"What?" Song Yunxiao didn't react immediately, but soon she looked up at the man in the driver's seat."Aren't you on a business trip? Focus on your work; there's no need to accompany me."
"You have no idea. Lately, there's been a lot of trouble at Yese Bar. Maybe it's because my brother's not here, so people are acting more brazenly."
The woman leaned closer, narrowing the distance between them, and complained,"If not for them, I'd already be flying in the sky right now!"
"..."
This was clearly not the answer Shen Jiaquan wanted to hear, nor the attitude he expected.
He didn't like how Song Yunxiao nearly ignored him, her evasive explanations brushing away the real issue—as if, in the end, his questions only proved him to be the unreasonable troublemaker.
Should he continue?—The Bugatti abruptly stopped by the roadside—as though Shen Jiaquan had already reached his conclusion.
The man reached out and turned off the music; the rhythm came to an abrupt halt, leaving the car in complete silence.
"The maid said you left in a hurry and didn't pack much." Shen Jiaquan's hand rested on the steering wheel.
"So, you didn't wait for me. Was it because you truly considered my busy schedule and decided to be understanding? Or was it because it didn't matter whether I went or not?"
"You didn't even notify me, did you?"
Song Yunxiao didn't quite understand Shen Jiaquan's reaction.
Still, her tone remained calm, showing patience."I told Sue. Didn't you already know?"
She was organizing her words, preparing to continue, but the man interrupted,"Already know?"
"Song Yunxiao, if not for the trouble at Yese, if you hadn't come back at the last minute, would I even know that you had already gone abroad?"
Shen Jiaquan's voice carried a trace of irritation and incomprehension—an incomprehension directed at Song Yunxiao.
Was informing her husband about her plans and whereabouts really so difficult?
Shen Jiaquan thought this would provoke Song Yunxiao's anger.
But it didn't—there was no aggressive retort, no fierce outburst as he had anticipated.
Song Yunxiao merely lost her earlier playful demeanor, her voice turning slightly indifferent."That's not possible. I told Sue; you wouldn't have been unaware."
The man pressed on, his words unrelenting."Song Yunxiao, you should be telling me, not someone else."
Song Yunxiao's fingers subconsciously tightened, feeling both annoyed by his persistence and a slight uneasiness.
This was the second time. Silently, Song Yunxiao counted in her heart.
In fact, Shen Jiaquan hadn't called her by her full name in a long time. So hearing it suddenly from his lips left her stunned for a second.
"I just think you're making a big deal out of nothing." Song Yunxiao didn't directly answer his question and instead said,"You're not in the right mood."
Then, she sighed softly, her next words seemingly meant to comfort him.
"Maybe you should be angry, for me not telling you immediately."
"But, Shen Jiaquan..." she heard her own steady voice,"I believe that even as a married couple, there's no need to inform each other of every detail all the time."
Song Yunxiao glanced at Shen Jiaquan's side profile—his brows furrowed, his face clouded.
She had no intention of continuing the conversation."Let me drive."
After speaking, she was about to undo her seatbelt and get out of the car. But the man stepped on the gas pedal, driving away.
The journey continued in silence...
When the car finally reached the villa and the engine turned off, Song Yunxiao opened the door and got out. She walked away.
Shen Jiaquan watched her retreating figure, emotions surging in his heart. He strode forward, grabbed Song Yunxiao, interlacing their fingers.
"Are you tired of me? Do you not want to deal with me anymore?"
Song Yunxiao turned to look at him."No."
"Then why didn't you wait for me?" The man lowered his voice, resuming the earlier topic in the car."I don't like learning about your whereabouts from a third party."
"I didn't not wait for you..."
It just seemed like Shen Jiaquan was always the one to initiate holding her hand. She had gotten used to it.
How did it turn into her ignoring him?
Song Yunxiao raised no objections."Fine. From now on, I'll tell you first. Okay?"
Such compliance and docility made Shen Jiaquan feel an inexplicable sense of things slipping out of control. He pulled the woman closer, holding her tightly.
"Xiaoxiao, are you just humoring me?"
As a partner in this arranged marriage, Song Yunxiao didn't give him any faults to pick on.
Shen Jiaquan knew very well that she was trying hard to manage this marriage—being meticulous in every detail, from the small to the grand.
During holidays, she would prepare gifts. On his birthday, she'd cook. If she had time, she would bring meals to his office, sometimes even planning surprises. No matter how he questioned her, she would answer with patience, even when his tone wasn't pleasant.
Accompanying him on business trips and social events, she had never complained. It was as if she could fulfill any of his requests without hesitation, no matter what they were or how many there might be.
Late at night, as the city lights shone bright, the woman was in his arms.
Song Yunxiao was right here, right by his side, yet it all felt so untouchable to Shen Jiaquan.
He couldn't help but attribute her seemingly perfect attitude toward everything as her compromise with marriage and reality.
This wasn't love. It was perfunctory.
"No." Song Yunxiao returned his embrace."I love you. That's why I can agree to all your demands. It has nothing to do with being perfunctory."
"Hmm." Shen Jiaquan kissed her forehead, holding the woman in his arms tightly.
She was right.
Xiaoxiao loved him.
Of course, she could only love him.