Love Finds Its Time - Chapter 6

When Shi Qingqiu’s flight landed in City B, Wen Qinghan was already waiting there with her black BMW 6 Series. Low-key yet steady. The crowd bustled around, but Wen Qinghan seemed untouchable, like someone apart from the world, wrapped in a chill that kept people at a distance. She drew eyes, yet never gave hers to anyone.

Shi Qingqiu removed her mask, turned her head, and said something to Yang Xiao. Wen Qinghan stepped forward, took Shi Qingqiu’s suitcase, and placed it in the trunk. Back at the car door, she frowned.

Shi Qingqiu smiled, then turned to her assistant Yang Xiao. “A-Xiao, you can head back. I’ll go with my friend.”

That ice face again, Yang Xiao grumbled inwardly, but outwardly forced a smile. “Alright then, Shi-jie, I’ll get going.” She waved, tugged her own suitcase, and left.

Shi Qingqiu gave Wen Qinghan a helpless glance, not knowing what to say. Wen Qinghan never liked to talk much, and even less with strangers.

“Let’s go.” Wen Qinghan spoke softly, opening the driver’s side door.

Shi Qingqiu walked around to the front, got into the passenger seat, buckled up, and the car slowly rolled out. The speed was steady. She turned to look at Wen Qinghan, recalled the moment just now, and couldn’t help but smile.

“Qingqiu, what are you smiling at?” Wen Qinghan kept her eyes on the road, her fine lips parting gently.

“It’s nothing. Not worth mentioning.” Shi Qingqiu looked out the window, her gaze wandering, yet through the glass she studied Wen Qinghan’s reflection.

They had known each other since childhood. She could no longer remember their first meeting, only that in her memory, Wen Qinghan had always been quiet and withdrawn. Even in a carefree childhood, she could never blend into noisy crowds. Not out of arrogance. When people approached her, Wen Qinghan was always polite, but she simply couldn’t merge into larger groups. Over time, those who never really knew her spread talk, “Wen Qinghan looks down on people” or “Wen Qinghan has a bad temper.”

In truth, she was just reserved.

Just like Yang Xiao earlier. Because Wen Qinghan always seemed cold and aloof, she had never tried to talk to her. If she had, she would have discovered that Wen Qinghan might be cold, but never rude.

Thinking of this, Shi Qingqiu smiled again. That was Wen Qinghan’s nature. In this society, being able to stay true to oneself was rare enough. She hoped Wen Qinghan would never change, never be tainted by worldly dust.

Then Wen Qinghan’s voice drifted over. “Qingqiu, Uncle Shi asked me a few days ago to come for dinner and I agreed. It’s today.”

Because of her tight schedule, Shi Qingqiu, though she had her own place, usually stayed with her parents when back home. Hearing this, she knew tonight Wen Qinghan would be at her house.

Their families had tried pairing them up for so long. If they knew the two had already married, their jaws might drop. After all, after so many years without even dating, how had they suddenly married?

Shi Qingqiu sighed lightly. “Alright, then let’s go.” Thinking of their still-secret marriage, she turned to Wen Qinghan. “By the way, should we tell them?”

If not, then once they arrived, her parents would surely start their subtle matchmaking again. No matter what was said, the topic would always circle back to them. After so many years, they were used to it, except for one year when things quieted down.

That was the year Shi Qingqiu told her family she had a girlfriend. However disappointed they were, they couldn’t break up a couple.

Wen Qinghan pressed the accelerator slightly, seemingly not needing to think. “It doesn’t matter if we say it or not. I’ll go with you.” When most people said “It’s up to you,” it carried some hint of compromise. But on Wen Qinghan, it sounded just as distant and cool.

Shi Qingqiu pondered for a moment, then said slowly, “Let’s not tell them yet. We ourselves haven’t fully adjusted. Let’s wait a little longer.”

Wen Qinghan drove on silently, not replying, only maintaining a faster pace than before.

Her parents’ villa was close to Wen Qinghan’s parents’, in the same neighborhood, just in different directions. The two families had always been close, sometimes even taking walks together after dinner. Because of this, every time her parents asked Wen Qinghan to deliver something to the Shi household, she knew exactly what their intentions were.

When the car stopped outside, Wen Qinghan naturally carried Shi Qingqiu’s luggage, and the two walked to the door together.

Inside, Tang Honglang and Shi Jinghui had long told the housekeeper to prepare a full table of dishes. They sat on the sofa, waiting for their daughter and Wen Qinghan.

The moment the doorbell rang, Shi Jinghui rushed over. Seeing Wen Qinghan carrying the suitcase, her face lit up. “Qinghan, you’re here! Come in, come in. Your Uncle Shi and I have been waiting.” She signaled the maid to take the suitcase and pulled Wen Qinghan inside by the hand.

“Auntie, Uncle, sorry I’m a little late today. I’ve kept you waiting.” Wen Qinghan curved her lips politely, glancing toward Tang Honglang.

Tang Honglang, resting one hand on his beer belly, laughed. “No problem, you had to pick up Qingqiu. Being late is normal. Dinner was just served anyway. Come, let’s sit.”

Shi Jinghui kept chatting as she led Wen Qinghan in. “You must’ve just gotten off work before picking Qingqiu up. Thank you for the trouble.”

