Flash Marriage: He is a Wife-pampering Addict

Chapter 1489: 1488 I have abundant experience in secret crushes

Qin Mu screwed the cap onto the bottle, noticing An Lin’s expression carrying a hint of displeasure but remaining silent. His eyes filled with a smile, his lips slightly curved, and his handsome features softened, making him appear more gentle and refined.

Although he felt apologetic towards An Lin and showed her care and consideration, the pampering love he and Mo Xiuchen had towards Wen Ran was different.

In his eyes, there was warmth, but not the deep-seated affection that couldn’t be dissolved.

Therefore, his inherently cold demeanor only warmed slightly, which, for An Lin, was fatal.

She glanced at Qin Mu’s smiling eyes and brows, her heartstrings involuntarily quivering, pursed her lips, and quickly turned back, continuing to climb upward.

“An Lin, I’ll go ahead.”

After another ten minutes or so, the two of them reached the most perilous part of the mountainside.

Qin Mu reached out to grab An Lin, no longer allowing her to walk ahead. He took a step forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with her at this spot where two people could stand together.

An Lin turned to look at him, “I can climb up by myself.”

It wasn’t her first time climbing this mountain. In fact, she’d climbed it two or three times, always with Qin Mu, Mo Xiuchen, and others.

“I know, but before, it was always me leading.” Qin Mu’s tone seemed calm, yet it carried an inherent dominance that allowed no opposition.

An Lin found herself at a loss for words, blocked by his declaration.

She lowered her eyelids, no longer looking at him.

In the past, when they climbed mountains, she also liked to choose this shortcut, the most dangerous path. Back then, it wasn’t without ulterior motives; she hoped Qin Mu would show concern for her.

As she hoped, Qin Mu would never feel at ease letting her climb alone, following up and in such dangerous spots, he’d always be ahead, reaching out to pull her up at each step.

She had a photo album filled with pictures of them climbing mountains. Although Mo Xiuchen, Gu Kai, and others were in some, most were of her and Qin Mu.

“I’ll go up and pull you up.”

Qin Mu’s voice interrupted her thoughts, and as his hand released hers, she felt a coldness in her palm.

Watching him grip the rock above with both hands and effortlessly climb onto the stone half her height, she suddenly recalled that moment from a few years ago.

“An Lin, reach out your hand.”

From above, Qin Mu’s gentle voice rang out. She lifted her eyes to meet his obsidian-like gaze, clear and undisturbed by even the slightest ripple.

Her heart suddenly ached.

Like being bitten by some insect, the pain was light but quickly spread throughout her body.

She stubbornly refused to reach out, “Just keep climbing up, I can manage myself.”

Hearing this, Qin Mu’s handsome brows furrowed, and his look at her became more serious, “Don’t throw a tantrum, reach out. Once this part is over, you can climb on your own.”

“I already said I don’t need it. Why are you overseeing me?”

An Lin glared at him angrily, not needing a man who treated her well but withheld his heart.

Nor did she need a man who appeased her out of guilt.

When she got angry, Qin Mu’s expression eased slightly, no longer as stern as before, even the frown on his face relaxed. His tone was gentle, like an elder brother’s, “An Lin, it’s very dangerous here. If you accidentally fall, the consequences could be unthinkable.”

There was already a sign underfoot warning of the danger on this path.

An Lin couldn’t stand Qin Mu’s tone, she bit her lip hard, a controlled face as she reached toward him.

Her soft hand was enveloped in his broad, warm palm, the heat penetrating to her heart, dispelling some of her anger. She used his strength to climb up.

Qin Mu smiled slightly, not letting go of her hand this time, using only one hand to grasp a tree trunk above for leverage to climb up.

***

Far below them, Wen Ran, holding a camera, was continuously taking pictures of the two on the mountainside, her eyes bending into a smile, which softened Mo Xiuchen’s heart.

“Ranran, come on, let me take a picture.”

He took the camera, snapped a few more shots, and then set it down, fetching water from the backpack, “Have some water.”

“It seems climbing the mountain was a good idea, for An Lin and Qin Mu to climb to the top together, who knows if they can reconcile and return to how they were.”

Wen Ran reached out for the bottle, but Mo Xiuchen didn’t hand it to her, so she had to drink holding onto his hand, her smile painted with a deep sense of happiness.

Mo Xiuchen affectionately patted her head, “Even if they can’t reconcile as before, it’ll definitely move An Lin. In the past, every time we brought her to climb this mountain, An Lin always chose that path, and Qin Mu followed for fear she’d fall.”

Wen Ran gazed softly at Mo Xiuchen, quietly listening to him recount.

Mo Xiuchen held her hand, step by step moving upward, his voice low and gentle in her ear, “Every time we reached that spot before, Qin Mu would be upfront, pulling An Lin up behind him.”

“So when did you realize An Lin liked Qin Mu?”

Wen Ran blinked curiously.

She knew her husband was a perceptive man; he must have known long ago.

Mo Xiuchen chuckled softly, “It was one time when we climbed in H City because An Lin took a liking to an orchid growing near a cliff edge. She wanted it badly, but Qin Mu thought it was too dangerous and wouldn’t let her go. An Lin, in her stubbornness, wouldn’t relent, so Qin Mu had no choice but to accompany her.”

“Did something happen?”

Wen Ran speculated about the rest of the story.

Mo Xiuchen calmly replied, “You could say it was a narrow escape. By then, it was already May, and the mountain shrubs were dense. An Lin was startled by a snake, screamed, and nearly stepped off the edge in her retreat. In the nick of time, Qin Mu caught her; however, his foot landed on the snake, and it bit him.”

“And then, what kind of snake bit Qin Mu?” Wen Ran was wide-eyed with surprise at the extensive stories between An Lin and Qin Mu.

“It was just a common snake, venomous, but not deadly.”

Mo Xiuchen reminisced about the scene with amusement, his tone carrying a hint of jest, “An Lin didn’t know what kind of snake it was, just feared for Qin Mu’s life. Though she was always scared of snakes, she killed it and insisted on sucking out the venom for Qin Mu.”

“That was many years ago. We all assured her it wasn’t fatal, but An Lin wouldn’t believe us, not even Ah Kai. In the end, she did squat down to suck out Qin Mu’s venom. From that moment, I thought An Lin’s feelings for Qin Mu went beyond sibling affection; she probably liked Qin Mu.”

“You’ve never been in love; how would you know what liking someone is?” Wen Ran teased, laughing.

Mo Xiuchen narrowed his eyes, intentionally lowering his voice, speaking seductively, “Who says I’ve never been in love? From the moment you saved me all those years ago, I’ve liked you, thus I consider myself quite experienced in unspoken affection.”

“…”

Wen Ran twitched her lips, at a loss for words.