“Tong Yuwu was momentarily stunned. She had considered many scenarios, but she never expected Fu Liheng to ask such a question.
‘Who is he?’
He was her dad in the client relationship!
In reality, she couldn’t afford to space out for too long. With many thoughts swirling in her mind, under Fu Liheng’s ambiguous expression, Tong Yuwu pretended to tilt her head, staring at him intently, as if trying to recognize who he was.
With just this sentence, all her plans were easily shattered.
Indeed, he was the kind of man who would offer her millions in a novel and send her away.
At this moment, if she mistook him for someone else and called out another man’s name, she suspected the novel’s plot would jump forward a year, and tomorrow she’d see a divorce agreement from Fu Liheng.
But calling out his name would prove she wasn’t so drunk. Would the next scene happen or not?
This dog of a man always presented her with dilemmas!
A rosy hue adorned Tong Yuwu’s face. She weakly propped herself up with her elbow, finding silence more potent than words. She decided to use his confusion to her advantage. With Fu Liheng’s bewildered gaze fixed on her, she extended her hand, embracing his waist, and affectionately nudged against him.
‘Well then, who are you?’
You’re the person who haunts my thoughts day and night. You damned ghost!
Being tipsy without actually being so was the most charming act.
Going all out in a tipsy act was undignified. Leveraging the effects of alcohol, she emerged like a snail, cautiously peeking out. If he liked it, she’d show him what true charm was. If not, she’d instantly fall asleep as if intoxicated. Both offensive and defensive strategies were on the table.
Tong Yuwu felt Fu Liheng’s body tensing.
She embraced him even tighter, looking up at him, pouting. ‘So, who are you?’
Fu Liheng remained silent for a moment. Internally, he was annoyed at his own foolishness. Regardless of who she held in her heart, she was already his wife. Initially, he hadn’t lacked choices. He chose her because he knew she was sensible and obedient enough. These two years had proven his decision right.
He raised his hand, pressing it against her head with a forceful gesture.
‘I am Fu Liheng, your husband.’ Even in her inebriated state, he wanted to remind her that he was Fu Liheng, her husband. Even in dreams, she should remember this fact.
Tong Yuwu blinked innocently.
She wasn’t sure if her acting was embarrassing.
‘Honey!’ Tong Yuwu lowered her head and sniffed herself. She naturally didn’t have any odor, or else Fu Liheng’s cleanliness obsession wouldn’t have allowed her to hug him like this. ‘I’m hot and want to take a bath. Carry me.’
Usually, even if she borrowed some courage, she wouldn’t dare speak to Fu Liheng in such a commanding tone.
Fu Liheng stared at her, and she looked back fearlessly. She even smiled foolishly, confirming her tipsy state.
Finally, Fu Liheng relented. Even when she was sober, she’d accidentally fall in the bathroom. He didn’t want to take her to the hospital at this hour.
Fu Liheng picked up Tong Yuwu and headed straight to the bathroom.
Tong Yuwu’s heart was pounding like a drum. What she was about to do was something she hadn’t done in twenty-five years—a direct challenge to her deepest sense of shame. Once in the bathroom, Fu Liheng wasn’t sure if he should stay or leave. Tong Yuwu had practiced this afternoon in the bathroom several times. She acted naturally, reaching for the zipper at the back of her dress. With her back turned to Fu Liheng, she slightly turned her head and, in a coquettish tone, said, ‘I can’t reach.’
When sober, she could have reached the zipper, but now, in her inebriated state, her body was weak. If he had any sense, he’d play along.
Fu Liheng fixed his gaze on her. Initially leaning against the wall, upon hearing her words, he slowly straightened.
…
…
The alcohol wasn’t enough to render Tong Yuwu unconscious, but spending too long in the bathroom made her incredibly sleepy. By the time Fu Liheng carried her out, she could barely keep her eyes open and soon fell into a deep sleep.
However, Fu Liheng couldn’t sleep. He reviewed recent project cases in his mind, ultimately fixating on Tong Yuwu.
He wasn’t sure why she had been acting out these past few days, possibly because of Qin Yi, possibly not.
But he wasn’t going to make a big deal out of this one incident.
He adjusted her blanket. She wasn’t an obedient sleeper; once she turned over, she clung to him like a koala. Normally, he’d push her away to let her sleep well. His time was precious, and he needed rest too. But this time, he didn’t push her away; instead, he instinctively wrapped his arm around her waist, closed his eyes, and let the moonlight filter in through the window. His nose was straight, lips pressed together, lacking the usual sternness.
