Shang Chenzhou’s temperament was well known to Han Junshao and Fu Tang.
They didn’t dare say anything further.
Xiao Yan looked at them thoughtfully.
He didn’t understand why Han and Fu had such strong opinions about the boss’s wife.
Saturday morning.
Shang Chenzhou dragged his exhausted body back to the apartment.
After entering, he found the place completely silent.
He thought Fang Xihe was still asleep, so he moved lightly, took off his coat, hung it up, and walked inside.
No one was on the bed.
The bathroom door was open—empty.
There was no sign of Fang Xihe in the kitchen either.
He took out his phone and called her.
It rang for a while before she picked up.
“Hubby, what is it?”
“Where are you?”
Only then did Fang Xihe remember she hadn’t told him about working on Saturdays.
“I’m at the company. From now on, our company works on Saturdays too. We’ve switched to one day off a week.”
A flash of displeasure crossed Shang Chenzhou’s face.
“Do you get off on time? I’ll come pick you up.”
She originally wanted to say no, but remembering her “lovey-dovey girlfriend” persona, she replied brightly,
“5:30 off work. I’ll be waiting for you.”
“……”
He pressed his lips together and hung up.
Fang Xihe shivered at the sudden goosebumps and put her phone away, returning to her desk to continue working.
Shang Chenzhou took a shower, set an alarm, and lay down on the bed.
The bedding carried Fang Xihe’s scent—faint and clean.
……
At 5:30 p.m., Fang Xihe immediately shut down her computer and left.
Just as she reached downstairs, her phone rang.
It was Wang Yuan.
She paused slightly before answering.
“Wang Yuan.”
“Xihe, I’m having hotpot with Feifei tonight. Do you want to come?”
Fang Xihe looked up and saw a tall figure under the streetlight outside.
He stood out even in a crowd—handsome, upright, and impossible to ignore.
“I won’t go. My husband is picking me up. I’m tired today and want to go home and rest.”
There was a two-second pause.
“You two made up?”
“Yes.”
“Alright then.”
Wang Yuan hung up.
On the other side, she said to Zhuan Feifei, “Xihe isn’t coming.”
Feifei sighed, “I told you not to call. It’s the weekend—of course she wants time with her husband.”
Wang Yuan forced a stiff smile.
……
Fang Xihe put her phone away and walked toward Shang Chenzhou.
“Hubby.”
He coughed slightly and looked away.
She naturally took his arm.
“Do you not like me calling you that?”
“No.”
Just… not used to it.
“If you like it, I’ll keep calling. Hubby, let’s go rent a bike.”
“Mm.”
They returned to the apartment.
Shang Chenzhou went straight to cook.
After six straight days of work, Fang Xihe felt half-dead. She changed into home clothes and collapsed on the sofa.
Just as she was about to relax, her mother’s call came in.
She had no choice but to answer.
The voice on the other end was loud and chaotic.
“Xihe! Your dad and I are in Jiangcheng to see you. We just got off the high-speed train. Send us your address—we’ll take a taxi there!”
“……”
Her mind went blank.
All fatigue vanished instantly.
She stood up sharply.
“What?! Why are you here?!”
The noise was so loud that Shang Chenzhou walked out of the kitchen wearing an apron, holding a spatula.
“What’s wrong?”
She rushed over, pushed him back into the kitchen, and slammed the door.
Shang Chenzhou’s face darkened slightly.
But she had no time to care.
Her mother’s voice continued, shouting, “Stop wasting time! Send the address!”
Then she hung up.
Fang Xihe rushed into the kitchen.
“Shang Chenzhou, it’s over! My parents are here!”
“What do we do? They’re asking for the address. How am I supposed to explain that I live with you? They’ll explode!”
She paced back and forth in panic.
Then she suddenly thought of something.
She grabbed his arm.
“Can you move back to the company temporarily?”
He looked down at her without saying a word.
His gaze was heavy and unreadable.
Her heart sank.
Great. The relationship they just repaired was ruined again.
He had only just come back after a week away, and now she was kicking him out again.
Of course he would be angry.
She hesitated, thinking maybe she should just confess everything.
At that moment, he pulled her hand away and walked out without a word.
He took out a large black suitcase from under the bed.
Opened the wardrobe.
Packed his clothes one by one.
Then went to the bathroom to pack his toiletries.
Throughout the entire process, he said nothing.
Guilt flooded her.
She felt like she was being absolutely awful.
Her mother sent another voice message.
She didn’t listen and sent the address.
A few minutes later, Shang Chenzhou dragged his suitcase to the door.
He reached out to open it.
She suddenly rushed forward from behind and hugged him.
“Hubby… don’t go. I’ll tell my parents the truth later.”
The dark emotion in his eyes slowly faded.
He turned around, cupped her face, and kissed her.
Their lips met.
Breaths tangled.
This was the first time he had kissed her on his own initiative.
No—second time.
The first time had been rejected by her.
A bite of the lip, then deeper.
Completely different from before.
Their heartbeats were loud and chaotic.
Electricity surged through her body.
She grabbed his shirt tightly.
After a long moment, he finally let go.
His dark eyes were deep and unreadable.
His thumb brushed her slightly swollen lips.
“I’m leaving.”
He dragged the suitcase out.
Her mind was still dizzy.
His compromise made her feel guilty.
But there was no time to dwell on it.
She checked the apartment carefully.
Making sure nothing of his was left.
Then she noticed a pair of men’s underwear and socks hanging on the balcony.
She quickly grabbed them and stuffed them into the cabinet.
Half an hour later, her parents arrived.
She let them in.
Her mother looked around the small apartment.
“Aren’t you sharing a place? Why are you living alone now? This must be expensive.”