Chapter 138: The More You Pamper Her, The More Stubborn She Gets
Mu Yunfan walked out of the ward. Grandma was sleeping. Ning Qing folded Grandma’s clothes neatly and placed them near the head of the bed.
When she turned around, she saw the man standing by the door.
Lu Shaoming had come.
He wore a dark blue coat matched with a maroon knitted sweater. The collar of the sweater highlighted the light pink collar of the s.h.i.+rt. His outfit was complemented by a pair of black formal office trousers.
He was elegant and handsome in the early morning. The clothes reflected his defined and toned figure, and he was attractive and confident.
She did not know when he arrived. He stood silently by the door.
“You are here, Shaoming.” Ning Qing’s eyes brightened up immediately and she ran towards him.
Lu Shaoming’s eyes were gentle and he reached out to pat her hair. “Did you sleep last night?”
“Yes, I did,” Ning Qing said, embarra.s.sed, while batting her eyes. “I slept for a long time, even when the switchover came. Brother Yunfan did not wake me last night, and Brother Yunfan took care of things for the majority of the time.”
Brother Yunfan, Brother Yunfan…
He’d heard her say Brother Yun Fan so many times early this morning. Lu Shaoming thought it was ear-piercing.
He did not change his expression. He lifted his brows and handed the paper bag and thermos cup in his hands over to Ning Qing. “I asked Auntie Yang to cook some millet porridge for Grandma to have. The breakfast in the paper bag is for the two of you. Quick, have a bite.”
Ning Qing opened the paper bag. Alongside an exquisite pastry, it contained Auntie Yang’s milk mixed with fruit bits which Auntie Yang made herself every morning. It was her favourite.
Lu Shaoming specially brought it over for her.
“Thank you, Shaoming,” Ning Qing said with a sweet smile hanging on her lips.
“You only thank me with your words? ” Lu Shaoming bent down slightly and jutted one side of his handsome face to her lips, demanding a kiss.
Ning Qing blushed; it was merely one night that they did not meet. She was already embarra.s.sed enough not to engage in intimacy. She blushed and felt her heartbeat accelerate.
They were already married for half a year, and now the feelings of being newlyweds had started to fade, but they were still being lovey dovey.
Sweeter than honey.
Ning Qing took a glance at Grandma. She was still asleep, and therefore she mustered some courage, tiptoeing to kiss him.
Before she could kiss him, Mu Yunfan approached from them saying, “You have arrived, Young Master Lu.”
Ning Qing was even more embarra.s.sed. She did not dare kiss Lu Shaoming, and could not step back and reveal her flushed cheeks.
Lu Shaoming saw her actions and frowned.
“Young Master Mu, it was hard on you last night.”
“It was not tiring, taking care of Grandma is my responsibility.” Mu Yunfan was dressed in a yellow coat, summer-like and good looking.
While talking, he looked at the paper bag in Ning Qing’s hand. He smiled and said,
“Ning Qing, is this the breakfast that Young Master Lu brought? I’m actually getting hungry now.”
“Are you hungry Brother Yunfan?” Ning Qing took the milk mixed with fruit bits in her hand, pa.s.sing the rest of the bag to Mu Yunfan. “You can pick whatever you like.”
Mu Yunfan pointed at the milk mixed with fruit bits in her hands and said, “I choose this.”
Ning Qing was reluctant; this is what Lu Shaoming had brought for her. She lifted her gaze to look at Lu Shaoming.
It was then that Mu Yunfan took the milk mixed with fruit bits away from her hands.
“Ay, Brother Yunfan!” Ning Qing was frustrated.
Mu Yunfan had a swig of milk, he looked at Lu Shaoming with a hint of provocation. “Thank you, Young Master Lu. Ay, would this be what Young Master Lu brought specially for Qingqing? What should I do; I’m the one who drank it. Are you angry Qingqing?” Mu Yunfan said, looking at Ning Qing pitifully.
Ning Qing shook her head unwillingly and smiled stiffly. “It’s nothing, anything of mine can be given to Brother Yunfan to drink!”
Mu Yunfan curled his lips in a smile, with a touch of evil in his grin. “Can I really choose anything? There must be something that I can’t right? What do you say, Young Master Lu?”
Mu Yunfan stole a glance at Ning Qing’s curvy chest.
The expression in Lu Shaoming’s eyes immediately turned fierce.
“What?” Ning Qing was totally unaware and asked curiously.
At this moment, Grandma had a slight movement on the bed; she was awake.
Ning Qing briskly walked towards Grandma. “Grandma, you are awake! Do you want to sleep for a while more?”
Ning Qing was caring for Grandma inside. Mu Yunfan stood in front of Lu Shaoming. The two men were both around 1.8m tall. Merely standing by the hospital ward was a scene in itself.
“Young Master Mu, I never thought that you would also be such a vulgar and low-cla.s.s person. You seem to have no sense of shame.”
