I Woke Up and Got Married Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Lu Corporation, Top Floor Office.

At just before five o’clock, Jiang Ying stepped out of the elevator, holding a stack of documents. She knocked gently on the office door. “Mr. Lu.”

“Come in.”

Inside, Lu Zhiyue had just gotten up and was putting on his jacket, clearly about to head out. Jiang Ying quickly reviewed the afternoon schedule in her mind and, seeing no notes about external meetings, knew it must be a private matter. Discreet as always, she didn’t ask any questions. “Mr. Lu, this is the project proposal from the new team. Please review it.”

“Okay.” Lu Zhiyue picked up the document and glanced through it for a couple of seconds. Suddenly, as if something occurred to him, he asked, “What time is it now?”

Jiang Ying replied, “It’s ten minutes to five.”

Lu Zhiyue quickly skimmed the details and signed his name at the end. “Order some afternoon tea for everyone. My treat.”

“Huh?” Jiang Ying was stunned. It was almost dinnertime—why order afternoon tea now?

Lu Zhiyue seemed oblivious. “What’s wrong?”

Jiang Ying gently reminded him, “Mr. Lu, by the time the delivery arrives, most employees will already be off work.”

So… Was this an implicit suggestion for overtime?

Lu Zhiyue suddenly understood. “Then order it for tomorrow instead.”

Jiang Ying agreed. Noticing the obvious improvement in his mood lately, she couldn’t help but comment, “Mr. Lu, you seem to be in a great mood these days. Everyone’s been benefiting from it.”

Yesterday, they got off work early, and today there was a plan for afternoon tea. Plenty of the young women in the office were swooning.

Lu Zhiyue raised an eyebrow slightly. “Really?”

“Of course,” Jiang Ying said. “You’ve changed quite a bit recently.”

Lu Zhiyue responded with a soft “Hmm,” and just as Jiang Ying thought he wouldn’t elaborate, he added, “Because there’s someone waiting for me at home.”

Jiang Ying froze. It took her a while to process that this was, in fact, a subtle display of affection. She immediately smiled. “You and Mr. Chi must be very loving.”

Lu Zhiyue shot her a look of approval. “I’ll take your word for it.”

Jiang Ying: “???”

Shouldn’t it be “You’re absolutely right”?

Chi Suinian might have said he’d destroy the house, but in reality, he neither had the energy nor the inclination.

After waking up from his vegetative state, he often felt his body had significantly weakened. He was always tired. Having just recovered from a bout of illness, he didn’t even have the strength to deliberately make trouble for Lu Zhiyue.

As soon as he returned to the Lu family villa, all he wanted to do was rest.

“Welcome back, Young Master Chi,” the butler, Uncle Zhang, greeted him, emerging from the kitchen. “What would you like for dinner?”

“I’m not hungry,” Chi Suinian said listlessly. “I’m going upstairs to sleep.”

“Wait a moment,” Uncle Zhang called out.

Chi Suinian, dragging his exhausted feet, stopped in his tracks. “What is it?”

Uncle Zhang turned around and pulled out two bouquets of fresh blue Platycodon from somewhere. “These are for you.”

Chi Suinian froze. “Who sent them?”

“No idea,” Uncle Zhang replied. “One bouquet arrived yesterday, and the other came ten minutes ago. There’s no sender name, just a message saying they’re for Mr. Chi.”

There was only one “Mr. Chi” in the entire Lu household. It was obvious who the flowers were meant for.

Chi Suinian’s gaze lingered on the two beautifully wrapped bouquets for a moment before he said flatly, “Throw them away.”

He wasn’t a fan of flowers, especially not from an unknown sender.

“Yes, sir.” Uncle Zhang turned to leave with the bouquets. The fresh blue blooms trembled slightly with his movements, as if lamenting their tragic fate.

“Wait,” Chi Suinian suddenly called out, his eyes fixed on the flowers. “Pick out a few fresh ones and put them in a vase.”

“Understood.”

Upstairs, Chi Suinian flopped onto the soft, comfortable bed with his eyes closed.

The one thing he was most satisfied with in the Lu household was this mattress. It was perfectly soft yet firm, with excellent elasticity. He made a mental note to ask Lu Zhiyue about the brand once their agreement ended.

Turning his head, his gaze fell on the few stems of Platycodon in a vase on the nightstand. He froze for a moment.

