Chapter 18.3

The feel was not bad. Broad and strong, warm, completely wrapping around hers. Next time she should find a chance to hold it again.

Then she sighed. Her career had suffered a setback, and her mother had been showing off her affection right in front of her. She had to regain a little face in the romance department, right?

Mrs. Wen was right. Qin Nanshan was not a client at her hospital. He was the man in her bed. What was wrong with holding hands? They already had a child.

Although Qin Nanshan’s personality was not great, she was basically satisfied with every part of his body. Otherwise she would not have been momentarily overcome by lust and made that huge mistake back then.

Qin Nanshan turned and called, “Wen Yi?”

Mm… His voice was also pleasant. Not the pinched tone of a young man, nor the gravelly tone of a middle-aged man. It was like the crisp sound of snow sliding off a branch bent under the weight of a snowy night. Clean, warm, and mellow.

She recalled that single night. The voice tinged with desire had softly called her name, making her bones go soft.

She rather… wanted to hear it again.

At some point the man had come right in front of her. Looking down from above, and not gentle at all: “What are you thinking about?”

Wen Yi’s heart trembled. She hurriedly threw away the messy things in her head.

…

As soon as they got home, Wen Yi lost the earlier romantic thoughts. She quickly went back to the master bedroom, brought out her laptop, and set it on the dining table.

She had never done HR work before. Everything needed to start from scratch. Last night she had stayed up late and spent 4,480 yuan to enroll in a training class. The formal class started at nine tonight. With Mrs. Wen and her boyfriend causing such a fuss, she had almost forgotten.

When she entered, the live stream had already been going for fifteen minutes. Wen Yi quickly took out a small notebook and carefully took notes.

Qin Nanshan stood behind her, saw the text at the top of the screen, and understood. “Go study in the second bedroom.”

The live stream had the microphone muted. Wen Yi waved her hand. “No need. I only have one hour in the evening. If I go in I will disturb you.”

Qin Nanshan did not insist. He turned and messaged the soft-furnishing company for the new house, telling them to add an extra set of table and chairs.

At half past nine Qin Nanshan came out to pour water. Wen Yi was still in class, her gaze focused.

At ten he finished work and prepared to take a shower. He first went to the balcony and did not see his own clothes. He was slightly startled, then looked toward the living room. The woman who had already finished the class seemed to have opened another course and was studying seriously.

In the end he found the clothes she had put away together in the wardrobe, mixed in among a pile of skirts and women’s pajamas and pants.

At eleven Wen Yi still had not returned. He came out to look.

The living room lights were off. Only one corner of the dining area was lit. The woman’s figure was covered in a soft halo of light. Xia Tian was asleep at her feet, his tail occasionally twitching. In one month this big dog had already changed owners.

Qin Nanshan leaned against the doorway of the master bedroom, his gaze gathering, his heart quiet.

Wen Yi’s grades might not have been at the top, but she was always the most serious in whatever she did. Otherwise she would not have been class monitor for three full years.

In the second semester of senior year there was a period when the homeroom teacher was sick and on leave. In the most tense stage, Wen Yi led the class cadres and took on the heavy responsibility. Every day she was the earliest to arrive at school, opening the door and turning on the lights for the class to prepare for morning reading. During class and self-study she watched the discipline. She also had to urge classmates to go out for exercise to relax. At night she was the last to leave, checking the doors and windows and locking up.

His home was nearby, and he often stayed until the last evening self-study session. He usually left earlier than her, yet he would slow his steps and follow behind her. Thinking about it now was rather creepy, like a stalker.

After a long while he spoke. “Wen Yi, it is time to shower and sleep.”

“I know. Soon. You go to sleep first.”

She was absorbed in studying. For the first time Qin Nanshan fell asleep before her.

The next day was the weekend. This was Qin Nanshan’s last weekend of the winter break, and also a weekend of last-minute cramming for Wen Yi.

When Qin Nanshan got up there was already no one beside him. He went out and saw a familiar figure in front of the dining table.

Wen Yi heard the movement and turned. “You are awake?”

“Awake.” Qin Nanshan touched the thermos. The water was warm. He poured some and drank two mouthfuls. “Still studying today?”

“Mm. That training class last night only has one hour every evening, but I have to report to the HR department next Monday. I cannot go without even understanding the Labor Law and let people laugh at me.”

Qin Nanshan nodded. “Have you had breakfast?”

Wen Yi grinned. “Not yet.”

