Chapter 5
Edward Quan ·
13
The project was nearly finished.
Qin Song and I were busy preparing the final report.
Some parts needed revision.
I asked him to come over and discuss them.
Better than going to his place.
A man and woman alone.
No need to give Xu Yanqing the wrong idea.
He was fragile these days.
I had to be careful.
When he came home, Qin Song and I were discussing the 3D model for our next project.
“Yours looks pretty good. Just the right size.”
“You have a good eye, Xiaoqiao. Everyone else says it’s too small.”
“What do they know? Don’t listen.”
Xu Yanqing stood by the dining table, pouring water.
Silent.
It overflowed.
He didn’t notice.
I understood.
Sensitive again.
I quickly tried to send Qin Song home.
He was reluctant.
“We haven’t finished the report…”
“Revise it at home this evening. I’ll come over later.”
“All right.”
After he left, Xu Yanqing asked calmly, “He’s shown you?”
Shown me what?
Oh. The 3D model.
“Yes.”
He was silent for a moment.
“What did you think?”
“Pretty good. Meets my requirements.”
“You really like it?”
“It’s all right. Compared with the others, his is quite good.”
“So you’re planning to take it?”
“I’m considering it. Still need to discuss it with management.”
He drew a deep breath.
Forced a smile.
“I see. I was only asking. Don’t worry. I’m not upset.”
He plainly was.
What was wrong with him?
An hour later, Qin Song returned.
The report was revised.
But he had to present it the next day and wanted my opinion on how it came across.
He glanced at Xu Yanqing.
“Xiaoqiao, I’m ready. Could you come to mine? I don’t want to disturb your fiancé here.”
Awkwardly, I looked at Xu Yanqing.
His face was pale.
He still smiled.
“It’s fine. Go.”
Then to Qin Song:
“You go ahead. I’d like a word with her.”
Qin Song nodded.
“…All right.”
Once he left, Xu Yanqing held me tightly.
As though he couldn’t bear to let go.
Softly, he asked, “When you come back… will you still love me?”
What on earth?
I was only going to work.
His voice was already catching.
I nodded quickly.
“Of course.”
“All right. I believe you.”
I was about to open the door.
“Aren’t you taking anything?”
My laptop?
“No need. He has one.”
He gave a self-mocking smile.
“Of course. Why wouldn’t he be prepared? Silly question.”
…
Was he all right?
“Maybe… I shouldn’t go?”
He shook his head.
“It’s fine. Don’t worry about me.”
14
He acted as though he didn’t care.
In reality, I had barely been inside Qin Song’s apartment a few minutes before he knocked.
The first time, he brought fruit.
“She likes a little something before getting started.”
The second, a hair tie.
“It’s easier with her hair up.”
The third, tissues.
“She’s only used to this brand.”
At the fourth knock, I finally snapped.
“Xu Yanqing, what is wrong with you?
“If you don’t want me here, say so!
“Do you realize how awkward you’re making this?”
His face tightened.
His eyes reddened at once.
“Yes! I don’t want you seeing him!
“I thought I could do it.
“But I can’t stand even a second!”
I fell silent.
I hadn’t realized his possessiveness had reached the point where I couldn’t even work normally with someone else.
I apologized to Qin Song.
Took Xu Yanqing home.
We said nothing else that night.
Late, my phone vibrated.
Qin Song.
“There’s something I think you should know.”
“What?”
“Your husband’s… a little strange.
“We go to the same gym. Lately, he’s been watching me secretly.
“He even follows me into the bathroom and stares.”
I blinked.
“Stares at what?”
“…Down there.
“I think he’s bisexual. He’s interested in me!”
“What???”
I was completely lost.
My head hurt.
My brain seemed ready to disappear.
What was going on?
Had the world gone mad?
Did any of this make sense?
How could Xu Yanqing be bisexual?
There had to be a misunderstanding.
Something felt wrong.
A clue seemed to be there.
I couldn’t grasp it.
He was the only man I had ever dated.
I had too little experience.
I had no idea how to handle this.
All I could do was ask my two friends for help.
15
At a café, I told them everything that had happened lately.
Except Qin Song’s theory about Xu Yanqing being bisexual.
That was too difficult to say.
“Is this normal?”
One thought for a moment.
“I think your breakup threat traumatized him.”
I frowned.
“But it’s excessive. He’s hostile to every man.”
“He probably loves you so much he’s afraid of losing you.”
