Chapter 16: That Would Be Even Better
“Sorry, I’ll change next time.”
Only then did Fu Sizhuo realize what marriage truly meant for him.
He was no longer alone.
He had long been used to solitude, disliking too much conversation with others.
Those habits weren’t good. He would have to change them all.
“Ahem… as long as you know you were wrong.” Shen Zhuying hadn’t expected him to admit his fault so straightforwardly, and she lifted her chin in a proud, slightly tsundere way.
Just like… that little orange cat at home.
Fu Sizhuo couldn’t help but smile.
At this moment, Shen Zhuying was still sitting on his lap. Xiao Chun and Xiao Tao, thinking they were hidden by the gauze curtain, peeked over here, then ran off to the side to giggle.
Shen Zhuying felt a little uneasy, her voice lowering, “Can you let me go now?”
“Of course I can, it’s just…” Fu Sizhuo’s tone carried a hint of innocence.
“I wasn’t holding you.”
“…”
Only then did Shen Zhuying realize that the hand around her waist had already been loosened at some point.
She nearly jumped off his lap.
“I’m going out.” Shen Zhuying still lifted her chin proudly.
She turned to leave, but her wrist was caught again.
This time, Shen Zhuying wanted to regain the upper hand, so she raised her chin even higher. “Why are you holding me?”
“I just wanted to ask Mrs. Fu—” Fu Sizhuo chuckled softly, “Since you’re not used to messaging, can I call you instead?”
“You can.” Shen Zhuying stole a quick glance at the man’s handsome face, then pretended to be indifferent.
“Video call would be even better.”
—
On the way home, Shen Zhuying stared for a long while at the man’s slender, well-defined hand resting on the steering wheel.
Something felt missing.
She suddenly remembered what those two girls in the shop had said.
—“Don’t fight me for it, he’s my husband.”
—“Nonsense, he’s my husband!”
That’s it, what’s missing is a ring!
Shen Zhuying puffed up with indignation.
That’s my husband!
“Fu Sizhuo.” Shen Zhuying called him.
“Mm? What is it?” His pleasant voice answered her.
Shen Zhuying thought for a moment. “Nothing.”
Forget it. She’d just go buy a ring herself and surprise him with it later.
But… rings are so expensive.
Forget it, since this will probably only happen once in her whole life anyway.
Shen Zhuying’s heart ached, throbbing faintly.
“Fu Sizhuo.” Shen Zhuying called him again.
“Mm.” This time he turned his head to glance at her.
Shen Zhuying stretched out her hand, her face calm. “Hold my hand for a moment.”
“All right.” Fu Sizhuo’s lips curved slightly.
He drove with one hand, while the other interlaced his fingers with hers.
Shen Zhuying quietly brushed her fingertips over the knuckle of his ring finger, memorizing the size.
When they returned to the living room, Shen Zhuying immediately scooped up her little orange cat and petted it twice, then sighed in distress. “It feels like Piggy has gotten so much fatter lately, I can hardly carry him.”
Fu Sizhuo cast it a glance. “Indeed. Tell Auntie Li to feed him less.”
Struggling a little, Shen Zhuying carried the little orange cat onto the sofa. When she lifted her gaze, she suddenly noticed a huge pot of—
“Protea!”
The King Protea, the national flower of South Africa.
Shen Zhuying’s eyes lit up as she circled around it. “Thank you, I really like it.”
What surprised her most was that the flower hadn’t been cut, but brought back as an entire pot.
All kinds of colors, each bloom so bright and vivid.
“But wasn’t it hard to get this through customs?” Shen Zhuying asked, her face touched with emotion.
“No, there was a private jet.” Only the mischievous, teasing looks from his colleagues and seniors had been a bit hard to endure.
But looking into the girl’s sparkling eyes now—
Fu Sizhuo thought, it was worth it.
“There’s also a little box next to it. Don’t you want to open it and see?”
Seeing that Shen Zhuying had been carefully admiring that pot of Protea for more than an hour without the slightest intention of looking away, Fu Sizhuo had no choice but to remind her.
“Oh.” Only then did Shen Zhuying notice the inconspicuous little red box beside it.
When she opened it, inside was an exquisitely crafted ruby necklace.
Shen Zhuying didn’t even need to ask to know it was very expensive. “Can this gemstone be removed?” She tapped lightly on the largest ruby in the center.
“What’s wrong, you don’t like it?”
“No.” Shen Zhuying looked troubled. “It just feels like if I wear it out directly, I’ll get robbed.”
“…”
“It can be removed.” Fu Sizhuo couldn’t help but laugh, then suggested, “Maybe you could try pairing it with the red dress you wore on our blind date.”
Back at the exhibition hall, when he first saw this necklace, the first thing that came to his mind was her, standing in front of him in a red dress, smiling so warmly and radiantly.
“Okay.”
Before going to bed, Shen Zhuying thought of something again.
“Fu Sizhuo, are we going to Grandma’s tomorrow?”
During Fu Sizhuo’s business trip, Old Madam Zhou had called her several times, asking if she wanted to come to the old residence for a visit.
But back then the flower shop was really too busy, and she couldn’t spare the time.
“We should go.” Fu Sizhuo replied.
In the past, he would visit the old residence about once a week. But this time, because of the sudden business trip, he had already delayed for a long while.
If he didn’t go soon, the old lady would probably call and scold him.
——
Actually, Fu Sizhuo was overthinking.
The old lady had been very pleased with him these past few days.
Strictly speaking, it started from the day he told her that he and Shen Zhuying had already gotten their marriage certificate. From then on, she looked at him especially favorably.
Her grandson had turned out so well!
Zhou Qinglan held Shen Zhuying’s hand as they walked inside, smiling with joy as she praised her. She really felt a strong connection with Shen Zhuying.
Fu Sizhuo was left neglected to the side by the two women, though in his heart he shared the same thought as Zhou Qinglan.
The topics they chatted about were things Fu Sizhuo didn’t understand at all.
For example—
What was the purpose of “Death Barbie Pink” lipstick?
For example—
Which young idol in the recently aired drama was especially handsome?
As they talked, they even started comparing their Double 11 shopping carts and discussing shopping strategies for the sale.
Fu Sizhuo sat by the side with a book, looking rather idle.
He gave a light cough. “I’ll head to the study to deal with some work.”
The two women ignored him and kept chatting enthusiastically.
Fu Sizhuo quietly went upstairs.
After all, the old lady was still elderly. Toward the end, it was obvious she was getting tired, yet she was so delighted that she wanted to keep discussing with Shen Zhuying whether the handsome old man she met yesterday at senior university was reliable or not.
Shen Zhuying had no choice but to say, “Grandma, don’t worry. Let’s talk about it again tomorrow, okay? That old man won’t run away.”
“All right, all right, I need to get my beauty sleep anyway.” The old lady squeezed her hand.
“I asked Aunt Wang to prepare two rooms for you. You can stay in the light green one, I remember you like green.”
“Grandma…” Shen Zhuying was stunned. “You knew?”
“Aunt Li and Aunt Wang were gossiping, and I overheard.”
“…”
“Grandma doesn’t know why you agreed to marry our Ah Zhuo, but rest assured, Ah Zhuo has been a good child since he was little. It’s just that because of some family troubles in the past, his temperament has grown colder now.
“Don’t feel pressured. Go at your own pace, just follow your heart. Since you two skipped over the dating step and went straight to marriage, you can treat it as if you’re still dating now. After all, who starts dating and sleeps in the same bed within just a dozen days, right?”
