Chapter 28: First Update

The sky was overcast, the wind was howling, and the light was dim. Zhong Xiangdong cracked open the egg without a second thought, assuming it was just cold and that a slightly fishy smell was normal. That was until he took a bite.

Is this something a human is supposed to eat?

Zhong Xiangdong retched on the spot, feeling as though he were suffocating. The flavor in his mouth lingered no matter how much he tried to spit it out. Poison—this thing was poisoned. That indescribable taste became a permanent shadow in his mind.

Fu Wei, having finished counting the materials, saw the scene and his face turned as dark as coal.

His precious, precious egg!

*

The weather remained poor, so Lin Xuexia and Gao Chunyan returned early. Before nightfall, Fu Wei arrived with men to deliver the freezer. He had used a small blue transport truck, covered with a colorful tarp in case of rain.

The wind was too strong, so Lin Xuexia had closed all the windows in her home, leaving only the slightest gap. When Fu Wei arrived, he called out to her, and she went downstairs to open the door.

Fu Wei and another man helped carry the freezer upstairs. Once it was set down, the other man drove away, leaving Fu Wei alone with Lin Xuexia.

Fu Wei was dressed in black, wearing a jacket, and his expression was just as dark, though it was unclear whether it was due to the weather or his foul mood.

The freezer he brought was not large, but because the living room was so cramped—already filled by a round table—there was no room for it. After some maneuvering, he helped move it to the edge of the balcony near the kitchen. They managed to squeeze it in, though the walkway became slightly narrow; it didn't cause any other obstruction.

"Leave it here," Fu Wei said. "Let it sit for a day before plugging it in. Xuexia, this freezer isn't brand new, so it uses more electricity than a fresh one. Expect your utility bill to go up by about twenty percent."

"Alright, I've noted that." The freezer had a white body with speckles of rust along the sides, but Lin Xuexia was perfectly satisfied. To her, as long as it worked, that was enough. The electricity consumption was secondary; no matter how much it cost, it was still cheaper than the rent of one yuan and fifty cents, and having it in her own home was convenient.

Even a used freezer wasn't cheap. Lin Xuexia went into her room, counted out three hundred yuan, and pressed it into Fu Wei's hand.

Fu Wei stared at the stack of money in her hand, his already gloomy face darkening further. "What are you doing?" he asked sharply.

Lin Xuexia smiled and nudged him with her elbow. "I can't keep taking your things for free. Consider the freezer something I bought myself. If there’s any shortfall, just treat it as your support for your future wife."

"Fu Wei, don't be angry. I just want to contribute what I can."

She had argued with the landlady downstairs today, claiming she would solve the freezer problem herself. While it was kind of Fu Wei to bring one over, she wanted to do her part. If she had the money, why shouldn't she pay?

Fu Wei stood straight, his body motionless. He looked down at the woman before him. Her face was bright with a radiant smile; despite the gloomy weather outside, her expression seemed capable of dispelling the clouds.

He had known for a long time that the woman he had chosen wasn't as delicate or fragile as she appeared; she had a stubborn streak. Even he couldn't sway her.

Fu Wei took the money, counted out one hundred and fifty yuan, and stuffed it back into Lin Xuexia's hand. "I'll take this much. Keep the rest; consider it my meal money for the next two months."

Lin Xuexia froze, staring at the one hundred and fifty yuan.

Fu Wei chuckled. "What? You're allowed to settle accounts with me, but I'm not allowed to settle them with you? You don't like taking my things for free, and I don't like eating and drinking at your place for free either."

Lin Xuexia glared at him, thinking that this guy was truly pushing his luck, climbing up the pole the moment he was given a chance. Was this even the same thing?

"Then I’m the one losing out," Lin Xuexia said, not wanting to take the money back. "You really have the nerve to come over and eat at my place every day for two months..." She was more worried that what he was "eating" wasn't just the food, but her, in every possible way.

This one hundred and fifty yuan felt like a hot potato; she felt like she was getting the short end of the stick.

Fu Wei rubbed his nose and reminded her, "It's not just for two months. It's for a lifetime."

He gripped her by the waist and lifted her up with ease, leaning in to whisper in her ear, "Once we marry in December, you’ll be my wife."

"And then we'll see if you still dare to settle accounts with me."

Lin Xuexia unceremoniously shoved his handsome face away and struggled until her feet touched the ground. She kicked him in the shin and headed toward the kitchen. "Put the money away and let me get to cooking, so your one hundred and fifty yuan doesn't go to waste."

Fu Wei’s lips curled into a smile. He tossed the money onto the freezer, followed her into the kitchen, wrapped his arms around her from behind, and rested his head on her shoulder.

"What's wrong today? You're in a bad mood?" Lin Xuexia washed her hands and playfully used the back of her wet hand to chill Fu Wei's face.

She noticed the intensity had drained from his expression. In the orange glow of the kitchen light, his head hung low, his eyes cast downward, and his eyelashes cast shadows, making him look inexplicably aggrieved.

He even rubbed his face against her neck, much like a large dog begging for affection.

"My egg was eaten by an outsider." The more Fu Wei thought about it, the angrier he became. In truth, he knew that after sitting for a few days, the egg had gone bad. He hadn't wanted to throw it away, intending to preserve it in amber... Who knew that a meddler would come out of nowhere and eat his egg directly?

