◎ It’s not my fault that we don’t understand each other well enough. ◎

Tao Xiaoxi said to Jiang Youlin, [I don’t know if it’s just my illusion, but I feel like Chen Fang’s gaze has been different these past few days.]

Jiang Youlin replied, [Of course it’s different. Think about it. A wolf who went seven times in one night, just had a meal, and now has to hold back for seven days. I bet he’s constantly thinking about what he’s going to do to you once your period is over.]

…

Tao Xiaoxi regretted telling Jiang Youlin that. The idea of the seven times a night came from somewhere, and she probably got it from spending too much time online. She realized it wasn’t healthy to spend too much time on the internet. It’s better to work hard than to put yourself in awkward situations.

Tao Xiaoxi asked Jiang Youlin, [You haven’t told anyone about… that thing, have you?]

Tao Xiaoxi was worried that the weird look Chen Fang gave her might be related to this. Jiang Youlin had been bringing it up a lot lately, and she was afraid if she got too excited and mentioned it to others, it would eventually reach Chen Fang’s ears. Then, she’d really be in trouble.

Jiang Youlin, feeling guilty, pretended to be clueless,  [What thing?]

[A wolf who went seven times in one night.]

[No, not at all.] Jiang Youlin denied immediately, [That’s our secret. How could I let anyone eye your man?]

Tao Xiaoxi responded with an ellipsis.

The real estate agent knocked on the window, and Tao Xiaoxi waved at him, putting away her phone as she stepped out of the KFC. She was meeting the property owner to see if they could negotiate a lower price. If everything went well, she would sign the contract.

Tao Xiaoxi planned to open a nail salon at the new store. However, Meng Qing didn’t agree. She insisted Tao Xiaoxi should either work as a civil servant or become a teacher. Girls needed stable jobs, not businesses that were tiring and unstable.

Tao Xiaoxi didn’t want to take the civil servant exam. Her personality didn’t suit that kind of work, and she couldn’t be a teacher either. Her values weren’t fully aligned, and she wasn’t in the right position to educate kids.

Instead, she was working on an outsourced project for a senior’s company. Though it didn’t pay as much as her previous job, it was enough to live in the small county. The schedule was flexible, and she had more time for things she wanted to do.

Tao Xiaoxi thought today would go smoothly since she had already discussed the terms with the agent, who mentioned the price could be negotiated if she was serious about buying.

The property owner was a woman in her forties. After a brief chat, she changed her tune when she saw that Tao Xiaoxi was alone. She noticed that Tao Xiaoxi seemed soft-spoken and genuinely interested, so she adjusted her approach. Instead of lowering the price, she claimed the location was great and there were other buyers interested. The price might even go up.

The store was indeed spacious, but its location was far from ideal. It was nearing the end of the street, which wasn’t even the main road, and there weren’t many residential buildings nearby.

With limited money in hand, she had to carefully weigh her options. After considering a few places, she ultimately decided on this one. The location was a bit off, but the view was lovely with a lake just outside the window. It was peaceful, away from the hustle and bustle of the city, and there were plenty of parking spaces. To the left was a yoga studio, and to the right, a dance studio—places commonly frequented by women. She planned to focus on the interior design; sometimes, a store’s style was even more important than its location.

Today, she was determined to seal the deal with the landlady.

Tao Xiaoxi wasn’t angry with the landlady’s sudden change of terms. She smiled and spoke softly, “Oh, I see, but my budget is really tight. I can’t stretch any further. How about this, Big Sister, let me call my husband and ask what he thinks.”

Just as she spoke, Chen Fang arrived at the door. He hadn’t known she was coming to see the store; he only found out when he returned home and overheard the old lady talking about it. She was brave, coming alone to sign the contract, but at least she had made sure to let the old lady know where she was going.

She hadn’t taken the card from the drawer. Though they were married, it seemed like she hadn’t fully integrated him into her life yet. Even if she ran into a difficult situation, she probably wouldn’t think of calling him for help.

