Bringing the Nation's Husband Home

Lu Jinnian waited till the bathroom doors were close before bringing the plate of cake downstairs. He passed the cake over to Madam Chen before heading out.

The night breeze blew comfortably against him. Instinctively, he touched his pockets for his box of cigarettes. He took a stick out and brought it to his mouth, but just when he was about to light it up, he remembered the words that Qiao Anhao had said to him in the hospital: Smoking is bad for health, you should quit.

He paused for a while before removing the stick he held in his mouth. He stuffed it back into the cigarette box and hesitated once more. Walking over to the trash bin at the side, he threw in both the entire box of cigarettes and the lighter.

He was out for about ten minutes, and after calming his heart, he turned and re-entered the house.

The moment he pushed the bedroom door open, he heard the shower running. The sound started to frustrate him, stirring the flame within him that he had desperately tried to suppress. He walked to the changing room, grabbed a fresh set of clothes before walking to the next room to take a cold shower.

When he returned to the bedroom, Qiao Anhao was standing by the vanity, preparing to blow dry her hair.

Her hair was starting to get long. Even if she had done hair treatments, it would still tangle when it was wet, so she was using her fingers to untangle them.

Lu Jinnian threw the towel that he held aside and walked over. He picked up a comb combed her hair silently.

Qiao Anhao froze slightly, turning to look at him through the mirror. She observed him for a while before lowering her lashes.

Lu Jinnian untangled her hair before blowing it with the hairdryer seriously.

The buzzing from the hairdryer continuously sounded in Qiao Anhao’s ears.

After making sure that her hair was dry, he didn’t forget to comb it once again. Only then did he put the comb down and said, ”It’s done.”

Qiao Anhao looked at him through the mirror once again. With a trace of a smile, she started to apply her facial lotion.

Lu Jinnian remained silent, ruffling his hair as he blew it dry before lying on the bed.

After applying her facial products, Qiao Anhao climbed onto the bed as well. Once she was properly tucked in, he stood up to off the lights.

The candles on the floor were still burning, sending a soft warm glow through the room.

They both lay in silence. It was already late, but Qiao Anhao was wide awake, the image of the moment a while back flashing in her mind. Why didn’t he touch her in the end?

She kept replaying the image in her mind, feeling frustrated, while Lu Jinnian, who had just taken a cold shower, was ruffled by her constant tosses and turns. When she finally turned once again, he could no longer keep it in any longer, grabbing her wrist, putting an end to her restlessness.

Qiao Anhao had originally thought that he was about to continue from where they left off, but instead, he just held onto her wrist, without any signs of movement. Disappointment and sadness clouded her, and she flipped over once more.

”Can’t sleep?” Lu Jinnian turned and looked into her face with the faint glow from the candle.