Chapter 19: Must Sleep Together

Wei Dong and Lian Yuqing sat on the sofa while Cheng Weiwei brought them candy and biscuits, piling them all in front of Lian Yuqing. “Sister-in-law, go ahead and watch TV. You can choose whatever you like.”

Lian Yuqing didn’t take them and replied blandly, “I don’t like watching TV.”

The rejection was crystal clear. Cheng Weiwei looked embarrassed and whispered to Wei Dong, “Brother Wei, does sister-in-law not like me?”

Wei Dong glanced at the woman beside him and replied quietly, “No.”

Lian Yuqing crossed her arms. “Yes.”

“What are you guys chatting for? Hurry and come eat!” Cheng Xu called out from the kitchen, wearing an apron and holding bowls and chopsticks. The awkward atmosphere instantly dissolved.

Cheng Xu raised his wine glass. “Come on, this first glass is for you and your wife.”

Lian Yuqing didn’t drink alcohol, so she substituted tea, and she and Wei Dong raised their cups and drank in unison, showing a bit of married-couple synchronicity.

“It’s all Dongzi’s fault. Got married and didn’t tell anyone—not even me, his good buddy. Come on, Dongzi, you owe us three shots!” Though Cheng Xu sounded like he was scolding him, his face was all smiles.

Wei Dong didn’t hesitate and downed three shots of white liquor, casually wiping his mouth.

It was obvious that Wei Dong and Cheng Xu were close. In all the time she’d known him, this was the first time Lian Yuqing had seen Wei Dong so relaxed—not even at his own home.

Cheng Xu had prepared a full feast. Just the meat dishes alone included braised pork, sweet and sour ribs, and steamed perch. And with a home this well-furnished, it was clear they were quite well-off.

Cheng Weiwei pushed the plate of glistening braised pork in front of Wei Dong, eagerly saying, “Brother Wei, try it. See if it tastes good?”

Wei Dong picked up a piece and said simply, “Not bad.”

A satisfied smile bloomed on Cheng Weiwei’s delicate face. “Still not good enough. I stewed it too long and the meat fell apart.”

Wei Dong and Cheng Xu were busy drinking and chatting, hardly touching their food. Lian Yuqing didn’t pay them any mind. No matter how troublesome Cheng Weiwei was, this food was completely to her taste.

The Wei family was diligent and plain, but truthfully, they didn’t eat very well.

This meal was the best one Lian Yuqing had had since she transmigrated into the book, which was honestly kind of sad.

She ate with her head down, picking dishes quickly—not delicately chewing, but not crude either. Every now and then, she’d nudge Wei Dong to hand her a napkin.

These interactions didn’t escape the eyes of the Cheng siblings. Cheng Weiwei’s eyes were clouded, while Cheng Xu was sincerely happy for his friend.

“Sister-in-law, how did you and Brother Wei meet? He’s always so cold, doesn’t even respond when girls talk to him. We were all shocked he got married.”

How did they meet? Well, reluctantly, let’s just say.

Lian Yuqing didn’t feel like sparring with Cheng Weiwei. If this woman was destined to become Wei Dong’s wife, she didn’t want to make things too ugly—she could at least repay his kindness for food and shelter.

She nudged Wei Dong’s abs with her elbow—wow, rock hard. “You tell them.”

Wei Dong put down his chopsticks and slowly began under the expectant gazes of the Cheng siblings. “An arranged marriage by our parents.”

Cheng Xu was stunned. “You two didn’t even meet before the wedding?”

“We met when we were little.”

Cheng Xu still couldn’t believe it. Wei Dong didn’t seem like the type to obey a family arrangement. Maybe he’d liked her all along—after all, his wife was quite pretty.

Cheng Weiwei, on the other hand, felt a mix of emotions. She had liked Brother Wei for so long, and yet she lost to an arranged marriage. If only… If only she had asked her brother to talk to him earlier, maybe she would’ve been the one married to him.

Half-joking, she said, “What age are we in, Brother Wei? Still doing arranged marriages?”

At first glance, the comment didn’t sound that bad, but thinking on it—it was inappropriate. Cheng Xu frowned and was about to scold her when Lian Yuqing cut in, “Well, what could he do? If he hadn’t married me, his dad would’ve broken his legs.”

Wei Dong: “Mm.”

The exchange between the couple lightened the mood.

After that, Cheng Weiwei stayed quiet, and Lian Yuqing was happy for the peace.

The two men downed quite a few bottles but managed to control themselves, knowing they had work the next day.

Just when Lian Yuqing was getting impatient, they finally wrapped up.

Wei Dong stood and walked to the sofa. “Let’s go. Time to head home.”

His voice was hoarse from the alcohol.

Lian Yuqing smelled the heavy scent of liquor on him, wrinkled her nose, and quickened her pace to distance herself.

Cheng Xu walked them to the door. “Sister-in-law, if you need anything, just come upstairs to find us. If you’re bored, you can chat with my sister too.”

Lian Yuqing gave a half-smile. “Sure~”

The moment they stepped out of the Cheng house, Lian Yuqing’s expression turned cold. Once home, she stormed straight into the bedroom without sparing Wei Dong a glance.

Wei Dong didn’t mind. He grabbed a large mug and downed some water, then went to shower.

But when he entered the bedroom, Lian Yuqing snapped, “Why are you coming in?”

The alcohol was wearing off, and weariness crept in. Standing tall, he looked down at the woman reclining on the bed and said slowly, “To sleep.”

That was like lighting a fuse. Lian Yuqing exploded. “We’re not at the Wei house anymore—why are we still sharing a bed?”

“There are three rooms here. Isn’t that enough for you? Let me tell you, we’re getting divorced soon. Don’t even think about taking advantage of me!”

She yanked the blanket up to cover her chest.

Wei Dong found it amusing. Even when they shared a bed at the Wei house, he’d never done anything inappropriate. Was there really a need to be this… guarded?

“We have to sleep together tonight.”

“No way!”

Wei Dong lifted the blanket and plopped down beside her. “There’s only one bed in the house.”

Click. He turned off the light and lay down.

Everything went dark. Lian Yuqing sat frozen, clenching her jaw. “We’re buying a new bed tomorrow!”

She hadn’t gotten any good rest on the train these past days. Despite being furious with Wei Dong, she still fell asleep quickly.

She was having a good dream when noise woke her up.

“So loud~”

The army bugle for morning wake-up had sounded again and again. Wei Dong got up quickly, washed up, and dressed—making a lot of noise. Lian Yuqing pulled the blanket up and kept sleeping.

In under five minutes, Wei Dong was ready to leave. He paused with his hand on the doorknob, then said to her, “I’ll bring back breakfast.”

No reply.

Wei Dong left quietly. Lian Yuqing didn’t wake and kept dreaming.

Sure enough, after his morning drills, Wei Dong returned with an aluminum lunchbox. The house looked exactly the same—quiet. Lian Yuqing was still fast asleep.

When she finally woke up, there were two lunchboxes on the table in the living room—one for breakfast, one for lunch.

She had slept nearly fifteen hours and felt fully recharged. Her stomach growled loudly. She pulled out a chair and went straight for the lunchbox.

The food had been brought from the army cafeteria, and she had to admit—soldiers really had it good in this era. No other workplace could offer meat this easily.

Aside from the annoying wake-up calls, she should’ve just moved to the base with Wei Dong on day one.