She strode over, chin held high, tossing her clothes on the counter. With a confident smirk, she parted her delicate red lips and uttered two words.
"Bill, please."
The clothes Chu Yi bought for Qiao Anchen were quickly tried on by him when he got home from get off work, and they fit him perfectly as expected.
He switched back to his original position and casually asked her, "Did you go shopping today?"
“Yes, with Cheng Li.” Chu Yi watched him take off his clothes. Qiao Anchen made no attempt to hide it, tearing off his t-shirt right in front of her and then putting on his short-sleeved shirt.
His milky-white skin, along with his abdominal muscles, was hidden, appearing and disappearing like a fleeting moment. Chu Yi withdrew his gaze with slight regret.
"Go take a shower, you must be tired after a long day."
"Okay." Qiao Anchen took his pajamas and went into the bathroom. Watching his back, Chu Yi suddenly remembered something and called out into the bathroom, "Oh right, I bought a new shampoo today, the brown bottle over there, it's for preventing hair loss!"
Qiao Anchen, who was about to turn on the switch, suddenly opened the door again, poked his head out, and frowned.
"Chu Yi, what do you mean?"
"No..." Chu Yi was confused by his reaction and answered blankly, "My hair has been falling out a lot lately, so I searched for good hair care brands and switched to a new one."
Qiao Anchen listened without saying anything, just stared at her for a few seconds, then turned around and closed the door again.
Chu Yi recalled his complicated and unpredictable gaze from before, and belatedly came to her senses.
He probably thinks she's insulting him, right? That would be a real injustice.
Qiao Anchen's hair was so thick and lush that even she was jealous. She didn't know if it was due to good genes or a good lifestyle, but Chu Yi felt that the baldness and weight gain that often occur during midlife crises were absolutely not related to him.
Chu Yi originally wanted to wait for him to come out before explaining to him, but it was too late, and she had been shopping all day, so she fell asleep soon after lying down on the bed.
When he woke up, it was already the next day, and Qiao Anchen had already gone to work.
After that, Chu Yi forgot about it. Anyway, the two of them often did this. Sometimes, they really seemed like a couple in a long-distance relationship with time zone differences. It was normal for them to disappear halfway through a conversation, and whether they could continue the topic the next day depended entirely on fate.
After eating takeout for a while, Chu Yi couldn't stand it anymore and started cooking when she was in a good mood.
Qiao Anchen seems to have lost some weight in the past two weeks. Chu Yi is considering whether to make him a soup for dinner as a snack, which seems like a good option.
Chu Yi consulted Ms. Wen Fang, an "expert" in this field, and after several discussions, decided to start with the simplest approach.
In the past, I had made soup for Chu Yi, but Qiao Anchen didn't seem to like it much. Her mother knew why as soon as she heard that.
"It must be because you made the soup badly! My dad always drinks every last drop of the soup I make for him!"
"...Alright then."
Qiao Anchen returned home at eleven o'clock as usual that night. Chu Yi resisted the urge to sleep. Although she had sent him a message in advance, she still wanted to see him drink it himself before she would be satisfied.
Today she made a pigeon soup with gastrodia elata and wolfberry. Chu Yi felt that she had a little talent in cooking, after all, her first attempt was perfect.
That's what she thinks.
I tried it on the first day of the Lunar New Year and it was indeed very good, with just the right amount of saltiness, fragrant but not greasy.
She sat at the dining table watching Qiao Anchen bury himself in his soup. In the quiet night, under the dim light, an indescribable feeling of emotion and satisfaction welled up inside her.
This is probably why countless women throughout history have been willing to cook and clean for their partners.
"Is it good?" Qiao Anchen finished it quickly in a few big gulps. Chu Yi asked expectantly. He wiped his mouth with a tissue and nodded.
"It tastes good."
"I'll make it for you again tomorrow night," Chu Yi said happily. Qiao Anchen paused for a moment, then replied tactfully.
"No need, it's too hard on you."
"It's okay, I don't have anything to do at home anyway." Chu Yi immediately spoke up, still with a cheerful expression. Qiao Anchen remained silent for a few seconds, but still couldn't help but speak.
"Well, actually... I don't really like drinking soup." He looked at Chu Yi tentatively, with a hint of caution in his eyes.
"So, can we skip drinking tomorrow?"
"..." Chu Yi's joy instantly cooled down, feeling almost as cold as if he were in an ice cellar.
She remained silent for a moment, then composed herself.
"oh."
"That's alright, if you don't like it, that's fine too." She looked up at Qiao Anchen, forced a smile, and said gently, "Go take a shower, I'll do the dishes."
Qiao Anchen glanced at her a few times, then slowly pulled out a chair and stood up, asking her hesitantly, "Shall I go take a shower?"
Chu Yi smiled gently, "Go ahead."
Qiao Anchen felt something was off, but couldn't quite put his finger on it. He could only scratch his head as he walked toward his room, lost in thought.
As soon as he left, the smile on Chu Yi's face vanished completely.
You really can't be too good to a man.
It's so good that you don't know how to appreciate it!
She angrily threw the bowl under the tap to rinse it, as if she were treating it like Qiao Anchen and ravaging it.
Back in her room, it was almost midnight. Chu Yi struggled to stay awake and listlessly scrolled through her phone.
