Ехtrа Сhаpter 10
"At 9:20 а.m., Мiss Zheng left Jiаngcheng fоr thе Nеthеrlаnds."
Аfter the sеcretary finished spеаking, Yan Аn glanсеd uр аt the сlосk. It wаs аlreаdy ten o'сlоck nоw.
Great. Thе moment hе opеnеd his еуеs, his wifе wаs alreаdу abоut tо flу out оf Asiа аgain.
Yan Аn sаt in his offiсe for a lоng while beforе suddеnlу letting оut a silent laugh.
Ноw bоring.
In the аftеrnооn, it wаs thе samе grоup оf friends inviting him оut.
Yan An wаs the first tо аrrivе. Loоking аt thе еmpty privаte room, he ineхplicablу thought of his оwn emрtу, sprаwling villa.
Zheng You'an should still be on the plane by now.
Later, when Ji Yan said "your wife ran off again," it really did feel like that was the case.
He truly felt like a discarded husband from a wealthy family.
When they left that evening, Ji Yan and Zhu Dong walked ahead, while Yan An and Fu Mingyu walked side by side, a step behind.
As Fu Mingyu got into his car, Yan An heard him instruct the driver to head to the airport.
Yan An chuckled. "The dutiful husband of the year. Going to pick someone up from the airport at this hour. Is she underage or something?"
Fu Mingyu rolled the car window all the way down, resting his arm halfway on it as he turned his head to look over.
"At least I have someone to be dutiful to. Better than someone who wants to but has nowhere to show it."
Yan An: "..."
The car slowly stopped in front of Yan An. Standing by the door, he scoffed, "I don't have that kind of free time like you do."
The winter night was chilly, and Yan An didn't close the window.
He closed his eyes as gusts of cold wind blew in, yet it did little to ease the restlessness in his heart.
When the car reached the city center, he opened his eyes and instructed, "Take me to Chenghu Riverside."
There was wine by the riverside and beauties in abundance.
With a wave of his hand, Yan An booked the entire outdoor restaurant, sitting quietly alone while a beautiful singer on stage performed just for him.
Her singing was melodious, her waist swaying, her eyes seductive like rippling waves.
Yan An closed his eyes, his fingers lightly tapping to the rhythm of the music, thoroughly enjoying himself.
But that wasn't enough. He recorded a short video and sent it to Fu Mingyu, with a hint of showing off.
"Coming? The singer here is really beautiful."
A few minutes later, Fu Mingyu replied with a voice message.
Yan An clicked to listen, but it was Ruan Sixian's voice.
"President Yan, jealous that World Airlines' stocks are doing too well lately? Trying to engage in unfair competition by having me kill Fu Mingyu?"
Yan An didn't reply, just sneered.
Henpecked.
But as he laughed, his smile gradually stiffened.
Yan An glanced around. Out of ten people passing by, eight were couples.
And here he was, sitting alone, surrounded by four or five waitstaff. No matter how you looked at it, it was strange.
How boring.
Yan An paid the bill and got up to leave.
Another leisurely half-month passed like this.
It wasn't so bad. He could drink whenever he wanted, go wherever he pleased, and in his huge house, he could sleep in whichever room he fancied.
Not like some people, busy from morning till night, still having to pick up their wives from the airport.
Breaking a cup would leave them trembling with fear, constantly worried they'd be banished to the guest room.
That afternoon, Yan An leisurely went to the airport to check on the situation at the tarmac and happened to run into Fu Mingyu, who was also there.
The two stood side by side, watching the ground crew secure the aircraft. Amid the noisy machinery, Fu Mingyu's phone kept ringing incessantly.
Yan An found it extremely annoying.
"Can't you turn off your ringer? Isn't it annoying to listen to?"
Fu Mingyu: "If I turn off the ringer, how will I hear when my wife calls?"
Yan An: "..."
Fu Mingyu: "Sorry, I forgot. You don't have that problem."
Yan An's gaze froze, suddenly at a loss for words.Fu Mingyu replied to a message while saying, "Sometimes no matter how busy you are with work, you have to answer your wife's calls anytime, otherwise... Actually, I envy you sometimes."
"Is that so?"
Yan An turned and walked toward the exit. "Then get a divorce."
Just after leaving, he ran into Ruan Sixian again in the airport crew passage.
She was about to board the plane and walked over, greeting Yan An.
"President Yan, you're at the airport so early?"
Yan An didn't respond. Ruan Sixian tilted her head and said mysteriously, "You're not going to Europe, are you?"
"Who said that?"
Yan An raised an eyebrow. "Do I look that idle?"
Ruan Sixian rubbed her nose and hummed, unsure what to say.
"Ah, hubby!" She suddenly looked up and waved at someone behind her.
Sensing Fu Mingyu approaching, Yan An couldn't be bothered to stay and immediately walked away.
But after a few steps, he couldn't resist looking back.
Tsk.
