Chapter 104: Chapter 103: Did You Put On Lipstick Specially Today to Kiss Me?
The get-together was at an old hot pot restaurant—the same one Jiang Xia had seen by the roadside after leaving Wang Ming’s house last time. It was called Old Shancheng Hot Pot Restaurant and would do pretty well in the future.
Jiang Xia told his family he was going out for a get-together with classmates and wouldn’t be home for dinner. Then he immediately turned around and called his wife.
"Babe, want me to come pick you up?"
"Okay," Lin Yanwan said with a beaming smile, standing in front of the mirror.
She was wearing a simple white dress, her jet-black hair cascading down her back like a waterfall. At her age, she didn’t need any makeup at all. Her face was soft and plump, full of collagen.
’Meeting the best him at her most beautiful age... Hmph, he sure is getting a good deal.’
Eager to see his wife, Jiang Xia decided to just take a taxi. Before long, he was gently knocking on her door.
Lin Yanwan came out wearing a pair of slides, her delicate toes exposed and looking quite cute. She looked at Jiang Xia, the corner of her mouth twitching into a sly smile. "And who might you be looking for, sir?"
"I’m looking for my wife."
"And who is your wife?"
"It’s you."
With that, Jiang Xia stepped inside, closing the door behind him. He ignored Yuyuan, who was meowing off to the side, and pulled Lin Yanwan into his arms, deeply inhaling her faint, sweet scent.
"I haven’t seen you in five years. I missed you."
"You’re just saying nonsense. It hasn’t been five years."
"Each day apart felt like a year," he said righteously. "Five years. Do you have any idea how I got through these five years?"
"Are you about to say not even Jesus could stop you?" Lin Yanwan asked, a strange look on her face.
"You forgot the first part. ’Babe, you’re all mine!’" he said with a mischievous laugh.
"All you do is sweet-talk."
"Are you suggesting the verb form?"
Subconsciously picturing a certain scene involving closed eyes, clenched bedsheets, and nothing but heavy panting, Lin Yanwan blushed and gently pushed him away.
"Say one more improper thing and I’ll throw you out."
Jiang Xia chuckled. It was best to keep the lover’s banter light. He glanced around the room and, surprised not to see Xiao Man come out to greet him, asked, "Where’s Xiao Man?"
"Thinking about your little sister-in-law again, are we?" Lin Yanwan pinched him lightly before continuing, "My mom’s looking after her today."
"That’s great. We finally don’t have a little third wheel tagging along." He cupped his wife’s face and said softly, "Babe, you look so beautiful today, like a fairy."
"And your lips are so moist and pink. I even put on some peach-flavored lip balm. Want a kiss?"
Jiang Xia nodded eagerly.
"Then you can just keep thinking about it."
He was instantly dumbfounded. ’This isn’t how the script was supposed to go!’
Taking advantage of his distraction, Lin Yanwan suddenly stood on her tiptoes and pecked him on the cheek. "It’s getting late," she said slyly. "We should get going."
"First the temptation, then the rejection, and finally, a little charity. You really know how to pull a reversal," he muttered, touching his cheek.
Lin Yanwan chuckled to herself.
Watching her take out her keys to lock the door, Jiang Xia couldn’t help but say, "Babe, why don’t you give me a key to your place? Or you could just teach Yuyuan how to open the door."
"In your dreams~"
’Giving him a key before they were even married? Then he could come and go as he pleased. He might even sneak into her bedroom one night. What would that make her?’
"Do you know how anxious I get during those ten-odd seconds I’m waiting outside for you to open the door?"
"And you can’t even wait for that? The Tang Monk had to endure eighty-one trials to obtain the sacred scriptures."
The two bickered playfully, but their hands remained tightly clasped as they walked at a leisurely pace toward the hot pot restaurant.
"By the way, did you book a room?"
"I didn’t. It’s not a peak time for reservations, so there will definitely be a room available."
"That’s true."
"Speaking of which, how did Shen Ying do on her exams? Old Wang didn’t tell me the details, just that she didn’t do well."
Lin Yanwan thought for a moment and said, "She probably just barely made the cut for a Tier 2 university."
"Getting into a Tier 2 school isn’t bad these days, but with everyone around her doing so well, the difference in results must be hitting her hard. I just don’t know what Old Wang will choose to do."
Jiang Xia put himself in their shoes and thought about it seriously. After all, their situation was different from his and his wife’s.
Wang Ming’s love was still unrequited. If he impulsively gave up his top choice, the Central Academy of Fine Arts, to become classmates with Shen Ying, and things still didn’t work out, the impact on his future would be huge.
"What do you think?"
"It’s probably best they go their separate ways for now. But with *Cat and Mouse* as their link, I believe their relationship won’t fade even if it’s long-distance. At the end of the day, as long as Old Wang puts in the work, what’s to stop him from winning the fair lady’s heart?"
Lin Yanwan nodded lightly. Her mother-in-law had put it well: the two people in a relationship are equals. Love is about tolerance and understanding. If either person chooses to compromise their own happiness for the other, they might not find true happiness together.
To put it bluntly, it’s okay to be a simp in a relationship, but you have to have some self-respect.
The two of them talked and laughed, and before long, they arrived at the Old Shancheng Hot Pot Restaurant.
Jiang Xia got a private room and texted its name to the other two. A short while later, Wang Ming and Shen Ying walked in, talking and laughing.
"Old Wang, you’re in the wrong here," Jiang Xia said with a grin. "This place is right near your house, how could you be so slow? As punishment, you have to drink a whole bottle later."
"Yingying didn’t know the way, so I went to pick her up."
"Well, you should have picked her up. C’mon, sit down. Are you waiting for a personal invitation?"
Jiang Xia said, pushing the menu over. "Order whatever you want. It’s on the company tab today, so eat as much as you like."
Lin Yanwan secretly pinched his thigh and whispered, "The TV station hasn’t even wired the payment yet. The company account balance is zero. How can you be so bold?"
"It’s fine, I’ll cover it for now." Jiang Xia’s expression didn’t change as he patted the back of her hand. He could afford this much.
When people from Yu Du eat hot pot, they usually stick to a few classics: tripe, duck intestines, duck blood, and spicy beef. He would have normally ordered kidney slices too, but Jiang Xia didn’t dare to now.
They added a few more dishes that everyone liked, such as filefish and crispy fried pork. In total, more than a dozen plates, plus a few side dishes, piled up and covered the entire table.
The red, oily broth of the hot pot bubbled away, its spicy aroma filling the room and constantly tantalizing everyone’s taste buds.
The two guys were drinking beer, while Lin Yanwan and Shen Ying were drinking Uni-President.
Jiang Xia raised his glass. As the company’s boss, he had to say a few words to start things off.
"Everyone has worked hard for the company recently. I called you all here today not just to get together and share a meal."
"The contract we signed with the TV station was for twelve episodes. Now that all twelve have been delivered, we can say we’ve successfully completed our mission."
"As for whether *Cat and Mouse* will be a hit, we’ll have to wait and see the ratings after June 30th. But I’m confident they won’t be low."
"So, to make sure we can keep working hard with the same passion in the future, I’m giving everyone the next few days off. Get some good rest."
"Alright, that’s all I have to say."
"Cheers!"
... (Ahhh, my dear patrons, please spare this child a bite to eat! There’s one more Chapter, I’ll finish it in a bit! Wait for me!)
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