Chapter 73: Extra 07

On Jiang Nai’s phone, the large screen displayed Li Qingji, while the small screen in the upper right corner showed herself.

Hearing his question, she realized that her current posture allowed him to see her collarbone and shoulders.

Jiang Nai: “Ah… I’m wearing a swimsuit.”

“A swimsuit?”

Jiang Nai replied, “Yeah, I just bought it with my colleagues. There’s a beautiful infinity pool on the top floor of this hotel, and my colleagues said many influencers have been there. Since I have some free time tomorrow, I thought I’d go up, have some fun, and take some photos.”

Li Qingji kept his gaze on her: “Since you can’t swim, be careful at the pool.”

“I know, I’ll bring a float, and I won’t go to the deep end.”

Li Qingji hummed in acknowledgment, then asked, “If you’re going tomorrow, why are you wearing it now?”

Jiang Nai: “Because I didn’t try it on in the store. I wanted to see how it looks after bringing it back.”

“So, does it look good?”

Jiang Nai was puzzled: “Huh?”

Li Qingji said, “Let me see.”

Jiang Nai’s smile faded, and she felt a bit shy: “I already checked, it looks nice.”

Li Qingji insisted, “Let me see.”

He sounded serious, as if he genuinely wanted to see how the swimsuit looked.

Jiang Nai sat up: “Well… it’s just a black one, pretty ordinary.”

“Is it like the one you wore before?”

Jiang Nai couldn’t swim, so she rarely went to pools and almost never bought swimsuits. When he mentioned the previous one, she recalled the swimsuit she wore during a hot spring trip long ago. She was surprised he still remembered.

Jiang Nai thought for a moment and said, “That one… it’s different. The back had ties, and it came with a little skirt.”

“I know,” Li Qingji said calmly. “So how is this one different?”

Since he asked, Jiang Nai decided not to be shy anymore. The floor-length mirror on the wardrobe was right by the bed. She moved over, flipped the camera, and pointed it at her reflection in the mirror.

“This is what it looks like. So? Does it look good?” Jiang Nai swung her feet slightly as she asked.

Li Qingji’s gaze focused: “It looks good.”

Jiang Nai smiled, “You can tell even when I’m sitting?”

Li Qingji: “Not entirely, but it doesn’t affect how good it looks.”

Feeling flattered, Jiang Nai stood up and even twirled in front of the mirror: “I really like this skirt. It ties directly and can be removed.”

The irregular piece of fabric was sheer and slightly translucent.

Li Qingji responded, “Oh? Let’s see it removed.”

His voice had lowered slightly, but Jiang Nai didn’t notice anything unusual. She wanted to show him the skirt, so she untied it, revealing the high-waisted swimsuit underneath.

Jiang Nai: “Like this.”

“Mmm, it still looks good without it.”

Li Qingji’s sweet words lifted Jiang Nai’s mood.

She sat back on the edge of the bed and flipped the camera back: “My colleague said we should buy one of those flamingo floats tomorrow, the big ones that you can lie on in the pool. You know what I mean? Since I can’t swim, I can play with that. It sounds fun.”

After she finished speaking, Li Qingji didn’t respond.

Jiang Nai asked curiously, “Why aren’t you saying anything?”

Li Qingji said, “I just remembered I haven’t answered your earlier question.”

“Huh?”

Li Qingji: “You asked how much I missed you.”

“Ah… right, right.” Jiang Nai straightened up, smiling playfully. “Then answer me~ I’m listening.”

“I can’t tell you, but if you were here, you’d see.”

Li Qingji’s response carried a hidden meaning. Jiang Nai looked at him and immediately understood.

She was stunned, her ears instantly heating up: “Can’t you give a normal answer?!”

“Isn’t what I said normal?” Li Qingji smirked, seeming somewhat helpless.

“…Well, I can’t help you. You’ll have to deal with it yourself.”

Li Qingji took a light breath: “Yeah, I’m trying to handle it myself.”

Jiang Nai froze for a moment, her heart suddenly tightening, overwhelmed by a rush of emotions.

She looked back at the screen.

But aside from his face, she couldn’t see anything else.

“Though I need your help,” he continued.

Jiang Nai’s heart raced even faster. “Help with what…?”

Li Qingji stared directly at her and said, “Point the camera at the mirror. Let me see you.”

In the end, Jiang Nai could no longer hold her phone.

She lay by the bed, staring at the ceiling, her mind blank.

“Remember to change your clothes,” Li Qingji’s voice finally came through after a while, slightly hoarse.

Jiang Nai reached for her phone, but feeling shy from the earlier implicit yet bold exchange, she pulled the blanket over herself, completely covering up. The screen turned dark, showing nothing.

“Okay… I know.”

Li Qingji said, “I’m going to take a shower.”

“I want to take a shower too.”

Li Qingji, hearing her half-whining tone, asked, “Too lazy to get up?”

“I don’t have the strength…”

“Then rest for a bit.”

Jiang Nai: “Mmm, okay… You go shower first. I’m going to hang up.”

“Let me know before you go to sleep.”

“Okay.”

After hanging up the phone, Jiang Nai buried herself under the blankets and struggled for a while before finally getting up and heading to the bathroom.

After freshening up, she was so exhausted that she sent Li Qingji a “Goodnight” message on WeChat and fell asleep almost immediately.

When she woke up the next day, she noticed that Li Qingji had replied with a “Goodnight” last night.

Jiang Nai put her phone down and got up to change her clothes. Standing in front of the mirror, she thought about her bold behavior the previous night and felt a wave of embarrassment.

It was all because of the alcohol.

And because of Li Qingji…

After leaving her room, Jiang Nai went to the branch office with her colleagues.

She only had two meetings in the morning, so her afternoon and evening were free.

