Qin Tianyi dotingly kissed her cheek and said coaxingly, "Wife, you're so generous. By the way, I prepared a Christmas gift for you too."
"Ah, where is it?" Susu hadn't expected him to prepare a gift. He had never been one to understand romance, nor had she seen him give gifts on holidays before.
This Christmas, they were both focused on making the children happy, and neither paid much attention to whether he had prepared a gift for her.
Qin Tianyi mysteriously took out a brown paper bag from under the pillow and presented it to her with both hands, saying, "Here it is."
Susu took the brown paper bag inexplicably and muttered, "Some people consider this a gift."
"Open it."
Susu untied the string of the brown paper bag, took out the documents inside, and after a glance, exclaimed in surprise, "The online courses from that fashion school in Paris! That's wonderful!"
"I know you wanted to continue studying fashion design there, but I couldn't bear for you to go so far alone," Qin Tianyi said. "I found Emma, with whom I had a good relationship before. She's now a vice-principal and they've jointly developed their school's online courses."
Susu said in surprise, "You've been busy with this recently? Didn't Xiao Anjing say you were using your position for personal gain?"
"He wouldn't dare. He wouldn't have the guts even if you gave him ten of them," Qin Tianyi embraced her and said, "This school is so famous. Jointly developing online courses with them is a profitable venture. He's not stupid."
"This is simply a blessing for all fashion design enthusiasts worldwide." Susu excitedly hugged his face with both hands and kissed him fiercely.
Qin Tianyi delivered even better news, "Emma said this course is tailor-made for you, combining your previous year of study so you won't have to repeat anything and waste time."
"Oh." Susu pushed him away and carefully examined the information on the online courses. She could finally complete her unfinished studies.
Qin Tianyi, unable to bear being ignored, cleared his throat and said with a hint of sourness, "Don't you want your husband anymore?"
"Ah, ah." Susu quickly put down the materials, somewhat reluctantly, and coaxed him, "Husband is the most important, husband is the best, husband has worked hard!"
"That's more like it." Qin Tianyi scooped her up, tossed her onto the bed, and pressed down on her, saying, "Shouldn't I reward you properly? Contacting Emma, mobilizing all possible connections in Paris, it was only with great difficulty that they were persuaded to offer online courses..."
"You should..." Susu gazed at him, her face blushing and her heart pounding, unconsciously licking her lips.
In his eyes, her appearance was enough to incite desire. Before she could figure out how to initiate, his kisses rained down upon her.
Their passion deepened into an endless embrace.
After their intimate moments, Susu suddenly felt a chill in her sleep, as if she were submerged in icy water.
A desolate voice echoed in her ears, "Susu, Susu... I'm so cold, so cold..."
Huo Jin, it was Huo Jin's voice. Susu woke up with a start, her eyes wide open. She saw Huo Jin standing before her, dripping wet, as if she had been immersed in water.
"Huo Jin, it's good that you're alright." Susu couldn't see her face clearly and tried to approach her. "Where did you go? We were all worried about you."
"It's so dark and gloomy here, I'm so cold, so cold!" Huo Jin's voice had changed, sounding hollow and inhuman.
Susu felt the surroundings were dark and dim. She reached out to grab her hand, saying, "Is it raining outside? You got soaked..."
Before she could finish, Susu's outstretched hand met empty air. She finally saw Huo Jin's face clearly.
She screamed in terror, "Huo Jin, Huo Jin... What happened to you!"
Huo Jin's eyes were dark and pupil-less, her face pale and swollen, looking nothing like a living person.
"Susu, Susu, I don't want to die... Someone harmed me, harmed me..."
Her voice seemed to come from a deep underwater abyss. The flesh on her face, clinging to the bone, began to fall off piece by piece.
Susu was terrified. Despite her fear, she still remembered to ask Huo Jin, "Who harmed you? What exactly happened?"
Huo Jin stared straight at her with her pupil-less eyes, her bones exposed on her face. She seemed unable to speak further, drifting towards an even darker place.
"Don't go, don't go! Huo Jin, Huo Jin..." Susu desperately tried to catch up to her.
"Susu, wake up, wake up quickly!" Qin Tianyi, sleeping beside Susu, had been in a deep sleep but was awakened by her ghostly scream.
He turned and saw Susu flailing her hands in her dream, her hair covered in sweat, still shouting something. He quickly shook her awake.
Susu forced her eyes open, breathing raggedly, and looked at Qin Tianyi. She asked incoherently, "Where is Huo Jin? She just came to our house, right here in the bedroom."
"What Huo Jin? It's the middle of the night. She couldn't have come to our house and entered the bedroom," Qin Tianyi wiped the sweat from her forehead. "Are you awake? You must have been dreaming."
Susu took a few seconds to fully regain consciousness. It turned out to be a dream within a dream.
She trembled and hugged Qin Tianyi tightly, saying sadly, "Tianyi, I have a bad feeling. Huo Jin, Huo Jin, something has happened to her!"
Qin Tianyi patted her back and comforted her, "No, it won't happen. I'll ask Chang Qingchuan tomorrow to see if he has any news about Huo Jin."
Susu's previously cold body gradually warmed up in Qin Tianyi's embrace. She nodded and said, "You're right. I just had a nightmare; I shouldn't take it seriously. Isn't it said that dreams are often the opposite? Huo Jin will be fine, she'll be fine."
...
In the morning, Qin Tianyi didn't go to the group but went directly to Mishang Company. However, the people at the company said that Chang Qingchuan had taken leave today and was absent.
Susu also repeatedly called Chang Qingchuan's mobile phone from her newly established studio, but no one answered.
Qin Tianyi happened to meet Sophie, who worked at Mishang, and after a brief private chat, he went to the studio to find Susu.
The designers at Mishang were impressed by Sophie, realizing she knew the big boss, and began to curry favor with her.
Seeing Qin Tianyi arrive, Susu thought he had news about Chang Qingchuan and Huo Jin and anxiously asked, "How is it? Why isn't Qingchuan answering his phone? Have you found Huo Jin?"
"Chang Qingchuan didn't come to work today, nor did he inform anyone else at Mishang. No one knows the reason for his absence."
"Could it be that he has already found Huo Jin, and that's why he didn't come to work at Mishang and isn't answering my calls?" Susu could only speculate for the best.
Qin Tianyi followed her train of thought and said, "If that's the case, then we don't need to help. We can only wait for their news."
"Alright then." Susu said so, but she remained uneasy, always feeling that something bad was about to happen.
Qin Tianyi stayed with her in the studio and went to make two cups of coffee.
Seeing him bring the coffee, Susu asked, "Aren't you supposed to go to the group today? You don't need to accompany me; I'm fine."
But the thought of last night's dream made her unable to stop worrying. The dream was too real; Huo Jin in her dream didn't look like she was still alive.