Chapter 211 - Somehow Normal Night
After discreetly chugging down almost a pitcher of water after finishing off Lu Chen’s loving meal he cooked only for her. She did her best to ignore the lingering itch on her throat while they made their way back to the bedroom.
Xiu Mei had just finished her shower and was still drying her hair when she came out of the bathroom.
"Wife, come here." Lu Chen sat at the edge of the bed, patting the space next to him. She obediently walked over to him and sat next to him. But before she could turn her head to mouth to him her words, her towel was snatched by her husband as he held her place by grabbing her by the shoulders.
And then he started drying her hair with the bath towel carefully as if she’s like a fragile glass. Xiu Mei was a bit confused with his sudden actions but she sat still and let him do whatever he wanted.
"Did you have fun today?" Lu Chen asked while drying her hair. Xiu Mei opened her mouth before realizing her current situation again. She quickly grabbed the tablet at the bedside table and wrote her answer.
’I had fun. We played archery and relaxed.’
And my friend asked about you, is what she left unsaid. Recalling their conversation, her lips curled up.
"That’s good. Oh, if you want, we can also go back and play at the resort we went to last time with our son. We can go there over the weekend if you like it." Lu Chen proposed.
Xiu Mei paused to think for a second before shaking her head.
"You don’t want to? Why?"
’You still have a lot of work to catch up to. And Lu Qiang is busy with his projects and homework. It’s better to just rest this weekend instead of going out.’ is what she wrote.
She had been working for him for so long that she was well familiar with how much workload they have in the office. And since Lu Chen had just recently returned to the office, and recalling the mountain of files she had seen back when she visited him, she was one hundred percent sure that he is currently swamped with work and reports at the moment.
So she thought that resting and staying at home over the weekend would be the best choice right now.
Lu Chen wanted to refute her but Xiu Mei wrote another sentence.
’Don’t lie to me and say that you’re free or else, I’ll get angry.’ she added.
The words got stuck on his throat before he could open his mouth. He glanced at his wife’s face briefly and realized that she would really get angry if he tries to convince her so in the end, he could only swallow his words to his stomach.
"...Okay, I’ll listen to you. But next time, we should go back there alright?"
’Okay.’
While he busily dried her hair, she received a message from her girl best friends in the group chat. She felt a foreboding remembering what they told her before she left as her finger hesitantly hovered above the screen thinking whether to click it open tonight or not.
Speaking of, she completely forgot about warning Lu Chen about calling her ’wife’ in public. Maybe because they weren’t hanging out together in public as they like spending time just at home or in the office, she had gotten too used to him call her ’wife’ hence, she completely forgot that they are supposed to be in just a ’girlfriend-boyfriend’ relationship outside.
Right after she said those words, she was suddenly pulled from behind and found herself sitting on Lu Chen’s lap locked within his arms. She turned her head to meet his gaze and froze when she saw his current expression.
But before she could even react, Lu Chen’s phone rang to life. She heard him sigh in disappointment and frustration as he stood up to pick up his phone on the other side of the bedside table.
She observed him for a few seconds when he suddenly left the room in haste as if he was in a rush. Worried, Xiu Mei was about to follow behind him to see whether she could be of any help but this time, it was her phone that buzzed.
She glanced at her mobile and saw that she received another message from the group chat. After thinking for a moment, she glanced at the door before making up her mind to just wait for Lu Chen to return to talk to him about what happened.
JiayouJiaJia: MEIMEI! WHAT WAS THAT ALL ABOUT?!!! DID YOU MARRY MR.LU WITHOUT US KNOWING?!
Mrs.Lia: I smell betrayal.
IamTheChefJing: Mr.Lu called you wife!! Ahhhh! Isn’t that so sweet?
Dr.QiaoQing: Do contact me once you feel like you’re pregnant.
’...’ what the hell are they saying? Spouting nonsense at this time!!
MeiMei: I volunteer to leave this group.
IamTheChefJing: You’re finally here!
