Secretary Li was taken aback, her eyes widening in surprise.
She paused before asking, “Who did you upset? Young Madam Gu or our Young Mistress Wen?”
Wen Zhan’s handsome face darkened, and he retorted irritably, “What does it matter to me whether Lu Kejun is angry or not?”
Secretary Li chuckled, suddenly switching to a respectful tone, “Your relationship with Young Madam Gu is common knowledge. How could it not concern you?”
“…” As the boss, Wen Zhan had some pride to maintain. He shot her a sharp look, signaling her to stop.
Understanding his meaning, Secretary Li nodded with a smile. “Since you’re trying to appease your own wife, it shouldn’t be difficult. Buy her a bouquet, get a gift, apologize, and say a few gentle words—women are actually quite easy to soothe. What they want is your attitude.”
Wen Zhan sounded skeptical, “Will that work?”
Secretary Li replied, “How would you know if you don’t try? If it doesn’t work, then put in more effort at night, Mr. Wen. As the saying goes, ‘Couples who quarrel by the bed make up by its foot.’ You know what I mean.”
“…” Wen Zhan was speechless.
Are middle-aged women always this bold?
Daring to speak like this to her superior right in the office.
His face flushed with embarrassment, and he couldn’t be bothered to respond.
Secretary Li laughed teasingly, “Why are you blushing? You two already have children—why pretend to be an innocent young man?”
Wen Zhan nearly jumped in frustration, waving his hand dismissively, “Enough, you may leave!”
Still smiling, Secretary Li proactively asked, “Should I order the flowers for you?”
“No need!” he snapped angrily.
Secretary Li turned to leave, but as she opened the door, she heard a reluctant voice from behind, “Order a bouquet.”
The female secretary smirked triumphantly and closed the door behind her.
Yujing Bay.
Mu Wanqing woke from her afternoon nap and continued browsing job postings online.
Ye Huan contacted her, “Qingqing, we’re moving in this weekend! Hahaha, I’m so excited!”
Hearing the good news, Mu Wanqing cheered up. “Do you need any help?”
“Not necessary, you have two kids to take care of.”
“It’s fine. There are plenty of people at home. I can go out during the day if needed.”
“In that case, come on over. I’ll treat you to a meal after we’re done, to celebrate my move.”
“Deal!”
After hanging up, Mu Wanqing browsed shopping websites to pick out a gift for her best friend’s new home.
In the evening, the sound of a car echoed in the courtyard.
She knew it was Wen Zhan returning and felt a shiver of unease, choosing not to go downstairs.
Unexpectedly, her bedroom door soon knocked open, and Aunt Zhou appeared with an excited smile. “Madam, come downstairs quickly! The third young master has prepared a surprise for you!”
Mu Wanqing was baffled. “A surprise? What do you mean?”
How could Wen Zhan possibly prepare a surprise for her?
Seeing her disbelief, Aunt Zhou stepped forward and pulled her up. “Hurry down! You’ll understand when you see it!”
Though her face showed confusion and her steps were reluctant, Mu Wanqing’s heart was already stirring with anticipation.
As she descended the stairs, she spotted the elegant figure in the living room.
Wen Zhan was rolling up his sleeves, bending over to play with the babbling siblings in the stroller.
Remembering the “surprise,” Mu Wanqing instinctively scanned the living room.
Her gaze halted after just a half-sweep, captivated by a vibrant bouquet.
On the coffee table in the reception area stood an enormous bunch of tulips—noble, delicate, and exquisitely packaged in a blend of luxury and freshness.
Was this… for her?
She had never received flowers before.
Who would have thought her first bouquet would come from Wen Zhan?
Aunt Zhou saw her standing still and nudged her again. “Go on, talk to the third young master. You already have children together, you should live peacefully.”
At her age, Aunt Zhou clearly understood everything.
Lately, the mistress had been demanding a divorce, and their relationship had reached an unprecedented level of tension.
Today, the third young master brought flowers home—wasn’t this his way of lowering his pride to reconcile?
Although he had indeed gone too far in the past, men—especially powerful, influential, and wealthy ones—all had their flaws.
As long as he was willing to make amends and humble himself, their life together could still work out.
After all, with two children so young, how could they be without their mother?
Their movements caught Wen Zhan’s attention. He straightened up and turned to look over.
Mu Wanqing had no time to avert her gaze, and their eyes met across the room. Instantly, her cheeks flushed as if burning, heating up rapidly.
When Wen Zhan saw his wife, his heart also stirred restlessly.
He had brought flowers back, but his pride prevented him from handing them to her personally.
They stood there staring at each other from a distance, trapped in an awkward silence for a few seconds before the man asked quietly, “Is dinner ready?”
The servant immediately replied, “Yes, yes! We’ll serve it right away.”
Wen Zhan headed toward the staircase. “I… need to change clothes upstairs.”
As he brushed past her, Mu Wanqing’s heart rippled faintly.
Aunt Zhou nudged her encouragingly. “The third young master is reserved; don’t take it to heart. The flowers are for you anyway, go accept them.”
“…” Mu Wanqing wasn’t that bold. Blushing, she turned to check on the babies.
During the meal, Wen Zhan was noticeably gentler than usual.
Noticing seafood on the table, he instructed the servants, “The mistress can’t eat seafood. Don’t prepare it anymore from now on. Ask her what she’d like and make that instead.”
The servant was startled and stammered an explanation, “But if the mistress can’t eat it, what about you…”
“I don’t need it either.”
“Alright, understood.”
He enjoyed seafood, so it had always been a staple on the dining table.
He had never paid attention to what the woman sharing his meals preferred. After the incident at noon, his conscience had stirred, and he finally thought to consider his wife’s tastes.
Mu Wanqing clearly understood his intention and murmured, “It’s not necessary. There are plenty of dishes; I have enough to eat. Just let the kitchen make whatever you want.”
“I’m not particular about food either.”
“…” She didn’t respond further.
Their dynamic had shifted significantly over the past few days, and Mu Wanqing couldn’t grasp what he truly meant.
She could sense he didn’t want a divorce, but why?
Was it because the children were too young to be separated from their “wet nurse”? Or because the patriarch was critically ill, the family faced asset restructuring, and they needed her to fill a quota?
She had been firm in her resolve, but his sudden change left her unsettled and uncertain about what to do.
Lately, they had been sleeping in separate rooms.
But tonight, the servants suddenly stripped all the bedding from the guest room, claiming it needed washing.
When she went to look for new bedding, they surprisingly said there was none.
Wasn’t this indirectly forcing her back to the master bedroom?
Mu Wanqing stood frozen in the guest room, staring at the bare mattress, torn between choices…
Her phone rang, snapping her out of her thoughts. She picked it up and glanced at the screen.
Her dilemma deepened…
Wen Zhan: 【The baby is crying. Aren’t you done yet?】
In truth, he knew where she was and what she was doing. Asking was merely a way to offer her an excuse.
Reminding her to come feed the baby once she was free.
Mu Wanqing stared at her phone for a couple of seconds, then suddenly grew puzzled—Wait, why was he the one soothing the baby?
Normally, the confinement nanny would bring the baby to her.
It seemed the “net of heaven and earth” had been cast—she had no way to escape.
In the quiet night, the cries of the two little babies echoed loudly. Mu Wanqing could hear them even from the guest room. Finally, gritting her teeth, she had no choice but to give in.
Pushing open the master bedroom door, she saw Wen Zhan holding one baby in his arms while the other lay in the stroller.
Frowning, she quickly stepped forward and picked up the older brother from the stroller, complaining to the man, “If you can’t handle it, why didn’t you hand them over to the confinement nanny?”