she found she could not lift him and patted his head. “Look how fat you are. It is all my brother’s fault for feeding you so much every day.”

Summer panted happily and licked her palm. Qin Xi played with him for a while. When the big dog got tired, he simply lay down at their feet and comfortably fell asleep.

Wen Yi said, “Your brother and Summer seem really close.”

“Of course. Summer once saved my brother’s life.”

Wen Yi’s eyes widened in shock. Qin Xi explained, “It was not a big deal. My brother was still in graduate school then. You know how he is; when he is working on a problem, nothing can disturb him. That day Mom was going out to buy things and reminded him to turn off the stove under the soup in the kitchen later. He did not hear her. In the end, the pot boiled dry and started smoking. It was Summer who went to knock on the door and barked madly. That is how my brother noticed and put out the fire before it got bigger.”

“Sister in law, you have seen the place now that you are living there. The decor from that era was almost entirely wood throughout the entire house. Really, if it had been just a few minutes later, not only would the house have been gone, but the people too.”

“And my brother has always felt guilty about it. Has he told you? He believes in his heart that Maomao, Summer’s mother, died because of him. That is why he has always been extra good to Summer. I even feel like Summer is his real son.”

Wen Yi listened quietly, her gaze fixed on Summer the whole time.

She did not know much about dog breeds. Qin Nanshan had said he was an Alaskan Malamute. Last night while waiting for him, she had secretly looked it up. The internet said Alaskan Malamutes had a relatively gentle temperament, that they could be playful or quiet. She was half convinced and half doubtful, still unable to fully relax.

Now she hesitated, unsure what to do.

Summer was woken by her stare. He straightened his head, looked at her, then walked over with his massive body, stopping one step away from her. Only after seeing no rejection did he continue approaching.

Wen Yi suppressed the last remnants of fear in her heart, carefully reached out her hand, hesitated for a few seconds, then relaxed and rubbed his head. Summer’s fur was clean and fluffy, very pleasant to touch.

Summer immediately grinned at her. Wen Yi was still a little scared, but she did not pull away. Summer took another step closer, jumped onto the sofa beside her, and lay down directly against her.

The dog’s body was warm. The heat seeped through her clothes onto her skin. Wen Yi slowly curved her lips, a soft feeling brushing across her heart.

To outsiders, this scene looked perfectly normal. Qin Xi did not notice the subtle changes between the person and the dog and continued talking until Xuan Ying came to call them for dinner.

Xuan Ying’s cooking was excellent. The seven or eight dishes were full of color, aroma, and flavor.

Everyone in the family except Qin Nanshan was talkative. The dinner table was never short of topics.

After dinner, Wen Yi suddenly remembered something. She had planned to talk to him about sleeping in separate beds this morning, but before she could say anything, they had come to his parents’ house. There was no way to separate beds now.

She had stayed in Qin Nanshan’s bedroom one night during the wedding a few days ago, but she had been so exhausted that she fell asleep almost immediately.

Now all the wedding decorations had been removed, leaving only a big red quilt embroidered with “A Hundred Years of Harmony.” Even with the lights off, she found it glaring.

She finished showering and lay down. The quilt still had that new smell, not very pleasant. Qin Nanshan probably came in about half an hour later. Wen Yi asked if there were other sheets they could change to. Qin Nanshan said there were, but Xuan Ying had specifically instructed that new quilts could only be changed after a month. They had to bear with it for now.

Wen Yi had no choice but to pull the quilt over herself.

This bedroom had an en suite bathroom. Qin Nanshan found pajamas from the walk in closet and went to shower. Soon, the sound of running water came from the bathroom.

Wen Yi stared for a while, then looked away. She randomly picked up a book from the bedside table and flipped it open.

It was not a math textbook this time, but a collection of short stories called Taipei People. She had not finished the first story before Qin Nanshan came out of the shower.

His hair was not dried. He walked to the walk in closet while wiping it, blowing it dry there.

The advantages of being a man were fully displayed in this moment. It took him only two minutes to dry it. He stood at the foot of the bed. “Turn off the light?”

Black silk satin pajamas. Clearly nothing was showing through, yet the way the fabric clung to his body made Wen Yi feel as if she could see everything from the way it moved when he walked: long legs, chest muscles, abs with varying depths of definition.

She was done for. Her pregnancy hormones were surging again.