I shook my head.
“But I love him too. He knows.”
My friend rubbed her chin.
“Could you be doing something that makes him insecure?”
I sighed.
“No. To reassure him, I barely dare speak to other men now.”
Suddenly, she asked, “What about in bed? Compatible?”
I nodded.
“Extremely. I’m happy with every part of him.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“The size too?”
I nodded vigorously.
“More than happy!”
She looked puzzled.
“That’s strange. Then what is the problem?”
All three of us fell silent to think.
After a while, one suddenly laughed.
“Who’d have thought? He’s so tall and well-built, but only two centimeters. Guess you really can’t judge a man’s size by his height or nose.”
I froze.
“What two centimeters?”
They laughed for two whole hours.
My face was thunderous.
“Stop laughing! You’ll die!”
“Hahaha! Honestly, he treats you so well. Even that, he’s willing to accept!”
“Not exactly! If he could accept it, he wouldn’t keep falling apart! Hahaha!”
I couldn’t take it.
The drama of it all.
One off-topic remark.
One enormous misunderstanding.
Absurd.
Once we pieced everything together, all his odd behavior made sense.
Funny.
And painful.
A man as conservative as he was had broken through his own moral boundaries.
Accepted what he thought were my unconventional needs.
It must have been terribly hard.
He must have suffered so much.
Warmth filled my chest.
I wanted to see him immediately.
16
I hurried home and pushed open the door.
Xu Yanqing had cooked a lavish dinner.
He sat quietly at the table, waiting.
If not for the suitcase beside him, I would have thought we were celebrating something.
He stood.
“I’ve made dinner for you both.
“I’ll leave the place to you and him.
“I’m going.
“Have a wonderful evening.”
What did he mean?
Was he breaking up with me?
My heart tightened.
“Xu Yanqing—”
He interrupted.
“Don’t worry about me.
“I’m only going home for a few days.
“If I stay… I won’t be able to stop myself bothering you.
“I want to be a generous man.
“But I can’t.
“Just thinking about you with someone else…”
He held his chest and smiled bitterly.
“I can’t breathe here.
“I’ll try to get used to it.
“Give me a little more time.
“I can do it.
“Don’t leave me… Please?”
Oh my god.
He had lowered himself so far.
Loved me so much.
Made my heart ache.
My nose stung.
I rushed forward and kissed him.
“Don’t go.
“You never have to go.”
That night was our most passionate yet.
I used every means I could.
All to tell him one thing.
I liked his generous endowment.
He had no reason to feel inferior.
We clung to each other all night.
Afterward, I closed my eyes to rest.
He thought I was asleep.
Secretly, he pulled the blanket over himself and made a call.
“Chen Xi. It worked.
“Your method really worked.
“Step back to move forward. Play pitiful. Act generous.
“She softened right up.
“I know what I’m doing now.
“From now on, those men out there can forget about getting close to her!”
Me: …
A decent, straightforward man.
I had driven him into becoming a master of manipulation.
Honestly.
I sat up.
“Hubby.”
He startled.
His phone fell to the floor.
Slowly, painfully, he turned his head.
“Qiaoqiao… It’s not what you think… Let me explain…”
I interrupted.
“Don’t explain.
“Let me explain first.”
“What?”
“About my liking two centimeters.”
17 — Extra
After everything was explained, Xu Yanqing shut himself away.
For several days, he barely spoke to me.
He only kept a cold face…
And did it.
I couldn’t tell whether he was angry with me.
Or himself.
Gentle.
Fierce.
Even more forceful than before.
Afterward, he asked, “Do you like it?”
To soothe him, I exhausted every trick I knew.
Anything to restore his confidence.
“Love it.”
“As much as before? Or more now?”
“Both.”
“I don’t believe you.”
I wanted to cry.
“Then what do you want…”
“Again.”
…
Afterward, another question.
“Do you like big or small?”
I had learned.
I didn’t answer immediately.
Two seconds of thought told me this was a deadly question.
Either answer was wrong.
I smiled.
“I like yours.”
His mouth curved.
At last, he was satisfied.
Six months later, we got married.
Before the ceremony, a wedding-company employee brought me two pairs of heels.
“Ms. Yu. Ten centimeters or twelve?”
I was hesitating when Xu Yanqing came over, dressed for the wedding.
He didn’t even look at the shoes.
“She’ll take two.”
We looked at each other.
Neither could help it.
We burst out laughing.
The End