Wen Xiayue was startled.
Fang Yun reached out to steady the swing chain and smiled faintly. “Sorry, did I scare you?”
“No.” Wen Xiayue looked up at her, shook her head, then glanced toward the house.
Qi Lanzhou was still inside.
“Are you done talking?” she asked.
Fang Yun said, “Yes, we’re done. I was about to leave, but I saw you sitting here alone, so I came over to check on you.”
“Mrs. Qi, are you not very happy?”
Wen Xiayue paused.
“Mr. Qi is someone who treats work and relationships very differently. He’s decisive and sharp in work matters, but emotionally… he’s a bit slow,” Fang Yun said with a smile.
“If he upsets you, you can just tell him directly. Once he knows, he’ll reflect on what he did wrong.”
Wen Xiayue looked at her.
As expected of someone who had once been involved with Qi Lanzhou—she understood him very well.
That thought made Wen Xiayue feel a little more irritated again.
Fang Yun suddenly leaned closer to her ear.
“If that doesn’t work, you can even beat him up. Take your anger out. Men shouldn’t be spoiled.”
Wen Xiayue’s eyes widened in shock.
Fang Yun stepped back, blinking at her seriously—completely not joking.
“Beat him up?” Wen Xiayue lowered her voice, afraid Qi Lanzhou inside would hear.
“Yes.” Fang Yun nodded matter-of-factly. “Don’t be fooled by how cold he looks at work. His temper isn’t as bad as you think. The more you beat around the bush, the less he understands. If you’re direct, he’ll actually feel more at ease.”
Wen Xiayue imagined herself chasing Qi Lanzhou around to hit him.
She quickly shook her head. “I can’t beat him.”
“That’s not necessarily true,” Fang Yun said meaningfully.
After Fang Yun left, Wen Xiayue returned to the living room.
Qi Lanzhou was working on his laptop.
She sat on a barstool, resting her chin in her hands, staring at him.
After finishing his work, Qi Lanzhou closed the laptop and looked at her.
“What are you looking at?”
“You.”
“What did you see?”
“You’re quite good-looking,” Wen Xiayue said.
Qi Lanzhou paused slightly. His expression remained unchanged. “Boring.”
“Fang Yun is also very pretty,” she added.
Qi Lanzhou didn’t respond.
“Qi Lanzhou, sometimes you’re really no fun. No wonder Fang Yun left you.”
At that, Qi Lanzhou narrowed his eyes.
“What did you say?”
Wen Xiayue felt a little guilty and looked away.
“I heard you.”
“Why are you so fierce? No wonder Fang Yun left you!”
“…Who told you Fang Yun left me?”
“Wasn’t it you who got left by Fang Yun?”
“…”
“Fang Yun is beautiful and capable. She could match you ten blocks over.”
“…”
Qi Lanzhou stared at her, his gaze turning increasingly cold.
He stood up and walked toward her step by step.
Wen Xiayue grew nervous as he approached, suddenly wondering if she had gone too far.
She instinctively lowered her head.
Just then, his phone rang.
Qi Lanzhou took it out, glanced at the screen, and answered.
In that brief moment, Wen Xiayue slipped away.
Qi Lanzhou frowned slightly and said coldly into the phone, “Speak.”
The person on the other end was clearly startled. “Mr. Qi, there’s a project approval document that needs your signature today…”
“Tomorrow.”
“But the other party insists it must be today.”
“Let them wait.”
He hung up, then immediately called Fang Yun.
Fang Yun was in a car heading home.
“What did you say to Wen Xiayue?”
She laughed the moment she heard his voice. “What? Your wife’s upset with you?”
Qi Lanzhou didn’t respond, but silence was answer enough.
Fang Yun laughed even harder. “Mr. Qi, you have this day too.”
“Fang Yun.”
His voice dropped—warning.
“Alright, alright. Let me enjoy my last day of work before I start my long vacation,” she said casually.
“Fang Yun!!!”
“I didn’t really say anything. I just told her a few ways to deal with you. Maybe she misunderstood?”
“Your wife is actually quite adorable. Nothing like the rumors say. You should thank me.”
“You think this is right?” Qi Lanzhou asked.
“What’s wrong with it? If she’s jealous, it means she cares about you. I’m just giving you an assist!”
Qi Lanzhou pressed his temple. “You call this an assist?”
“Of course,” Fang Yun said confidently. “Think about it—without me, she’d just sulk alone. And you wouldn’t even notice she was upset for a week.”
“So I should thank you?”
“No need. Just raise my bonus.”
After hanging up, Fang Yun was in a great mood.
Qi Lanzhou, however, felt complicated.
He went upstairs. Wen Xiayue had locked herself in her room.
He stood at the door and knocked twice.
“Wen Xiayue.”
No response.
“Wen Xiayue, open the door.”
Still no response.
He sighed. “If you don’t open it, I’ll use the key.”
“Don’t come in!” her voice finally came from inside.
“Then come out.”
“I won’t.”
“Why?”
“…Don’t call my name. It makes me nervous.”
Qi Lanzhou paused. “Then what should I call you?”
“Anything. Just not my full name.”
“Wife.”
“….”
After a moment of hesitation, the door finally opened.
Wen Xiayue stood inside with a tense face.
“Can you say that again?”
Qi Lanzhou frowned.
“Never mind,” she said, turning to leave.
But he grabbed her wrist.
Not hard—just enough to stop her.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“You’re jealous, aren’t you?” Qi Lanzhou asked.
“No! Why would I be jealous! I know it—you’re only good to me because I’m pregnant and carrying your child. The person you really like is Fang Yun!”
“Who told you I like Fang Yun?”
“Aren’t you two an ‘unfinished love’?”
Qi Lanzhou laughed in anger. “I have no relationship with Fang Yun. We are only supervisor and subordinate.”
“You didn’t have a secret relationship before?”
“No. I supported her through school. After graduation, she joined my company. That’s all.”
He suddenly held out his hand. “Give me your phone.”
“What for?”