Chapitre 53: Unsightly Being

It was the first morning that Qing Chen felt like his life had gone back to normal. It was the weekend and he was awaken by the light pouring in from the huge glass windows. He took a deep breath, looking for the smell of breezy air but he only ended up coughing because of the pain on his side.

Right, he was still badly injured. He clutched at his chest as he tried to steady his breath.

"Are you okay?" a worried voice asked.

Qing Chen peeled his eyes open and saw Feng Xuan hovering over him. "I'm fine," he croaked. "Just took too much of a lungful, that's all."

Feng Xuan bit her lip in worry. "Should I draw you a cold bath?"

"That would be a delight," he answered and when Feng Xuan began to move, he caught her by the wrist. "Hold for a moment. Stay in bed for a while."

"Why?"

"It just occurred that I haven't really seen you when you just woke up." Most of the time when Qing Chen woke up, Feng Xuan was still asleep and then after his morning work out, he would find Feng Xuan cooking in the kitchen already.

She smiled. "I probably look like a witch right now or something."

Qing Chen returned her smile. "Yeah, you do," he answered to which he got a light punch on the uninjured part of his torso.

Feng Xuan's hair was a mess, like a bird's nest. She looked pale and the under of her eyes looked a little green-ish. Her lips was almost the same color as the rest of her face, tinged with only the slightest of pink.

Qing Chen reached out, meaning only to touch her hair but when she didn't pull away he went all the way and cupped her cheek in his hands. She felt warm under his fingers, he could feel the steady beat of her heart. "You still look beautiful."

"That's impossible but thanks," she chuckled. "You're not much of a sight either."

His uncut brow lifted. "Are you sure?" If you were to ask Qing Chen if he was handsome, he did not think so. But over the years he had been told what a fine young man he was.

"Pretty much."

Qing Chen pretended to be shocked. "I'm terribly sorry for this burden you have to bear having married an unsightly being."

"Oh please," Feng Xuan laughed. "You're still good to look at," she said and gazed at his eyes like how would one look when they are admiring a beautiful piece of art. "We should get up. I have a lot to do today."

With that Feng Xuan got off the bed and into the bathroom. Qing Chen struggled for a little while before being able to stand up.

"What are you up to today?" he asked, slowly walking towards the bathroom door. He pushed it open and found Feng Xuan with a half-full tub.

"I was at Wang Yimin's yesterday after your office. I sought her help with conceptualizing the cake shop. I'll be out and about looking at prices for the things and appliances that we need."

"I have a lot of contacts for that."

"Wang Yimin also sent me hers."

"Can I come with you?"

Feng Xuan looked at him and turned the tap off. "Are you well enough?"

"Yeah, I'm mostly fine," he answered. "I'll feel better once I'm done with this bath. I can't really just stay in bed the whole day. That'll make me sicker."

"Okay, then," she answered, still a little weary. She made her way out of the bedroom but before she left, Qing Chen called her.

"Don't worry I won't slow you down," he winked with his better eye.

Feng Xuan grinned back at him.

Qing Chen was not feeling better. But he was not about to show that to his wife, would he? The cold bath did him good but he still struggled to put on a shirt as pain continuously shoot up from all parts of his chest and back that he had to stop almost every other inch in movement. He had planned to drive but seeing as he was not that good yet, he was afraid he would only drive them to another set of injuries.

When he got to the kitchen, Feng Xuan was standing there with a white collared shirt with the top buttons undone. He did not meant to, but his eyes followed the long thin layered golden chains that rested at the top of her bosom. "Oh, man. Do you want me to change?"

Feng Xuan pulled her gaze away from the paper she was holding and to Qing Chen. "Why?"

"We're wearing matching outfits."

Feng Xuan took at look at her white blouse, faded jeans, and heels. "I don't really mind," she said with a smile and pressed a cup of coffee to her lips. "Do you?"

"Not at all," he answered and tried his best to walk without limping. "Should we go?"

"Are you not going to have a cup?"

"I'll have it to-go."

After Feng Xuan fixed him a drink in an insulated tumbler, they went out the door. At the back of the limousine Feng Xuan started talking to Qing Chen. "So where should we head first?"

"You're the boss, where do you want to start?"

"I really want to take a look at the furniture. That's what I am most worried about."

Qing Chen gave an address to the driver and they started on their journey. "What's the name gonna be—oh, wait! Let me guess. Cherry On Top."

"I'm not that cliche," Feng Xuan grinned.

"Sugar Momma?"

Feng Xuan laughed. "No! Who would name their shop like that? I mean, some would probably. But we're more on the modern-ish type, you know?"

