Chapter 24
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
"Qin Wanshu, why didn't you accompany Han Shibin? I thought Han Shibin really wanted you to accompany him, after all, he hasn't seen you in a long time," Zuo Qinghuan said suddenly.
Qin Wanshu's hand paused in its movement. Actually, Qin Wanshu herself didn't know why.
"I don't know why, but I feel somewhat out of place when I'm around him," She said softly.
"Qin Wanshu, why don't you feel out of place when you're with me?" Zuo Qinghuan asked the crucial question.
"You and I originally had no connection, you have no responsibility toward me. But he was originally my husband, originally should have been loyal to me, so that's why I care," Qin Wanshu finished washing the dishes, turned off the tap, and looked at Zuo Qinghuan.
"Is that so?" Zuo Qinghuan asked back, meeting Qin Wanshu's eyes.
"Otherwise, what do you think?" Qin Wanshu raised an eyebrow, feeling this explanation was the most reasonable.
"Perhaps because you don't love him, and you have an uncontrollable fondness for me," Zuo Qinghuan approached Qin Wanshu, speaking with an air of depth.
"How do you figure that?" Qin Wanshu raised an eyebrow, wondering why Zuo Qinghuan was so self-assured.
"Would you dare to conduct an experiment?" Zuo Qinghuan drew closer to Qin Wanshu, very, very close.
"What kind of experiment?" Qin Wanshu asked.
"Let me kiss you, then compare if you prefer Han Shibin's kiss or mine, do you dare?" Zuo Qinghuan's lips softly asked near Qin Wanshu's ear.
"It's not beneficial for me, right?" Qin Wanshu sidestepped out of the kitchen, avoiding the ambiguity deliberately created by Zuo Qinghuan.
"How could it not be beneficial? I can make you feel like a normal woman," Zuo Qinghuan, resembling a devil trying to tempt people to commit crimes, persistently followed behind Qin Wanshu.
"I never considered myself abnormal," Qin Wanshu said disapprovingly.
"In the end, you just don't dare, afraid to have feelings for me," Zuo Qinghuan insisted, confident that it wasn’t a loss to herself.
"Do you really want to kiss?" Qin Wanshu raised an eyebrow, perhaps aiming to dampen Zuo Qinghuan's determination.
“Mm" Zuo Qinghuan nodded. Her provocation was indeed effective, and Zuo Qinghuan's heart suddenly boiled.
"Okay, I'll let you kiss me." Qin Wanshu said with a smile.
Zuo Qinghuan looked at Qin Wanshu's smiling and calm look, and suddenly felt very nervous. She slowly approached Qin Wanshu and kissed her lips.
Qin Wanshu watched as Zuo Qinghuan got closer, and she couldn't help but admit her nerves tensed slightly. That feeling was utterly unfamiliar.
Zuo Qinghuan's hand naturally encircled Qin Wanshu's waist, drawing her even closer. Her nimble tongue, incredibly enthusiastic, tried to entice and stimulate Qin Wanshu, intending for the kiss to be fiery. However, faced with Qin Wanshu's strong resistance, Zuo Qinghuan eventually relented.
"How was it?" Qin Wanshu asked Zuo Qinghuan lightly, with a half-smile. She was quite confident in her self-control.
Could it be that it was just her wishful thinking? Zuo Qinghuan frowned, surprised by the lack of response from this woman to her kiss.
"Let's try again." Zuo Qinghuan muttered, unwilling to accept reality.
Qin Wanshu didn't refuse. She knew Zuo Qinghuan wouldn't easily be convinced. Zuo Qinghuan tried once more, yet the result disappointed her again.
"How could this be?" Zuo Qinghuan looked at Qin Wanshu in disbelief. Could this woman truly have no desire? Zuo Qinghuan suddenly deflated like a defeated rooster in a fight.
"Could you let me go now?" Qin Wanshu smiled and asked the still hugging Zuo Qinghuan.
“I won't. If you don't like me, why make me misunderstand?" Zuo Qinghuan complained and still held onto Qin Wanshu's waist.
Qin Wanshu felt extremely innocent. From the beginning till now, it had nothing to do with her, right?
