Chapter 19: Spiked Soup

Cen Wan was secretly delighted.  She couldn’t get over the kiss and the goodnight.  The corners of her lips couldn’t help but turn up.

Lu Beixun reached out and turned off the floor lamp.  “Go to sleep.”

“Yes, sir,” Cen Wan said, her voice filled with uncontainable joy.

She slept soundly all night.

The next morning, she woke up at 5:30.  She had slept so soundly the night before.  Lu Beixun was still asleep.  She watched him quietly.

Lu Beixun’s brow furrowed slightly.  He must have been dreaming about something.  Cen Wan felt a pang of sympathy.  She reached out and smoothed his furrowed brow.

His brow relaxed.  Cen Wan leaned over and kissed him lightly on the forehead.  She threw back the covers and got out of bed, going into the bathroom.

By the time the person in the bed woke up, she was already ready.  This time, she was the one waiting for him.

Seeing how enthusiastic she was, Lu Beixun was a little surprised.  He looked her up and down, a playful smile curving his lips.  “Very enthusiastic.  Deserves praise.”

Although he was praising her, Cen Wan wasn’t very happy.  She looked at him with resentment.  “You!  You’re my husband.  Don’t act like you’re my teacher.”

The person in the bed seemed to think of something.  The smile in his eyes deepened.  “If I taught you PE, you wouldn’t even be able to run eight hundred meters.”  You’d run yourself dizzy.

Cen Wan: “…”

Lu Beixun got up and went into the bathroom.  Cen Wan felt something was wrong.  She followed him and stood at the bathroom door.  “What do you mean?”

Cen Wan had a feeling that Lu Beixun’s last sentence had a hidden meaning.

“I mean,” Lu Beixun glanced at her, “you’re too weak.”

Cen Wan: “…”

It was early in the morning, and she was really feeling discouraged.

She stood there, stunned, at the bathroom door.  A playful glint flashed in Lu Beixun’s dark eyes.  “Are you sure you want to stand here?”

“Ah?”  Cen Wan didn’t react.  She looked at him in confusion.

Lu Beixun looked at her meaningfully.  Cen Wan instantly understood.  Her cheeks flushed slightly.  Before leaving, she closed the bathroom door.

She was the kind of woman who had the heart but not the guts.  They were married.  She could have been bolder and said, “What can’t I see?”  But she always chickened out at the crucial moment.

She stood on the balcony and muttered softly, “Cen Wan, you’re being a coward in your pursuit of your husband.  You’re giving other women a chance to take advantage.”

“If you can’t win him over, you’ll get divorced.  And then, the position of Mrs. Lu will be someone else’s.”

“The one sleeping next to him will be another woman.”

Cen Wan didn’t notice the person behind her.

“Cen Wan.”

When she heard his voice, her body froze for a moment.  She turned around and smiled awkwardly.  “Are you… done?”

Lu Beixun “嗯”ed.  He had heard some of her muttering, but he didn’t say anything.

After a few days of exercise, Cen Wan’s stamina had improved significantly.  She was also cooperating with Lu Beixun’s exercise plan.

He was still thinking about her health, supervising her exercise.  Even if he didn’t love her, at least he didn’t dislike her.  As long as he didn’t dislike her, she still had a chance.

The next three days passed as usual.  Their relationship stalled there.  It didn’t develop, let alone get any closer.

That day, Lu Beixun went to work as usual.  In the afternoon, Cen Wan finished breakfast, put on makeup, changed clothes, and went to Lu’s company.  Today was the day her father-in-law and mother-in-law returned to China.

She and Lu Beixun had agreed to pick them up together.  She got into Lu Beixun’s car.  They passed a flower shop, and Cen Wan got out to buy a bouquet.

On the way to the airport, Cen Wan turned her head to look at him.  “Mom and Dad are only staying for three days this time.  They want us to stay at the old house for two days.  What do you think?”

“You decide.”  Lu Beixun kept his eyes on the road, concentrating on driving.  He didn’t mind either way.  He was afraid she wouldn’t want to, afraid she would be uncomfortable.