"Is it French?"

"Nope."

"Is it possible to guess this?"

Feng Xuan gave it a thought. "Hmmm… possibly. If you dig really deep."

Qing Chen raked through his mind. "Sugar and Spice?"

"No."

"Sprinkles."

"Nope."

"Cakealicious?"

"Nah."

"Tiers of Joy."

"Hey!" Feng Xuan said. "That's not bad."

Qing Chen took a swig from his drink. "Am I getting close?"

"Not really."

"Does the name have to do with cakes and pastries?"

"Finally, you're asking the right question. The answer is, no. The name doesn't have any pastry in the name. But it's related to pastries."

Qing Chen racked his brain once more, thinking of something clever. "It's not your name?"

"Nope."

"Mine?"

"Why would I use your name?" she laughed. "No offense."

"None taken," he answered and looked out the window. "I give up."

"It will be called Gretel's."

"Like from the children's story?"

"Yep," Feng Xuan said looking over possible interior designs. "We like to push witches in ovens."

"Please tell me that's your tagline."

"Unfortunately it's not. It'll be something along the lines of 'breadcrumbs will lead you home' or something about sweetness and modernity." She handed Qing Chen papers of concept designs.

Qing Chen's eyes flew over the pages and easily discarded the ones that did not catch his eyes. "I like this one," he said. It was a concept with blossoming trees. "Mainly of that story happened in the forest right? And it looks pretty modern still."

Qing Chen and Feng Xuan spent the rest of the day visiting different places that would make this cake shop come true. Qing Chen was honestly impressed by how much Feng Xuan had already accomplished in just a short span of days.

When they got home, she showed him an initial budget overview and a rather detailed marketing plan. While Feng Xuan was in the bathroom, Qing Chen was flicking through the pages and when she came back he said, "I should say I am really impressed. Are you sure you don't want a position in The Kingly Empire?"

Feng Xuan smiled at him. "I don't think I'll do well in large corporations. To tell you the truth, I don't have that much interest in hotel management and your other business ventures. I think in business it is important that you care about what you're managing."

"Of course," he answered, remembering the mafia that his father kept on stopping him from changing. "But if you ever change your mind, you let me know."

Qing Chen fought to keep his face neutral as he laid down on his back. But Feng Xuan saw the littlest of the winces he made. "You're not well," she said.

"I am better than yesterday."

"You should've stayed home today," she sounded as if she had dragged him out of the house. "I think you'll get worse if you keep moving."

"Nothing a few cold compresses wouldn't fix. I'm fine, Feng Xuan," he reassured her. In the shower earlier, he saw that the bruises had gotten worse. Most of them hadn't shown up yesterday. He smiled at her. "Did you have fun today?"

"Yes, I did. It was nice walking along aisle of huge warehouses with you."

"That's great." At least paining himself with every step he took today was not in vain. "Are you excited for this?"

"Yes! Although, I have this really bad habit of committing in one thing? When I was overseas, I tried almost every job that was available. I easily get bored so I worry about that."

"You'll have a change of heart once it was you who had built it from the start. You'll pour all your heart in it."

"I hope so," she said, looking down as she was perched on her elbows. Her lashes were so thick and long it shadowed over her cheeks. She looked like she should be in a vintage magazine with her silk nightgown and the yellow-orange light in this room.

"Don't move," he said and strained to get his phone. He put his phone close to her face and snapped a picture. "Do you mind if I post this?"

Feng Xuan took a look at the picture. "What?!" she laughed but Qing Chen caught a glimpse of her flaming cheeks. "Well, if you wish. At least I look like a person in that."

"What do you mean? You look beautiful in this." He quickly logged in his social media. He was not one to update much. Most of the time he forgot its existence. After he posted the picture, he saw Feng Xuan stretching and yawing like a cat. "It's been a long day. Should we say good night?"

Feng Xuan nodded in the middle of her yawn. "Yeah," she said, she raised herself as she did every night to give Qing Chen his kiss.

They were as soft as ever as the first time as she did it, but now with more confidence.

One of these days, Qing Chen would catch one of those kisses with his lips.

L’AVIS DES CRÉATEURS
sugarcoatqueenx

I am so sorry for the sole update for today. I broke my spacebar and couldn't type as fast as I could and it was so annoying haha. I'll try to find another laptop to work on tomorrow, hopefully I'll be able to create three chapters. By the end of this chapter, it was as if all my fingers hurt by the extra pressure I had to put in pressing the space bar!!

But for now, let's all take a breathe with just a Feng Xuan and Qing Chen couple moment.

xoxo

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