Meng Qinghuai was actually not asleep at all.
At an age when many of his peers were still gaming all night, grilling skewers, and hanging out at bars, Meng Qinghuai had already begun to accept and shoulder far more responsibility than most.
Perhaps because of this, his sleep had never been particularly good, and he needed a longer time than others to fall asleep.
That was true even under normal circumstances— let alone now, with Guan Yingtang beside him.
When she first turned over and started fumbling around between them, Meng Qinghuai had already noticed, but he didn’t pay any mind.
It wasn’t until Guan Yingtang’s hand started wandering around his waist, and then causing trouble above his head, that he finally reacted.
She carried a very faint fragrance, like some kind of flower, drifting into his breath with every exhale, disturbing his clarity.
Even so, Meng Qinghuai took a deep breath and still managed to hold back.
But she was relentless, as if determined to search him from head to toe without missing a spot. Only then did he grab her hand and pin her down.
“Don’t want to sleep, is that it?” Meng Qinghuai’s voice was hoarse, not easy to detect.
Guan Yingtang was caught off guard, her hands pinned above her head, utterly powerless to resist.
In the dimness, their silhouettes overlapped, and even their breathing seemed to pause.
“Um…” Guan Yingtang’s heart almost leapt out of her chest. Pressed beneath the heavy male body, her voice trembled as she spoke.
Meng Qinghuai loosened her hands a little, but still held on, lowering his voice, “What are you trying to do?”
Guan Yingtang opened her mouth, suddenly feeling wronged, “Why are you being so fierce?”
She’d already been scared half to death playing the thief for so long, and now she even had to be blamed by the one who started it all.
And it was all because of him— because he wouldn’t delete her photos!
Meng Qinghuai was suddenly saddled with another accusation out of nowhere.
He paused, exhaled helplessly, “I just want to figure out what you’re doing, not sleeping and feeling around everywhere.”
Guan Yingtang’s face suddenly flushed, “I didn’t touch you!”
“You didn’t, but you did.”
“……”
At this moment, Guan Yingtang perfectly demonstrated the saying “there’s no silver here, three hundred taels.”
By this point, things were already completely botched. She shut her eyes and simply decided to come clean in one breath.
“You promised to delete those photos.” Guan Yingtang was both angry and aggrieved, suddenly raising her voice, “Meng Qinghuai, how can you go back on your word?”
Meng Qinghuai: “……”
Great, now she was calling him by his full name. Clearly, her resentment had reached a new high.
Meng Qinghuai had known all along that Guan Yingtang had ulterior motives coming to sleep in his room, but he hadn’t expected it was all for a few photos.
He let out a helpless laugh, sat up, pulled out his arm and found his phone, opening the album and showing it to Guan Yingtang.
Guan Yingtang froze for a moment.
She didn’t even know where the phone had come from, but…
All those hundreds of embarrassing, drunken photos in the album from before— now, not a single one remained.
Even the few taken tonight were gone.
His album was clean, not a trace of her left.
The sudden reversal left Guan Yingtang staring at the phone in silence for a long time.
It wasn’t until Meng Qinghuai spoke, “Now can you sleep in peace?”
Guan Yingtang quietly hummed a reply, slid her legs off the bed, and politely said goodbye as if nothing had happened, “Then, Mr. Meng, you should rest early.”
Meng Qinghuai: “…?”
One moment it was Meng Qinghuai, the next it was Mr. Meng.
One second she wanted to sleep with him, the next she was saying goodbye.
Everything depended on the heiress’s mood.
In the dim light, Meng Qinghuai reached out and pulled her back without hesitation.
Guan Yingtang was dragged back onto the bed before she could react, and the covers were already pulled over her again.
What followed was a sudden sense of invasion— the heavy heat of a man, no longer concealed, rushed in close.
Guan Yingtang swallowed, not daring to move.
A command fell in her ear, two simple words: “Go to sleep.”
Guan Yingtang: “……”
–
On the Duke’s private island, vast fields of tulips were in bloom.
April was their season, and the road to the garden was awash in pink.
When the sea breeze blew, it carried a tranquil yet passionate romance.
The next morning, Guan Yingtang was naturally awakened by sunlight and the ocean breeze.
