Chaрtеr 12: Nо Нug Тonight?
Cen Wаn аnswered thе call—it wаs frоm hеr bеst friеnd, Хu Zhi Tаng.
Аs sооn as the сall conneсtеd, Xu Zhi Таng’s ассusatоrу vоice саme thrоugh: “Why did you hаng up оn me just now? You’d bеtter givе me а rеasonаble exрlаnаtiоn.”
Cen Wаn rерliеd, “Xu Zhi Tаng, arе you itсhing for a bеating? Hоw dare yоu sреak tо уour big sister like thаt?”
Thе rеason Сen Wan usеd her full nаmе wаs that whеn she piсked up thе рhоne, she noticed a subtle chаngе in Lu Beixun’s eхрression. Lu Bеiхun knew Xu Zhi Tang, and when Cen Wan called out her name, his expression visibly softened a little.
Xu Zhi Tang cut to the chase: “Enough nonsense. North Alley Bar—are you coming or not?”
“No,” Cen Wan said, tilting her head slightly to glance at Lu Beixun beside her. “I’m spending Sunday at home with my husband. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
Lu Beixun’s fingers twitched slightly as he turned to look at her, his gaze intense.
Hearing her say “husband,” the other end of the line fell silent for a few seconds before Xu Zhi Tang spoke again, her voice crackling slightly over the line: “The husband you’re talking about… it’s not Lu Beixun, is it?”
Cen Wan wasn’t surprised by the question. Xu Zhi Tang knew about the discord between her and Lu Beixun and even believed that the internal issues at Cen Corporation were Lu Beixun’s doing.
Hearing her silence, Xu Zhi Tang gasped in shock: “Did you cheat on him?”
Just as the steamy scene on TV ended, Cen Wan set aside the pillow she was holding. “Cheat on him? Are you out of your mind?”
She poured herself a glass of water and took a small sip. “I’m staying home with Lu Beixun. Miss Xu Zhi Tang, I’ll answer all your questions when we meet tomorrow.”
With that, Cen Wan hung up, leaving the person on the other end bewildered and full of doubts.
Feeling an intense gaze on her, she turned her head and met Lu Beixun’s eyes. His stare was so heated that after just a few seconds, Cen Wan couldn’t bear it any longer.
She averted her gaze, coughing awkwardly, and felt she should say something. Bluntly, she admitted, “Yes, I was trying to sneak a kiss from you earlier.”
Without waiting for Lu Beixun’s response, she turned her attention back to the TV and continued watching her drama.
But a few seconds later, Lu Beixun calmly uttered three words: “I know.”
Cen Wan: “…”
Pretending not to care, she glanced at him and nodded. “Well, as long as you know.”
Only she knew how frantically her heart was racing at that moment. She shifted her gaze back to the TV screen, unable to suppress the smile tugging at her lips.
This man was something else. Three utterly ordinary words had thrown her heart into chaos.
In her previous life, Cen Wan had prided herself most on her self-control. After reaching adulthood, no one had ever managed to get close to her heart. But after marrying him, bit by bit, this man had taken over her heart without her even realizing it. By the time she came to her senses, her feelings for him had already seeped deep into her bones.
Originally, she had planned to turn herself in and spend the rest of her life in prison, but the true culprit turned out to be someone else. The moment she learned that Cen Xiu was the real murderer, she had no desire to live on alone, yet she couldn’t let the grudge go unavenged.
At that time, she had only two thoughts: first, to kill Cen Xiu and avenge her deceased parents and sister; second, to find Lu Beixun in the afterlife and atone for her sins.
In her previous life, she had trusted Cen Xiu implicitly; in this life, she hated him just as intensely. She blamed herself for being too foolish, unable to distinguish between humans and wolves in sheep’s clothing.
Remembering those events, her gaze fell on Lu Beixun. The lines of his profile were flawlessly smooth. She thought to herself, if Lu Beixun ever learned what she had done to him in her previous life, he would surely despise her to the core.When Lu Beixun was at home, she didn’t enter the kitchen. After finishing dinner in the evening, Lu Beixun went to his study, while she stayed in the living room for a while to digest before returning to his bedroom.
