Chapter 26: Twenty-Sixth Day as a Salted Fish
Qin Jiaojiao stared at him blankly, her fair little face filled with a touch of helplessness as her fingers tightened around her phone.
The room was excessively quiet—so quiet that she could almost hear their synchronized heartbeats, infusing the atmosphere with a vague, unspoken sense of intimacy.
Qin Jiaojiao wanted to say something to break the current silence, yet she couldn’t squeeze out a single word. Under Zhou Shaoli’s intent, focused gaze, her eyelashes fluttered downward, and she pressed her lips together.
Only she and Zhou Shaoli were in the room, and as a legally married couple, standard novel tropes dictated that Zhou Shaoli should be leaning in to kiss her right now. Yet, he remained restrained and polite, shifting his eyes away while his voice took on a seductive, raspy edge.
“It’s getting late. Go to sleep.”
Qin Jiaojiao froze for a moment before blurting out a series of muddled responses: “Oh, okay. I’ve been busy outside all day today and I’m pretty tired, so I should go to sleep early. Do you want to turn off the lights?”
“I’ll do it.” Zhou Shaoli reached out and switched off the dim yellow wall lamp.
With a soft click, the room plunged into darkness. Qin Jiaojiao burrowed into the duvet, resting a hand over her chest to soothe her unnaturally frantic heartbeat.
She swore she really hadn’t meant to tease Zhou Shaoli! Besides, he didn’t seem like the kind of man who would lose control and tumble into a rose trap just because a woman casually flirted with him.
Yet, when he had looked at her earlier, it gave her the illusion of being targeted by a wild beast, causing her to instinctively sense danger.
Qin Jiaojiao racked her brain trying to find the words to describe that feeling. Deep within Zhou Shaoli’s dark pupils, emotions had bubbled wildly, even while his handsome face maintained an icy, indifferent expression—exuding an air of ascetic detachment mixed with pure sexiness.
It was absolute torture!
Ten billion, ten billion, ten billion… Qin Jiaojiao repeated those two words like a mantra in her head. Compared to a man, money was obviously infinitely more important!
She had to hold her ground and absolutely avoid falling under his spell!
Suddenly, a rustle came from the man beside her. Qin Jiaojiao felt the bed sink down slightly on her side. Opening her eyes, she discovered Zhou Shaoli leaning over right above her, prompting her hands to instantly clutch the duvet tight.
Zhou Shaoli propped his weight up over her body. Reaching out a long arm, he picked up the curtain remote resting on her nightstand and clicked it—closing the heavy drapes with a soft beep, shutting out the bright moonlight from outside the window.
Then, Zhou Shaoli retreated to his side of the bed and lay down.
So he was just closing the curtains! He had scared her half to death; she had actually thought he couldn’t control himself anymore! Oh lord, what kind of trashy, filthy thoughts were filling up her brain?!
Before long, Zhou Shaoli’s steady, even breathing filled the quiet air beside her.
Qin Jiaojiao counted gold coins in her mind until, exhausted after a long day of tossing around, she finally drifted off. Once sound asleep, she habitually rolled over to Zhou Shaoli’s side out of sheer instinct—hugging his arm, resting her head against his shoulder, and hooking her leg over his.
Having grown accustomed to her clinging nature over the past few weeks, Zhou Shaoli adjusted his posture to make her comfortable and wrapped his arm around her.
Perhaps because Qin Jiaojiao had been counting gold coins in her head before falling asleep, she had a dream. In her dream, she was lying atop a massive, king-sized bed constructed entirely out of solid gold, surrounded by scattered gold coins that sparkled dazzingly under the sunlight.
She was barefoot, twirling and dancing across the gold coins while tossing handfuls of gold into the air like a heavenly maiden scattering flower petals.
Just as she was humming a joyful tune, Zhou Shaoli arrived. A few bodyguards carried in several giant chests of cash and set them down in the room. Zhou Shaoli lifted her down from the golden bed, murmuring, “The gold is too hard on your feet.”
The bodyguards spread the paper bills out over the bed in neat, flawless layers. Zhou Shaoli gently placed her back down onto the bed, letting her recline across a mountain of money, before he leaned down and kissed her.
