Chapter 18 Sending Her to Work

“Yes, I’m going to work today,” Lin Qiyue said, glancing at the watch on her wrist—one that Lan Yuchu had bought for her. Her gaze toward him had changed a little.

“Alright then. I’ll take you to work today. You can eat breakfast on the way, and I’ll come pick you up this evening,” Lan Yuchu replied, handing her the breakfast and pulling out the bicycle from the courtyard.

It was the bike they had bought when they got married, though the original Lin Qiyue had never used it. The factory wasn’t far—only a 20-minute walk—so she used to go with a colleague from the factory, who happened to be Bai Lanbo’s wife.

Back when Shen Qingmiao was scheming against Lin Qiyue, she had chosen Bai Lanbo as her pawn. His father was the Political Commissar of the army in Pingcheng, and his mother was the Chief Physician at the People’s Hospital. Bai Lanbo and his wife Liu Yuran were classmates in school. After graduating, they were both assigned to work at the factory—he as a secretary in the admin office and she in the finance department. Both had decent jobs and a good relationship.

“No need, I already arranged to go with Sister-in-law Liu,” Lin Qiyue declined.

Lan Yuchu responded, “She came looking for you earlier. I told her I’d be taking you to work for the next few days, so she left with her husband.”

Since he had already said that, Lin Qiyue couldn’t really argue. Besides, walking twenty minutes every day was exhausting—riding a bike was definitely better.

Lan Yuchu got on the bike first and looked back at Lin Qiyue, motioning for her to hop on. The seat was high enough that she almost couldn’t reach it with her rear. Lan Yuchu seemed to notice and subtly adjusted his posture.

After she got on, he said, “Ready? Hold on to my waist—you can eat your breakfast with one hand that way.” He looked back at her as he spoke.

Lin Qiyue didn’t try to act coy. Since he said so, she did as she was told. Hugging his waist, even through the clothes, she could feel his solid abs beneath. She’d always dreamed of touching them, but she didn’t have the guts.

Lan Yuchu smiled slightly. This woman got bold when she was asleep, but during the day, she was like a little bunny.

He rode the bike very steadily. Lin Qiyue quickly finished the steamed buns, but the large, greasy fried pancake was just too much for her.

Suddenly remembering the events from yesterday, she asked curiously, “Um… what happened to Shen Qingmiao?”

Lan Yuchu’s expression changed as he thought of that woman who had schemed against his wife. He felt a surge of disgust and anger.

“Her family was called to the police station yesterday. It’s been dealt with. But she got so frightened that she miscarried. She couldn’t handle the interrogation and tried to commit suicide in the hospital when no one was looking. She was saved in time, but the psychological shock was too much—she’s now been committed to a mental hospital for treatment.”

Lin Qiyue asked worriedly, “What about big brother?”

“They got divorced yesterday afternoon. She’s suspected of marriage fraud and kidnapping. Because of her mental breakdown, she was sent to the psychiatric hospital. As for He Weiguo, his case is more complicated. He forced several girls at the spinning factory to sleep with him. He’s also suspected in a death. The final charges depend on the investigation outcome. Big brother has been temporarily reassigned to another area for work and won’t be back anytime soon.”

Lan Chuhe had been transferred out of town to avoid the scandal. Though he was technically a victim, the situation still implicated him. It was better to stay out of the spotlight.

If he hadn’t split up with Liu Yuanzhu yesterday and gone to speak with the women around He Weiguo to get more information, things could’ve turned out terribly. He Weiguo had used his brother-in-law’s influence to do a lot of illegal things. His own wife had been beaten to death by him, though it was claimed she died of illness.

He never expected that He Weiguo and Shen Qingmiao had planned together to harm Lin Qiyue. Thankfully, he had shown up in time. Thankfully, his suspicions had changed everything.

Ten minutes later, they arrived at the factory entrance.

Lan Yuchu reminded her seriously, “I’ll definitely come pick you up tonight. Don’t leave the factory on your own—got it?”

“Got it. I’ll wait for you,” Lin Qiyue replied helplessly. Clearly, he was worried for her safety, and she couldn’t turn down his kindness.

Satisfied with her answer, Lan Yuchu finally left.

Lin Qiyue didn’t even need to ask—she knew the Lan family must’ve sent the child away overnight and immediately filed for divorce. This time, they had completely rid themselves of Shen Qingmiao’s schemes.

As she walked into the factory, Lin Qiyue thought: once things settle down, she’d bring up divorce with Lan Yuchu again. Now that everything had been exposed, his parents would probably agree.

The moment she walked into the office, Liu Yuran teased her, “Wow~ you’re glowing today. Lan Yuchu’s back, huh? He’s really treating you well—buying you new clothes and sending you to work?”

