Beijing-Hong Kong Rosemary

Should Chapter 57 end sooner rather than later?

She didn't inquire about Qu Yanci's matter, nor did she have the right to do so.

This relationship is not something she can control.

She provoked Mr. Qu first, and then deceived him; she is the one who owes him a debt.

Mr. Qu seems to be very busy lately. She would return to the apartment at night after he was already asleep, and only realized he had been there when she saw the water glass that had been moved on the island the next morning.

It's been five days since we last met.

That night, she got up to use the restroom and vaguely heard some noise outside, so she went out to take a look.

A dim, orange-toned ceiling light illuminated the living room. A dignified figure leaned against the sofa, long legs crossed, holding a wine bottle in her left hand and a wine glass in her right, the deep red liquid swirling gently.

He had just taken a shower and was now wearing a bathrobe with a low neckline and a slightly loose belt around his waist. He looked quite different from usual, lacking his usual dignified and composed demeanor, and revealing a hint of wildness amidst his refined elegance.

Shen Guining's vision was clear, her voice still groggy from just waking up, "Mr. Qu?"

Qu Yanci lifted his eyes and looked at her quietly, "Did I wake you up?"

Shen Guining shook her head. "No, I'm getting up to use the restroom."

Why is he sitting here drinking at two in the morning?

Ruby was awakened by the voices, looked up a few times, and seeing that nothing was happening, lay back down to continue sleeping.

Shen Guining walked over in her slippers, "Aren't you asleep yet?"

Qu Yanci showed no emotion and simply gave a low "hmm".

Shen Guining sat down beside him, the rich aroma of wine wafting over. "Are you in a bad mood?"

Qu Yanci put down the wine bottle, rested his left hand on the back of the sofa, and lazily glanced to the side, "How did you figure that out?"

Shen Guining stared into his unfathomable pupils. "Look into your eyes."

The eyes don't lie; she caught a faint trace of indifference and silence within them.

Qu Yanci has always been very good at hiding his emotions. As someone in a high position, he is most afraid of being seen through.

Perhaps it was because I unintentionally let my guard down in front of her that she noticed.

"Want to drink?" he suddenly asked.

Shen Guining looked bewildered. "Huh?"

"Try a sip?" Qu Yanci raised his hand and touched her cheek with the wine glass.

The cool glass against my skin sent a shiver through me, and a brief coolness seeped into my skin.

Shen Guining's breathing hitched slightly, as if bewitched by his voice, and she slowly nodded.

Qu Yanci smiled slightly, tilted his head back and took a sip, then casually placed the wine glass on the coffee table.

Before Shen Guining could react, she was already sitting on his lap, his strong arms wrapped around her waist, and his other hand pressing forcefully behind her head.

A thin kiss followed, and the warm red wine slowly flowed into the mouth.

Shen Guining opened her mouth subconsciously.

The surroundings were quiet, and the sound of swallowing was exceptionally clear.

Between breaths, a small amount of red wine spilled from the corner of her mouth, meandering down her body. The bright red liquid against her porcelain-white skin created a striking visual effect.

My heart was pounding in my chest.

Qu Yanci released her lips and kissed away the spilled wine from the girl.

Under the warm light, two figures, embracing and intertwined, fell to the ground.

The delicate and smooth texture lingers on the lips.

Shen Guining gripped the collar of his bathrobe tightly, her half-open pupils reflecting blurry light and shadow.

Before she knew it, a burning palm slipped under the hem of her pajamas.

The fingerprints traced the slender, jade-like waist, and then moved upwards.

"Not wearing any?" Qu Yanci's Adam's apple bobbed, his voice low and husky.

Shen Guining tensed up and shrank back, snuggling closer to him. "I didn't know you were there..."

When you sleep alone, it's definitely more comfortable not to wear anything underneath.

"So you're doing this to keep me at bay?" Qu Yanci scoffed, looking down at her. "If I wanted to touch you, could you stop me?"

Shen Guining's cheeks flushed crimson. She tried to ignore his mischievous hands and regained a sliver of reason. "So why are you in a bad mood? Can you tell me?"

Qu Yanci paused, "It's the anniversary of my mother's death."

Shen Guining paused for a moment, then said, "I'm sorry."

Qu Yanci gently rubbed her, "What are you sorry for?"

Shen Guining's body went limp, and she reached out to hug his neck. "Don't be sad."

"Mmm." Qu Yanci gently pulled her into his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head.

I never imagined I'd be comforted by a little girl.

Shen Guining had lost loved ones and could completely empathize with them.

The only thing in this world that cannot be controlled is the separation of life and death; even the most powerful person is powerless to change it.

After holding her quietly for a while, Qu Yanci asked her, "Are you sleepy?"

"It's alright." Her drowsiness had long since vanished during that kiss.

"Then continue."

The kiss returned.

Shen Guining's lungs were sucked dry, her toes curled up, her slippers fell to the ground, and her pair of smooth, white feet dangled in the air.

His large body enveloped her, and the unique scent of a man forcefully dominated her presence.

The bathrobe came undone during the kiss, revealing a large portion of the chest.

Shen Guining placed his hand on it and stroked the firm pectoral muscles, which were clearly defined and bulged even more when he exerted force.

He's not only good-looking, but he also has a great physique.

Qu Yanci kissed her deeply. Shen Guining's lips were sore, and her fingertips inadvertently touched an uneven scar on his arm.

At the end of the kiss, she leaned weakly against Qu Yanci's chest, panting. After calming down a bit, she looked at the spot she had just touched, tilted her head and asked, "Why is there a scar on your arm?"

