6 No More Quarreling / 06

The next morning, at dawn, the morning breeze was cool, causing the flowers and plants outside the terrace to sway gently.

Perhaps because her heart was preoccupied with something, Sheng Huaining had not slept well all night.

Occasionally, the soft rustling of her shifting in bed could be heard, along with one or two sighs.

Her eyelids drooped as she held her phone in her hands.

After a few seconds, she lowered her arm in defeat, her feet kicking restlessly in the air out of frustration.

For so many years, during her studies, she had her parents and a personal butler by her side.

After graduation, there was Luo Zhi and Xiao Qi; she never had to worry about anything.

Suddenly having to help take care of someone else's child left her feeling somewhat overwhelmed.

Sheng Huaining had been annoyed the entire night.

Why hadn’t she thought to ask before parting ways last night what time she was supposed to pick them up today, or which hair salon they were going to afterward?

She sat up and leaned against the headboard, scrolling through the few chat messages she had with He Chenye.

Gradually, she began to see a pattern.

Both times, she had contacted He Chenye in the early hours of the morning, and without exception, received no reply.

It was not yet six o’clock, so it was still early.

But He Chenye had accepted her WeChat friend request around six oh five yesterday.

Seeming eager to verify her suspicion, Sheng Huaining suddenly felt much more alert.

She threw back the covers, slipped on her slippers, and went to the living room. She filled a crystal glass with water at the bar counter and placed it beside her.

Time passed by second after second.

She rubbed her finger along the edge of the glass and couldn’t help but start counting down silently.

Five, four, three, two, one.

Sure enough, at almost the same time as yesterday, a WeChat notification popped up on her phone, from He Chenye.

“Time is up to you,” it read.

Sheng Huaining let out a soft laugh, leaning back against the cushioned round chair.

Her feet dangled in the air, and as her body trembled slightly, her mink slippers slipped off, falling with a soft thud.

She had guessed correctly.

He Chenye was not much older than her, yet he was so rigidly disciplined in his routine.

Perhaps he had lived a regimented life since childhood, even in work, following the rules to the letter.

Such people were the most formidable.

Unsure of her own feelings, Sheng Huaining curiously typed back, “Are you going for a morning run now?”

The reply came swiftly.

“Yes.”

She paused for a moment, resolving to change He Chenye’s contact name later.

Just as she hesitated, her fingers moved unconsciously, typing the phrase “old cadre” in Chinese.

Unexpectedly, her elbow knocked over the cup beside her, and hot water spilled instantly.

She sprang up, grabbing tissues with one hand to wipe the spill while holding her phone in the other.

Water dripped down the back of her hand.

She glanced at her phone’s illuminated screen and hurriedly deleted the message she had typed.

But instead of typing “laogan” correctly, she had accidentally typed “laogon.”

She reacted quickly, but the screen was fogged from the water, and the touchscreen was less responsive than usual.

She had no choice but to wipe the phone carefully with the tissue.

After finally drying it, the screen lit up again, unlocking to reveal the message had already been sent.

The two characters read “husband.”

She felt like a startled bird, pacing nervously as her trembling fingers hit the recall button.

The next instant, her phone buzzed violently in her palm, the vibration spreading through her body until she nearly lost sensation.

“?” came the reply from He Chenye.

Ah—

Sheng Huaining screamed silently, convincing herself that He Chenye had gone for his run and surely hadn’t seen the message.

The second thought was to cautiously test whether he had actually seen it.

She typed calmly but with a troubled expression: “I was just asking if you want to come with us later.”

This was the first time Sheng Huaining anxiously awaited someone’s reply like this.

“Was that sent to the wrong person?” He Chenye replied.

Her mind exploded.

He had seen it? He actually saw it!

She thought she must be dreaming and pinched her thigh so hard that tears almost welled up.

Trying to act calm, she debated telling the truth but decided against it.

Who would give a nickname to someone they barely knew? That would be too rude.

Blinking, she stubbornly replied, “Yes! That’s right.”

The conversation abruptly stopped there. Sheng Huaining stared at the suddenly silent phone, secretly praising He Chenye for his tact in not continuing the awkward topic.

Suddenly, sleepiness crashed over her.

Before falling asleep, she set her alarm and sent He Chenye a message reminding him not to forget to tell her the elevator access code.

Upstairs, less than four meters away.

The gym, carpeted with soundproof padding, was dim and silent.

He Chenye stood before the treadmill, brows furrowed, eyes fixed unblinkingly on his lit phone.

His right hand clenched tighter and tighter, veins bulging across his hand and arm, as if suppressing something.

Suddenly, the sharp sound of breaking glass rang out.

His tense back relaxed slightly as he walked down the corridor to the living room.

Xixi looked up at him, her eyes bright but soon clouded with tears.

After a moment of sobbing, she cautiously admitted, “Brother, I’m sorry, I broke the glass.”

Around the black nickel-finished coffee table, shards scattered everywhere, and a large portion of the wool carpet was soaked.

He Chenye stepped forward.

After a night of silence, his voice was quieter than usual, carrying a subtle pressure: “It’s okay, it’s just a glass.”

“Brother, please don’t be angry.”

Xixi’s shoulders trembled as she instinctively reached out, her cool fingertips gently touching He Chenye’s brow.

After a moment, he suddenly looked up, suppressing a bitter feeling rising in his throat, and smiled faintly. “Don’t be afraid, I really’m not angry.”