Are you two conjoined twins?
Hugging and clinging at almost thirty years old.
Unbearable to watch.
Yet why did it feel so bitter?
How could two airline company presidents have such vastly different fates?
Yan An leisurely returned to the North Airlines building.
After a day's work, he still felt making money was interesting.
Just as he was about to head home, he suddenly remembered that tomorrow was Zheng You'an's birthday.
But according to her time zone, it was already her birthday now.
He thought about it and decided he should still say a few words to her.
But as soon as he opened their chat, seeing the message from over half a month ago—"Brother Yan An, I think I ruined your clothes last night. I'll go to Europe and buy you an identical one to make it up to you!"—gave him a headache.
Forget it.
Yan An closed the chat.
Zheng You'an had been gone for over half a month without saying a word to him. Why should he be the one to message her?
But after a while, with nothing better to do—just out of boredom—he checked Zheng You'an's social media feed.
Good, nothing updated.
Even her birthday was quiet. It seemed she wasn't having much fun in Europe either.
Yan An's mood settled a bit.
That night, he received a bank notification for a deduction from his supplementary card.
The spending wasn't low.
This was the first time Zheng You'an had used his card in over half a month.
Was she really buying him a shirt?
If so, Yan An felt he could forgive Zheng You'an.
The girl was shy, after all. Having been coaxed into doing this and that in bed, it was normal for her to find it hard to face him.
"Arrange a driver for me."
Yan An instructed his secretary. "By the way, what about the necklace I asked you to order?"
"It's already been delivered to your home, but no one was there."
The secretary finished speaking and was about to leave when Yan An called her back.
"Never mind, I'll drive myself."
The secretary nodded, glanced at Yan An twice, and seemed hesitant to speak.
This secretary was new, mainly handling Yan An's daily trivial matters and rarely involved in work-related tasks.
The girl was meticulous and cautious, usually arranging everything for Zheng You'an perfectly.
"What is it?" Yan An asked. "Is there something else?"
The secretary licked her lips, took out her phone, and said nervously, "Miss Zheng posted something on social media this morning. I think she might have forgotten to block me."
Yan An: "What?"
The secretary showed him her phone.
The small photo was crowded with quite a few people.
Zheng You'an sat in the middle of a sofa, with several girls—her friends—standing behind her.Surrounding her were five, six, seven, eight... shirtless, blue-eyed hunks holding a birthday cake and champagne, wearing small light-up signs on their heads that together spelled "happybirthdayanna."
Caption: Growing up on schedule! A new age, a new kind of cuteness! Thank you all for coming to a foreign land to celebrate my birthday—love you all!~
Yan An’s eye twitched.
For a moment, he didn’t even know where to start being angry.
Because every single detail was enough to piss him off.
"A new age, a new kind of cuteness"?!
And "love you all"?!
I didn’t even know your English name was Annie!
So she spent tens of thousands of his money on eight muscular hunks to celebrate her birthday, and the one who paid for it all got blocked?!
For a split second, Yan An’s blood pressure soared to the point where he needed to call an ambulance.
"Freeze her cards!"
The secretary quickly nodded in agreement.
Yan An sat down and lit a cigarette.
Calm down, no, he had to stay calm.
He pressed a hand to his chest, took a few deep breaths, then ordered the secretary, "Book me a flight to Europe."
It was eight o’clock at night.
The secretary said, "There aren’t any flights available right now. The earliest is tomorrow at 9 p.m. with World Airlines."
Yan An snapped, "Can’t you arrange a private jet?!"
The secretary stumbled back two steps from the force of Yan An’s anger.
Yan An grabbed his coat and stormed out, slamming the door so hard it shook.
The secretary stared pitifully at the door.
"But... but your wife took your private jet when she left..."
Meanwhile, Zheng You’an had just woken up in her hotel bed.
She stared at the ceiling, unwilling to get up for a long time.
Empty—she felt completely empty.
Yesterday, a few close friends found out she was in Europe and secretly came to surprise her.
A surprise was fine, and she had to treat her friends well.
Throw a party, celebrate.
But even her friends flew all the way here, while her husband hadn’t even sent a message.
Even if it was just in name... no, he wasn’t just a husband in name anymore.
Zheng You’an irritably rolled over.
All night, she had hoped Yan An would say "Happy Birthday" to her, but she was also afraid he would.
After waiting for what felt like forever, she impulsively hired eight models and took a photo specifically for him.
She wanted to post it on her social media so only Yan An could see it, but she was afraid he’d get suspicious if there were no likes or comments from mutual friends, so she set it to be visible only to his secretary.
But even after all this time, Yan An hadn’t reacted at all.
Maybe his secretary saw it but didn’t dare tell him.
The worst part was, when she went to pay, she realized she didn’t have enough money.
She wasn’t the young Miss Zheng she used to be anymore—she couldn’t just ask her family for money whenever she wanted, so she had to use her husband’s card.
