Qin Shu had heard these words many times, and the sentiments behind them had not changed.

“Why does it sound like I’m the unwilling one?”

“It’s not you; it’s me. I want to take things slow and do things one step at a time. Only then will life carry meaning. I think Dad thinks so too,” Fu Tingyu said.

Qin Shu clicked her tongue. “As expected, men still understand other men best. Even your methods are similar.”

Fu Tingyu felt that it was necessary to explain. “My dear, other than not talking about the past, I was not responsible for your amnesia or anything else.”

“Yes, that’s why you glued yourself to me,” Qin Shu said thoughtfully.

Fu Tingyu did not want his wife to keep thinking about the past, so he changed the topic. “I miss you.”

Fu Tingyu’s voice was low and hoarse.

The hint was obvious.

Qin Shu knew her husband’s thoughts and said, “It’s only been a few days since we last saw each other.”

Fu Tingyu: “My dear, haven’t you heard that a day of not seeing each other is like spending three years apart? We haven’t seen each other for a few days. Who knows how many years have passed?”

Hearing Fu Tingyu’s dissatisfaction, Qin Shu smiled, doing her best to stifle her laughter. “Alright, alright. Aren’t we reuniting soon? It just so happens that my parents are getting married. We can attend their wedding together.”

Fu Tingyu: “Mm, your husband can only stay up for two days.”

Qin Shu ended the call, shaking her head helplessly. She felt better after talking to Fu Tingyu and went to bed.

–

In a brightly lit study, elsewhere in the manor…

Feng Jiuxiao sat at his desk. He had already finished his official business but had not retired for the day.

He was feeling conflicted about the state of Ling’er’s memories.

Now that he knew that Qin Shu was his daughter, it made matters worse.

His daughter’s words were not unreasonable.

There would come a day those memories would resurface; it was only a question of when.

If that day came sooner rather than later, Ling’er would realise that everyone had been lying to her…

Just thinking about the consequences of that realisation caused him to break out in cold sweat.

He was scared. What if Ling’er left him once she regained her memories? Would history repeat itself?

He meditated in his study, considering the many possible outcomes for two hours. He sat there, the very picture of calm, but it was a façade, hiding the undercurrent of turmoil raging beneath.

When he finally got up, his brows drooped. It was almost midnight.

He stepped out of his study, feeling no better than earlier.

Soft music filled the air, the night light radiating a cold, white light.

Feng Jiuxiao was dressed in a white windbreaker. He walked with even steps, his shadow stretching behind him in a long cape.

His days were filled with walking back and forth from his room to the study. Even if he were blindfolded, he would still know which direction to take.

When he reached his room, he noticed that the light was on.

“Ling’er isn’t asleep yet?” He murmured.

He pushed the door open and strode in.

Ling’er was sitting at the head of the bed reading a book. When she heard the door opening, she looked up, a gentle smile tracing her lips.

“It’s so late. Why aren’t you asleep?” Feng Jiuxiao strode to the side of the bed. He had not showered, so he did flop into bed.

Ling’er closed her book and placed it on the bedside table. “I was waiting for you. I didn’t realise it was so late until you returned. You must have been very busy…”

“I’m sorry I took so long. I’ll go for a shower.”

If it were not because he had not taken a shower, Feng Jiuxiao would not have been able to resist the urge to pull his wife into his arms at that moment, but he still held himself back.

He turned around and went to the wardrobe to get his clothes before walking into the bathroom.

Half an hour later…

Feng Jiuxiao came out of the bathroom in a nightgown, the ends of his hair still dripping with water droplets. It was obvious that he had not used a hairdryer, and instead, hung a white towel around his neck. When the water droplets dripped down, they fell right onto the towel.

He walked over to the bed and sat down. He took off his shoes and climbed into bed.

He had just finished showering, and the shower gel on his body was slightly fragrant, but it smelled very good because she and he both used the same brand.

She said softly: “Don’t stay up late at night. No matter how healthy your body is, it can’t go without rest.”

When Feng Jiuxiao heard the worry in her words, his mood became much better. He sat beside her and pulled her into his warm embrace. He asked: “Ling’er, are you worried about me?”

Ling’er chuckled and put her head close to his chest, listening attentively to the rhythm of Jiuxiao’s heart.

“Of course, you are my lover. If not for you, then who else am I to be concerned for?”

When Feng Jiuxiao heard that, his heart warmed up, and his arms tightened as he hugged her tightly and called out in a low voice: “Ling’er, I-I…”

Ling’er asked softly: “What’s wrong?”

Feng Jiuxiao replied: “I’m just really happy today.”

Ling’er’s lips were still curled up in a faint smile, and when she heard Feng Jiuxiao’s words, the smile on her face widened.

“After being together with you for so many years, your emotions today have indeed surprised me a little. This is the first time I’ve seen you so expressive; it’s not any less than… . .”

Towards the end, Ling’er was a little embarrassed to finish her sentence.

Feng Jiuxiao lowered his gaze to look at the person in his arms. The shy expression on her face made it difficult for him to shift his gaze away.

It also reminded him of the first time they met. He got off the boat, and she got on it.

When their gazes met, it felt as if they had been looking at each other for ten thousand years.

It was not any less than the soul-stirring glance across the lake.

He was naturally cold and aloof by nature. When their short gazes met, he shifted his gaze away. Not long after he got off the boat, he heard Jin Cheng say with a smile that there was a little girl following behind him. It was highly likely that she had taken a fancy to him.

Jin Cheng was used to seeing such situations.

Feng Jiuxiao’s looks were unrivalled, and his temperament was even more remarkable. No matter which aspect you looked at, he was impeccable, and no one could compare to him.

It was normal for young girls to like him.

He stopped in his tracks and turned around to look behind. He saw a little girl wearing a mask following; the mask had a frightening expression.

Immediately, he recognized that it was the same little girl he had met when he got off the boat.

Out of the blue, he walked in front of the girl. His slender fingers reached out in front of her and took off her mask. He saw that the girl’s face was pink and her eyes were like stars. Perhaps she was shy. Her pair of blue eyes were wide open; it was like an endless blue sky. A vast pit into which one could fall endlessly.

Anyone caught stalking someone and even having their mask taken off of them in broad daylight could not help but feel mortified. Even the courageous Long Ziling could not help but feel shy. Perhaps it was because the man in front of her was just too good-looking.

It was an intoxicating handsomeness.

Long Ziling was still thinking about how not to appear too infatuated?

After Feng Jiuxiao took off her mask, he held the mask in his hands, turned around, and just… left?

No one noticed that the cold man had a faint smile in his eyes. He disappeared so quickly that she did not have time to react.

Long Ziling naturally did not see it either. She stared blankly at Feng Jiuxiao’s slender silhouette fade into the horizon. By the time she could react, he was already out of sight.

At this time, she remembered that her first sentence should have been, “What a coincidence. I’ve met you twice. How about leaving your contact information?”

An emphasis on how to contact him again.