Chapter 89: New Year (Part 1)

Return: My Hell and Heaven
Chapter 89: New Year (Part 1)

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At the start of a new year, everything started anew.

It was rare for Song Shu to sleep in, but on the morning of the Lunar New Year, she woke up to an unusual quietness—no psychologically scarring alarm music, and no sign of a certain “unidentified creature” that had recently taken to sneaking into her room and burrowing under her blanket in the middle of the night.

As for the reason…

Song Shu picked up her phone from the bedside table and tapped the screen lightly to light it up. The first thing that popped up was a message bubble from Qin Lou.

She opened the chat.

The last message from him last night, sent before he was reluctantly forced to sleep in a separate room, was a lament. The only message from this morning was an animated GIF: a poodle staring pitifully at the camera, then lowering its head and lying obediently on its front paws, its dark eyes never leaving the lens.

—Since Song Shu had once called him a poodle, Qin Lou had saved a collection of poodle GIFs to tease her, much to her mix of annoyance and amusement.

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Tla xkde vwadkdt, Fsdt Fbw lmkvle vbl nbyv yde pokvnble vs y vball-rlapsd qyxkzu taswr.

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“Pye, Ysx, usw’al dsv ‘vlpvkdt’ Ckd Nsw ytykd, yal usw?”

A reply came in seconds from Mei Jinghan, who had a lotus avatar.

“What are you saying? Nonsense. We’re very pleased with him! Your dad even likes him a lot. He took him out for a run early this morning.”

Song Shu: “Have they come back yet?”

Mei Jinghan: “How could they? What’s the point of a morning run if it’s over so soon?”

Song Shu checked the time on her phone, feeling a headache brewing.

“Does Dad still stick to his cross-river running habit?” she asked.

“Of course.”

Trying to be tactful, Song Shu replied, “Mom, you see, the thing is… Have you considered that such a feat—randomly running two or three hours—is something only someone like Dad, who has exercised vigorously for years, can manage? Normal people would probably collapse long before they finish.”

Mei Jinghan: “Nonsense. You’re young, aren’t you? How could your stamina be worse than ours?”

Song Shu: “…”

Mei Jinghan: “And besides, if his stamina really isn’t good enough, that just means he needs more exercise! It’s a rare opportunity for Xiao Qin to train with your dad—don’t you think so, sweetie?”

Song Shu: “…”

Just as she was strategizing how to save Qin Lou from this ordeal, her phone vibrated with another message.

Mei Jinghan: “Oh, they’re back.”

The message’s tone carried a subtle disappointment that made Song Shu instinctively sympathize with Qin Lou. She quickly switched back to their chat.

Song Shu: “Still alive?”

Qin Lou: “Barely.”

She smiled despite herself.

Judging by the timing, he must have been holding his phone and waiting for her as soon as he stepped into the house.

Two seconds later, he sent another message:

“Before I’m completely gone, come down and see me, okay?”

Accompanied by yet another panting poodle GIF.

Song Shu laughed so hard her eyes curved. She got out of bed in a good mood, her bare feet sinking into the soft carpet. On her way to the en-suite bathroom, she typed:

“Wait till I’m done washing up.”

Just as she reached the frosted glass door of the bathroom, another notification popped up—a voice message this time, only a second long.

Curious, Song Shu clicked it.

The quiet air in the room suddenly filled with a cheery “Woof!”

Song Shu froze for a moment. Then, unable to hold back, she leaned against the glass door, shoulders shaking with laughter.

When she came downstairs after washing up, rounding the corner from the staircase, she was greeted by the sight of Qin Lou sandwiched between her parents on the sofa. He sat there with his head slightly bowed, hands resting obediently on his knees, looking as docile as if his personality had been swapped.

It was such a rare sight for the usually irrepressible “little madman” that Song Shu couldn’t help but smile. She slowed her steps to watch.

The three seemed to be discussing something, but Qin Lou, catching the sound of her approach, glanced over with a mix of grievance and hope.

Mei Jinghan was the first to notice her. “Up already, sweetie?”

“Mm.”

Song Shu received a subtle, pitiful glance from Qin Lou. Suppressing her laughter, she pretended not to notice.

“You’ve all had breakfast, right? I’ll just head to the dining room.”

Mei Jinghan called her back, “We’ve eaten, but Xiao Qin hasn’t yet. We left some for you two—it’s in the warmer. Go eat together.”

As Song Shu turned back, she asked, “Qin Lou hasn’t eaten yet?”

“Little Qin insisted on waiting for you, so your dad and I ate first,” Mei Jinghan replied.

“…”

As they talked, Mei Jinghan got up and went to the dining room to prepare the breakfast she had set aside for the two of them.

Song Shu and Qin Lou walked to the table, and Song Shu reached out to take the dishes from Mei Jinghan’s hands.

Just as her hand stretched out, Mei Jinghan let out a surprised “Oh?”