When her elders came back, they would just ask how she was doing, and then they would bring up the big life event, urging her to have a child.

“Then we’ll stay at the old house with Mom and Dad.”  She had finally gotten some help.  She wasn’t fighting this battle alone.  How could she miss this opportunity?

They arrived at the airport and picked them up.  Cen Wan gave the flowers to Lu Mu.  Lu Mu and Lu Fu were well-preserved.  If they stood together, she would believe they were a couple in the honeymoon phase.

After Lu Mu saw Cen Wan, the smile on her lips never faded.  Her eyes were full of affection for her daughter-in-law.  Lu Beixun and Lu Fu walked together, pulling their suitcases.

They went straight back to the Lu family’s old house.  Lu Mu had brought back two suitcases.  When they got home, Lu Mu opened them.  Inside were limited-edition bags, clothes, diamond necklaces, and all kinds of limited-edition luxury goods.

There were also three limited-edition figurines.  Just like in her previous life, Lu Mu was very good to her.  She remembered everything.

Lu Mu smiled.  “These are all for my darling daughter-in-law.  The figurines are for Luoluo.  I remember she likes them.”

Cen Wan’s heart was touched.  She had even thought of Cen Luoluo…

Cen Wan’s nose twitched, her throat tightened, and her eyes welled up.  Lu Mu treated her like her own daughter.  In her previous life, she had made Lu Mu lose her beloved son.

She hadn’t gone to the funeral because she didn’t dare.  She didn’t have the courage to face the people who had been good to her.  She was ashamed.

Lu Mu saw the tears in her eyes and looked worried.  “Wanwan, why are you crying?”

Seeing her cry, Lu Mu was a little flustered.

Cen Wan threw herself into Lu Mu’s arms.  “Thank you, Mom.  I’m fine.  You’re so good to me.  I’m crying because I’m touched.”

Lu Mu wiped her tears with a pang of sympathy.  “That’s what mothers are supposed to do.”

Cen Wan sniffed.  “Thank you, Mom.”

She didn’t know what else to say besides thank you.

How could she be so lucky to have such a good mother-in-law?  She didn’t deserve all the kindness they showed her.

Lu Mu said, “I’m only here for a few days this time.  I’ve made a reservation at a restaurant.  We’ll have dinner together tomorrow night.”

“Okay, good.”

In the evening, the servants brought the food to the table.  Everything seemed normal at first.  But then, Cen Wan felt something was off.

Lu Mu served Lu Beixun soup three times and her twice.  She remembered that Lu Mu had been busy in the kitchen during dinner.

She looked at the soup in front of her and suddenly remembered something from her previous life.  She realized that the soup was spiked.  How could she have forgotten?

She met Lu Beixun’s gaze.  He clearly knew too.

Lu Mu said, “What’s wrong?  Don’t you like the soup?”

Lu Mu didn’t give her a chance to refuse.

Cen Wan looked at the soup in front of her and said with a forced smile, “It’s good… it’s good…”

“It’s good.  Have some more.”

Cen Wan nodded.  She had to drink the soup her ally had given her, even if she had to cry while doing it.

After she finished, Lu Mu served her another bowl.  Cen Wan couldn’t hold it in anymore.  She forced a smile that was more awkward than crying.  “Mom, I’m full…”

She was really full.  She usually only drank one bowl of soup, but she had already had two.

Lu Mu looked at her.  “This is made by me.  Don’t disrespect me.”

Lu Mu placed the bowl of soup in front of her.  Cen Wan looked at the soup.  It wasn’t that she didn’t want to drink it, but she was too full.

Suddenly, a hand reached out and took the soup away from her.  She looked up at Lu Beixun, confused.

Lu Beixun’s thin lips parted.  His voice was tinged with helplessness.  “I’m not full.”

Lu Mu didn’t mind.  It didn’t matter who drank the soup.  The effect would be the same.  Lu Beixun hadn’t eaten much for dinner.  He had mostly just been drinking soup.

Cen Wan looked at him and silently felt sorry for him for three seconds.