Chapter 11
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
Qin Wanshu associates Zuo Qinghuan and Han Shibin together, not without any trace. The first time Zuo Qinghuan saw her, that look of astonishment, along with their brief interaction, Zuo Qinghuan didn't seem unfamiliar to her. She vaguely felt that Zuo Qinghuan had known her for a long time, even though she didn't recognize her. There was only one possibility: she knew someone they both knew and through that person, she became aware of her own existence. Ironically, Zuo Qinghuan implied the day before yesterday that she had that kind of identity, which is why Qin Wanshu would link Zuo Qinghuan and Han Shibin together.
Qin Wanshu looked at the investigation report in hand, and couldn't tell whether it was disappointment or anger. Her hands tightly held the medium-thin paper, causing it to wrinkle. Qin Wanshu thinks that she is not a saint, but she made a lifelong vow of loyalty when she got married. However, Han Shibin had betrayed that oath. The man who had always been caring and attentive had actually betrayed her, which was something Qin Wanshu found hard to accept. Qin Wanshu also felt uncomfortable because of Zuo Qinghuan. When Qin Wanshu thought of the name Zuo Qinghuan, it was as if her heart twisted, uneven, stuck there forcibly, like a fishbone stuck in her throat, and she couldn't even spit it out. No one had ever brought such an annoying emotion to Qin Wanshu as Zuo Qinghuan did. Just thinking about Zuo Qinghuan repeatedly asking if she was frigid, Qin Wanshu couldn't help but grip the paper even tighter. Zuo Qinghuan was clearly mocking her, and no one had ever dared to treat her like this since she was a child.
Qin Wanshu walked from the hall to the study room, touching the cold stone beads in her hands eased her emotions a lot. From childhood to adulthood, her grandfather taught her to cultivate her health, and she succeeded in the end. Qin Wanshu hadn't always been this way. When others saw her at her most elegant, they would never imagine that she had spent hours practicing meditation as a child, under her grandfather's disciplinary watch, forced to cultivate herself. Genius without effort would ultimately end up like Zhongyong's tragedy*. So all the children of the Qin family have different requirements due to their different aptitudes. The higher the talents, the stricter the requirements. The higher the potential, the stricter the demands. This is why the Qin family remained prosperous for centuries, inseparable from its stringent upbringing.
*an argumentative essay by Wang Anshi, a story about a man named Fang Zhongyong who possessed natural intelligence but failed to continue learning, eventually leading to his obscurity among the masses.
Qin Wanshu calmed down and thought, well, at this point, she wasn't the only one feeling angry. What mattered most was how she chose to proceed. She didn't want to divorce Han Shibin now, despite her disappointment in him. Qin Wanshu was certain that Han Shibin's behavior was due to a lack of self-control rather than infidelity. The smartest approach for a woman like her was to remain composed and continue maintaining the appearance of a harmonious marriage. After all, her decision to marry Han Shibin initially had been weighed against various factors. The marriage had occurred because she was of marriageable age, and Han Shibin happened to appear at that moment. Their backgrounds were similar, he was outstanding and treated her well, and she found herself somewhat liking, if not disliking him.
Zuo Qinghuan, how should I deal with this bad woman in innocent skin? Qin Wanshu lightly rubbed the ancient jade bracelet on her right wrist with her left hand, her gaze unfathomable. Zuo Qinghuan, you're the first woman who's made me feel infuriated. I genuinely treated you well, and you played me. Just thinking about it angers Qin Wanshu.
Qin Wanshu is not a woman who would blame her husband's affair on a third party. She knows very well that flies won't settle on seamless eggs. What's more, she has no guard against Zuo Qinghuan at all, she got teased by her over and over again. Thinking of this, she laughed out of anger. The first time she met Zuo Qinghuan might have been a coincidence, but what about the second or third time? Since there was a second and third time, there will naturally be a fourth time, since the fish swims towards her, she probably didn't even need a bait to get caught. Qin Wanshu was curious to see what tricks Zuo Qinghuan was playing, and she was determined to return the favor when the time came. A dangerous smile finally appeared on her face. It could be said that Zuo Qinghuan had stirred up the deep-seated determination within Qin Wanshu's heart.
After knowing Zuo Qinghuan's identity, Qin Wanshu didn't take action immediately but waited patiently. Since the woman knew where she lived and her mobile number, she would naturally come to find her.
