Chapter 107
That night, Sheng Mumu kept thinking about what Qi Mo's words really meant.
Could it be that he liked her?
When this thought popped up, she instinctively shook her head.
How could that be?
They were in a purely contractual relationship!
If she was contaminated by something as vulgar as feelings, how could she still accept his money with a clear conscience?
She paced back and forth in front of the floor-to-ceiling window in her bedroom.
No matter how hard she racked her brains, she couldn't figure it out.
After a long while, with her lips pursed tightly, as if she had made a very important decision, she took out her phone.
"What exactly did you mean by what you just said?"
After typing this line, she closed her eyes and heavily pressed the screen.
Sent.
Her heart suddenly beat erratically.
Qi Mo was in the study next door. When he received the message, a hint of inscrutable light flashed across his ink-black pupils.
He then got up.
Intending to answer her question face-to-face.
Sheng Mumu held her phone nervously, watching the screen intently.
There was no "typing..." on the screen.
Strange, could he have not seen it...
Suddenly, she heard the faint sound of the study door next door opening.
Her eyebrows furrowed sharply, and she frantically tapped the screen.
"Just say it on WeChat."
Sheng Mumu held her breath, suddenly feeling nervous.
She who always boasted of her boldness, was timid at this moment.
From the crack under the door, she could see faint shadows and light.
Finally, after hearing the chime of a phone notification, the shadow outside the door stopped.
She also breathed a sigh of relief at last.
Just then, she felt her phone vibrate in her palm.
The screen lit up.
"It means I like you."
Her jumbled thoughts settled down at this moment.
Staring at the succinct line on the screen.
Sheng Mumu only felt her throat tighten, and a shallow heat flowed across her cheeks.
An indescribable emotion silently climbed into her heart. It was as if a movie was playing in her head, bringing up all the bits and pieces of their time together.
As if to discern whether he was telling the truth.
All the segments that could be used as evidence appeared one by one.
It was the phone call on the rainy day when he wanted to come to the mall to pick her up.
It was his hand brushing past her hair and briefly lingering on the back seat of the car.
It was the clothes he draped over her at the gym.
It was tucking her in over and over.
It was the repeated hesitation to speak out.
Then how about her?
What role did she play in all the segments she could think of?
All along, she had intentionally or unintentionally ignored the subtle feelings between them.
She had randomly grouped all the inexpressible emotions together and stuffed them under the pretense of their "contract marriage".
Not imagining any other possibilities.
The more she thought about it, the more confused she became.
The line on the screen burned her earlobes.
She hesitated for a long time before replying.
Outside the door.
The tall, handsome man leaned against the wall, his eyes lowered, the color in his eyes deepened as he looked at the phone screen.
The shallow light shone on his chiseled face, and his expression was solemn.
He was nervous.
The man who was always in control in the business field had never experienced such torment.
Time ticked by second by second.
The last sentence in the chat box still remained the one he had sent.
He loosened his tie.
Otherwise, he would surely be suffocated by the helpless feeling.
He didn't know how long he had been waiting like this.
Finally, the phone lit up.
But the moment he saw the message, he was stunned.
"Are you trying not to give me money anymore?"
Qi Mo: ......
In the room across the wall.
Sheng Mumu also knew this response was ridiculous.
But right now, she didn't know what else she could say to make the atmosphere less awkward.
If everything was brought out into the open, how could they still interact day and night? At least at this moment, she was not ready to entrust herself to someone else.
But this reply obviously didn't hold water.
She pursed her lips and wrapped herself in a quilt, burying her face in the pillow as she sent a response that catered to her heart's desire.
Her earlobes slightly red, her cheeks burning hot.
Lying on the bed, her legs flailed randomly a few times. She didn't make any other sounds, afraid of revealing even a hint of her girlish thoughts. Yet she also mocked herself inwardly.
She was already twenty-eight, yet she could still become flustered and panic like a little girl at times like this.
Sheng Mumu, Sheng Mumu.
You're done for.
Outside the door.
The smile on the man's lips grew thicker and thicker.
The pitch black pupils became increasingly fiery, like two flickering sparks.
Downstairs in the living room.
Qi Shaobai, who had just gone to the kitchen to get some ice cubes, happened to glance upstairs on his way back.
He suddenly stopped in his tracks, stunned.
Why was Dad standing outside the door being punished?
Just as he was thinking that.
He heard two very soft knocks upstairs.
Followed by Dad's voice laced with laughter, asking, "Can I come in now?"
Qi Shaobai's eyeballs shook: ..................
Oh my god.
What did he see?
Dad was locked out by Stepmother and not allowed to enter the room?
He quickly shifted his gaze, hugging the ice bucket.
Trying his best to minimize his presence.
Silently chanting in his heart: You can't see me, you can't see me, you can't see me, you can't see me......
"Young Master, it's not good to keep drinking cold drinks in the summer."
Zhang the housekeeper came up from the wine cellar after taking an inventory and dutifully showed concern when he saw Qi Shaobai holding the ice bucket.
Qi Shaobai's body stiffened, and ten thousand grass mud horses galloped through his heart.
He reflexively glanced upstairs at where Dad was standing punished.
Caught off guard, his gaze met Dad's.
Qi Shaobai blankly scratched the back of his head, "Dad."
Just as Qi Mo was about to respond, he heard her softly reply from inside the room, "You can come in now."
The coldness on the man's face became gentle, and he said deeply, "Okay."
Qi Shaobai was completely stunned.
He couldn't hear Sheng Mumu's voice from the master bedroom.
Nor could he infer the reason for Dad's punishment.
But he couldn't help but be shocked by what he had witnessed.
Dad was actually... smiling after being punished to stand outside?
Tsk tsk, so clingy.
Simply amazing.
He nodded at Dad and ran back to his room at a sprint.
Behind him, the housekeeper's nagging still chased relentlessly after him.
"Young Master, you can't drink too much cold now."
"Young Master, open the door. Let me tell you about the benefits of drinking more hot water..."