The night was quiet, and the moonlight was clear and bright.
In the stillness of the bedroom, only the sound of pages turning could be heard.
Ling Qingzhou was reading documents, while Zhou Qin watched him.
“Husband.”
“Hm?” The man didn’t look up from the pages, responding absentmindedly.
“It’s late. Let’s rest.”
Ling Qingzhou checked the time. It was indeed late.
He closed the documents, turned off the light, and laid down.
Zhou Qin moved closer, resting her head on his shoulder, a gesture both intimate and suggestive.
Ling Qingzhou patted her back lightly. “Sleep.”
After saying that, he closed his eyes.
Zhou Qin paused, then leaned over and gave him a light kiss on the cheek. “Good night, Husband.”
Ling Qingzhou’s breathing remained steady.
Zhou Qin returned to her side, closing her eyes as she concealed her disappointment.
Just as a hint of sleep began to settle, a phone suddenly rang.
Ling Qingzhou’s eyes opened abruptly. He picked up his phone, glanced at the screen, and then got out of bed, heading to his study.
Zhou Qin got up as well, but he waved her off.
In the study.
“What’s the matter?” Ling Qingzhou answered the call.
“Chief Ling, something unusual seems to be happening with Yi’s side.”
“Did the South City project bid get approved?”
“No… The company itself is fine, everything’s as usual. It’s Yi Hansheng.”
Ling Qingzhou frowned. “What about him?”
“Recently, he seems to be investigating someone. He’s been discreet, but our circle isn’t that big; any hint of news spreads fast.”
Investigating someone?
Ling Qingzhou raised his eyebrows. Yi Hansheng was strictly business-oriented, not one to use such tactics lightly.
So, if he was investigating someone, it was likely for personal reasons.
“Who is he investigating?”
“A student.”
“Heh…” Ling Qingzhou let out a brief, mocking laugh. “Thought he could hold out, but he’s chasing after younger women after all.”
The caller only mentioned “student,” without specifying if it was a college or high school student, so Ling Qingzhou assumed it was the former.
With his wife gone for so long and him at the peak of his career, having some romantic thoughts wasn’t surprising.
Still…
Keeping a lover on the side would be fine; why go so far as to investigate her?
Ling Qingzhou sensed something was off, though he couldn’t quite pinpoint it. “Keep an eye on it.”
“Understood, Chief Ling.”
After ending the call, Ling Qingzhou no longer felt sleepy. He moved to his desk, crossed his arms, and sat, replaying Yi Hansheng’s recent notable moves—such as bidding for the Huayu Tower in South City, expressing interest in acquiring Jinyu Science, attending the financial summit…
After going through each one, he found nothing amiss. None of it directly tied to his investigation into a potential lover.
Reassured, Ling Qingzhou’s gaze drifted to the nearby safe, lingering there briefly.
He took a disinfectant wipe from the drawer and carefully cleaned his hands.
The process took about two minutes, from the palms and backs of his hands to the nail edges—thoroughly.
Only then did he input the safe code, open it, and take out an old, yellowed envelope.
He tilted it slightly, letting a few photos and what seemed to be letters slip out.
Perhaps they had been handled frequently or were just old, but they looked quite worn.
Ling Qingzhou’s fingers brushed over the woman’s face in the photo, and he murmured softly, “Even Yi Hansheng is chasing after young girls now. Guess he’s moved on? Turns out he’s not as faithful as I thought…”
Zhou Qin had obediently gone back to bed, but as she laid there, she couldn’t find sleep.
She glanced at the cup of untouched tea on the bedside table. Not knowing how long the call would take, she wondered if Ling Qingzhou might get thirsty and decided to bring it to his study.
The door to the study wasn’t fully closed, and light from inside spilled through the gap, casting a faint glow on the floor.
Just as Zhou Qin was about to push open the door, she froze, her smile gradually fading.
He was looking at that woman’s photos again, even murmuring something.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t hear from this distance, but she could imagine it—
Perhaps he was expressing his longing, whispering his love? Or simply talking about daily things?
Under the light, his expression was so gentle, filled with tenderness—emotions that he never showed her.
A pang of sadness filled Zhou Qin’s heart.
So, was that why he had rejected her earlier in bed, because he was going to see her?
Yet when she decided to marry him, hadn’t she anticipated this outcome?
What was there to be bitter about?
She had chosen this path, and she would see it through, however painful.
Zhou Qin blinked back her disappointment, put on a smile, and carefully closed the door gap. Then she raised her hand and knocked.
Knock knock knock—
“Husband, are you busy? May I come in?”
Despite saying this, she waited a few seconds before pushing open the door.
Ling Qingzhou had already put the items away, skillfully locking them back in the safe. “What brings you here?”
“I thought you might be thirsty, so I brought this.” She handed him the cup.
This time, he accepted it, drinking it all in one go.
Zhou Qin: “Are you still working?”
“No,” he said, getting up and moving around the desk to place a hand on her shoulder. “Let’s go back to bed.”
“Alright.” She smiled.
Sister Yue—forever the untouchable white moonlight; Zhou Qin deserves a moment of sympathy.