This marriage was so pointless.
Zheng You’an slowly sat up, staring at her disheveled reflection in the mirror, lost in thought for a while.
No, she couldn’t let herself look like some discarded rich wife.
It’s my birthday! My birthday!
Even the most superficial couple should at least say "Happy Birthday"!
A couple of years ago, before they were married, he even sent gifts specially. How come now, with a marriage certificate, he can’t even spare a word?
The more Zheng You’an thought about it, the angrier she got, her hair practically standing on end.
Yan An, I’m telling you, send me a message within ten seconds, or you won’t have a wife anymore.
Zheng You’an took out her phone and stared at the screen."Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, nine, eight, seven, nine, eight, seven..."
After losing count of how many times she had counted down, Zheng You'an's phone finally buzzed.
—A bank account freeze notification.
"Hiss—"
Zheng You'an clearly heard the sharp intake of her own breath.
Yan An had already arrived at the airport when his secretary nervously called to inform him of the situation.
Great.
Yan An smiled.
He stood quietly in the business terminal, staring at the large glass window, watching his own reflection, but said nothing.
The people behind him wanted to speak several times but didn't dare to open their mouths.
"Mr. Yan, should we arrange a World Airlines flight for you instead?"
The secretary cautiously suggested, "It departs at nine tomorrow night, arriving there around noon."
"No need."
Yan An hung up the phone.
You ran away on my plane, spent my money to enjoy handsome men, and still expect me to travel thousands of miles to Europe to find you?
Zheng You'an, let me tell you.
That's not impossible either.
Two minutes later, Fu Mingyu received a WeChat message on his phone.
[Yan An]: Are you there? Can I borrow a plane?
Zheng You'an's girlfriends hadn't left yet. They gathered at her hotel again in the afternoon, but she was already gone.
When they called her, she didn't answer.
Even her assistant, Pei Qing, was staying alone in the hotel and didn't know Zheng You'an's whereabouts.
But no one was too worried because before leaving, she had gone to the front desk to request a thorough cleaning of her room.
She thought the blanket was a bit rough.
Actually, Zheng You'an had just gone out alone to wander around.
The Netherlands was the birthplace of Van Gogh and Rembrandt, and Amsterdam, its capital, had some of the world's best art museums, so Zheng You'an was quite familiar with the country.
She visited the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum, and later found herself wandering into the red-light district.
She didn't pay much attention to the scenery; she just felt it was too cold.
Why is this damn place so cold!
After sneezing by the river, Zheng You'an squatted down, questioning her life.
How miserable. She had never imagined her future would be this bleak.
She had slept with her legal husband but was too afraid to face him, running away faster than anyone else.
Now she was practically a wealthy abandoned wife with a home she couldn't return to.
Having grown up, she had seen other superficial couples, but at least they spent money when needed. Her own superficial husband hadn't even given her a birthday greeting, and now he had frozen her bank card!
Just thinking about it made Zheng You'an want to faint.
In the evening, the water buses on the canal welcomed another peak period.
Zheng You'an bought a ticket too, but only for a traditional small boat that could only accommodate two people.
She boarded alone, sitting at the very edge.
Sigh.
Zheng You'an let out a heavy sigh.
"Hey, beautiful, are you here alone?"
The person speaking to her was another Chinese tourist on the same boat, a man who was quite handsome but had long, permed hair that made him look like Dick Cowboy.
Zheng You'an nodded but didn't speak.
"You're pretty brave," Dick Cowboy leaned in a little. "Aren't you scared being alone?"
"Scared of what?" Zheng You'an said expressionlessly. "Isn't Amsterdam one of the safest cities in Europe?"
Dick Cowboy smiled at her. "Looks like you're here to clear your mind because you're in a bad mood?"
Seeing her staring at her phone again, Dick Cowboy saw through everything. "Did you have a fight with your boyfriend?"Zheng You'an: "I don't have a boyfriend."
"Oh, I see..." The cowboy-hat guy pursed his lips and slowly took out his phone. "Then could we exchange WeChat? I'm also traveling alone here—I came for photography. If you're free, I could take some photos for you."
"Sure," Zheng You'an nodded. "If my husband doesn't mind."
The cowboy-hat guy: "..."
He slowly put his phone away. "That won't be necessary."
In the blink of an eye, Zheng You'an had already taken out her phone and sent a voice message to Yan An.
"A man really wants to add me on WeChat to take photos for me and such. Do you mind?"
The cowboy-hat guy: "..."
It wasn't that much of a desire, really.
After sending the message, Zheng You'an played it back herself and immediately regretted it.
What was she doing?
They had agreed not to interfere in each other's private lives.
Before two minutes had passed, she quickly withdrew the message.
The cowboy-hat guy subtly shifted a little farther away. Zheng You'an looked up at him. "Could you lend me a tissue?"
For some reason, she suddenly felt like crying.
It felt as if she were being held back by something.
