Substitute Bride to the Crippled Billionaire

Chapter 162: Chapter 162 Together

"Huh?" Su Qingnuan looked down at herself, noticing her perfectly normal attire. "It’s fine... not too cold."

"Aqi, go fetch a coat for the young madam." Fu Yihan instructed.

"Yes."

"Wait!" Su Qingnuan raised her hand, wanting to stop Aqi, but the man had already dashed away.

Her hand froze awkwardly in the air, and Su Qingnuan felt a little embarrassed.

"Come here."

Fu Yihan suddenly spoke.

Su Qingnuan turned to look at him, noticing his unwavering gaze as though he was on the verge of discovering a flower blooming from her.

Lowering her head, Su Qingnuan sluggishly moved to stand beside Fu Yihan.

He looked at the person by his side. The weight she had gained while living at the Fu family had completely vanished; she’d grown even thinner.

With a soft sigh, Fu Yihan asked in a low voice, "Is your head still dizzy?"

Su Qingnuan shook her head and replied with a smile, "Not dizzy anymore. I feel quite energetic."

She smiled, her eyebrows arched. That pitiful, cold aura had completely faded away.

Fu Yihan scoffed lightly and grabbed Su Qingnuan’s hand—her fingers were ice-cold.

Despite sleeping for so long, her body still hadn’t warmed up. Fu Yihan frowned slightly and murmured, "Why are your hands so cold?"

After a moment without a response, Fu Yihan raised his head to look at her.

Su Qingnuan was staring at their intertwined hands with a face full of surprise. His action felt so natural that she began suspecting she’d missed something—like their relationship had improved without her noticing.

But no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t recall anything she’d forgotten.

As she regained her senses, her gaze met his half-smiling eyes.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked casually, his lips curling into a faint smile.

"Ah... nothing." Su Qingnuan hurriedly lowered her head. "Mr. Fu, you should keep busy. I’ll take a walk outside."

"Wait."

Fu Yihan grabbed Su Qingnuan and furrowed his brow. "It’s cold outside today. What are you going out for? Sit down."

"....."

No matter how cold it was outside, it had to be better than staying here, right?

Su Qingnuan hesitated, standing still without moving.

"Hmm?" Fu Yihan raised his brow and shot her a look.

Not daring to talk back, Su Qingnuan quickly sat down.

"What kind of book do you want to read?" He asked again. noveldrama

Su Qingnuan replied softly, "I’m not sure. Just give me any book."

"Alright."

Fu Yihan wheeled himself over to the bookshelf, circled it once, and pulled out a book.

"Try this one. It’ll be helpful for your future graduation thesis."

"Huh?" Su Qingnuan took the book, glanced at the title, and finally broke into a smile. "Thank you, Mr. Fu."

Fu Yihan didn’t respond, handing her a pen and some blank paper. "Write down things you don’t understand."

"Sure."

With the book in hand, Su Qingnuan adjusted her chair, sitting close to Fu Yihan.

Aqi returned with the coat, only to find this scene.

The two of them sat on the same side of the desk, Fu Yihan’s expression relaxed with a faint trace of amusement. Beside him, Su Qingnuan stared seriously at the book with an intense look of concentration.

Quietly, Aqi draped the coat over the chair and tactfully retreated.

But the faint sound of the latch closing still caught Fu Yihan’s attention.

He glanced up, noticing the person had left, and then turned his focus back to Su Qingnuan.

Su Qingnuan was wholly immersed in the book, despite it being a technical reference. Its depth was what Fu Yihan appreciated, prompting him to recommend it.

Unexpectedly, she became completely engrossed in it.

Watching her serious side profile, Fu Yihan unknowingly curled his lips into a smile.

Unbeknownst to him, the way he looked at Su Qingnuan had grown tender.

He gazed at her for quite a while before finally returning to his own work.

...

The calm and tranquil atmosphere lasted a long time, until Su Qingnuan eventually raised her head from the book and began jotting things down.

She instinctively reached out, brushing against Fu Yihan in the process.

"Sorry..." Su Qingnuan nervously looked at him.

Fu Yihan raised his brow. "What? Afraid I’ll scold you?"

Being scolded might actually be preferable...

Su Qingnuan smiled faintly without saying a word.

Understanding the subtle meaning in her eyes, Fu Yihan chuckled and shifted his body slightly to the side. "Keep writing."

"..."

She couldn’t have imagined that, right?

Timidly glancing at Fu Yihan, Su Qingnuan lowered her voice, "Mr. Fu, are you feeling alright?"

"Hmm?" Fu Yihan lifted his eyes, giving her a meaningful look.

Meeting those deep, enigmatic eyes, Su Qingnuan panicked and quickly diverted her gaze.

"No... nothing."

Fu Yihan withdrew his gaze without saying anything further.

Yet, Su Qingnuan’s mind was in turmoil—a mix of concern and a strange sense of joy.

Sitting there, she didn’t touch her pen, her thoughts wandering far away.

Noticing her absentmindedness, Fu Yihan didn’t say a word, focusing on his own tasks instead.

Time passed unknowingly until an abrupt knock on the door broke the curious tranquility.

"Come in."

Aqi entered, smiling at the two still seated. "The old master has returned and is asking for the young madam!"

Hearing this, Su Qingnuan immediately stood up, knocking her pen off the table, which clattered to the floor with a crisp sound.

"...Sorry." Su Qingnuan bent down to pick up the pen.

At the same time, Fu Yihan lowered himself as well.

"Thunk!" They collided, and Su Qingnuan stumbled back two steps, clutching her forehead.

Looking up, she found Fu Yihan holding his nose, mirroring her expression.

Su Qingnuan’s cheeks turned redder. "Mr. Fu... I didn’t mean to..."

Fu Yihan rubbed his nose and sighed helplessly. "Alright, go spend time with Grandpa."

"...Okay."

Su Qingnuan swiftly picked up the pen, placed it back on the table, and headed out.

Watching her retreating figure as if she were fleeing, Fu Yihan raised the corners of his mouth with a hint of helplessness.

Why was Fu Yihan acting so peculiar these days?

She couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was strange, but it was definitely unusual.

Carrying her doubts, Su Qingnuan slowly made her way downstairs.

"Qingnuan!" The old master heard her footsteps, turned his head, and smiled warmly. "Is your health better now?"

"...Grandpa." Su Qingnuan gripped the railing as she descended, her face breaking into a smile. "Grandpa, you’re back! My health has improved quite a bit."

"Oh, look at you, your face has gotten so thin!" The old master frowned at Su Qingnuan, muttering. "I’ve asked Auntie to make soup for you. Be sure to eat more later."

"Really?" Su Qingnuan touched her face, chuckling softly. "Maybe it’s because I haven’t eaten much. It’s not too bad, actually."

"That won’t do!" The old master disagreed firmly. "Your body is so weak; you need to take good care of yourself. Otherwise, when you’re carrying a child, it’ll be even harder."

A... child?

So the old master hadn’t given up on that idea yet?

Su Qingnuan’s smile became awkward. "Alright, I understand."

She stayed and chatted with the old master for a while. A delightful aroma suddenly wafted through the air, prompting Su Qingnuan to turn her head.