“What’s this?”

Following her gaze, Song Shu looked down and saw the ring on her ring finger.

Her eyes flickered slightly. Sensing Qin Lou’s gaze, she simply raised her hand, holding it up for Mei Jinghan to see clearly. “Mom, is it pretty?”

Mei Jinghan finally realized what it was, glancing between the two of them with a complex expression. “I didn’t see you wearing this last night during dinner.”
Song Shu’s lips curved faintly, her eyes calm but with a trace of genuine happiness. “That’s because someone only succeeded in proposing thanks to their New Year’s wish.”

Mei Jinghan set the plate down, looked at the ring a couple more times, and finally couldn’t help but ask, “Why is the shape of this diamond so unusual?”

Song Shu paused and then laughed. “You’d have to ask Qin Lou about that.”

Caught off guard by being mentioned in front of his future mother-in-law, Qin Lou, who had been basking in quiet happiness, immediately straightened up. “?”

Song Shu grinned. “My mom wants to know why this diamond ring is such a strange shape.”

“…” Faced with Mei Jinghan’s curious gaze, Qin Lou’s expression turned slightly awkward. “It’s shaped like a seashell. I had it custom-made.”

“A seashell?” Mei Jinghan asked, even more puzzled.

Being questioned by an elder about such personal details felt like public punishment. Even Qin Lou averted his gaze before replying, “Yes, because I usually call Shu Shu my ‘little clam.’”

“… Little clam?”

Mei Jinghan was taken aback. After a moment of silence, she turned to Song Shu, scrutinizing her from head to toe. “Why would he call you such a peculiar name?”

Song Shu smiled faintly. “Because when I was a kid, I didn’t like to talk, so he said I was like a clam that wouldn’t open its shell.”

After hearing the explanation, Mei Jinghan froze for a couple of seconds before bursting into laughter. “Well, that does seem fitting.” Then she straightened her face and added, “But you’re both adults now. Are you planning to keep using this odd nickname even after getting married and having kids?”

“…” Song Shu hesitated briefly. That particular phrase made her instinctively glance at Qin Lou’s reaction—just as she expected, the calm and composed man from a moment ago now had the mischievous glint of his wilder nature in his eyes.

Sighing inwardly, Song Shu took Mei Jinghan’s arm and gently led her toward the living room.

“Alright, Mom. Why don’t you and Dad go watch the Spring Festival Gala replay? I’ll eat breakfast with Qin Lou, and we’ll come chat with you both after we’re done.”

“Don’t take too long. We might have visitors coming to pay respects this morning.”

“Got it.”

After watching Mei Jinghan walk into the living room, Song Shu returned to the dining room.

Just as she pulled out the chair beside Qin Lou and was about to sit, the man—who had been holding himself back—suddenly reached out and pulled her onto his lap.

Caught off guard, Song Shu landed in his lap and looked at him, half amused and half exasperated. “What are you doing?”

Qin Lou’s eyes were dark, but his expression and tone were full of grievance. “No kids.”

“…”

“No kids,” he repeated firmly.

“…”

“No kids,” he said for the third time.

Before he could say it a fourth time, Song Shu raised her index finger and pressed it against his lips. “Are you done? We’re not even married yet, and you’re already obsessing over this?”

Qin Lou’s lips parted slightly, and his tongue darted out to lick her fingertip.

Startled, Song Shu instinctively pulled her hand back.
Seizing the opportunity, Qin Lou leaned forward and buried his head in her hair, his low, raspy voice muffled against her soft strands, sounding incredibly aggrieved. “I just don’t want kids.”

Song Shu thought for a moment. “Why not?”

Qin Lou didn’t lift his head. “You know why.”

“I just want to hear you say it.”

“…” After a few seconds of silence, Qin Lou muttered, “I don’t want anyone to share you with me. Not anyone. Especially not a child.”

Song Shu sighed internally. She should’ve known his possessive nature would make this a non-negotiable issue.

She hesitated. “But my parents might insist on it…”

“I’ll cry,” Qin Lou cut her off, his muffled voice suddenly turning dramatic.

“…!”

Startled, Song Shu stared at him before exhaling in defeat. Gently, she reached out to run her fingers through his hair, which had been dyed back to its natural black and now looked much more pleasing.

“Are you really that upset?”

“It’s not about being upset,” Qin Lou said, his breath evening out as he buried himself against her neck. “I can’t stand the thought of sharing you with anyone else. Just imagining it makes me feel like I’m losing my mind.”

After a long silence, Song Shu slowly raised her arms and hugged the head resting against her neck. With a helpless yet indulgent sigh, she whispered, “…Crazy man.”

“I’ve always been one.”

“Fine, I’ll listen to you.”

Song Shu bent slightly. When Qin Lou sat up, she looped her arms around his neck and kissed his lips softly.

“If you say no, then no it is.”

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