"Oh, let me look..." The cowboy-hat guy patted himself all over and only found a crumpled piece of toilet paper. "Here."
For once, Zheng You'an didn't mind that the paper was a bit dirty and hastily wiped her eyes.
Good thing she hadn't worn any makeup when she went out today.
Even though she was a married woman, the cowboy-hat guy, seeing how pitiful Zheng You'an looked, quickly switched into the role of a "friend to women" and moved back closer.
"Little sister, did you have a fight with your husband?"
Zheng You'an nodded.
A few days ago, when her friend came to celebrate her birthday with her, she hadn't said a word about it.
But facing a stranger, she suddenly felt a stronger urge to confide.
"If you don't mind, you can tell me about it. I might be able to offer some advice," the cowboy-hat guy said. "But we're not adding WeChat, really not."
How should she put it?
Zheng You'an thought for a moment. The source of her emotions seemed to be that Yan An hadn't wished her a happy birthday.
"It was my birthday, and he didn't say happy birthday to me."
The cowboy-hat guy: "That's it?"
Zheng You'an: "That's it."
The cowboy-hat guy fell silent for a long time, thinking to himself how difficult women could be.
Just because he didn't say a birthday greeting, she got so angry that she traveled abroad alone and was now here acting like Lin Daiyu.
Zheng You'an turned her teary eyes toward him. "Isn't that too much?"
"It is too much," the cowboy-hat guy said. "Get a divorce."
Zheng You'an: "Is this how you give advice?"
"Sigh." The cowboy-hat guy took another tissue from his bag and handed it to Zheng You'an. "Look, you can't even handle this. If your husband were to cheat on you or have an affair, and then bring home a mistress or two, wouldn't you jump into a river?"
Zheng You'an didn't answer, but her heart trembled.
She was actually seriously considering what she would do if Yan An really did something like that.
Even though it was she herself who had said not to interfere in each other's private lives not long ago.
"Ah well, if you don't want a divorce, just turn a blind eye and get through it," the cowboy-hat guy said, patting her shoulder. "At worst, you can also look for someone outside. Be heartless, double the happiness."
Before he could retract his hand, Zheng You'an suddenly heard someone call her name.
She blinked, thinking she had misheard.
"Zheng You'an!"
Zheng You'an looked up and saw a familiar figure right on the bridge.This damn Dutch weather. He stood straight on the bridge without even wearing a coat, the setting sun casting a golden glow over him.
Zheng You'an stared at him, convinced she was hallucinating.
Until Yan An leaned over, pointing at her.
"Stop."
Zheng You'an's mouth fell slightly open as the thought slowly formed in her mind.
Why was Yan An here???
In her dazed moment, the small boat had already sailed under the bridge, abruptly cutting off her view.
A moment later, the boat emerged from beneath the bridge.
Zheng You'an still held her head up, but Yan An was no longer on the bridge.
She froze for a second, then slowly turned her head to see Yan An had somehow boarded another boat, watching her from a distance.
"Zheng You'an! Stop!"
Only then did Zheng You'an confirm it was really Yan An.
Colorful fireworks seemed to explode in her mind.
But once the fireworks faded, her first instinct was to flee.
As if seeing this person in the flesh would plunge her into some abyss.
"Don't—don't let him catch up!" Zheng You'an was so nervous she forgot to speak English. "Hurry up!"
But the boatman had decades of experience and had seen tourists from every country, developing a talent for translating languages through expressions alone.
The denim-clad boatman looked around several times, unable to figure out who the man behind them was to Zheng You'an.
Definitely not her husband.
What woman would run from her husband?
Unless he was abusive.
"No, why are you running? Who is that guy?"
Seeing Zheng You'an stand up excitedly, the denim-clad boatman grabbed her arm, afraid she might fall. "Be careful!"
Yan An watched helplessly as the man took Zheng You'an's hand.
His eyes blazing, he ordered his boatman in a low voice to speed up.
Thus began a chase between the two small boats on the canal.
As Zheng You'an saw Yan An closing the distance, her heartbeat quickened.
What the hell!
He's insane!
Why is he chasing?!
"What are you doing?!" Zheng You'an couldn't help shouting at him. "Are you crazy?!"
Yan An didn't respond, walking toward the bow of his boat.
The distance between the two boats rapidly shrank.
Seconds later, gasps erupted all around.
Before Zheng You'an could react, someone wrapped an arm around her waist and lifted her onto the other boat.
Both boats rocked violently, nearly sending the denim-clad boatman into the river.
When Zheng You'an's feet touched the boat, she was still in shock.
The boat swayed as Yan An held her tightly.
"You're insane! What are you doing?!"
"Zheng You'an, stop moving!"
"You're crazy—ah!"
As Zheng You'an struggled and tried to step back, one foot suddenly slipped, drawing more gasps from tourists nearby.
Yan An never let go, pulling her back forcefully just as she was about to fall into the river.