Qin Jiaojiao caught the familiar scent of ebony agarwood wafting from him. His lips were thin, warm, and tinged with a crisp scent of cedarwood blended with sandalwood and vanilla—a fragrance that bewitched her very soul.
Then, the scene shifted. She was lying inside an oversized bathtub filled to the brim with glittering diamonds and fine jewelry. Reclining amid the dazzling, jewel-encrusted radiance, she looked like an utterly seductive enchantress.
Zhou Shaoli shed his clothes and stepped into the tub. The dazzling jewels set off her skin so it looked as fair as pristine snow, glowing with brilliant radiance.
Zhou Shaoli’s movements matched his personality—unhurried and deliberate. She stared up at his cool, ascetic face, her legs stretched out to both sides tensing up as her toes curled tight.
Later on, in a hazy daze, she faintly heard him insisting on forcing an answer out of her—asking how it felt and whether she liked it.
In a voice that was exquisitely soft and delicate, carrying a faint tremor in her throat, she answered him: “I like it…”
Then, the dream snapped broken.
When she woke up, she was completely dazed, her head an absolute blank. A moment later, realizing she had actually had such an unmentionable, embarrassing dream, an intense wave of shame washed over her entire body.
Qin Jiaojiao subconsciously glanced to her side. Zhou Shaoli wasn’t there; he had probably already gotten up to go for his morning run.
Covering her eyes with her hand to block out the sunlight, Qin Jiaojiao bit her lower lip tight. Why on earth had she had such a bizarre dream?!
It was definitely because she had been corrupted by Zhou Shaoli’s devastating handsome looks lately that she had ended up having such an indecent dream! Oh god, she felt like she wouldn’t be able to look at Zhou Shaoli’s handsome face today at all!
The key issue was… when exactly had she started having that dream?! She hadn’t actually done any of those indescribable things to him in real life while dreaming, right?!
That would be utterly humiliating!
Right now, Qin Jiaojiao wished she could build a rocket and launch herself into outer space to vanish for a few days—otherwise, she truly wouldn’t be able to face Zhou Shaoli!
She rolled back and forth on the bed to vent her chaotic emotions, completely failing to notice that someone had walked into the room.
Zhou Shaoli had just returned from his workout. Seeing her tossing and turning across the bed like an annoyed cat, a spark of amusement flickered in his eyes, and he stood in place watching her for a moment.
“What’s wrong?” Zhou Shaoli asked.
The instant Qin Jiaojiao heard his voice, her entire body went rigid as a corpse. Lying face-down on the bed, she offered a muffled response: “Nothing.”
The tips of her ears were burning hot, and she didn’t dare turn around to look at Zhou Shaoli at all. Even though the shameful dream had become hazy and hard to remember clearly, his voice remained crisp in her mind, instantly evoking intense visual images.
Seeing that she remained lying flat with no intention of getting up, Zhou Shaoli went to the walk-in closet to grab some clothes and headed into the bathroom.
Hearing the pitter-patter of running water from the bathroom, Qin Jiaojiao pulled the duvet over her head. No way! She had to move out and live elsewhere for a few days to put an end to these weird dreams once and for all!
She didn’t even dare to imagine what kind of expression Zhou Shaoli would make if he ever found out she had been coveting him in her dreams!
Biting her lip, Qin Jiaojiao retrieved her phone from under the covers and sent a message to her best friend: [Are you filming any dramas lately?]
Yang Yutong replied almost instantly: [What’s up?]
[I want to come over and stay with you for a couple of days,] Qin Jiaojiao typed rapidly.
Yang Yutong immediately asked: [Did you and Zhou Shaoli get into a fight?]
[No…]
[Just tell me if you have time! Can I come over and crash for two days or not?]
Yang Yutong didn’t know why Qin Jiaojiao suddenly wanted to come stay with her, but as her best friend, she naturally welcomed it: [Sure thing! When are you coming over? I’ll tidy the place up.]
Qin Jiaojiao: [I’ll head over this morning.]
[Ah, that fast?!] Yang Yutong was caught completely unprepared: [I haven’t been filming these past two days, so I’ve been messing around with a young boy toy at my place! I need to kick him out and get a maid over to clean the apartment. Come over in the afternoon instead!]
