Zheng Wanwan was in the middle of eating when she suddenly received a text message from the training ground, saying that the person she had disciplined during the day was currently causing a scene at the hospital.
Pei Lan noticed Zheng Wanwan narrowing her gentle, doe-like eyes, a slight curve forming at the corners of her lips. She looked captivating, yet carried an indescribable sense of “danger.”
“What’s wrong?” Pei Lan asked in a low voice.
Zheng Wanwan set her phone aside. “I’ll need to head to the training ground in a bit to handle something.” As she spoke, she picked up a shrimp with her chopsticks and chewed it slowly.
Pei Lan felt like he couldn’t swallow another bite. He wiped his mouth and took a sip of light tea.
“You—”
Zheng Wanwan was lost in thought when Pei Lan suddenly planted a kiss on her lips.
Pei Lan’s long eyes dropped downward. “I know. It won’t happen again.” With that, he picked up his chopsticks and continued eating.
After the meal, Pei Lan was about to leave when he was informed the bill hadn’t been paid yet. Although it was their own hotel, the manager would have trouble with the shift handover if the bill wasn’t settled.
Zheng Wanwan’s brows curved as she barely suppressed her laughter. Bai Miaomiao kept a tight leash on Pei Kaixin—if you pooled together everything in his pockets, you couldn’t scrape together enough for a pack of cigarettes.
Otherwise, he’d buy smokes the moment he stepped out the door.
After paying, Pei Lan draped his arm over Zheng Wanwan’s shoulder. Truth be told, he rather envied his brother—at least someone kept him in check.
“Honey, when we get back, I’ll—”
Before Pei Lan could finish, Zheng Wanwan cut him off with a direct refusal: “Don’t bother. Who knows where your money comes from.”
Pei Lan said unhurriedly, “Don’t I look like a legitimate businessman?”
Zheng Wanwan made a move as if to pull out her compact mirror from her bag. “Come now, Professor Pei, take a look at yourself—this scoundrel look of yours. Where exactly do you resemble a legitimate businessman?”
Pei Lan pushed up his glasses and said nothing.
The moment they reached the parking lot, Zheng Wanwan handed the car keys to Pei Lan and promptly opened the passenger door to sit inside.
Her little sedan was just for getting around—mainly because it was easy to park.
After Pei Lan got in, Zheng Wanwan couldn’t bear to look and simply turned her head away.
His legs were too long. Driving this kind of small car, his legs were cramped and his head brushed the ceiling—like trying to stuff a one-meter doll into a sixty-centimeter storage box. It worked, but it was suffocating.
When he sat in the passenger seat, he could slide the seat all the way back and recline slightly.
“Forget it, I’ll drive instead.” Zheng Wanwan opened the door and got out. She had done that on purpose—she just wanted to see Pei Lan at a loss.
Pei Lan got out of the car, his hand resting on the door frame. His wife wanted to tease him—what could he do?
Zheng Wanwan drove, intending to drop Pei Lan off at home first, since he still had to get up early for class at the university the next day. But he refused.
“The matter is easy to resolve. It won’t take much time.” As she spoke, Zheng Wanwan popped a lollipop into her mouth.
Pei Lan’s gaze drifted to the lollipop in Zheng Wanwan’s mouth. “Honey, can I have a taste?”
Zheng Wanwan was taken aback. While waiting at a red light, she reached for another one—only to have her lips kissed.
“Thanks, honey.” Pei Lan sat back after saying this.
An unnatural flush crept up Zheng Wanwan’s ears. She thought he actually wanted the lollipop!
The car stopped at the Central City Hospital. Zheng Wanwan opened the trunk and rummaged around for a moment, then led Pei Lan to the inpatient department.
It was just a dislocated jaw. The doctor at the training ground had already popped it back into place, but the man kept insisting he was in pain and demanded to be examined at a proper hospital. Even after the doctor said nothing was wrong, he insisted on being admitted.
Zheng Wanwan got a general sense of the situation—the man was called Hu Hai, twenty-three years old, and had previously worked as a mall security guard, which was how he’d passed the interview and gotten hired.
“It’s the middle of summer—don’t wrap your arm around me.” Zheng Wanwan said, her delicate face tensing as she glared at Pei Lan. Even through several layers of fabric, she could feel his body heat, like he was a portable heater.
Pei Lan released her waist and instead took her hand directly into his palm.
Settling for second best.
After all, they were at the hospital, so Zheng Wanwan could only let him have his way.
Zheng Wanwan normally didn’t notice it—she wasn’t short by any means—but walking next to Pei Lan, she looked especially petite. One of his steps equaled one and a half of hers; fortunately, he walked slowly.
Hu Hai wasn’t even in a regular ward—he’d been put straight into a VIP private room. Though since it was a top-tier hospital, it wasn’t all that expensive.
“Stand at the door and wait for me for a moment.” Zheng Wanwan squinted, her voice unconsciously turning cold.
Pei Lan pushed up his glasses.
The couple shared one common trait—one played at being refined, the other played at being gentle.
