The night grew late.
Wen Yang dried her hair and got into bed. Cheng Yanyu dimmed the bedside lamp. When he turned around, he saw her lying on her side, facing away from him. Watching her silhouette, a sudden wave of unease washed over him. He moved closer, wrapping his arm around her waist.
Wen Yang instinctively wanted to push his hand away, but his breath was warm at the back of her head, and he gently kissed her hair.
He always kissed her like that—tenderly and lovingly.
His familiar scent was something she had always clung to. She turned her face slightly, tears silently streaming down.
She didn’t know how long it had been before Cheng Yanyu fell asleep.
Wen Yang lay awake, her eyes open. She reached under her pillow for her phone, opened it, and stared at the two photos she had taken earlier: Li Man’s phone number and WeChat ID. After some hesitation, she opened another WeChat account and entered Li Man’s ID.
In the message request field, she paused for a long moment before typing:
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“Tlzzs, Ykpp Nk. R’e zkjl vs kdiwkal ycswv vbl zyvlpv dlnjzynl qasx uswa cayde.”
Fbl pldv vbl aliwlpv.
G zsdt obkzl rypple. Kwpv obld Eld Zydt’p ryzx pvyavle vs polyv qasx bszekdt vbl rbsdl, y dsvkqknyvksd nbkxle.
Mbl aliwlpv oyp ynnlrvle.
Qakrrkdt bla rbsdl vktbvzu, pbl qswde vbyv Nk Yyd kdelle osajle qsa y flolzau lmbkckvksd nsxrydu.
Tla qkdtlap valxczle yp pbl vurle.
Nk Yyd: “Tlzzs, xyu R byhl uswa dyxl?”
Eld Zydt: “Yu pwadyxl kp Ubld.”
Li Man: “Hello, Miss Chen. I will arrange for our product director to contact you.”
Wen Yang: “Alright, thank you.”
Li Man: “You’re welcome.”
Shortly after, another person added her and sent her a form, inviting her to attend the jewelry exhibition. The form required detailed information—her preferred jewelry brands, personal tastes, and so on. Wen Yang didn’t fill it out. Instead, she opened Li Man’s Moments (WeChat) and saw glimpses of her personal life.
This was clearly Li Man’s private account.
The most recent photo was of her—a long-haired beauty in a silk dress, seated on a chair, smiling softly at the camera. The backdrop featured a high-rise skyline bathed in sunlight.
She looked stunning. Her smile was radiant, and she wore delicate diamond earrings.
Outside the window was the CBD center of Nancheng. The chair and the reflective glass exuded an air of sophistication and luxury.
Wen Yang stared at her, trying to find flaws in her eyebrows, eyes, lips, or figure.
There weren’t any. Li Man was undeniably beautiful.
Wen Yang’s eyes reddened. She scrolled further down and came across a video.
In the video, Li Man’s white shepherd dog carried a dish in its mouth and brought it back to her. Dressed in a light dress, Li Man knelt down, hugged the dog, and gently removed the dish from its mouth. Her softly curled hair fell over her shoulders as she smiled and patted the dog. She even spoke to the camera.
Wen Yang turned off the sound, but she could almost hear the tone of Li Man’s voice just by watching her.
She was enchanting.
Scrolling further, there was a picture of her in a studio, talking to others. She wore a tied-back hairstyle that revealed her graceful neck, and a diamond necklace displayed beside her seemed perfectly matched to her elegance.
There were many photos of her daily life—holding a wine glass by a sofa, captioned:
“A drink, anyone?”
Another photo showed her coffee with the caption:
“Coffee refill.”
There were also pictures of her donating to a remote mountain village, and others of her at home with her shepherd dog, sitting idly on her couch. Even with light makeup, she looked heartbreakingly beautiful.
Such a woman… Men weren’t the only ones who would fall for her; women would, too.
Wen Yang bit her lip, recalling how Cheng Yanyu had spoken softly and cautiously on the phone with Li Man during the storm.
Even amidst the chaos of the thunder and rain, Wen Yang could sense his careful tone. She could only imagine how protective he must be toward Li Man in their everyday interactions.
Tears streamed down Wen Yang’s face, soaking her pillow.
She couldn’t stop herself from scrolling further, desperately seeking any flaw in Li Man’s photos—something unappealing, something ugly.
Finally, she stumbled upon photos from three months ago.
In one, Li Man wore a black gown with a coat draped over her shoulders. She was being escorted up a staircase by a man. Her eyes were fixed on him.
The man had broad shoulders and long legs, dressed impeccably in a dark suit. His tall and commanding figure was striking, even from the back.
The next photo revealed his face—handsome, with sharp features and an air of refinement. Standing beside him, Li Man gazed at him with bright eyes.
The caption read:
“My Mr. Fu.”
Wen Yang froze.
The arm wrapped around her waist shifted slightly. Cheng Yanyu stirred and noticed the faint light coming from her phone. His voice was soft, “Honey?”
Wen Yang’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly tucked her phone under the pillow and closed her eyes.
Cheng Yanyu kissed her hair and asked, “Can’t sleep?”
Her voice was hoarse as she replied, “I’m going to sleep now.”
“Turn around,” he murmured gently, wanting her to face him.
Wen Yang pressed her lips together, hesitating for a few seconds before turning and burying herself in his embrace. His faint scent of body wash filled her senses, and her eyes grew hot again.
Cheng Yanyu held her tightly, patting her back. “Sleep now.”
Wen Yang’s mind was a chaotic mess.
She hadn’t slept at all the night before. Exhausted, her body eventually gave in, and she drifted off into an uneasy slumber.
The Next Morning
When Wen Yang woke up, the bed beside her was empty. She sat up and glanced at the clock—it was already late. Her life with Cheng Yanyu had become disorganized, and she was trapped in her turbulent emotions, unable to break free.
