Qin Hanyue: "Guess how many people Diamond J has assigned to watch us."
Qiao Ying replied, "Do you want to know where they are hiding?"
Qin Hanyue looked surprised and asked, "Have you already discovered them?"
Qiao Ying said, "I don't have extraordinary perception. I just know their habits too well, so I can guess even without any special abilities."
Qiao Ying continued, "It's like the sniper who chooses the perfect ambush point during a mission. You don't need to search for it; with experience, you can simply observe the terrain and figure it out."
Qin Hanyue praised her with a smile, "You're really clever."
Qiao Ying, as always, missed the romantic atmosphere, saying, "I'm sensitive to negative comments." In other words, flattery won't work on her.
Qin Hanyue chuckled and asked, "What if Diamond J realizes that we're just acting and waiting for him to expose himself? What if he becomes cautious?"
Qiao Ying replied, "Unless he gives up the throne, even if he figures it out, he will still fall into our trap willingly." She ran her fingers through her long hair and said, "Enough."
She walked directly to the side of the bed and lay down.
Qin Hanyue turned off the hairdryer and stood there, looking at her. It was evident that he didn't want to return to the next room, but he couldn't find the words to ask if he could stay. After standing for a moment, feeling a bit awkward, he pretended to be casual and put the hairdryer away in the drawer.
However, he regretted it the next second. Standing there empty-handed made him even more awkward, not knowing where to put his hands.
He coughed lightly, trying to create a noise to get her attention, but he failed.
Qin Hanyue couldn't tell if she truly didn't notice or if she was pretending.
Qin Hanyue said, "Let me close the curtains for you." He walked over and closed the curtains.
Looking at Qiao Ying playing with her phone on the bed as if she couldn't sense his presence, he asked, "Do you want me to pour you a glass of water?"
Qiao Ying, who happened to be thirsty, responded with a sound of agreement.
So Qin Hanyue went and poured a glass of water and placed it on the bedside table.
After pouring the water, Qin Hanyue couldn't find anything else to do.
Even though they had already taken their relationship to a substantial level, Qin Hanyue sometimes felt that their connection was not as strong as before.
He wanted to take it further, to change the current situation.
Since they had already become intimate, Qin Hanyue naturally didn't want to sleep in separate beds, or rather, separate rooms. So whether he could take that important step and stay tonight was crucial. That's why he kept fidgeting and stubbornly refused to leave.
But seeing Qiao Ying completely ignoring him, Qin Hanyue had no choice but to temporarily give up.
He realized that every small progress in their relationship was a gradual process, just like boiling a frog in warm water. It was like that when they first met, it was like that during the ambiguous phase, and even their kisses progressed from gentle to passionate. Although the progress was slow, Qin Hanyue enjoyed this steady and continuous flow.
It seemed that this time would be the same. He just didn't know how long this process would take before he could sleep beside her.
Feeling relieved, Qin Hanyue was about to say goodnight and return to the next room.
Then he saw Qiao Ying turn off her phone, lie down, close her eyes, and say, "If you're not going to sleep, please turn off the lights."
Her surprises always came unexpectedly.
Qin Hanyue was taken aback, his eyes shining brightly. "I'll sleep," he replied.
He immediately got into bed, turned off the lights, lay down, covered himself with the blanket, and embraced her in one smooth motion.
Qin Hanyue embraced her tightly, lowered his head, and kissed her forehead. A restrained smile played at the corners of his mouth as he whispered, "Goodnight."
This time, sharing the same bed was different from any previous occasions when external factors had forced them to sleep separately.
After a long day of traveling on the plane, Qin Hanyue, who had been busy with work, felt no trace of sleepiness as he held her in his arms. He breathed in the scent of her hair, the same shampoo fragrance as his own, and his spirits soared with joy.
Qiao Ying, on the other hand, seemed much more tired and had fallen asleep early.
With warmth and tenderness in his arms, Qin Hanyue listened to her steady breathing, feeling her presence. Immersed in happiness, it took him until midnight to finally feel a bit sleepy. Just as he drifted off, Qiao Ying woke up and struggled out of his embrace, preparing to get up.
Qin Hanyue woke up and softly asked, "What's wrong?"
She had probably forgotten that he was beside her. When she heard his voice, she hesitated for a moment, realizing he was there, and lay back down, giving him a gentle push and saying, "Water."
Qin Hanyue immediately sat up, turned on the bedside lamp, and brought her the glass of water from the nightstand.
Qiao Ying took a sip and then went back to sleep.
Qin Hanyue looked at her and also took a drink of water before turning off the lamp and lying back down, holding her close.
