Love Finds Its Time - Chapter 17

Wen Qinghan couldn’t finish the extra few glutinous rice balls that had been added to her bowl. The portion was supposed to be just right, but now that there were more, she really couldn’t eat them. 

After paying the bill, she took a mask out of her pocket and helped Shi Qingqiu put it on. Just in case, she always carried a mask with her. No matter how many times she and Shi Qingqiu might go out together, this habit had never changed.

The night market was getting more crowded. With the mask covering her face, Shi Qingqiu didn’t need to hide herself too much anymore, so she took off her glasses.

It was unclear who had reached for the other’s hand first, but in any case, as they walked along, neither of them let go.

“Qingqiu, are you satisfied with your life now?” Wen Qinghan suddenly asked. She didn’t turn her head, as if it were just a casual question.

“Now?” Shi Qingqiu tilted her head to look at her, her voice muffled slightly by the mask, doubt reflected in her equally questioning eyes.

“Yes, now.” Wen Qinghan led her through the gaps in the crowd, and when they finally reached a less crowded spot, she slowed down and turned to look at her. The lights of the food stalls on both sides illuminated her beautiful face. She lifted their joined hands and said, “Like this. I mean this.”

This kind of married life?

Shi Qingqiu thought for a moment. There was no need to exhaust herself just to maintain love, and she could live steadily every day. How could she be dissatisfied? Her lips gradually curved upward. Her free hand rested lightly on Wen Qinghan’s arm as she smiled and said, “I think it’s wonderful. We studied the same field. I may not be as skilled as you, but chatting about it is no problem. And our feelings don’t place a burden on our relationship, do they?”

So if what she wanted was love, would that become the “burden” Shi Qingqiu spoke of? A trace of disappointment flickered in Wen Qinghan’s eyes, but quickly disappeared.

Shi Qingqiu’s eyes crinkled with her smile. Though her lips were hidden under the mask, the upward curve of her expression was obvious.

Wen Qinghan pressed her lips together with a small smile and replied, “Yes. As long as you like it.”

“Are we going back now?” With the previous topic ended, Shi Qingqiu started another.

She felt that when she was with Wen Qinghan, the chances of the latter taking the initiative to chat were too slim. But as long as she said something, Wen Qinghan would respond. So she had to take the second-best option—bringing up topics herself.

“Mm. Do you want to eat anything else?”

Shi Qingqiu shook her head. At the mention of food, she grew regretful. “No, tonight was already an exception. What if I gain weight? Will you help me lose it?”

In truth, Shi Qingqiu found it hard to gain weight. Back in school, her allowance was enough to occasionally treat a few classmates to supper. She often ate late at night, yet still couldn’t put on weight—sometimes she even lost a little. Wen Qinghan recalled this as her eyes flicked over Shi Qingqiu’s tall, slender figure, her smile faint.

Since they had come to this night market on someone’s recommendation, the chance of running into acquaintances was naturally not small.

Sure enough, before long, Wen Qinghan and Shi Qingqiu ran into two male lawyers from another law firm. The two men stopped first. When their eyes met with Wen Qinghan’s, one looked pleasantly surprised, the other amused.

“Lawyer Wen, what a coincidence, you’re here too.”

The man who spoke was much taller than the one beside him. He stood half a head taller than Wen Qinghan, even though she wore high heels. His features were handsome and composed, carrying an air of effortless excellence.

Wen Qinghan only regarded him calmly, warmth gone from her eyes, the corners of her lips lifted slightly. “Lawyer Cheng.” Then she turned to the smiling man next to him. “Lawyer He.”

Shi Qingqiu didn’t speak. After giving the men a polite nod, she lowered her gaze to look at the hand Wen Qinghan held so firmly. She remembered that just moments ago, she had instinctively tried to let go. But Wen Qinghan had quickly tightened her grip instead, intertwining their fingers, making the hold closer and more intimate.

Cheng Haotian glanced toward the direction they had come from and smiled. “Lawyer Wen, this place is something of a local specialty. If you were coming here, why didn’t you say so? Old He and I could’ve shown you around properly.” That afternoon, when the meeting ended, someone had mentioned this night market. Most people were interested, but Wen Qinghan had stayed silent. He thought she didn’t like late-night snacks. Unexpectedly, she had brought a friend here herself.

The one called He Xiang chimed in enthusiastically, “That’s right, but it’s not too late. Why don’t we go eat something else together? Give us a chance to play host.”

Wen Qinghan remained indifferent, her faint smile unchanged. “No need to trouble yourselves. I’m not very fond of late-night snacks.”

Clearly a lively sort, He Xiang wasn’t discouraged by the first rejection. Instead, he grew more enthusiastic, stepping closer. “Lawyer Wen, you don’t know what you’re missing. There are so many famous dishes here. Since you rarely visit, how can you not try them? Besides, you’ve brought a friend along. Perhaps this young lady might be interested?”

Anyone else might have softened at those words, but who was Wen Qinghan? She never played along with such things. Still, in this kind of situation, it was indeed hard to shake off. She turned to look at Shi Qingqiu, her eyes serious, brows knit with hesitation.

Just moments ago, Shi Qingqiu had clearly seen the joy and admiration in Cheng Haotian’s eyes the instant he spotted Wen Qinghan. He liked Wen Qinghan. There was no doubt about it.

In that split second, Wen Qinghan gave her hand a firm squeeze. Her usually calm eyes carried unusual solemnity, even a faint trace of expectation.

Under such a gaze, Shi Qingqiu slowly nodded. Sooner or later, they would have to go public. There was no need to let such unnecessary complications drag on.