Qin Jiaojiao: […]
[Fine.]
Qin Jiaojiao poked her head out from under the duvet to catch her breath.
While she had been frantically texting with Yang Yutong, Zhou Shaoli had finished his shower and walked out of the bathroom. He was wearing a dark dress shirt paired with suit trousers. Without a necktie on, he was currently buttoning up his collar, his slender, distinct fingers looking exceptionally attractive.
Qin Jiaojiao’s gaze settled on the back of his hand, where faint, subtle veins were visible—veins that would only bulge out with powerful force whenever he lost control of his emotions.
After securing his collar button, Zhou Shaoli went into the walk-in closet to tie his necktie, putting on his suit jacket before walking out.
Qin Jiaojiao warned herself internally to stop recalling those blushing, heart-fluttering scenes from last night’s dream. She ducked back into the duvet, attempting to hide her reddened face.
Zhou Shaoli’s voice carried over: “The kitchen prepared breakfast. Do you want to eat before going back to sleep?”
His assistant had reported Qin Jiaojiao’s daily routine to him, so he knew she loved sleeping in. Since the human body needed to replenish its energy at proper intervals, eating breakfast before going back to sleep was better for her health.
“I want to sleep a bit longer,” Qin Jiaojiao mumbled softly.
Zhou Shaoli stopped coaxing her. If she wasn’t in the mood and wanted to sleep longer, he wouldn’t force her.
The moment Zhou Shaoli closed the bedroom door, Qin Jiaojiao sat up like a carp leaping out of water, dashed into the walk-in closet, and dragged out a suitcase to pack.
Yang Yutong owned several properties in Beijing, including multi-hundred-square-meter luxury apartments, offering plenty of space for the two of them. Since she was staying with her best friend, she only needed to pack some undergarments and a few changes of casual clothes.
Standing in the walk-in closet, Qin Jiaojiao grabbed two outfits she liked, along with a pair of high heels. She couldn’t be bothered to bring hats or jewelry, since she didn’t plan on going out much anyway.
Once packed, Qin Jiaojiao zipped up her suitcase, went to the bathroom to wash up, changed into an outfit suitable for going out, and headed downstairs. As she rolled her suitcase out of the elevator, Auntie Zhang shot her a surprised look.
“Madam, where are you going?”
In the past, Qin Jiaojiao had enjoyed going out to parties hosted by her circle of socialite sisters and would occasionally stay out overnight. However, she had never pulled out a suitcase to leave the villa like this; whenever she traveled abroad, she would always have the servants pack her luggage in advance.
Seeing Qin Jiaojiao pulling a suitcase without a word, looking as though she were packing up to leave, Auntie Zhang was immensely shocked.
Over the past few weeks, Auntie Zhang and the rest of the domestic staff had watched Qin Jiaojiao and Zhou Shaoli get along so sweetly. The couple hadn’t even gotten into an argument, so why was Madam suddenly packing up to leave?
Qin Jiaojiao parked her suitcase in the living room and said, “I’m going to stay at a friend’s place for two days. I’ll be back in a few days.”
“Which friend?” Auntie Zhang asked. “Is it Tongtong?”
“Mhm.” Feeling hungry, Qin Jiaojiao asked, “Is there any breakfast?”
Auntie Zhang replied, “Madam, go sit in the dining room for a moment. I’ll bring it right out for you.”
Qin Jiaojiao walked to the dining room, pulled out a chair, and sat down. Auntie Zhang set an assortment of breakfast dishes in front of her and asked carefully, “Did something happen to Tongtong?”
“No.” Qin Jiaojiao chewed on a soft, chewy crystal pastry and said, “I just felt like going over to Tongtong’s place to hang out for a couple of days.”
Auntie Zhang speculated internally: If Madam just wanted to hang out with Yang Yutong, she could simply make plans to go out during the day and come back at night to sleep. For Madam to carry a suitcase looking like she’s running away from home, something must have definitely happened between her and Sir!
Auntie Zhang was similarly a big fan of melodramatic TV dramas and knew these tropes inside out. She resolved to wait until Qin Jiaojiao finished venting her anger before reporting the situation to Sir, letting Sir prepare to go soothe his wife.
