After 'To the End of Time' celebratory dinner, Zhao Meng drove Qiao Anhao back to Mian Xiu Garden.
It was a prestigious district in Beijing surrounded by mountains. Every inch of land was highly valued and costly. This was where Lu Jinnian and Qiao Anhao's marital house resided.
Zhao Meng stopped her car steadily in front of the villa. The rain had stopped after washing off the dirt from the sidewalks. As the warm yellow street light hit the puddles, rays of light reflected in all directions.
After saying goodbye, Qiao Anhao waited for Zhao Meng to leave her sight before reaching into her bag for the key to the main door.
After the rain earlier, the flowers that were blooming in the front yard had all fallen, emitting a mixture of flower aroma and the smell of rain.
Even though the villa was not far from the main gate, Qiao Anhao deliberately strolled towards it slowly.
Lu Jinnian was back from Rome, would he be back tonight? Or was he already in the villa?
After the incident three months ago, Qiao Anhao was not able to face him. The very thought of meeting him would cause her to shudder in fear and anxiety.
Qiao Anhao stood at the door of the villa with her eyes closed. She took several deep breathes before retrieving her keys to open the door.
Other than two part-time cleaners, there were no other long term helpers in the villa, causing it to seem extremely quiet.
When she certain that there wasn't a single soul in the living room, she removed her shoes, then slowly walked upstairs. When she noticed that there also wasn't anyone upstairs, she sighed in relief.
He wasn't in the villa... but would he come back tonight?
In the first two months of marriage, Lu Jinnian would stay occasionally at Mian Xiu Garden. Although his length of stay varied, he would never stay later than twelve in the morning.
Now, it was eleven in the evening. She'll wait one more hour. If he doesn't come by then, he would most likely not be back tonight.
As time went gradually by, Qiao Anhao grew uneasy. When the clock hit 1 am, her body finally relaxed, and she collapsed onto the sofa in exhaustion.
He definitely wasn't going to turn up tonight.
Qiao Anhao waited for herself to fully calm down before raising from the sofa. Taking a set of clothes, she headed to the bathroom. She left the tap streaming into the bath while she removed her makeup in front of the vanity table. When she was about to squeeze toothpaste onto her toothbrush, she vaguely heard footsteps outside amid the splashing water.
She froze, her hand unconsciously tightening her grip on the toothbrush. She stood at the sink area for a long while before pushing the bathroom door open. Outside, Lu Jinnian was sitting on the sofa.
Qiao Anhao wasn't mentally prepared to see him. Having just calmed down, she tensed up again. Deep down inside, she couldn't help but shudder, as the familiar sense of fear and anxiety slowly crept into her heart.
Lu Jinnian slightly raised his head, as if he heard the door being pushed open. He looked indifferent and emotionless when he swept Qiao Anhao a glance.
Her entire body shuddered for a moment, when her eyes met Lu Jinnian's gaze. She instinctively withdrew her gaze and quickly put her head down.
She knew that she was mostly ignored whenever she spoke to him but regardless, after some hesitation, she softly asked, "You're back?"
Lu Jinnian tightly pursed his lips for a second.
She kept her head down with him again… She didn't even bother looking at him…