She even pinched Lin Qiyue’s chin. “You even dared to go head-to-head with Liu Zhaodi—you’re amazing!”

Liu Yuran was Lin Qiyue’s only real friend here. They always went to and from work and ate together.

“He is treating me well,” Lin Qiyue admitted. She didn’t deny it—it was the truth.

Still, in her heart, she believed Lan Yuchu was only doing it out of a sense of duty as a husband.

She set her bag down at her workstation and looked around. Back then, everything was handwritten—reports were filled out using fountain pens or pencils. Her desk was piled high with papers.

Liu Yuran leaned over onto her desk and whispered, “Listen, now that Lan Yuchu is back, you better make the most of it. He’s a soldier, which means you’ll be apart a lot. You’ve got to work hard to keep him, okay?”

“Work hard at what?” Lin Qiyue looked at her in confusion.

Liu Yuran glanced at Lin Qiyue’s belly with a knowing look.

“Oh, come on! What else could I mean? Your man’s a soldier—he definitely has more stamina than the average guy. If you try a little harder, who knows, maybe you’ll end up pregnant,” she teased.

Just then, an older woman with glasses and a vintage white teacup chimed in, unable to resist the banter. “You’re still a young girl—it’s normal to be shy! But men like that are full of energy and can’t stand being teased too much. All it takes is one soft little moan from you, and boom—it’s done!”

Lin Qiyue immediately blushed. How could they say such things?! This older woman was so bold. Even Liu Yuran had to cover her mouth, giggling shyly.

Lin Qiyue’s face was as red as the sun. She couldn’t help but recall Lan Yuchu’s firm abs, and her heart started pounding faster.

“There’s really no need to rush like that,” she mumbled shyly.

The older woman glanced between the two younger girls, then teased again, “Your man only gets half a month, maybe a month of leave. If you’re not in a hurry, your mother-in-law surely is. And your man? He must be dying for it! He barely sees you once a year while he’s stationed out there. If you don’t give him some ‘meat,’ he might explode from frustration! Do it while you’re young—once you’re older, it won’t last!”

“Young girls just don’t know how to enjoy themselves. We’ve been through it,” she added knowingly.

Lin Qiyue was so embarrassed she wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear. Her face buried in her hands, lips pursed tight, she couldn’t even lift her head.

“Ha ha~” Liu Yuran laughed awkwardly. Though she was married and lived with her husband every day, she still found the old lady’s words embarrassing—but also kind of true.

That woman was Sister Jin, an old administrative worker in charge of the factory cafeteria and logistics. She said these things half-jokingly but mostly out of concern for the younger generation.

Afterward, Lin Qiyue went to Liu Yuran to collect her salary for the previous month. There wasn’t much work that day, so it was finished quickly. By 5:30 p.m., she didn’t need to stay late.

She waited at the factory gate. Lan Yuchu had promised to pick her up. Just two minutes later, he appeared.

“You’re here?” Lin Qiyue couldn’t help smiling when she saw him.

Lan Yuchu nodded. “Get on, let’s go home.”

“Xiaoyue, is this your husband?” Sister Jin from earlier came out from work too. She looked Lan Yuchu up and down and asked.

Lin Qiyue’s face turned even redder as she nodded. “Sister Jin, this is my husband, Lan Yuchu.”

“What a handsome young man! You’ve got good fortune!” she exclaimed.

Lin Qiyue smiled awkwardly at the last comment. Lan Yuchu, not knowing what they’d been talking about earlier, quickly greeted her, “Hello, Sister Jin.”

“Hello, young man. We’ll chat next time—I’ve got to go home and cook for the kids. You two be careful on your way home!” Sister Jin said warmly, giving Lin Qiyue a meaningful look before leaving, which only made Lin Qiyue even more embarrassed.

“Bye, Sister Jin,” Lin Qiyue waved, still blushing.

After watching her leave, Lin Qiyue got on the bike. On the way home, she asked, “Are Mom and Dad eating at home tonight?”

“They’re busy today, not eating at home,” Lan Yuchu replied.

Lin Qiyue wrapped her arms around his waist and happily suggested, “Then how about we take Yusui out for dinner? I’m not good at cooking anyway. I got my paycheck today—my treat, okay?”

Lan Yuchu could feel her happiness. With a gentle smile, he said, “Maybe next time. I already made soup before I came. Yusui is cooking rice. When we get home, I’ll stir-fry two dishes, and we’re good.”

“Alright then,” Lin Qiyue said, a little disappointed. Then she asked, “Where’s Yangyang now?”

After all, the child was innocent. But keeping him at home didn’t seem appropriate anymore.

Staring ahead at the road, Lan Yuchu said, “He Weiguo’s older sister came to take him today. She never had children and adopted him.”

Lin Qiyue let out a quiet “mm,” and then didn’t say anything more.