Chapter 23: Drinking

—

At dawn, as the first light of morning appeared, Shen Yunhe woke up in the back seat of his off-road vehicle. Sitting up, he thought about what had happened last night and couldn’t help but let out a bitter chuckle. He had angered his wife and ended up getting kicked out of the house.

He lifted his hand and looked at his finger, where a distinct bite mark was still visible. How adorable. Shen Yunhe brought his lips to the mark, kissing it lightly. Remembering the softness of her lips, his eyes darkened with desire. He leaned back against the seat, his chest rising and falling heavily.

Meanwhile, the shop’s door swung open. Jiang Banyue happened to glance across the street and saw the off-road vehicle still parked there. Unable to suppress her anger, she cursed under her breath.

“Bastard!”

She went about her morning as usual, preparing breakfast and carrying the babies downstairs, setting them on the carpet to play. Earlier that morning, she had contacted the two nannies, asking them to come to work today.

After breakfast was ready, she placed the babies in their high chairs and started feeding Erbao and Sanbao. Jiang Huaijin glanced around and, not seeing his father, looked up at his mother in confusion.

“Mom, where’s Dad?”

“Gone!” Jiang Banyue snapped impatiently.

“Huh?” Jiang Huaijin was puzzled. Didn’t Dad say he’d be here this morning? He must have done something to upset Mom and got himself kicked out again!

Sensing the tension, Jiang Huaijin wisely chose not to ask any more questions and quietly ate his breakfast.

A short while later, the two nannies arrived. After tidying up the dishes, Jiang Banyue left the children in their care and went to bake cakes.

By noon, she glanced across the street again and saw that the car was gone. She finally let out a sigh of relief. That bastard finally left.

Having lived two lifetimes, this was the first time she had ever been treated like that by a man. The mere thought of it made her feel both embarrassed and furious.

—

Meanwhile, Shen Yunhe drove to the department store. He was leaving tomorrow, and he wanted to buy something for the children before he left.

Stopping by a children’s clothing store, he browsed through the adorable outfits. His heart softened as he ran his fingers over the tiny clothes, his expression unusually gentle.

He liked every single piece, so he simply bought more than a dozen outfits at once. He also picked out several beautiful dresses. Then, he walked over to the baby formula counter and bought a few bags of formula. With three babies at home, one bag wouldn’t even last two days.

Nearby, a women’s clothing counter displayed a pure white long-sleeved dress. A long, flowing white ribbon was tied around the waist. Shen Yunhe imagined how stunning Jiang Banyue would look in it. Without hesitation, he asked the sales assistant to wrap it up, his large hands carefully brushing over the fabric as if handling something precious.

Next, he headed to a toy store and bought plenty of toys—guns and cars for his son, dolls for his daughter. After finishing his shopping, he carried several large bags and walked toward the exit.

Just then, a loud male voice called out behind him.

“Shen Yunhe, it really is you!”

Shen Yunhe turned around and saw Ji Anguo, an acquaintance from his time at the military academy. They hadn’t met since graduation, and he hadn’t expected to run into him here.

Ji Anguo walked up excitedly and pulled him into a brief hug. Shen Yunhe chuckled lightly and greeted him.

“What are you doing here? I remember you once said your family was from Beijing.”

“My wife’s hometown is here. I’m on leave, so I came with her to visit her family. Just dropped by to buy some things.”

At that moment, a woman in her thirties approached with two young boys, calling out to Ji Anguo.

“Anguo, where did you run off to? I just turned away for a second while picking out clothes, and suddenly you disappeared!”

Ji Anguo grabbed his wife’s hand and introduced her.

“Wife, this is Shen Yunhe, an old comrade from my time at the academy.”

He turned to Shen Yunhe and introduced, “This is my wife, and those two are my kids.”

“Hello,” Shen Yunhe nodded, and the woman smiled awkwardly, embarrassed by how loudly she had called earlier.

The two children also obediently greeted Shen Yunhe, calling him “uncle.” Ji Anguo then asked Shen Yunhe, “Do you have time for lunch? Let’s eat together!”

Shen Yunhe hesitated for a moment. He only had half a day off and wanted to go back to spend time with his wife and children. But when he thought about Jiang Banyue, he worried she would be upset if she saw him, so it might be better to go back later and let her calm down.

“Sure.”

Ji Anguo turned to his wife and said, “You take the kids home first. Yunhe and I will grab some lunch.”

“Okay, but don’t drink too much,” the woman warned.

Ji Anguo laughed and assured her, “No problem!”

The woman muttered, “Every time you say that, and every time you end up drinking too much!”

Ji Anguo grinned, trying to please her, “We’re comrades. It’s rare we get to meet. A few drinks won’t hurt.”

The woman lightly pinched him and led the two kids away. Shen Yunhe watched them go and couldn’t help but feel envious. If he hadn’t divorced, would he be like Ji Anguo now, getting scolded by his wife while out drinking?

Ji Anguo turned back, smiling awkwardly. “My wife is so strict. She even keeps an eye on me when I’m drinking!”

“You have a good wife,” Shen Yunhe said, thinking of Jiang Banyue. He lowered his head and chuckled bitterly. He too had a good wife, but he lost her.

Ji Anguo noticed the bags in Shen Yunhe’s hands and asked, “Do you have kids?”

“Yeah,” Shen Yunhe’s face lit up with pride as he spoke about his babies. “Triplets, two boys and a girl.”

“Wow! That’s amazing!” Ji Anguo said, admiring him. He only had two sons and always wanted a daughter, but due to family planning, he had to give up on that idea.

Shen Yunhe put the bags in the car, and then he and Ji Anguo went to a state-run restaurant for lunch.

“Here, let’s drink!” Ji Anguo poured two glasses of liquor.

Shen Yunhe drank one cup after another, his face showing signs of using alcohol to drown his troubles. Ji Anguo began to notice that something was off.

“Yunhe, what’s wrong?” Ji Anguo asked, concerned.

“It’s nothing. Let’s keep drinking.”

Shen Yunhe’s eyes were red as he poured another glass. Ji Anguo gently pressed his hand over Shen Yunhe’s glass.

“Don’t drink anymore. You’ve had enough.”

“Let go of me!” Shen Yunhe shoved his hand away and downed another glass.

“Yunhe, what’s going on? Did you have a fight with your wife?” Ji Anguo guessed, and Shen Yunhe froze, then began drinking again.

Ji Anguo, realizing he had guessed right, patiently advised, “You’re a big man. What’s the point of fighting with a woman? If you lose, you lose face. If you win, you might lose your wife. She’s your wife, so treat her well, cherish her. If you don’t, someone else will do it.”

Shen Yunhe’s face turned crimson as he breathed heavily, swaying slightly as he stood up. Mumbling, he said, “I need to go home and find my wife.”

Ji Anguo rushed over to steady him. “Take it slow. I’ll help you. Where do you live? Let me take you home, you can’t drive in this condition.”

“In Sweet House,” Shen Yunhe muttered. “My wife makes cakes, and her shop is called Sweet House. I need to go find her!”

“Alright, alright, I’ll take you to your wife.”

Ji Anguo helped him into the passenger seat and drove towards the cake shop, talking the whole way.

“When we get back, you should apologize properly. She’s the one who gave you kids and takes care of them. It’s not easy. Stop arguing with her so much…”