So when he heard her say “husband,” he nearly stumbled. He quickly regained his balance and adjusted his clothes before continuing inside, just about to say that there was no need for a phone call—her husband had arrived.

Tao Xiaoxi, with her back to him, had already begun speaking on the phone. “Husband~ the landlady said the price can’t be lowered and might even go up. What should we do?”

Her soft, delicate voice melted anyone who heard it.

The person on the other end of the line must have said something.

Tao Xiaoxi responded, “Ah~ so we’re not buying it? But I think this place is quite nice. It’s quiet, at the end of the street, hardly any traffic or people passing by, and no residential buildings nearby. It’s peaceful during midday when I can take a nap without being disturbed.”

The landlady thought to herself: Why is she being so blunt?

The agent thought: So you’re buying a store just to take naps during the day?

Chen Fang: …

He really wanted to know who her “husband” was on the other end of the phone.

Tao Xiaoxi continued, “Why are you being so harsh? Can’t we talk things through? If you don’t want to buy it, then we won’t. I’m not forcing it. You’re the one handling the money, so you can decide. Alright, I won’t hang around outside anymore. I’ll head home to cook for you.”

After hanging up, Tao Xiaoxi had a hint of redness at the corners of her eyes. She looked at the landlady and the agent with a bit of disappointment. “My husband said the original price was already high, and if it goes up, it’s just ripping us off. He doesn’t want me to buy it. He’s the head of the household and manages the finances, so I have to listen to him. I’m sorry, Big Sister, but if you can get a better price from others, I’ll let it go. My husband didn’t even want me to start a business in the first place, and with the price going up, he’s even more against it. I need to go home and cook. If I’m late, he’ll scold me.”

Chen Fang: …

The landlady, seeing her packing up to leave, quickly signaled the agent. The agent, who was hoping to close a deal and make his quota, couldn’t let her leave.

“Hey, don’t be in such a rush! We can still negotiate. Several other people have asked about the place, but the landlady thinks you have the right feel. In this kind of deal, the price is important, but so is fate, right, Big Sister?” The agent gave the landlady a look, urging her to speak up before Tao Xiaoxi walked away.

The landlady softened and continued, “Of course. I like girls like you, Tao Xiaoxi, soft and delicate. Let me tell you something, even if we’re soft by nature, we can’t always listen to our husbands. Women need to earn their own money and stand tall. We can always negotiate the price. We women should help each other…”

Before she could finish, she noticed Chen Fang standing at the door and asked, “Who are you looking for?”

At that critical moment, Tao Xiaoxi was just about to hear the price being negotiated, but the conversation was interrupted. She turned around to see who had interrupted.

Then…

When did he arrive? Tao Xiaoxi wondered. Did he hear my phone call?

Chen Fang stepped in, raised his chin, and nodded at Tao Xiaoxi. “I’m looking for her.”

He was tall, dressed in black, with a somewhat unreadable expression on his face. Anyone could tell he wasn’t someone to mess with.

The landlady asked, “Tao Xiaoxi, who is this?”

Tao Xiaoxi felt the phone in her hand was suddenly too hot. Stumbling over her words, she said, “This is my brother.”

…

The landlady looked at them curiously. “You don’t look alike. Is he your real brother?”

Uh…

Tao Xiaoxi quickly responded, “I take after my mom, and he takes after my dad.”

Chen Fang: …

It was the first time in history that a wife had become her husband’s sister.

With Chen Fang’s presence and Tao Xiaoxi’s earlier performance, the final price was even lower than what Tao Xiaoxi had expected. The deposit was paid, the contract was signed, and everything went smoothly.

Tao Xiaoxi felt accomplished and decided to go to the supermarket to buy something nice to celebrate with a big meal that evening.

“You go ahead with your work.I’m going to the supermarket. she said, ready to say goodbye.

Chen Fang looked at her outfit. If he was not mistaken, the gray pants and black down jacket should be the old lady’s old clothes from a long time ago.

