Susu reached out and stroked his chin, smiling. "Mr. Qin, you look handsomer from this angle than usual."
"I'm not handsome usually?"
"Just a tiny bit handsome." Susu stretched out her finger, indicating how tiny.
Qin Tianyi took her finger in his hand and lowered his head, intending to kiss her.
She dodged him. "Stop fooling around. I need to look at the design drafts. If I don't submit them soon, I'll miss the deadline for an order."
Qin Tianyi ignored her, holding her fast. "Once we're home, what's more important than me? No design drafts. From now on, at home, you're only allowed to look at me!"
"Are you being reasonable? I have my own work too," Susu said righteously.
Qin Tianyi paid no heed, a slight curl to his lips. "If you want me to let you go look at the design drafts, then kiss me."
Susu swiftly pecked him on the cheek and was about to get back to her work.
Qin Tianyi, however, pointed to his lips. "I meant kiss me here."
Susu sighed in exasperation. "Is this ever going to end?" Nevertheless, she stood on tiptoe again and leaned in to kiss his lips.
Qin Tianyi wouldn't let her go. The moment her lips touched his, he kissed her back passionately, their lips and tongues entwined.
Susu's eyes grew hazy from his kiss, but she retained a sliver of clarity. She pulled away, saying, "Qin Tianyi, I really need to rush the design drafts tonight… If you keep doing this, I can't concentrate on my work. If you continue, I'll just stay at the studio at night and not come home."
"You dare!" Qin Tianyi lifted her chin and gently kissed her rosy, delicate lips again, restraining himself. "You go ahead and work. I'll wait for you in bed."
"That's a good boy." Susu smiled and was about to get busy when she remembered something important and proactively held onto him.
Qin Tianyi found it amusing. "Can't let go of me, or do you want to get intimate first?"
"Get lost. I have something serious to tell you." Susu sought his opinion. "Can we invite Sophie to live with us? I'm still worried about her living alone outside. If she stays with us, it will be livelier. Even if we're not home sometimes, there's always Chen Ma and Xiao Mei, who she can talk to. It would be good for her mind and body."
Qin Tianyi didn't agree immediately. The thought of someone new suddenly appearing in the villa made him feel a bit unsettled.
Moreover, Sophie, in her current state, appeared normal on the surface, but her psychological issues weren't completely resolved. He didn't know when she might act out again.
"What you're saying makes some sense, but I need to think about it. Having someone unfamiliar in the house might be difficult for Xiao Xingxing, Chen Ma, and Xiao Mei to adapt to."
Seeing his reluctance, Susu pressed, "Let her live with us. It's also for her own good. When she's alone and has nothing to do, she overthinks and ends up cutting her arms with scars. She needs company."
Qin Tianyi said helplessly, "When you get home, you'll be with the children, and then you'll be with her. What about me? Our time together will be reduced. Plus, her emotions are unstable. If she makes any dangerous moves, I'm afraid she might hurt others in the family."
Susu felt his considerations were valid, but she was still truly worried about Sophie living alone.
She had initially thought Sophie's mental state was much improved, and with a new environment, a new job, and new friends, her life could begin anew in Lancheng.
That was why she had arranged a separate residence for her, thinking it would be convenient for her to live near Mi Shang Company and commute.
"Then what should we do? Given her current condition, living alone outside is also dangerous. She needs someone to watch over her," Susu said, feeling troubled.
Qin Tianyi thought of a solution. "We can hire an experienced nurse, preferably one who has experience caring for people with psychological issues. Look, if we find an experienced nurse to stay by her side, it would be more suitable than us, who are not professionals."
"Yes, why didn't I think of that?" Susu immediately added, "But will she accept someone she doesn't know taking care of her? I'm afraid she won't."
"As long as it's a woman and not a man, I think she'll accept it. Besides, the person we hire can also take care of her daily life, allowing her to work with peace of mind, without any worries."
Susu smiled. "Mr. Qin, are you not showing great care for your employees, even taking care of their worries? Alright, I'll listen to you. I'll discuss it with her tomorrow."
Qin Tianyi couldn't smile. Instead, he worriedly said, "Susu, I know you feel guilty towards Sophie, but don't burden yourself too much. We've done our best to help her start over. We've done everything we can. Whether she can move on from past trauma still depends on herself. After all, you are not her, and some things cannot be replaced. Do you understand?"
"I understand." Susu knew what he meant. She turned and went to the desk in the room, opened her laptop, and prepared to start working.
Qin Tianyi didn't disturb her further. He sat on the bed and read some financial books.
Facing the laptop screen, Susu felt a heaviness in her heart. Huo Jin's suspicious death, Sophie still struggling in the shadows of the past.
She had very few friends. Now, only Ya Nan was relatively free of troubles. She felt it was all her fault.
Sophie had become like this because of her. And Huo Jin, Huo Jin… If she hadn't sent Shu Yan's address in the countryside to Huo Jin, such a thing wouldn't have happened.
She opened the design drafts. Actually, the design she needed to rush tonight was for Jia Nanfang's order. She wondered if Shu Yan's mother knew what Shu Yan had done.
She thought that when Jia Nanfang came to try on the dress, she could probe her to see how much she knew about Huo Jin's incident.
She had also spoken to Su Kangxi and discussed whether Huo Jin's accident could be reinvestigated.
Su Kangxi had clearly told her that first, the family of the deceased must question the result of accidental death and then provide evidence that could lead to a reopening of the investigation.
But with the little clues they and Tianyi had found so far, and their speculations, it would be difficult to overturn the previous accident and investigate it as a murder.
And Tianyi had said he would find a way. She didn't know if he had thought of a good method to continue investigating this matter.
She decided to stop thinking too much for now. Tonight, she would finish designing the dress Jia Nanfang wanted. By getting close to the Shu family through this design, she might be able to uncover something.
By the time she finished the design drafts, Tianyi had already fallen asleep leaning against the bed, a book still in his hand.
She had also heard that the Ao Xiang Group was about to undertake some major projects. He must have been quite busy at the group during the day and was also worried about her affairs.
Susu gently took the book from his hand and placed it aside. Tianyi woke up groggily and looked at her. "Finished?"
"Mm-hmm." Susu snuggled into the covers and hugged him. "Let's sleep, I'm tired too."
Qin Tianyi held her tightly, kissed her hair, and mumbled, "Goodnight, my dear."