Volume One, Chapter 57: A Brief Glimpse of the Hand

Lin Chen had no mind to fool around with Jiang Yao. After pushing him away, he returned to his own desk.

Calling it work, he actually couldn't focus on it at all.

At this moment, his mind was entirely occupied by what he needed to do next.

Yet the more he thought about it, the less of a clue he had, leaving him listless the entire day.

Jiang Yao could pretty much guess what was on his mind. When quitting time arrived, he took the initiative and said, "Seeing you look so damn annoyed, why don't we go out and grab a bite?"

"How about we get some food over at Joy City first, and then go out for a few drinks tonight to properly unwind?"

With a smug look, he added, "I even turned down a date with my girlfriend and carved out time specifically to keep you company. I'm a pretty solid bro, aren't I?"

Lin Chen rolled his eyes. "You'd better go spend time with your girlfriend instead!"

He was in a rush to go home and see Xu Mi!

The outside world was too complicated; home was much better.

His precious wife wouldn't play mind games or scheme against him. She would only wait for him obediently at home, ready to eat dinner, watch TV, and sleep together.

Holding his fragrant and soft wife in his arms, all his worries would vanish.

Rebuffed, Jiang Yao immediately grew anxious. "You brat! Earlier when you said you were moving, you refused to say where. And now you rush straight home the moment work ends every single day. Are you hiding a beauty in your golden house behind my back?"

"That's right!"

Lin Chen nodded. "Besides, I wasn't hiding it from you. I told you from the very beginning that I found a girlfriend—no, that I got married, and I just moved in with my wife."

Naturally, Jiang Yao didn't believe it. "Talk is cheap! You can fool other people, but you're trying to fool your own brother too?"

Forget anyone else; didn't he know Lin Chen inside out?

With a face that could rival Pan An's and an eight-pack abs physique, this fellow had seduced countless senior and junior female college students back in university.

Because so many people chased after Lin Chen, he ended up with endless troubles, which eventually led him to tell everyone he met that he had no interest in dating.

He had been single for almost two years now.

Where on earth did he pull a wife from?!

Too lazy to waste breath on him, Lin Chen said, "Believe it or not, there's nothing I can do. Alright, I'm heading home to keep my wife company."

"Then bring your wife out so I can meet her!"

Jiang Yao refused to give up. "After I got together with my girlfriend, the very first thing I did was bring her over to introduce you!"

Lin Chen thought for a moment and replied, "Her health isn't good right now. Once she's feeling better, I'll find a chance to bring her out!"

With that, he pushed Jiang Yao aside and headed out the door.

Jiang Yao was left speechless. "Damn it, you brat had better actually be able to bring a wife out someday!"

***

Lin Chen drove all the way home. For some reason, the urge to return home today was stronger than ever before.

He wanted to see Xu Mi, wanted to hold her fragrant, soft body and curl up on the sofa with her.

The faint, pleasant fragrance on Xu Mi's body had the power to dispel all negative emotions!

Soon, Lin Chen arrived at the residential complex. Just as he entered, he turned back around and bought a bunch of small daisies from the flower shop at the entrance.

Flowers of several colors clustered together, emitting a floral scent. It was simple, yet it instantly lifted one's spirits.

"Wife, I'm back!"

Lin Chen called out the moment he stepped out of the elevator.

Following a flurry of footsteps, the front door opened, and Xu Mi, dressed in pink loungewear, greeted him.

Seeing the flowers in Lin Chen's hands, she was both surprised and delighted. "Such pretty flowers!"

"You like them?"

Lin Chen handed her the flowers while naturally wrapping an arm around her slender waist to guide her inside. "What's for dinner tonight? I missed you so much!"

Xu Mi's pretty face blushed. "Hush, we're still outside!"

"We're husband and wife, what does it matter?"

Taking advantage of her unpreparedness, Lin Chen planted a quick kiss on her cheek.

Xu Mi's face turned even redder. She lightly pounded his chest with her dainty fist, then anxiously glanced around, terrified of being seen by others.