He managed to pull her back, but both of them tumbled into the water from the other side.
The river instantly erupted into chaos—shouts, cries for "help" filling the air.
But before anyone could intervene, Yan An surfaced with Zheng You'an in his arms.
They clung to each other in the icy water.
Perhaps her brain was waterlogged, because Zheng You'an said dazedly, "I... I remember you really liked swimming."
Yan An closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "Zheng You'an, did I owe you in a past life?"
In the hotel suite, the doctor and Pei Qing were speaking quietly in the living room.
Zheng You'an sat wrapped in a blanket on the bedroom bed, not daring to look up.Yan An sat on the opposite sofa in his nightgown, his face deathly pale.
He never imagined he would ever be in such a wretched state in his life.
He woke up to find his wife gone, having even taken his private jet. Then, abroad, she was swiping his card to wine and dine handsome men. Shamelessly borrowing someone else’s plane to chase after her, he arrived only to see her deep in conversation with a guy sporting an afro.
He didn't want to say much, having caught the person, only to fall into the river in front of everyone.
He might end up trending on social media again soon.
But this time it was fine—the female lead was his wife, so his father couldn't say anything.
Yan An opened his mouth, wanting to say something to Zheng You'an, but found his throat burning with pain. Better to say nothing at all.
Zheng You'an was the same.
The temperature in the Netherlands at this time was no higher than five degrees Celsius, and both of them had fallen into the river. If they weren’t young, they could have died on the spot, their bodies left abroad.
So catching a cold was already a blessing from heaven.
Pei Qing came in with two cups of hot water, cautiously glancing at the two of them.
"T-take some more medicine."
While Yan An was drinking water, Pei Qing asked from the side, "Mr. Yan, should I book another room for you?"
"Book another room?" Yan An was amused by Zheng You'an’s assistant. "My wife is here, and I still need to book a separate room?"
Zheng You'an on the bed inexplicably trembled.
But she didn’t dare say anything.
"Oh, okay..." Pei Qing backed out of the room. "Then rest early. Call me if you need anything."
It was already ten o’clock at night.
From Yan An’s perspective, adjusting to the time difference, he hadn’t rested properly all day, and Zheng You'an had just been sick, so she was naturally tired too.
Yan An lifted the blanket and got into bed. "Let’s sleep."
Zheng You'an curled up like a shrimp on the other side of the bed, her back to Yan An, and whispered, "Why did you come?"
Yan An’s face was cold, his tone unfriendly. "If I hadn’t come, were you planning to go on a date with that afro guy today or invite sixteen naked men for some fun?"
Zheng You'an: "..."
So he had seen it.
Did he fly to the Netherlands because of that?
So he was... jealous?
Zheng You'an’s cheeks suddenly felt a little itchy, and she quietly rubbed them against the pillow.
"Are you jealous?"
Instantly, she heard Yan An take a sharp breath.
"Zheng You'an." Yan An turned over and pulled her toward him. "This isn’t about jealousy. If others see you doing these things, where would that leave my dignity?"
Only a dim floor lamp was lit in the room, and Yan An’s silhouette looked particularly soft in the hazy light.
Zheng You'an looked at him and asked softly, "So are you jealous or just worried about your dignity?"
The light was dim, but Yan An’s eyes were clear and bright.
It was the first time the two of them had stared at each other for so long, yet neither spoke.
The hotel’s heating system wasn’t loud, but at that moment, Zheng You'an felt as if the sound of a train was roaring past her ears.
After a while—
Maybe a few seconds, or maybe a few minutes—Yan An spoke.
He let out a shallow sigh first.
"Jealous, okay?"
Zheng You'an suddenly turned her back to him again without saying a word.
Yan An waited for a while, thinking she wouldn’t speak, and closed his eyes to sleep.
A long time later, Zheng You'an suddenly said, "I didn’t."
Yan An opened his eyes. "What?"
Zheng You'an: "I just took a photo and posted it on my social media, and only your secretary could see it. No one else could."
Yan An curled his lips into a smile. "Oh."
"I didn’t do anything else either," Zheng You'an continued. "I didn’t even touch their abs."
Yan An: "..."
He turned to his side and hooked his arm around Zheng You'an’s neck.
"You still wanted to touch their abs?"
Zheng You'an murmured, her face flushed. "I... I..."
"Haven’t you touched mine enough?"Yan An grabbed her hand and pressed it against his lower abdomen. "Feel it, feel it all you want."
Whether it was due to physiological reactions after falling into the water or not, Zheng You'an felt Yan An's body was unusually hot.
She immediately pulled her hand back and glared at him. "Have you gone mad?"
Yan An released her hand and gently rubbed her forehead.
"Almost."
That night, despite being ill and having taken medication with sedative effects, Zheng You'an hardly slept at all.
Neither did Yan An.
"Hey, I have three more questions for you," Zheng You'an said, still facing away from him. "Why didn't you send me a birthday greeting on my birthday?"