Qin Nanshan very responsibly took charge of the breakfast plan. Wen Yi continued studying with peace of mind.

HR work was more complicated than she had imagined. Last night she had spent time clarifying the general work of each functional module. Newan’s HR structure consisted of three functional parts: COE, BP, and SSC, mainly business-oriented.

Wen Yi’s post was BP manager, that is, Human Resources Business Partner Manager. She reported to both the business line and the human resources department, and under her were four regional HRBPs.

She had no experience in human resources work, yet she had rich front-line market practice ability. Li Wei had not casually thrown her into administration.

It was still early. Later she would need to ask colleagues for some materials. She had frequent work contact with the functional departments and their relationship was not bad.

Wen Yi put away the computer and rested her chin on her hand as she watched the man busy in the kitchen.

At home Qin Nanshan usually wore loungewear, long sleeves and long pants, mostly black and gray, plain colors without patterns. Wen Yi asked casually, “Qin Nanshan, do you buy your own clothes?”

“Yes.”

Tsk tsk. As expected. Wen Yi thought she would buy him a few pairs of brightly patterned shorts next time and see what he looked like wearing them.

The thought turned into action. Wen Yi spent two minutes ordering a set of men’s loungewear.

He was frying eggs, long sleeves pushed up to the forearms, revealing a lean section. The muscle lines were smooth. Wen Yi wondered again. She had never seen him exercise, and he sat at a desk every day. How was his figure still so good?

She asked aloud. Qin Nanshan did not even turn his head. “Next time get up earlier. You can go running with me.”

Wen Yi raised an eyebrow. Wow. Getting up at eight on workdays was already her limit. Earlier was impossible. Moreover she had a solid reason. “I am still pregnant with the baby. What running?”

Qin Nanshan indeed said nothing more. He picked out the fried eggs. The water in the other pot had boiled. He first scooped some boiling water into a seasoned bowl, then put in the noodles. The whole set of movements was clean and efficient.

Wen Yi had eaten many of his meals, yet this was the first time she watched him cook so clearly and carefully.

It was clearly the flavor of daily life, yet she somehow saw elegance and nobility in it. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that his aura did not match the kitchen.

In Wen Yi’s impression he should be sitting at a desk, standing on a podium, or under the gaze of thousands, wearing a crisp suit, tying an elegant gentleman’s Windsor knot, occasionally pushing up the gold-rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose with the hand holding a fountain pen. A refined scoundrel who was lethal.

Not like now, wearing loungewear and making her breakfast here. Was this not a waste of talent?

As her heartbeat quickened Wen Yi messaged Qiao En: [It is over. Now it is not just Brainy.]

Qiao En had just woken up and replied: [What else?]

[Body]

Qiao En: [Fallen in love?]

Wen Yi paused, then replied: [Not that far. Just maybe rising pregnancy estrogen. A bit of impulse.]

Qiao En, who had never been pregnant: [What kind of impulse?]

Wen Yi did not reply, because Qin Nanshan had brought out the noodles.

He sat opposite her. Wen Yi poked the center of the fried egg with her chopsticks. Soft yolk. She looked at his bowl and said unhappily, “I do not like soft-yolk eggs.”

Qin Nanshan raised his eyes, moved the egg from her bowl over, removed the yolk, then gave her the white. He did the same with the one in his own bowl. Then Wen Yi had two egg whites fried crispy outside and tender inside.

He said, “From now on I will not fry soft-yolk ones.”

“Mm. Thank you.”

Wen Yi did not pick up her chopsticks. She glanced at the cabinet behind him that contained not a single bottle of alcohol and stared at him. “Qin Nanshan, do you not drink?”

“Not often.” Qin Nanshan said frankly, “My alcohol tolerance is not very good.”

Wen Yi pressed her lips into a smile. “So Old Wu poured you two cups and you got drunk.”

She was talking about that night. Qin Nanshan’s hand paused slightly and he answered with a sound.

“Then from now on do not drink when you are out. What if you end up with another baby with someone else? Divorce is so troublesome.”

Qin Nanshan was instantly both angry and amused. He glanced at her. “What nonsense are you talking.”

Wen Yi had not originally planned to say that either. She leaned closer and asked him again, “Do you know why wine gets more fragrant the longer it is stored?”

“Fermentation?”

Qin Nanshan did not know why she was talking about wine while eating breakfast. He put down his chopsticks and listened attentively.

“Right. Because during storage the alcohols in the wine react chemically with organic acids and produce various esters with special flavors. That is the fragrance of the wine.”