Qi Junlin’s relentless laughter finally got on Huo Zhiyuan’s nerves.
Unable to take it anymore, he called his grandfather and asked to be assigned to the construction site. Before long, his grandfather replied with a simple message.
He could report for work that very afternoon.
Huo Zhiyuan didn’t even wait another minute.
He grabbed his phone and left immediately.
When he arrived at the construction site, he discovered the previous foreman had been replaced.
The workers explained that the old foreman had landed a major contract elsewhere and had already left.
His grandfather had always been meticulous.
After learning that Huo Zhiyuan had questioned the former foreman about Li Baoqiang, the old man worried the foreman might suspect Huo Zhiyuan’s identity and spread rumors.
One person telling another would quickly become ten, then a hundred.
To eliminate the risk entirely, his grandfather quietly gave the foreman a profitable opportunity elsewhere, ensuring he left willingly and kept his mouth shut.
The new foreman had never met Huo Zhiyuan before.
Yet from the moment he arrived, the man treated him with unusual warmth and consideration.
Unable to understand why, Huo Zhiyuan even called his grandfather.
“Did you tell him to take care of me?”
His grandfather’s answer was immediate.
“No.”
“And don’t worry.”
“His background is completely clean. He’s trustworthy.”
Curious, Huo Zhiyuan asked the foreman directly.
“Have we met before?”
The foreman immediately understood the real question.
If we’ve never met, why are you treating me so well?
He chuckled.
“I don’t know you.”
“But someone else does.”
Huo Zhiyuan’s heart instantly tightened.
His eyes sharpened with caution.
Who else here knows my identity?
The foreman pointed toward the food stall.
“There.”
“The young lady packing lunch boxes.”
Huo Zhiyuan followed his finger.
It was Xue Yanxin.
“Before we even got off work, she brought me two lunch boxes and asked me to look after the new guy starting today.”
“I kept wondering who she meant.”
The foreman laughed.
“You’ve got good fortune, kid.”
“Treasure her.”
“There are plenty of young men on this construction site who’ve got their eyes on that girl.”
She…
Asked someone to take care of me?
Huo Zhiyuan found the feeling strangely unfamiliar.
Ever since taking over the company, he had always been the one others begged for help.
Never once had someone looked after him.
And now…
The person taking care of him was a woman who sold boxed lunches.
Yet beneath that unfamiliar warmth…
A flicker of irritation surfaced.
There were other men interested in her?
It wasn’t because he’d fallen in love with Xue Yanxin.
Not yet.
It was simply because Huo Zhiyuan possessed an intensely possessive nature.
As long as something…
Or someone…
Still belonged to him in name…
He disliked anyone else even looking at them.
Without thinking, he declared,
“Of course.”
“She’s my wife.”
It sounded less like an explanation…
And more like a declaration of ownership.
“Seriously?”
The foreman looked genuinely surprised.
“She’s already married at such a young age?”
Then he looked Huo Zhiyuan up and down.
Well…
The two of them did make quite the attractive pair.
The young man was hardworking, handsome, and capable.
After a moment, the foreman nodded.
“You really know how to keep secrets.”
“So the reason we’ve been enjoying such cheap, delicious lunches is because of you.”
…
The weather had been unpredictable lately.
Bright sunshine in the morning.
Torrential rain by afternoon.
Today was no exception.
There were still thirty minutes left before the end of the workday when the sky suddenly darkened.
Rain poured down in sheets.
Within moments, the dusty construction site disappeared beneath a gray curtain of rain.
The ground quickly filled with puddles of every size.
The workers hurried toward the unfinished building, paying little attention to where they stepped as muddy water splashed beneath their boots.
“Damn it!”
“The weather changes faster than my wife’s temper.”
“And without any warning.”
“No kidding.”
“The forecast said it wouldn’t rain until tonight.”
“What a useless forecast.”
The workers cursed while wiping themselves down with grimy white towels that had long since turned gray and black from dust.
Only Huo Zhiyuan remained quietly seated in one corner of the building.
A barely concealed smile lingered on his lips.
He had spent the day working indoors.
Not a single raindrop had touched him.
“You brat.”
A blond-haired worker tossed his used towel toward Huo Zhiyuan.
“What are you grinning about?”
“You should worry about how you’re getting home.”
“We got soaked, sure.”
“But the workers’ dorms are right nearby.”
“A short run and we’re home.”
“You live off-site.”
“This rain isn’t stopping anytime soon.”
“By the time you get back, you’ll be soaked like drowned soup.”
