Chapter 16.2

The five-figure transaction wiped out half a year of her earnings.

Lin Jinshen glanced down at her, his brows furrowing in confusion.

Whether she used his card or hers, it was all shared marital property in his eyes. To him, it made no difference.

“It’s the thought that counts. It might not be expensive, but it’s money I earned with my own hands, one yuan at a time.” Meeting his gaze, she explained, hoping it would add a touch of sentimental value to the gift.

The staff handed over the packaged tie. Lu Yi accepted it and extended it toward Lin Jinshen.

“?”

“For me?” Lin Jinshen asked hesitantly.

Lu Yi nodded. “Of course. Thanks for the paintings; I really like them.”

His frown deepened. “I don’t wear ties from other brands.”

“Well, starting now, you’ll have to.”

Lu Yi shoved the bag into his hand. Her words carried a tinge of annoyance. If it weren’t for politeness, she might have rolled her eyes at him. She thought, Fine, don’t wear it, but is saying ‘thank you’ that difficult?

“I’ll go check on how Mom’s doing with her picks,” Lu Yi said before quickly walking away.

Holding the bag, Lin Jinshen’s hand stiffened slightly. He looked down at it, his expression complicated. After a moment, his tightly pressed lips eased into a faint curve. He strode leisurely toward where the others were.

Mrs. Xu, wearing a pleased expression, glanced past Lu Yi to catch a glimpse of the tall figure behind her. She commented, “He’s not entirely without redeeming qualities as a husband.”

Lu Yi raised a playful brow. “Wow, Mom, that quick to switch sides? A single bag and he’s won you over?”

“Do you think your mother’s that shallow?”

Mrs. Xu smoothed the hem of her skirt and added, “You kids wouldn’t understand. Whether or not I need something is one thing, but whether or not he’s thoughtful enough to offer is another. A little effort speaks volumes.”

“Right, right, you’re the expert,” Lu Yi said with a grin.

At twenty-six, she mused, her parents still saw her as a child. Looping her arm through her mother’s, she thought, How wonderful it would be to stay as Mom’s little girl forever.

“Sit properly—did I raise you to be so unruly?” Despite her reprimand, Mrs. Xu didn’t push her away.

Relieved, she let out a contented sigh. Her greatest wish was for her daughter’s marriage to go smoothly.

Once the shopping was done, the four prepared to leave.

Since Mrs. Xu had come with Mrs. Qin in the Lin family car, she initially planned to call their driver to pick her up. However, Lin Jinshen offered to drive her home instead.

“I can take Mom back,” Lu Yi said, gesturing to her own car.

“Your Mini?” Lin Jinshen asked. “I’ll go with you in your car, and Mom can take mine.”

Mrs. Xu preferred to let her daughter and son-in-law spend more time together. She waved off the suggestion, agreeing to use Lin Jinshen’s car and reminding them to drive safely.

Mrs. Qin linked arms with Lu Yi and said, “Take care of each other, alright? If anything happens, be understanding. It’s normal for young couples to have growing pains. And if Jinshen gives you trouble, let me know, and I’ll scold him for you.”

“Thank you, Mom,” Lu Yi replied with a smile.

Once the arrangements were settled, Lu Yi and Lin Jinshen saw the two mothers off.

Her British racing green Mini was parked nearby. As Lin Jinshen eyed it, skepticism and mild disdain flickered across his face.

Lu Yi noticed his hesitation and faint disapproval. “I’ll drive. Don’t worry—though it’s small, it’s not about to fall apart mid-trip.”

“Fine, thank you,” he replied, nodding.

Once inside, his first instinct was to adjust the seat, pushing it as far back as possible. Even then, his legs barely fit comfortably. After setting down the bag containing the tie, he turned to buckle his seatbelt.

The cramped interior clashed with his composed, tailored image, creating an almost comical scene.

Lu Yi noticed, too. Though her car’s interior was stock and unembellished, the sight of Lin Jinshen—tall and sharply dressed—awkwardly squeezed into the limited space amused her. She turned her head slightly to check for oncoming cars, lips twitching in silent laughter.

Straightening her posture to focus on the road, she kept her expression neutral, though her annoyance about the tie still lingered.

The car merged smoothly into traffic and onto the main road.

With Lin Jinshen present, Lu Yi drove with extra caution. Sitting upright, both hands firmly gripping the wheel, she operated as if taking a driving test.