Uncle Zhang had already arranged the flowers—choosing the freshest ones with buds yet to bloom. They looked like they could last a few more days.

Staring at the buds, Chi Suinian suddenly felt wide awake.

He wasn’t someone who cared much for flowers, nor did he have a refined hobby like gardening. Yet for some reason, blue Platycodon always seemed to catch his attention.

His first encounter with the flower was back in middle school. At the time, he had just transferred schools. Being the new kid, he made an embarrassing mistake on his first day and didn’t manage to make many friends, often keeping to himself.

Not long after, blue Platycodon started appearing in his desk drawer.

Every day, a single stem, fresh with morning dew, bright and verdant, quietly lying in his desk.

At first, he thought it was some kind of prank and paid it no mind. But when it continued for months, he began to wonder.

If it were just a joke, the sender had to be either incredibly bored or incredibly foolish to persist for so long.

The flower-giver never revealed themselves, likely fearing being ostracized as well. This seemed to be their subtle way of showing support.

Over a decade had passed, and much of that time was now a blur. Yet today, seeing these flowers in the Lu household triggered a chilling thought:

Could those flowers from back then have been sent by… Lu Zhiyue?

This idea made Chi Suinian shiver and curse himself for being ridiculous.

If Lu Zhiyue had sent him flowers, he’d eat every single eustoma in the world.

Annoyed by this sudden, intrusive thought, he jumped up, rubbed his face vigorously, and tried to clear his head.

Just as he was looking for something to distract himself, Lu Heng sent him a message on WeChat: “Suinian, we need one more for a battle royale on the island. Coming?”

Chi Suinian was desperate for something to occupy his mind and immediately replied, “I’m in.”

When Lu Zhiyue arrived home, his eyes instantly fell on the fresh Platycodon adorning the dining table. His expression softened.

Dinner was already set, but there was only one place setting.

“Where is he?” he asked.

The butler understood who he meant. “Young Master Chi said he wouldn’t eat dinner.”

Lu Zhiyue frowned. His body had only just started recovering, and now he was neglecting his meals again? Did he not care about his stomach at all?

With a grim face, Lu Zhiyue headed upstairs and gently knocked on the master bedroom door.

No response.

Lu Zhiyue turned the handle. To his surprise, the door wasn’t locked.

As soon as he cracked it open, he heard the intense sounds of gunfire.

“Enemy at N direction, low health!”

Lu Heng’s excited shouting came through the phone. “Ah, ah, ah! There’s someone at my location—three of them! They’re surrounding the building! Damn it, am I some kind of monk everyone wants to attack?”

“Shut up,” Chi Suinian said, sitting cross-legged on the bed. “I can’t hear their footsteps.”

“Bro, I’ve been dying the moment I land for three rounds straight. You’re my last hope!” Lu Heng exclaimed.

Chi Suinian calmly asked, “Do you have smoke grenades?”

“No,” Lu Heng replied. “All I’ve got is a sickle.”

“…” Chi Suinian sighed in exasperation. “Did you meditate when you landed? Why didn’t you pick up a gun?”

“I tried!” Lu Heng said. “But who’d have thought three squads would land in this tiny area? I’ve been running for my life with someone chasing me with a shotgun. I’m lucky to even have a sickle!”

A soft female voice interjected, “I have three smoke grenades and two frag grenades. I’ll give them to you since I don’t know how to use them.”

“I have two smoke grenades as well,” another female voice added. “I’ll bring them over.”

Standing at the doorway, the smile that had just begun to form on Lu Zhiyue’s lips suddenly froze.

Oblivious to his presence, Chi Suinian paused before replying, “No need. Just throw the smokes at Lu Heng’s building. Use as many as you have, then find somewhere to hide.”

“Okay.”

Moments later, a thick fog engulfed the small building in the game. Manipulating his character, Chi Suinian rushed into the smoke, relying solely on footsteps to locate enemies.

His auditory skills were impressive. Even without headphones, he could pinpoint positions accurately, wreaking havoc in the low-visibility fog.

After taking out two enemies on the ground floor, he turned to head upstairs, intending to guard the staircase for more kills. But just as he moved, a shadow flashed past on the second floor, unleashing a hail of bullets at him.

His health dropped to half. Crouching at the bottom of the stairs, he timed his grenade perfectly.

“You want to ambush me? Have a taste of this.”

The explosion blasted apart the enemy upstairs. Chi Suinian smirked in satisfaction. But before he could enjoy the moment, the unmistakable sound of his bedroom door closing made him freeze.

