Chapter 16: Calling Another Man’s Name in His Arms

“How’s the divorce application going?” Lin Shuqiao asked casually while finishing cooking.

They used to be completely out of sync, yet now they were oddly in tune.

Lu Zheng paused while picking up his chopsticks. A trace of annoyance flashed through him. “Still under review.”

Lin Shuqiao thought for a moment, then gave him a heads-up: “I’ll probably move out next week. If anything needs my signature, just let me know.”

She planned to start a business. Living here wasn’t convenient, and there was no place to raise pigs.

Too many people, too many eyes—it was hard to find privacy.

Besides, they were getting divorced. They had to separate eventually.

Lu Zheng frowned slightly. Lin Shuqiao hadn’t looked at him once while saying all this.

She wanted to move out, but she had no money, no house—where would she live?

Surely not at Jiang He’s place.

That thought made Lu Zheng’s face darken, and his tone grew harder: “I’ll get the paperwork approved as soon as possible.”

Sensing his mood shift, Lin Shuqiao was puzzled. “Do you have a problem with that?”

Lu Zheng hesitated.

A moment later, Lin Shuqiao seemed to understand. She gave a small smile. “Don’t worry. The money I borrowed from you before—I’ll earn it back and repay you soon.”

Living a second life, she didn’t want to owe Lu Zheng anything.

That smile seemed polite and distant in his eyes.

She used to order Lu Zheng around and ask for money without a shred of guilt:
“If you don’t give me money, I’ll go around saying that Regiment Commander Lu starves his wife and makes her wear dirty clothes!”

But now she was trying to draw a line, even insisting on paying him back—just so she could move out and be with Jiang He.

“I said no.”

Lu Zheng’s face grew colder. “You’re my wife. It’s my duty to give you money. You don’t need to pay me back.”

“I do,” Lin Shuqiao said after a pause. “Because I wronged you.”

If she hadn’t believed Grandma Lin’s nonsense in her past life, Lu Zheng would never have ended up with her.

Lu Zheng caught her meaning, his eyes dark. “You didn’t wrong me.”

That night, he wasn’t exactly innocent either.

Even a hundred bowls of aphrodisiac couldn’t have forced him if he truly didn’t want it.

Lu Ziqi looked up at Lu Zheng, wanting to shout, “She’s lying! That bad woman’s acting again!”

She had no intention of paying him back. In fact, she was probably still planning to steal money to buy pigs!

This bad woman had been acting so nice lately—buying him clothes, making delicious food.

Books always said: When someone acts nice for no reason, they’re up to no good!

After dinner, with nothing else to do, Lin Shuqiao picked up a book lying nearby.

It was a military-tech reference book written in English, filled with Lu Zheng’s handwritten notes.

So he knew English too? In her past life, she’d barely known anything about him.

Well, she had been illiterate back then. Everything looked like gibberish anyway.

She read for a while and then glanced at the clock—it was already 9:10 p.m.

Lu Zheng was still helping Lu Ziqi with homework. She decided not to wait.

Half-asleep, she walked to the kid’s bedroom door and asked, “Lu Zheng, when are you going back to the dorm?”

Lu Zheng looked up. Her eyes were drowsy, misty. His heart skipped a beat.

Was she rushing him to leave?

A strange frustration welled up in his chest, heavy and suffocating.

Lin Shuqiao added, “When you go, remember to lock the door from the outside. Just come unlock it tomorrow morning.”

It didn’t matter whether it was locked from inside or out. She just needed it locked so she could sleep soundly.

Lu Zheng stared at her retreating back and said in a low voice, “I’m not going back tonight.”

He hadn’t planned on staying, but seeing her eager to get rid of him and remembering her talk about moving out, the words just slipped out.

He paused deliberately, then said slowly and clearly, “I’ll sleep here tonight.”

Lin Shuqiao’s expression didn’t change. “Suit yourself.”

It was his house—he could sleep wherever he wanted.

Lu Zheng heard the indifference in her voice, his eyes clouded with unreadable emotions.

Just like Lin Shuqiao herself—he couldn’t figure her out lately. She was a mystery to him now.

Back in her room, Lin Shuqiao lay down and almost fell asleep before remembering she hadn’t showered. She’d spent all day in dusty clothes and had just rolled into freshly changed sheets.

She’d been messy in her past life, but later learned to appreciate cleanliness. Now that she had the means, she didn’t allow herself to slack off.

She opened the door—only to lock eyes with a completely naked Lu Zheng.

Just like last night. Same people, same scene.

Lin Shuqiao instinctively gave him a once-over.

His honey-toned skin exuded strength. Water droplets slid down his eight-pack abs—an utterly seductive sight.

Upwards: a handsome, sharp face. Downwards…

“Lin Shuqiao!” Lu Zheng warned, his voice hoarse.

She cleared her throat. “Sorry.”

And quickly shut the door.

She didn’t mean anything by it. Just instinctively appreciated the beauty on display.

Thinking of Jiang He’s skinny build, she silently cursed her past self for having no taste. Couldn’t she have picked someone who ate better?

Well… she had tasted this one before. What a waste of premium goods on a pig!

She even thought she saw Lu Zheng’s ears turn red—again, just like last night.

Standing at the door, she called out, “You should fix the lock when you have time.”

Running into scenes like this was too awkward.

Lu Zheng poured a bucket of cold water over his head, trying to suppress the chaotic feelings inside him.

He couldn’t stop thinking about her naked gaze from just now—so bold, so heated.

A wave of restlessness spread through him.

His breathing grew heavier.

From the other side, Lin Shuqiao casually reassured him, “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

They were both thirty-eight. She didn’t think much of it.

It’s not like they hadn’t slept together before.

But when Lu Zheng heard that, his mind went straight to Jiang He, and his lips pressed into a tight line.

Just how far had they gone?

After showering, Lu Zheng washed his clothes under the moonlight. By the time he returned, Lin Shuqiao had just stepped out of the bathroom.

Neither of them said a word. They silently agreed to pretend the earlier moment never happened.

There were only two bedrooms in the house—one for Lu Ziqi, one shared between them.

Lu Zheng glanced at the bedsheets. His expression darkened.

They were the same sheets from that night.

But Lin Shuqiao didn’t remember—or didn’t care. She lay down on the inside, eyes closed. “Go to sleep.”

Lu Zheng paused, turned off the light, and lay down on the outer side.

His mind was a mess, full of thoughts he shouldn’t be having.

Just as he was about to fall asleep, a soft arm wrapped around his waist. His chest was filled with warmth and softness.

Lin Shuqiao had burrowed into his arms.

With strong night vision, he saw everything clearly in the dim moonlight.

Two buttons on her shirt had come undone, exposing soft, fair skin and full curves.

His throat went dry. He didn’t dare move.

And then he remembered—that night after returning from a mission…

“Jiang He…” Lin Shuqiao suddenly mumbled in her sleep, her voice tender and sweet.

Lu Zheng instantly went cold, as if doused with ice water.

Veins bulged on his forehead. He gritted his teeth. “Lin. Shuqiao!”

Calling another man’s name in his arms—did she think he was dead?

But just as he was about to push her away, she muttered again, this time angrily:
“Jiang He, you scumbag. Drop dead!”

Lu Zheng’s rage vanished halfway. His expression eased.

His grip on her shoulder loosened.

He let her breathing warm his chest and slowly closed his eyes—though sleep didn’t come.

And somewhere, something was unbearably uncomfortable.