Fu Jing Shu naturally took her hand as they stepped out, "Don't worry, he'll speak."
Shen Qing Qing nodded, resting her small head on his shoulder. She said softly, "There's no use rushing now. We'll know his intentions eventually."
"Mm."
Suddenly, a sound echoed in the silent corridor.
The two paused and exchanged glances.
They both looked towards the source of the noise.
It came from a room at the end of the corridor, its door slightly ajar. They approached the door stealthily, their footsteps almost silent.
As they reached the door, before Shen Qing Qing could get a clear view, a broad back appeared before her.
He slowly reached out and pushed the door open.
Shen Qing Qing's lips curved upwards. Reassured, she hid behind her man, peeking her small head inside the slowly opening door.
There was a sealed window on the wall, making the room dim. They could only see the interior through the light filtering in from the doorway.
It was a storage room.
Various boxes were neatly arranged inside, along with some dusty ornaments.
Shen Qing Qing followed Fu Jing Shu into the room, both of them deliberately keeping their footsteps light. Apart from the faint creak when the door was first opened, there was no other sound.
After a while, the person inside the box could no longer wait. They tentatively pushed at the lid.
There was no sound from outside.
She bit her lip. The earlier sound must have been the wind, or a fluke. If someone had entered, there would have been some noise.
She was feeling utterly suffocated and restless.
She pushed open the lid and finally took a breath of fresh air. However, the air was filled with dust, and she coughed several times, covering her chest.
When she looked up, she was stunned.
How could someone be here?!
Shen Qing Qing crossed her arms and leisurely sized up the girl who had emerged from the box. Her clothes were a bit disheveled, her face smudged with dirt, and her hair was messy, making her look quite dishevelled.
"Who are you?"
The girl stammered, "I... if I said I was just passing by, would you believe me..."
Shen Qing Qing raised an eyebrow.
The girl deflated. "Okay, I wasn't passing by. I was actually captured. The person threw me in here and left me alone. I was scared..."
She pouted pitifully.
Shen Qing Qing narrowed her eyes slightly and stepped forward, pulling her out. "Come out first."
The girl quickly climbed out. Only then did she realize how short she was. Shen Qing Qing was almost 1.7 meters tall, and this girl was half a head shorter.
Standing before the couple, she appeared exceptionally petite.
"Pretty sister, can you help me? I don't want to be discovered. If I'm found, I'll be taken away!"
Shen Qing Qing suddenly asked, "Aren't you afraid that I'm in league with whoever captured you?"
The girl was taken aback and asked hesitantly, "N-no, that's impossible. Sister is so beautiful, you don't look like a bad person!"
"What's your name?"
"My name is An Qi," the girl blurted out, then lowered her head, seeming a little shy. "Sister, I'm a bit hungry..."
"Come with us."
"Will we not be discovered if we just go out like this?" An Qi sounded uneasy.
"It's fine."
Shen Qing Qing led her out. As they reached the corridor, the view suddenly opened up, and An Qi finally got a good look at the couple.
"Wow!"
She truly hadn't expected the woman to be stunningly beautiful, and the man to be tall and handsome, especially those cold eyes.
When his gaze swept over her, she couldn't help but shrink her neck, feeling a little intimidated.
But when his gaze fell upon Shen Qing Qing, the coldness in his eyes melted like frost and snow, a hint of tenderness sprouting like a tender shoot in spring.
She blinked slightly and couldn't help but look at Shen Qing Qing.
"Sister, is this your..."
Shen Qing Qing linked her arm with the man beside her, her lips curving upwards with a hint of sweetness. "This is my husband."
The man's aura of coldness instantly dissipated.
An Qi stared at them blankly for a long moment before exclaiming, "Sister, you two are truly a perfect match."
Shen Qing Qing smiled faintly. "Let's go first. Weren't you hungry?"
An Qi followed them down the corridor and into a room. Upon entering, the first thing she saw was the slightly dishevelled large bed.
If someone were living alone, she wouldn't think much of it, but a couple...
Her face flushed.
Shen Qing Qing blinked in surprise at her embarrassed expression, then looked at the large bed. Understanding and annoyance flashed across her face, and she shot Fu Jing Shu a glare.
It was all his fault, always being so unruly.
Fu Jing Shu touched his nose. Receiving his wife's playful glare, he calmly walked over and neatly folded the quilt on the bed.
However, as he moved, his mind couldn't help but drift back to the passionate scene of the previous night.
After tidying up, Shen Qing Qing poured An Qi a glass of water. "Tell us, who captured you."
"I..." An Qi took a sip of water, lowered her head, her eyes darting around. "I was captured, but I don't know why..."
"When did you arrive?"
"Just before you did..."
Shen Qing Qing narrowed her eyes slightly. "You've been in the storage room the whole time? But no one was guarding the door. Why didn't you come out?"
"I didn't dare."
An Qi glanced at her cautiously and said softly, "I don't know where this place is, and I don't know why that person captured me. What if I went out and was discovered, I..."
She seemed to recall something terrifying and shivered.
Shen Qing Qing said gently, "Alright, you can stay here with me for now."
As soon as she said this, Fu Jing Shu immediately looked at her, his brows furrowed.
"You'll stay with King for a couple of days," Shen Qing Qing coaxed him, lowering her voice. "You can't possibly live with her, can you?"
"Nonsense!" Fu Jing Shu said with a stern face. "Let King live with her."
"...Are you serious?"
Her master was a man, after all. This wouldn't be appropriate...
Fu Jing Shu turned his head and looked at the tiles on the floor. "There are spare blankets in the wardrobe. You can lay one on the floor to sleep."
Before Shen Qing Qing could respond, An Qi let out a scream.
"I don't want to!"
Fu Jing Shu's ears buzzed, and he shot her a cold glance. "Shut your mouth."
He detested the shrill sound of women screaming, finding it piercing and unpleasant.
Except, of course, for his wife.
An Qi was startled. She felt that at that moment, although the man was looking at her, his eyes held no trace of her, only intense disgust and indifference.
She bit her lip and looked at Shen Qing Qing. "Sister, I don't want to sleep with a man!"
Shen Qing Qing was also in a difficult position. Her man didn't want to be separated, and all the others were men. This was a tough situation...
Suddenly, An Qi's stomach rumbled.
She covered her stomach bashfully, too embarrassed to look up.
"Wait a moment, I'll go get you something to eat." She paused, then thinking of her husband's dismissive attitude towards An Qi earlier, she decisively looked at him. "You go get it."
Fu Jing Shu couldn't have asked for more, as he didn't want to be alone with An Qi. "Alright. Is there anything you'd like to eat? The desserts here are quite good, I'll get you some."
Shen Qing Qing blinked in surprise. "You know I like to eat?"
"You had two portions at dinner just now." A smile flickered in his eyes. The delight in her eyes then was almost overflowing.