CHAPTER 268: CHAPTER 250: EAGER TO RETURN

The TV was playing a romance drama, with a well-known lawyer as the handsome male lead, perfectly fitting her fantasy of romantic heroes.

However, even though the male lead was off-the-charts handsome, her gaze seemed to pass through him, her ears still ringing with his recent response, "I’m at home."

Why did he feel the need to lie? He clearly wasn’t at home.

Perhaps, Gu Qili’s sudden silence had alerted Mu Shuoqian; he listened carefully to the sounds from the other end of the phone—she was watching TV.

She never used to watch TV while they talked on the phone. She mentioned the TV was broken and she had no desire to have it fixed since she didn’t really want to watch it, especially because her workload from City A kept her so busy that even after work at the hotel, she still had many documents to attend to.

He had a nagging feeling that something was off, causing Mu Shuoqian to ask involuntarily, "Where are you?"

Gu Qili was also contemplating how to answer that question—should she expose his lie or help him maintain it?

Eventually, she chose the latter.

"I’m at the hotel," she said cheerfully into the phone, "I just remembered I have a report to fill out, so let’s stop chatting, goodbye."

She quickly hung up the phone, her heart uncontrollably racing.

After calming down, the first thing that came to mind was what Yuan Yi had told her; he had advised her to keep an eye on him, suggesting Mu Shuoqian must be acting abnormally for Yuan Yi to make such a statement.

Before she started her business trip, aside from necessary social engagements, Mu Shuoqian would return home promptly after work every day, even providing early notice when dining with clients. However, during her absence, Yuan Yi mentioned that he often didn’t return home or would come back very late.

He had lied to her; what was he trying to hide? Was he also lying about working overtime recently?

~

Mu Shuoqian glanced at his suddenly darkened phone, a heavy seriousness settling over his brow.

Stepping out of the bathroom, he glanced at the person sitting on the sofa, grabbed his coat and headed for the door, "I’m going back first."

"So early?" The person on the sofa frowned, "Aren’t you going to have a late-night snack before you go?"

"No, I’m not," Mu Shuoqian said, quickly stepping out.

The person watched his departing figure and picked up a phone on the side to dial a number.

~

Having sat on the sofa for a while, Gu Qili got up and went to the dining room, where she cleared all the dishes off the table back into the kitchen and put them in a plastic bag.

Since she had claimed to be at the hotel, she shouldn’t leave any signs of her return home; she decided to stay the night at Mickey’s house, conveniently participating in the defense meeting tomorrow with her.

Gu Qili knew she should confront him for clarification, yet she had to admit, at this very moment, she suddenly felt weak and fearful; she didn’t dare ask, worried that it might confirm the fears she harbored, hence, she preferred the comfort of willful blindness.

Some truths, once revealed, could never be undone.

Returning to her room, she stared blankly at her unopened suitcase.

Should she really leave? She’d only just flown back to see him, eagerly anticipating this day for so long.

Ultimately, Gu Qili was reluctant to leave and once again took out her phone from her pocket.

~

Mu Shuoqian sensed something was wrong; although everything seemed normal when she called him earlier, his instincts told him there must be something amiss.

While driving, he hooked on his earphones, "Ask Liu Zhining where is my wife right now?"

Xiao Ran quickly agreed and went to carry out the task.

Soon, his phone call returned, slightly puzzled, "Young Master Qian, Vice Manager Liu said the lady took leave to go to Aus City for a defense session. She took the earliest flight this morning to Aus City, and I have also checked the flight—she was indeed on it, and the flight had no delays, arriving in Aus City around noon. Young Master Qian, didn’t you see the lady?"

She is at home?!

Mu Shuoqian hung up the phone in agitation.

No wonder her tone sounded strange, no wonder he heard the TV; turns out she had already returned home, probably to surprise him, but instead it turned into a scare.

He had lied to her, and in turn, she tolerated and maintained his deceit without exposing him.

Knowing she was at home, he couldn’t focus on anything else, slamming the accelerator to rush his car to its fastest.

His heart was racing to reunite with her, wishing he could fly directly to her side.

However...

Even though his eagerness and anxiety to see his beloved was starting to overwhelm him, it could not obscure his inherently sharp perception.

In the rearview mirror, a car kept a constant distance behind him, seemingly having followed him for quite a while.

He had already acted so calmly, had she still noticed something off?