“Ha, Young Master Lu, what are you getting at? I touched Qing Qing vulgarly? Qingqing was the victim but she did not make her own choice? What are you getting at?” Mu Yunfan neared Lu Shaoming, and lowering his voice, he said, “Yesterday, during gym cla.s.s, my lips were so close to hers. It was the distance of a piece of paper. She was looking at me so innocently, her lips were so fragrant.”
Lu Shaoming’s complexion darkened. He laughed coldly, “Ning Qing always treated you like a brother. You were taking advantage of her trust.”
“Ah, that’s right, she treats me like a brother. So she can comprehend anything I do to approach her. If you are so capable, why not expose what kind of person I am in front of her?”
“Are you that brazen? If I wanted to expose you, would I need to wait ’til now? How are you so confident that your 18 years of friends.h.i.+p would not be ruined by some words of mine? You are probably waiting for me and Ning Qing to quarrel because of you, then we will drift part that way and you could stand a chance to gain her heart then.”
“Ah, that’s right. We are both smart people. We understand this zero sum game. That is why Ning Qing’s att.i.tude is the most important aspect in it all.”
Lu Shaoming looked at Ning Qing’s back. His eyes were sharp and intelligent. He smiled and said, “It seems like you’ve gained the upper hand now, but what about in the future? Other than playing some vague games to provoke me, how long would you want to be a brother? If not for the position of brother, what could you do? Once Ning Qing knows about your feelings for her, will she accept you?”
“If Ning Qing could fall in love with you, why did you have to spend 18 years and still fail? Young Master Mu, you still seem like you have yet to understand. You and Ning Qing are not meant to be.”
Mu Yunfan never imagined that his words would not provoke Lu Shaoming, and rather, he was taunted by Lu Shaoming at the end of it all.
For the first time, he realized that Lu Shaoming was a strong compet.i.tor. He kept silent for a long period. His eyes were more than clear about what was going on, and he understood the rules of the game.
Mu Yunfan laughed viciously and said, “It’s okay not to have an ending. If I’m not satisfied, then I would ask Young Master Lu to accompany me, I can stay here to nauseate you.”
Lu Shaoming looked at him meaningfully, and responded, “Are you sure?’
Mu Yunfan panicked, asking, “What do you mean?”
“Oh, nothing much, Young Master Mu seemed to always have the controlling power. Following this, I will give Young Master Lu a lesson. In this world, there is only biased love that can allow you to act without a care. Comparing Ning Qing’s love for you and me, you are forever unworthy.”
Mu Yunfan’s sharp gaze sparkled for a moment, then they heard Grandma say, “Qingqing, I need to use the washroom.”
Mu Yunfan swiftly turned back and walked to Grandma’s side, “Qingqing, I will accompany you to bring Grandma to the toilet. Young Master Lu is busy, he should return to the office soon.”
The duo helped Grandma stand up, and when they reached the door of the room, Ning Qing looked at Lu Shaoming. “Shaoming, go back to work. Brother Yunfan is here. You can focus on your work.”
Lu Shaoming did not answer but looked silently at her and Mu Yunfan.
Ning Qing thought that Lu Shaoming’s expression was weird. “Shaoming…” She wanted to talk to him, but Mu Yunfan called her to his side, saying, “Qingqing, hurry up. Granny is in a rush.”
“Oh.” Ning Qing nodded her head and went to support Grandma’s elbow. Both of them held onto Grandma’s elbows as they escorted her to the washroom.
Lu Shaoming looked at the 3 figures who were slowly disappearing from sight
But after Mu Yunfan had taken a few steps, he turned back to look at him. He smiled provocatively at him, as if to say, “Look, you are the outsider!”
Lu Shaoming curled his thin lips into a smile. He placed the thermos in his hand onto the long bench in the corridor. He put both hands in his pockets and then left confidently.
When Ning Qing helped Grandma out of the bathroom, she could not see Lu Shaoming in sight. The thermos in his hand was sitting isolated on the long bench in the corridor.
Ning Qing had a bad premonition. The silent look at Lu Shaoming gave her by the door was clear with a hint of indifference.
He had never looked at her like this before.
Moreover, the two of them were in a lovey dovey stage.
She helped Grandma back into bed. Ning Qing walked out the ward and bent down to take the thermos.
The thermos was cold.
When Lu Shaoming brought it over, it was still hot.
Ning Qing took out her phone to call Lu Shaoming. It rang a few times, but the automated female voice from answering machine said, “Sorry, the number you have dialed is currently unavailable.”
Ning Qing’s heart sank. She was anxious, like a cat on a hot tin roof.
His behaviour was abnormal.
She was totally sure that he was behaving abnormally.
Ning Qing was extremely frustrated, she dialed multiple numbers, and n.o.body picked up.
He did not answer her calls.
Ning Qing stood on the spot. She was anxious, not knowing what she did wrong to make him angry. He was fine just now, even asking her to kiss him.
Could it be that she did not give it to him yesterday?
“Qingqing.” Mu Yunfan walked in at this moment and asked, “What is the matter? What happened?”