Getting out of bed, she put on her slippers and headed to the bathroom. After washing up, she opened the bedroom door.
Sunlight streamed through the windows. Cheng Yanyu was unpacking a food delivery on the kitchen island. Seeing her awake, he smiled gently, “You’re up? I ordered your favorite pan-fried buns.”
Wen Yang walked over to the island.
Cheng Yanyu carefully unwrapped the food and plated the buns before handing her a glass of milk. His phone rang on the table. He glanced at the caller ID and answered—it was Ah Zhan.
Whatever Ah Zhan said on the other end, Cheng Yanyu responded warmly, “Yes, prepare coffee and cocoa biscuits. Replace the chairs with the ones from my office. Submit the design draft early to ensure it’s usable—don’t let another mistake like last time happen.”
As Wen Yang ate her bun and sipped her milk, she listened to him give detailed instructions.
Cheng Yanyu looked up and saw her sitting there with her hair down, pale-faced, staring at him. His heart tightened. Hanging up the call, he put the phone down and took her hand.
“What’s wrong these past two days?” he asked softly.
Wen Yang met his gaze and shook her head. “Nothing. I just haven’t been sleeping well.”
“Finish your meal and rest some more,” he said.
Wen Yang responded softly, “Okay.”
Cheng Yanyu said gently, “If anything’s bothering you, remember to tell me.”
Wen Yang’s expression turned distant. She used to think she could act recklessly in front of him. But now that she suspected he might have feelings for someone else, that he could fall in love with another woman, she found herself unable to confront him directly.
She wiped a trace of milk from the corner of her lips and looked at him. “Do you have a meeting this morning?”
Cheng Yanyu hesitated for a moment before nodding, “Yes.”
“Is it about the jewelry exhibition project?” she asked.
Standing behind the kitchen island, he looked her in the eyes, his fingers fidgeting slightly with his phone. Then he nodded again. “Lately, most of my focus has been on that project. It’ll be over soon, and then I’ll have more time to spend with you.”
Wen Yang replied softly, “Alright.”
After breakfast, Cheng Yanyu went to their room to change into his suit and tie. Wen Yang, still sipping her milk, turned her head to watch him. She noticed how he adjusted his collar carefully. Her mind flashed back to the tall man standing next to Li Man in the photos she’d seen. Gripping her glass tightly, she unconsciously bit its rim.
She realized these subtle changes in him only now. He had started dressing more sharply, striving to appear more mature, as if to match someone else’s expectations.
Her teeth ached from clenching, but she forced herself to suppress the urge to scream.
“Stay home and rest,” Cheng Yanyu said as he adjusted his tie. He walked over and gently cupped her face. “Get some sleep after breakfast. I’ll arrange for lunch to be delivered.”
Wen Yang’s eyes glistened with unshed tears. She nodded faintly but avoided his gaze, biting the rim of her glass and sipping her milk.
At that moment, she seemed so fragile that it heightened Cheng Yanyu’s worry. He hesitated briefly before leaving the house, closing the door behind him.
The sound of the door shutting echoed in Wen Yang’s ears. She slammed the glass onto the kitchen island and gasped as if she had been holding her breath. Desperate for clarity, she stormed back into their bedroom, grabbed her phone, and called Yu Qing.
On the other end of the line, Yu Qing was engaged in a heated argument with a senior colleague.
In the bustling office of the department head, Yu Qing’s voice was sharp. “What’s the meaning of assigning me this assistant? Do you want me to train her so you can replace me later, or is she here to take over Xu Xu’s clients?”
Her senior, Liu Yu, looked irritated. “Why would you think that? I assigned her to you because you’re busy and could use extra help.”
“Extra help? Don’t I already have an assistant? And this new one—she’s already liaising with Xu Xu directly, bypassing me entirely. How do you explain that?”
Liu Yu’s heart skipped a beat. She leaned on the desk and said, “I think you’re misunderstanding the situation.”
“I’m not.” Yu Qing tossed a half-finished design draft onto the desk. “I’ve already looked into her background. She doesn’t need training, and assigning her to me is a waste of her talent. If you want her to handle Xu Xu’s clients, you can have her do it yourself.”
Liu Yu began to panic. “Wait, Yu Qing—”
Ignoring her, Yu Qing turned on her heel and left. Just as she reached the door, her phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID and answered.
Wen Yang’s voice was faint, almost trembling. “Yu Qing, I think Cheng Yanyu is cheating on me.”
“What?!” Yu Qing froze mid-step.
“I’m serious,” Wen Yang whispered. “Can you come to my place? I need to talk to you.”
“I’ll be right there.”
Yu Qing hung up and walked out, shutting the door behind her, leaving Liu Yu’s shouts inside.
After ending the call, Wen Yang slumped onto the sofa, clutching her phone. The director from Li Man’s company had sent her a message asking if she had completed the form. She ignored it. About ten minutes later, Yu Qing arrived. Wen Yang, barefoot, went to open the door.
Seeing her pale complexion, Yu Qing was alarmed. “What happened to you?”
Wen Yang shook her head. “I haven’t been sleeping well.”
Yu Qing changed into slippers and muttered, “What’s Cheng Yanyu doing?”
Wen Yang didn’t respond, silently walking back to the sofa. Yu Qing noticed her bare feet and brought her slippers over, setting them beside the sofa. Then she caught sight of the breakfast dishes still left on the kitchen island.
Wen Yang had never been like this before. Her life had always been refined and orderly.
Sansukini: HAPPY NEW YEAR, dear readers. I hope you all have a healthy and prosperous 2025.
P.S. I wonder if her husband knows that his mistress is also married?
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Man it’s not easy to confront your partner because it’s like ripping the fictive peace and happiness you thought you had.