“I won’t let anyone know about this yet.” She wanted to put matters relating to the Tea Silk and the fashion show on hold first.
It did not mean that she was going to give up on them. Rather, she was waiting for an appropriate opportunity.
If she insisted on pursuing this matter regardless of everything else, she would only make things more difficult for Zong Jinghao.
Fortunately, there was still a lot of time.
His kiss slid to her ears as he uttered hoarsely, “You’re still unwilling to tell me.”
Sweat dotted her forehead and nose. Her body trembled while her mind was in a state of turmoil.
In the end, she still decided to keep silent about it.
At three in the afternoon, Guan Jing called Zong Jinghao, informing him that everything was now ready. He could head over now.
Standing at the porch, Lin Xinyan tidied his collar and tie attentively. He hugged her waist and asked her, “What if I don’t want to go anymore?”
Lin Xinyan replied, “If you aren’t afraid of demotivating your staff, you don’t need to go.”
The employees from the headquarter and branch offices would be there. In fact, just by counting the members from the upper management, there were already two hundred people. As it was rare to see Zong Jinghao even once a year, it would be quite unpardonable if he did not show up at the gala.
Zong Jinghao pinched her cheek, his eyes scanning her face carefully. As his fingers stroked her lips, he asked, “Will you wait for me until I return home?”
Lin Xinyan nodded. “Yeah.”
“I’ll come back as soon as possible.” He planted a gentle kiss on her soft and tender lips. The longer he kissed her, the more addictive it became. Hence, he hugged her waist and deepened the kiss.
Click!
They heard the door open. Lin Xinyan pushed him away hurriedly, while Zong Jinghao released her.
Zong Qifeng and Cheng Yuxiu entered. Looking at how neatly dressed Zong Jinghao was, Zong Qifeng asked, “You’re going out?”
“I’m going to the office,” replied Zong Jinghao curtly.
Zong Qifeng did not say anything either. After all, he had stopped managing the company for a long time and he had complete faith in Zong Jinghao’s abilities. There was nothing else for him to instruct.
Lin Xinyan held the coat up for Zong Jinghao, who reached his arms into the sleeves. He shrugged slightly and the coat fit onto his body snugly. It was a high-quality grey woolen coat, without any creases on it. When he wore the coat, he exuded a dignified and exceptional aura.
Lin Xinyan sent him out.
As it was cold outside, Zong Jinghao told her to head back into the house.
Watching the car drive out of the courtyard, Lin Xinyan closed the door and entered the house.
“Did you visit the Wen family?” The moment Lin Xinyan turned around, she saw Cheng Yuxiu standing behind her.
She answered honestly, “Yes.”
“He didn’t place you in a difficult position, right?”
“No. He doesn’t know that it’s me and Jinghao tried to deflect him. I think that he probably won’t know anytime soon.” If he remained oblivious, he would not take any action.
However, even if he knew something, Wen Qing would not act as ruthlessly as he had before. After all, she was Zong Jinghao’s wife.
She could tell that Zong Jinghao was very important to him.
As for the children’s surname, Wen Qing was not so bothered about whether they had followed the Zong family’s surname. Instead, it was about whether they had followed Zong Jinghao’s surname.
After Zong Qifeng had married Cheng Yuxiu, Wen Qing no longer had any feelings left for his ex-brother-in-law.
Cheng Yuxiu heaved a sigh of relief. “That’s good, then.”
She was afraid that she would cause Lin Xinyan trouble.
Cheng Yuxiu beckoned Lin Xinyan over to the sofa, before instructing the maids to pour them two cups of steaming tea.
“We went to Wen Xian’s grave today.” She and Zong Qifeng would go there every year. “Initially, we wanted to invite you along. However, as you still have two kids to take care of, I didn’t ask you to come.”
No matter what, Wen Xian took care of Zong Jinghao for six years on her behalf. Although Wen Qing was quite mean to her, Wen Xian never did anything wrong.
