Chapter 5 My Husband Comes to Pick Me Up

The thought of this possibility left Lu Qian unsettled. Meanwhile, Qin Miaoyu, busy putting the finishing touches on her work back in her room, had no idea what Lu Qian was fretting about.

She snapped a photo of her finished piece and sent it to a contact on her messaging app. This client was rather unique among her customers. Her art style resonated particularly with younger people, so most of her buyers or those seeking small design commissions were under thirty. But this particular lady was someone she’d gotten to know online during high school, and over the years, she had purchased three or four paintings from her annually, making her one of Qin Miaoyu’s regular clients. She had also given her much encouragement, and in Qin Miaoyu’s heart, she was a trustworthy elder.

The next morning, as Qin Miaoyu got up to wash, she was startled by the sudden sound of the door opening just as she stepped into the living room. Lu Qian, who had just come in, heard her cry out and rushed over immediately.

“Miaoyu—Miss Qin, what’s wrong?”

Qin Miaoyu pressed her hand to her chest. “I thought you’d gone to work. I got a little scared when someone suddenly came in.”

Lu Qian apologized, “I forgot to mention, things aren’t too hectic at the company right now, so I don’t have to go in too early. I just went out to get us breakfast.”

He raised the items in his hand—steamed buns and soy milk from the breakfast shop Qin Miaoyu had once praised.

“Thank you. I’ll go wash up first.”

“Ah, alright.” Lu Qian averted his gaze and headed toward the dining table.

After washing up, Qin Miaoyu returned to her room and caught sight of herself in the dressing mirror. Suddenly, she understood why Lu Qian’s ears had flushed red when he turned away.

She was wearing a rather revealing slip dress that Gu Jing had given her—a bit on the sexy side. Now that the weather had cooled, she’d been sleeping in it with just a fan on. The past few mornings, she hadn’t run into Lu Qian, so she hadn’t thought to change her nightwear.

Realizing this, a faint blush crept up her cheeks. She quickly opened her wardrobe and pulled out the summer pajamas she’d bought before.

Once dressed, Qin Miaoyu did her best to act as if nothing awkward had happened and sat down at the table, feigning composure.

While waiting for Qin Miaoyu, Lu Qian couldn’t help but recall the glimpse of her fair, delicate skin he’d just seen. It made him a little reluctant to look directly at her, so he didn’t notice her forced air of ease.

After breakfast, Qin Miaoyu thanked him and hurried out with her bag.

Lu Qian had wanted to offer her a ride to the office, but before he could get the words out, she was gone like a gust of wind.

When Qin Miaoyu arrived at the office, Su Huijiao, who sat nearby, scooted over.

“Miaoyu, have you heard? The CEO of Anhe across the street is supposed to be a real heartthrob. He always wears silver-rimmed glasses—tall, cool, and with that scholarly-but-wicked vibe. I’d love to see what he looks like in person!”

Qin Miaoyu responded as she always did to Su Huijiao’s gossip and obsession with good looks, “Where did you hear that from?”

“From our colleagues who went to Anhe for the project meetings.”

The sound of two knocks interrupted them. Seeing the direction of Su Huijiao’s glance, Qin Miaoyu knew Zhou Xun had something for her.

Suppressing her annoyance, she turned to listen as Zhou Xun assigned her more tasks.

Once he was gone, Su Huijiao slid back over to grumble.

“Why does Zhou Xun always pile so much work on you? A lot of this should be his responsibility. He can’t just exploit you because you’re capable.”

Qin Miaoyu let out a soft sigh. There wasn’t much she could do—on paper, she was still Zhou Xun’s design assistant.

“I mean it, Miaoyu. Maybe you should talk to the design director again. With your experience and skills, you should be promoted to designer. You can’t stay an assistant forever.”

Of course, Qin Miaoyu knew Su Huijiao was right, but it wasn’t as simple as just speaking up—the issue was stuck at a standstill.

At six in the evening, Qin Miaoyu received a message from Lu Qian, asking when she’d be heading home so they could go together.

Seeing that her workload would keep her until at least nine, she told Lu Qian to go ahead without her.

When there was no reply, she assumed he’d agreed and set her phone aside to continue working.

It wasn’t until 9:20 that Qin Miaoyu finally finished up and left the office with her bag. There were two messages from Lu Qian on her phone, both sent around eight, asking if she’d finished work.

Not sure if he’d been waiting for her, she replied to say she’d just gotten off.

As soon as she sent the message, a car pulled up beside her.

“Miaoyu, heading home? Need a lift?” The window rolled down, revealing a face that barely passed as presentable.

Seeing him, Qin Miaoyu felt only revulsion and stepped further into the tree-lined path.

“Thank you, Director Li, but there’s no need.”

Director Li pressed, “It’s late, Miaoyu. It’s not safe for such a beautiful woman to be walking home alone. Come on, I promise I’ll get you home safe.”

Qin Miaoyu didn’t believe a word. She searched for a way to refuse him without causing trouble.

Her phone vibrated in her hand—a message from Lu Qian. Inspiration struck, and she smiled at Director Li. “Really, Director Li, there’s no need. My husband’s coming to pick me up. If you hadn’t stopped to talk, I’d already be on the phone with him.”

Director Li eyed her suspiciously. “I hadn’t heard you were married.”

“We just got our marriage license a few days ago when I took leave. Haven’t had the wedding yet—we’re planning to announce it when the time comes.”

As she spoke, she calmly unlocked her phone and started a video call with Lu Qian.

He answered instantly, which calmed her even more.

“Honey, I’m downstairs by the office, heading toward the bus stop. Could you come pick me up?”

Hearing the uncharacteristically sweet tone in Qin Miaoyu’s voice, Lu Qian replied reflexively, “Of course.”

Only after he spoke did he realize something was off in her words. He grabbed his car keys and left the office at once.

“Miaoyu, turn your camera around so I can see where you are. I’ll be right there.”

Qin Miaoyu spun the phone to show her surroundings.

“Honey, I’m over here. Our company director is waiting with me for you. Hurry and pick me up.”

Lu Qian stared intently at the screen, catching a glimpse of a car window rolling up beside Qin Miaoyu. Once the camera captured that, she stopped moving it.

As the elevator descended, he wished it could deliver him to the parking garage in an instant.