Chapter 8

Jiang Lai returned home at seven in the evening, and Shen Xun was sitting on the sofa, looking at her with gloomy eyes.

"Why are you back so late?"

"Why are you back so early?" She still felt strange; didn't Shen Xun pick up Lin Shutong from work every day?

Shen Xun frowned, "Are you blaming me for coming back late from work recently?"

"I wouldn't dare." Jiang Lai had just put down her bag when Shen Xun asked her about the resignation.

"The resignation application has been submitted." She poured herself a glass of water, drinking it slowly, "The process takes a month."

"Do you have so much to hand over that it takes a month?" Shen Xun looked at Jiang Lai's thin profile, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper, "Don't lie to me."

"You already signed it, I have nothing to lie to you about. The process at a large company is like this, quite cumbersome, and I have no other way."

Jiang Lai put down the water glass and turned to go into the room.

Shen Xun tugged at the corner of her clothes: "I'm hungry."

The man's gaze moved from her to the kitchen.

Jiang Lai turned back to look at him, her gaze sweeping over the man's face bit by bit.

Why hadn't she noticed before that Shen Xun was so bossy when he said this?

She only knew before that she couldn't let Shen Xun go hungry; he had stomach pain, and if he didn't eat on time, his stomach would hurt.

"I know."

After saying that, she went toward the room. Seeing the hem of her clothes slip away smoothly from his hand, Shen Xun stood up and strode over, grabbing her wrist.

Dissatisfied, he said: "What do you mean by 'I know'?"

"It means I heard you."

She raised her head to meet Shen Xun's eyes, which contained hidden anger. The husband who had been gentle in every way was just like a dream in a bubble; one poke, and it broke.

"Go make dinner, I want to drink fish soup today."

"There's no fresh fish at home." She looked at the fridge; she hadn't added anything to it for the past two days.

Shen Xun pulled her: "Go buy some now."

"There's none at this hour."

Jiang Lai tried to break free from his arm, but Shen Xun pulled tighter, his deep gaze sweeping over her face again and again.

"You're angry with me because of the resignation?"

Jiang Lai said coldly: "Yes."

"What's so good about a four-thousand-dollar job?" Shen Xun really couldn't understand, "What's worth you being angry with me over a job that can't create value for society?"

"Do you think a four-thousand-dollar job is easy to find?" Jiang Lai didn't want to entangle with him anymore, "Let go, I'll call and ask the fish seller if there's any left."

Shen Xun let go then.

"In the future, I'll give you ten thousand a month, 2.5 times your salary."

Jiang Lai felt a tightness in her chest.

So she had to be a full-time housewife and have his child to get ten thousand a month?

Lin Shutong didn't have to do anything for him; just standing there and opening her mouth, it was three million a month, not to mention those expensive jewelry and bags.

The call went through.

"Uncle Cao, is there any crucian carp left?"

"I knew you'd buy it to make fish soup for your husband, so I specifically saved one for you."

"None left?" Jiang Lai said to herself, "It doesn't matter, you don't have to save any for me next time; I'll go buy it if I need it."

"Thank you, Uncle Cao, goodbye Uncle Cao."

She hung up the phone: "No fish."

Shen Xun frowned.

Jiang Lai asked as if nothing had happened: "Don't you want to ask when Miss Lin is coming back? Her hand injury hasn't healed yet; don't let her bump into anything outside, it won't be good for her research."

Shen Xun then remembered Lin Shutong, the force on her wrist loosening, and he picked up his phone to call Lin Shutong.

Lin Shutong said on the phone: "I'm still at the research institute; my grandfather is looking for me to talk about something."

"Okay." Shen Xun's voice became gentle, "Is there anything you want to eat tonight? I'll have Jiang Lai make it for you."

"Can she?"

"Of course, she caused your hand injury, so she should take care of you."

"Don't blame her, I wasn't careful. I want to eat osmanthus braised pork, can I?"

"Okay." Shen Xun agreed, "Send me a message when you're done, and I'll come pick you up."

To say he was going to pick up another woman right in front of his own wife, Jiang Lai's heart was already numb.

Shen Xun turned back and said: "Shutong wants to eat osmanthus braised pork, so we won't eat fish tonight."

Where was she supposed to find osmanthus at this hour?

