Chapter 12: No Hug Tonight?

Cen Wan answered the phone.  It was my best friend, Xu Zhitang, calling.

As soon as the call connected, she asked, “Why did you hang up on me?  Give me a good explanation.”

“Xu Zhitang, are you itching for a beating?  How dare you talk to your big brother like that?”

I called her by name because when I answered the phone, I caught a subtle change in Lu Beixun’s expression.  He knew Xu Zhitang.  When I said her name, his face visibly brightened.

Xu Zhitang said, “Cut the crap.  Beixiang Bar.  Coming or not?”

“Not going,” I said, slightly turning my head to look at Lu Beixun beside me.  “Spending Sunday at home with my husband.  We’ll talk tomorrow.”

Lu Beixun’s fingers twitched.  He turned his head to look at me, his eyes burning.

When she heard me say “husband,” the other end of the line went silent for a few seconds.  Then, a voice, laced with a subtle current, said, “The husband you’re talking about isn’t Lu Beixun, is it?”

I wasn’t surprised by Xu Zhitang’s question.  She knew about my strained relationship with Lu Beixun.  She also believed that the problems within Cen’s company were Lu Beixun’s doing.

Seeing my silence, Xu Zhitang was shocked.  “You’re cheating?”

The steamy scene on TV had just finished.  I put the pillow in my arms aside.  “I’m cheating on you, you big dummy.”

I poured myself a glass of water and took a sip.  “I’m at home with Lu Beixun.  Miss Xu Zhitang, I’ll answer all your questions when we meet tomorrow.”

With that, I hung up the phone.  The person on the other end was left bewildered.

I felt a strong gaze on me.  I turned my head and met Lu Beixun’s eyes.  His gaze was too intense.  I couldn’t hold his gaze for long.

I looked away and coughed awkwardly.  I felt like I should say something.  I blurted out, “It’s true, I was trying to steal a kiss from you.”

Before he could answer, I looked back at the TV and continued watching the drama.

A few seconds later, Lu Beixun calmly said, “I know.”

Cen Wan: “…”

Pretending not to care, I turned my head to look at him and nodded.  “Yeah, you know.”

Only I knew how fast my heart was beating.  I looked back at the TV screen, and I couldn’t help but smile.

This man was incredible.  Three simple words, the most ordinary words, and they made my heart race.

In my previous life, my greatest pride was my self-control.  After I became an adult, no one had ever truly captured my heart.  After I married him, my heart was slowly taken over by this man.  I was completely unprepared.  By the time I realized it, this feeling had become ingrained in my bones.

I had planned to turn myself in and spend the rest of my life in prison, but the culprit was someone else.  When I learned that Cen Xiu was the real killer, I didn’t want to live anymore.  But I couldn’t just let him get away with it.

Back then, I had two thoughts.  First, kill Cen Xiu and avenge my dead parents and sister.  Second, go down and atone to Lu Beixun.

In my previous life, I had trusted Cen Xiu so much.  In this life, I hated him just as much.  It was my fault for being so stupid, for not seeing who was a human and who was a dog.

Thinking about those things, my gaze fell on Lu Beixun.  His profile was perfectly smooth.  I thought, if Lu Beixun knew what I had done to him in my previous life, he would hate me to the core.

While he was home, I stayed out of the kitchen.  After dinner, Lu Beixun went to his study.  I spent some time in the living room digesting the food before returning to his bedroom.

Lu Beixun’s actions had tacitly allowed me to sleep in his room.  Otherwise, how would my pajamas and clothes have ended up in his closet and dressing room?

After showering, I lay in bed, continuing to watch the romantic drama I had been watching earlier.  I was getting sleepy, and Lu Beixun hadn’t come back yet.  I turned off the tablet and put it on the bedside table to charge.

I threw back the covers, put on my slippers, and got out of bed.  I was about to knock on the door when I heard someone talking inside.  He must have been on the phone or in a video conference.  Even when he was resting, he often received important calls.

I paused.  Knocking now would interrupt him.  As I turned to leave, Lu Beixun’s cold voice came from inside.

“Keep an eye on Cen Xiu.  Report any suspicious activity immediately.”

I don’t know what the person on the other end said, but after Lu Beixun finished speaking, there was a long silence in the study.

Cen Wan’s brow furrowed.  Why was Lu Beixun having someone watch Cen Xiu?  Did he know something?

There was no more sound from the study.  The call must have ended.  I knocked lightly on the door.  A few seconds later, the door opened, and Lu Beixun stood in front of me.

Cen Wan’s lips curved into a smile.  “Are you done?  Are you tired?”

He knew I was sleepy because I had come looking for him.  “Go to sleep.”

Cen Wan was satisfied.  She took his hand and went back to the room.

After turning off the lights, at first, Cen Wan stayed on her side of the bed, but soon, she started to inch closer to Lu Beixun.

He knew about her little movements.

In the dimness, Lu Beixun’s voice was cool, with an invisible pressure.  “Go to sleep.”

Cen Wan pouted.  “You hugged me to sleep last night.  No hug tonight?”

“But I want a hug.”

Even though the lights were off and it was dark, I couldn’t see her expression.  I could hear the grievance in her voice.

Lu Beixun sighed.  “Come here.”

Cen Wan was stunned for a moment, and then her grievance vanished.  In the darkness, the corners of her mouth almost reached her ears.  She threw herself into his arms, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his arm.

Before, I thought security was having my family around, or having a charged phone, or having money in my bank account, or a warm blanket on a cold winter day.  But now, I realized that a person’s embrace could also be so comforting.

More comforting than those other three things.

Cen Wan was the kind of person who would push her luck once she tasted a little sweetness.  “Brother, I don’t want Yang Yi to wake me up for breakfast.  I want you to wake me up.  Can you do that?”

“Okay.”

I didn’t expect him to agree so quickly.  I thought he would at least hesitate for two seconds before answering.

“Then you have to remember,” Cen Wan said.  “Don’t wake me up at six tomorrow morning.  I don’t want to be embarrassed again.”

Lu Beixun didn’t say anything.  Cen Wan assumed he agreed.  He probably didn’t want to see a weakling like me while he was exercising.

Cen Wan said goodnight to Lu Beixun and fell fast asleep.

The next day, six in the morning.

Cen Wan felt a chill on her body in her sleep.  She frowned and reached out for the blanket.  She searched everywhere within reach, but she couldn’t find it.

She gave up and turned over, curling up to continue sleeping.  She didn’t even open her eyes while she was searching for the blanket.

“Cen Wan, wake up.”

Cen Wan mumbled, lying flat.  “What are we having for breakfast?  I want a hot dog.”

Lu Beixun’s brow furrowed.  He looked down at her.  “No breakfast if you don’t get up.”

“Lu Beixun, you’re so mean.”  Cen Wan finally opened her eyes, her expression hazy.  “What time is it?”

“Six ten.”

“Ah?”  Cen Wan was distraught.  “Didn’t I say I wasn’t exercising anymore, and you didn’t need to wake me up?”

Lu Beixun saw her dawdling and lost his patience.  He directly lifted her out of bed, his tone commanding and undeniable.  “You don’t have a choice.”