I Woke Up and Got Married Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Lu Zhiyue and the wild man on the sofa stared at each other for a few seconds.

Finally, he found something familiar in the other person’s features and figure.

“Chi Yu?”

Chi Yu sat a little awkwardly because after his brother brought him in, he went upstairs without saying a word, his expression frozen, clearly having a big problem with the house.

Chi Yu didn’t dare to move around either. Even when sitting on the sofa, he only occupied half of it, and now his waist was getting numb.

Hearing Lu Zhiyue’s voice, he raised his hand, trying to rub some life back into his face so he looked more presentable, and then said, “It’s me. I came to stay with my brother for a couple of days. Sorry for the intrusion, Mr. Lu.”

Chi Yu actually had no impression of this so-called “cousin-in-law.” His family had little contact with Chi Suinian, and they had only recently learned about his marriage.

At home, his father always spoke about Chi Suinian’s marriage with disgust.

Useless.

Disgusting.

But when it came to Lu Zhiyue, his father never commented, acting so cautious that it seemed like he was afraid of him.

Chi Yu couldn’t figure this out, but after growing up in such an atmosphere, he felt intimidated whenever he saw Lu Zhiyue.

It was like facing the disciplinary director back in high school.

Even though he hadn’t done anything wrong, the fear came inexplicably.

Since he had barged in without informing the owner of the house, the situation was already awkward. He wanted to find something to talk about, but when he looked up, he realized that Lu Zhiyue wasn’t even paying attention to him.

Instead, he was…

Frowning as he scanned the entire house?

He looked over the downstairs first, then the upstairs. The more he looked, the deeper his frown became.

His brother had entered the house with a dark expression, and now Lu Zhiyue was acting all hesitant.

Chi Yu’s backside tensed up.

…Could this place be haunted?

Just as he was starting to feel spooked, he saw Lu Zhiyue step into the room but then pause warily, as if he had remembered something.

“Where’s your brother?”

Chi Yu blinked, a little slow to react, and pointed upstairs. “He went up.”

Then he saw Lu Zhiyue’s tense shoulders relax significantly, as if he had just breathed a sigh of relief.

Chi Yu: “…?”

This is the Lu family’s house, right?

So why does the owner look like this when he comes home?

But he didn’t overthink it—he wouldn’t have figured it out even if he tried. Lu Zhiyue calmly entered the house. When Uncle Zhang saw him return, he went to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

Chi Yu sat there, frozen, not daring to move.

Lu Zhiyue usually had a habit of taking a shower as soon as he got home, but he was worried that if he went upstairs, he’d run right into a firecracker. So he didn’t dare move either.

For a while, the sofa held two silent dummies.

A few minutes later, Lu Zhiyue suddenly asked, “How’s your brother’s mood today?”

Chi Yu was momentarily stunned before realizing that the question was directed at him. “Not great. He was already upset when he left the police station, and when he got home, his face got even darker.”

Lu Zhiyue: “…”

His jaw still hurt.

After a few seconds, he thought of something else. “He went to the police station to bail you out?”

“Yeah.” Chi Yu had nothing to hide and admitted directly, “I was stuck in there for so long. They wouldn’t let me see anyone or let anyone in to see me. They just interrogated me over and over. I thought I’d be in there for years before getting out. Good thing my brother came to get me.”

So, you two have made up now?

Lu Zhiyue didn’t say this out loud. He could see that the kid had suffered in there. His temper and reckless attitude had been worn down quite a bit—he looked like he was on the path to redemption.

Since Chi Suinian had brought him home, it meant he had acknowledged this cousin, so Lu Zhiyue wouldn’t throw him out.

Besides…

If there was an outsider in the house, maybe when Young Master Chi settled accounts later, he’d go easier on him.

His jaw still hurt today.

“Alright, then you can stay,” Lu Zhiyue said after a pause. “Stay a few more days.”

Hopefully, until Young Master Chi’s anger fades.

Chi Yu was caught off guard by his sudden hospitality. He hesitated and said, “But my brother said I could only stay for three days. If I overstay, he’ll kick me out.”