However, Qiao Ying turned over, facing away from him, and left his embrace. Without hesitation, Qin Hanyue followed her and once again hugged her from behind, planting a kiss on the back of her head.
After a while, Qiao Ying, half asleep and half awake, struggled out of his embrace again and slept on her own.
Realizing that she probably still wasn't accustomed to having someone beside her, Qin Hanyue didn't persist. He lifted the blanket higher for her and then slept beside her.
Perhaps tired from the journey, Qiao Ying slept soundly this time.
The next day,
As soon as Qiao Ying opened her eyes, before her brain fully awakened, her body instinctively reacted, with a chilling intent brushing against Qin Hanyue's neck, almost materializing into a lethal attack. Realizing that she was sleeping in Qin Hanyue's embrace, Qiao Ying suppressed her aura.
She raised her face and looked up, and upon seeing Qin Hanyue's incredibly captivating face, her body and mind were thoroughly pleased. She stared at him for a while, finding him more and more pleasing to the eye.
She retracted her earlier statement that Lin Guli was more outstanding. Of course, that statement had been insincere and meant to provoke Qin Hanyue.
Even if Lin Guli was truly in his twenties or thirties, he still wouldn't outshine Qin Hanyue. However, whether Qin Hanyue would possess the same charm as Lin Guli at that age remained uncertain.
She couldn't help but think of Qin Hanyue's father, who bore a resemblance to him. Despite his advanced age, he was still a handsome old man.
Qiao Ying imagined that as Qin Hanyue grew older, he would also become a handsome old man, perhaps the most handsome among them.
Unfortunately, Qiao Ying wasn't one to shower praise on others, and Qin Hanyue couldn't hear her inner thoughts.
If Qin Hanyue knew that he held such a high position in Qiao Ying's heart, he would surely be ecstatic.
Having seen enough, Qiao Ying lay back down, wanting to stretch, but his arms around her waist tightened, pulling her closer.
Qiao Ying looked at him and met his smiling ink-black eyes.
In the bathroom, they stood side by side, brushing their teeth and washing their faces together for the past two days.
Qin Hanyue held a towel in his hand, waiting to wipe her face. He smiled and asked, "What were you thinking when you woke up and stared at me?"
Qiao Ying replied with a question, "What were you thinking when you woke up with your eyes closed?"
Qin Hanyue's gaze was ambiguous, and he honestly replied, "I was wondering if you would do something to me." There was anticipation in his tone.
"I didn't realize Mr. Qin is such a fantasizer," Qiao Ying teased.
Qin Hanyue helped her dry the water on her face and said, "You haven't answered me."
Qiao Ying glanced at him and, under Qin Hanyue's curious and expectant gaze, said, "Not a bad face." Then she left the bathroom.
At first, Qin Hanyue didn't react. After understanding that this was her answer, he couldn't help but laugh and cry.
When he woke up, he held her in his arms, thinking about fulfilling his wishes and achieving a happy ending with his beloved, building a home together.
He thought that she had been staring at him so attentively after waking up because she had the same feelings, but he didn't expect that she was merely looking at his face.
Qin Hanyue chuckled and said to himself, "I'm truly honored."
Well, maybe he indeed has a vivid imagination. He always thought of himself as rational, but compared to Qiao Ying, it turns out that he is emotional.
The entire C Country was immersed in a festive atmosphere, eagerly awaiting the engagement banquet of their royal princess and Lin Cheng, which would take place in ten days.
The old king took advantage of the situation and frequently summoned Lin Cheng to the palace, assigning him to handle state affairs.
Lin Cheng did not refuse.
The old king was very pleased with this.
The old king solemnly reminded Lin Cheng, "The Howard family is ambitious. Lai En has been making some moves behind the scenes, trying to win over members of the royal family. I'm afraid they won't stay quiet. You need to be cautious."
Lin Cheng tightened his coat, coughed, and replied, "Is the Duke's complexion so poor because his cold has worsened? Should I call the doctor for you again?"
Lin Cheng didn't refuse and said, "Thank you."
The doctor came to examine Lin Cheng's body.
Aside from a severe cough, Lin Cheng felt very weak and occasionally experienced chest tightness and shortness of breath. It resembled cold symptoms but not entirely.
The doctor couldn't find anything else wrong and prescribed some cold medicine for Lin Cheng, advising him to go to the hospital for further examination if his condition worsened.
The old king angrily said, "You'll wait until your condition worsens before going to the hospital for an examination? Am I supporting you to eat for nothing? If the Duke's health and the engagement banquet are compromised, can you bear the responsibility?"
The doctor trembled in fear.
While coughing, Lin Cheng said, "I'm fine. I will find time to go to the hospital for an examination. Your Majesty, please don't worry."
