Chapter 22
"Look at the gift. Do you like it?" Han Shibin asked with an expectant expression. In reality, he did indeed resemble a good husband. When Han Shibin first met Qin Wanshu, he thought he had met his goddess, the woman he had pursued his whole life. Even if she couldn't fulfill her duties as a wife properly, it didn't matter. He wouldn't trouble her with the mundane desires of ordinary people; he had his own ways of handling that. However, people can be quite contradictory at times. On the one hand, he wished for her to be a pure, untouchable goddess, standing high above, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. On the other hand, he wanted her to be like any other woman, loving her husband passionately and centering her world around him.
Qin Wanshu opened the box to find an antique watch of considerable value inside—indeed, it was very exquisite.
"It's very delicate, I like it a lot," Qin Wanshu said with a smile.
"Why are your emotions always so indifferent?" Han Shibin was somewhat disappointed. He had put a lot of thought into finding this watch, but why was it so hard to see a look of surprise on his wife's face?
Qin Wanshu was momentarily stunned. It wasn't that her emotions were indifferent, it's just that this particular gift didn't bring her any sense of surprise. After all, obtaining things like this was effortless for her, and she wasn't someone who cared much about material possessions.
Qin Wanshu sighed softly. She hadn't paid attention to these details before, but perhaps this was actually Han Shibin's way of complaining about her. Complaining that she couldn't be the wife he wanted, that she didn't show the kind of passion that other wives had for their husbands. Qin Wanshu had to admit, even if she didn't want to dwell on Han Shibin's infidelity, she couldn't go back to feeling as comfortable with him as she had before. Suddenly, Qin Wanshu missed the lightness and ease she felt when she was with Zuo Qinghuan, where all her emotions were so genuine, with no need to hold anything back. Many married people feel that husbands experience great pressure in front of their wives but feel relaxed around their mistresses, and at that moment, Qin Wanshu felt something similar. For the first time, she felt a sense of pressure around her husband and even had a fleeting thought of wanting to go out with his mistress, shopping or grabbing a bite to eat together.
"Shibin, why did you marry me in the first place?" Qin Wanshu asked.
"Because I love you," Han Shibin replied, puzzled as to why Qin Wanshu would suddenly ask such a question. He didn't think that should be something she would doubt.
"So, will you be faithful to the vows you made on our wedding day for the rest of your life?" Qin Wanshu looked seriously at Han Shibin's expression. His eyes flickered ever so slightly—something the old Qin Wanshu wouldn't have noticed, but the new Qin Wanshu, who knew about Zuo Qinghuan, caught it immediately.
"Of course. You're the only one in my heart," Han Shibin replied confidently. In his heart, it was true—Qin Wanshu was the only one. Physical affairs from time to time didn't count as betrayal in his mind. It was just a way to meet certain needs, like how hunger necessitates eating. For him, a man's love and body were separate things.
Qin Wanshu felt an emotion she couldn't quite name. Before Han Shibin returned home, she hadn't felt much about him, nor did she want to get a divorce. But now she hesitated. Perhaps Han Shibin wasn't the right person to spend a lifetime with after all. If intimacy was so important to him, and she remained uninterested forever, it wouldn't be fair to him. She couldn't be so selfless as to not care about her husband's affairs, even if she didn't love him. She still wanted to spend her life with someone she could respect, but she felt that her respect for Han Shibin was slipping away—a bad sign.
"You must be tired. Go home and rest. Grandpa asked me to return to the Qin family home for a while," Qin Wanshu said, using it as an excuse because she didn't want to see Han Shibin at that moment.
Han Shibin felt uneasy. He had just returned home, and now his wife was leaving to visit her family. But he didn't dare complain because he could sense something was off with Qin Wanshu's mood, though he couldn't pinpoint what exactly. In the past, Qin Wanshu had been gentle and considerate, even if not particularly passionate. Now, she seemed distant, like she had been back when he was courting her—hard to reach.
"What's wrong?" Han Shibin asked, sensitive to her emotions.
"Nothing, I was just thinking about the antique Grandpa bought yesterday," Qin Wanshu said, shaking her head.
Han Shibin still felt uneasy, but seeing her calm expression, he decided to drop it for now and ask her later when they got home.
Han Shibin left alone. Qin Wanshu didn't actually go to her family's home. Instead, she pulled out her phone and stared at the contact labeled "Fairy" for a long time before dialing. She didn't know why she suddenly wanted to see Zuo Qinghuan.
Zuo Qinghuan's two phones rang almost simultaneously—one was from her benefactor, the other from his wife. Without hesitation, she hung up on her benefactor, which was nothing out of the ordinary, but the fact that his wife was calling her was. This was the first time Qin Wanshu had called her, and Zuo Qinghuan felt a wave of emotion, almost to the point of tears, and immediately picked up. It was clear which call took priority.
Qin Wanshu raised an eyebrow slightly. Zuo Qinghuan had answered rather quickly.
"Want to have lunch together? I still owe you a meal," Qin Wanshu said, remembering that Zuo Qinghuan had treated her to hotpot the other day.
"Sure! Where should we meet?" Zuo Qinghuan agreed enthusiastically. Seeing that Han Shibin had called, she figured he was back in town. After she hung up on him, he hadn't called again, likely upset. It was strange, though, that Qin Wanshu had called her instead of spending time with her newly returned husband. Clearly, Han Shibin didn't matter much to her, which made Zuo Qinghuan think he was quite pitiful—his wife didn't seem to care about him at all. But Zuo Qinghuan didn't mind; there was no way she was going to turn down a meal invitation from Qin Wanshu, especially since she had been reluctant the last time. This time, she had reached out herself—it was like the sun rising in the west.
"Central Plaza. I'll wait for you there," Qin Wanshu said, hanging up afterward.
Qin Wanshu knew what she was doing was improper. After all, it wasn't right to leave your husband and go out to lunch with his mistress. But right now, she really didn't want to see Han Shibin.
Zuo Qinghuan quickly got herself ready, looking as beautiful as ever, and left her house before Han Shibin could arrive.
"Why did you suddenly invite me to lunch?" Zuo Qinghuan asked curiously, watching as Qin Wanshu fed the pigeons.
"You like it when I invite you, don't you?" Qin Wanshu responded with a half-smile, raising an eyebrow. As she looked at Zuo Qinghuan, with her carefully applied light makeup, she found her far more pleasing to the eye than Han Shibin.
Zuo Qinghuan's mouth opened in surprise. Qin Wanshu didn't seem like someone who would say something like that—it almost sounded like she was flirting. But her expression was so serious that it didn't seem like a joke. Yet, the half-smile made Zuo Qinghuan wonder if Qin Wanshu might actually be trying to seduce her. Otherwise, why was her heart beating so fast?
"I get it—you missed me," Zuo Qinghuan teased, relieved at her own quick comeback.
"What do you want to eat?" Qin Wanshu changed the subject. She wasn't going to tell Zuo Qinghuan that she just didn't want to see her husband, so she had decided to call a friend. But among all her friends, why had she chosen Zuo Qinghuan? Perhaps it was because the nickname "Fairy" and her angelic face made her smile.
"Did you miss me?" Zuo Qinghuan moved closer, asking playfully.
"If it makes you happy to think so, I don't mind," Qin Wanshu replied, not bothering to stop Zuo Qinghuan from indulging in her self-confidence.
It was clear both women had forgotten about Han Shibin. The poor man had not only been left behind by his wife, but his usually obedient mistress had also hung up on him again. Han Shibin was furious. He never imagined that his wife and mistress would be enjoying lunch together, seemingly on the best of terms.
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