When Zheng Wanwan opened the ward door, Feng Xi turned her head to look. She was the company’s chairman, and with something like this happening, of course she had to come see for herself. Though mainly, it was because this whole thing was her own daughter’s doing.
“Mom, step aside.” As she spoke, Zheng Wanwan pulled a collapsible baton straight from her sleeve. Without another word, she swung it at the person on the bed, raining blows down on his head and face.
“What the hell—murder!”
“Ah—”
“Damn it, that hurts, that hurts! Are you fucking crazy?!”
Hu Hai didn’t even have time to react. Earlier today in the infirmary, he’d heard that the person who’d dislocated his jaw was the company boss’s daughter. On second thought, he’d been worrying about being short on cash—if he didn’t extort a few tens of thousands from her, it wouldn’t do justice to her status.
Feng Xi hurried forward to stop her: “Wanwan!”
Pei Lan stood at the ward entrance, arms crossed, showing no intention whatsoever of stepping in to help.
Zheng Wanwan pointed the baton at Hu Hai, who was hiding under the blanket: “I’ve got money, alright—I’m just worried you won’t live to spend it.” With scum like this, give in once and they’ll haunt you for the rest of your life trying to squeeze you dry.
Hu Hai’s muffled voice came from under the covers: “You just wait—I’m calling the fucking police!”
“Fine by me…” Zheng Wanwan’s brows lowered, her chin slightly raised, looking down with contempt at the man hiding under the blanket: “Stick your head out, and I’ll hand you my phone—how about that?”
Hu Hai didn’t dare move a muscle. He was afraid that if he stuck his head out, the crazy woman outside would bash him with that baton.
“I’m giving you two options right now. Either check yourself out and get the hell out of here, or I beat you into a cripple and you stay here for the rest of your life.” Zheng Wanwan glanced at Feng Xi as she spoke, then raised the baton and swung it at the figure under the blanket.
“Ah—”
Hu Hai threw off the covers and ran out barefoot: “Ah!! Murder! Someone in here is trying to kill me!”
Zheng Wanwan casually tossed the baton to Pei Lan.
Pei Lan collected it without changing his expression.
As the saying goes—the wicked are always dealt with by…
With Hu Hai making such a racket, the doctors and nurses outside, along with the other patients, all turned to look.
“Doctor! In there—someone in there is trying to kill me!” Hu Hai pointed at the ward and shouted at the top of his lungs.
Zheng Wanwan and her mother Feng Xi stood in front of the ward, wearing expressions of utter bewilderment—they might as well have had the words “WE’RE INNOCENT” tattooed across their faces.
The doctor glanced at Zheng Wanwan, seeing her look utterly bewildered, her gentle eyes filled with concern—a look he had only ever seen on patients’ family members.
“Doctor, what’s wrong with him? Is it serious?” Zheng Wanwan asked softly, her voice tinged with uncertainty.
The nurse pulled Hu Hai aside: “Stop shouting first. What happened? Who’s trying to kill you?”
“It’s that crazy woman! She brought a stick into the hospital—look what she did to me!” Hu Hai said, rolling up his hospital gown.
The patients gathered around watching all wore expressions of “this guy’s lost his mind.”
This was a hospital. Bringing a stick inside?
And the woman he was pointing at looked frail and delicate—it would be a miracle if she wasn’t the one getting beaten.
“Doctor, with his jaw dislocated, could there be damage to his brain?” Zheng Wanwan said anxiously.
The doctor looked at Hu Hai: “In theory, no. And his dislocated jaw has already been reset.” In plain terms, they knew Hu Hai was just trying to extort money, but they were only doctors—they couldn’t handle this kind of matter.
Hu Hai turned to look at Zheng Wanwan.
Zheng Wanwan looked back at him with an innocent expression, yet he felt as though he were being stared down by a venomous snake, a chill running down his spine.
He had a feeling that if he stayed here any longer, she would beat him crippled and leave him lying in this hospital for the rest of his life.
“Psycho!” Hu Hai said, then turned to the doctor: “I want to check out. I’m not staying.”
Feng Xi stepped forward: “You should stay a couple more days. That way we can rest easy.”
“Y-yeah… stay a couple more days,” Zheng Wanwan said slowly.
Hu Hai shook his head. He was worried that the woman before him would suddenly burst into his room while he was sleeping and beat him crippled—then he’d really have money with no life left to spend it.
Feng Xi gave Hu Hai two thousand yuan in front of everyone, then advised him to go see the psychiatric department…
The doctor suggested the same thing, though whether he went was up to him.
Pei Lan had watched the whole thing from start to finish. Honestly, he wasn’t surprised at all. Back in school, a few clueless types had noticed that Zheng Wanwan was wealthy and soft-natured, and tried to corner her for some pocket money.
He had been about to pick her up after class when he saw her take on five of them at once, beating them until they knelt on the ground kowtowing to her.
Not allowed to leave until they’d kowtowed ten times.
She was only in middle school back then.
But most of the time, she was quiet and delicate—even asking him for ice cream was done in a soft, timid voice.
After the three of them left the hospital, Zheng Wanwan exchanged a few words with Feng Xi, then told the driver to take it slow.
