As a researcher who (believes herself to be) deeply dedicated to the scientific field, Shang Xinglu has devoted her whole life to studying and research (while occasionally slacking off), leaving no time for romantic entanglements.

Of course, in this colorful world with so many temptations, to say she has absolutely no time would be a lie. However, she believes that her ability to maintain such high standards is due to her exceptional sense of integrity.

But when it comes to someone as good-looking and well-built as Lin Heng…

Shang Xinglu can’t help but tilt her head innocently.

What is integrity?

Can it be eaten?

She quickly casts it aside.

After discarding her integrity, she feels justified.

Although she’s not the typical “Mrs. Lin,” it’s like an automatic computer system upgrade—the system may have changed, but the computer is still the same. Who can say this computer isn’t the same as the old one?

And who can say that she, Shang Xinglu, is no longer the same Shang Xinglu?

She is simply too wise!

Shang Xinglu mentally prepared herself, coloring herself as she went along, slowly turning into a little yellow minion seduced by Lin Heng’s pajama-clad beauty.

She tried to maintain a calm expression, feeling a mix of anxiety and excitement, with a touch of nervousness as she lifted a corner of the thin blanket…

Lin Heng spoke.

His voice was as calm and indifferent as ever.

Lin Heng said, “Tell me, what do you think about the Yunshi financing issue?”

Yunshi is actually the name of Shang Xinglu’s company.

But the former Miss Shang, now Mrs. Lin, as an already introduced character, the author couldn’t even be bothered to give her a name, let alone the company.

So even though Shang Xinglu has read many humorous original works, she was still confused at this moment.

What to think?

Sir, I’m not Yuan Fang!

Her hand, which had been lifting the blanket, froze.

Could this be…?

Yes, exactly that…

Lin Heng is so outstanding that if she didn’t answer correctly, she wouldn’t be allowed to sleep with him, for fear of creating a silly baby, right?

Shang Xinglu quickly dismissed this thought.

…This is too ridiculous.

In the few seconds she was stunned, she noticed that Lin Heng was staring at her.

Even though there were glasses between them, his gaze still carried a hint of inquiry.

Shang Xinglu instantly became nervous.

It seems like she should know the answer.

But the truth is, she didn’t know.

As a person who believes in knowing what she knows and admitting what she doesn’t know, Shang Xinglu honestly shook her head.

“I have no opinion.”

Lin Heng raised an eyebrow.

In this dim orange light, probably due to his strikingly good looks, his calm expression seemed to carry an unspoken seductive quality.

“Really?”

Shang Xinglu nodded vigorously.

Who would have known that Lin Heng’s expression suddenly became serious again, as if dissatisfied with her response.

He said, “Since we’re married, I’ll help you if I can, but I prefer honest people. If you have any thoughts, just tell me.”

Now, Shang Xinglu was even more confused.

What thoughts should she have?

At this moment, Lin Heng seemed just like a superior asking her for a talk at work, filled with complex thoughts but refusing to say anything!

…Tsk, tsk, tsk.

A man’s mind is like a needle in the sea.

Though Shang Xinglu didn’t know what he was referring to, she did hear the word “financing.”

Lin Heng is so wealthy. For her, this “financing” must be a mind-boggling number.

She couldn’t just say anything.

Shang Xinglu firmly said, “I really don’t have any thoughts.”

Lin Heng: …

Shang Xinglu emphasized, “Really, and I… I don’t really understand these things…”

Her attitude was sincere, almost like she had “honestly trustworthy” written on her face.

Upon hearing this, Lin Heng: …

In other words, he thought Yunshi was in turmoil, so Shang Xinglu would surely ask for something as she always had in the past. But not only did she not ask, she didn’t even think about it…

Lin Heng thought about her increasingly extravagant behavior recently.

Okay, he had overestimated her.

Lin Heng sighed.

Shang Xinglu stood at the edge of the bed, feeling like a giant fool who couldn’t even answer 1+1…

It was such a disgrace.

But then she thought, even the Goldbach Conjecture still can’t confirm if 1+1 equals 2, so as a small figure in the academic world, what’s there to be ashamed about?

Not ashamed, hmph, Lin Heng, that foolish financial worker!

Shang Xinglu pulled the blanket back again, completely forgetting everything, just wanting to sleep peacefully.

Who would have known that Lin Heng spoke up at the perfect moment, and this time Shang Xinglu even suspected it was intentional.

Lin Heng asked indifferently, “What exactly were you trying to do just now?”

Shang Xinglu had done a lot of things since she entered the story, but (according to her) there was not a single thing she felt guilty about!

Not ashamed, this financial dog.

Even though she had already guessed that Lin Heng was asking about the time she forced her brother’s girlfriend onto him, she firmly said, “I wasn’t trying to do anything.”

Lin Heng looked at her coldly.

Shang Xinglu’s heart didn’t even skip a beat.

“I’m innocent!”

Lin always sighed again.

He removed his glasses, rubbed his temples, and said, “Go to sleep.”

Shang Xinglu quickly responded, “Yes!”

She dove under the covers instantly.

The bedroom lights gradually dimmed automatically. It was then that she realized something felt off.

Wait… That “go to sleep” from Lin Heng just now—why did it sound so much like “meeting adjourned”?

Her mind went blank.

Any stray thoughts evaporated entirely.

Shang Xinglu now only wanted to obediently occupy the farthest corner of the bed, maybe kiss her plush Marilyn pillow for comfort, and wish for a peaceful night till dawn.

…God knew that she had actually entertained the idea of sleeping with Lin Heng earlier.