"If you don't like me, why get so close to the mistress? Why kiss the mistress, and why let her kiss you?" Zuo Qinghuan felt that Qin Wanshu exceeded her understanding, completely overturning her logic about ordinary people.
Qin Wanshu suddenly felt powerless, wondering if this was even possible. She realized she truly couldn't grasp Zuo Qinghuan's dominating mindset.
"Alright, I should go back now, we'll meet another time," Qin Wanshu thought Han Shibin might come to her house in the afternoon, so she should return home. White lies were okay, but getting caught in a lie wouldn't be good.
"Oh..." Zuo Qinghuan's "oh" trailed on for a long, long time.
"Qin Wanshu, do you really like me or not?" Zuo Qinghuan still didn't let go of her, persistently seeking an answer.
Qin Wanshu felt a bit of a headache. This woman was truly tenacious.
"I don't dislike you," Qin Wanshu gave a straightforward answer.
Zuo Qinghuan was somewhat dissatisfied with this, but at least it was better than being disliked.
“Mm, then you can go back. I'll call you tonight," Zuo Qinghuan said, reluctantly releasing her.
Qin Wanshu didn't linger and promptly drove back home. While driving, she thought about Zuo Qinghuan's kisses and embrace earlier, shaking her head with a smile. No matter how she thought about it, she felt that recently, she and Zuo Qinghuan had been doing some ridiculous things.
Zuo Qinghuan lay on the sofa, staring at the ceiling, recalling the two kisses just now. Why did Qin Wanshu show no response at all? A woman who let herself be kissed by her should have a considerable fondness for her, but why was there absolutely no reaction? Could it be that this woman was just too good at controlling her desires? Zuo Qinghuan detested abstinence and such things. Thinking so, she threw a pillow out in frustration.
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
As expected, Han Shibin, who went to the golden house looking for Zuo Qinghuan, found nobody there. After waiting for Zuo Qinghuan for half an hour, he was quite upset and determined to put an end to Zuo Qinghuan. He drove back home, took a shower, tidied himself up, and then drove to the Qin family’s house.
At that moment, Qin Wanshu had already returned home and was in Grandfather Qin's study.
Han Shibin went to Qin's house but couldn't immediately bring Qin Wanshu back. Instead, he engaged in idle conversation with his father-in-law and mother-in-law. Later, during dinner, Qin Zheng and Qin Wanshu emerged from the study.
"When did Shibin come back?" Qin Zheng asked, expressing affection not just for his granddaughter but also for his grandson-in-law.
"He came back this morning. Grandpa, did you acquire some treasures again yesterday?" Han Shibin catered to Qin Zheng's interests, bringing up a topic he liked.
"Yes, indeed, it's a treasure," Qin Zheng's expression softened significantly when talking about something dear to his heart.
"What is it that Grandpa treasures so much?" Han Shibin asked curiously.
"It's a Ru porcelain* bowl. We suspect it's a flawed piece that didn't make it into the palace back then and ended up in civilian hands. Nevertheless, even so, it's extremely precious," Qin Zheng explained.
*rare type of Chinese pottery from the Song Dynasty, produced for the imperial court for a short period
"Better a single piece of Ru porcelain than vast wealth. Just thinking about it makes one feel that spending all the family fortune would be worth it," Qin Zheng chuckled.
"What's so special about this Ru porcelain?" Han Shibin inquired.
"Blue as the sky, smooth as jade, with cicada-wing patterns, sparse morning star-like dots, and sesame seed-sized pin holes filled with glaze. It's the pinnacle of famous porcelain and extremely rare in existence," Qin Wanshu succinctly summarized. When mentioning the treasure, her tone also lifted, revealing her excellent mood.
"I'll take a look at this rare treasure later," Han Shibin responded, following the mood set by Qin Zheng and Qin Wanshu. In truth, Han Shibin was adept at surface pleasantries.
"This treasure is indeed rare," Qin Zheng remarked, his expression brightened further, displaying even more warmth towards Han Shibin.
Under the old master's good mood, dinner ended, and later that night, Qin Wanshu and Han Shibin returned home together.
Author's Note:
Blue as the sky, smooth as jade, with cicada-wing patterns, sparse morning star-like dots, and sesame seed-sized pin holes filled with glaze—Ru porcelain description, not an original piece, found online.
Merry Christmas to everyone…