Chapter 13: My Wife
“Good morning.” Fu Sizhuo greeted her. He had just finished his run, his voice carrying a hoarseness from exercise, making it sound even more sensual.
Shen Zhuying wanted to cry without tears. “Good morn—”
Bad…
At that instant, she only wanted to blow up the world and start over.
Before she even finished greeting him, she turned and went “thump-thump-thump” back upstairs, diving into the bedroom.
A faint confusion surfaced between Fu Sizhuo’s brows.
“Madam is just feeling shy,” Auntie Li explained with a knowing smile.
“She thinks she didn’t do her hair this morning and doesn’t look pretty.”
“Madam is truly adorable,” Auntie Li couldn’t help praising.
“Mm.” Fu Sizhuo hadn’t expected that reason. He curved his lips slightly. “She really is adorable.”
After a pause of a few seconds, he added, “And very beautiful too.”
It took Shen Zhuying ten minutes to put on a carefully crafted “natural bare-face” makeup before she came downstairs again.
She tried her best to act casual, pulled out a chair, and sat opposite Fu Sizhuo. “Your work starts later today?” Shen Zhuying couldn’t help asking.
Amusement flickered in Fu Sizhuo’s eyes. “It’s the weekend.”
Shen Zhuying suddenly realized what a stupid question that was. The tips of her ears slowly turned red, and she gave a soft “oh.”
After breakfast, Fu Sizhuo took a shower, then changed into a casual gray sweatshirt and jeans. His usual slicked-back hairstyle was now loose, a slightly parted fringe falling over his forehead. With his broad shoulders and long legs, he looked just like a college student.
Shen Zhuying sneaked glances at him, but quickly averted her eyes whenever his gaze shifted her way.
“Are you free tonight?” Fu Sizhuo asked while lowering his head to fasten his watch.
Shen Zhuying thought for a moment. “I’m free, why?”
“I have a gathering tonight.” He looked up.
“Would you like to come with me?”
“A gathering?”
In her mind, Shen Zhuying immediately envisioned those high-society scenes from novels, people in luxury clothes sipping red wine. She shivered and was just about to refuse, when she heard Fu Sizhuo say helplessly, “Not that kind of gathering. Just a few friends meeting up for drinks.”
So… was he going to introduce her to his friends?
She could interpret it that way, right?
Whatever, she was going to interpret it that way.
Shen Zhuying immediately set her bag down. “Then I’ll go pick out an outfit.”
Fu Sizhuo gave her a once-over. She was wearing a pale blue sweater with a short plaid skirt. His brows lifted slightly.
“What you’re wearing now looks very nice.”
“This isn’t formal enough.” Shen Zhuying chirped as she ran upstairs.
“Wait for me, I’ll be quick.”
About half an hour later, Shen Zhuying came down again, this time in a short knit top paired with a lace-trimmed skirt. Compared to the earlier outfit, this one looked more mature and elegant.
Fu Sizhuo lowered his gaze to glance at his own sweatshirt and jeans. After two seconds of silence, he said, “Should I… change back into a suit?”
Shen Zhuying firmly rejected his suggestion.
She quickly grabbed her bag and turned to run. “I don’t have time, I need to get to the shop.”
“You have time.” Fu Sizhuo loosely caught her slender, pale wrist with one hand, the car keys hooked in the other.
“I’ll take you.”
This time, Shen Zhuying didn’t refuse.
When they arrived at the flower shop, just as she was about to get out of the car, she noticed Fu Sizhuo was getting out too.
“Not much going on today,” Fu Sizhuo explained.
Not much going on today, so he could come keep her company?
Shen Zhuying’s heart swelled sweetly.
She thought she was really good at interpreting Fu Sizhuo’s hidden meaning.
In the morning, the shop was quiet. The moment Fu Sizhuo’s car pulled up at the door, Xiao Chun and Xiao Tao craned their necks to peek outside.