Tao Xiaoxi noticed his gaze and awkwardly scratched her nose. “When it comes to money talk, clothing is important.”

She was full of small worries. He had feared she might be at a disadvantage, so he rushed over after canceling his afternoon plans. But it turned out, she handled it well on her own and even managed to lead the others into a trap.

“I’m done with my stuff, let’s go. I’ll go with you to the supermarket. The car is parked over there,” Chen Fang led the way.

“That’s great! We can buy more then. Is there anything you want to eat tonight?” Tao Xiaoxi followed behind him. “How about I make lamb rib? I make it really well, and we can also have some hot pot. It’ll be perfect for this weather.”

Chen Fang glanced at her.

Tao Xiaoxi didn’t understand his look. “What’s wrong? Don’t you like lamb?”

When it came to lamb or seafood, Chen Fang’s mind would involuntarily cringe.

“Did your aunt leave?”

Uh…

Tao Xiaoxi didn’t quite get it. She couldn’t see the connection between her aunt leaving and eating lamb rib. As a diligent student, she had also forgotten the notes she had made with great care.

“Not yet…” Tao Xiaoxi instinctively lied. In fact, her aunt had already left earlier that day.

“Then we won’t eat lamb rib. Let’s have pork rib and hotpot instead.”

…

The supermarket was bustling with activity. With the New Year approaching, decorations were everywhere, creating a festive atmosphere. Tao Xiaoxi felt a bit warm, so she took off her coat and held it in her hand.

“Give it to me.” Chen Fang was pushing the cart beside her and gestured for her to give him the coat.

Tao Xiaoxi came to her senses. “Oh, okay.” She handed it to him, saying “thank you” out of habit.

Chen Fang placed the coat on the cart, then continued pushing it forward. “No need to thank me. As your brother, it’s only natural for me to help you. No need to say thank you.”

…

She thought that since he hadn’t mentioned it when he came out of the store earlier, the matter would be forgotten. To her surprise, he was waiting for her here.

Chen Fang said, “I, as your brother, didn’t even know you got married. You should bring your husband over to meet me. From what I heard on the phone, he sounds a bit fierce.”

So, he had overheard her phone call?

Tao Xiaoxi helplessly explained, “I just pretended to dial a number, just acting. I just called… my husband… and you stood by the door. If I introduced you as my husband, that would’ve exposed the lie, so I had to make you act as my brother for a moment.”

Tao Xiaoxi had an odd trait. She was more open around strangers than people she knew. She probably felt that since they didn’t know her and wouldn’t meet her again, what they thought didn’t matter.

In front of the landlady and the agent, she had let out her full nature, acting spoiled and calling her husband, completely carefree, with no burden or pressure. If she had known he was standing at the door, she would never have acted like that.

Chen Fang replied seriously, “You can call me. Why hold back if you have a real husband? I can act with you. That way, you’ll get into character more quickly.”

Tao Xiaoxi’s neck and face turned red.

Chen Fang lowered his gaze to her and suddenly remembered their wedding night. At that time, she had also blushed like this, making her look even more captivating.

Men often had this bad habit. The more someone blushed, the more they liked to tease. Mixed words would come out naturally. He traced a finger along her neck, which was turning slightly pink, and leaned in to whisper in her ear, “Seems like I don’t know my wife well enough. I didn’t realize I married an actress.”

Tao Xiaoxi felt that his tone and gaze held some implied meaning, but she didn’t have evidence. She struggled to keep the heat from rising in her face, but the more she tried to suppress it, the hotter her face became. Eventually, she couldn’t hold back anymore.

She grabbed a box of strawberries and placed it in the shopping cart, imitating his leisurely tone. “It’s not my fault we don’t know each other well.” She glanced up at him and responded with her own implied meaning. “At most, just a minute. How deep can it go?”

Chen Fang stopped in his tracks, looking utterly stunned.