Volume 1, Chapter 34: The Suspicions of Friends

Finally, the door opened, a pair of shoes was pushed out, and then it was quickly shut again.

Lin Chen sighed helplessly, changed his shoes at the doorway, and said, “Alright, honey, I’m off to work! You behave and wait for me at home. After I finish, I’ll take you out for a drive.”

Xu Mi said nothing.

She covered her burning face and quietly listened to the sounds outside the door.

Only when she heard the elevator doors close did she slowly crack open the door a little.

After confirming Lin Chen had left, she let out a long breath.

A trace of reluctance welled up in her heart again.

Though they could now see each other morning and night, and even sleep entwined in each other’s arms at night,

Xu Mi was still not satisfied.

She longed to be with Lin Chen every moment of every day.

The more she thought about it, the hotter her face felt.

This wasn’t like her before.

Previously, she had never developed such a strong dependence on anyone.

She used to believe that life was only about work; nothing else mattered.

Men were out of the question.

Most importantly, she always believed in relying on herself, never thinking of depending on others.

It was precisely this mindset that led to her depression.

But now…

Xu Mi looked up at the roses on the table and couldn’t help but smile.

If it was Lin Chen, she was willing to try giving herself to him.

…

Lin Chen was in an incredibly good mood today.

From the moment he left home until he arrived at the company, his smile never faded; even passing dogs had to be stopped for a compliment.

When he saw Jiang Yao, he grinned brightly, “Good morning, my good son! Your hairstyle today isn’t bad—barely catching up to my five-point handsomeness.”

Jiang Yao stared at him wide-eyed, as if seeing a ghost. “Damn, are you feverish?”

He reached out to touch Lin Chen’s forehead.

Lin Chen slapped his hand away, “Don’t touch me!”

This face was kissed by his beloved wife!

And she kissed him first!

If he could, he would never wash his face again in this lifetime—how could he let Jiang Yao, this stinky man, touch it?

Jiang Yao was even more baffled, “Dude, did you take the wrong medicine today?”

He had deliberately styled his hair with gel before leaving.

Usually, Lin Chen’s sharp tongue would roast him the moment they met.

But today, he actually complimented him on his looks?!

“You don’t get it.”

Lin Chen shook his index finger, “Dad’s in a good mood today. No cafeteria lunch for us—we’re eating out. Today, all expenses are on me, Lin Gongzi!”

Jiang Yao’s eyes grew even wider. He suddenly stepped back, assumed a horse stance, and shouted, “Hey!”

“What kind of demon dares to possess my son’s body? Reveal yourself at once!”

“Cut it out!” Lin Chen rolled his eyes and grabbed a cup. “I’m going to make coffee. Want me to bring you one?”

Jiang Yao immediately snapped out of it and eagerly handed over his cup, “Thanks, godfather!”

The tea room in the morning was the liveliest place.

Though the company was large, its rules were not too strict.

After clocking in, employees usually liked to gather in the tea room to chat and relax.

When Lin Chen arrived, several colleagues were already there.

At first glance, they were all women, chattering noisily.

“Look at the new bag I bought a few days ago, isn’t it pretty?”

“Hey, Xiao Liu, where did you get your nails done? They look great—give me the place, will you?”

“Isn’t Sister Sun getting married next month? How much are you guys giving in red envelopes?”

Their gossip was trivial and petty.

Lin Chen knocked on the door, and all heads turned toward him.

Upon seeing him, everyone’s eyes lit up.

There were many young people in the company, but few were as young, handsome, and well-built as Lin Chen.

Moreover, as a newcomer, he even had his own private office.

He was definitely a prized catch!

Immediately, someone approached, “Hello, Lin Chen. I’m Yu Lingyan from the finance department. We’re all colleagues. Can I add you on WeChat?”

“So we can keep in touch.”

Once she spoke, others crowded around, flashing their WeChat QR codes.

Lin Chen was overwhelmed.

So friendly?

He had just started working and didn’t want to offend anyone, so he obediently took out his phone and scanned each code one by one.

Yu Lingyan proudly browsed Lin Chen’s Moments, smiling, “By the way, Lin Chen, do you have a girlfriend?”

Jiang Yao, who had joined the company the same time and also got an individual office, looked good too.

But he already had a partner, so his attention turned to Lin Chen.

From Lin Chen’s Moments, it seemed he was single.

The others perked up their ears.

But Lin Chen replied solemnly, “I’m married.”

“Ah?!”

A flurry of gasps erupted.

“No way! How old are you to be married already?”

“You just graduated, right? Don’t lie to us!”

Everyone was skeptical.

Lin Chen sighed, “I really am married. My wife is beautiful, and we’re very much in love.”

Although his beloved wife was still shy and physically unable to handle more intimacy,

she had kissed him willingly today—how was that not love?

The crowd didn’t believe him, blocking his way, demanding to see wedding photos before they’d accept it.

Yu Lingyan was the most direct, “You’re not even wearing a wedding ring. Who’d believe you?”

Lin Chen felt speechless.

When he married Xu Mi, she was still in a vegetative state. Where could they have taken wedding photos?

Plus, because they were poor, they only bought a wedding ring for Xu Mi—a few thousand yuan worth of lab-grown diamond.

How could he show anything now?

He forced himself, “My wife isn’t well, so we just registered the marriage. We didn’t take photos.”

“Then you must have a marriage certificate photo, right?”

Yu Lingyan looked at him with playful interest.

The marriage certificate…

Lin Chen realized and scrambled to take out his phone, trying to find the photo.

Then he remembered he never took one.

The certificate was at home, not with him.

“Can’t show it, huh?”

“I knew you were lying!”

“If you’re single, just say so. Why pretend to be married? Afraid we’ll pester you?”

“There are so many pretty girls in the company. You don’t like any of them?”

The female colleagues teased him boisterously.

Lin Chen, who didn’t have much experience interacting with girls, blushed deeply.

Luckily, at that moment, Shen Wei passed by the tea room and came to his rescue.

“What are you all making such a ruckus about? Don’t you have work to do?”

Someone stuck out their tongue and said with a smile, “Boss Shen, we’re just concerned about the new colleague’s love life! You know how competitive our company is—when a potential star arrives, we have to act fast.”

Shen Wei, usually approachable, allowed the occasional joke.

He looked at Lin Chen and frowned, “Enough nonsense! Dating only works if both sides agree. What kind of example are you setting blocking the way like this? Get back to work!”

Lin Chen breathed a sigh of relief, quickly grabbed two cups of coffee, and left the tea room to return to his office.

Unexpectedly, just as he stepped out, Shen Wei patted his shoulder.

“Lin Chen, you don’t have a girlfriend yet, right? I have a niece who’s quite nice. Want me to introduce you?”

Lin Chen was dumbfounded. “Huh?”