After all, she was willing, right from the start.
Chen Yuxiu took a sip of the tea and asked, “What do you want to eat for dinner? I’ll cook for you.”
As Lin Xinyan did not have much appetite, she answered, “Anything’s fine.”
Cheng Yuxiu smiled. “Okay, then. I’ll just cook a few dishes. You don’t look too well. Go and rest!”
Indeed, Lin Xinyan felt a bit exhausted.
There was still quite a while before nighttime. She soon agreed, “Then I’ll take a short nap.”
“Go on.” Cheng Yuxiu waved her hands.
Laying on the bed, Lin Xinyan unknowingly drifted off to sleep. Even when the sun began to set, she still had not woken up yet. It was the knocking on the door that had jolted her back to reality.
“Mommy, it’s time for dinner,” Lin Xichen called out.
She stood up, washed her face, and went downstairs. Other than Zong Jinghao, everyone was present in the dining room.
Initially, she had wanted to take a short nap before helping Cheng Yuxiu for dinner. Unfortunately, she had overslept in the end.
It was quite inappropriate of her to sleep, while her elders had labored.
“Why didn’t you wake me up earlier?”
“Don’t be so polite! You were outside for such a long time. Now that you’ve returned, you deserve a good rest.” Cheng Yuxiu poured her a bowl of nutritious soup and passed it to her. “It’s suitable to drink this during the winter.”
Lin Xinyan received it with both hands. The soup was still steaming when she took a sip of it. It was quite hot, with a slight hint of ginseng.
“I’ve added red ginseng to it. It’s good for women. Drink more later, when you have the appetite,” reminded Cheng Yuxiu.
Lin Xinyan nodded. “Thanks, Mom.”
“You’re welcome!” replied Cheng Yuxiu brightly. Even if she could not hear her son call her ‘Mom’, she was still happy to be acknowledged by her daughter-in-law.
After dinner, the maids cleared the table. Cheng Yuxiu offered to take care of the two children, as she helped in getting them to bathe and sleep. As the children had met her before, they were familiar with her and were willing to interact with her.
Lin Xinyan was happy to let Cheng Yuxiu help. Since Zong Jinghao was not around either, it was good for them to spend some time together.
After watching the television with the two kids, she headed upstairs.
Glancing at the clock, she realized that it was barely nine o’clock. As she had slept too much in the afternoon, she no longer felt tired. She took a shower and changed into her white, silk sleeping gown. Then, she picked a book that she liked and started reading it on the bed.
As time ticked by, it was already past midnight and she began to feel tired. Yawning, she placed the bookmark on the page she was reading, closed the book, and placed it on the table. She then pulled the sheets over her body and turned the bedside lamp off. Just as she was about to sleep, she heard the door open downstairs.
As it was late into the night, she could hear even the slightest noise.
She turned the bedside lamp on again.
Soon, she heard footsteps coming up the stairs…
The door was pushed open quickly.
Through the faint golden glow of the lamp, he could see the woman lying on the bed while staring at him. “You aren’t asleep yet?”
“I’m waiting for you.”
Lin Xinyan glanced at the white specks on his shoulder and asked, “Is it snowing outside?”
Only then did Zong Jinghao realize that he was still wearing his coat. Casting his gaze to the side, he saw a few snowflakes on his shoulder. They must have landed on him when he had alighted the car as he walked towards the house.
“Yeah,” he replied. Afraid of bringing the cold air into the room, he hung the coat on the coat rack before walking in.
Then, he closed the door and approached Lin Xinyan.
Gazing at him, she moved to the edge of the bed. Her jet-black hair was scattered messily over her shoulders, while her fair, flawless skin had a rosy tint to it. Even her pink lips were as moist and alluring as that of a rose petal, giving one the urge to taste them.
Bending down, he inched closer to Lin Xinyan. She could smell a scent on his body. There was a slight smell of alcohol, though it was not too pungent.
“Did you drink today?”