He gradually slowed down the car, quickly sent a text message on his phone, then turned left at the junction ahead and headed straight for the hotel.

Mu Shuoqian got out of the car, went to his usual suite in the hotel, then ordered a bottle of red wine, and slowly started drinking.

Outside the hotel, the car stayed parked downstairs without any sign of leaving. Mu Shuoqian stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window and glanced downward, his brows fiercely furrowed together.

~

Gu Qili picked up the phone but did nothing, just as she was about to put the phone back and prepare to leave, a message suddenly popped up.

It was a brief and direct message from Mu Shuoqian: Wait for me at home.

Her hand holding the phone trembled nervously, did he know she had come back? Where had she slipped up?

Nevertheless, she repacked her suitcase, and after an unknown amount of time, she felt a chilly body engulf her into his arms, his hands desperately searching over her body, and her newly changed skirt ended up tossed on the floor.

In a daze, she opened her eyes to see a face enveloped by moonlight, divine and beautiful like from a holy painting.

The gaze he cast down on her fair face seemed to melt into droplets, no words needed; his eyes sank into hers.

The next day, Gu Qili woke up to an alarm she had set. She had to go back to Australian University for a thesis defense and couldn’t afford to oversleep like she did for her level eight exam last time.

As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw a face right in front of her — so close she could clearly see each pore on it.

He was still sleeping, his long black eyelashes drooping under his eyelids, breathing light and prolonged.

Only then did Gu Qili remember what happened last midnight. When had he come back?

Gu Qili stared at the perfect face before her, her gaze gradually softening to a mess, she suddenly felt that his lie from yesterday didn’t seem so important anymore, her previous angst felt worthless.

All she needed to do was trust him wholeheartedly, whether he lied to her or not, he definitely wasn’t harming her, weren’t his past untruthful words the best proof?

Mu Shuoqian also sat up and started dressing.

Gu Qili thought he would offer to drive her, but instead, he picked up his phone to call Yuan Yi, asking Yuan Yi to take her to Australian University.

Gu Qili, in her hurry, ignored the slight discomfort in her heart, quickly packed her backpack: "No need, I can drive myself."

"Let Yuan Yi take you. You can have breakfast in the car."

She nodded her agreement, "Are you busy today?"

"Got a meeting in the morning, and I need to go out in the afternoon. Is there anything?"

"Oh." Gu Qili gently pinched and rubbed the front of her garment, he was so busy, and she would fly back to City A after her defense, but soon, she smiled playfully at him: "Then go about your day, I’m fine."

Mu Shuoqian knew, her flight was in the afternoon, he should be taking her to the university and then have lunch with her before taking her to the airport, but he couldn’t do that.

When Gu Qili left, she felt somewhat downcast, having not seen each other for so long only to part hastily again, along with a sense of reluctance.

"Then I’ll be leaving first, goodbye." Gu Qili turned to open the door.

"Qiqi." Behind her, Mu Shuoqian suddenly called out to her.

Gu Qili felt slightly dazed, remembering that when she first met him, he used to call her Miss Gu, and later kept calling her Gu Qili. Her fair wrist adorned with the ocean-blue eighteen beads bracelet looked exceptionally beautiful. He scrutinized it for a while before saying, "I saw it at the auction and thought it suited you, so I bought it."

Indeed, just as he thought, a perfect match.

No girl could resist a gift, and Gu Qili was no exception, especially since this gift was from him. He rarely gave her gifts formally, so the gloom she felt earlier was instantly swept away.

"I really like it, thank you."

"Once you wear it, don’t take it off."

"Don’t worry, I’ll treasure it more than my life."

"Oh, by the way." He held her hand, his gaze fixed on the bracelet on her wrist, "About last night, I apologize. I had some matters to handle, I lied saying I was home because I didn’t want you to worry."

Gu Qili was stunned for a moment, not expecting him to bring it up herself. She carelessly smiled, "I didn’t mind."

Hearing that, he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, patting the back of her hand: "Let’s go, or you’ll be late."

Gu Qili left the house cheerfully, still admiring the bracelet on her wrist while in the car. This set of eighteen beads clearly had years to them, at least from the Qing Dynasty.

Mu Shuoqian stood at the window watching her leave before picking up his phone.

"Check if there’s any work that needs to be dealt with in City A."

"Young Master Qian, are you going to City A?"