"Why don't we start now?"
Chuyi: "..."
Seeing that she didn't speak, Qiao Anchen waited a few seconds and then added another sentence.
“Because you always wake me up when you come over, so I thought…”
Please shut up.
Chu Yi was almost about to shout that sentence out loud.
But she suppressed it with strong self-control, took a deep breath, and said coldly, "No need."
Seemingly feeling that this statement lacked persuasiveness, Chu Yi emphasized it again with extremely clear enunciation.
"I think I'll be able to control myself tonight."
Qiao Anchen fell silent. After a moment, he couldn't help but mutter to himself, "How can you control yourself when you're asleep..."
"Okay, go to sleep, shut up."
Chu Yi, unable to bear it any longer, ended their bedtime conversation with the last three words.
Qiao Anchen shut his mouth, feeling a bit aggrieved.
The morning, without an alarm clock, felt peaceful and beautiful. The white gauze curtains were blown by the breeze on the balcony, and sunlight quietly streamed in.
As Chu Yi gradually regained consciousness, she groggily opened her eyes and unconsciously rubbed against the chest of the person she was holding.
The person being held...? On the chest...?
Chu Yi suddenly snapped awake.
She opened her eyes, just as Qiao Anchen was slowly waking up. His long eyelashes trembled, and he finally opened his eyes to meet hers. His dark eyes were hazy, as if he had not yet fully recovered from sleep.
Chu Yi paused for two seconds, then came to her senses, silently withdrew her hand from his waist, turned around, lifted the covers, and got out of bed.
Just as she put on her slippers, before she could even disappear, Qiao Anchen scratched his hair and sat up, looking extremely innocent and muttering something under his breath.
"See... I told you I couldn't control it..."
Chuyi: "..."
She really wanted to explode on the spot.
Because of this incident, Chu Yi couldn't bring herself to talk to Qiao Anchen that morning. Qiao Anchen, on the other hand, was completely oblivious and seemed quite comfortable. He even brewed a pot of coffee and asked Chu Yi if she wanted some.
Chu Yi refused without any expression.
Similar incidents happened several times a day. After being rebuffed by her a few times, Qiao Anchen sensed something and stopped talking, quietly doing his work on his own.
I only realized this after the first year of junior high, and I feel a little guilty.
Qiao Anchen went out in the evening. Chu Yi was washing vegetables in the kitchen and didn't notice. When he came back, he realized that Chu Yi was carrying something.
Qiao Anchen put the bag on the table and casually said, "We ran out of fruit at home, so I bought some."
He walked over to Chu Yi, took the kitchen knife from her hand, and said, "I'll do it. You go and rest."
Chu Yi didn't say anything, washed her hands and went out. When she passed the dining table, she opened the bag that Qiao Anchen had brought in and found that it was full of two boxes of strawberries and cherries. In the corner, there was also a small pink cake with a big strawberry on top.
That night, the lights were off, and the room was dark and quiet. Chu Yi slowly moved over and hugged Qiao Anchen.
He seemed to stiffen for a moment, then heard Chu Yi speak. In the darkness, her voice was soft and gentle, like a freshly made cotton candy.
"I've been thinking about it, and I'm going to be sleeping with you in my arms sooner or later anyway—" She rested her face against his chest, her arms wrapped around his waist, looking somewhat unreal and dreamlike.
"Why don't we start now?"
The two seemed to have returned to their previous state, and Chu Yi no longer had conflicts with Qiao Anchen. In the end, she was always the one who suffered.
Because if Qiao Anchen isn't upset, she will be; and if Qiao Anchen is upset, she will be even more upset.
In the end, it was she who suffered the most.
It's like if someone with absolutely no romantic sense notices that she's unhappy, and silently goes out to buy her a bag of fruit and a small cake, she'll soften completely and won't have a temper at all.
Life was neither good nor bad. As long as Qiao Anchen behaved himself and didn't do anything that made her unable to tolerate him, Chu Yi felt that she could be more tolerant of him.
As the weather gets warmer, early summer arrives in Lancheng. Qiao Anchen has been very busy lately, apparently because of a major economic case that is being reported on in the news from time to time. Chu Yi occasionally sees related information when she browses social hot topics.
She never took the initiative to ask or learn about Qiao Anchen's work. There were too many variables before the final result was out, and their confidentiality was very strict. Even case files could not be taken out of the office.
That night, Chu Yi waited until almost eleven o'clock, but Qiao Anchen still hadn't returned. Just as she was about to give him a call, she finally heard a sound from the door.
She threw back the covers, got out of bed, opened the door, and said, "Why are you so late?"
As soon as she finished speaking, she saw that Qiao Anchen looked tired, and behind the hand draped over his suit jacket, he was holding a child's hand.
The little boy, about six or seven years old, was wearing a short-sleeved shirt and long pants. He had small arms and big, bright, dark eyes that stared at her. He hid at Qiao Anchen's feet, looking a little timid.
Chu Yi was surprised and doubtful, asking incredulously.
"Qiao Anchen, where did you get this child from?"
Author's Note: Qiao Anchen: Born.
[Run away with the blame on his head]
P.S., I think I need to start saving up... extra chapters... (subtle hint)
29. Chapter 29
Time seemed to freeze for a moment. Qiao Anchen seemed to move his lips, and after organizing his thoughts for a few seconds, he said somewhat hesitantly, "He... had some family troubles and had nowhere to stay, so he brought us to stay at our house temporarily."