Wait. He wasn’t alone?

Lu Zhiyue stood by the door, and the smile that had just risen on his mouth froze at the corner of his mouth.

Chi Suinian, completely unaware of what had just occurred, paused and said, “No need. Throw as many smoke grenades as you can at Lu Heng’s building. Use them all, then find a spot to hide.”

“Got it.”

In no time, wisps of smoke rose and shrouded the small building. Controlling his in-game character, Chi Suinian rushed into the fog, relying solely on footsteps to determine enemy positions.

His hearing was sharp—he could pinpoint locations accurately even without headphones. Within the low-visibility fog, he went on a rampage.

After eliminating two players on the ground floor, Chi Suinian turned to head upstairs, planning to camp by the staircase for more kills. However, a shadow flashed on the second floor, and a barrage of bullets rained down on him.

His health bar dropped to half. Crouching at the bottom of the staircase, Chi Suinian timed his grenade perfectly. When the enemy upstairs appeared again, he hurled it up.

The grenade exploded on impact, successfully taking out a third player.

“Wow, that was amazing!” a female voice exclaimed in awe from the game.

“That’s nothing,” Lu Heng chimed in with a laugh. “My buddy here is not just a gaming pro—he’s even better-looking in real life. If it weren’t for family objections, he would’ve been a legend in the esports world by now.”

Chi Suinian clicked his tongue. “Will you die if you stop bragging?”

“I’m just being honest,” Lu Heng retorted.

“…Could I add you as a friend?” one of the girls asked hesitantly. “I’m new to the game and don’t really know the controls. Maybe you could help me out sometime?”

“Me too! I want to add you as well…” chimed in the other.

The two girls were relatives of Lu Heng’s and were total newbies at gaming. Since Lu Heng was terrible himself and couldn’t carry them, he roped in Chi Suinian. The two young women, drawn to skill and strength, had been circling him the entire evening.

Chi Suinian, being gay and not particularly adept at dealing with young women, had no intention of expanding his friend list. Just as he was about to decline, a shadow suddenly loomed over him.

“Sorry, but he’s got a husband. Adding friends isn’t an option,” a deep voice interrupted.

The game fell into stunned silence.

“Lu! Zhi! Yue!” Chi Suinian’s icy voice broke the silence, each word practically squeezed through clenched teeth. His eyes darkened with storm clouds, and a tense, oppressive aura emanated from him. “You—”

A warm finger brushed against the side of his face.

Chi Suinian froze mid-sentence. Before he could react, Lu Zhiyue withdrew his hand, holding a petal between his fingers.

“There was a flower petal on your face,” Lu Zhiyue said, raising the petal in front of him. “Why didn’t you eat dinner?”

In his earlier excitement while gaming, Chi Suinian had accidentally knocked over the flower vase. Although he had righted it, he hadn’t noticed that a petal had stuck to his face.

The skin where Lu Zhiyue had touched him felt a little itchy. Chi Suinian tilted his head, rubbing his cheek against his shoulder. Most of the anger he had been brewing dissipated.

“Mind your own business.” Chi Suinian frowned. “Who let you in here? Get out.”

“I knocked, but you didn’t hear me,” Lu Zhiyue replied.

“So, you just barged in? Don’t you understand manners or privacy…?” Chi Suinian slapped the petal from Lu Zhiyue’s hand, tossed his phone aside, and stood up.

But since he had been sitting cross-legged for too long, his knees went numb. As soon as he stood, he wobbled and collapsed back down.

Before he could hit the ground, a pair of steady hands caught him and pulled him back up.

Heart racing, Chi Suinian looked up, meeting Lu Zhiyue’s slightly concerned eyes. It was the first time he had seen Lu Zhiyue’s face this close. It was different from the annoying image he had in his memory—sharp features, deep-set eyes, and smooth, flawless lines combined into a face of striking beauty.

No wonder he was called the “untouchable cold flower” of Jin City. Truly dazzling.

If only his hand wasn’t resting on Chi Suinian’s butt.

Chi Suinian raised his hand and smacked Lu Zhiyue’s arm. “Are you kidding me? What kind of pervert are you?”

Lu Zhiyue: “…”

---

TL: Hi Readers!!! This chapter was quite confusing and long. Hope you enjoy it. ^-^

If you like the Translations, do support me on Ko-Fi.