As they walked, Shi Qingqiu slipped to the kitchen to wash her hands. Just then, Wen Qinghan came in to do the same. When she reached to turn off the tap, Shi Qingqiu suddenly saw a thick red mark crossing her hand, clearly from carrying the suitcase earlier. Shi Qingqiu looked at her composed side profile, thought briefly, then said, “Qinghan, don’t carry my luggage anymore. Next time I’ll have someone deliver it.”

Wen Qinghan flexed her hand under the water, her expression softening. “Alright.”

Since it was rare for both to be present, her parents were beaming at dinner. After asking Shi Qingqiu about work, the topic inevitably shifted to relationships.

Shi Jinghui placed a piece of fish in her daughter’s dish, testing. “Qingqiu, have you met any suitable friends recently? If so, bring them home to meet us. You’re not that young anymore. It’s time to think about a partner.”

In earlier years, it was fine. But now that she was twenty-seven, twenty-eight, in her parents’ eyes she was “old.” But Shi Qingqiu knew well where this was heading.

Calmly, she picked some food into her dish and answered evenly, “Not at the moment.” Even if she did, she had no energy to get to know someone new. She glanced at Wen Qinghan, who seemed not to hear a thing, quietly eating her eggplant with perfect composure.

Shi Jinghui turned her gaze. “And you, Qinghan?”

Putting down her chopsticks, Wen Qinghan looked thoughtful, then met her eyes. “Auntie, I don’t either.”

Tang Honglang chuckled. “Well, then maybe you two should consider each other. Look at you! Good match in looks, good match in families, right? Don’t think we old folks are just teasing. You two have spent the most time together, even if you seem a bit distant.”

If that wasn’t knowing each other well, what was?

Shi Qingqiu knew this all too well. Still, she didn’t know why she couldn’t bring herself to tell them she and Wen Qinghan were already married.

Wen Qinghan glanced sideways at her, unreadable, then smiled faintly. Standing, she used the serving chopsticks to place fish on both elders’ plates, her voice warm. “Uncle, Auntie, the fish is very tender. I think it’s delicious. You should try it.”

This back-and-forth had happened too many times before. The two elders sighed inwardly, foiled yet again.

So Shi Jinghui gave up, saying instead, “Alright, let’s all eat. Otherwise the dishes will get cold. Qingqiu, eat more. You’re always so thin. Qinghan too…”

Shi Qingqiu smiled, placed some fish in Wen Qinghan’s dish, and the mood lightened.

After dinner, Shi Qingqiu went upstairs to unpack, while Wen Qinghan stayed chatting with Tang Honglang. When she returned, her mother brought a pot of tea to Wen Qinghan, who nodded in thanks.

Leaning on the upstairs wall, Shi Qingqiu watched with quiet amusement as their voices drifted over.

“Qinghan, not too many cases recently? We haven’t seen you come by like this in a while.” Tang Honglang sighed, sipping tea.

“Mhm. And nothing too demanding either, so it’s been manageable.” Wen Qinghan accepted a cup from Shi Jinghui, thanked her softly.

Shi Qingqiu’s lips curved faintly, a strange, fluttering feeling in her chest. Long ago, she had imagined someone like this. Sharing meals with her parents, chatting after, warm and easy. She couldn’t recall that imaginary figure’s face anymore. Gazing now, she merged the old shadow with Wen Qinghan’s.

She and Wen Qinghan could last a lifetime, couldn’t they? They’d never leave each other, precisely because there was no love. With love, one day came boredom, then distance, then escape. This was better. No love, but with Wen Qinghan, it was enough.

***

As night deepened, Wen Qinghan rose to leave, and Shi Qingqiu walked her to the door. Her parents, of course, let them go.

Since the Wen house was only a minute away, they stopped briefly at the gate.

“Qinghan, now that filming’s wrapped, I’ll have some time off. Just one commercial left, then nothing scheduled.” Shi Qingqiu clasped her hands behind her back, gazing straight at Wen Qinghan’s softened features in the light.

“Mhm. Then rest well.”

For some reason, Shi Qingqiu felt that even her tone had lost some of its chill. She smiled.

A rare flicker of a smile reached Wen Qinghan’s eyes. She half-raised a hand as if to do something, then withdrew it. Narrowing her eyes, she pressed her lips together, saying quietly, “If you want to find me, I’ll be there.”

The meaning was subtle, but given their current relationship, Shi Qingqiu understood instantly. They had never spoken like this before. Normally, if they wanted to meet, they just said so. But now, needing to spend more time together, they had to adapt.

Shi Qingqiu agreed readily. “Got it. Go on now. Remember to greet Uncle and Auntie for me.”

Wen Qinghan inclined her head. “Mhm.” In her eyes, Shi Qingqiu’s reflection was clear. Since the moment she’d seen her that day, her gaze had lingered. With her curled hair, Shi Qingqiu seemed all the more captivating. That smile with her assistant earlier had even held a trace of charm.

The memory flashed by. Wen Qinghan turned, her ink-black hair swaying softly like feathers, then walked away.

A few steps back, Shi Qingqiu called out again, “The streetlight over there seems broken. Drive carefully.”

She didn’t know if Wen Qinghan heard. She could only watch her tall, slender figure step out of the doorway’s circle of light, heading toward the car.