"You...be gentle..."
"I'm already very light." Qiao Anchen looked frustrated, wishing he could replace this broken bed immediately.
The creaking continued for a while, and seemed to be getting louder, prompting Chu Yi to protest again.
"No...if this continues, Mom and Dad will hear us..."
Qiao Anchen's eyes were a little red, and without thinking, Chu Yi pushed him.
"No... I'm not doing it anymore..." she said, then realized it was unrealistic and kicked him again.
"Otherwise, you should hurry up..."
The lack of focus and cooperation from those below greatly disturbed Qiao Anchen, making it difficult for him to enjoy himself. He searched the room with his eyes and suddenly remembered something.
“Let’s go there.”
He stopped what he was doing, picked up Chu Yi in one scoop, and before Chu Yi could react, he had gotten off the bed. Chu Yi’s limp legs were on the floor, and his hands were on the windowsill.
The people behind him were extremely satisfied.
"That way there will be no sound."
Chu Yi's mind exploded like fireworks, chaotic and dizzying. She gasped for breath, unable to speak.
The night was rather long. After discovering this new position, Qiao Anchen held her in his arms and tried it again in the bathroom after they finished. In the end, when they went to sleep, Chu Yi didn't even have the strength to lift her arms, so Qiao Anchen carried her back to bed.
When the alarm clock rang in the morning, she realized that she was not wearing anything, and her arms and legs were wrapped around Qiao Anchen, clinging to him tightly like a boneless vine.
As Chu Yi's sleepiness gradually subsided, he slowly regained his senses and loosened his grip on the heat source.
As soon as she turned around, she was hugged from behind and pulled into his arms.
Qiao Anchen nuzzled his head against her neck, his voice low and hoarse, full of drowsy sleep.
"woke up?"
"I was woken up by the alarm clock," Chu Yi muttered, rubbing her eyes.
"Shall we sleep a little longer?" Qiao Anchen asked, without opening his eyes himself.
"Hmm..." Chu Yi replied haphazardly, then remembered something and gave some more instructions.
"Don't sleep too long, get up in a little while."
"Okay, go to sleep."
Chu Yi woke up later than usual that day, but fortunately Qiao Anchen got up early and dressed neatly in the living room, so Chu Yi wasn't too embarrassed when she went out.
"Little one, there's breakfast left for you in the kitchen, it's still warm, go and eat." Tian Wan and Qiao's father were sitting on the sofa when they saw the door open and immediately said with a smile.
Chu Yi nodded somewhat shyly.
"Okay, thank you, Mom."
Just as Chu Yi was about to brush her teeth, Qiao Anchen squeezed in. Chu Yi looked at him with a puzzled expression while holding her toothbrush. Qiao Anchen's expression became somewhat unnatural, and he pointed to her neck.
"Why don't you change back into the shirt you wore yesterday?"
"Hmm?" Chu Yi immediately followed his gaze to the mirror. Near the back of her neck, there were several red marks on her fair skin, like mosquito bites, but they were clearly different and had a strange shape.
"Ah!" Chu Yi's face flushed red, and she glared at him. "Qiao Anchen!"
He touched his nose, feeling guilty, and said, "I'll go get it for you. You can change into it after you wash your face."
Fortunately, Tian Wan and Qiao's father didn't ask her why she brushed her teeth and changed her clothes. At noon, the two said goodbye to them and drove back to their own home.
Chu Yi finally felt much more at ease, took off his shoes, and sprawled out on the sofa.
I'm so tired.
Despite being of advanced age, they've been forced to portray it as an improper early romance.
Chu Yi's mind was blank as he absentmindedly scrolled through his phone.
The WeChat Moments feed has been lively these past few days. During holidays, all sorts of people go on trips, have dinners, or flaunt their wealth, and among them, those showing off their love are particularly eye-catching.
When Chu Yi opened the photos of Cheng Li and her boyfriend in the Aegean Sea in Santorini, she was dazzled by the beautiful blue sea and domed roofs.
She flipped through the pages one by one, and was struck hard at the very end of the nine-square grid.
It was on the edge of a cliff, with an endless expanse of clear sea and sky behind it, blending into a sea of varying shades of blue. Not far away, there were clusters of blue and white houses, making it as beautiful as a fairy tale world.
Cheng Li sat on her boyfriend's shoulders, the sea breeze lifting her long hair and billowing her long dress.
The two of them had identical bright and sweet smiles that were even more dazzling than the August sun.
She couldn't help but cry with envy.
"Ahhh, Cheng Li and her boyfriend are so happy! They're on vacation again!!"
Qiao Anchen had just poured a glass of water from the kitchen. Hearing this, he took the glass and walked over, following her gaze to her phone.
"You can do it too."
He said it casually after he finished reading it.
Chuyi: "???!!!"