“Sorry.” Wen Qinghan relaxed her brows and met the hopeful look before her. Seeing the confusion on the two men’s faces, she lifted her joined hand with Shi Qingqiu, her lips curving. “This is my spouse. I came here with her. We were just about to head back.” She said it all with a gentle smile, her tone softer than before, more convincing. At the very least, after hearing it, the two men were not only shocked but also had no excuse to keep her.

“My apologies, I overstepped. Sorry, Lawyer Wen. Please, go ahead.” Cheng Haotian was the first to react. Pulling along the dumbfounded He Xiang, he stepped aside to make way, his eyes locked on Wen Qinghan, desperately hoping to see some trace of insincerity.

But unfortunately, though her gentleness was subtle, it was unmistakably real. He had never seen this side of her before.

“Thank you,” Wen Qinghan expressed politely, then led Shi Qingqiu away.

When the night market’s noisy chatter once again filled their ears, Shi Qingqiu smiled at her and said, “That man just now liked you. Did you know?”

“I know.” Wen Qinghan’s thumb lightly rubbed the base of Shi Qingqiu’s thumb. The more chaotic the surroundings, the clearer the sensation of skin against skin became. After a pause, she looked at Shi Qingqiu with a faint smile. “But none of that matters to me. I’m already married, am I not?”

In that instant, Shi Qingqiu almost wanted to rip off her mask, to seriously ask her again—do you really not regret it? Do you truly not want to experience love properly? Are you really willing to bind the rest of your life to me?

But she couldn’t voice even half of it. Wen Qinghan was never someone who acted on impulse. Every decision she made was carefully thought out, with contingency plans for even the most unpredictable outcomes.

In the end, Shi Qingqiu only smiled back. “Mm. Yes.”

I hope you won’t regret it. I hope in the days to come you’ll stay by my side, unwavering. If one day affection blooms between us, then that will be our ending. If it never does, then so be it—our hearts unburdened, our companionship will last all the longer.

***

Back at the hotel, Wen Qinghan told Shi Qingqiu to shower first, while she sat at the desk reviewing the day’s meeting notes.

When Shi Qingqiu came out, she finally rose unhurriedly, picked up her robe, and went in. 

The sound of water trickled down, splattering against the bathroom floor, some droplets hitting the frosted glass. Though muffled by the closed door, the blurred silhouette cast on the glass was long and graceful. Shi Qingqiu, leaning against the bedhead, looked for a few seconds before averting her gaze, closing her eyes to wait quietly. Beside her pillow was another pillow. Ever since she agreed to accept this relationship, she had imagined such a night.

She thought she would regret it, or that she would make excuses to avoid it—to avoid sharing a bed with Wen Qinghan, in full consciousness, bound by marriage. But when the moment came, she was surprisingly calm.

She had already allowed Wen Qinghan to declare their relationship publicly earlier. That meant she had agreed to much, much more.

This time, Wen Qinghan’s shower seemed even longer than the last time she stayed at the Shi family home. Shi Qingqiu was already drowsy when she finally emerged, hair damp, walking slowly.

“Are you sleepy? You can go ahead and rest,” Wen Qinghan asked gently as she came closer.  It wasn’t just her skin softened by the hot water—it was as if even her voice had been washed free of coldness. She still wore her pure white silk robe, its fabric soft and fitted, wrapping her figure. Gone was her daytime aloofness; in its place was a quiet allure.

“Not yet. I wanted to wait for you.” Shi Qingqiu smiled, lifting the blanket corner for her. “Why did you take even longer this time? Longer than when you bathed at my house.”

She only meant to shift attention away from the fact they were now sharing a bed. Hearing this, Wen Qinghan’s hand tightened imperceptibly on the blanket corner. Pressing her lips together, she said, “Nothing. I must’ve just lost track of time.”

Seeing Wen Qinghan lie down, Shi Qingqiu also adjusted her pillow and lay beside her. Between them was a space of two palms’ width—deliberately left by Wen Qinghan the moment she got into bed.

“You’ve been out since morning, busy all day. Let’s rest early,” Shi Qingqiu said softly, gazing at Wen Qinghan lying on her side, facing her.

“These next few days I’ll be in meetings. I’ll try to come back for meals. If you get bored, message me,” Wen Qinghan said with guilt, realizing she might leave Shi Qingqiu waiting in the hotel for days.

“You’re only realizing now you’ll be in meetings all week?” Shi Qingqiu raised a faint smile.

“Sorry…” Wen Qinghan murmured, starting to sit up and reach for her phone. “If you want to go back, I can arrange it right away…”

“Hey, no need.” Shi Qingqiu leaned over, stopping her, pressing her hand down with a playful look, pulling her back to lie down. She shot her a sideways glance, half reproachful. “Why do you always act the moment I say something? Did I say I wanted to leave? We’re already here. Since we’ve come, let’s make the best of it.”

Wen Qinghan froze, staring at her. She watched as Shi Qingqiu leaned over to switch off the chandelier, leaving only the dim bedside lamp. The warm yellow glow covered just enough space for their faces to be seen—soft and beautiful.

“Then if you need me, send me a message. I’ll try to come back,” Wen Qinghan whispered. Her long lashes trembled lightly, like butterflies about to take flight, hard to look away from.

“Alright. Sleep. Good night.” Shi Qingqiu smiled.

She took one last look at Wen Qinghan’s face, recalling the word “spouse” from earlier at the night market. Closing her eyes, she replayed her partner’s every action since their marriage, until finally the smile faded from her lips as she drifted into sleep.

Shi Qingqiu’s beauty was understated, much like her temperament—gentle. In slumber, her expression was peaceful and serene, as if the bedside lamp had gilded her features with a golden glow, so beautiful it was almost unreal.

“Good night.”

My love, Wen Qinghan thought silently.