If we swapped lives, I'd be the CEO and you'd take care of the kids.

She originally wanted to continue pretending, but when she saw her mother's sharp yet somewhat doting gaze, she knew that everything could no longer be hidden.

So Zhu Tingyue stopped trying to hide it, slowly raised her head, and a very ingratiating smile bloomed on her face.

She gently shook her mother's arm, like a cute little kitten snuggling up to its owner, and said in a spoiled, coquettish voice, "Mommy, you're the person Yueyue loves most in the world! Please, please stop asking me questions, okay?"

As she spoke, Zhu Tingyue deliberately pouted, making a pitiful appearance.

But she forgot that she was now in Shen Yanqiu's form. Whether her mother was satisfied or not, her expression remained serious, and her tone was not as gentle as usual: "Can't I even ask? My daughter is all grown up now, she has her own secrets! And Mom won't tell her anymore!"

This seemingly complaining but actually probing question stopped Zhu Tingyue from trying to get away with it.

She pouted and buried her head in her mother's arms, intending to respond with silence, but her mother's next words made her suddenly look up.

"Sigh, I think Xiao Shen seems to have a thing for Wan Jun!"

Before Zhu Tingyue could even bury her head, she swiftly raised it, her voice rising considerably: "Impossible! Shen Yanqiu would never like Wan Yun!"

Zhu's mother's expression remained unchanged, even showing a slight smile, as she raised an eyebrow and asked, "How did you know?"

Zhu Tingyue instantly realized that her mother was bluffing her!

Her fair face turned bright red in an instant, as if it had been ignited by a flame.

The body, which had been about to snuggle into its mother's warm embrace, suddenly froze, then slowly straightened its back, which stood as straight as a taut string.

Those fingers seemed somewhat at a loss, frantically fidgeting with the hem of her clothes. The hem trembled incessantly with the movement of her fingers.

"You don't want to tell me?"

Zhu's mother's voice rang out again, tinged with doubt and concern. These simple four words struck Zhu Tingyue like a thunderbolt.

After hearing her mother's question, Zhu Tingyue hesitated for a moment before mustering the courage to raise her head.

However, when her gaze met her mother's, it was as brief as lightning flashing across the night sky, and she quickly lowered her head again.

Although she didn't utter a single word from beginning to end, her evasive eyes and tightly pursed lips spoke volumes, and the meaning was crystal clear.

Zhu's mother understood and said understandingly, "Since you don't want to talk about it, then let's just forget about it! You're all grown up now, you have your own ideas, and you know your limits!"

Her words filled Zhu Tingyue with guilt. Her mother had shown her the most love and care; how could she possibly lie to her?

Zhu Tingyue's eyebrows were tightly furrowed together, as if they were tied in a knot that could never be untied.

A hint of confusion and struggle flickered in her eyes, as if two little people were arguing fiercely in her heart.

After struggling with the decision, she finally decided to tell her mother, but her mother had already gotten up and left.

Zhu Tingyue sat in the empty living room, thinking it over and over, and decided that she should go and talk to Shen Yanqiu about what would happen in the future.

The two of them definitely can't be switched back in a short time, so they need to discuss how to arrange things during this period.

Zhu Tingyue went upstairs and knocked on the door, but there was no response from inside. She tried turning the handle, but it wouldn't open; the door was locked from the inside.

What's going on? She was puzzled, calling Shen Yanqiu's name while making a phone call.

The phone rang for a long time before Shen Yanqiu answered. Zhu Tingyue asked the question that had been bothering her: "What's wrong? Why did you lock the door?"

Shen Yanqiu murmured, her voice thick with nasal tone, "I'm sleepy, I'll take a nap."

Zhu Tingyue sensed something was off about his tone and immediately became anxious: "Are you feeling unwell? I'll have someone come and check on you."

"No need, I'll be fine after a rest. I'm hanging up!"

Shen Yanqiu didn't give her a chance to speak and hung up the phone directly.

Zhu Tingyue's anxiety was amplified. Shen Yanqiu had never acted like this before. Was he bothered by their identities?

The door wouldn't open, so she asked the housekeeper to find a spare key. Soon, Zhu Tingyue appeared in front of Shen Yanqiu.

He lay quietly on the bed, looking listless and sickly, as if shrouded in an invisible fatigue.

Even as Zhu Tingyue approached, he merely glanced at her with his dull, lifeless eyes, his gaze devoid of any emotion, not even a hint of joy or surprise.

Then, as if he had used up all his strength, he slowly turned his head away, leaving Zhu Tingyue with a lonely and desolate back view.

Zhu Tingyue assumed he was still bothered by what happened that morning, so she stepped forward and asked him softly, "Are you feeling unwell? Shall I have someone come and take a look?"

Shen Yanqiu was still the same, her tone even weaker than on the phone earlier: "It's nothing, I'm sleepy!"

He's been saying so little, something must be wrong!

Zhu Tingyue's anxiety intensified, evident in her eyes and brows, and she spoke faster: "Let's solve this together. Don't keep it bottled up inside. You know, if you're not feeling well, I'll feel bad too. Do you really want to see me like this?"

She was exaggerating, and Shen Yanqiu wasn't oblivious to it, but she was still willing to listen to her say that she cared about her.

His heart softened, and he took Zhu Tingyue's hand. His clear, cool eyes were filled with tenderness as he explained in a low voice, "How could I bear to? Don't worry, I'm just feeling unwell, I wasn't thinking about anything else."

Zhu Tingyue ran out after hearing what he said, but returned a short while later.

She knelt down beside Shen Yanqiu's bed again, looking at him with eager eyes, and earnestly instructed him, as if worried, "Shen Yanqiu, no matter what happens, you must tell me. Don't you dare hide anything from me! Do you understand?"

Shen Yanqiu forced a smile, feigning anger: "Why? Have you been hiding anything from me? It's too unfair to only make me do this!"

Zhu Tingyue flicked his nose and said matter-of-factly, "Of course I haven't hidden anything from you! Don't worry, I, Zhu Tingyue, am the fairest person in everything I do. Persuading people with reason is my principle, so you don't need to have this concern."

Shen Yanqiu didn't believe him. He pursed his lips, cast a doubtful glance at Zhu Tingyue, snorted softly, and then fell silent.

"Hey, what do you mean? You don't believe me?" Zhu Tingyue pressed.

Shen Yanqiu didn't believe it, he really didn't believe it, but he couldn't say it, especially not mention a certain name that made him feel like he had a fishbone stuck in his throat. If he did, wouldn't he seem petty?

Therefore, he simply did not respond to Zhu Tingyue's question.

If Zhu Tingyue were more self-aware, she should honestly explain things to herself.

Unfortunately, Zhu Tingyue couldn't get what he wanted, and kept saying that they should be honest and not deceive each other.

Shen Yanqiu felt colder and colder as she listened. Zhu Tingyue had no idea what she was bothered by; not a single word of her long speech was something she wanted to hear.