Chapter 41

The next day, Jiang Ci woke up early and saw Lu Xingxue having breakfast when she went downstairs. The morning sunlight poured in from the French windows, and Lu Xingxue looked elegant and charming as she moved around.

“Good morning,” Jiang Ci hastened her steps and sat down across from Lu Xingxue after pulling out a chair.

“Good morning,” Lu Xingxue put down her milk cup and carefully wiped the milk off her lips before pushing the toasted bread to Jiang Ci and asking, “Do you have work in the morning?”

Jiang Ci smiled at her and said, “Zhenzhen is looking for me.”

Lu Xingxue nodded and poured milk for Jiang Ci again.

Jiang Ci said, “Can I walk with you later?”

Lu Xingxue replied, “Sure.”

“Thanks,” Jiang Ci’s smile widened. Her usual voice was cold, but at this moment it sounded particularly sweet. Lu Xingxue also smiled and said, “Don’t tell Mom in advance that we’re going to visit her, or she’ll be busy again.”

Jiang Ci agreed, knowing how exaggerated Jiang Lin could be when it came to Lu Xingxue. “I know.”

Lu Xingxue said, “I’ll pick you up after work.”

Jiang Ci said, “I’m going to Professor Xing’s house today. Do you remember where it is?”

Lu Xingxue replied, “I remember.”

After breakfast, the two of them left together. Assistant Yao and Lu Xingxue confirmed their schedule for the day, while Jiang Ci gazed out the car window at the streetscape.

Busy office workers, diligent cleaners, towering buildings, morning breeze, swaying branches in the morning breeze…

Lu Xingxue handed the schedule back to Assistant Yao and curiously asked Jiang Ci, who had been staring outside, “What are you looking at so intently?”

Jiang Ci replied, “I usually don’t get up early, so I want to see what scenery you’ll encounter on your way to work.”

Lu Xingxue’s face showed surprise, then softened into a gentle smile.

Assistant Yao and Luo Mingliang in front of them exchanged a glance, and Assistant Yao turned around with a smile. “It was okay before, but lately, I’ve come to realize that Madam and President Lu’s relationship is really good!”

Luo Mingliang laughed. “Especially after the last time we got drunk.”

Jiang Ci didn’t pay attention to Assistant Yao’s words, and asked in confusion, “I got drunk?”

Luo Mingliang replied, “It was just last month. President Lu went to SEVEN to pick you up, and you were drunk–“

Lu Xingxue lightly coughed and interrupted Luo Mingliang’s impending long speech.

Luo Mingliang wisely shut his mouth. Assistant Yao chuckled and sat back down. Jiang Ci was shocked, “Lu Xingxue, what did I do when I was drunk? Didn’t you say that I was very…”

In front of Assistant Yao and Luo Mingliang, Jiang Ci swallowed the last word “good” she wanted to say.

Lu Xingxue crooked her finger.

Jiang Ci leaned in, and Lu Xingxue whispered in her ear, “I’ll tell you when they’re gone.”

The rest of the journey was agonizingly long for Jiang Ci, and the heat on her face never dissipated. This was really embarrassing. There were four people in the car, and she was the only one who didn’t know what had happened. What did she do to make Luo Mingliang conclude that she and Lu Xingxue had a special relationship?

Fortunately, in the eyes of others, she and Lu Xingxue were a legitimate couple, so even if they were affectionate, it was normal.

When they arrived at the FOREST Company building, Lu Xingxue got out of the car, and Jiang Ci looked at her eagerly.

Lu Xingxue smiled and said, “See you tonight.”

Luo Mingliang took Jiang Ci to Huo Zhenzhen’s apartment, and she tried to act calm all the way. She didn’t breathe a sigh of relief until after she got out of the car.

Jiang Ci bought a bag of wontons from a breakfast shop, took out her phone, and dialed Huo Zhenzhen’s number while pressing the doorbell. She waited outside the door for almost twenty minutes before Huo Zhenzhen, with disheveled hair, finally came to answer.

“Hey…” Huo Zhenzhen rubbed her eyes and yawned. “Isn’t it still dark outside?”

“It’s almost nine o’clock.” Jiang Ci innocently looked at her. “Didn’t you say you were looking for me? Why haven’t you gotten up yet?”

“Oh, I was looking for you, but I said we’d meet at noon, didn’t I?” Huo Zhenzhen stepped back to let Jiang Ci in.

Jiang Ci said, “But this is the perfect time to ride with Lu Xingxue’s car.”

Huo Zhenzhen: “…”

Huo Zhenzhen slammed the door and grabbed Jiang Ci by the neck, pushing her towards the dining table. “Friend, you really prioritize romance over friendship. If you want to send her to work, just say so. Why make things difficult for me?”