“Wanwan, you need to work on that temper of yours. This time you ran into someone timid. If you run into someone bold, that trick of yours might not work,” Feng Xi said, lowering the car window.
Zheng Wanwan bent down, obedient and demure: “Mom, don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.” She would handle things her own way.
Against someone like Hu Hai, this method worked best. If she encountered a similar situation with someone of a different character, her approach would differ accordingly.
She wasn’t stupid.
“Little Bamboo, I bought you some new tea. Remember to come home and pick it up this week,” Feng Xi said, glancing at Pei Lan, who had been standing to the side, mostly silent the whole time.
“Thank you, Mom,” Pei Lan said, slipping an arm around Zheng Wanwan’s waist.
Feng Xi didn’t say anything more. After a few parting words, she rolled up the window.
Zheng Wanwan stood in place, her voice slightly hoarse: “You saw it too. I’m actually terrible. Everything before was an act—the gentleness, the thoughtfulness—all of it was fake.”
She had thought that even if she were bound in shackles for the rest of her life, she would willingly accept it—as long as she could marry Pei Lan.
“I hold grudges. I’m petty. I repay every slight, and I’m not a purely good person.” Zheng Wanwan said, looking at Pei Lan. “The Zheng Wanwan you imagine in your mind—she’s all fake.”
Pei Lan listened seriously, then leaned down, his lips brushing against Zheng Wanwan’s ear. “I’ll love my wife no matter what she’s like.”
Had she forgotten—they had grown up together…
On the way back, Zheng Wanwan drove in silence. She suddenly felt she couldn’t quite read Pei Lan anymore.
When they got home, Zheng Wanwan tossed her bag onto the sofa. Her afternoon nap hadn’t been restful—she kept waking up, and it left her more exhausted than if she hadn’t slept at all.
Pei Lan took off his jacket and saw Zheng Wanwan standing in front of the refrigerator looking weary. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her from the back.
His tall figure blocked out most of the light. Zheng Wanwan felt the warmth at her back and his distinctive scent…
“Wife, I’ve been thinking about you all day.” Pei Lan didn’t hide his affection. He lowered his head and gently sucked on Zheng Wanwan’s earlobe.
Zheng Wanwan felt her body go weak in an instant, a tingling numbness spreading through her. By her ear was the sound of unsteady, heavy breathing.
The burning kisses trailed down from her earlobe, finally landing on the pale skin of her neck.
Zheng Wanwan struggled free with force, looking at Pei Lan with some anger. “When I offered myself to you, you didn’t want it. Now you come bothering me again!” Without looking back, she walked toward the bedroom.
Pei Lan paused to steady himself, then opened the refrigerator, took out some fresh milk, and headed into the kitchen. Had it been that he didn’t want it back then?
Zheng Wanwan touched her neck. Was he refusing to divorce because he hadn’t gotten what he wanted, and couldn’t let go?
“Wife, the milk is warmed up.” Pei Lan stood at the doorway, speaking softly.
Zheng Wanwan shot Pei Lan a glare. “Stop with the ‘wife, wife’…” Every single sentence had to include “wife,” as if without saying it, she might run off at any moment.
Before they got married, Pei Lan had called her his little girlfriend in private. Back then, she felt she could never hear it enough.
Pei Lan walked up to Zheng Wanwan’s ear and said three words in a low, husky voice—only to get pinched in response.
“Don’t call me that!” Zheng Wanwan wished she could find a crack in the floor to crawl into. It was so embarrassing.
Back then, she had told Pei Lan that she would definitely give him a daughter, and that in the future, he could call her “Duoduo’s mom” directly.
That’s right—the nickname she’d picked for their future daughter was Duoduo…
Pei Lan’s narrow, elongated eyes softened with tender amusement. “I won’t tease my wife anymore. The warm milk will get cold soon.” With that, he took hold of her wrist.
Actually, her pinch hadn’t been hard, but his waist couldn’t be touched—everyone had different sensitive spots.
His were on his inner thighs and around his waist.
Zheng Wanwan walked out of the bedroom with red cheeks. Who said anything about giving him a daughter? She must have lost her mind back then.
Pei Lan went into the study and came out a moment later holding his laptop.
“What era is this? Someone actually requested leave saying their brother has hemorrhoids.” Zheng Wanwan said, holding her milk cup.
Pei Lan looked at the leave request email. “…”
“They should’ve just said they have hemorrhoids themselves.” Zheng Wanwan finished speaking and looked at Pei Lan. “You’re not going to check, are you?”
Having a professor like that—you couldn’t even find a good wall to cry against.
Pei Lan pushed up his glasses and replied to the student’s leave request email.
“Even Zhou Bapi would kneel down and kowtow twice to you.” Zheng Wanwan set her milk cup aside.
Pei Lan actually made them write an additional after-class summary, and then doubled the weekend homework…
At Aster University, homework was assigned even during holidays, even for fourth-year students about to graduate.
Pei Xiuyan had once said that getting into university was only the beginning, not the end.
Pei Lan looked at Zheng Wanwan seriously and said, “Honey, can I have a taste?”