With her embarrassing history erased, she slept quite soundly.
By the time she woke, the sun was already high in the sky.
After sleeping in so many times, even if Meng Qinghuai noticed, she no longer cared, and her ladylike restraint was loosening day by day.
Meng Qinghuai was not in the room.
The castle’s servants told Guan Yingtang he was with the Duke and Duchess in the garden for tea.
After a simple wash and brunch, Guan Yingtang also headed to the garden.
Meng Qinghuai was sitting there with the Duke and Duchess, talking about something.
His suit, as always, was immaculate and sharp, his long legs crossed, a faint smile appearing in his words.
Even in front of the distinguished Duke, his composure was on par.
From afar, Guan Yingtang suddenly recalled the moment last night when he had pinned her wrist.
Clearly, her husband was not always gentle and refined— he could be aggressive too, like a complex, multifaceted prism, revealing an unknown side when you least expected it.
At this moment, the Duchess spotted Guan Yingtang and warmly called her name, “Yi!”
Meng Qinghuai paused slightly, turning to see that it was her.
The business had already been mostly discussed. Meng Qinghuai had been here for a while, and it would still take some time to return from the island to Barcelona.
When Guan Yingtang walked over to Meng Qinghuai, the Duke said, “There’s a chance to meet again in China.”
It was a statement full of uncertainty— after all, no one could predict when such a meeting would happen, or how long it would take.
But Meng Qinghuai only smiled lightly, “I think it’ll be soon.”
Standing by as a dutiful companion, Guan Yingtang didn’t notice the deeper meaning in Meng Qinghuai’s words.
It wasn’t until they were about to board the helicopter to leave that the Duchess suddenly leaned over to Meng Qinghuai and whispered, “Ethan, is Yi your lover?”
Guan Yingtang was stunned.
Awkwardly, she glanced at the Duchess, then at Meng Qinghuai, thinking he would skillfully change the subject.
But after a few seconds’ pause, Meng Qinghuai actually nodded and replied naturally, “Yes.”
This definite answer caught Guan Yingtang completely off guard, her heart pounding.
But she showed no sign of it on her face, even linking arms with him in cooperation.
The Duchess gave a knowing smile, “Very well, I wish you both a wonderful day.”
Guan Yingtang thought it was just a polite farewell blessing and didn’t think much of it.
The helicopter had been waiting nearby for some time. After saying goodbye to Meng Qinghuai, she boarded and left.
The helicopter slowly rose from the sea, and she could still faintly see the Duke and Duchess waving to them from the island.
They looked very loving.
The fields of tulips on the island were proof enough.
At this thought, Guan Yingtang suddenly turned to Meng Qinghuai, “Why didn’t you deny it just now?”
She was asking about that “lover” comment.
Meng Qinghuai glanced at her, “Why should I deny it?”
Guan Yingtang pursed her lips, meeting his gaze seriously, “We’re not lovers, we’re husband and wife.”
“Is there a difference?”
“……”
Of course there’s a difference.
A very big difference.
Do all men think so straightforwardly?
Guan Yingtang turned to look out the window, muttering, “Lovers date.”
They met on the first day, got their marriage certificate on the second, and as a couple with zero dating experience, calling themselves lovers was a stretch.
After saying this, Meng Qinghuai didn’t respond, and the helicopter cabin was quiet for a while.
Guan Yingtang suddenly felt she’d said too much.
They were already married— why was she emphasizing this? Was she really that unsatisfied? Did she want to find a lover to make up for it?
She sneaked a glance at Meng Qinghuai. He was cold and silent, his face showing no emotion.
In truth, Guan Yingtang didn’t really understand this man.
He always kept people at arm’s length, spoke little, stayed rational and calm, hiding everything away.
For example, now— soon after, he simply said, “I have a meeting with a business partner this afternoon. If you don’t want to go back to the hotel, there’s a mall next to the meeting spot. You can shop there while you wait. I’ve made dinner reservations for tonight.”
He didn’t seem to care about what she’d just said at all.
But Guan Yingtang understood— love was a luxury for people like them.
She’d attended the best schools since childhood, learned all the rules of etiquette for the elite, practiced music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.
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