Mrs.Lia: *coughs* did Mr.Lu give you a hard time?
MeiMei: *sends a sticker of a rabbit glaring*
JiaoyouJiaJia: We still need tea. Don’t think we’ve already forgotten! What was that a while ago, huh?
Mrs.Lia: We didn’t receive any wedding candies either. That’s mean!
Dr.QiaoQing: I’m satisfied if you prepare a table of four with no minimum of twenty thousand RMB of food served.
MeiMei:...Qiao Qing, you’re crazy.
JiayouJiaJia: So does that mean you really got married?! *O_O*
Xiu Mei’s movements halted as she hesitated to answer her question.
Should she tell the truth or...should she just keep hiding it from them?
For a second, she wanted to keep the truth hidden from them for now but she recalled their conversation in the archery range this morning and how happy they were for her.
Guilt struck her heart as she continued hesitating about what she should do.
She finally made up her mind after thinking for almost a full minute. She was already barraged by the others with similar questions.
MeiMei: He just called me ’Wife’ and suddenly I’m married?
Mrs.Lia: Well, you got a point there.
JiayouJiaJia: So you’re not married. *cries* Please tell me you’re getting married soon so we can eat at the twenty thousand RMB table.
MeiMei: Then find others to get married ah.
JiayouJiaJia: Who should I find?
IamChefJing: For example, you Jia Ying?
JiayouJiaJia: Why should I!! Come on, I just turned into an A-list celebrity and hello, I’m not even in a relationship yet. Why don’t you ask Kei instead?
MeiMei: Ohhhhhhh should I message Kei to propose to you Jing Yan?
IamChefJing: I am out of here.
Dr.QiaoQing: Duty calls. Talk later.
JiayouJiaJia: AH! Qiao Qing ran away! I can’t believe it!!!
Mrs.Lia: I smell betrayal.
MeiMei: Lia, again?
IamChefJing: Lia just be honest. Are you having some marital issues right now or what? Seems like you’re taking it out on us ah.
Mrs.Lia: My husband doesn’t dare. I’m just frustrated and tempted to throw my daughter to your house at the moment. She’s having her tantrums for the nth time today and my ears are nearly bleeding from all her screaming.
JiayouJiaJia: No biggie, just dump my lovely goddaughter to my arms! I will welcome her!
Mrs.Lia: MeiMei, take over for me, please~
MeiMei: Why me ah?
JiayouJiaJia: *sends a heartbroken sticker*
IamChefJing: Goodluck!
MeiMei: Again, why me?
Mrs.Lia: Oh. She stopped crying. I take it back.
MeiMei:...
JiayouJiaJia:...
IamChefJing:...
JiayouJiaJia: Lia, tell us. You’re just playing with us, right?
MeiMei: Congrats, Jia Ying. You finally figured it out.
Mrs.Lia: If I really wanted to send my daughter away, I would have sent her back to my parents ah.
IamChefJing: *sends a smh sticker*
JiayouJiaJia: You all don’t love me.
Mrs.Lia: We really don’t.
MeiMei: Nah.
IamChefJing: They say to just keep your mouth shut if you don’t want to hurt others with your words. Sorry.
JiayouJiaJia:...I am breaking my friendship with you guys!!!
Xiu Mei got absorbed and amused at her chatting with her friends that she didn’t notice that she had already been chatting with them for almost an hour. A smile glued on her face as she closed the chat again. At the same time, she couldn’t help but feel guilty when she still decided on choosing not to tell the truth about her marriage with Lu Chen.
She bit her lip while putting away her phone.
Maybe she’ll find the right time later. Just... she’s really not ready to reveal it to them right now. Xiu Mei is genuinely hoping that they’ll understand her decision once they find out the truth.
She was just about to cover herself with the blanket when she finally realized something.
She scanned the room and noticed that Lu Chen hasn’t gone back ever since he answered the call. Her brows furrowed as she grew slightly worried.
What had suddenly come up for him to not return to their room all this time?