“If it weren’t for you, would he have what he has today? Just this Monday, he borrowed 5,000 yuan from you, didn’t he? And then turned around and used it to buy a diamond ring to propose to Li Qianqian. How shameless can he be?”
Xia Hongjun spat in disgust.
Cheng Zi was stunned, fragments of memory flashing through her mind…
It really did happen.
She blinked, finding it absolutely absurd!!!
The original owner’s monthly salary was 500 yuan, considered high income at the time. That 5,000 yuan wasn’t all hers—4,000 of it belonged to Xie Ci…
And it wasn’t even money Xie Ci personally gave her. He had been on a mission for half a year and hadn’t returned. As his family member, she had gone to his unit and collected his wages on his behalf.
Heh.
Quite impressive, huh?
“Tomorrow, we should go there.”
“Right, we should. Gu Yecheng is a heartless bastard, a real scumbag. We should go make a scene…” Xia Hongjun slapped the coffee table, her voice rising sharply.
Xie Ci returned at that moment. His hair was still dripping wet, and he was wiping it with a towel.
Xia Hongjun was startled again, and the words “make a scene” almost got stuck in her throat.
Xie Ci’s expression was dark. He didn’t say a word, went straight into his room, and slammed the door shut with a “bang.”
Cheng Zi: “……”
This… they should really communicate properly after he leaves. 5,000 yuan—she had to get it back.
Wait!
“Junjun, we’re not going tomorrow.”
“Ah?”
Xia Hongjun thought Cheng Zi was backing down. She quickly leaned closer, pointed at Xie Ci’s room, and lowered her voice, “Are we still going to act it out?”
Cheng Zi pushed her head away with one finger.
“No. I’m going to settle accounts these next two days. We’ll go when he holds his wedding banquet.”
“But they’re getting their marriage certificate tomorrow…”
“I don’t care about that.”
Xia Hongjun looked confused, but since childhood she had always listened to Cheng Zi. Whatever she said, she did.
“Alright then, we’ll go at the wedding banquet.”
“Mm.”
Cheng Zi already had her own plan. Gu Yecheng was broke—what was the point of confronting him now? What could he possibly repay with?
But at the wedding banquet, things would be different. There would be plenty of gift money collected…
“Zi, I’ll head off now. Xie Ci… is he okay?”
“He’s fine.”
“Then I’ll go?”
“Go already!”
Cheng Zi waved her off impatiently.
She got up and started looking for paper, pen, and the original owner’s passbook.
Old-office-worker habits kicked in—she began organizing her finances…
No money in hand, anxiety rising!!!
How was she supposed to survive in this book like this??
Xie Ci stayed in his room for a long while. When he heard no more noise outside, he finally opened the door.
The living room was empty.
He walked to the master bedroom doorway and saw a slender figure sitting at a desk, writing something.
Sunlight spilled through the window, and a fan blew the loose strands of hair by her ear, making her whole presence look faintly luminous… she looked quite beautiful.
“What are you standing there for?”
Cheng Zi didn’t look up. Seeing him standing there for so long, she asked casually.
That one sentence made Xie Ci’s heartbeat subtly quicken.
“Nothing.”
“Hubby, come here for a moment.”
Xie Ci’s raised foot paused, then after a moment of hesitation, he still walked over.
He subconsciously glanced at the paper on the desk.
Xie Ci: ?
He looked again.
Loans: 5,000 + 700 + 1,000 + 200 + 500 + 100…
Tuition: 2 years of high school 360, 3 years of college 600.
Living expenses: 50 per month × 60 months = 3,000.
A densely packed page full of numbers.
“Hubby, this is all the money I lent out. 4,000 of it is yours. I’m going to collect it back in a week.”
Cheng Zi didn’t hide anything at all. She intended to start with honesty and rebuild trust.
Since she had already ended up in a novel, and even got a husband assigned to her, she might as well make use of it.
If this guy didn’t work out, then divorce!
In the early 1990s, this was a golden era—if she had money, why would she lack a husband?
Xie Ci narrowed his eyes slightly. He immediately understood.
“You want me to go with you?”
“Me? Go with you?”
“Yes.”
“To Gu Yecheng’s wedding?”
“Yes.”
“I’m not going.” Xie Ci refused without hesitation. He had no intention of embarrassing himself like that.
Cheng Zi twirled her pen, then slammed it on the desk.
“Pa!”
Xie Ci raised his brows, thinking she was about to throw a tantrum again…
“Hubby~”
Cheng Zi turned and pulled him closer.
Xie Ci: !!!
His entire body stiffened.
Cheng Zi organized her thoughts.
“I’ll be honest with you today. I was foolish before, completely blinded, mistook trash for treasure, and let myself be played for years.
But now I’ve come to my senses, really. Believe me this once. Let’s live properly from now on, okay?”
Xie Ci had once had some favorable impression of her, but it had long since been worn away. Now, even basic friendliness between them was difficult.
He didn’t believe her sudden change at all…
But her eyes were full of sincerity, and her tone was soft. A man like Xie Ci, upright by nature, had no resistance to that kind of softness—especially when the woman was his nominal wife.
Seeing that he still didn’t respond, Cheng Zi simply stood up and tugged him closer again. She no longer even called him “hubby.”
“Comrade Xie Ci, I’ve already laid everything out. I’ve admitted my mistakes. Whether we can continue this marriage or not, give me a straight answer!”
Xie Ci was pulled slightly forward, his waist bending a little. After holding it in for a while, he couldn’t speak—but his face turned red first. He quickly placed a hand on her shoulder and pushed her back slightly.
“What are you doing?”
“Talking to you.”
“Then stand properly and talk.”
Cheng Zi: ?
Huh?
Seeing his flushed ears and cheeks, Cheng Zi suddenly burst out laughing.
“I didn’t say we can’t continue this marriage. It depends on your performance.”
She smiled brightly, showing eight white teeth.
“Alright then. Are you hungry?”
Xie Ci instinctively nodded.
“I’ll go make you something delicious.”
He nodded again.
The moment she turned away, he subconsciously reached out, but Cheng Zi was too quick—she slipped straight into the kitchen.
She planned to show off her skills.
If you want to win a man’s heart, you must first win his stomach.
“Does your head still hurt?”
“Only in waves. Not hurting right now.”
She poked her head out from the kitchen again and added, “If you don’t make me angry, it won’t hurt.”
Xie Ci: “……”
Sitting in the living room, Xie Ci’s thoughts became complicated.
He sat there, slowly drifting into thought.
Something felt… off.