Despite being quiet most of the time, Huo Zhiyuan had worked hard to fit in.
He frequently treated everyone to drinks.
Whenever someone needed a hand, he’d quietly help without asking for anything in return.
On top of that…
He had Xue Yanxin.
The woman who controlled everyone’s food supply.
Thanks to his “virtuous wife,” the workers had long since begun treating him like one of their own.
Huo Zhiyuan caught the towel…
Then immediately threw it aside in disgust.
Instead of hiding his smile, he grinned even wider.
The foreman glanced outside and chuckled knowingly.
“You should be worrying about yourself.”
“His wife’s coming to pick him up.”
Just then…
Xue Yanxin walked into the building.
She wore a raincoat and carried two large waterproof containers filled with lunch boxes.
Rainwater dripped from her sleeves as she entered.
Huo Zhiyuan immediately stood up.
Without saying a word, he took both containers from her hands.
They were surprisingly heavy.
He carried them over and began handing out meals to his coworkers.
After removing her raincoat, Xue Yanxin’s clothes underneath remained dry.
Only her face had been splashed by the wind-driven rain.
Tiny droplets clung to her cheeks.
Several damp strands of hair stuck against her forehead.
Huo Zhiyuan walked back over.
He removed his jacket, turned the clean inner lining outward, and gently handed it to her.
“Wipe your face.”
A worker immediately started teasing.
“Come on, Brother Huo.”
“Your wife came all this way through the rain.”
“Shouldn’t you wipe her face for her yourself?”
“That’s right!”
“She’s a wonderful girl.”
The entire building erupted into laughter and whistles.
Rather than getting embarrassed…
Huo Zhiyuan actually stepped closer.
Holding his jacket, he gently wiped the raindrops from Xue Yanxin’s cheeks and forehead.
Afterward, he looked at everyone and said with unmistakable pride,
“How I spoil my wife…”
“Do I really need you to teach me?”
“Ooooooh!”
The teasing grew even louder.
Even Xue Yanxin, who normally considered herself thick-skinned, couldn’t stop her face from heating up.
Wife?
He told everyone…
I’m his wife?
She stared at Huo Zhiyuan in astonishment.
The warmth spread from her cheeks straight into her heart.
Her pulse quickened uncontrollably.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
When Huo Zhiyuan met her gaze, he looked like a thief caught red-handed.
He immediately looked away as though electrocuted.
Then he hurried over to the stack of lunch boxes, grabbed one at random, sat directly on the floor, and buried his head in his meal.
Before he could take another bite…
Xue Yanxin snatched it away.
“That’s not yours.”
She smiled.
“Yours is packed in the blue lunch box.”
“Did you forget?”
“These all have cilantro.”
“My customers like cilantro.”
“But you don’t.”
“So I always prepare a separate one for you in the blue container.”
Damn it…
Why am I so flustered?
I even grabbed the wrong lunch box.
Only then did Huo Zhiyuan realize…
He had already swallowed a huge mouthful of cilantro.
Keeping a straight face, he forced himself to say,
“I didn’t forget.”
“I just suddenly wanted to give cilantro another chance.”
“It’s… actually not bad.”
“Really?”
Xue Yanxin’s eyes lit up.
“You like cilantro now?”
“That’s wonderful!”
“Our tastes finally match.”
She happily handed the lunch box back to him.
“Here.”
“Eat more.”
Tears practically formed in Huo Zhiyuan’s heart.
Suppressing every instinct screaming in protest, he shoveled several large bites of cilantro into his mouth.
He didn’t dare wrinkle his brow even once.
Afraid she’d notice.
“This tastes much better with cilantro.”
He lied through gritted teeth.
Only now did Huo Zhiyuan truly understand the saying:
Pride makes you suffer.
He had brought this entirely upon himself.
…
The rain gradually weakened into a gentle drizzle.
After finishing their meals, the workers who lived in the dormitories all headed back.
Xue Yanxin, however, always ate slowly, savoring every bite.
By the time everyone else had left…
She was still eating.
Meanwhile, Huo Zhiyuan quietly began picking up the empty lunch boxes and scattered trash everyone had left behind.
Watching him, Xue Yanxin couldn’t help smiling.
A man who refused to litter, even after falling to rock bottom…
His upbringing still shone through.
That kind of character was incredibly attractive.
She had barely finished praising him in her mind when Huo Zhiyuan turned around holding a stack of empty lunch boxes.
He looked at her and asked,
“Can these empty lunch boxes be sold for two yuan each?”