Chapter 20: In this marital relationship, there will be no more affection

"Xingwan."

Chu Li's deep voice was hoarse; he gripped his wife's shoulders, turned her body around, and pulled the red wine glass from her hand.

A passionate kiss landed on her lips.

Qin Xingwan did not refuse.

In this marital relationship, she had the obligations of a wife.

But it was merely an obligation, a pure physical compatibility between a man and a woman.

There would be no more affection.

Fang Yiwen invited Qin Xingwan to meet at his company.

Qin Xingwan agreed.

She braided her hair into a plait, adorned with a small bow, and wore a little floral dress.

Her appearance made Fang Yiwen's eyes light up.

He did not stint on praising her beauty, "Miss Qin is very beautiful, and compared to when we last met, your mood seems much better."

When they last met, she was dressed appropriately, but there was an inextricable sorrow between her brows.

Yet this time, her entire being exuded a sense of relaxation.

Qin Xingwan thanked him for his compliment.

Fang Yiwen took her to tour the company, focusing on the R&D department, and finally, they had dinner together.

Qin Xingwan was very satisfied; the company was not large, but it was well-managed, and she even saw several rare spices.

They were the ones she had been searching for.

The dinner was very pleasant; Fang Yiwen's understanding of perfume was deeper than she had imagined, and his grasp of the concept of "Oriental Perfume" in particular exceeded her expectations.

The two talked very happily.

Outside the restaurant, in a black car.

Chu Li sat quietly in the car, watching the bright smile on his wife's face, dark shadows churning in his black eyes.

He had not seen such a smile in nearly three months.

At this moment, she was showing it generously to another man.

Moreover, although her outfit today was very simple, it was exceptionally beautiful.

It was clear she had dressed up carefully.

As dinner was about to end, Qin Xingwan sent a message to Lin Qingya, expressing her satisfaction with Fang Yiwen.

The moment the message was sent, her phone was snatched away.

She frowned and looked up, seeing her husband.

"Why are you here?"

Chu Li did not speak, merely browsing the messages on her phone; the more he read, the gloomier his expression became.

Qin Xingwan crossed her arms, letting him browse.

Until he returned the phone to her.

Fang Yiwen knew Chu Li, but this was their first time meeting.

"Mr. Chu." He stood up and politely reached out his hand.

Chu Li, however, had no intention of shaking hands, looking Fang Yiwen over with an expressionless face.

A very young and handsome man, possessing a refined and gentle temperament.

Under normal circumstances, he would be someone he admired.

But such a person appearing by his wife's side did not make him very happy.

Qin Xingwan saw the awkwardness, picked up her bag, and said goodbye to Fang Yiwen: "Thank you for the dinner."

Fang Yiwen smiled like a gentleman: "It is my honor to have dinner with Miss Qin."

Chu Li narrowed his eyes; this man addressed his wife as Miss Qin rather than Mrs. Chu...

He reached out to take Qin Xingwan's bag, gripped her palm, and called the restaurant manager over, "Put the dinner on my tab."

The manager agreed respectfully.

Fang Yiwen could tell this was a man's secret rivalry, but he had his own poise, "Then should I say, thank you for the treat, President Chu?"

The humorous and playful remark made Qin Xingwan laugh.

Fang Yiwen took the hint and said goodbye: "Miss Qin, see you again."

Qin Xingwan nodded: "See you again."

Chu Li gripped his wife's hand tightly: "Let's go."

Qin Xingwan followed him to the car obediently, with no intention of saying anything.

Chu Li spoke first: "Is he your friend? You never mentioned him before."

Qin Xingwan turned her head, looking at Chu Li with a half-smile; he had read her chat history with Qingya, so he should know Fang Yiwen's identity.

Such a question was superfluous.

However, she did not want to cause trouble because of Chu Li's wild guesses.

"He is the president of Fragrant Spirit."

Fragrant Spirit?

Chu Li knew this name, and he had a faint suspicion in his heart.

Qin Xingwan did not hide it from him, "He invited me to join his company."

"I went to see it; the company isn't large, but it has potential."

"I agreed to join him."

Chu Li's gentle expression gradually turned cold, "I do not agree."

Qin Xingwan was stunned for a moment; she had never thought about needing Chu Li's agreement for this matter.

At this moment, she was merely telling him, not seeking his opinion.

"Chu Li, you gave my position to Qin Yunshu, so I must find something to do for myself."

Chu Li's lips were pressed thin, with a hint of coldness, "I can still afford to support you."

No wealthy wife goes out to work for others.

Qin Xingwan looked out the window, cold and detached; it wouldn't be a problem for Chu Li to support ten of her, but so what?

The feelings between them had long since been worn away.

If one day Chu Li suddenly saw the light and wanted a divorce, she would still need to survive.

Relying on a man is not as good as relying on oneself.

The fingers Chu Li was tapping on his knee paused slightly, "You can go back to work."

Qin Xingwan chuckled softly, turning her head to look at Chu Li earnestly: "Then what about Qin Yunshu?"

"You can take the position of deputy director," Chu Li said indifferently.

He felt this arrangement was very good, "Yun Shu is responsible for research and development, and you can hold an idle position; you can rest whenever you don't want to go."

Qin Xingwan was so angry she laughed; in Chu Li's eyes, her wanting to go to work was just to pass the time, not because of a passion for perfume.

"I have already reached an agreement with Fang Yiwen," she rejected Chu Li's arrangement.

She was unwilling and did not want to be beneath Qin Yunshu.

"Fang Yiwen has a very deep understanding of perfume."

"Although I have only met him twice, he is enough to be called my soulmate."

Mentioning Fang Yiwen, Qin Xingwan's tone became much softer, and she used the word "soulmate," which showed she held Fang Yiwen in high regard and had a good impression of him.

The anger in Chu Li's heart grew even stronger, and his eyes were filled with a sharp, icy glint.

He did not like that she was cold to him, yet held another man in such high esteem.

Pulling her into his arms, he raised his eyebrows, his gloomy eyes like the calm before a storm.

"I said, I do not agree. You either stay at home and be a wealthy wife, or you go help Yun Shu."

Qin Xingwan felt a heavy obstruction in her heart and looked coldly at Chu Li: "Chu Li, where I go to work is my freedom; you have no right to interfere."

Chu Li's gaze was deep, his thin lips almost touching her soft cheek, "I am your husband; I have no right?"

Qin Xingwan did not dodge or avoid his gaze, a mocking chuckle on her lips: "You couldn't even protect your own child; what right do you have?"

The atmosphere in the car was tense and ready to snap.

The child was a knife wedged between Qin Xingwan and Chu Li.

When the blade turned left, it stabbed Qin Xingwan.

When the blade turned right, it pierced Chu Li.

Both were bleeding profusely; neither could hope to have it easy.

On the way back to Beicheng Villa, neither of them spoke again.

Qin Xingwan went to the study upstairs.

By the time Chu Li came in, she had already finished organizing all her books.

Those books were professional volumes on perfumery, packed into two large boxes.

"Why did you pack them up?" he asked.

Qin Xingwan closed the cardboard box, her expression cold: "I have found a place outside, and I plan to move there."

She had long planned to move out.

But she hadn't found a suitable place, and later she sprained her foot, so it was delayed.

Now that she had a place and a job, she didn't need to stay here anymore.

Separating from Chu Li was her wish.