Love Finds Its Time - Chapter 20

With Shi Qingqiu’s agreement, Wen Qinghan began carefully thinking in her mind about where she should take Shi Qingqiu that evening. Even when she lay down for a short nap, she closed her eyes and thought about it. Shi Qingqiu thought she had fallen asleep so quickly, so she muted her phone.

After several days of meetings, the fatigue had indeed piled up. The room was quiet, and with her eyes closed, it didn’t take long before Wen Qinghan dozed off. Perhaps because she had been thinking of her before sleep, she ended up dreaming even in such a short nap.

In her dream, it was back in college when Shi Qingqiu invited her to the food street near campus. They hadn’t seen each other for many days, and that day Wen Qinghan had a faint curve at the corners of her lips as she followed Shi Qingqiu into a small shop.

But her smile froze the moment she saw Qi Yue.

Shi Qingqiu held her hand and brought her over to Qi Yue. She remembered that Shi Qingqiu usually only gave polite smiles to others, but that day her eyes carried a warm light.

Smiling, Shi Qingqiu said, “Qinghan, this is my girlfriend, Qi Yue. You’ve met her before, remember?”

Wen Qinghan knew that the reason Shi Qingqiu grew distant from her was because of Qi Yue. She also knew that among the many admirers of Shi Qingqiu, Qi Yue was the one who finally stood out. She had even seen Qi Yue kiss Shi Qingqiu in a deserted hallway.

She still remembered that scene vividly, but what she couldn’t recall was how she made it through that day. Forcing down the sour ache in her heart, she saw the tenderness in Shi Qingqiu’s face as she looked at Qi Yue. She didn’t dare look any longer, only tucking away Shi Qingqiu’s happiness in her heart.

What does it matter if the one you like, the one who can make you happy, is not me? My wish is for you to get what you want. There isn’t only one path to that ending; it’s just that, in the end, you didn’t choose me.

It was a calm dream, and when Wen Qinghan woke, she was just as calm, for she had always kept the waves of her heart well hidden.

The room lights were on. Wen Qinghan squinted, turned her body from her side to lie flat, and let out a soft, lazy sigh. The drowsiness lingering in her eyes slowly faded as she saw the person approaching. “Qingqiu, how long have I been asleep?” Her voice was soft and husky from waking. She propped herself against the headboard, watching as Shi Qingqiu sat down beside the bed.

“It’s already eight o’clock. What do you think? How long do you suppose you slept?” Shi Qingqiu didn’t look reproachful at all. She handed her a glass of water to soothe her throat.

“So long already.” Wen Qinghan took a sip, frowned slightly, and with both hands resting the cup on her stomach, said in a low voice, “Sorry, I slept through dinner time.” Her voice grew clearer, her spirit more awake.

Shi Qingqiu reached out to set the cup on the nightstand and asked, “Didn’t you say you wanted to go out for a walk? We can take care of dinner then.”

Meeting Shi Qingqiu’s smiling eyes, Wen Qinghan forced out a soft, “Mm, okay.”

Sleeping through dinner—this was something almost unheard of for Wen Qinghan, who always managed her life in neat order. But thinking deeper, marrying Shi Qingqiu had never been part of her plans either. She had bet everything on it, leaving no retreat. Every step after that was her truest thought and choice in the moment. Or rather, it was from the instant she could no longer let go of Shi Qingqiu that her life’s path, though outwardly unchanged, had in fact slipped out of her control.

So then, why not just let things take their course?

***

Leaving the hotel, Wen Qinghan took Shi Qingqiu by taxi to a food street a bit farther away. Shi Qingqiu still made a simple disguise, just enough so no passerby would recognize her identity.

The crowd surged around them. Wen Qinghan led Shi Qingqiu to walk along the right side. Curious, Shi Qingqiu asked, “Qinghan, what are you taking me to eat?”

Wen Qinghan looked around until her gaze settled on a place up ahead. Lifting her chin, she said, “We’re almost there, follow me.” She had heard about this restaurant in passing from her colleagues these days, but since it was far from the hotel and meeting place, no one had gone.

But Wen Qinghan had remembered the name and location, and today she deliberately chose a late-night spot far from the hotel.

When they entered, a table near the entrance had just been vacated. The server was tidying it and motioned them over.

Wen Qinghan nodded and went on to order from the owner.

“What did you order?” Shi Qingqiu took off her mask and poured tea for Wen Qinghan when she came back to sit down.

“Nothing much, just some of the popular dishes here.” Taking the tea, Wen Qinghan added, “I heard their food leans on the sweet side, which attracts a lot of out-of-towners. They don’t just have meals either; they serve late-night snacks too.”