“Oh.” Lu Zhiyue smoothly changed his tune: “Then listen to your brother.”

Chi Yu: “…”

Chi Yu was confused.

He had spent years hanging out in rough circles, making friends with all kinds of people.

Among his crowd, whenever they drank together or shot the breeze, they always talked about the legendary fights between his brother and Lu Zhiyue. Even after their marriage, rumors of their love-hate relationship still circulated.

Chi Yu had always imagined that their home life must be like fire and water, constantly at odds.

But Lu Zhiyue’s behavior… made it seem like he was actually afraid of his brother.

Like a… henpecked husband.

Chi Yu was so shocked by his own thought that he shivered.

If he was thinking of his brother as a wife, then Lu Zhiyue must really have something special going on.

“Um… Lu-ge,” Chi Yu unknowingly changed the way he addressed him. “I’m really curious, how did you even manage to chase after my brother and get him to marry you?”

Not just him.

A lot of people outside were wondering the same thing.

Lu Zhiyue glanced at him, his long lashes slightly lowered, his brow furrowed.

Like he was thinking.

Chi Yu sat up straight, his hands rubbing expectantly on his knees.

A few seconds later, Lu Zhiyue looked up and said, “Probably my looks.”

Chi Yu: “…”

He was stunned for two seconds. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a figure standing nearby. When he turned his head, his heart nearly jumped out of his chest. “…Brother, when did you come downstairs?”

Chi Suinian had just finished showering. His hair was still damp, and his face was flushed with a healthy pink. His gaze swept over the stiff figures on the sofa, and he sneered. “During the part where you were talking about ‘looks.’”

Lu Zhiyue: “…”

Chi Yu: “…”

Dead.

Unfortunately, Chi Suinian wasn’t in the mood for murder—he was hungry.

He had only had a bowl of porridge since waking up that afternoon. It was light and watery, and his stomach had long since emptied out.

He had no strength to fight but plenty of strength to talk.

And since he lived by the philosophy that if he wasn’t happy, no one else should be, he curled his lips and said, “Looks? Ha. Don’t you have a mirror at home?”

Lu Zhiyue stiffened for a moment before recovering smoothly. He raised a brow and said lazily, “Why deny it now? You used to always praise my looks. You even said that whenever we argued, you’d slap yourself after seeing my face.”

Chi Suinian: “…”

Slap your damn uncle.

Lu Zhiyue was just taking advantage of his amnesia to talk nonsense.

Once he got his memories back, he’d rip that man’s mouth apart first.

Unfortunately, Chi Suinian didn’t even manage to stay at the Lu family home for a full three days.

Chi Mingyao knew his son’s whereabouts like the back of his hand. The morning after Chi Suinian was released from the police station, he had already received the news and stormed into the Lu family home in a fury to demand his son back.

“Chi Suinian! Where are you hiding my son?” Chi Mingyao bellowed as soon as he entered, dragging along a tearful Zhou Minru.

“Hand him over right now!” Chi Mingyao shouted.

Zhou Minru immediately started wailing without even discerning the situation: “Suinian, I know you don’t like me and your uncle, but Chi Suinian is innocent!”

Chi Suinian, as if oblivious to their anger, sat leisurely on the spacious sofa, cracking open a can of cola.

His lips curved slightly, forming a barely perceptible smile. But if one looked closely, his eyes were filled with deep-seated disgust.

Zhou Minru stared at him, but surprisingly, she didn’t dare to speak again.

Chi Mingyao glared at him and sneered, “What are you telling him this for? This brat has been heartless since birth. An unfilial son who brings misfortune to his whole family—do you think he cares about our lives?”

Chi Suinian had initially been watching them throw their tantrum with amusement, but the moment Chi Mingyao uttered those words, his expression darkened.

With each word spoken, Chi Suinian’s lips pressed further downward. By the time Chi Mingyao finished speaking, his face had turned eerily cold.

“Don’t think I have no way to deal with you,” Chi Mingyao continued. “You have no right to keep my son. If you don’t hand him over, I’ll report you to the police!”

