Chapter 45.1

After an intense round of passion, Song Wei was left drenched and completely drained, slumping against him on the study desk.

Her upper body was still fully clothed, making her look as though she’d just engaged in a secret affair.

Once they had calmed down, Chen Jubai pulled away, kicked aside his pants, and scooped her up, carrying her to the bedroom.

Song Wei assumed they were heading for a shower, but instead, he placed her on the bed. She looked at him with reddened eyes. “Again?”

Despite their busy schedules, the few times they had been together, he had grown increasingly skilled. While she felt exhausted, the experience had only gotten better each time.

She’d begun to find both physical and emotional satisfaction, awakening needs she hadn’t realized she had suppressed.

Chen Jubai was well aware of this, but instead of responding to her question, he answered with action.

In the sanctuary of their bedroom, intimacy blossomed once more.

Amid the lingering sensations of light and sound, Song Wei found herself lost in the moment. Her thoughts briefly surfaced: she couldn’t bring herself to divorce him. She loved him too much.

……

The next morning, Song Wei woke up staring blankly at the ceiling. She wasn’t exactly tired, but she felt utterly sapped of energy.

The man beside her was nowhere to be seen, and the bathroom was silent. She called out, “Chen Jubai?”

After a couple of tries, the bedroom door opened. “Awake? Come wash up and have breakfast.”

Looking at him standing at the door, she pouted. “…What if I can’t get up?”

Chen Jubai chuckled, his tone indulgent. “I’ll call HR and get you a day off.”

Song Wei rolled her eyes at him. “First day as the boss’s wife, and you’re already abusing your power?”

He knew her too well and merely laughed at the jest. Walking over, he scooped her out of bed. “Should I help you brush your teeth and wash your face?”

“Can you?”

“Sure.”

“And do my makeup too.”

Chen Jubai frowned slightly. “That, I can’t do.”

She let out a small huff. “Then what good are you?”

Testing her strength, Song Wei managed to move. She wasn’t completely out of strength and got up to freshen up. He followed her to the bathroom, seemingly out of habit.

“About last night…”

She stifled a laugh. “Any areas for improvement?”

“Yes.”

Honestly, there wasn’t much to improve—he was exceptionally talented. She was completely satisfied, but she couldn’t let him get too smug. Feigning dissatisfaction, she said, “Too fast. The first time took forty minutes, but last night in the study, it was only thirty.”

Her face flushed as soon as the words left her mouth, mortified that she’d actually said something so shameless.

Chen Jubai seemed to take her seriously, nodding. “Got it.”

Seeing his serious expression, Song Wei regretted it immediately. Of all things to complain about, why mention speed?

“And?”

Song Wei dared not continue. “Nothing else.”

“How about the study? Was it comfortable?”

“…….”

“If not, we can try somewhere else next time—the living room, the bathroom, the balcony, the kitchen, or maybe the car? The office?”

“…….”

The study only had a desk and a chair, neither of which was particularly comfortable. He had initially meant to sincerely ask her how she felt about being in the study. However, seeing her little ears turn increasingly red, Chen Jubai’s smile deepened.

“The living room, the bathroom, the balcony, the kitchen, or maybe the car? The office?”

“Shut up!” Song Wei was on the verge of losing it.

……

After breakfast, they left for work together. Since her new car was still with Yang Yingqiu, she rode in his car this time. They didn’t bother splitting up upon arrival.

When the elevator reached the ground floor, the doors opened to reveal five or six colleagues standing outside, all of whom fell silent upon seeing the pair inside. The atmosphere was uncomfortably tense.

Finally, a somewhat familiar colleague broke the silence. “Good morning, President Chen. Good morning, Manager Song.”

Chen Jubai responded, “Morning.”

Song Wei smiled politely and took a step back to make room for others.

The tension in the elevator persisted; no one dared speak or even move much. Song Wei herself felt suffocated. As soon as they reached the seventh floor, she hurriedly exited.

But what awaited her was no better—a group of colleagues, including Ji Yao, Yao Miaoxuan, and a few others, crowded the break room where someone was making coffee.

Ji Yao was indignant. “Sister Wei! How could you keep such a huge secret from us?”

Song Wei felt cornered. “…”

Someone playfully tugged at her sleeve. “You’re pretty bold, daring to talk to Sister Wei like that. Aren’t you afraid of losing your job?”

Song Wei knew they were joking and gave them a playful glare.