Yan An replied, "You ran off without a word, disappearing for over half a month as if you'd vanished from the face of the earth. Did you expect me to act like nothing happened and wish you a happy birthday?"
"Oh," Zheng You'an processed his answer. "So you were sulking?"
Yan An sighed. "If you say so."
As Zheng You'an opened her mouth to say more, Yan An suddenly interrupted her. "That's already the second question."
"You're that stingy?" Zheng You'an twitched the corner of her mouth. "Then I'll get straight to the point. Brother Yan An, do you like me?"
After her words fell, the room was filled with another long silence.
Zheng You'an faintly sensed that Yan An's breathing had become somewhat unsteady.
"Say something."
"Little An'an," he called her by the childhood nickname. "Otherwise, why do you think I traveled all the way to this godforsaken place?"
Zheng You'an swallowed. "I have a fever, and my mind isn't working well. Be more direct."
"Yes, I like you."
She looked into Yan An's eyes, studying them carefully, and it took a long while for those words to sink into her heart.
It really must be the fever, Zheng You'an thought, feeling a bit dizzy.
Oh, love is like a tank—whoever crashes into it goes into shock.
She quickly closed her eyes and said, "I'm going to sleep."
"Mm, sleep well."
Yan An reached out and wrapped his arm around her, resting his chin against her neck. "Listen to me while you fall asleep."
"We're already married, and I never intended to divorce casually. Besides, I'm not that young anymore—I'm past the age of youthful recklessness. Don't make things difficult for me. Let's live well together."
"Oh."
"Then, once you're better, we'll go home?"
"Oh," Zheng You'an nodded slightly. "Then let's make do and live together. It's not like we can just get divorced, right?"
On the day they returned, both of them slept through the entire flight.
They arrived home just at ten o'clock at night. The jet lag was unavoidable, but they were both exhausted.
So they went straight to bed.
Zheng You'an didn't know where to look, so she glanced around and noticed a box on the bedside table.
"What's this?"
She picked it up to examine.
Yan An watched her with a gentle smile.
After opening the box, Zheng You'an frowned.
"Whose necklace is this? All glittery and flashy, so tacky."
Yan An: "..."
He picked up the iPad beside him and flipped through a few pages. "No idea. Maybe the cleaning lady left it behind."
Another long silence followed. Zheng You'an shifted from sitting to lying down, curling up under the covers.
"Then I'll sleep?"
Yan An reached out to turn off the light. "Goodnight."
In the darkness, Zheng You'an looked at him and suddenly realized—could that necklace have been Yan An's birthday gift for her?
Then... what she said earlier must have been really inappropriate.
Zheng You'an cautiously reached out and poked Yan An's wrist.
Yan An turned his head, meeting Zheng You'an's bright, deer-like eyes.
So beautiful, so adorable.But he remained unmoved, turning back with an expressionless face.
“No.”
“Otherwise, you’ll run off again tomorrow.”
“……?”
All the pink bubbles in Zheng You’an’s heart shattered at that moment.
“Who wants to do it with you?!” Zheng You’an yanked the blanket and turned her back to him. “You’re the one whose brain is fried from fever!”
Yan An gave a light scoff, put down what he was holding, and leaned over her.
“Then shall we?”
The hazy moonlight filtered in patchily, illuminating only Yan An’s eyes.
His breath was shallow, yet it felt scorching against Zheng You’an’s face.
This was the first time they had such a questioning process before consummating their marriage.
Zheng You’an didn’t know how to answer, only slightly turning her face away.
Yan An lowered his head and gently kissed her cheek.
“Will you run away tomorrow morning?”
“No… I won’t… Mmm…”
The night was as gentle and calm as water.
Zheng You’an’s eyes grew hazy, the person before her blurring between reality and illusion.
Her chin was lifted, and the breath by her ear was scorching.
“Little An’an, have you ever called me ‘husband’?”
“Mmm…” Zheng You’an reached out and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Husband.”
In the morning, the alarm clock rang on time.
Before sleeping, Yan An, still not entirely at ease, had specifically set the alarm for six o’clock.
As soon as he opened his eyes, he instinctively looked toward the edge of the bed.
Unexpected, yet somehow expected—the side of the bed was empty.
He let out a long sigh.
So tired.
He was a CEO, not a bounty hunter chasing his wife all over the world.
So which country had his wife run off to today?
Yan An reached for his phone, despairing yet stubbornly preparing to call his secretary.
But next to the phone was a note. He picked it up and saw Zheng You’an’s handwriting.
“She was originally a wealthy heiress, but her family fell into decline. To save her family, she sacrificed herself in a marriage alliance. Her husband, however, looked down on her and wouldn’t even touch her. But one night, when she got drunk, he discovered her hidden charm. That day, they spent a passionate, exhilarating night together. Yet when he woke up, she was gone, leaving only a note by the bedside—”
Yan An wondered if he was still half-asleep, because he actually looked up at the headboard.
