As she was wracked with guilt and struggling with her emotions, a thud suddenly echoed in her ears, like a massive object crashing onto the ground. Bone and flesh collided with the hard floor, emitting a muffled thud.
The man, who was as imposing as a mountain, had, at some point, collapsed onto the ground.
"Tingyun—"
Su Qi emerged from the temple and returned home. She turned on the lights. The house was empty, with only her in it. Yet, she was content. Everything belonged to her; it was her home, and everything now had a sense of warmth. Even alone, she felt as if she had found a sense of belonging.
Having just left the temple, Su Qi hadn't eaten enough of the temple's vegetarian meal. She wanted a late-night snack and opened the refrigerator, only to find it completely empty.
She had been so busy with work recently that she hadn't even had time to tidy up the house.
Just as she was about to pick up her phone to order takeout, the doorbell rang.
Ding dong. Su Qi's heart skipped a beat.
Could it be… again?
The door opened, and indeed, it was as she had suspected.
The delivery man was still wearing the uniform of that Chinese restaurant.
"Please thank Mr. Qin for me."
Su Qi took the bag. It was heavy, indicating a generous portion!
"Mr. Qin said that if you wish to express your thanks, you should do so personally to him."
The delivery man left after speaking.
Su Qi was a little dazed. She closed the door and opened the bag. As the saying goes, one feels indebted after accepting a favor. She wanted to maintain some pride, to salvage a sliver of her dignity, but her strength wasn't enough. Who could resist such delicious food?
In the end, Su Qi surrendered and picked up her chopsticks, shamefully eating two large bowls.
After eating her fill, Su Qi wiped her mouth and then remembered the important matter.
She picked up her phone and sent Qin Yusheng a text message.
"Thank you for the late-night snack. You don't need to send any more in the future! You've spent too much!"
Ordering so much this time must have been quite expensive.
She had only eaten a little previously, and it had cost thousands. This must have cost tens of thousands!
She had only known Huo Tingyun to be wealthy, but she hadn't expected Qin Yusheng to be as wealthy as Huo Tingyun.
"Sister Su Qi, isn't it true what the old saying goes? It's not important whether a man has money or not; what's important is whether he's willing to spend money on a woman. If a man has money and is willing to spend it on a woman, then he's truly a rare gem of a man."
Wasn't this description precisely referring to Qin Yusheng?
Qin Yusheng sent her a photo. It was of a house, a river-view apartment. The entire decoration was in a feminine style: simple, warm, and romantic.
"This is our future marital home. This is the living room, this is the bedroom, and this is the nursery. The nursery hasn't been decorated yet; I don't know if our child will be a boy or a girl…"
Upon reading this, Su Qi suddenly choked up.
The child in her belly was Huo Tingyun's flesh and blood, yet Qin Yusheng could be so indifferent, even treating it as his own.
He had even prepared the nursery.
In this world, who else could do this?
Qin Yusheng could.
Su Qi didn't know how to describe her feelings at that moment; her emotions were a complex mix of flavors.
"Yusheng, why are you so good to me?"
They had only met once.
Did "love at first sight" truly exist in this world?
"Yes, of course, it does."
"Just like you fell for Huo Tingyun back then, a moth drawn to a flame, utterly devoted."
"I am the same as you were, but I am different. I will obtain whomever I desire."
He, Qin Yusheng, would definitely have Su Qi.
She was unique in the world, a beautiful piece of porcelain, a dangerous dagger, a vibrant rose, the warm and bright sunshine of March, even the proud plum blossom in the harsh winds of December.
She was charming and mysterious, also dangerous and wild.
Most importantly, she was his radiant light, the meaning of his existence, his hope for life, his salvation.
"Su Qi, I don't like this world. I only like you."
Su Qi's heart skipped a beat.
"I don't like this world. I only like you."
What beautiful, romantic words.
Tears instantly welled up in her eyes. Su Qi covered the phone receiver and took a long moment to compose herself.
No one refused to be loved.
Especially when she was rarely loved.
"Mr. Qin, about the thirty million yuan dowry you mentioned, does it still stand?"
The man on the other end was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, then he let out a hearty laugh. His laughter was pleasant, incredibly melodious.
"Of course, my Mrs. Qin."
The next morning, Su Qi arrived at the company, still feeling a bit sleepy. As soon as she entered, she noticed everyone in the company smiling and looking at her.
Su Qi frowned.
Strange, had the company won the lottery or gone public? Why were they all looking at her like this?
Su Qi felt a prickle of unease. She entered her office and was about to call Yang Tianhao in when the office door suddenly opened. Yang Tianhao pushed in a trolley, on which sat a bouquet of nine hundred and ninety roses, elaborately wrapped, making quite a statement.
The roses were very fresh, still bearing dew drops. Each one was in full bloom, exuding a captivating fragrance.
Su Qi was taken aback, "This is…"
"Of course, it's from Young Master Qin! French air-freighted roses. See how fresh they are? Nine hundred and ninety of them! Priceless!"
This was equivalent to an ordinary person's annual salary. This Young Master Qin was truly generous, sending ninety-nine roses just like that.
What was that saying again? Can good looks fill a stomach?
This saying applied perfectly to Su Qi.
Good looks could indeed fill a stomach.
Yang Tianhao pushed the roses towards Su Qi, "Don't just talk about you; even I, a man, am smitten. If you don't accept them, why don't you introduce Young Master Qin to me? Let Young Master Qin not be so strict about gender; I could also be interested!"
Su Qi chuckled and playfully glared at Yang Tianhao, "You're always so glib."
She looked at the bouquet of roses, nine hundred and ninety of them. So, there were this many.
She had always fantasized about this scene in the past: Huo Tingyun buying her roses, giving her a diamond ring. She hadn't received this from Huo Tingyun, but she had received it from another man.
How ironic.
Su Qi smiled, leaned down, and sniffed the roses. Their scent was fresh and elegant, very pleasant, with fresh morning dew. It was clear that Qin Yusheng had put in a lot of effort.
No woman could refuse such a pursuit, and she was no exception.
After all, she was merely flesh and blood, just an ordinary woman.
"Sister Su Qi, Young Master Qin is pursuing you so ardently, aren't you even a little moved? If you ask me, this Young Master Qin is so willing to spend money, has a good family background, and is good-looking too. I think Sister Su Qi should just…"
Su Qi smiled and didn't reply. She merely said, "I've transferred thirty million to my account. Go to the bank this afternoon to handle the procedures and transfer this money to the film crew, ask them to be lenient."