The next morning, dawn light was faint.
Cen Wangyue was trapped in a pair of powerful arms, like a fish washed ashore by the waves, exhausted from the night before—she didn’t even have the strength to turn over.
After a year apart, Sheng Tangzhou seemed to have saved up a year’s worth of energy and spent it all in one night.
The lingering images of their passionate night resurfaced in her mind. Cen Wangyue tremblingly lifted her lashes, staring blankly at Sheng Tangzhou’s sleeping face for a moment.
This dog of a man had none of his usual dignified, reserved demeanor in bed.
She really had no idea where this quiet, sly dog of a man had learned so many tricks.
Whatever. Considering how attentive he’d been last night, she’d let him off the hook for now.
Her slender fingertips touched Sheng Tangzhou’s cheek.
Just then, her hand was caught and pressed against his face.
Sheng Tangzhou opened his eyes, looking at her with amusement, his tone teasing: “Didn’t I satisfy you enough last night? You’re so energetic this morning?”
Cen Wangyue felt the guilt of being caught doing something she shouldn’t. She didn’t dare move at all.
She put on an aloof air, critiquing his performance in bed, “Last night… was passable.”
She could vaguely recall the embarrassing words Sheng Tangzhou had whispered in her ear, and a flush of crimson instantly rose on her fair skin.
Sheng Tangzhou let out a light chuckle, his gaze landing on her reddened eyes. With a satisfied expression, he quietly admired his handiwork—only the red marks on her shoulders and collarbone bore witness to their wild night.
They’d both clearly enjoyed it, yet she was still being so stubborn.
Sheng Tangzhou wrapped his arms around her, his nose gently brushing through her hair. “I saw a pair of diamond brooches from a London jeweler recently. I thought they’d suit you, so I bought them. They’ll be delivered to the house in a couple of days.”
He planted a feather-light kiss on her cheek, then got up to wash up.
Cen Wangyue responded lazily, unhurriedly grabbing her phone. While she’d been asleep, the group chat had racked up 99 messages. She scrolled through and read them all one by one.
News of Sheng Tangzhou’s return had spread through her friend group overnight. It started with discussions about why he’d suddenly come back to the country, and somewhere in the middle, someone asked why she, the legitimate wife, hadn’t shown up yet.
Some even made a dangerous comment in the group: Could it be that this plastic couple is still in bed from last night and haven’t woken up yet?
The lurkers in the group all jumped out to chime in.
[Oh dear, a long-separated couple is sweeter than newlyweds. Yuebao must have worked hard last night~]
[It’s already noon and Yuebao still hasn’t woken up. Looks like President Sheng was hard at work until very late last night.]
[Please don’t spare me just because I’m a delicate flower.gif]
…
The messages got wilder and wilder, so wild that she felt this group would get banned sooner or later.
Someone sent a news link into the group, and Cen Wangyue glanced at it out of curiosity.
[Power Couple Breaks Rumors of Discord—First Snow Kiss Stuns Onlookers!]
This explosive headline did pique her curiosity, and she tapped in with interest.
Paparazzi had captured footage of her and Sheng Tangzhou kissing in the snow. Not only were the photos high-definition, but with last night’s first snow of the capital city, they actually made for quite a picturesque shot.
Why not film a video and add some beautiful background music to complete it?
Besides, where exactly was the discord between her and Sheng Tangzhou? Were these people blind?
The dog of a man hadn’t even been in the country—how could they have had any chance to fight?
Full of questions, Cen Wangyue tossed a “I’ll kill you all” meme into the group.
The friends who’d been making bold claims earlier immediately changed the subject.
Last night they had gone at it until the wee hours, and now she was so exhausted she didn’t even have the strength to get out of bed. She rubbed her brow, entering sage mode ahead of schedule.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of him emerging from the bathroom bare-chested, casually showing off his chiseled pectorals and abdominal muscles. Cen Wangyue instinctively swallowed.
The moment their eyes met, Cen Wangyue was so embarrassed her toes curled. Sheng Tangzhou walked over and pinched her cheek. “Get up. I’ll accompany you to the party tonight.”
Cen Wangyue looked at him, putting on this perfect devoted husband act, and said slowly, “No need for the party.”
“My illness is already better, and you’ve seen me in person. When are you planning to go back to England?”
The saying “once the deed is done, feelings are gone”—that was exactly her.
Sheng Tangzhou thought he was hearing things. He stared at her without moving, coldness instantly flooding his eyes.
Cen Wangyue felt unnerved by his gaze and instinctively burrowed into the fluffy, soft blanket, leaving only a pair of glistening peach-blossom eyes exposed.
Sheng Tangzhou grabbed her hand and pulled her out from under the blanket. A calm, indifferent voice sounded by her ear. “I just got back, and you’re already hoping I’ll leave?”
If he didn’t go back, was he planning to stay?
Cen Wangyue looked at him levelly, a hint of seriousness flashing through her glistening eyes, as if she were genuinely thinking about his best interests.
“It’s not like I’m worried about your career being affected. I just had a fever, not some serious illness. You focus on making money, I focus on spending it—it’s a win-win for both of us.”
Win-win my ass!
A shadow of gloom flickered in Sheng Tangzhou’s eyes. She couldn’t wait for him to get the hell out so she could freely hit the bars and ogle male models back home.
Suddenly, he leaned in close, gazing at Cen Wangyue, and before she could react, he delivered the good news in advance.
“Wife, this time I’m back, I don’t plan on leaving. I’ll stay home with you from now on. Wherever you go, I go.”
Sheng Tangzhou’s words left her stunned for a few seconds. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what married life with her plastic husband would be like.
In an instant, Cen Wangyue’s mood plummeted. Her disappointment was plain to see.
Her wish for a rich husband who never came home had been dashed.
She said politely, “Really, no need. A man should focus on his career. All that lovey-dovey stuff is just illusory…”
Sheng Tangzhou chuckled lowly. How could he not guess her little scheme? She couldn’t wait for him to scram so she could live her happy life with a husband who never came home.
As if he’d let her have her way.
He hit the nail on the head. “What, are you afraid that with me in the capital, I’ll interfere with your bar-hopping and male model watching?”
Cen Wangyue’s body stiffened, and she started babbling a flurry of explanations.
Sheng Tangzhou suddenly lowered his head, staring at her lips. His tone sounded gentle but carried a threat. “If you ever dare go to a bar to watch male models again, for every one you go to, I’ll shut one down. Let’s see which club in the capital will still welcome you.”
Holy shit! Sheng Tangzhou, are you some kind of psycho? Just for watching a male model, you’d shut down bars?
She felt Sheng Tangzhou was a straight-up villain. She grabbed a pillow and hurled it at him.
Cen Wangyue was so furious she lost all reason and couldn’t help blurting out, “Sheng Tangzhou, why are you so petty?”
Hadn’t they agreed before marriage, with clear rules, that they wouldn’t restrict each other’s entertainment freedom? And now, just because she watched a male model, he was this jealous?
What a hateful bastard!
In that brief moment, she already foresaw that her glorious days of bar-hopping and male model watching were gone for good.
“Me, petty?”
His voice deepened, jealousy surging so sour it was about to spill over.
The next moment, he pressed her down into the soft blankets, his gaze fierce and piercing, as if it could bore straight through her heart.
“Then take a good look—this is what I look like when I’m petty.”