Qiao Anchen hadn't come out of the shower yet, and she was just drifting off to sleep when she heard a slight vibration in her ear. It seemed to be his phone ringing on the bedside table. Chu Yi leaned over and saw that it was an unknown number calling.
She raised her voice and called out to Qiao Anchen twice, but the rushing water in the bathroom drowned out her voice, and Qiao Anchen did not respond.
Seeing this, Chu Yi lay back down and ignored it.
Just as the incoming call stopped, the other end called again, seemingly determined to get what it wanted.
Chu Yi had answered calls for Qiao Anchen before, especially from unfamiliar numbers, which were mostly telemarketing calls. However, Qiao Anchen rarely did, and the two times Chu Yi had caught him answering, he immediately reported the call.
At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to give him a thumbs up.
They truly deserve to serve the people; their sense of self-awareness is far superior to that of ordinary people.
Seeing how persistent the other party was, Chu Yi didn't think much of it, reached out, picked up the phone, swiped it, and said "hello".
There was no sound from inside. Chu Yi didn't know if it was a bad signal or if the other party hadn't heard him. He raised his voice and said "hello" twice more, but the other party suddenly hung up.
When Chu Yi heard the dial tone from the receiver, he put down his phone with a puzzled look on his face and checked it. There were indeed no previous call records.
It's probably a typo.
After a while, the noise in the bathroom stopped, and Qiao Anchen came out drying his hair. Chu Yi told him about the unknown number. He raised an eyebrow in surprise, then casually walked over, picked up the phone, and pressed some buttons.
He casually dialed back, holding the phone to his ear. Chu Yi seemed to vaguely hear a female voice. Then, Qiao Anchen's expression changed slightly. He put down the towel, walked outside, and closed the door behind him.
Author's Note: There are still a few plot points left!!! It'll probably take at least ten chapters! [Looking up at the sky]
68. Chapter 68
The phone call was so long that Chu Yi was already yawning in bed, her eyes glazed over, her mind wavering between clarity and confusion, when she finally heard the door open.
She opened one eye, looked at Qiao Anchen, and asked indistinctly.
Who is it?
“Someone I know,” he answered casually, then pulled back the covers and got into bed. Chu Yi didn’t press the matter further, shifted slightly, adjusted to a comfortable position, and fell asleep.
She didn't take the call to heart, but ever since then, Qiao Anchen's phone would often receive new messages before he went to bed, and he would put down what he was doing to reply to them carefully.
Chu Yi had never seen Qiao Anchen text anyone, especially during his breaks.
"What are you doing?" she couldn't help but ask, but Qiao Anchen immediately turned off his phone and shook his head.
"fine."
"Who are you messaging?" Chu Yi narrowed her eyes and questioned. Qiao Anchen looked at her and answered slowly, using the same answer as always.
"A friend."
"Male or female?" Chu Yi persisted this time, pressing for details.
Qiao Anchen paused for a moment, seemingly considering how to answer. Chu Yi stared at him without moving, feeling slightly uneasy.
It wasn't that she didn't trust him or anything; Qiao Anchen's moral standards were higher than those of ordinary people, and Chu Yi wasn't worried at all that he would do anything to betray her.
She just felt that he was hiding something from her. After living together for so long, they were the closest people to each other. Qiao Anchen had never been on guard in front of her. Suddenly, something unspeakable stood between them, and Chu Yi felt a little uncomfortable.
Especially the female voice coming from the phone.
Although Qiao Anchen is exceptionally intelligent, he is far too naive when it comes to romantic relationships, and she practically had to teach him a lesson.
Chu Yi was afraid he would be deceived if a more cunning vixen appeared.
She would never admit that she still can't let go!
Online posts about infidelity are popping up everywhere, and the seemingly perfect boyfriends and husbands who are always so kind and honest are especially prone to it. There's nothing they won't do.
Chu Yi knew perfectly well how many unwanted suitors Qiao Anchen had. Even when she went out to eat or went to the restroom, people would approach her. She didn't care about those, but she was worried about those unavoidable work-related encounters that, over time, could escalate into something more serious, like someone using underhanded tactics…
The thought of it makes me feel suffocated.
Looking back, it seems like the two haven't spent much time together in a long time. When they came back at night, Qiao Anchen didn't even want to talk much, let alone have any intimacy as a couple.
All of this fits the signs that indicate infidelity.
Chu Yi was jolted awake from her wild daydreams. At the same time, Qiao Anchen's lips moved, and he glanced at her very slowly before answering.
"A woman."
? !
These two words contained too much information, and coupled with the fact that Chu Yi had just imagined a whole drama, a myriad of thoughts and countless questions flooded his mind, leaving him unsure which one to ask first!
She just stared blankly at Qiao Anchen with wide eyes. The air was quiet, and after a long while, she didn't speak. Qiao Anchen shook the blanket and prepared to go to sleep.
"No... then why would they contact you so late at night?" Chu Yi didn't know why she felt so insecure when she was clearly on the side of justice.
She asked in a weak, soft voice, more like a pitiful whine. Qiao Anchen had already turned off the light, and upon hearing her question, his tone remained completely calm.
"Some work-related matters."
He lay down, reached out and rubbed Chu Yi's head, his voice lower and softer, as if he were trying to coax her.
"Okay, go to sleep now."
Chu Yi's mind was a complete mess.
Work and woman—these two words, strung together, were exactly as she had imagined.