Lu Beixun’s actions had tacitly allowed her to sleep in his room from now on—otherwise, why would her pajamas and clothes be in his wardrobe and walk-in closet?
After taking a shower, she lay in bed with her tablet, continuing to watch the idol romance drama she had been following during the day. She grew a bit drowsy, but Lu Beixun still hadn’t returned. She turned off the tablet, placed it on the bedside table to charge, lifted the blanket, put on her slippers, and headed to the study. Just as she was about to knock, she heard someone speaking inside—likely on a phone call or a video conference. Even on rest days, he often received important calls.
Cen Wan paused her hand. Knocking now would disturb him. As she turned to leave, Lu Beixun’s cold voice came from inside.
“Keep an eye on Cen Xiu. Report to me immediately if there’s any movement.”
She didn’t know what was said on the other end of the call, but after Lu Beixun spoke, there was a long silence in the study.
Cen Wan frowned. Why was Lu Beixun having someone watch Cen Xiu? Did he know something?
No more sounds came from the study, likely meaning the call had ended. She gently knocked on the door, and within seconds, it opened, revealing Lu Beixun standing before her.
A smile played on Cen Wan’s lips. “Are you done? Are you tired?”
Her arrival told Lu Beixun she was sleepy. “Let’s go to bed.”
Satisfied, Cen Wan took his hand and returned to the room with him.
After the lights were turned off, Cen Wan initially stayed obediently in her own spot, but it didn’t take long before she began inching closer to Lu Beixun.
The man beside her was well aware of her little maneuvers.
In the darkness, Lu Beixun’s voice was cool, carrying an invisible pressure. “Sleep properly.”
Cen Wan pouted. “You held me while sleeping last night. Aren’t you going to tonight?”
“But I want to hold you.”
Even with the lights off and the room dim, making it impossible to see her expression, the tone of her voice alone conveyed her grievance.
Lu Beixun sighed helplessly. “Come here.”
Cen Wan was taken aback for a moment, then immediately brightened. In the darkness, her grin stretched almost to her ears as she threw herself into his arms, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his arm.
In the past, she believed a sense of security came from having family around, followed by a charged phone, money in the bank, and a warm bed in winter. But now, she realized that a person’s embrace could also feel so secure—even more so than the latter three.
Cen Wan was the type to push her luck after getting a taste of something sweet. “Brother, I don’t want Aunt Yang to wake me up for breakfast. I want you to do it. Is that okay?”
“Okay.”
She hadn’t expected Lu Beixun to agree so quickly. She thought he would at least hesitate for a moment before answering.
“Then you have to remember,” Cen Wan said. “Don’t wake me up at six tomorrow morning. I don’t want to embarrass myself again.”
Lu Beixun didn’t respond, and Cen Wan took it as his silent agreement. She figured he probably didn’t want to see a weakling beside him during his workout either.
After bidding Lu Beixun goodnight, Cen Wan drifted into a deep sleep.
The next morning at six.
In her sleep, Cen Wan felt a chill and frowned, reaching out to search for the blanket. She patted every spot within reach but couldn’t find it.
She gave up, turned over, curled up, and continued sleeping, never once opening her eyes during her search for the blanket.
“Cen Wan, get up.”
Cen Wan mumbled, lying flat. “What’s for breakfast this morning? I want a hotdog.”Lu Beixun frowned slightly, looking down at her from above. “If you don’t get up now, there’ll be no breakfast.”
“Lu Beixun, you’re so mean.” Cen Wan finally opened her eyes, looking dazed. “What time is it?”
“Six ten.”
“Huh?” Cen Wan felt like crying. “Didn’t I say I’m not exercising anymore? You don’t need to wake me up.”
Seeing her dawdle, Lu Beixun lost his patience. He simply lifted her out of bed, his tone leaving no room for argument. “You don’t get to decide.”