Tang Wei groggily opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was Lu Jinshi’s face. Before she could fully wake up, a voice dripping with allure slipped into her ears.
“It’s alright, I’ll carry you to bed. You’ll be much more comfortable there.”
Her eyelids sank shut again, heavy as lead.
Lu Jinshi tucked the blanket around her, quietly closed the bedroom door, and made a phone call.
“Look into everything about Tang Wei.”
Tang Wei?
Xu An was momentarily stunned. “Who’s that?”
“My wife.”
“Wife… oh, right, got it. Right away.”
Xu An hung up the phone, a flicker of surprise passing through his eyes.
Wife…
Tsk tsk…
He’d almost forgotten—their CEO was no longer a single man.
Though that “wife” had rolled off his tongue a little too smoothly.
…
Ten minutes later.
Lu Jinshi stared at the dossier Xu An had sent over, his expression growing increasingly grim.
He shut down the computer, braced his hands on the desk, and a cold, sinister light flickered in his sharp, eagle-like dark eyes. His face was utterly forbidding.
The dossier spelled it out in black and white.
Her boyfriend of many years had gotten tangled up with her own younger sister—that alone was bad enough. But whether it was to curry favor with Tang Yining or simply out of spite for Tang Wei’s well-being, Qi Yanzhi had apparently been using the studio to pressure her these past few days.
Over the past month, the studio’s staff had left one by one.
Just yesterday, the studio’s landlord had told her to move out quickly—the space was no longer being rented to her…
Pushed to the wall with no way out, Tang Wei had given up her beloved photography that very day and shut down the studio.
No wonder she’d been so wary and resistant toward him from the start. No wonder her trust in marriage was so low.
Qi Yanzhi…
He narrowed his eyes. That name had come up quite a bit lately.
He’d heard that the man had led the Tang Group to secure several major projects, single-handedly elevating the stagnant company to a new level.
He’d successfully claimed the position of vice president at the Tang Group, making him a conspicuous figure in the business world now.
But could someone capable of doing this to Tang Wei really possess such ability?
After a long moment, he pulled out his phone and made another call.
Xu An’s nervous voice came through. “President Lu, did you not receive the dossier?”
Lu Jinshi paused, his cool voice carrying clearly through the phone into Xu An’s ears.
“How do you deal with morning sickness?”
Huh?
Xu An briefly thought he’d misheard.
He’d been on edge, mentally braced for something serious, and all he got was this?
It was like being told to drop his pants only to be asked to pass gas.
But on second thought, this kind of question was far easier than company matters—and it happened to be right in his wheelhouse.
Thinking of how Tang Wei had been vomiting her guts out at the restaurant, Xu An felt a flicker of understanding. He cleared his throat and said seriously, “Morning sickness is a normal physiological reaction. You can’t cure it, only alleviate it.”
“You can stock up on things like dried sour plums. Have her eat one when she feels nauseous—it helps.”
“Also, make sure she eats small meals more frequently, and keep the food light and mild.”
“Pregnant women’s moods tend to fluctuate. You absolutely must keep her in good spirits. If there’s any disagreement, defer to her. Whatever you do, never, ever argue.”
“And after meals, you can also take her for walks…”
Xu An rattled off a long list with great expertise.
Lu Jinshi leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping lightly on the desk, silently committing it all to memory. When Xu An finished, he gave a faint “Mm.”
Xu An: “?”
He’d said all that and only got an “Mm”?
Well, fine. It was Lu Jinshi, after all—nothing unusual about that.
“President Lu, anything else?”
Lu Jinshi’s tapping fingers stilled, a dark glint flashing in his eyes. “There’s one more thing I need you to handle…”
…
The bedroom.
Tang Wei stared at the unfamiliar surroundings, her mind a complete blank, and only came to her senses after a moment.
She was already married. She’d already moved into Lu Jinshi’s home.
Sitting on the bed, Tang Wei rubbed her brow.
But… she remembered sitting on the sofa, didn’t she?
How had she ended up lying in bed when she opened her eyes?
A vague image of Lu Jinshi’s face flickered through her mind, and that seductive voice seemed to echo in her ears again. Tang Wei’s hand paused mid-motion.
So it hadn’t been a dream.
She turned her head to look at the sky outside the window.
The setting sun hung lazily in the sky, the western horizon brushed with a faint rouge tint.
She’d slept that long?
How strange. She’d always been particular about her surroundings—she remembered that when she first moved into her new place, she’d slept fitfully for two straight days, waking up almost as soon as she dozed off.
Yet in this completely unfamiliar environment, she’d slept so soundly.
Tang Wei let out a sigh. She supposed she really had been too exhausted lately.
She went downstairs. The villa was utterly quiet.
Lu Jinshi was leaning back on the sofa, a laptop in front of him, his expression serious and focused, fingers flying across the keyboard as if he were very busy.
Tang Wei softened her footsteps, but Lu Jinshi had already noticed her.
He closed the laptop and rose to pour her a glass of water.
“Thank you.”
Tang Wei took a small sip, a faint ripple stirring in her heart.
She didn’t know whether getting married was right or wrong, nor what the days ahead would be like. But if they could continue living together with such mutual respect, it seemed fine as well.
“Sit down and rest. I’ll cook.”
Before Tang Wei could snap back to her senses, his deep voice sounded in her ear again.
Tang Wei looked over and saw Lu Jinshi take two steps, then suddenly stop.
He picked up a box from the side, opened the lid, and handed it to her. “Eat this when you feel uncomfortable.”
It was a box of dried sour plums.
Tang Wei looked up at him in surprise. “When did you buy this?”
“I had Xu An deliver it.”
His tone was calm, and after saying this, he went into the kitchen.
Tang Wei stared at the box in her hands for a long time, then finally picked one up and put it in her mouth.
It was sour, but a faint sweetness spread from the tip of her tongue. It was delicious…
Lu Jinshi quickly made three dishes and a soup.
Compared to the previous meal, this table of food was noticeably lighter.
Tang Wei ate comfortably and even had half a bowl more of rice.
After cleaning up, Lu Jinshi suggested going out for a walk.
Tang Wei happened to be a bit full from eating, so she had no objection and nodded to follow him.
The two walked in silence. Tang Wei kept her head slightly lowered, taking small steps behind him, occasionally looking up to glance at the scenery around them.
Perhaps feeling the silence was too heavy, Tang Wei found a topic and asked, “Who did Mr. Lu go to the hospital to see today?”
Lu Jinshi glanced at her sideways in surprise, as if he hadn’t expected her to speak.
“My grandmother,” he said in a low voice.
Tang Wei was stunned.
If she hadn’t known, it would have been fine. But now that she had asked, and since they were already legally married, it seemed inappropriate not to show some gesture.
She pressed her lips together, hesitated for a moment, and said, “Should I go visit?”
“No need.” Lu Jinshi answered without hesitation.
Tang Wei pressed her lips together again, nodded, and said softly, “Okay.”