Ji Yao’s expression was mock-serious but fueled by curiosity. “Sister Wei, is it true? Are you really married to President Chen? When did that happen?”

Since she had left the office group chat after the recent gossip storm, Song Wei wasn’t sure how far the rumors had spread. She decided to address it head-on. “During the Lunar New Year.”

“That early?”

Yao Miaoxuan chimed in, “So did you meet President Chen after joining the company?”

“No, we knew each other before I started working here.” She hesitated for a moment, then decided to blur the timeline slightly. “We were high school classmates.”

The phrase “high school classmates” elicited a chorus of exclamations.

Ji Yao pouted. “I knew it!” Some of the office gossip had been unkind, though Ji Yao refrained from repeating it. However, she pressed for more details, eager to set the record straight. “Was it at Nan’an High School?”

“Yes.”

“And were you two in the same grade?”

“No, he’s two years older than me.”

Yao Miaoxuan asked eagerly, “So, was he the one who pursued you?”

“…You could say that.”

Another round of gasps and teasing ensued.

After finally handling the wave of gossiping juniors, Song Wei retreated to her office and messaged Chen Jubai to coordinate their narrative.

He replied instantly: [Got it.]

This swift response struck her as odd. At this time on a Monday, he should be preparing for the weekly meeting. Was he really this free? How did he have time to check his phone so quickly?

She chalked it up to coincidence.

Shortly after, Yao Miaoxuan entered to report on her progress.

Lately, She had been working on wrapping up the eyewear project previously led by Li Cheng and was showing noticeable improvement.

After discussing work, Song Wei suddenly had a thought and beckoned Yao Miaoxuan closer. “Miaoxuan, can you smell anything on me?”

Yao Miaoxuan leaned in to sniff but shook her head. “Nope, nothing at all.”

“Really?”

“Really.” Yao’s enthusiasm remained undeterred. “Sister Wei, I think you’d really suit a particular perfume. Want me to recommend one?”

Song Wei smiled. “No thanks, I don’t use perfume.”

“Okay, then.”

At 10 a.m., Song Wei paused her work and grabbed her notebook to head to a meeting.

As expected, every person she encountered stared at her with barely concealed curiosity, making her face ache from forced smiles.

When she stepped out of the elevator, she ran into Shan Kaicheng, and they walked together.

He joked, “Does this mean I can openly call you ‘Madam Boss’ now?”

Song Wei’s face fell. “Senior, even you’re teasing me? How am I supposed to survive here?”

“It’s no big deal. People will forget about it in a few days.”

“True.” She nodded, comforted by the thought that the buzz would die down soon enough.

After taking her seat, she asked, “Senior, do I smell like anything to you?”

Shan Kaicheng maintained a polite distance and took a light sniff. “Nope, nothing.”

Having received consistent answers from two people, Song Wei was now convinced—Chen Jubai’s sense of smell was inhuman. Even a dog’s nose didn’t compare.

Still, curiosity lingered. Before the meeting began, she searched online: [Why can some people smell scents on others that they can’t detect themselves?]

The top result explained that people often can’t detect their own scent due to olfactory adaptation—essentially, their nose has become desensitized to the smell, while others’ noses remain sensitive.

That wasn’t the answer she was looking for, so she kept scrolling until she found something intriguing: [The ability to detect a partner’s unique scent is a sign of destined compatibility.]

Startled, she clicked the link.

The article explained that the human body emits 1,840 types of chemical compounds, which mix to create an individual’s unique scent—commonly referred to as body odor or pheromones. A specific subset, known as the “fourth type of scent,” influences attraction and mate selection.

Human olfactory sensitivity is also linked to HLA (human leukocyte antigen) preferences, which predispose individuals to certain scents as part of “genetic selection.”

Song Wei stared blankly at the screen for a moment.

Genetic selection…

She took a while to process this information before reading on. The article clarified that while pheromonal attraction could indicate a natural connection, actual mate selection typically involved rational judgment.

As senior staff began entering the meeting room, Song Wei closed the webpage and let her gaze drift to one person in particular.

That morning, for reasons unknown, Chen Jubai had insisted she help him tie his tie. She had chosen a dark red checkered tie to match his suit.

Not skilled in tying ties, she had fumbled through the process as he patiently guided her, turning a one-minute task into a ten-minute ordeal. When it was finally done, he stole a two-minute kiss, nearly making them late.