Chapter 36 - 36 The Name in the Dream (4)
Looking out through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the restaurant, the office across the street was clearly still brightly lit. I had my secretary call home, and Housekeeper Hao told us she hadn’t come back yet.
At Qin Zhiyou’s dinners, few people were able to make him drink unless he chose to. As the lights in the office across the way went out, he abruptly ended his dinner and rushed downstairs to meet her.
Huddled in his arms, Lu Weixi curled up like a little cat, rolled into a ball. He knew this was a sign of feeling insecure. Lu Weixi rubbed up against him a bit – she seemed a bit cold – and snuggled closer to Qin Zhiyou. He looked at her for a while, then gently tightened his arms around her. He paused, then leaned in, his chin resting on the top of her head as his legs wrapped around hers.
In her dreams, Lu Weixi felt restrained by him and seemed a bit uncomfortable. Despite her struggles, she fell asleep again out of exhaustion.
Lu Weixi was awakened by the chiming of the wall clock. Her eyes were still heavy with sleep when she realized she was lying in Qin Zhiyou’s arms and was tightly embraced. Just a glance up and she could see his chin with a light stubble. She felt completely immobilized in his entanglement.
But what was even more shocking was when she looked at the wall clock – it was eight o’clock sharp!
Although she worked at a design firm and wasn’t required to strictly clock in due to the nature of her profession (frequent site visits), she had a remarkable track record of punctuality in her many years of work. She had an important team discussion at ten o’clock that she couldn’t miss.
She forcefully untangled herself from Qin Zhiyou’s grasp amidst the panic. As he was sleeping at the edge of the bed, he took a tumble onto the floor, blanket and all. Lu Weixi, startled, observed Qin Zhiyou slowly getting up. His eyes were still heavy with sleep, his hair tousled, and his face a mixture of bewilderment and slight annoyance. She quickly reached out to help him, saying, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to.”
His expression dark like a stormy sea, her apologies didn’t seem to make any difference. They were both saved by the sound of a car from outside. Like a gleaming beacon of hope, she pointed downstairs and said, “Mr. Wang, your secretary, is here to pick you up.”
With work on his mind, Qin Zhiyou paused, and his grim expression didn’t ease but he didn’t say more. He went straight to the bathroom. Lu Weixi quickly found some clothes, dashed back to her room to wash and dress, and prepared her work bag. As she descended the stairs, Housekeeper Hao asked, “Young Madam, breakfast is ready, will you…?”
Lu Weixi immediately shook her head, “No, I won’t eat it.”
As she was rushing toward the door, she reached into her bag for her car keys, only to remember that she had left her car at the office. She would have to ride with Qin Zhiyou.
As she turned back, Qin Zhiyou was just coming down the stairs, his nonchalant gait belied the urgency of the situation. He went straight to the dining room where Housekeeper Hao had set out a lavish breakfast. He elegantly spooned the porridge while Secretary Wang reported on work.
With no other option, Lu Weixi went back in and said, “For me one breakfast too.”
Housekeeper Hao agreed and quickly prepared a meal for her as well.
Qing Zhiyou wore a calm expression but as he gradually woke, an inner turmoil started to bubble up.. He worried, “Did I say something wrong while drunk last night?”