Jiang Ci laughed and handed her a bowl of wontons. “Here, eat it while it’s still hot.”

Huo Zhenzhen lifted the lid of the bowl to reveal the steaming wontons. Jiang Ci noticed several large boxes scattered around the living room and asked, “What are those for?”

“They smell great,” Huo Zhenzhen said, taking a bite of the wontons. “To put it briefly, Xiao A and I are together now, and we’ve been decluttering.”

Jiang Ci blinked in confusion. She hadn’t heard anything about Xiao A in the past two weeks, so why did the progress bar suddenly reach 100%?

Huo Zhenzhen continued, “I couldn’t get in touch with Xiao A for a while, but he called me out of the blue a few days ago and said he was waiting for me downstairs in the studio. He had just returned from visiting the two children his family sponsors in the mountainous area and had been teaching art there for a few days. His phone had no signal, and I was furious with him. I scolded him, and then…”

Huo Zhenzhen stood on a chair and waved at Jiang Ci, motioning for her to come closer. Jiang Ci walked over, and Huo Zhenzhen grabbed the back of her head and pulled her into her embrace.

Jiang Ci: “……”

Huo Zhenzhen: “He did this gesture to me at the time, damn it, my whole person just crashed! Just one thought, — It’s over! How am I going to get along with his mother in the future? His mother is so fierce!”

Jiang Ci: “Congratulations.”

Jiang Ci straightened out Huo Zhenzhen’s messed-up hair and said, “Congratulations to you.”

Huo Zhenzhen got off the chair and said, “No need to congratulate me so soon. When I can achieve the same result as Mrs. Lu, it won’t be too late to congratulate me. Hehe.”

Huo Zhenzhen stuffed another wonton into her mouth, and her eyes rolled. “Ah-Ci, do you think this dog of a man is playing games with me? Disappearing on purpose to make me want him more, and then hitting me with a deadly blow.”

Jiang Ci said, “If you fall for his tricks, then that’s on you.”

Huo Zhenzhen felt it made sense and said, “This wonton tastes good. Is this the first restaurant at the door?”

Jiang Ci said, “Yes, I remember you said this place was delicious. After you finish eating, I’ll help you clean up.”

Huo Zhenzhen said, “Oh, my dear, you’re so good to me.”

The phone rang in the room, and Huo Zhenzhen ran in to answer it. “Assistant Zhou!… Yes, I remember, tonight, available, okay, see you then— Miss Jiang, you mean Jiang Ci?”

Jiang Ci heard her name and looked at Huo Zhenzhen. Huo Zhenzhen put the phone on speaker and said, “She’s with me.”

Jiang Ci was still wondering who “Assistant Zhou” was that Huo Zhenzhen mentioned. It wasn’t until she heard the voice on the phone that she realized it was Wen Nian’s assistant.

“Party?” Jiang Ci looked at Huo Zhenzhen, who nodded. Assistant Zhou said, “Yes, Miss Jiang. Didn’t Mrs. Wen mention it to you yesterday? She might have forgotten because she’s busy. Miss Jiang, are you free tonight?”

After hanging up the phone, Jiang Ci wondered, “Why would Assistant Zhou invite you to the Four Seasons’ internal party?”

“Wen Nian said she would give me a job to create a new product promotion graphic, but we haven’t discussed it in detail… Why, are you not free today?” Huo Zhenzhen asked.

“I made plans with Lu Xingxue. We’re going to see my mom on Songling Road. Have fun,” Jiang Ci replied.

In winter, the sky gets dark early, and the streetlights come on early. Jiang Ci stood under the streetlight and saw Lu Xingxue’s car in the distance, waving her hand.

The car stopped, and Jiang Ci got in. “Auntie Xing knew you were coming to pick me up and insisted that we stay for dinner. I had a hard time declining,” she said, her face red from the cold. She wrinkled her nose slightly when she spoke, looking especially adorable.

Lu Xingxue asked, “Won’t they be disappointed?”

“I promised them I’ll go next time. Actually, Auntie Xing’s cooking is really delicious,” Jiang Ci replied.

“Okay,” Lu Xingxue said.

Jiang Ci’s eyes lit up, and she asked with a bright smile, “Do you want to go?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Lu Xingxue replied.

Jiang Ci leaned back in her chair and laughed for a moment before saying, “By the way, this morning I mentioned being drunk…”

“Ahh~ Luo Mingliang wanted to say that when you were in the car–“

“Don’t say it yet!” Jiang Ci grabbed Lu Xingxue’s arm and hesitated for a while before saying, “I’m not ready yet.”

Lu Xingxue laughed and said, “Then tell me when you’re ready.”

When the two arrived at Songling Road, Lu Xingxue carried a bouquet of flowers out of the trunk. No wonder Jiang Lin spoke highly of her; her various thoughtful gestures were truly likable.