….
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
In her idle moments, Zuo Qinghuan would think about Qin Wanshu. She would stare at Qin Wanshu's phone number and hesitate, wondering if she should call her. But why would she want to call her? Walking back and forth, she mulled it over, struggling to find a suitable excuse. After all, isn't it the most straightforward thing for one woman to ask another woman out, much like it's easy to ask Li Xin to meet up? Why did she feel so uneasy about it for such a long time?
The moment Zuo Qinghuan dialed the phone, her heart skipped a beat. She was so nervous. Why is she acting innocent and overly dramatic when she is a mistress? She despised herself for a while.
Qin Wanshu was eating alone in a high-end Western restaurant. She enjoyed her leisure time alone. She stood close to the glass window, watched the people coming and going, and observed the various expressions on the faces of the people outside. Interesting things. There was no sign of the negative emotions brought about by her husband's affair on her face. She appeared just like her usual self—serene, indifferent, elegant, and charming.
At this time, the phone rang and the words "Little Fairy" were displayed. Qin Wanshu answered it with a slight smile.
"Are you busy?" Zuo Qinghuan asked politely.
"Not busy." Qin Wanshu's voice was still soft and sweet, but the smile on the corner of her mouth was a little thicker, it still looked so elegant, but only Qin Wanshu knew that her mood at the moment was like the excitement when a fish is about to take the bait.
Listening to Qin Wanshu's voice, Zuo Qinghuan felt that it still sounded just as pleasant, unforced by any disturbance. Her own nervous tension started to ease. She didn't realize that even Qin Wanshu's voice could be deceiving.
"Have you eaten?" She glanced at the time, realizing it was a good time to suggest meeting up for a meal.
"Not yet." When Qin Wanshu lied, she didn't even bat an eye and didn't even change her expression. If Zuo Qinghuan saw the almost finished dinner plate in front of Qin Wanshu, she would know that she had met her match. Perhaps even more skilled at deception than her.
"Can we have dinner together?" Zuo Qinghuan continued to ask.
"Okay." Qin Wanshu didn't mind having another meal.
"Where are you now?" When Zuo Qinghuan heard Qin Wanshu agree, she felt a little happy and even raised her voice a little.
"Central Square." Qin Wanshu said softly, looking at the square outside.
"I'll come to pick you up. Wait for me for ten minutes," Zuo Qinghuan stepped on the accelerator, driving towards Central Square.
When she arrived, she easily spotted Qin Wanshu amidst the crowd. Qin Wanshu stood in the center of the square, extending her hand, and a pigeon flew into her palm. Zuo Qinghuan saw the subtle, elegant smile on Qin Wanshu's face. Witnessing this scene, Zuo Qinghuan inexplicably found it very beautiful, incredibly beautiful.
Zuo Qinghuan didn't call Qin Wanshu immediately, instead approached her silently.
"Hey!" Zuo Qinghuan called out like a child who hadn't grown up, mischievously shouting. A composed person like Qin Wanshu wouldn't be scared by that, Zuo Qinghuan thought to herself.
Sure enough, Qin Wanshu just turned her head to look at Zuo Qinghuan in surprise, without losing her composure, but the pigeon in Qin Wanshu's hand flew away in fright.
Meeting her gaze, Qin Wanshu was met with Zuo Qinghuan's carefree and radiant smile. She actually felt like slapping her. If it weren't for all the emergency response practice she had as a child, she might have been genuinely startled. However, Qin Wanshu didn't say anything. She simply scattered the bird feed from her palm.
"Actually, when I was young, I really wanted to catch these fat pigeons and roast them." The unloving and black-hearted Zuo Qinghuan said, looking at a group of fat pigeons who are not afraid of people, in fact, she still really wants to do such a thing now, but now that she has grown up, it's not a good idea to do something that would anger both gods and people while wearing a fairy sister's face.
"I wanted to, but I've never caught it before." Zuo Qinghuan defended herself. Qin Wanshu was looking at her really strangely. She hadn't caught one before, so it doesn't count! It's not that she didn't try, it's just that the little pigeons flew away every time they saw her.
Compared to her joy, Qin Wanshu only smiled. Zuo Qinghuan had no idea that her true self had already been exposed, otherwise, she would have known how to write 'extreme happiness brings sorrow'.