“I’m home!”
Lin Wan burst through the door, flung her suitcase aside, leapt straight into Lu Zheng’s arms.
“Did you miss me?”
“Yep! Dinner first?”
“No, I want to eat you first!”
…
“Wah… you’re such an animal. Were you holding it in the whole time I was gone?”
Lu Zheng blinked, recalled Shen Ying’s seductive charm and Liu Qingyan’s pitiful glances during last night’s “card game”, and nodded decisively.
“Phew…” Lin Wan let out a long breath. “Should I find you another partner to share the firepower?”
“So little confidence in yourself?” Lu Zheng teased.
Lin Wan gripped the ironclad proof, narrowed her eyes. “Didn’t you say last time that you have two more little wives at home? You sounded so convincing, like it was real. Be honest, when you disappear, are you going to meet your other wives?”
Lu Zheng: (ยฐใผยฐใ)
Lu Zheng steadied his bowl. “I’m not, I swear, don’t talk nonsense!”
We’re not married yet, so they don’t count as wives!
Lu Zheng: (โโกโ)
Hearing the denial, tenderness flashed in Lin Wan’s eyes and the corners of her mouth lifted.
She firmly believed that if it was something she wasn’t meant to know, Lu Zheng would never tell her. And once he did tell her something, he would never lie.
So…
Lin Wan, overflowing with love for him, pushed him flat onto the bed, flicked her hair, and slowly leaned down.
…
Lin Wan had arrived home at ten in the morning. After two “meals” and a short rest, she was full of energy again by two in the afternoon and dragged Lu Zheng out the door.
“Zhao Wenyu is treating us tonight. We have to burn some calories first, otherwise where will we find room to eat later?”
That was her excuse. Lu Zheng didn’t buy it, but he said nothing.
“By the way, you came straight home? No need to report to the unit?” Lu Zheng asked.
“Already done. I wrote the report on the plane. Landed at eight, went straight to the office, handed it to the section chief,” Lin Wan said.
“Impressive!” Lu Zheng gave her a thumbs-up. He knew she had rushed home to see him sooner.
She had spent the last few weeks bouncing between small towns in Maple Leaf Country and now just wanted people around. So they skipped the cinema and simply wandered the mall, trying on clothes.
Fortunately, Lin Wan didn’t have the habit of trying without buying. After an afternoon of shopping, Lu Zheng was carrying five or six bags filled with clothes for her and some she had picked out for him.
“Where did Zhao Wenyu book?”
“One Blade Private Kitchen.”
“Let’s go!”
He tossed the bags in the back seat, drove, and followed navigation to an alley in the city centre.
“Why do private kitchens always open in these quiet places? For the vibe?”
“Maybe because there’s no traffic?”
“That actually makes sense!”
On the way over, they had been stuck forever on the elevated roads and main streets. Rush hour was a sea of cars.
Once they turned into the narrow two-lane alley, the surroundings instantly grew peaceful.
They reached a private courtyard in the middle of the alley. Zhao Wenyu was already waiting at the gate.
A ten-space parking lot inside a private courtyard in the city centre was a rare luxury.
“Brother Lu! Sister Lin!” Zhao Wenyu trotted over to open their doors.
“Thank you!”
Lu Zheng treated Zhao Wenyu casually; Lin Wan remained polite.
“Have Old Du and Old Zhang arrived?”
“Old Zhang’s in the bathroom. Old Du says he’s stuck in traffic, will be a while.”
Zhang Tiexia took the subway and was punctual. Du Lin drove himself; arrival time depended entirely on luck.
They didn’t have to wait long. Du Lin showed up ten minutes later, bringing two bottles of Maotai as a welcome-back gift for Lin Wan.
…
Dinner lasted two hours. Lu Zheng could dispel the alcohol with inner energy, but to blend in he called a designated driver. He and Lin Wan sat in the back seat on the way home.
“How was it?”
“Not as good as your cooking!”
“I’ll make you a proper feast tomorrow!”
“Yay!”
Lin Wan showered, then happily burrowed into Lu Zheng’s arms, snatched the remote, flipped channels, and settled on a drama.
On screen, Zhao Xiaodao was playing a rural woman struggling with city life and clashing with her husband.
“Her steamed-bun face is surprisingly versatile. She fits so many roles without feeling off,” Lin Wan laughed.
She snapped a photo with her phone and posted it in the [Martial Alliance] group.
Zhao Xiaodao: Hehe, my attempt at a career transformation. How’s the acting?
Lin Wan: Great!
Lu Zheng: Yeah, those crow’s feet at the corners of her eyes don’t even need makeup.
Lin Wan swatted him. “Why do you always poke where it hurts?”
But Zhao Xiaodao wasn’t upset at all.
Zhao Xiaodao: (heehee.jpg)
Zhao Xiaodao: (selfie.jpg)
Zhao Xiaodao: Not a single one left!
Zhao Xiaodao: You have no idea. Lately a whole crowd of women keep asking what happened to my skin, why it suddenly looks so amazing.
Lin Wan: And?
Zhao Xiaodao: I told them I met a mysterious old Chinese doctor who loves my dramas, tracked me down, gave me herbal medicine, acupuncture, and massage to keep me young so I can act a few more years.
Lin Wan: …
Lin Wan: Did they buy it?
Zhao Xiaodao: Doesn’t matter if they did. That’s my story.
Zhao Xiaodao: Just two days ago, both Liu-the-Immortal and Big Mi Mi treated me to meals, dropping hints about how jealous they are and asking me to introduce them to that old doctor.
Clearly, even if nobody believed her excuse, nobody could force the truth out of her, so Liu Tianxian and Da Mimi simply played along and asked Zhao Xiaodao for the doctor’s contact.
Zhao Xiaodao: That’s one reason I’m confident I can get Liu Tianxian and Da Mimi to show up (heehee.jpg)
Zhao Xiaodao: @Lu Zheng When are you coming to Beidu? My treat (generous.jpg)
Lu Zheng: …
This joke is never dying, is it?
Lin Wan pictured the scene, frowned, and typed: It won’t cause you trouble, right?
Zhao Xiaodao immediately denied it: Of course not! If I can’t handle something this small, how am I supposed to survive in entertainment?
Lin Wan: Good. I was just thinking Lu Zheng had been a bit careless.
Zhao Xiaodao patted her chest. Thank goodness Lu Zheng was careless, otherwise where would she get beauty pills?
Zhao Xiaodao: Not at all. Brother Lu basically gave me a second spring in my career.
Smooth skin, mature beauty, solid acting. Zhao Xiaodao declared she could play female leads for another ten years, even teenage roles without looking out of place.
Walk the post-00s path and leave post-00s with no path to walk!
…
After the chat with Zhao Xiaodao ended, the two cuddled and watched another episode of the drama. Then, naturally…