Chuyi: "..."
She roughly understood; Qiao Anchen had played the good guy again.
It doesn't matter.
Chu Yi took a deep breath, looked at the child behind him, and tried to soften his tone and expression.
"Then take him to take a shower first, and I'll go tidy up the room next door."
Qiao Anchen's eyes flickered, and he nodded, "Okay."
There were no children's clothes at home, and the child was still wearing the same clothes after his bath. He was unusually quiet, and I don't know if it was because of his personality or because he was in a strange place.
Chu Yi asked Qiao Anchen, "Has he eaten yet?"
Qiao Anchen looked blank for two seconds, then seemed to remember something and looked down to ask the child.
Have you had dinner?
The child looked up, then shook his head timidly.
Chuyi: "..."
She glanced at Qiao Anchen, unsure how to react.
"Shall I cook you something? Would you like noodles or dumplings?" Chu Yi bent down and asked softly. Those were the only two things they had at home.
The child pursed his lips and whispered, "Dumplings..."
"Wait a minute, sis..." Chu Yi blurted out, then realized she was probably old enough to be called auntie.
She hesitated for a few seconds, then said with difficulty, "Auntie will go cook dumplings for you."
As Chu Yi finished speaking and was about to go to the kitchen, the child looked at her with his bright black eyes for a few moments, then suddenly spoke, his voice childish and hesitant.
"You don't look like an aunt at all, you look like an older sister..."
Chu Yi burst out laughing and couldn't help but point to Qiao Anchen next to her and ask, "Then what do you think he looks like?"
"Uncle..." the child said, then realized what he meant and changed his address somewhat guiltily: "Brother."
Chu Yi's smile faded, and she looked at him seriously, saying, "Little kids can't lie! Otherwise, their noses will grow long!"
"Uncle!" The child immediately looked up at Qiao Anchen, hesitated for a moment, then solemnly added, calling out in a clear and loud voice, "Uncle."
Qiao Anchen: "..."
The dumplings were cooked in no time. Chu Yi served them on a plate. Each one was plump, white, and steaming hot. The child was clearly very hungry. He picked up his chopsticks and shoveled the dumplings into his mouth, his cheeks bulging. Although his movements were a little hurried, they were not messy. It was clear that he was well-educated at home.
Chu Yi sat opposite him and couldn't help but rub his head.
After finishing the plate of dumplings, Chu Yi had a pretty good understanding of the situation. The child, Li Yan, had just turned six and was in first grade. Today was supposed to be Children's Day, a holiday at home, but his parents were suddenly taken away, and their home was sealed off. He had been at the police station all day.
Qiao Anchen happened to go over to confirm the matter that evening, and the police officer in charge of the case immediately grabbed him and wouldn't let go, having a headache and not knowing how to deal with the child.
Their relatives are all abroad. Although they have been contacted, it will take several days for them to return. The relevant personnel here have been restricted in their personal freedom.
These police officers on duty either lived alone or didn't even have girlfriends. The only one who was married didn't have extra rooms in his house, so he couldn't let his two daughters share a bed with him.
After much deliberation, he saw Qiao Anchen coming over and set his sights on him. Everyone knew that he had just gotten married last year, and his wife was a very nice person.
The child was huddled alone in the corner. When he heard the voice, he looked up at him pitifully.
Qiao Anchen couldn't bring himself to refuse. It seemed like letting him stay for a couple of days wasn't a bad idea, especially since there was a spare room and Chu Yi was home.
Qiao Anchen didn't think too much about it at the time. With several pairs of eyes fixed on him, he readily agreed.
On the way back, he realized something was wrong because it seemed he hadn't told Chu Yi beforehand.
When he opened the door, he was still thinking about how to talk to Chu Yi, but fortunately, after the initial surprise, Chu Yi seemed to treat the child better than he did, and Qiao Anchen secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
After eating dumplings, the child went to sleep. He was very quiet, only raising his eyes and answering softly when Chu Yi asked him his age, name, or other questions. He had probably experienced too much today, exceeding what someone his age should be able to handle.
After helping him turn off the light and carefully closing the door behind him, Chu Yi's smile vanished instantly. She stared at Qiao Anchen behind her with a stern face and said seriously, "Come here, let's have a good talk."
In the bedroom, the two sat cross-legged facing each other on the bed in their pajamas, with Chu Yi questioning Qiao Anchen.
"Why didn't you discuss bringing a child home with me all of a sudden?"
Qiao Anchen's heart skipped a beat. He had never felt this nervous, not even when facing his teacher in school. He even held his breath and swallowed, his mind racing as he tried to think of an explanation.
“At the time… everyone was waiting for my answer, and the child was there too, so I didn’t feel comfortable making a special trip out to call you and discuss it.” Actually… he didn’t dare say it, but he had simply forgotten.
Chu Yi reluctantly accepted the explanation, but something still felt off, leaving her feeling unsatisfied.
"Why didn't you tell me you were coming back?!" She glared at him immediately, finally realizing what was wrong.
"I... I'm afraid you've fallen asleep," Qiao Anchen said weakly. Besides, the matter was already settled, and it seemed pointless for him to say anything more. Moreover, the child was sitting in the back, and he felt he couldn't bring himself to speak.
"..." Chu Yi didn't believe his nonsense. She held her breath and endured it, still managing to calmly ask, "What's going on in his family?"