She was somewhat incredulous, and immediately scrambled up from the sofa, knelt down, stared at him with wide eyes, and swallowed hard.
"R-Really...?"
Qiao Anchen was startled by her intense reaction and stood there stunned for a moment.
"Really? Really?"
Chu Yi's eyes lit up with joy, but before she could speak, she heard him say something else.
"Anyway, you're at home every day anyway, so you can go out and play anytime you want."
Qiao Anchen continued speaking naturally.
"Unlike me, I have so few holidays that I have no chance to go out and have fun."
Chuyi: "..."
All right.
She knew she was overthinking it.
Chu Yi coldly turned off her phone, climbed off the sofa, put on her shoes, and didn't want to look at the man sitting in front of her anymore. He was hunched over, lifeless, and looked like an old woman in her twilight years as she went back to her room.
13. Chapter 13
Author's Note:
The female lead's name has been changed back... Everyone, please get used to it again... [Holding head] Qiao Anchen thought she was tired, so he thoughtfully didn't go into the room to disturb her. He rested on the sofa and read a book for a while. The sun moved from the center to the west, and the setting sun slanted into the living room floor. He glanced at the time and realized it was almost dinnertime.
On weekdays, it's usually Chu Yi who does the cooking. Without thinking, Qiao Anchen put down the book in his hand, got up, and rolled up his sleeves.
He opened the refrigerator and found quite a few ingredients inside. He took out a green pumpkin, a tomato, and some other ingredients.
The kitchen window was open, letting in the fragrance of roses. Qiao Anchen stood in front of the cutting board, chopping vegetables with a thud, the pumpkin shreds neat and even.
Chu Yi was still inside, complaining to Cheng Li on the phone. She listened to her best friend's uncontrollable laughter on the other end, while staring at the ceiling with a cold expression.
"Oh my, this is hilarious! I'd say your husband is a rare find, you'd probably never find another one like him in the world, hahaha—"
"I'm used to it now. It would be strange if he suddenly said he wanted to go out with me one day..." Chu Yi said, pulling at the corner of the blanket, her face showing undisguised disappointment.
Cheng Li was speechless for a moment, then let out a long sigh.
"Sigh! Kid, actually, if you think about it, your husband is pretty good in other aspects besides being a bit straight. In today's society, straight men are all the rage, and people are complaining about it online every day."
"You're not the only victim, and besides, straight men have their advantages too!"
"...You weren't saying that just now."
Cheng Li argued, "I was exaggerating moderately."
Chu Yi: "...Okay."
The two chatted for a long time, and by the time they finally ended the call, quite some time had passed. When Chu Yi looked at the time, it was already past five o'clock, so she quickly got out of bed and put on her slippers.
Unexpectedly, dinner was already prepared outside. Qiao Anchen placed the last dish on the table and took off his apron when he saw Chu Yi.
"You're awake? I was just about to go wake you up."
"I didn't sleep." Chu Yi muttered as she walked over and glanced at today's menu.
The combination of red and green, meat and vegetables, was very pleasing to the eye, and the aroma and taste were irresistible. She couldn't help but swallow her saliva, and when she looked at Qiao Anchen again, her expression softened a lot.
What did you do this afternoon?
"I've been reading for a while." Qiao Anchen pulled out a chair and handed her the clean bowl and chopsticks.
"Okay." I knew it.
The two sat facing each other eating, chatting idly, when Chu Yi suddenly remembered something.
"By the way, it seems like it's going to get colder recently. Do you want to buy some new clothes, shoes, socks, or something?"
Qiao Anchen has always managed his own wardrobe, keeping their clothes separate. His wardrobe is almost entirely made up of shirts and suits, with very few other styles to be seen.
"No need." As expected, he was refused, but Qiao Anchen said with a calm expression.
"I can still wear most of the clothes I wore last year."
"Oh." Chu Yi lowered her eyes and poked at the rice in front of her with her chopsticks twice.
"I haven't been shopping in a long time, and I want to buy some autumn clothes."
Qiao Anchen paused in his eating, looked up at her, and then said thoughtfully, "I have a card here, you can use it."
"It's my salary card."
The couple maintained their own finances after marriage, but Qiao Anchen was responsible for major household expenses such as property management and utilities. He often worked overtime, so he didn't have much time to buy groceries or cook, and he used his own money for these expenses as well.
Qiao Anchen had mentioned it once or twice, but Chu Yi refused. Her main concern was that she didn't have many expenses, and more importantly, she felt embarrassed to take his money...
At this moment, not expecting Qiao Anchen to say such a thing, Chu Yi's heart, which had already been tempered by countless trials, still couldn't help but feel a tightness in its chest.
"I have enough money." She decided to be direct. In front of Qiao Anchen, the girl's coyness and veiled words were completely ineffective.