When Fu Sizhuo stepped inside, the two of them stared at him wide-eyed, not even blinking.
Fu Sizhuo gave a polite nod, raising his hands in sign language: “Hello.”
Xiao Chun and Xiao Tao looked at him in shock.
“You know sign language?” Shen Zhuying was surprised too.
“Learned a little.” Fu Sizhuo tilted his head toward her, signing as he asked, “Was what I just did correct?”
His hands were beautiful, long, slender, and pale, with distinct knuckles.
Watching him make those movements, slow and unfamiliar, gave Shen Zhuying the sudden urge…
to hide him away, never letting anyone else see.
“Not correct.” Shen Zhuying put on a stern face. “Don’t do it in public again.”
Fu Sizhuo: “……”
——
The gathering was set at the rooftop of Cloud Bar.
When Fu Sizhuo pushed open the private room door with Shen Zhuying beside him, the three people inside each wore different expressions, but all of them shared the same look of… horror.
“No way, Brother Fu, since when did you have a girlfriend?” Zhou Li was so shocked the cigarette slipped right out of his hand.
For their kind of private gatherings, even bringing a female companion was unheard of.
And besides, Fu Sizhuo hadn’t brought any female companion for years, he lived so ascetically he was like a monk.
Right after Zhou Li, Zhou Yu followed up in puzzlement: “Junior schoolmate?”
“Hello, Senior.” Shen Zhuying wasn’t surprised to see him here. She smiled and gave him a nod.
Zhou Li was even more shocked. “Bro, you know her?”
Fu Sizhuo also turned his head toward Shen Zhuying, his voice low. “You two know each other?”
The atmosphere grew a little delicate.
Qi Zhou stubbed out his cigarette. His eyes, usually lazy and half-lowered, suddenly showed some interest.
He studied Shen Zhuying carefully, then suddenly asked, “Haven’t we seen each other somewhere before?”
“……”
The scene had become a complete mess. Zhou Li started wondering if he should also try striking up some connection.
Fu Sizhuo’s lips pressed into a straight line.
“Not a girlfriend.”
He drew Shen Zhuying closer by the waist, his tone carrying a touch of possessiveness. “Let me introduce you.”
“My wife, Shen Zhuying.”
“What the fu…”
Zhou Li was utterly dumbfounded.
Just a few days ago, there hadn’t even been a female mosquito buzzing around him, and now he was married? He scratched his head.
“Hello, Sister-in-law, I’m Zhou Li.”
“Hello.” Shen Zhuying smiled and nodded.
Zhou Yu looked at Shen Zhuying, his tone complicated. “Didn’t expect to meet again under these circumstances.”
“Senior is that surprised?”
Zhou Yu seemed to realize something. “Maybe not, actually.”
The two of them sounded like they were speaking in riddles.
Fu Sizhuo frowned, a restless irritation rising in his chest.
His arm around her waist tightened.
“Fu Sizhuo,” Shen Zhuying whispered to him, “I’m a little ticklish.”
“Mm.” His arm loosened a bit, but showed no sign of moving away.
Qi Zhou found this all too entertaining.
Fu Sizhuo, that cold, robotic man, he could spend every day trying to provoke him and still get no reaction.
But now, his expressions were so vivid.
Qi Zhou deliberately stretched his voice as he said, “Sister-in-law, you still haven’t answered me, haven’t we seen each other somewhere before?”
“Qi Zhou.” Fu Sizhuo frowned. He knew this old habit of his, stirring up trouble on purpose.
Qi Zhou shrugged. Shen Zhuying really had seen him before.
The two legendary figures of Jingbei High, one was Fu Sizhuo, the other was Qi Zhou.
Back in high school, they were practically inseparable, with even rumors swirling about them.
Even now, there were still forum posts about the two of them.
She thought for a moment, then said, “We have. Last month, you bought a bouquet of sunflowers from my shop.”
