After the frenzy, Shu Yao fell into a deep sleep.
Qing Sihhuai leaned against the headboard, gazing out the window, lost in thought.
Though his plan had succeeded, he felt no satisfaction or pleasure from the victory; instead, his worries grew heavier.
After an unknown period, Shu Yao, utterly exhausted, woke up. Seeing the man smoking beside her, she reached out and encircled his waist, hugging him. "Ahuai, your health isn't good, why are you still smoking?"
"It's nothing."
Qing Sihhuai said "it's nothing," but he had already pressed the cigarette in his hand into the ashtray and extinguished it. "Don't worry too much about me."
"How can I not worry? Alas…"
Shu Yao leaned against him, inhaling his unique scent, lost in her own pain.
She had even forgotten that she had only given birth half a month ago and was still in her confinement period.
"You should worry about yourself and the child. As long as you are healthy and safe, that is all that matters."
There were no flowery words, but Qing Sihhuai's current state made Shu Yao even more deeply moved.
Shu Yao's eyes welled up, and she lightly pursed her red lips. "The child… have you seen him?"
She wondered if Qing Sihhuai, knowing which hospital the child was born in and possessing a copy of the birth certificate, might have seen the child.
"Yes, I have. The child is very cute. He looks a lot like you in his features." He didn't deny it.
Truth mixed with falsehood, falsehood mixed with truth. If he hadn't been diagnosed with cancer, even he himself might have succumbed to the lie, deeply moved by himself.
Whenever Shu Yao thought about how Qing Sihhuai had intentionally distanced himself and orchestrated their breakup because she had cancer, she felt immense guilt.
"Ahuai, I'm sorry…"
Before, to protect herself from Qing Sihhuai, she had made thorough preparations. But who knew that Qing Sihhuai had no intention of harming her child, nor had he ever planned to take the child away from her.
"Hmm? Why the sudden apology?" A fleeting light crossed Qing Sihhuai's eyes as he pretended ignorance.
"I… I…"
Shu Yao tilted her head up, gazing at Qing Sihhuai, and said softly, "Before… before, I misunderstood you, and that's why I wouldn't let you see our precious one. If… if I had known this would happen, I would never have let Qing Muye hide the child."
The preceding setup was all to ascertain the child's whereabouts from Shu Yao.
Qing Sihhuai hadn't expected everything to go so smoothly.
Three days.
No, if calculated precisely in hours, it was only fifty hours.
Fortunately, Meng Jingwei was not in the country, otherwise, Shu Yao would not have been so easily ensnared.
"You…"
Qing Sihhuai frowned slightly, then sighed. "It's for the best. Entrusting the child to Muye is good. He should be able to protect the child. Otherwise, if Anthony finds the child, the consequences would be unthinkable."
"Ahuai, aren't you and Qing Muye always at loggerheads?"
"Silly Yaoyao, no matter how much Muye and I clash, we are still family. But Anthony is ruthless and must be guarded against."
"But not long ago, Weiwei told me that you wanted to take the child…" She hesitated, but couldn't finish her sentence.
"You mean, I used the child as a bargaining chip to seize the Qing family inheritance?"
"Yes." Seeing Qing Sihhuai boldly state it, Shu Yao's worried heart settled down.
The man hugged Shu Yao, playing with her silken hair with his fingers, gazing at her tempting red lips, and gently kissed her. "Although I am dying, the child is, after all, my child. I just want to help him fight for what he deserves."
Qing Sihhuai's original intention was that the child was also part of the Qing family, and the Qing family must provide the child with some benefits and inheritance.
This perfect explanation made Shu Yao believe it and feel deeply touched.
She tilted her head up, looking at the man before her, his handsome face etched in her mind, her admiration and affection for him overriding all her rationality.
Shu Yao raised her hand to cup his face, stroking the stubble on his chin. Despite the beard, his mature aura made him even more charming, igniting her passion.
"Ahuai…" she called out softly.
Qing Sihhuai raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"
"Do you know, you are the best man I have ever met in this life." As she spoke, her voice grew a little choked, her fingers caressing his face trembling slightly. "God, it's truly too unfair."
Seeing her so deeply trapped that she couldn't extricate herself, Qing Sihhuai felt a surge of triumph from his successful scheme.
However, he showed no emotion on his face, maintaining his pretense of deep affection. "Loving you for a lifetime is God's gift to me. Yaoyao, I am very content."
As his words faded, he leaned down and covered her red lips again.
In the depths of their passion, an uncontrollable surge of hormones erupted…
From noon to afternoon, and from afternoon to late night, the two made love, stopping and starting, starting and stopping.
The overflowing affection seemed to be making up for the half-year they had missed.
That day, Shu Yao found being with Qing Sihhuai more comfortable and "satiated" than ever before, leaving her utterly blissful.
Finally, lying exhausted, she shook her head. "Ahuai, it's enough, it's enough…"
She sat up and pulled the man behind her forward. "Take care of your body, okay? You're in a special period right now."
"Silly Yaoyao."
Qing Sihhuai smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her into his embrace. "To die under the peonies is to be a romantic ghost. My motto is, life is short, enjoy it while you can."
Originally a very positive sentiment, it somehow took on a different flavor coming from Qing Sihhuai.
Her slender jade fingers drew circles on his chest, her fingertips feeling the warmth of the man's skin. She felt a touch of longing for the passionate intimacy they had just shared.
"That's still not allowed, your health is more important." She was very worried about Qing Sihhuai's health.
Although he seemed fine now, some illnesses had latent periods that were undetectable.
Now that she knew Qing Sihhuai was ill, she had to be careful in all aspects.
"Just one more time, just one… alright?"
Qing Sihhuai leaned close to Shu Yao and whispered in her ear, "Do you know how I got through this past half-year?"
His words made Shu Yao feel flustered, and her earlobes softened instantly. With a blush on her cheeks, she looked at Qing Sihhuai and said, "Then… then… just this once, okay? From now on, we must… restrain ourselves. Alright?"
Looking at the innocent, rabbit-like girl before him, Qing Sihhuai's face held a smile, but his mind was filled with the scenes of his humiliation by Anthony.
"Okay, I promise you. Let me get you a glass of water."
Qing Sihhuai got up, walked to the table, opened a cabinet, took out a cup, and also took something out. He then poured a glass of water for Shu Yao and dropped the item into the cup.
The substance dissolved instantly in the water, making it undetectable.
"Yaoyao, you must be tired. Drink some water." Qing Sihhuai turned around and handed the water to Shu Yao.
Shu Yao was deeply touched by Qing Sihhuai's meticulous care. "Ahuai, you are so good."