Ye Fengwu was inexplicably apprehensive about answering Qin Qinghan's call. As the infamous Blood Wolf King who struck fear in people's hearts, and a formidable war god in the military, he had carried out countless missions over the years, remaining fearless even in the midst of bullets and bombs.
Yet when it came to Qin Qinghan, Ye Fengwu instinctively felt a bit cowardly. It wasn't that he was afraid of her, but rather because he loved Qin Qinghan too much. Their relationship was delicate, and any misstep could jeopardize what they had now.
After much hesitation, Ye Fengwu finally pressed the answer button - if he died, then so be it.
"Hello, Qinghan. I have some things to take care of today, so I probably won't be home tonight," Ye Fengwu said with an awkward laugh.
At this moment, Ye Fengwu's heart was in his throat. What he feared most was Qin Qinghan resenting him.
"Thank you for saving Jing Si. I...I was planning to cook for you tonight. Since...since you won't be back, then..."
"Uncle, Mom is making delicious food today, you have to come back and eat!"
Soon, Qin Qinghan's gentle voice sounded over the phone, immediately followed by Jing Si's voice.
Hearing this, Ye Fengwu's tense expression relaxed into surprise. From Qin Qinghan's tone, he didn't detect any anger at all.
If that was the case, then could he...
Ye Fengwu quickly changed the subject, "Qinghan, I'll be home soon. What ingredients do you need me to buy?"
Qin Qinghan responded, "Don't you have things to do?"
Ye Fengwu felt embarrassed but continued shamelessly, "Well, my friend had something sudden come up, so we postponed our meeting."
"I see. In that case...get some fish. I'll make it when I get home," Qin Qinghan said, still gently.
"Sounds good, I'll go buy it now!" Ye Fengwu quickly agreed.
After hanging up, Ye Fengwu immediately raced to the supermarket.
...
At 7pm, the sounds of Qin Qinghan cooking rang out from the kitchen.
Ye Fengwu was at her side, diligently washing vegetables for her.
He stole glances at Qin Qinghan from time to time, but didn't notice any resentment toward him in her expression. This allowed Ye Fengwu to relax - it seemed she had truly started to accept him.
However, he kept feeling like Qin Qinghan was especially gentle and charming today, for reasons unknown.
Of course Qin Qinghan noticed Ye Fengwu peeking at her. It made her face flush redder and redder, though she didn't know how to tell him to stop staring at her.
When the dish was finally done, she wanted to bring it out to temporarily escape Ye Fengwu's gaze. But as soon as she turned around, she realized the kitchen was too cramped - to get by him, she'd have to press right against his body.
Making matters worse, Ye Fengwu clearly had no intention of moving aside or helping bring the dish out. Instead, he just watched her with those ardent eyes.
This made Qin Qinghan even more bashful. She felt her heartbeat racing out of control, while her lowered face burned.
"Let me get by," Qin Qinghan said shyly, a hint of resentment in her tone.
Ye Fengwu's hands were wet so he didn't dare touch Qin Qinghan. He just stood there, eyes fixed on her exquisite face, rosy from embarrassment but still so alluring.
Qin Qinghan was so ashamed she nearly cried. This man was obviously blocking her on purpose.
"Then you take the dish out!" She held it out to Ye Fengwu.
Ye Fengwu shamelessly smiled, his gaze never leaving Qin Qinghan's face. "No rush, I'm not that hungry yet. My wife, you look so beautiful today."
Originally, Ye Fengwu assumed Qin Qinghan would resent him for hiding Jing Si away. But now it seemed she not only didn't blame him, but was looking at him even more tenderly than before.
Of course Ye Fengwu didn't truly understand Qin Qinghan's thoughts. She had resented him initially, but she wasn't an ungrateful woman - she knew he'd done it all for her sake.
The Qins were unforgivable, so she had no right to blame Ye Fengwu.
The two stood face to face for nearly two minutes. The shyness in Qin Qinghan's eyes gradually turned to impatience, but Ye Fengwu still didn't budge.
Qin Qinghan helplessly shook her head, seeming to make a decision. Her gorgeous face turned an even deeper red.
Suddenly, she tiptoed up and pecked Ye Fengwu on the cheek, then squeezed past him as if fleeing.
Ye Fengwu clearly saw that Qin Qinghan's complexion was now as crimson as a ripe apple.
This thrilled Ye Fengwu to no end. Though it was just a peck, it was proof that Qin Qinghan was starting to truly accept him.
Soon, the family of three sat down to eat. Qin Qinghan's face remained flushed with bashfulness. Ye Fengwu really hadn't expected her to be so thin-skinned.
Jing Si suddenly said to Qin Qinghan, "Mom, are you hot? Your face is so red!"
Ye Fengwu jokingly cut in, "Your mom's face is red because she did something naughty."
Clever Jing Si seemed to grasp his implication and giggled quietly.
Hearing this, Qin Qinghan became even more embarrassed. She glanced resentfully at Ye Fengwu.
Jing Si then said, "Mom, this weekend, can we go to the zoo?"
Ye Fengwu also laughed, "I promised Jing Si I'd take her. Let's go as a family."
However, Qin Qinghan looked hesitant and told Jing Si apologetically, "Next time, okay? Mom has a business trip this weekend."
Hearing about the trip, Ye Fengwu was startled, and his brows knitted together. After saying that, Qin Qinghan had avoided his gaze - he could tell she was lying.
Qin Qinghan was a poor liar, so Ye Fengwu vaguely sensed something amiss.
Jing Si nodded disappointedly, "Okay then."
Seeing Jing Si's dejection, Qin Qinghan felt bad. Jing Si had always wanted to go to the zoo, but Qin Qinghan had been too busy at Qin Group before to even take her to amusement parks.
So Qin Qinghan hesitated briefly before suggesting, "How about your uncle and Auntie Shuxi take you instead?"
Hearing this, Jing Si's cute face immediately lit up happily. "Auntie Shuxi is coming? That's great!"
"Mm, your aunt will arrive this weekend." Qin Qinghan smiled gently.
This was the first Ye Fengwu had heard of Jing Si having an auntie.
Qin Qinghan looked at Ye Fengwu somewhat awkwardly and said softly, "Could you do me a favor and pick up my cousin from the train station this weekend?"
"Of course, no problem." Ye Fengwu was quite happy to agree - Qin Qinghan trusting him with Jing Si was already the greatest sign of faith in him. Still, he had to ask, "You're going on a business trip? Where to?"
Qin Qinghan lowered her gaze and murmured, "Oh, just a sudden negotiation. Not far, I should be back by night if it goes smoothly."
Ye Fengwu kept his eyes fixed on her. He knew she was lying, but didn't call her out on it. Looks like she still hadn't given up, huh.
"My cousin is called Yang Shuxi. She's my uncle's daughter, a university student in Haihua City. I'll let her know you're picking her up," Qin Qinghan said gently.
"Mission accepted," Ye Fengwu readily agreed.
"Thank you," Qin Qinghan said gratefully before lowering her head to eat.
...