He did not have the chance to complete his sentence before Ning Qing pushed the thermos in her arms to him. “Brother Yunfan, I am leaving for a bit.” Ning Qing ran to the elevator.
Mu Yunfan saw her disappearing figure. His expression became cold.
Ning Qing ran out the hospital doors. The wind was cold and biting. She looked around frantically, and the familiar Bentley was not in sight.
Lu Shaoming had left.
She used her slim arms to cup herself, giving herself warmth, and called Zhu Rui’s number immediately.
“h.e.l.lo, Madam.” Zhu Rui picked up swiftly.
Ning Qing was jubilant. “Secretary Zhu, where’s my president? I called all his numbers just now; he did not answer any of them.”
“Oh, President is on the way to the airport. Maybe he is too busy and didn’t hear the phone ring.”
“Airport? He’s going on a business trip again? How long this time?”
“That’s right, he is on a business trip. It is unconfirmed at this time. It might be 2 days, or it might be a week. If things go well, he will return soon.”
Ning Qing was disappointed; he’d gone on another business trip.
Last time he went on a business trip, she landed in the hands of the taxi serial killer. Although he did not say it, she knew that he was trying to keep the work-trips to a minimum.
He was always by her side. If there were an international matter, he would use a long distance conference call to settle it.
He left for a business trip. This was the first time that he did not inform her personally.
“Then… then did he leave a message behind?”
Zhu Rui was silent for a few seconds. “No. President would normally tell me to take care of Madam when he was overseas. This time, he said…”
“What did he say?”
“President said that Madam has her Brother Yunfan present. He can go to work in peace. President also said that this was what Madam told him personally.”
Ning Qing,”…”
…
Zhu Rui navigated the car away from the hospital. He used the rear view mirror to look at Ning Qing, who was standing far away. She’d come down in a rush and was dressed only in a fur s.h.i.+rt. Her little figure was fragile in the wind.
Then taking a glance at Lu Shaoming in the backseat, he was also using the rear view mirror to observe the woman. His expression was secretive, but Zhu Rui caught a subtle glimpse of pain in his brow.
“President, you really want to throw Madam there? Aren’t you going back?”
“Going back?” Lu Shaoming laughed at himself mockingly. “What would I go back to do? She is unaware. If we continue like this, we will quarrel one day.”
He wasn’t a generous man. He would not be indifferent looking at other men hug and kiss his wife.
Those who were magnanimous enough could choose to be.
The most exasperating and helpless thing being, his wife did not have a sense of whatever that was going on.
Still called him Brother Yunfan time after time.
Lu Shaoming curled his brows slightly, hiding the tears rolling in his eyes.
“Then, President, aren’t you scared?”
“Ah.” Lu Shaoming laughed unhurriedly. “What is there to be afraid of? Scared that she would fall in love with Mu Yunfan? Or fear that she would bear the t.i.tle of Madam Lu and betray me?”
Zhu Rui shook his head with confidence. “Madam is not that type of person.”
“That would be it. Although Mu Yunfan has motives, he would need Ning Qing’s cooperation to succeed. That being said, if I did not leave, Mu Yunfan would be hesitant in his actions. With my departure, giving them both some s.p.a.ce, I want to see what would Mu Yunfan do. With action taken, there would be a gap somewhere definitely, if Ning Qing still cannot see through the gaps…then I…”
Lu Shaoming laughed, he could only laugh.
“Yes, President. Mu Yunfan is only using the t.i.tle of ‘brother’ to get close to Madam. Madam would not allow him to succeed.”
Lu Shaoming looked outside the window. His voice tender with love as he said, “Mu Yunfan accompanied Ning Qing for 18 years. Ning Qing treated him even greater than a brother, because Ning Qing received too little love. So she additionally cherished everyone that was good towards her. Just like with Kong Yang, she would not suspect anyone by her side. If not for the 3 years of suffering in the entertainment industry, her personality would be even more innocent and kind.
“Ning Qing does not understand. If I took action, I could do more, but I am unwilling. I want to use restraint and wait for her to grow up herself, to learn how to tackle her problems. I don’t want her to be sad. I don’t want her to be disappointed.”
“But, her speed is too slow. My patience is running out fast. I can’t help but give her a push.”
The 30 year old man did not behave like a young jealous child. Acting out is childish and ineffective, and Lu Shaoming would not do so.
He always had his method and principles regarding the things that he took on.
But he was also a man. He might claim to not mind, but in his heart, it bothered him.
When she was being intimate with Mu Yunfan, although she only saw Mu Yunfan as a brother, he could not take it.
He thought that he could give her more time, but he could not wait any further. He was afraid that he would allow Mu Yunfan to disappear from the face of this earth.
But shouldn’t the person making Mu Yunfan disappear be Ning Qing?
It was only fun that way.
“President, what are your plans?” Zhu Rui questioned.
Lu Shaoming lay lazily in the seat. His thin lips formed a small smile. In a carefree manner, he said, “My mother in law has a famous saying. ‘A woman, the more you pamper her, the more stubborn she gets,’ ha.”