Shi Qingqiu couldn’t help but laugh. “These past few days, did you even attend the meetings properly? Why do I feel like you were only listening to people talk about food?” It was no wonder she teased. These past days all her hotel meals had been arranged by Wen Qinghan, leaving her nothing to worry about. Even when Wen Qinghan didn’t return to eat with her, meals would arrive at the proper time. When she watched scripts or films during breaks, small snacks would also be delivered. Never once repeating, without exception—all orchestrated remotely by Wen Qinghan.

With a faint smile, Wen Qinghan said, “Of course I attended properly, but that doesn’t stop me from remembering the food people mentioned. They were talking right next to me, hard not to overhear.”

Shi Qingqiu laughed too. As a rising star in the legal world, Wen Qinghan not only had striking achievements but also possessed an exceptional memory for what she saw and heard. So in Shi Qingqiu’s mind appeared the image of a group of people in lively discussion, while Wen Qinghan calmly sat aside, quietly using her phone to order food.

“So what did you order?” Shi Qingqiu asked. Trusting Wen Qinghan’s taste these past few days, her expectations for the place rose.

“Grilled fish, grilled beef, grilled eggplant, spicy boiled beef, and egg-drop soup,” Wen Qinghan listed, then poured tea for Shi Qingqiu and added, “And rice.”

This was far from just dinner. Since the meal was late, Wen Qinghan had simply combined dinner and supper into one—and even ordered two beef dishes for Shi Qingqiu.

At that moment, the server brought over the grilled fish stove, setting it in the middle of the table. Steam rose between them.

Through the rising steam, Shi Qingqiu laughed. “Are you trying to keep me from working properly by ordering so much?”

Soon, grilled beef and eggplant were also served. Beside the grill appeared a bowl and a pair of chopsticks, with a tender piece of fish inside. Across from her, Wen Qinghan said, “Think of it as compensation for leaving you in the hotel these days. Try it.”

Her reasoning was always so proper that it left no room to argue. Shi Qingqiu picked up the fish to taste. It was a little different from what she had eaten before, though she couldn’t say exactly how.

They had left the hotel past eight, arrived at the street around nine, and by the time they finished their dinner-supper it was nearly ten.

When they came out after paying, the street was in full swing. With so many people out for late-night food, there were also many stalls selling trinkets. Even late into the night it was bustling.

After a few deep breaths, Shi Qingqiu put her mask back on and walked alongside Wen Qinghan. Thinking of what she had eaten, she sighed. “Qinghan, I don’t dare weigh myself when we get back. What should I do?”

The commercial shoot was already set, and after that there was still a reality show and a film to shoot. The reality show might not have requirements, but aside from the crew, there would definitely be people snapping candid photos. If her body just happened to “absorb especially well” these days, wouldn’t that be terrible?

Wen Qinghan understood her worry, but showed not the slightest guilt for what she had done these days. Calm as always, she simply said, “Late-night snacks should be eaten less. These days, eating with me has been irregular, but back when you were in school, you ate late at night almost every day and didn’t gain weight. I think you needn’t worry.”

Almost every day? Hardly. It was just those few days at the start of college, in a new environment, when she let herself go a little and dragged Wen Qinghan along to explore the local food. Just a short while, really. She hadn’t expected Wen Qinghan to remember it so clearly after all these years—even teasing her about it.

With a helpless smile, Shi Qingqiu said, “It was only a few days. Do you have to say it like I ate late-night snacks every day? If I’d known, I wouldn’t have asked you. Even back then, Little Rui asked me, ‘Why do you always drag along that block of wood?’” Her voice was muffled by the mask, but the smile in it wasn’t hidden from Wen Qinghan.

Wen Qinghan tugged lightly on her wrist to guide her aside from a child in their way before saying, “A block of wood? I thought she always called me an ice block.” She had once overheard Yao Rui secretly calling her an ice block. She hadn’t expected another nickname—who knew how many there were?

“Actually, you’re fine the way you are. At least, I never thought there was a problem. You’re just a little reserved, not arrogant or condescending.” Seeing Wen Qinghan not caring much, or maybe simply used to it, Shi Qingqiu couldn’t help but speak, remembering the rumors in their department back then.

Words from irrelevant people may not stir a ripple in your heart, whether praise or insult. But if they come from someone you deeply care about, even just one or two sentences can either fill you with joy or plunge you into sorrow.

Wen Qinghan’s expression softened instantly. Repeating Shi Qingqiu’s words in her heart, she felt it was like vintage wine: startling at first sip, with an aftertaste slowly spreading through every nerve.

“Qingqiu, have you thought that maybe this is why you agreed to my proposal, to marry me?” Wen Qinghan’s lips curved in a faint smile. “Because the me you see is different from the me others see.”

“Is that so?” Shi Qingqiu thought back carefully to the Wen Qinghan of the past, murmuring, “I suppose it is…”

She didn’t truly know Wen Qinghan, yet in some ways she understood her. Perhaps it was precisely this that made Wen Qinghan’s proposal resonate with her.