Chapter 15.2

Back home, Wen Yi changed shoes and hung her bag on the coat hook by the shoe cabinet. Qin Nanshan really had OCD—every time she casually tossed her bag, keys, umbrella, facial cleanser, and so on, he would silently put them in their proper places. To avoid “troubling” him, Wen Yi could only manage it herself.

They were clearly two completely different types of people, yet they had forced themselves together, adapting to each other’s habits and making changes.

She stood at the entrance, her gaze sweeping from the balcony to the living room—clean, tidy, everything in its place. Worlds apart from the chaos at Chen Mingyue’s home.

Wen Yi could not help wondering what Qin Nanshan would do once the baby was born. Just tidying up toys would be exhausting enough, not to mention wiping poop and pee—could he handle it?

Then she thought of Chen Mingyue’s husband who worked overtime. What if he pulled the same thing one day, leaving all this mess to her?

Work troubles were already enough. Imagining that scene sent her pregnancy hormones skyrocketing. She felt utterly irritable. If he really dodged responsibility with overtime, she would slap divorce papers on him.

Qin Nanshan heard the noise and came out from the secondary bedroom. “Have you eaten dinner?”

At that moment, Wen Yi’s mind was filled with resentment toward men—she felt they were the most unnecessary things in the world. She glared at him irritably. “You are not allowed in the master bedroom tonight.”

“???”

Qin Nanshan had some perceptiveness after all. He could tell she was in a bad mood. He waited until she finished showering and went into the master bedroom, then half an hour later tried the doorknob—it turned easily.

He went in. The person on the bed looked up briefly, then lowered her head again to the tablet in her hands.

Qin Nanshan asked how her first day back at work felt. The person on the bed made a casual sound.

When she was in a bad mood, she did not like talking—this was a conclusion he had reached after living together for over two months. Her dramatic arguments were actually fine.

Qin Nanshan sat on the edge of the bed, casually picking up a book from the nightstand to read. After flipping a couple pages, he heard her say, “I want water.”

Wen Yi took medicine at night, so there was always water on the nightstand. Qin Nanshan handed it to her, waited for her to drink, then placed it back. The two continued peacefully, each doing their own thing.

But Qin Nanshan had no real mood to read. He stopped, turning slightly to look at her. Wen Yi was focused and did not notice.

Wen Yi had been beautiful since childhood—that bright, bold kind of beauty. Porcelain skin, eyes like a cat’s—lively and charming, like a deep sea pearl, her pupils shining through endless ocean depths.

At this moment, quietly looking down, she seemed gentle and serene. The edges of her cheeks were haloed by the pure moonlight from the window, translucent and luminous.

Her beauty was a fireworks display blooming in the night—stunning at first sight, etched in the mind with a second glance. Close your eyes, and her shadow danced before you again.

That night they reunited, no matter the excuses, as she said—it boiled down to being struck by desire at first sight.

Qin Nanshan remembered the school anniversary performance in their first year of high school. She represented their class in a dance—an enchanting ethnic dance, graceful and alluring. The lighting technician did a great job; wherever she went, the spotlight followed.

From then on, boys secretly peeking at the classroom door or windows were a constant. During the half semester he sat behind her, he must have intercepted at least ten love letters for her. If not for the strict rules at their attached high school, she probably would have started dating early.

Qin Nanshan grew curious—what kind of person was her ex boyfriend? What type of man did she like?

And if not for that night, where would they be now?

What were the odds of people reuniting after parting? Shencheng had about 25 million permanent residents. Without deliberate arrangement, the chance of two people meeting was nearly zero.

His gaze was probably too direct. At some point, the person beside him stopped moving. “What are you looking at?”

Qin Nanshan collected his thoughts, his brows relaxing as he asked gently, “What are you reading?”

Wen Yi set the tablet on the quilt, her tone low. “Nothing. New drugs keep coming out. Without a medical background, I naturally have to study more, or I’ll be eliminated sooner or later.”

Anyone could enter the pharmaceutical rep industry, but not everyone could excel. Back then, she might have gotten in with her looks, her gift of gab, and passable English. But to climb higher, those alone were not enough.

Every new drug from Nu’an came with a textbook thick manual. At first, she needed a week’s worth of late nights to memorize it, then fluently explain it to doctors. Thinking back on that time, she admired herself.

Qin Nanshan took the tablet to look. It was a recently published article on AIDS clinical trials, filled with academic terminology. The next page was dense with data and analysis. He had not studied medicine, but he had read plenty of papers in Chinese and English. This one, however, was beyond his scope.

He asked, “Can you understand it?”

Normally, Wen Yi would have jumped in anger at that, cursing him for looking down on her. But now she said calmly, “After six years, of course I can. But understanding is useless. I am always an outsider, replaceable at any time.”

“Everyone has their specialty. Reaching this level in your field is already very impressive.”

Wen Yi was in low spirits and let out a helpless laugh. She got out of bed to brush her teeth and wash her face.

The bathroom water heater had been replaced with a new one—stable temperature. There was now a trash bin under the sink, very convenient. As she brushed, Qin Nanshan knocked. “I need to go out for a bit. I’ll be quick. Anything you want to eat?”

Wen Yi’s mouth was full of foam, her words muffled. “Where are you going at this hour?”

“Something came up. The junior colleagues are all there.”

She had no appetite. “Nothing I want. And I already brushed my teeth.”

“It’s near Zhongshan First Road. Lots of late night stalls there.”

“Zhongshan First Road” caught her attention—the most famous late night barbecue street in the city. Her stomach, which had not eaten much dinner, was tempted by the thought. She had to compromise. “Then buy whatever… Never mind, I’ll message you later.”

“All right.”