How naïve! Lin Heng, that unattainable high mountain flower—was someone like her even remotely capable of “conquering” him?!

Gripping the edge of the blanket, Shang Xinglu stared at the ceiling, frozen in place.

Lin Heng was a very still sleeper.

She couldn’t even feel him move.

Before long, her wide-open eyes started to feel strained.

Staying awake in the dark proved harder than expected.

Her eyelids fluttered—open, closed—and before she knew it, they were battling each other.

“Are you asleep?”

Suddenly, Lin Heng’s voice cut through the silence.

Startled, Shang Xinglu felt like she was about to jump out of her skin.

But a sliver of rationality kept her in check.

She didn’t actually leap up.

Instead, she promptly and energetically declared, “Reporting in! I’m asleep!”

Lin Heng: …

Silence.

A suffocating, awkward silence.

Then, a sigh of helplessness from Lin Heng.

In the darkness, Lin Heng asked, “What’s been up with you these past two days?”

Shang Xinglu didn’t know whether to say it was her excitement over “grasping her destiny” or her joy over becoming rich overnight.

“Never mind,” Lin Heng said again. “There’s a banquet in a couple of days. You’ll attend with me.”

They say the relationship between husband and wife is like being in the same boat.

Shang Xinglu gauged their relationship. It felt more like that of a boss and employee.

“Alright,” she replied.

Lin Heng paused briefly. “It won’t be particularly interesting. Just giving you a heads-up. But if you’d like to invite anyone, feel free. Consider it for your sake.”

Shang Xinglu’s eyes darted mischievously.

She beamed. “Alright!”

Her joy was so obvious that even Lin Heng could hear it. He pursed his lips. She was surprisingly easy to please.

He turned slightly toward her in the dark, as if wanting to say something. But the words stopped at his lips before he swallowed them back.

“Sleep,” he said.

That word was like the chime of Westminster bells—gentle and resonant.

Shang Xinglu, half-asleep, drifted off, enjoying a deep and peaceful rest. The next morning, when she woke up, the space beside her was already empty.

Of course, considering the bed was enormous and she had been sleeping at the very edge, it wasn’t surprising that the space felt particularly vacant.

Soon after, Marilyn came in and asked where she’d like to have breakfast.

“Where’s Lin Heng?” Shang Xinglu inquired.

Marilyn couldn’t hide her delighted expression. “Sir said you went to bed late last night and asked me not to wake you. Congratulations, ma’am!”

Shang Xinglu: …

That sounded like they’d fought an epic battle last night. But only Shang Xinglu herself knew the truth…

Fine, Lin Heng must’ve heard her mumbling in her sleep about counting dumplings.

The fact that he hadn’t strangled her by now spoke volumes about his self-restraint.

Not long after she got up, Shang Xinglu received the details for the banquet. She asked Marilyn to handle her styling while she mulled over a more pressing matter.

She asked Shang Xingyu for Jian Xi’s WeChat ID.

The clueless Shang Xingyu handed it over without a second thought and even asked Jian Xi to add her promptly.

Holding her phone, Jian Xi was nervous, annoyed, and flustered all at once. Was this about the few things she’d said behind Shang Xinglu’s back? Such pettiness!

Yet, when faced with Shang Xingyu, all she could reply with was a soft, sweet, “Okay~ Already added her!”

She even included a cute sticker.

After waiting nervously for a while without hearing from the other side, Jian Xi didn’t know whether to initiate the conversation herself.

As her anxiety grew, Shang Xinglu’s message finally came through: “Sorry, I was at the salon just now and didn’t have a chance to say hi.”

Jian Xi began typing: “It’s my fault. I should’ve greeted you first~”

Before she could send it, another message popped up: “But you could’ve greeted me first, you know.”

Jian Xi: …

She changed her draft to: “Sorry, I’m just a bit shy…”

Once again, before she could send it, Shang Xinglu followed up: “Don’t be shy. Once you marry Xingyu, I’ll be your sister-in-law. Might as well get familiar now.”

Jian Xi: …

Shang Xinglu had said everything—both the nice words and the stern ones. What else could Jian Xi even say?!

But for some reason, Jian Xi felt better.

After all, Shang Xinglu mentioned marriage. Did that mean there was hope?

Otherwise, why would Xingyu’s sister, who had always acted like royalty, suddenly extend an olive branch?

Before Jian Xi could overthink, a voice call came through from Shang Xinglu.

“About last time,” Shang Xinglu began, “I might’ve overreacted. I apologize if I interrupted your fun. I can understand feeling emotional, so let’s move on and not bring it up again. Anyway, there’s a banquet coming up. I’ll be attending with my husband, but I don’t understand these things and don’t have many friends. Would you like to come along?”

Jian Xi hesitated, but the image of Lin Heng’s calm profile, his deep and pleasant voice, and those long, elegant fingers popped into her mind.

Plus, attending such a gathering could mean access to a higher social circle…

Jian Xi audibly swallowed her nerves.

…

Meanwhile, Marilyn stood nearby, her expression perfectly composed, but her mind racing.

She had no idea who Mrs. Lin was talking to.

But one thing was certain: Mrs. Lin was lying through her teeth.

No friends?

Mrs. Lin, the social butterfly, whose connections—including her brief stint in the entertainment industry—could probably circle the globe?!

As soon as the call ended, Shang Xinglu received another one labeled “Friend 13 Tony.”

Confused, she picked it up.

It was a man.

A man she was quite familiar with. His voice was rich and slightly husky, tinged with natural intimacy.

“Louise,” he said. “Why haven’t you been around lately?”

Shang Xinglu’s eyes widened.

What?!