His fingers rhythmically stroked both sides of her forehead, helping ease her frown.

Xixi blinked, tears fading, speaking softly with even more pitiful tone than his, “But Brother looked very unhappy.”

He paused, then smiled wryly. “You’re mistaken. Why are you up so early? What do you want to eat? Brother will make it for you.”

“Steamed egg custard and sesame rolls.”

“Okay, go sit on the sofa. I’ll clean up the glass first, then make it for you.”

An hour later, He Chenye methodically placed all the dishes on the dining table.

Before he could speak, the person on the sofa nearby approached holding a thick magazine.

After sitting obediently, Xixi met his gaze and smiled without a word.

Soon, she took a sesame roll from him, eating while flipping through the magazine.

Without hesitation, He Chenye said, “Xixi, finish eating before reading.”

The girl swallowed and couldn’t suppress a smile, clapping the magazine and exclaiming, “Brother, it’s sister-in-law! Sister-in-law is so beautiful.”

Following where her hand landed, He Chenye’s eyes drifted over.

On the glossy magazine page was a vintage layout.

Amongst many cascading veils, Sheng Huaining leaned lazily, her delicate face half-hidden behind a more striking makeup than usual, making her hard to recognize at a glance.

He stared for a long moment, unable to hold back his emotions, taking a deep breath.

After finishing the sesame roll and wiping her hands, Xixi picked up the magazine again, her shoulders swaying with inexplicable good cheer. “Brother, I saw many sister-in-laws just now, all wearing beautiful dresses.”

Hearing this, He Chenye turned his face quietly, staring at the dozens of magazines scattered on the coffee table.

His heart skipped a beat; instinctively, his upper body leaned back, and the hand holding his chopsticks moved sideways, touching something cold.

He sighed softly, suddenly recalling the brief chat with Sheng Huaining over an hour ago.

Lowering his chin slightly, his voice hushed and hoarse, emotion unreadable, “Xixi, that’s not sister-in-law.”

“Yes, it is.”

The girl stubbornly persisted, leaving He Chenye helpless.

He blinked subtly, feeling amused. “What does sister-in-law mean?”

This time, Xixi’s long lashes fluttered slightly, and she fell silent.

The apartment, plunged into stillness, felt especially empty at that moment, with only the ticking of the quartz clock on the wall breaking the silence.

He Chenye pressed a hand to his suddenly throbbing temple, shook his head, and got up to go to the kitchen.

He took out a heating tray rarely used, carefully wiping it clean.

Perhaps realizing something, Xixi shook the magazine in her hands, lips parted, her voice soft yet firm: “She is Brother’s wife.”

No sooner had she spoken than the kitchen paper in He Chenye’s hand dropped to the floor. He swiftly picked it up again, deliberately maintaining a calm demeanor, then changed the subject: “Brother has to go to work later. Do you want to come along?”

Over a month ago, when He Chenye decided to work in Harbor City, he arranged for Xixi to transfer schools.

Special education schools generally start at six years old and complete all normal courses within thirteen years.

Xixi had just reached adulthood and only needed to finish her final year of secondary school before graduating.

At first, he worried she might not adapt well to the new environment and could become stressed.

Unexpectedly, she adapted even faster than he did.

Consequently, some other concerns he had also resolved smoothly.

Originally, He Chenye had carefully chosen a nanny from the mainland to care for Xixi.

He was stationed at the company headquarters and was too busy to handle everything himself.

Rarely leaving the house except for school, Xixi tugged on his sleeve, stumbling over her words to tell him she wanted to stay at school longer to get to know her new classmates better.

Unable to bear the worry, he stipulated that she must return home on weekends.

The girl’s voice was faint and reluctant, her expression showing some unwillingness.

For many years, He Chenye had wholeheartedly cared for Xixi.

He never traveled on business, nor did he work overtime on weekends; this was well known throughout the company.

But life was unpredictable.

Upon waking early that morning, he received a message from another senior executive responsible for receiving foreign guests.

Due to a sudden illness of an elderly family member, he was asked to take over the reception duties.

Given the urgency, he had to agree.

At that moment, the girl did not even lift her head, her tone tinged with protest. “I’m not going. I want to stay home and wait for sister-in-law.”

“It might be until the afternoon.”

“In that case, when Brother goes to work, I’ll stay home and read.”

Hearing this, he smiled briefly and continued with his tasks.

The beef bone soup simmered in the enamel pot was placed directly on the heating tray, and the pastries arranged on the nearby plates looked equally appetizing.

Lingering at home until nearly ten o’clock, He Chenye estimated it was about time and went to his bedroom to change.

Emerging in a business suit, he neatly concealed the casualness he showed only at home.

He put away his documents just as a message popped up from Assistant An on his phone.

He replied, including Sheng Huaining’s previous message.

No sooner had he instructed Xixi to prepare to leave than the door’s electronic lock beeped with the code.

The two people kneeling and crouching by the coffee table glanced toward the door simultaneously.

With a click, the door opened, and a beautiful head tied in a high ponytail peeked inside.

Sheng Huaining blinked her large eyes, looking around before, at the moment their gazes met, trembling slightly. “Why haven’t you left yet?”

He Chenye was stunned for a moment, beginning to doubt whose home he was really in.

Seeing her try to escape, he quickly chased after her.

His large hand swiftly caught her swinging wrist, pulling firmly as he confronted her with a warm yet displeased voice, “Why are you running?”