The next morning, when Tong Yuwu woke up, Fu Liheng had already gone to the office.
Standing in front of the bathroom sink, Tong Yuwu turned around, glanced at the bathtub, blushed, and began brushing her teeth seriously.
She wasn’t sure if yesterday’s plan could be deemed a success.
She had no plans to go out today. Instead, she called for a personal trainer to come home. She never neglected her body management; at least three to four days a week were reserved for personal training. Maintaining posture was essential; many office workers slouched due to heavy work, affecting their demeanor even if slightly.
Tong Yuwu started learning dance at a young age. At the anniversary celebration of Mr. and Mrs. Fu last year, the opening dance she performed with Fu Liheng astonished many.
The system usually wasn’t intrusive and only spoke when she sought its help.
Nonetheless, the system’s non-intrusive nature made Tong Yuwu comfortable.
While waiting for the personal trainer, Tong Yuwu finally had time to interact with it, asking quietly, ‘What was that task you mentioned last time?’
She had genuinely forgotten.
System: ‘… To manage all expenses within a thousand yuan for a week.’
Tong Yuwu frowned. ‘How much did you say?’
System: ‘A thousand yuan. Based on the cost of living here, an average household’s monthly expenses for a couple are within three thousand yuan.’
Tong Yuwu: ‘A thousand yuan won’t even cover my hair care.’
Every week, she went for hair treatments, not to mention nail care and skincare.
System: ‘This is the easiest initial task.’
Tong Yuwu, feeling helpless: ‘Okay, when does it start?’
This statement instantly piqued the system’s interest: ‘Is the user sure about taking on this challenge?’
Initially,
the system thought the user might ignore it. It had already prepared for three failed challenge attempts, intending to uninstall the software from the user’s mind. But unexpectedly, the user seemed determined to salvage the situation?
Tong Yuwu: ‘Of course. When does it start?’
System: ‘At midnight on the 8th.’
Tong Yuwu intended to take on the challenge, not necessarily because she accepted the divorce outcome in the book.
She had no one to rely on in this world; she only had herself. Even if it required her utmost efforts, she was willing to protect this house and marriage with Fu Liheng. However, solely depending on a man or an unknown marriage for her future was not something she’d do.
She needed to find an exit strategy for herself. The system had said this was just the first task. Although half a million was meager, every little bit counts. Over this year, she would strive to manage this marriage, trying to solidify her position in Fu Liheng’s heart. But at the same time, she’d actively take on tasks assigned by the system. In a year, if she managed to change the outcome, that would be ideal. If Fu Liheng’s determination to divorce remained unchanged, she’d have money in her account by then. As the saying goes, money in hand alleviates worries in the heart.
She believed that where there’s a will, there’s a way. Novels were written by people; although altering the ending was challenging, it wasn’t impossible.
Three years ago, she had become Fu Liheng’s fiancée despite being in such a predicament. It meant fate was on her side. If it had been once, it would continue to favor her.
***
It was midsummer, and Fu Liheng had every button on his shirt firmly fastened. Normally, when busy at work, he would undo a button or loosen his tie. Today, however, he was impeccably buttoned up, exuding an air of restraint.
The reason? When dressing up in the morning, he had noticed a faint scratch mark and suspicious redness on his neck.
She must have left it there inadvertently.
Fu Liheng’s tactics in the business world were fierce; he always played hard, leaving opponents unable to defend themselves. Whether in the eyes of his adversaries or his subordinates, he was someone they needed to face with extreme caution. Even the company’s senior management felt nervous every time Fu Liheng returned from a business trip, lowering the office’s morale.
Though Assistant Wang wasn’t capable of analyzing Fu Liheng’s mood, he could sense that Fu Liheng was in a good mood today.
It manifested in—when the business meal he arranged for Fu Liheng included a dish of shredded beef with green peppers. Fu Liheng disliked green peppers so much that their absence was a common sight at any meal he attended.
For someone like Fu Liheng, seeing a dish with green peppers should have raised his eyebrows. But today, even Assistant Wang was on the verge of wetting himself when he realized the mistake. He cursed himself for carelessness due to his busy work, failing to check beforehand.
Fu Liheng didn’t know what came over him, but he picked up his chopsticks and tasted a piece of green pepper!
Although he didn’t take another bite, Assistant Wang was shocked. What prompted Fu Liheng, who hated green peppers all his life, to taste them?
Assistant Wang’s mind was in a whirl; he could only conclude that Fu Liheng must be in a very good mood today. If not, seeing green peppers would have wrinkled his brow. So, the question remained: How good was his mood to find green peppers appealing?”