After finishing breakfast, Qin Jiaojiao lounged around the house acting like a salted fish, playing a few rounds of mobile games. Then, she called over her driver, Xiao Chen, gave him an address, and had him drive her to Yang Yutong’s apartment building.
Qin Jiaojiao asked the driver to pull up outside Yang Yutong’s residential compound. Just as she arrived, Yang Yutong sent her a message asking her to buy some snacks so they could spend the afternoon chatting, munching on snacks, and playing video games at home.
Rolling her suitcase toward a nearby supermarket, Qin Jiaojiao deposited her luggage at the baggage check desk before pushing a shopping cart through the aisles, grabbing any snack that caught her eye.
After picking out a mountain of delicious snacks and fresh fruit, she checked out using the black card Zhou Shaoli had given her. When the cashier received the black card, her eyes widened in shock, and she looked up at Qin Jiaojiao.
Qin Jiaojiao was dressed in a black fitted dress today, wearing sunglasses with a powerful aura that radiated the distinct vibe of a wealthy heiress. The cashier efficiently swiped the card and handed it back.
Qin Jiaojiao calmly retrieved the card, tucked it into her bag, and pushed her shopping cart toward the exit.
Inside the CEO’s office at the Zhuxing Group corporate headquarters, Zhou Shaoli’s phone received a transaction alert SMS: Expense: 576.80 yuan.
Zhou Shaoli’s eyes flickered slightly. He picked up his phone and reviewed the text carefully, confirming that the transaction was indeed for only a few hundred yuan.
Qin Jiaojiao’s spending habits had always been lavish—custom haute couture gowns cost millions, while the clothes, shoes, and bags she wore daily cost hundreds of thousands at minimum. Why had her spending suddenly dropped below a thousand yuan?
Besides, if she wanted to eat anything, she only needed to instruct the servants to purchase and bring it back to the courtyard villa; there was zero need for her to personally go out shopping. Where had she gone today?
Busy with work, Zhou Shaoli merely felt a fleeting sense of surprise before putting the thought aside.
Meanwhile, Qin Jiaojiao attached her shopping bags to her suitcase and rolled her luggage toward the apartment complex.
“I think I just saw Qin Jiaojiao?” Shen Xiaoshan was currently riding in a car with Meng Zi’ang, returning from an errand. As their car entered the compound, she spotted Qin Jiaojiao rolling a suitcase along the pedestrian path.
Meng Zi’ang followed her gaze, his grip on the steering wheel tightening instantly. “It’s her.”
Staring at Qin Jiaojiao, Shen Xiaoshan mused aloud, “Did she get into a fight with Zhou Shaoli or something? Why is she dragging a suitcase all the way here?”
A wave of alertness surged in her heart. Qin Jiaojiao didn’t come here looking for Meng Zi’ang, did she?!
Just yesterday, Zhou Shaoli had gone to the Grand Theatre to pick Qin Jiaojiao up. Could it be that Qin Jiaojiao only put on a show of loving romance on the surface, but went back home and got into a massive fight with Zhou Shaoli, blaming him for not accompanying her to watch the stage play?
Given Qin Jiaojiao’s temper, it was extremely likely she would do something like that—throwing a massive fit at home before grabbing her luggage to run away.
How childish.
Shen Xiaoshan sneered in her heart. The gloom she had felt yesterday from being outshone by Qin Jiaojiao on the trending searches instantly evaporated, replaced by a flash of delight in her eyes.
What was the point of Qin Jiaojiao marrying an even wealthier husband? A man that busy couldn’t possibly cater to her every need or find time to accompany her everywhere. Looking happy on the surface, she was actually living a miserable life.
Putting on a concerned expression, Shen Xiaoshan said to Meng Zi’ang, “Should we go over and comfort her?”
A flash of mockery crossed Meng Zi’ang’s eyes. Running away from home after every argument was Qin Jiaojiao’s signature specialty. She was still just as self-centered as before—the moment anyone angered her, she would throw a tantrum and play missing, making everyone worry about her.
Seeing everyone scramble around worrying for her was the only thing that satisfied Qin Jiaojiao’s ego; she was utterly unreasonable.