It looks very deep.

A chill flashed across Qu Yanci's face as he took his hand out of her clothes and straightened the collar of her bathrobe. "This is an injury I sustained a long time ago. I trusted people too easily."

The last four words made Shen Guining's heart skip a beat. She asked softly, "Did someone lie to you and then hurt you?"

"Mm." Qu Yanci picked her up and said, "Let's go to sleep."

Shen Guining returned to her bed.

Qu Yanci covered her with the blanket and left the second bedroom.

The door closed.

Shen Guining stared blankly at the ceiling, her gaze unfocused.

A dull ache ran through my chest.

How could someone as proud as Mr. Qu tolerate being deceived, even in matters of the heart?

Should this flawed relationship end as soon as possible? Let everything get back on track.

With a jumble of thoughts on her mind, she couldn't fall asleep for most of the night, tossing and turning in bed.

I woke up this morning with bruises under my eyes.

Aside from performances, Shen Guining is generally too lazy to wear makeup in winter. She has good skin and doesn't need foundation to cover blemishes or contouring to enhance her features. She can just apply lotion, sunscreen, and lipstick before going out.

However, she wore light makeup today to cover up the tiredness around her eyes.

I went to dance troupe rehearsal in the afternoon.

During the break, colleagues gathered in small groups to gossip, chatting animatedly.

Shen Guining had just returned from the restroom and asked them, "What were you talking about?"

My colleague pointed to his phone, "Look at the trending topics, huge news from Hong Kong, it's explosive!"

Shen Guining went to get her phone, opened Weibo, and saw that the top three trending topics were all about the Zhou family in Hong Kong.

#Zhou Chongli steps down as head of the Zhou family#
#Zhou Chongli breaks off engagement, refuses marriage alliance with Song family#
#Zhou Shilin, the second son of the Zhou family, and Qiao's daughter register their marriage#
Is the Zhou family trying to meet year-end targets by releasing so many scandals at once?

It is said that Zhou Chongli refused an arranged marriage for a woman, even giving up his position as the head of the organization.

I'm so curious! What kind of woman could make a career-driven man like Zhou Chongli give up his power and status in the Zhou family?

This is so dramatic! I've only ever seen this kind of plot in TV dramas. Turns out, there really are people who would give up their kingdom for a beautiful woman.

[It has to be said that the Zhou family is truly formidable. They just broke up a marriage and offended the Song family, but immediately formed an alliance with the Qiao family through marriage. No wonder their position has remained stable for so many years.]

With the Qiao family's support, Zhou Shilin is very likely to become the person in charge.

Jay Chou has always favored his second son, and now he has even more legitimate reason to do so.

……

Shen Guining was shocked; Zhou Chongli had really abandoned the Zhou family for Yu Wanqiu.

But if the child is gone, will it be too late?

A girl like Yu Wanqiu is persistent. She can love someone for six years. Once she makes up her mind to let go, it will be very difficult for her to turn back.

However, Shen Guining was relieved that Zhou Shilin got married, and she no longer had to worry about being with this kind of person in the future.

The Qiao family is one of the three major families in Hong Kong. If Zhou Shilin still wants to harass her, he should think twice about the consequences. If word gets out, it will undoubtedly be a slap in the face to the Qiao family.

After rehearsals ended in the evening, Shen Guining changed her clothes and left for the day.

The moment she stepped out of the theater, someone blocked her way.

The man in front of her was dressed in a black suit, tall and strong, like a bodyguard or assistant. He said, "Ms. Shen, Mr. Zhou would like to have a talk with you."

Shen Guining instantly became alert, "Mr. Zhou? Zhou Shilin? I don't have time..."

The man interrupted, "No, it's Mr. Zhou Chongli."

Shen Guining frowned. "What does he want with me? What do we have to talk about?"

Is it because of Yu Wanqiu?
The man stood motionless in front of her. "Miss Shen, please come with me. It won't take you too long."

Judging from his stance, Shen Guining knew he wouldn't let her go unless she agreed.

The meeting was to be held in the coffee shop next door.

Zhou Chongli sat in the private room waiting for someone, a cigarette between his fingers, constantly bringing it to his lips and exhaling smoke rings that blurred his vision.

A short while later, the slightly ajar door was pushed open.

Shen Guining walked in and asked directly, "Mr. Zhou, what brings you here?"

Zhou Chongli stubbed out his cigarette and looked up to gesture, "Miss Shen, please have a seat."

Half of his face was backlit, making his thinner facial features appear even sharper, and his overall aura was somber.

It's clear that he hasn't been doing very well lately.

Shen Guining pulled out a chair and sat down opposite him.

Zhou Chongli bluntly asked, "Do you know where Yu Wanqiu is?"

Shen Guining calmly said, "I'm sorry, I don't know."

Zhou Chongli stared into her eyes, his brow furrowed deeply. "You were the one who took her to the hospital two weeks ago."

Shen Guining was surprised, yet it seemed to be expected.

He is Zhou Chongli. Even if he leaves the Zhou family, with his methods, there's nothing he can't investigate.

"I did see her, but I don't know where she went after she was discharged from the hospital."

Zhou Chongli didn't believe it and questioned with his eyes, "Did you not know, or were you deliberately not telling me?"

"I don't know," Shen Guining replied, repeating the same statement.

Unable to get the answer he wanted, Zhou Chongli's eyes hardened with coldness, and his tone turned gloomy, "Miss Shen, I suspect your motives for approaching Qu Yanci are impure, aren't they?"

Shen Guining's expression froze, a chill rising from her back.