There really was a small note stuck there.
Yan An narrowed his eyes and leaned closer to read: Add my WeChat and send a 20-yuan red envelope to read the full story ^-^
Yan An: “…”
The door suddenly opened, and Zheng You’an peeked her head in.
“You’re awake?”
The tension in Yan An had already dissipated the moment he saw the line “Add my WeChat and send a 20-yuan red envelope to read the full story ^-^.”
He beckoned to Zheng You’an. “Where did you go?”
Zheng You’an walked toward him as she spoke. “I went to do some yoga.”
Yan An glanced at her neck and smiled. “You wear a necklace while doing yoga?”
“Oh…” Zheng You’an said, “I wanted to prove that this necklace isn’t actually that ugly. It mostly depends on who’s wearing it.”
Still drowsy in the morning, Yan An half-propped himself up in bed. Today, his mood was the most relaxed it had been in months.
“I can tell you don’t really like this,” he said, reaching out to touch her collarbone. “I’ll give you a new birthday gift. What do you want?”
“Can I choose anything?”
Zheng You’an looked at him expectantly.
Yan An nodded. “Yes, anything you want.”
Zheng You’an smiled, pressing her lips together, and hugged his arm. “Then let’s commemorate that strange adventure we had falling off the boat that day.”
Yan An: “Mmm.”Zheng You'an: "So buy me a yacht."
Yan An: "..."
After over a year of marriage, Zheng You'an felt like she was falling in love.
And she really wanted to show off to the whole world how amazing her boyfriend—no, her husband—was.
On the day the yacht arrived, she eagerly prepared a party.
Though she didn’t say it out loud, she felt this was her real "wedding," even if Yan An couldn’t make it today due to other commitments.
But there was no place to dock it in Jiangcheng, so it was moored in Jinxing City.
Zheng You'an invited many people. The yacht’s deck was piled high with champagne and desserts, and all the guests around couldn’t help but envy her.
"Is this what you call 'making do'?"
"I’d also like a husband who buys me a yacht to 'make do' with."
"Look at you smiling—your face is practically blooming."
"Alright, alright, go have fun." Zheng You'an’s face was indeed about to bloom with joy. She felt like the happiest woman in the world.
Just then, Ruan Sixian arrived.
Zheng You'an went up to greet her and asked, "Why are you so late? We were waiting for you."
Ruan Sixian looked travel-worn, with a hint of fatigue on her face. "My husband took me shopping. I’m exhausted."
"What happened?" Zheng You'an pulled her along to tour her yacht. "What did you buy that tired you out so much?"
"A plane," Ruan Sixian sighed. "We looked for a long time."
Zheng You'an: "..."
She lost.
She felt she had lost.
"Oh, don’t you already have one? Why buy another?"
"That model isn’t something I can fly. How am I supposed to go on self-drive trips in the future?"
Zheng You'an looked up into the distance. "Fine."
Meanwhile, both "husbands" were at the bank.
Proof of such high-value assets required their personal signatures.
As they stepped out of the VIP lounge, they ran into each other.
Both were startled by the other’s handsomeness in paying.
"What are you doing here?" Yan An asked. "Didn’t you go to Jinxing City?"
"No time," Fu Mingyu said, adjusting his cuff. "Didn’t you go to accompany your wife?"
"I’m the one who really had no time," Yan An replied, smiling at Fu Mingyu. "What do you mean 'no time'? It’s your wife who didn’t want you tagging along, right?"
Yan An guessed correctly.
Zheng You'an had invited almost all girls this time, and Ruan Sixian didn’t want to be the only one bringing her husband—how boring would that be?
Fu Mingyu didn’t respond.
Yan An picked up his phone and scrolled through WeChat.
A few minutes earlier, Zheng You'an, who was still hosting the party, had sent him two messages.
[Wife]: Husband, why aren’t you replying to my messages? tvt
[Wife]: Is it just because I didn’t message you? qaq
Though it was a bit unreasonable, it was still cute.
"Sigh, my wife is so clingy, always wanting kisses and hugs. I have to coax her," Yan An sighed. "Actually, I sometimes envy you."
Fu Mingyu: "Then get a divorce."
Yan An: "...No, I mean, why do you have to be so vindictive?"
That evening, Yan An and Fu Mingyu still went to Jinxing City.
The bright moon hung high in the sky, with no stars in sight.
"An'an, come here." Yan An came out of the shower, wrapped in a towel, and sat on the sofa, but his wife didn’t move for a long time.
Yan An had to walk to the balcony and hug Zheng You'an from behind.
"What are you daydreaming about?"
Zheng You'an kept looking up at the sky. "I was thinking, they can fly in the sky, but we can only sail on water. How boring."
Yan An felt a headache coming on.
"You still want to fly in the sky?"
"Husband, can we?"Zheng You'an looked at Yan An with anticipation once again.
