Chapter 7: A Little Something Between Husband and Wife

I wasn’t expecting Lu Beixun to be the same as before, but I was happy enough as long as he didn’t push me away.

Hearts don’t turn cold overnight, and they don’t warm up overnight either.

He was lying with his back to me.  I looked at him, subtly moving closer, but not touching him.  There was still a distance between us.

Just lying in the same bed, even without doing anything, made me happy.  It felt like we were getting closer.

Having him near me was incredibly comforting.  Before long, I drifted off to sleep.  Hearing my steady breathing, Lu Beixun turned to face me.

The next morning, I woke up to find the space beside me cold.  I had just finished washing up when Yang Yi came to call me for breakfast.

I opened the bedroom door and said “Good morning” to Yang Yi.  “Where’s Lu Beixun?” I asked.

“Mr. is in the living room.”  Yang Yi’s gaze was meaningful, lingering on my neck.  She didn’t see any love bites, which was a bit disappointing.

But at least they had spent the night together without arguing.  This was a slow process.  With time, feelings would deepen…

Noticing Yang Yi’s gaze, I patted her shoulder.  “Give it time.  We can’t rush things.”

Yang Yi laughed awkwardly, her secret thoughts exposed.

When I went downstairs, Lu Beixun was leaning back on the sofa, holding a tablet.  I glanced at it; it was political news.  When he saw me, he turned off the screen and placed the tablet on the coffee table.

His voice was cool.  “Go eat breakfast.”

I followed him to the dining room.  After breakfast, he didn’t leave.  He stayed home, but he didn’t talk to me much.

He only spoke when he had to, otherwise, he remained silent.

We sat on the sofa.  I watched TV, and he looked at his phone.

My mind wasn’t on the TV at all.  I kept stealing glances at him.

His phone rang.  I was immediately drawn to it.  I leaned my head slightly and glanced at the screen.  I recognized the number.

The owner of that number had Lu Beixun’s number thanks to me.

My brow furrowed.  The owner of the number was Shen Jianyu, Lu Beixun’s childhood neighbor.  Her family had moved abroad, and she had recently returned, but her intentions weren’t pure.

In my previous life, I had caught her flirting with Lu Beixun in the office.  To make him uncomfortable, I had generously given her his number.

His face had turned dark as thunder.

Everyone in the circle knew about my marriage to Lu Beixun.  Shen Jianyu couldn’t have been unaware, especially since she followed his life closely.

Even though she knew he was married, she kept flirting with him, even in front of me.

Back then, even though I was secretly jealous, I pretended not to care.

Now, I hated my past self.  I was so clueless, it was like I had a screw loose.  I was completely delusional.

But Lu Beixun hadn’t given her any hope.  He was cold and distant with Shen Jianyu, but she didn’t seem to care.

Lu Beixun didn’t hesitate to hang up the phone.  I secretly felt a surge of happiness.

My happiness was short-lived.  Shen Jianyu called again.  Lu Beixun’s brow furrowed with annoyance.

“I have an idea,” I said tentatively.  “Should I answer?”

He hesitated for a moment and handed me the phone.  As I took it, a sly smile played on my lips.

I adjusted my voice, making it sound tired and sleepy.  “Hello?”

My voice was a mix of exhaustion and annoyance, like someone who had been woken up from a nap.

There was silence on the other end for a while.  Then, a voice said, “I’m looking for Beixun Gege.”

“It’s Jianyu Meimei, isn’t it?”  I gave Lu Beixun a meaningful look and said, “Your Beixun Gege is still sleeping.”

I yawned dramatically, pretending to be tired and exhausted.  “You know, husband and wife things…  Last night, your Beixun Gege worked really hard.  He’s probably exhausted.  I’ll tell him to call you when he wakes up.”

Lu Beixun: “?”

I was telling these lies to his face, without a hint of shame.  I was a natural liar, and I didn’t even need to think about it.

Lu Beixun’s lips curled into a faint smile, but it disappeared after a few seconds.

Before the person on the other end could respond, I hung up the phone.

I handed the phone back to Lu Beixun, looking triumphant.  “She won’t bother you anymore.”

I lifted my chin, as if to say, “Go on, compliment me.”

He just gave a quiet “嗯.”

Some people forget who brought this trouble on themselves.  I had wanted Lu Beixun to block Shen Jianyu’s number, but if he blocked this one, she’d just use another.

I thought for a moment.  “Maybe we should get new numbers?”

He pondered for a moment.  “Okay.”

It was a little past one o’clock when we left for the phone store.  I picked out a pair of couple’s numbers, one for Lu Beixun and one for me.

The phone store employee gave us a warm blessing.  “You two are so sweet!  May your love last forever.”

I glanced at Lu Beixun, then smiled politely at the employee.  “Thank you.”

We left the phone store around two-thirty and drove straight to the Cen family’s house.

While we were waiting at a red light, I turned to him.  “Don’t be so cold to me when we get home, okay?”

He looked straight ahead and “嗯”ed.

When we arrived at the Cen family’s house, Lu Beixun was carrying a gift box.  I linked my arm with his and walked into the living room.  There was someone I really didn’t want to see, but he kept showing up.

My gaze swept over Cen Xiu and landed on my parents.  “Mom and Dad.”

Mom got up and walked over.  She was very happy with Lu Beixun as her son-in-law.  Her mouth was practically agape when she saw him.  “Beixun is here!  Come sit down.”

Lu Beixun was polite and gentle.  “Mom and Dad.”

Cen Fu said, “Come sit down.”

Mom took the gift box from Lu Beixun.  “We’re family.  Don’t bring gifts next time.”

“Okay.”  Lu Beixun agreed.

I pulled Lu Beixun’s hand and sat down on the sofa.  Lu Beixun’s gaze swept over Cen Xiu.  For a moment, his eyes were sharp.

My parents were increasingly pleased with their son-in-law.

I asked, “It’s Saturday.  Isn’t Luoluo coming back?”

Cen Mu said, “No, she has exams coming up.”

“You guys chat.  I’ll go prepare dinner.”

Mom turned and went into the kitchen.

“How’s my brother-in-law doing?  Is work and life going smoothly?”  Cen Xiu’s eyes were clear as water, his lips slightly curled, exuding an air of gentleness, but his words held a deeper meaning.

A cold glint flashed in my eyes, but I quickly put on a smile and linked my arm with Lu Beixun’s.  “I don’t know about work, but as for life…”

I looked at my father with a shy smile.  “Dad, you’ll be holding a grandchild soon, if all goes well.”

Lu Beixun pursed his lips, remaining silent.  He thought I was just saying that to appease my parents.