The house was lit up and Auntie Wu was wiping the table in the dining room. Jiang Ci looked around and said, “Huh? Auntie Wu, where’s my mom?”

Auntie Wu straightened up and smiled when she saw them. “Madam had something to do and said she wouldn’t be back for dinner. Haohao just finished eating and is upstairs doing homework.”

Even when downstairs, they could hear the intense sound of video games coming from the second floor. Tong Junhao must be playing games instead of doing his homework.

“How’s my mom’s hand?” Jiang Ci asked Auntie Wu.

“She went to change the dressing today, and the doctor said she’s recovering well. Madam and her friends played cards at home all afternoon, and Haohao only stopped playing after he came back from school,” Auntie Wu said.

Hearing Auntie Wu’s description, it seemed that Jiang Lin was fine.

“I’ll go cook two dishes. You can have dinner here, and Madam might come back soon,” Auntie Wu said.

Jiang Ci looked at Lu Xingxue, who nodded. Jiang Ci said, “Thank you, Auntie Wu. Has my dad come back yet?”

“Auntie Wu went to the kitchen. “Your father has been very busy with work lately,” she said.

Auntie Wu cooked while Jiang Ci and Lu Xingxue went upstairs to see Tong Junhao. Tong Junhao was not allowed to play video games, but he was not afraid of Jiang Ci. When they arrived, he didn’t even try to behave. He not only failed to behave, but he also pulled Lu Xingxue to play with him.

“If you lose to me, you have to write a report,” Lu Xingxue said.

Tong Junhao was very confident. “I won’t lose!”

But then he lost terribly and refused to do his homework, acting like a sore loser. Lu Xingxue laughed and said, “I like making friends with people who do what they say. I’ll play with you during winter break.”

Tong Junhao reluctantly put down his controller and left. Jiang Ci was surprised and asked Lu Xingxue, “Do you usually play video games?”

“Isn’t this a way for modern people to relieve stress?” Lu Xingxue replied.

Jiang Ci was speechless, completely rethinking her impression of Lu Xingxue.

Auntie Wu finished cooking, and even after they finished eating, Jiang Lin hadn’t returned home. When they left, Jiang Ci called her sister. It was quiet on the other end, and she didn’t know where Jiang Lin was.

“Why didn’t you tell me beforehand?” Jiang Lin scolded them.

“We didn’t want to bother you,” Jiang Ci said.

“Fine. Forget about it for today. Come visit me in a couple of days when my hands are better,” Jiang Lin replied.

Jiang Ci replied, “Alright.”

They went home, and Lu Xingxue went to feed the fish while Jiang Ci opened the fridge. “Lu Xingxue, I want to eat apples. Do you want to come with me to the fruit store?”

“Sure, it’ll help us digest,” Lu Xingxue replied.

Lu Xingxue stooped down to change her shoes by the door, and her black hair cascading down her back, which she gently brushed behind her ear. Her small earlobes, white ears, and slender neck…

Jiang Ci averted her gaze, remembering the scene from when she was drunk; smelling Lu Xingxue’s scent and accidentally touching the same parts of her body countless times.

“Uh…” Jiang Ci nervously took a deep breath. “Lu, Lu Xingxue…”

“Hmm?” Lu Xingxue asked.

Jiang Ci pushed the door open and walked with her in the yard, hands in her pockets and a serious expression on her face. “Tell me, I’m ready.”

With a smile in her eyes, Lu Xingxue said, “Well, you were sticking to me in the car, calling me your wife. And when we got home, you refused to get out of the car unless I carried you inside, like a princess.”

“!”

Jiang Ci quickened her pace, putting some distance between her and Lu Xingxue.

“And one more thing, are you listening?” Lu Xingxue added.

Jiang Ci covered her ears and walked faster, feeling like she was running out of time.

She nearly collided with someone on her way and had to stop abruptly. The person reached out to steady her. “Ah-Ci.”

Jiang Ci smiled and said, “Niannian? What are you doing here? Isn’t there a party tonight?”

Wen Nian looked at Lu Xingxue, who was standing not far away, and said to Jiang Ci, “I need to talk to you about something.”

Jiang Ci asked seriously, “What’s the matter?”

Wen Nian replied, “Let’s go, I’ll take you to a place.”

Jiang Ci hesitated, turning to look at Lu Xingxue. “Now?”

Wen Nian affirmed, “Now.”

Lu Xingxue watched them leave, standing still in her spot.

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This is honestly such a great novel. And for that reason, I’m in.

Right now I’m focusing on translating the rest of ‘I Picked Up An Ancient Transmigration Killer To Be A Wife’. However, I will be translating this next.
This means that there won’t be anymore chapters until I’m done with the other novel.
You can expect the next chapter to come out around the end of the month (with a proper chapter schedule).

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