Yan An gritted his teeth, "Fine, fine, whatever you want. How about outer space?"
"Husband." Zheng You'an pouted. "You don't love me anymore."
Yan An: "..."
He frowned and looked up at the sky, speechless for a moment.
Zheng You'an burst out laughing.
"Just kidding." She nudged Yan An. "Go change your clothes. I want to go out for a stroll."
What's there to stroll around for at this hour?
Yan An wondered this, but he didn't say it out loud. Otherwise, he'd be hit with another "husband, you don't love me anymore" attack.
On such a beautiful night, **every moment is precious, and he felt it really wasn't necessary to waste it.
"An'an." He didn't move, looking down at Zheng You'an. "I've always had a question I wanted to ask you."
"Hmm." Zheng You'an casually glanced at the scenery downstairs. "Go ahead."
Yan An held her head, making her look at him.
The man's hair was still dripping water, falling onto Zheng You'an's neck—cold yet tantalizing.
She pursed her lips, her gaze beginning to blur.
This scene, this atmosphere, was just perfect for a kiss.
Yan An stared straight at her: "Am I really not good in bed?"
Zheng You'an: "..."
Speechless. I am utterly speechless.
Why are you men so obsessed with this?
"I..." Zheng You'an struggled to speak. "Didn't I already say..."
"Doesn't count." Yan An pressed. "A woman's words in bed are just as unreliable."
"Oh..." Zheng You'an lowered her eyes, murmuring, "Anyway, I'm never faking it."
"Good."
Yan An let out a long sigh of relief.
His pride was restored.
Young Master Yan, satisfied, returned to the room to change into loose clothes and took Zheng You'an's hand as they headed downstairs.
Jinxing City was scorching hot today, and even at night, the temperature hadn't dropped below thirty degrees.
After walking just a few steps, Yan An was already complaining about the heat.
The surroundings were quiet, with no other lighting besides the streetlights, giving it quite an intimate atmosphere.
Yan An stopped and leaned against a lamppost.
"An'an."
"Hmm?" Zheng You'an turned back. "What's wrong?"
He pulled Zheng You'an into his arms. "A kiss?"
"No, no, no..." Zheng You'an pressed her hands against his chest to stop him. "What if someone sees us? The hotel guests here are all people I invited."
"No way." Yan An couldn't understand it. "Who would be so bored as to wander around here at night?"
It was dark, sweltering, and there were mosquitoes.
Only a gentleman like me would be willing to accompany his wife out.
But Zheng You'an paused. "What do you mean?"
After a few seconds of tense silence, Yan An gave up.
"Forget I said anything."
The two walked a few more steps before hearing soft murmurs ahead.
Yan An was speechless.
There really were people bored enough to wander around at night.
As they got closer, they realized they were familiar faces.
On a bench, Fu Mingyu and Ruan Sixian were sitting side by side.
Ruan Sixian turned at the sound of footsteps and smiled. "Couldn't sleep and came out for a walk too?"
Yan An forced a smile but said nothing.
The ones who couldn't sleep were probably just you two.
"Yeah." Zheng You'an said. "We came out for a walk."
As she spoke, she noticed Ruan Sixian holding a few roses and tugged at Yan An's sleeve.
"Husband, I want those flowers too."
Yan An looked solemnly at the flowers in Ruan Sixian's hand, thinking to himself that women were just like this—whatever someone else had, they wanted too.So he turned and walked toward the flower bed, where several clusters of roses happened to be planted.
As he reached out, he cursed inwardly.
Fu Mingyu, are you even human? Picking flowers from the roadside—have you no public decency?
But the moment he touched the stem, a sharp sting shot through his fingers, and Yan An sighed helplessly.
Fu Mingyu really has it tough.
After plucking the flower and handing it to Zheng You’an, Yan An checked his fingertip under the streetlight.
Sure enough, the skin was broken.
“Oh!” Zheng You’an noticed too. She didn’t take the flower, instead grabbing his hand. “You’re bleeding?”
Ruan Sixian, meanwhile, was laughing so hard she collapsed into Fu Mingyu’s arms.
“President Yan, what’s wrong with you? Don’t you know roses have thorns? I just grabbed this one from my hotel room—why did you have to go pick one from the roadside?”
Yan An felt a heavy weight in his heart and turned to look at Fu Mingyu.
—Control your wife.
But Fu Mingyu seemed to miss his gaze entirely. Leaning back in his seat, he lifted his chin toward Yan An.
“Come sit.”
The bench still felt spacious even with four people sitting on it.
A breeze swept by, and Zheng You’an and Ruan Sixian ran off to take photos by the fountain.
The moon reflected in the water, full and flawless.
“Hey, are you two planning to have kids?” Yan An asked casually.
Fu Mingyu hummed in acknowledgment.
“What a coincidence,” Yan An said. “We’re planning too. How about we become in-laws someday?”
Fu Mingyu: “No.”
—The End—
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