After the meetings, she and a few colleagues went to visit some nearby attractions. Tired from walking, the group of four or five sat down at a seaside restaurant for dinner.

“This place is beautiful, but after being away for so long, I really miss home. My daughter keeps asking me when I’m coming back,” said one of the colleagues, who had children. For those with kids, being away on business trips was always hard.

“Yeah, I need to bring something back for my little one, or they’ll throw a huge tantrum.”

Another unmarried colleague chimed in, “Seems like those of us without kids have it easier. No attachments, no worries, right, Jiang Nai?”

“Speak for yourself, don’t drag Jiang Nai into it. She may not have kids to worry about, but she has a husband.”

“What’s there to worry about with a husband? After a while, it’s all the same.”

“Is that true? Jiang Nai, how long have you been married?”

The colleagues at the new company knew Jiang Nai was married because she had worn her wedding ring when she first joined. However, aside from the company’s CEO and a few vice presidents, no one knew who her husband was.

Jiang Nai replied, “Over four years.”

“That’s quite a while.”

Another colleague added, “Four years isn’t that long.”

“Of course it is! By the fourth year, I couldn’t stand the sight of my husband anymore. We even started sleeping in separate rooms… He was a completely different person before and after marriage—no romance, no charm.”

“Really? Jiang Nai, is it the same for you and your husband?” a single colleague asked. “If it’s like that, I might just skip marriage altogether.”

When it came to her personal life, Jiang Nai was more reserved. “Well… we’re doing okay.”

“Has your husband changed before and after marriage?”

Jiang Nai paused. For her, their relationship started after marriage.

Before marriage…

They weren’t even close.

Jiang Nai said, “Not really.”

“That’s something to envy. So, is he still romantic?”

Jiang Nai didn’t think Li Qingji was particularly romantic.

If anything, he was more practical!

Seeing her hesitate, the colleague assumed the answer was no: “Oh well! It’s fine. If a man can stay 50% the same before and after marriage, that’s already good enough!”

The others agreed: “True, true.”

Jiang Nai smiled and didn’t say more.

By then, the food had arrived, and the group moved on from the topic of men to enjoy their dinner.

As they were finishing up, Jiang Nai checked her phone and noticed a message from Li Qingji asking if she was done eating.

She had mentioned earlier that she was going out for dinner.

Jiang Nai: 【Almost done. What are you up to?】

Li Qingji: 【Nothing much, just waiting around.】

Jiang Nai: 【Waiting for what?】

Li Qingji: 【When you’re done, come outside.】

Jiang Nai was puzzled: 【Outside where?】

Li Qingji: 【The restaurant entrance.】

Jiang Nai froze and glanced toward the entrance, but from her angle, she couldn’t see anything.

Her heart raced with a mix of nervousness and disbelief.

He was so busy—there was no way he could be here… right?

Jiang Nai stood up: “I’m full. I’ll go out and take a look first.”

“Huh?”

Jiang Nai grabbed her bag and phone, then turned and ran outside, leaving her colleagues utterly confused.

Outside the restaurant was a sandy beach, and beyond that, a seaside road.

It was by the roadside that Jiang Nai saw Li Qingji. He was wearing a white T-shirt and black pants, standing at the edge of the road, smiling softly at her.

She froze for a couple of seconds, processing the fact that Li Qingji had actually flown to this city. Then, she sprinted toward him.

The soft, sandy beach made running difficult.

Jiang Nai saw Li Qingji walking toward her too. When they got close, she threw herself into his arms.

Indeed, seeing him through a screen was completely different from seeing him in person…

Jiang Nai hugged his waist tightly, feeling his arms tighten around her in return, locking her in a secure embrace.

“How did you get here?” she asked, reluctant to let go.

Li Qingji: “I missed you, so I came.”

“But aren’t you busy?”

Li Qingji: “It’s fine. Taking two days off isn’t a problem.”

Jiang Nai felt it was unnecessary for him to do this. They had been married for so long; they didn’t need to be this clingy.

But she couldn’t help feeling overjoyed. The smile on her face was impossible to suppress.

After all, she missed him so, so much too!

“You could’ve told me earlier. Then we could’ve had dinner together,” Jiang Nai said, looking up at him. “Have you eaten?”

“I ate on the plane.”

“Oh.”

Li Qingji asked, “Did you just run out like that?”

Jiang Nai: “It’s fine. I’m full, and I told my colleagues.”

Li Qingji chuckled and glanced behind her: “Are you sure you told your colleagues why you came out?”

Jiang Nai looked puzzled and followed his gaze. Only then did she notice her colleagues standing not far behind, watching them with amused and knowing looks.

Her face flushed, and she quickly let go of Li Qingji, stepping out of his embrace.

“Jiang Nai, aren’t you going to introduce us?”

“Yeah, who’s this handsome guy?”

Her colleagues teased good-naturedly.

Jiang Nai smiled shyly and led Li Qingji over.

“Ahem, this is my… partner…”

Her colleagues: “Ohhh~”

“Your husband is so handsome!!”

Li Qingji remained calm and composed: “Hello, everyone. I’m Li Qingji.”

“Hello, hello! We’re Jiang Nai’s colleagues.”

Li Qingji nodded: “I know. She’s told me about all of you. Thank you for taking care of her.”

“Not at all. Jiang Nai takes care of us more!”

“Exactly, exactly.”

“Did you come here just to see Jiang Nai?”

Li Qingji nodded slightly: “I came to check on her.”

The colleagues exchanged glances, squealing at how sweet the moment was.

The more senior colleague spoke up: “In that case, we won’t keep you two. You should take a walk along the beach together!”

“Right, right.”

Jiang Nai couldn’t help but laugh. “Then we’ll head off first?”

“Go ahead!”

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