Love Finds Its Time - Chapter 15

In the three days that followed, Shi Qingqiu and Wen Qinghan did not meet again, as if giving each other some time to breathe. The next time they met, there would be no avoiding the path they had already chosen.

On the morning of their departure, Wen Qinghan’s car was already waiting outside the Shi household. She stood in front of the car, her expression cool, long jet-black hair falling over her back, composed and aloof. Her gaze followed Shi Qingqiu as she dragged her suitcase toward her. The two looked at each other for a few seconds before Wen Qinghan lifted the corner of her lips slightly, and Shi Qingqiu also smiled.

Wen Qinghan said, “Get in the car.”

She opened the rear door herself, placed Shi Qingqiu’s suitcase on the seat, and then returned to the driver’s seat. Once both had fastened their seatbelts, she started the car and drove off.

After that rather serious talk a few days ago, the two of them had spoken very little. Wen Qinghan’s words had been almost official; telling Shi Qingqiu the tickets were bought, the hotel was booked, and so on. Beyond that, there had only been the nightly “goodnight.”

Knowing how little Wen Qinghan spoke, Shi Qingqiu turned to look out the window, then back at her, before finally starting the conversation. “Qinghan, don’t you think we’ve been spending more time together lately?”

Wen Qinghan’s tone was calm. “Such as?”

“Mm…” Shi Qingqiu held her phone, her thumb idly tapping at the screen. “Such as more phone calls, more meetups. And… you even asked me to come with you for a little getaway, even if it’s under the excuse of your business trip.”

Though they were still in a stage of adjusting to their new relationship, they had been in contact more often. And because of that, Shi Qingqiu found herself thinking of Wen Qinghan more, considering her more—something she couldn’t deny.

“Maybe it’s because we’re married now, so we notice each other more than before.” Wen Qinghan voiced the thought in Shi Qingqiu’s heart. Because they were married—even if not in love—they would, before making any decision, try to consider the other person.

Shi Qingqiu wondered: would Wen Qinghan also be thinking of her more often? Thinking back carefully, aside from this time when Wen Qinghan had invited her, it had always been she who initiated their meetings. And Wen Qinghan didn’t seem very different from before.

“Qinghan, do you feel the same?” Shi Qingqiu turned her head toward her, her gaze traveling from the corner of Wen Qinghan’s eyes down to her lips, then along the line of her profile, finally resting on her earlobe. “These days, do you often think of me?”

“Yes.” Wen Qinghan’s reply was simple and direct. After she spoke, her eyelashes trembled slightly. The truth was, it wasn’t just these days.

Shi Qingqiu’s gaze lingered, drifting again and again over Wen Qinghan’s profile.

With her calmness, Wen Qinghan made Shi Qingqiu wonder: had she really never wanted romance in all these years? Had she simply settled down with her, binding her future just like that?

“Qinghan, don’t you regret it? Deciding so early on who you’ll spend the rest of your life with… maybe it’s just that you haven’t met—”

“I don’t need to.” Wen Qinghan’s voice turned cold. Driving as steadily as ever, her brow knit tightly as she answered with quiet firmness, “I told you before. I don’t have the time to meet someone new, then figure out whether our values match, whether we can understand each other, whether we can smooth out each other’s edges.” She pressed the brake and stopped steadily at a red light. Turning to meet Shi Qingqiu’s gaze, she said, “I don’t have that time, and I don’t want to waste that time. So you’re the most suitable. And for you, I’m the most suitable too. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have agreed, right?”

This was the second time Wen Qinghan had spoken at such length—again because of their marriage.

The red light still had twenty seconds left. The car grew silent, the air heavy with something unsaid. Wen Qinghan looked straight at her, waiting for her reply.

At last, Shi Qingqiu curved her lips. “Yes.” Her smile deepened. “I hope you won’t regret it.”

Wen Qinghan’s lips also lifted slightly, though her eyes held no warmth. She turned back toward the road and drove on.

Just as Shi Qingqiu thought she wouldn’t answer, she spoke softly while picking up speed. “Don’t worry, I won’t.”

***

The flight from City B to City N was just over two hours. Wen Qinghan and Shi Qingqiu sat side by side, with Wen Qinghan going through documents the whole way. 

Shi Qingqiu kept busy too, having brought along the script for With You Till the End to prepare during the break. Her career wasn’t long nor short, but her skillful acting had made her stand out among her peers. From her very first year, when she won Best Newcomer, she had taken home awards year after year. Her success was not only her own talent but also her agent Pan Jiawen’s sharp eye.

Back then, Shi Qingqiu was just a first-year law student. Because Pan Jiawen was acquainted with one of the professors, she had been invited to attend the law department’s New Year’s Eve performance.

Pan Jiawen’s instinct was uncanny. She didn’t notice the students acting on stage that night, but instead, she noticed Shi Qingqiu, who was helping a classmate rehearse for the play.