Jiang Lai knew Lin Shutong was doing it on purpose.

"I'm not hungry, you guys eat." She also pretended not to understand.

Shen Xun's gentleness from just now instantly vanished.

"I mean, you make osmanthus braised pork tonight, and wait for Shutong to come back to eat."

"Am I a nanny? Shen Xun." Jiang Lai asked this, and the sadness revealed in her eyes stung Shen Xun.

Shen Xun opened his mouth to explain: "No."

"Mm."

"But Shutong's hand was injured by you, so you have to take responsibility for taking care of her until she recovers."

"I said it before, it wasn't injured by me." Jiang Lai stared at him, word for word.

Even ordinary colleagues would investigate clearly before assigning blame, right?

They were husband and wife, but now, the Shen Xun who would hug her from behind when they were struggling, who would accompany her to imagine a beautiful future.

The Shen Xun who would tell her "There is no regret in being poor, it is rare to be a young couple,"

Now had no trust or patience for her in his eyes.

He only repeated: "Make osmanthus braised pork tonight."

One more month.

One last month.

Endure a little longer.

Jiang Lai constantly comforted herself in her heart: "Okay, you go pick her up, I'll make it."

Shen Xun was satisfied then, reaching out to touch the back of her head, "Thank you for your hard work."

Like coaxing a dog.

Jiang Lai lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes masking the emotions surging in her heart.

As the door closed, Jiang Lai slowly raised her eyes, staring at the doorway for a long time.

She picked up her phone and called the takeout merchant.

"Hello, I want an order of osmanthus braised pork, and I'll take all your signature dishes too."

Before Shen Xun and Lin Shutong returned, the takeout arrived.

She re-plated the takeout, took the trash downstairs, and just as she threw it into the trash can, she heard the voices of Shen Xun and Lin Shutong laughing and talking.

Not knowing what they were talking about, Lin Shutong covered her mouth with one hand, laughing until she leaned back.

Shen Xun was afraid she would fall, and instinctively reached out. Just as he was about to put his arm around her shoulder, he saw her, and instantly pulled his hand back.

Noticing the change in the man's expression, Lin Shutong looked over.

"Jiang Lai, are you taking out the trash?"

"Mm, kitchen waste." Jiang Lai said, looking at Lin Shutong.

Lin Shutong smiled, looking very happy, "A-Xun said you made osmanthus braised pork! It's my favorite dish, thank you for your hard work."

"A-Xun, let's go back quickly and taste Jiang Lai's cooking. I've always heard you praise her cooking, saying she takes good care of you. Today I finally get to eat it."

Shen Xun strode over, but stopped beside Jiang Lai, softening his voice: "Let's go, let's go home."

Home?

Where was there a home?

Jiang Lai looked up at her former home; it was now just a temporary place for her to stay.

Lin Shutong saw Shen Xun waiting for Jiang Lai and walking with her, and the smile on her face gradually faded.

What did that mean? Had he developed feelings for Jiang Lai over time?

But he hadn't been intimate with Jiang Lai for four years.

The three went back.

Lin Shutong took a step first, wearing Jiang Lai's slippers. Even though her feet were bigger than Jiang Lai's and the shoes didn't fit, she still had to wear them.

Shen Xun said from the side: "It's just a pair of shoes, don't be so calculating. You can wear something else; aren't there slippers specifically for guests at home?"

It was originally her home, and now she had become the guest herself?

Jiang Lai reached out to take the slippers, her gaze lingering on the pink rabbit slippers.

She put them down and put them on.

Shen Xun looked at her thin back as she bent down, and his heart instantly felt uncomfortable.

"Shutong, those are Jiang Lai's shoes. She's not used to wearing other shoes. I'll get you another pair."

Lin Shutong's back teeth almost bit through.

She sat awkwardly on the sofa, watching Shen Xun, who was squatting on the ground changing her shoes, and said softly: "A-Xun, I'm sorry, I didn't know they were Jiang Lai's shoes."

"It's okay." After changing her slippers, Shen Xun carried Jiang Lai's slippers over.

Jiang Lai had already walked into the kitchen wearing the pink rabbit slippers and brought out the bowls and chopsticks.

The slippers were just hanging in his hand, and Shen Xun felt as if something was flowing away in his heart.

He felt inexplicably panicked for half a beat, empty and hollow.