“Oh? Then go ahead.” Chi Suinian’s gaze remained unwavering. “I personally signed the documents when I took your son away. The police have my signature. Report it if you want.”

Chi Mingyao was furious. “You—”

“Who let you in?”

A cold male voice suddenly rang from the staircase. Chi Suinian turned his head in surprise and saw Lu Zhiyue, who should have been at work, dressed casually as he walked down the stairs.

His voice was deep and chilling, devoid of warmth. Chi Mingyao hesitated for a moment but, remembering his missing son, still mustered the courage to retort, “We’re here to find our son. Why do you care?”

“This is my house.” Lu Zhiyue’s gaze lingered for a second before his brows furrowed slightly.

Having suffered at his hands before, Chi Mingyao immediately became alert.

Lu Zhiyue strode down the stairs. Chi Mingyao’s face paled as he instinctively took a few steps back. Seeing Lu Zhiyue approaching, he reflexively raised his hand—

But Lu Zhiyue ignored him completely, walking straight past him and stopping in front of the sofa. His tone was displeased as he asked, “Who told you to drink cola?”

Chi Mingyao: “?”

Chi Suinian: “……”

Chi Suinian had never been one to yield to pressure, especially when confronted in an accusatory tone. He squinted his eyes and spat out two words, “Move aside.”

You’re blocking me from enjoying the show.

“You’re not fully recovered yet. No carbonated drinks.” Lu Zhiyue reached out to take the can from his hand, but Chi Suinian’s fingers suddenly tightened around it. His reddened eyes stared at Lu Zhiyue in silent defiance.

Like an aggrieved little cat, claws retracted for now, but still exuding an untamed aura.

Lu Zhiyue was momentarily dazed. In the next second, the wild cat shoved the can into his hand and snapped, “Here, take it. Now get lost.”

Lu Zhiyue grasped his hand in return, his fingers gently brushing against Chi Suinian’s palm. “Stay put, I’ll handle this.”

After saying this, he released him. Chi Suinian was momentarily stunned, his palm tingling. He wasn’t sure whether to be angry that Lu Zhiyue had grabbed his hand or that he was taking matters into his own hands.

“…What are you trying to do?” Chi Mingyao asked warily, swallowing hard as Lu Zhiyue turned his gaze toward him.

Chi Suinian, observing from the sidelines, narrowed his eyes slightly.

Chi Mingyao had always been an arrogant, selfish man, completely uncontrollable even by his own parents. Yet, he was afraid of Lu Zhiyue?

However, before Lu Zhiyue could even speak, Chi Mingyao suddenly grabbed Zhou Minru and bolted out the door, as if a beast was chasing him.

Zhou Minru protested, “Why are you pulling me? We haven’t found Chi Suinian yet!”

“…Let’s go home first!”

“Hey! Stop pulling me! I’m not leaving until we—”

“Shut up!”

Lu Zhiyue turned back around, meeting Chi Suinian’s suspicious gaze. “What?”

“Why is Chi Mingyao so scared of you?” Chi Suinian asked.

“Maybe he’s just done too many shady things?”

Yeah, right. As if I’d believe that.

Chi Suinian didn’t press the issue further. If Lu Zhiyue didn’t want to say, asking was pointless.

A silence fell over the living room, somewhat awkward.

Chi Suinian coughed lightly and said, “…Didn’t you go to work?”

Lu Zhiyue chuckled softly.

His eyes were a deep, inky black, and under the soft morning light, the fleeting amusement in them was almost mesmerizing.

But the moment of charm quickly vanished beneath a shadow of mockery.

Chi Suinian pursed his lips. “What are you laughing at?”

Lu Zhiyue looked at him. “I thought you’d at least say thank you.”

Chi Suinian froze for a moment before looking away. “I haven’t even blamed you for meddling yet.”

“Aren’t we partners? Helping each other isn’t meddling.”

Chi Suinian squinted. “Who’s the ‘wife’?”

Lu Zhiyue was taken aback, then he chuckled. “Me. I’m the wife. You’re my husband. Happy now?”

“….”

For a moment, Chi Suinian wasn’t sure if he had won or lost this verbal spar.

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