When faced with Quan Jiu’s proposal, Chu Rong agreed after a brief consideration. Although he wished he could tear Qu Yi limb from limb, he wouldn’t immediately engage in conflict with the Qu family, as he still had the Zhuang family to deal with.
After dinner, it was nearly half-past ten when he returned home. Due to the current sensitive period, the children and their grandfather were staying at the old Chu residence. Chu Rong hadn’t informed them about Quan Jiu’s disappearance, fearing it would cause worry to the elders and children.
Therefore, despite having gone through an abduction, Quan Jiu felt that nothing had changed upon returning home. The frantic situation she had imagined hadn’t materialized, which put her mind at ease.
“How’s the film crew? You didn’t make things difficult for them, did you?” Quan Jiu looked at Chu Rong with concern. She felt responsible for the repeated incidents plaguing the film crew, and if they were further implicated and held accountable due to her, she wouldn’t know how to face Guo Wen and the other actors.
Chu Rong, while preparing the bathwater, replied, “No, I know it’s not their fault.”
That was good. After they reconciled, Quan Jiu noticed that whenever something happened to her, Chu Rong would easily lose control of his emotions, sometimes becoming particularly volatile. Thus, her biggest worry that day wasn’t for anyone else but for her husband, who was prone to emotional outbursts, fearing he might go mad and act recklessly.
She dialed Guo Wen’s number.
“Director Guo, I’m back. Is everything alright with the film crew?”
Guo Wen, agitated, bombarded her with questions, “How are you? Are you injured? Have the culprits been caught? Who kidnapped you? Are you home now?”
The concerned tone touched Quan Jiu. The film crew had encountered three accidents in quick succession, and if a kidnapping were added to the list, the project might truly be doomed.
Guo Wen clearly understood and sighed, “In this day and age, people’s hearts are so wicked. I haven’t told the rest of the film crew about your kidnapping; I just said you took leave due to an emergency. You should rest for a few days; you’ve been too tired lately, working non-stop, and your body can’t take it.”
While other actors might rehearse daily, their schedules weren’t as intense as Quan Jiu’s. To save time, her scenes ran from six in the morning until past midnight. It seemed like others were accommodating Quan Jiu’s schedule, but in reality, she was the one enduring the most strenuous workload. Many actors felt they couldn’t push themselves that hard.
Quan Jiu thought for a moment. Although she felt perfectly fine, her mindset was good, and she didn’t feel traumatized, the upcoming days were when she would return to the Quan family to acknowledge her ancestors. It coincided perfectly with her desire to visit the Taishu clan before then. Thus, she thanked him and agreed.
After hanging up, Chu Rong’s bathwater was ready. He took out Quan Jiu’s pajamas and placed them in the bathroom, then went to Quan Jiu’s side and said gently, “Go soak in a hot bath.”
To prevent Chu Rong from overthinking, Quan Jiu deliberately heightened her spirits, saying cheerfully, “Okay!” and walked towards the bathroom, “After a long day, a hot bath at home is the most comfortable.”
Just as she was about to close the door, someone pushed it open.
Quan Jiu’s heart skipped a beat, but she feigned composure, “What’s wrong? Did you forget something?”
“I want to check if you’re injured,” Chu Rong said, reaching out to unbutton Quan Jiu’s clothes.
Quan Jiu’s face flushed instantly, and she quickly stepped back, “No, no, I’m not injured. You know my skills, right? Not only am I unharmed, but I almost finished off Qu Yi, almost choked him to death.”
Chu Rong’s eyes darkened further, clearly filled with regret. His woman had to save herself after being kidnapped. The thought of that scene made him incredibly uncomfortable.
Seeing him becoming increasingly withdrawn, Quan Jiu quickly said, “Alright, alright, look, I’m really not injured. Not even a scratch.”
She shed her outer clothes and pants, her smooth, fair skin appearing as delicate as solidified fat. Indeed, there wasn’t a single scratch.
Chu Rong’s expression improved slightly. He then carried Quan Jiu into the bathtub and reached to remove her undergarments.
Although they had been intimate before, this was the first time they were facing each other so openly. Quan Jiu felt both shy and embarrassed, saying softly, “Oh, you should go out.”
Chu Rong, however, sat beside the bathtub, looking at Quan Jiu with a gentle gaze, a rare hint of a smile on his face, “It’s not like we haven’t seen each other before.”
“That’s different.”
Quan Jiu pushed Chu Rong, but he didn’t budge. Instead, he rested his arm on the edge of the bathtub, looking as if he had no intention of leaving.
Quan Jiu had no choice but to shrink into the water. Fortunately, there was plenty of foam, so her undergarments were hidden from view.
However, maintaining a single position was tiring, and she couldn’t help but move. At such moments, the tantalizing glimpses of her form through the water became particularly alluring.
Initially, Chu Rong just wanted to watch her, not wanting her out of his sight. But gradually, his breathing became uncontrollable.
Quan Jiu glanced guiltily at his increasingly dangerous gaze and kindly suggested, “You should go rest first.”
Chu Rong gently cupped her small chin and covered her lips with his, gently and tenderly sucking.
*Fine, they are husband and wife, it’s normal. He must have been terrified today.*
With that thought, Quan Jiu decided to let go. She wrapped her arms around Chu Rong’s neck, abandoning her usual submissiveness and responding with passion.
Receiving her response, Chu Rong’s breathing deepened, and the force of his kisses increased, becoming possessive and profound.
…
The next day, Quan Jiu woke up past nine o’clock. It was the longest she had slept in days, as if she had finally caught up on all the sleep she had missed. She felt exceptionally refreshed. She rolled over, quickly got dressed, and went into the living room, where she saw Chu Rong staring at his computer, dealing with work with a frosty expression.
Hearing the movement, Chu Rong turned his head, and his frosty expression instantly melted away, replaced by tenderness. He stood up and asked Quan Jiu with a smile, “Did you sleep well?”
Quan Jiu stretched lazily, looking very comfortable, “I haven’t slept in so long, it’s so comfortable.”
Chu Rong brought breakfast from the kitchen, and they sat down together to eat. Quan Jiu insisted on washing the dishes, and Chu Rong, unable to refuse her, agreed. However, he stayed by her side, drying dishes and putting plates away as she washed them.
“I want to go settle accounts with the Taishu clan today. They owe Grandma, and I want to get it back,” Quan Jiu said.
Chu Rong nodded slightly, “Okay, I’ll go with you.”
Quan Jiu heard the constant notification sounds from the living room and worried, “Is everything alright with the company?”
She remembered that the company had faced a financial crisis a few years ago without her knowledge, and recalling Chu Rong’s expression just now, she wondered if the company was having problems again.
Chu Rong smiled slightly, “It’s fine, I just dealt with one person.”
Meanwhile, in the new district, at the Qu family residence, the atmosphere was heavy.
“Dad, the company’s market value has evaporated by over three hundred billion overnight. All major domestic and international partners are canceling their cooperation with us. This is clearly someone targeting us from behind, trying to destroy us,” Zhuang Minghao said, sweating profusely.
Zhuang Wan Chong’s face was ashen, “Do you think I don’t know someone is fighting us? You useless brat, tell me, who exactly have you angered?”