The silence stretched on for minutes, stiflingly awkward.

Finally, Lin Jinshen broke the ice. “There are other cars at home—new ones, some even unused. Let me know which one you like, and you can drive it.”

He wasn’t a car enthusiast, but there were enough options for Lu Yi to switch cars daily for a month without repeating.

Lu Yi understood his subtle disdain for her Mini. Its size and price likely struck him as toy-like.

Not surprising. He probably had never sat in such an inexpensive car in his life.

“No need. I’m comfortable with this one,” Lu Yi replied blandly.

She had chosen the Mini for its practicality. As a young curator, driving a car worth over a million yuan would only invite speculation about her family background and unnecessary trouble.

Seeing her firm stance, Lin Jinshen didn’t press further. “As you wish,” he said, nodding.

After that, the silence returned.

Unlike in bed, where the darkness provided activity and words weren’t necessary, the tension in the car was palpable.

Lu Yi pressed her lips tightly together, silently willing the journey to end quickly.

Then, Lin Jinshen’s phone rang. It was a work-related call. After a brief exchange in his low voice, he hung up and turned to Lu Yi.

“I might need to trouble you to drop me at the office.”

“Now?”

It was already past nine.

“Yes, there’s an unexpected situation. I don’t know when it will be resolved. I won’t be coming back tonight, so don’t forget to lock up properly.”

Lately, Lin Jinshen’s work had kept him busy, with frequent business trips or late finishes that led him to stay at hotels instead of coming home.

After a few seconds of silence, when Lu Yi didn’t respond, he shifted his gaze back to the road.

The sudden request caught Lu Yi off guard, and since she was driving, she reacted slowly. Without a word, she instinctively adjusted the GPS to redirect to his office.

The replacement took about twenty minutes.

Lin Jinshen wasn’t coming home tonight.

This meant one person and one cat would have the entire 500-square-meter house to themselves again.

Lu Yi tried to suppress the smile tugging at her lips, forcing herself to maintain a straight face, striving for restraint.

The unexpected situation he mentioned seemed genuinely urgent. Ever since that phone call, Lin Jinshen hadn’t stopped—calling people, sending messages, assembling a team to handle the crisis…

Lu Yi neither listened in nor asked questions, treating herself as nothing more than a driver, focused on doing her job properly.

In less than twenty minutes, the car pulled up in front of the Huayu Group building.

Lin Jinshen was still on the phone, his expression calm. With his free hand, he casually grabbed the paper bag, opened the door, and stepped out. Only after closing the door did it occur to him that the person driving wasn’t a chauffeur but Lu Yi—his wife, not just in legal terms but in every sense of the word.

Meanwhile, Lu Yi, feeling rather cheerful at the prospect of having the house to herself since he wasn’t coming home, didn’t mind that he had treated her like a driver.

With one navigation task completed, she tapped on Chengxi Garden in the GPS history.

A knock on the driver’s side window startled her. Turning her head, her gaze landed first on a neatly tucked shirt beneath tailored slacks. Even without seeing the face, she could sense the pressure emanating from the figure. She rolled down the window.

“Do you need something?” she asked warily.

She fervently hoped his plans hadn’t changed, and he wasn’t coming back after all.

After speaking, her lips pressed together, her expression openly displeased.

Standing in the shadowy night, Lin Jinshen’s sharp features appeared half-lit, half-obscured, like a monochromatic print. After a long pause, he spoke:

“Lu Yi, you’re upset with me.”

It wasn’t a question—it was a statement, based on his own conclusion.

During the entire ride, they had barely exchanged a few words. When he received the call and announced he needed to return to the office, she had fallen completely silent.

Had it not been for her need to check the rearview mirror, she wouldn’t even have glanced in his direction.

So, it wasn’t unreasonable for him to deduce that she was angry—specifically, angry at him.

Lu Yi froze for a moment. She thought she had hidden her feelings well, but had he really noticed?

Before she could figure out how to respond, Lin Jinshen continued, “I’ve been quite busy lately and may have neglected you. I’m sorry about that. I’ll try to make more time for family in the future.”

His tone softened, as though… he were coaxing her?

“…”

So, he thought she was upset because he’d been too busy with work to pay attention to her?

Her hands, resting on her lap, balled into fists. After a moment, she forced a gentle, understanding smile to bloom on her elegant face.

“…Not at all. Why would you think that?”

Please don’t make more time for family!