The Villain And His Sweet Wife

Long Mei lost her balance, toppling over the stage, but Jin Qing quickly caught her in his arms. 

She stared at him eye-wide. "Mr. Jin! You're here! Did you watch me?"

He looked at her, trying to suppress a grin. "I did." 

She smiled sheepishly wide. "I was having lots of fun!" she said, stretching out an arm like a cat.

"I can see that," Jin Qing said, putting her down gently on her feet, but she only wobbled.

"My feet hurt." 

Jin Qing sighed. He then removed his jacket, placing it over her body since her dress was lost in the crowd. He picked her up again. "Do you want to go home?"

She yawned, snuggling into his chest. "Yes! It's late, and I am tired." 

He then began to walk away, carrying her in his arms, when someone pulled him by the shoulder. He turned, finding Luo Nuying. "Is she okay? I know she drank a lot." 

Jin Qing nodded. "She's fine. I will take care of her." 

Luo Nuying glanced between him and Nikolai, who stood not far away. She did not know if she should trust them, but then she gave him a nod. "I will call her in the morning." 

"You do that," Jin Qing responded flatly. 

Long Mei was half-asleep in his arms by the time they reached the car. She stirred in the passenger seat as she asked in a low and cautious voice. "When we get home, are you going to punish me?"

Jin Qing's heart nearly dropped. Did she remember something about Jin Hu? "No," he responded, disheartened, "I will never punish or hurt you, Mei." Is that what his half-brother did behind closed doors? 

Long Mei did not respond. She only stared at him before closing her eyes. "I know," she mumbled, half-asleep. "You're different." 

When they arrived home, Jin Qing carried Long Mei on his back to take her to her bedroom. He then placed her on the bed, replacing his jacket with a robe, wrapping it around her body. He then removed the jewellery she wore, putting it aside. 

After he finished, Jin Qing returned to his room, washed up and changed. He did not fall asleep  as he had trouble sleeping, so he stayed awake, thinking about his conversation with Nikolai. 

He was not sure how he was supposed to act around Long Mei. Even when he avoided her, he still ended up seeing her. So avoiding her did not work. 

Jin Qing continued to ponder. If he were to accept Long Mei being in his life, what would that mean for them?

He knew that Long Mei accepted the engagement because of her sister. Nothing good would come out of their relationship, but he could not bear Long Mei hating him again. 

He continued to think about it when he heard screaming coming from her room. 

His heart dropped. He then went to grab the gun he had strapped to his bed. He immediately barged into her room, sweeping the room, the bathroom. 

Jin Qing found Long Mei, alone, thrashing in her sleep, but no one else was in the room. He then put the safety back on the gun, placing it on the dresser before he reached for her. 

"Mei," he called her, careful not to touch her. 

She continued to thrash on the bed, sweat beading down the side of her face. She was breathing heavily as if she was running. "Get the fuck away from me!" she yelled. 

Jin Qing took a step back. "Mei, wake up!" 

Her eyes shot open, but her gaze was unfocused. She kept dry heaving, panting for air. She was in the state between consciousness and unconsciousness. 

"Mei," he said calmly. "It's—" he was afraid to say Jin. His name is also associated with her ex, who most likely harmed her without anyone ever knowing. It might scare her even more. "It's Aleksei," he continued. "Aleksei Sokolov. That's my name, but I go by Alek for short. You can call me that if you wake up right now." 

Long Mei grabbed onto him, her nails digging into his arm, as she tried hard to wake. She breathed in and out, trying to collect herself. Her breathing shallowed as she caught her breath. 

"Alek," she breathed. "I like it." 

Jin Qing collapsed next to her from relief. He had been an idiot. He knew Long Mei was not sleeping well, but he did not know the full extent of her condition. She had it far worse than him. He should have been paying attention to her more. "You scared the hell out of me," he said to her softly, running a hand through his golden hair. 

"Sorry," she began to say, breathless. "It's why I hardly sleep. It happened once in my parent's home, but it was the maid I woke. I then told her to keep it a secret for me." 

Jin Qing narrowed his eyes, propping himself on an elbow. "It sounded like you were being killed." 

Long Mei looked away from him. "It felt like it." 

Jin Qing sighed. "You need help, Mei." 

Long Mei shook her head. "No, no. I'm fine, really. I don't need to sleep, so I will be fine." 

Jin Qing pinched the space between his brows. "Do you know how ridiculous that sounds?" 

"You hardly sleep, too," she shot back. 

Jin Qing sighed, running a palm down his face. "I'm serious, Mei. You need professional help. It's not good for you to go on like this." 

Long Mei scrunched her brows. "Oh, now mister-we-will-never-be-friends cares suddenly?" she said in a teasing voice. "I thought you were ignoring me." 

This girl. 

Jin Qing's face tightened. "Well, I'm done ignoring you, Mei. When it comes to you, I can't avoid you now, can I?"

Her lips curved into a smile. She still looked beautiful, despite how exhausted she was.

"Now try to get some rest," he said, rising from the bed. 

"Don't leave," she told him. "Please." 

She sounded so scared and desperate that it cracked something in his chest. "You trust me enough to stay in your room?" he began. "Are you sure?"

"You're better than what chases me in my dreams," she replied. 

Jin Qing did not need to listen for more reasons. She did not want to be alone. It scared her more than having someone with her because he was real. He was someone that could bring her back. Jin Qing then slid on the other side of the bed, keeping a small distance between them. 

"So, your real name is Aleksei Sokolov?" she questioned curiously. 

He liked the way his name came from her lips. "Da," he answered. 

"Da?" 

"It means yes." 

Her eyes sparkled. "Can you teach me more of your language?"

Jin Qing gave her a nod. He then spent the next hour telling her common phrases, making sure she pronounced it with a perfected accent, which she picked up quickly. He does not remember when he fell asleep next to her.