His heart clenched as she spoke.
He had been working day and night, and even during his brief moments of rest, he had thought of many things.
He couldn't force Susu to completely forget Yang Sijie. After all, how could one forget someone they once knew, unless they had amnesia?
But if she had amnesia, she wouldn't just forget Yang Sijie; she would forget everyone, including himself.
This was also something Yang Sijie had done to her, wanting to possess her entirely by erasing her memories and anyone she had ever cared about.
He was not Yang Sijie; he could not do such a thing.
Seeing that he still didn't speak, Susu hugged him tightly and said with a hint of grievance, "I don't know why you're so angry. After experiencing such a thrilling life-and-death situation, not everyone can recover immediately. Can't you give me more time? How can you doubt my love for you?"
"But the place he holds in your heart..."
"He and Kangxi both hold a place in my heart. Why have you never been angry about my relationship with Kangxi?" Susu declared her feelings to him, "I love you, love you more than myself, more than life and death. You can ask me to prove it in any way!"
"Any way? Then I want you to prove it to me right now." Tianyi's gaze seemed ready to devour her.
Susu, thinking he meant something else, let go of him. "Have you finished eating? Then I should be going back."
Before Tianyi could say anything more, she quickly opened the door and rushed out.
Tianyi didn't chase after her, knowing what was on her mind. He called out, "You haven't taken the bento box with you."
Susu replied without looking back, "Bring it back after work," and walked directly into the elevator.
Xiao Anjing, sitting in his office with the door open, heard the commotion outside and immediately came out. He saw Susu had already gotten into the elevator and left.
He stomped his foot in disappointment and said to the closing elevator doors, "Why is she leaving already? Have they made up?"
But the cold elevator offered no answers. He ventured into Qin Tianyi's office and saw Qin Tianyi, seemingly in a better mood, packing up the bento box on his desk.
"You put the boxes in without even washing them. Why not let the secretary wash them?" Xiao Anjing said with a fawning smile.
Qin Tianyi finished packing and turned to him, "No need. I'll take it back to wash after work."
Xiao Anjing asked in surprise, "You're going home after work today?"
"Yes, going home." Qin Tianyi seemed to recall something and said, "Also, tell everyone that everyone gets off on time today. No overtime. Any unfinished work can be done tomorrow."
Xiao Anjing could hardly believe his ears; he almost shouted "Hooray!"
Qin Tianyi saw Xiao Anjing just smiling and not responding, so he asked coldly, "What, do you want to work overtime? Don't want to go home on time?"
"Of course not," Xiao Anjing said. "I'll go inform everyone right away." He hurried out, afraid Tianyi might change his mind.
Tianyi watched his retreating back, a smile curving his lips.
He wasn't smiling at Xiao Anjing, but at Susu's reaction just now. This woman always said he wasn't serious, yet she was always the one misunderstanding.
When he told her to prove it right then, he actually wanted her to wash the bento box, not to do "that." But she had run off so quickly.
So he decided to keep the unwashed bento box and have her wash it after work.
He had recently read online that the highest form of a woman's love for a man was her willingness to humble herself and willingly do housework for him.
He wouldn't let her prove anything with her life or death; that was too dangerous and could easily cost her her life, leaving him with lifelong regret.
That evening, Tianyi returned home on time. Although they didn't say much at the dinner table, they exchanged meaningful glances from time to time.
Anyone nearby, even a fool, could see that their usual sweetness had returned. After dinner, Chen Ma and the others quietly returned to their rooms, leaving the spacious villa to the two of them.
After dinner, Susu had intended to go to her room to shower and rest early, but Qin Tianyi insisted on pulling her into the kitchen, pointing to the bento bag placed there. "I brought this back."
"I know, you brought it back. So what?" Susu found him a bit baffling.
"Didn't you want to prove how much you love me? Then wash this properly," Qin Tianyi said, pointing to the bento box.
"Ah." Susu didn't understand what he meant.
"Didn't you say you'd do anything to prove it? I just want you to do some housework to prove it."
"If I wash this, you won't be angry anymore?" Susu asked, not quite believing it.
Tianyi snorted and said, "If you don't want to, then forget it." He turned to leave.
Susu immediately grabbed him. "I want to, I want to."
She placed the bento box in the sink and opened it. It was already quite clean; it seemed Chen Ma and the others had washed it.
However, she still diligently washed it again. While Tianyi was watching her, she suddenly splashed water from the sink onto him, laughing, "Stingy! So stingy, getting angry over every little thing!"
"Oh, you dare splash me? It seems I've been too lenient with you," Tianyi said, picking up a water-filled container from the sink and splashing her back.
They began to play and laugh in the kitchen, making the floor a mess of water.
Sophie had heard their laughter for a while and quietly stood by the kitchen door, peeking inside. She hadn't expected them to reconcile so quickly.
Even now, she still didn't know why they had argued or why they had suddenly made up. It was a mystery that made her particularly curious.
She had asked Chen Ma and the others, but it seemed they didn't know the details either.
After much thought, she figured that perhaps only Xiao Anjing, who was by Qin Tianyi's side, or Su Kangxi, whom Susu treated like a younger brother, would know the reason.
She had to find an opportunity to ask one of them.
As she was lost in thought, Tianyi suddenly turned off the kitchen sink faucet, scooped up Susu, whose clothes were half-wet, and strode out of the kitchen.
Sophie quickly hid to the side, afraid of being seen.
Susu's previous sadness and worry had vanished. At this moment, her eyes were only on Tianyi.
And Tianyi, carrying Susu in his arms, was intent on returning to the bedroom, which they hadn't visited for some days. He paid no attention to whether Sophie was nearby.
He realized he couldn't live without her. These few days apart felt like years, and he had been suffering greatly.
He no longer wanted to think about or question who was most important in her heart. At least at this moment, he could feel that she loved him, that her body and soul belonged to him, and that was enough.
In the days to come, he would do his utmost to ensure she never thought of the person who no longer existed.
He quickly carried her into the bedroom's bathroom and pressed her against the tiled wall, his eyes flashing with a burning fire.