Now that he had severed ties with the Qin family, he no longer needed to abandon his dignity to cater to a spoiled, arrogant young miss like Qin Jiaojiao. Looking at the sensible, understanding Shen Xiaoshan beside him, he said, “Leave her alone. Let’s go home.”
“Mm.” Shen Xiaoshan offered a sweet, tender smile.
The car turned down into the underground parking garage, while Qin Jiaojiao stopped outside an apartment building. Wearing house slippers, Yang Yutong ran out, threw her arms around her, and squealed with joy: “Jiaojiao baby! You’re finally here!”
“Let go! You’re squeezing the breath right out of me!” Qin Jiaojiao squirmed.
Taking the suitcase from her hands, Yang Yutong giggled, “To think you actually left Zhou Shaoli behind to come stay with me—did something happen?”
Qin Jiaojiao’s ears turned piping hot. She obviously couldn’t tell her that she was fleeing because she had had an indescribable dream about him; otherwise, if Yang Yutong found out, she would tease her until her face turned bright red!
“Nothing happened. I just wanted to come out and stay for a couple of days.”
“I don’t buy it.” Yang Yutong sized her up from top to bottom. “There’s definitely something you’re hiding from me.”
Guilty yet stubborn, Qin Jiaojiao insisted, “I said there’s nothing, so there’s nothing!”
Yang Yutong led Qin Jiaojiao into the multi-hundred-square-meter apartment, placed the suitcase in the guest bedroom, set the snacks on the living room coffee table, and plopped down onto the living room rug.
“What are we doing this afternoon? Playing video games, or watching TV and movies?”
Stepping onto the soft carpet with her bare feet, Qin Jiaojiao sat down beside her. “Anything works.”
Yang Yutong turned on the TV and tossed the remote control to her. “You pick.”
Qin Jiaojiao flipped through the TV channels and movie options for a bit before dropping the remote. “Nothing looks good.”
Yang Yutong grabbed the remote and switched to Mango TV: “Then let’s watch a variety show! Romantic Lovers aired last night and the online response has been super great…”
Qin Jiaojiao scrambled to snatch the remote back, but Yang Yutong pressed the remote beneath her body and hollered, “The show’s editing is hilarious! Let’s watch it together so we can roast how fake that trashy couple acts in front of the cameras!”
“I want to watch a movie!” Qin Jiaojiao insisted firmly.
“Fine, fine, fine.” Helpless, Yang Yutong changed the channel and selected a comedy film.
Meanwhile, Auntie Zhang made a phone call to Special Assistant Han.
When Han Xiao received the call and heard the housekeeper say Madam had pulled out a suitcase to stay elsewhere for two days without coming home, he felt utterly bewildered. Did Madam and President Zhou get into a spat?
Madam ran away from home, yet she didn’t even tell President Zhou?!
“Alright, I’ll inform President Zhou.”
He hurried to the executive office, knocked on the door, and heard the man’s calm, steady voice from within: “Come in.”
Today, President Zhou’s mood seemed completely normal—there was no telling whether he had gotten into a fight with Madam or not.
Filled with doubt, Han Xiao reported the news of Qin Jiaojiao packing her bags and leaving to Zhou Shaoli truthfully.
“Got it,” Zhou Shaoli replied calmly.
Han Xiao glanced at Zhou Shaoli, who didn’t seem worried in the slightest. Did really nothing happen?
After delivering his report, Han Xiao left the office.
Zhou Shaoli picked up his phone and stared at the previous transaction alert SMS. So at that time, Qin Jiaojiao had already left the courtyard villa.
The man’s brows furrowed slightly as his mind raced, attempting to find any clue that could explain why Qin Jiaojiao had left home to stay at her best friend’s place.
Outside, Han Xiao was deeply worried that the CP he had just started shipping was about to collapse.
Han Xiao recalled back when he had first started dating his girlfriend—every time she went to stay at her best friend’s place, he had to buy treats for her best friend and say all kinds of sweet words just to safeguard his relationship!
Thus, he sent Zhou Shaoli a screenshot of a popular internet joke.
Husband: Wife, will you still love me when you come back?
Wife: Of course I love you, sweet husband! Kiss kiss!
After Wife comes back: Divorce!
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