No matter how far their relationship had progressed, she still didn't dare make overly intimate gestures in public.

She was just too shy!

Entering the apartment, Lin Chen changed into his slippers and went to wash his hands.

Xu Mi grabbed a vase, arranged the daisies inside it, and placed it on the dining table.

On the table, three dishes and a soup had already been neatly set out.

Steamed sea bass, spare ribs with preserved plums, and a small plate of leafy greens.

The soup was pigeon and codonopsis soup, which was extremely nourishing.

When Lin Chen came out after washing his hands, Xu Mi was holding some bowls and dishing out the rice.

He rushed over in a single stride. "Didn't I tell you I'd take care of these chores?"

As he spoke, he snatched the rice bowl from her hands, gently pressed Xu Mi down into a chair, and chattered away, "Your health isn't good, you just need to rest properly."

"If there's housework that Aunt Zhou can do, let her do it. If it's inconvenient to call her, just wait for me to come home. When did you ever need to lift a finger yourself?"

Xu Mi complained playfully, "I know, I know. I'm not a fragile glass vase, do you really have to be so nervous about everything?"

Lin Chen placed the bowl of rice in front of her, went to dish out the soup, and said, "It's not that I'm nervous, it's that we have to be extremely careful."

"Otherwise, if you bump into something or hurt yourself, my heart will ache!"

Xu Mi wore a helpless expression, though her eyes were filled with smiles.

Her heart felt sugary sweet, as if she had just eaten honey.

In her memory, it seemed she had never been cared for and doted on to this extent before.

Everyone else had always told her one thing: you must be strong, you must be independent, you must strive to climb higher, and you must do your absolute best.

Only Lin Chen treated her like an absolute treasure, cherishing her with utmost care.

It felt so wonderful!

Lin Chen finished serving the rice and soup and finally sat down.

Then, he picked up a piece of fish belly meat and put it in Xu Mi's bowl. "Wife, eat more fish, it's good for your health."

Xu Mi's face turned red. "I can do it myself."

"But I want to feed you!"

Holding his chopsticks, Lin Chen looked at her with an expression full of eager anticipation. "Wife, just eat it! This is the most delicious part I picked out especially for you!"

Unable to win against him, Xu Mi had no choice but to open her mouth with a blushing face and take the fish meat.

The sea bass meat was tender with few bones, and Aunt Zhou's cooking was exceptionally good.

The fish tasted supremely delicious, and Xu Mi narrowed her eyes in satisfaction.

With her expression of pure bliss, she looked just like a little kitten.

Looking at her, Lin Chen felt an itch in his heart and couldn't help saying, "Wife, you're so cute!"

Just looking at her made him feel like his heart was melting. No wonder the ancients coined the phrase "beauty to feast one's eyes on"!

Xu Mi's face flushed red once more, and she chided, "Hush! Just eat your food!"

With that, she picked up a piece of spare rib and placed it in Lin Chen's bowl.

Instead of touching it, Lin Chen leaned forward slightly, opened his mouth, and said, "Ah—"

Xu Mi was startled, her face turning even redder. "Can't you eat by yourself? You're a grown adult, and you still need to be fed. Have you no shame?"

With a completely righteous expression, Lin Chen replied, "Being fed by other people would be shameless, but being fed by my wife? Isn't that just a bit of marital romance?"

"I fed you, so turnabout is fair play. Shouldn't it be your turn to feed me now?"

"I refuse!"

"Wife~"

"Eat by yourself!"

"My precious wife, please, I'm begging you. Your husband literally won't be able to eat unless you feed him, okay?"

Listening to Lin Chen's deliberately spoiled tone, Xu Mi felt both embarrassed and amused.

In the end, unable to resist him, she picked up a piece of spare rib and extended it forward. "There!"

Lin Chen bit down and caught the chopsticks in his mouth.

Xu Mi tried to pull them back, but couldn't budge them, and grew annoyed. "What are you doing?!"

As she lifted her gaze, her eyes happened to meet Lin Chen's.

As their eyes locked, the air between them instantly grew thick with ambiguity...