Was Zhong Xiangdong an idiot?

Lin Xuexia was confused. "What egg?"

Fu Wei scowled. "The egg you gave me."

"The one you gave me that night!"

Lin Xuexia was stunned. "That was days ago? You haven't eaten it yet?"

The egg must have been rotten by now.

Lin Xuexia tilted her head, staring at Fu Wei's profile. He had sword-like brows and starry eyes, with an incredibly handsome, sharp-jawed silhouette. He was a very attractive, mature man.

He was twenty-eight, not eighteen, and certainly not eight. How could he do something so childish?

In her impression, the thirty-something Fu Wei was mature, handsome, and capable. Aside from being overbearing and strong-willed, he was a charismatic and responsible man—he shouldn't be capable of such foolishness.

No, that wasn't necessarily true. Perhaps she just hadn't noticed it before.

"Who knows what madness took him? He ate my egg. Wife, do you think he’s a fool?"

Lin Xuexia hesitated, wanting to say, "..." *You're not much better yourself.*

"It's good that he ate it. Better him than you," Lin Xuexia comforted him.

Fu Wei was silent for a moment. "I'm not stupid; why would I eat it?"

"Wife, that was the first thing you ever gave me. I wanted to turn it into amber and keep it with our marriage certificate."

Lin Xuexia couldn't help but ask, "Who ate it?"

Honestly, she really owed this friend a thank you.

"Zhong Xiangdong. He’s a brother I grew up with who’s currently staying at my place. He runs a few trucks for transport, and I have a stake in it too. I'll introduce you to him in a couple of days."

Hearing the name, Lin Xuexia turned her back to Fu Wei, struggling to stifle her laughter. Zhong Xiangdong—this guy was definitely the type to do something like that. He was a truly miraculous, fun-loving character.

He was very capable in social situations and easily likable, seemingly getting along with everyone, yet he had absolutely no luck in romance.

He was obsessed with love and true romance, holding a "better to have nothing than something inferior" attitude. Every time he pursued someone, it was comically disastrous.

In her past life, both he and Fu Wei were bachelors who never married. Fu Wei had clung to her, while Zhong Xiangdong fell for whoever he met, yet never found true mutual affection. He remained single until the day Lin Xuexia agreed to marry Fu Wei, at which point he cried his heart out.

Fu Wei probed, "Wife, when will you come over to my place to take a look?"

This was the real goal behind all his schemes.

Without waiting for Lin Xuexia to speak, Fu Wei continued, "Since we're getting married, the layout of my place needs changing. A two-bedroom apartment is fine for a rental, but once we're married and have children, it won't be enough."

"I was thinking of connecting the two floors and changing the room layout. Use the downstairs as a living room and the upstairs as a bedroom. Wife, do you like larger living rooms?"

Lin Xuexia was intrigued. In her past life, she had saved up to buy a small apartment—not large, only about eighty square meters. In this life, she had married Fu Wei and moved into the apartment he hadn't sold. She had assumed it was like her current rental—a two-bedroom unit enough for the two of them.

If her sisters or mother came to visit, she didn't want to live with them; she would have them stay in this rental unit, right next to Gao Chunyan, so they could look out for each other.

If Fu Wei's plan went through, it would become a duplex. It wouldn't affect the ceiling height, and opening it up would make it feel spacious. Adding a staircase would be a hassle, but Lin Xuexia quite liked that layout.

Who wouldn't want more space? She really couldn't stand the cramped living room she had now.

"That sounds nice," Lin Xuexia said subtly.

"How about it? When will the leader come for an inspection? I've drawn the sketches; I'd like to hear your suggestions for changes."

"How about the day after tomorrow? Let me prepare."

Fu Wei didn't understand. "What is there to prepare?"

"I want to buy two outfits and a pair of shoes tomorrow." Lin Xuexia didn't have many clothes; most were still from the village. She had only bought two new sets, and she couldn't just wear those all the time. She wanted something new.

"Absolutely not!" Fu Wei refused firmly. "Why buy new clothes just to see them? No, you'll go just as you are."

Comrade Fu had knocked over the vinegar jar, and his jealousy was surging. His wife didn't dress up for him on a daily basis, yet she wanted to dress up for outsiders? He wanted to grind his teeth in frustration.

"You really don't understand women." Lin Xuexia stepped on his foot. What was wrong with this man? She couldn't help but say, "Your wife is going to be angry. Women like to wear pretty clothes—no, everyone likes to wear nice clothes! Do you know anything about life's necessities?"

Fu Wei: "..."

"How about this: if you have time these next two days, accompany me to buy clothes?" Lin Xuexia didn't hold out hope for Fu Wei's aesthetic, but it wasn't that his taste was bad—he was just a bit chauvinistic and didn't like his wife dressing up for others. He only wanted her to look good for him.

It was a sickness that needed curing!

Regardless, she was the one buying the clothes. If she didn't listen to his opinions, there was nothing he could do; it was just like the buzzing of a mosquito. She was very experienced in dealing with mosquito buzzing.

"Fine." Thinking about being able to accompany his wife shopping, Fu Wei agreed.

The two reached a tentative consensus.

Lin Xuexia told Fu Wei to help her pick the vegetables, settling into her work in the kitchen, while from next door came the sound of a violent argument.

The voices of adults and children were incredibly noisy.