Song Qinian's days were incredibly pleasant during this period, with smooth work, a loving marriage, and a happy family.
Zanzan was also growing day by day, becoming ever more intelligent and quick-witted.
The old lady’s health had also improved significantly.
Logically, with everything progressing in a positive direction, she should have been happy. But for some reason, she couldn't shake a sense of unease.
It felt as though everything she possessed was an illusion, a dream she was having.
Shen Chi Yan noticed Song Qinian's insecurity and held her, comforting her softly, "Darling, you don't need to worry about anything. I'm here for you. There will be no more danger, and no one will ever separate us."
Song Qinian smiled and nodded, "Mhm."
Just a few days after this conversation, Song Qinian received a call from Ji Luofei. She said Li Jun Shen had been hospitalized for alcohol poisoning. Doctors had pumped his stomach, and he had barely managed to cling to life. He wished to see Song Qinian.
Song Qinian refused without a second thought, "I'm sorry, I don't want to see him."
Ji Luofei hadn't expected Song Qinian to be so heartless. "Nian Nian, Jun Shen put himself in this state for you. Are you really this cruel?"
Song Qinian couldn't help but want to laugh. She truly didn't understand why some people always blamed others for their own mistakes.
From childhood to now, it was Li Jun Shen who had hurt her. She had never done anything to wrong Li Jun Shen.
Did Li Jun Shen liking her mean she had to accept it?
Song Qinian took a deep breath. "I don't accept any form of emotional blackmail. Furthermore, we have no feelings for each other. Aunt Ji, if you truly want what's best for Li Jun Shen, you should make him give up. I will never love him or be with him in this lifetime!"
Ji Ru Xue was about to say something more, but Song Qinian didn't give her the chance. "From now on, I don't want to know anything about you and Li Jun Shen. Don't call me again. Let's pretend we never knew each other."
Song Qinian hung up the phone.
Her mood was as vexed as it could possibly be.
No wonder she had been feeling uneasy lately; this was what had been waiting for her!
Suddenly, her phone rang again. Song Qinian thought Ji Luofei, unwilling to give up, had called back. She picked up the phone and saw it was Shen Ke Qin.
"Sister-in-law, what are you doing?"
"Nothing much, why?"
"Um... I wanted to ask you something."
Shen Ke Qin's voice was hesitant. Song Qinian figured it must be a big question and asked, "What is it?"
"If... I mean, hypothetically, if you found out my brother was cheating, what would you do?"
Song Qinian: "..."
This "if" was not amusing at all.
"Did you see Shen Chi Yan eating with another woman? Or see them check into a hotel together?"
"No, no, no... it's not my fifth brother..."
"Then who? Eldest Brother?"
"... Eldest Brother loves my sister-in-law so much, how could he possibly cheat?"
Song Qinian sighed. "Then who is it? Just tell me directly, don't beat around the bush."
Shen Ke Qin stammered for a long time, finally seeming to make a decision and gritted her teeth, "I suspect Jian Mu Bai is seeing other dogs!"
Song Qinian was a little surprised. "When did you and Jian Mu Bai get together?"
"I... When did I get together with him!"
Shen Ke Qin's voice suddenly rose a few decibels, sounding exactly like someone with a guilty conscience.
"If you're not together, then why are you saying Jian Mu Bai is seeing other dogs? Isn't it normal for him to be dating someone else?"
"Ah..."
Shen Ke Qin froze for a few seconds before deflating. "You're right."
Then she became indignant again. "Hmph, I didn't expect Jian Mu Bai, who looks so honest, to be more of a player than anyone. He went to be Han Yu Nuo's bodyguard before, and she became so infatuated with him that she insisted on marrying him, causing her father to send her abroad. Now he's off to ruin some other girl's life."
Song Qinian sighed softly. "Qin Qin, tell me honestly, have you fallen for Jian Mu Bai?"
"I..."
"Don't rush to answer. Take some time to ask yourself first."
Song Qinian had known Shen Ke Qin for many years, and she rarely heard her mention other men's names. But the name Jian Mu Bai appeared with unusual frequency.
It wasn't just because Jian Mu Bai was her bodyguard; it was highly possible that this little girl was experiencing her first love but hadn't realized it yet.
In the following days, Shen Ke Qin seemed to seriously ponder whether she liked Jian Mu Bai or not and didn't call Song Qinian again.
In reality, Shen Ke Qin was quite agitated.
She felt she didn't like Jian Mu Bai at all. It was just that Jian Mu Bai had been by her side for too long, and she had become accustomed to his presence.
The thought that he might be as kind to others as he was to her made her feel quite unbalanced.
These past few days, Shen Ke Qin had tried various methods to understand what it felt like to like someone and how to know if she had fallen for someone.
But she hadn't found a good solution.
Then, Miao Zi Ai offered Shen Ke Qin a suggestion.
"When you like someone, your heart races when you get close to them. How about you try getting close to him? By 'close,' I don't mean a hug. I mean face-to-face, like you're about to kiss."
Miao Zi Ai had only dated one boyfriend, but she spoke about these things with great conviction. "I'm telling you, if you like someone, you'd want to kiss them every day and do more intimate things. If you don't even have that thought, then I can tell you with certainty, you don't like him!"
Shen Ke Qin thought that this was indeed a simple and effective method.
So, she called Jian Mu Bai. "I'm at Qing Yue Building, come pick me up."
A short while later, Jian Mu Bai arrived in his car.
He was wearing a black suit, and his features were even more rugged and handsome than when he first became her bodyguard. He exuded an aura that kept people at a distance.
The moment he got out of the car, he attracted the attention of many girls. Some exclaimed, "So handsome," and took out their phones to snap pictures.
The bolder ones even approached him asking for his WeChat.
Before Shen Ke Qin could get angry, he coldly dismissed them.
Shen Ke Qin raised an eyebrow, in a very good mood. After Jian Mu Bai opened the car door, she got in.
The car was filled with Jian Mu Bai's unique, fresh, and pleasant scent.
Seeing him get in, Shen Ke Qin's mind was filled with Miao Zi Ai's words.
"Going home or somewhere else?"
Hearing Jian Mu Bai's deep, pleasant voice, Shen Ke Qin coughed lightly. "You drive first."
Jian Mu Bai seemed preoccupied, his expression not very pleasant, but Shen Ke Qin didn't notice. Her mind was entirely focused on testing whether she liked Jian Mu Bai.
There had been a thunderstorm during the day, and in the evening, the sun broke through the clouds, creating a beautiful and stunning Tyndall effect.
As they passed Jing Hua Bridge, Shen Ke Qin asked Jian Mu Bai to park the car by the side of the bridge.