At the time, Shi Qingqiu had just gone through Qi Yue’s silent departure, leaving her shrouded in a faint sadness, withdrawn and quiet. Yet when helping her classmate, she slipped into character with remarkable ease. With her calm temperament emerging and her delicate features, Pan Jiawen immediately asked for her contact information.

Though stage acting and film acting differed in form, at their core both were about embodying another person. Pan Jiawen’s approach gave the sorrowful Shi Qingqiu a spark of interest. Filling her spare time to the brim—why not?

And so, today’s Shi Qingqiu came to be. Though she had no formal training, she had carved out her own place in the entertainment industry. Any film she starred in now was guaranteed at the box office; before release, marketing accounts would only speculate how high the numbers would soar.

***

After landing in City N, Wen Qinghan and her team of five went to their hotel.

The rooms had all been booked by the organizers, so naturally, there wasn’t one reserved for Shi Qingqiu.

As the others checked in, Shi Qingqiu pulled out her ID to book a room herself. But then she heard Wen Qinghan, who was at the desk, say, “Change my room to a king bed. I’ll cover the difference.”

Shi Qingqiu froze. Beside her, Meng Siqi’s eyes widened, and Chen Yi and Li Wenxiao let out an exaggerated “wow.”

The receptionist, unlike Wen Qinghan’s gossiping colleagues, kept her professional smile and said, “Alright, please wait a moment,” as she took Wen Qinghan’s ID.

Since Wen Qinghan had already said it, Shi Qingqiu couldn’t stop her. Under Wen Qinghan’s gaze, she took off her mask and handed her ID to the receptionist.

The staff here were clearly trained. The receptionist did look surprised upon recognizing Shi Qingqiu, but quickly composed herself and processed their check-in.

Wen Qinghan’s newly arranged room was in a different wing from Meng Siqi and the others. In the elevator, as Shi Qingqiu was pulling out her phone, Wen Qinghan, after some hesitation, asked, “Qingqiu, that receptionist recognized you just now. Will that be a problem?”

Shi Qingqiu glanced at the elevator’s security camera, her soft laughter sounding especially clear in the enclosed space. “You should have thought of that when you asked me to come.”

It was rare for Wen Qinghan to be caught speechless, but now she lowered her head, as if considering something.

Eyes narrowing with a playful glint, Shi Qingqiu let her off the hook and said with a smile, “Don’t worry. She couldn’t have taken a photo, or she’d be fined. I’ll text Wen-jie in a bit, have her talk to the hotel manager and brief the staff. That’ll be enough.”

Pan Jiawen had said as long as nothing big happened, these small matters were easy for Shi Qingqiu to handle. If she couldn’t manage even this, Pan Jiawen wouldn’t have dared fight for her vacation.

“That’s good then.” Wen Qinghan’s brow smoothed, as if relieved.

After they each put away their luggage, Wen Qinghan finally checked her phone. WeChat was flooded with group messages.

【Meng Siqi: Hey! Boss Wen and Goddess Shi are in one room! Boss Wen switched to a king bed! They’ve already gone upstairs!】

【Jian Yizhi: ???】

【Chen Yi the Handsomest: Oh my god, I want to sleep with Goddess too! Goddess, pick me!】

【Li Wenxiao: [pouting] You must be a masochist…】

【Jian Yizhi: Do you guys really think Big Baby Wen doesn’t read WeChat?】

Wen Qinghan’s brows furrowed slightly. She exited the app and set her phone on the bedside table. Ever since Jian Yizhi once called her “Big Baby Wen” in the group chat, the nickname had stuck. Later, Jian Yizhi explained, “Big Baby Wen, as in Baby Lawyer Wen—don’t you think the contrast is cute?”

At the window, Shi Qingqiu stood gazing outside. Wen Qinghan stepped closer behind her. “Qingqiu, I’ll be heading to the venue in a bit, so I probably can’t have lunch with you.”

Shi Qingqiu understood the trip was mainly for Wen Qinghan’s work. She had agreed to come partly for a change of scene, and partly because they were in a period of adjustment. Spending more time together could only help. She turned with a smile. “Go on. I’ll stay here reading the script and practicing lines. I’ll be careful if I go out.”

Wen Qinghan nodded, her voice carrying a note of reminder. “I won’t turn off my phone. If anything comes up, message me. I’ll see it.”

Shi Qingqiu crossed her arms and stepped closer, studying Wen Qinghan’s face with a small laugh. “Mm, I know.” Her gaze then slid past Wen Qinghan’s ear, falling onto the single king-sized bed in the room.

She knew exactly what marriage meant. Even if at first she told herself they could still act like friends, that was only self-deception. Sooner or later, she would have to fully accept this relationship.

“Qinghan…” Shi Qingqiu hesitated.

“Mm?”

Meeting her eyes, the fleeting thought in Shi Qingqiu’s mind slipped away before she could grasp it. She could only smile and say, “Nothing. Go on, don’t be late.”