Chapter 22 Wen Huilin changed her strategy

The lights in the private room were dim and romantic, with slow love songs playing on the sound system.

After the fruit platter and beer arrived, Tan Xiaolei draped his arm around Chen Zhuo's shoulder, chatting about the changes in their hometown over the years.

Chen Ang leaned back on the sofa, responding half-heartedly. Beside him, Xiao Yue was incredibly well-behaved, quietly snuggling up to Chen Ang, her large eyes fixed on his every move.

Then, the door to the private room opened, and a row of young women walked in.

Chen Ang had no interest, merely casting a casual glance.

Tan Xiaolei, however, carefully examined the girls' appearances; under the dim lighting, every one of them felt beautiful.

He then cleared his throat and announced loudly, "I'll just make three points: first, if she's on her period..."

Before he could finish, Chen Zhuo interrupted him, "If she dares to stay, tonight I'll wash my silver spear in blood..."

Chen Zhuo was no longer as reserved as he had been at the dinner table, his fiery gaze sweeping over the young women.

Come to think of it, he had been throwing money around in nightclubs since he was eighteen; it was only family misfortune that made him settle down.

Seeing Chen Ang and Xiao Yue sitting to the side whispering, Tan Xiaolei turned and handed over a beer, pouting as he said, "Angzi, are you saving money for your brothers to spend?"

Chen Ang took the drink and laughed, "Even if you want to book the whole place today, your brother will pay the bill."

Finishing the drink in one gulp, he had just set the glass down when Xiao Yue came over with a tissue to wipe his mouth, causing Tan Xiaolei to grumble curses.

Xiao Yue gave a soft laugh and picked up the cigarette and lighter to light one for Chen Ang.

The whole display left Tan Xiaolei dumbfounded. He silently scooted over to Chen Zhuo and lowered his voice, "Last time I came to Bin City, I came with your brother once, and he picked that same girl. Could those two have something going on?"

Chen Zhuo didn't answer, picking up his glass for a sip before whispering, "It's not like my brother can't get it up."

Amidst raucous laughter, the two dove into the pile of women. They went in and out of the bathroom twice.

Chen Ang didn't bother to intervene; as long as his brothers were having fun, that was fine.

He and Xiao Yue drank and chatted, discussing life and ideals, from the Mona Lisa to Shakespeare, and from the An Lushan Rebellion to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

In the end, the two hit it off so well that they kept holding onto each other, unwilling to let go.

It was almost one in the morning when they left the karaoke bar.

Chen Zhuo and Tan Xiaolei were both drunk, and several girls helped them to a hotel.

Chen Ang and Xiao Yue stood by the roadside. The midnight wind blew, and Xiao Yue shrank her shoulders.

"Are you cold?"

"A little."

Chen Ang didn't think much of it; he hailed a car by the roadside, and with perfect tacit understanding, the two also headed to the nearest hotel.

That night, the tissues scattered all over the floor proved that the man's virility remained as strong as ever.

He didn't wake up until after ten the next morning, the girl beside him still fast asleep.

After washing up and coming out, he looked at the bare shoulders exposed outside the quilt and the dark hair spread across the pillow, the image of the girl fawning over him flashing through his mind.

He silently transferred five thousand to the girl and walked straight out the door.

After returning from the bank yesterday, Wen Huilin had been in a daze, her mind replaying the image of that twenty-plus million in cash over and over.

She hadn't waited for Chen Ang to come home all night, and she couldn't sleep well either.

She had taken leave after dropping the child off in the morning and waited on the sofa for the entire morning.

Then she went through Chen Ang's accounts for the past seven years from beginning to end: he handed over eight thousand a month for household expenses, keeping only two thousand for himself. He drove that beat-up Magotan and wouldn't even pay to fix the chipped paint on the car door. He even quit smoking, claiming it was to save money. He drove for Didi and worked as a designated driver.

She had believed it before, but now she didn't.

At this moment, she was convinced that Chen Ang had been feigning poverty to deceive her from the very beginning.

She thought about how she had climbed into Chen Ang's bed and made him take the blame.

She recalled the past seven years; even with the birth of Chen Zetian, the fact remained that Chen Ang had never loved her from start to finish.

That was why he had been guarding against her since they got married...

Perhaps, even his claim that his family went bankrupt from the start was fake. Otherwise, where did he get twenty million?

Once this thought surfaced, it couldn't be stopped, and cold sweat broke out on Wen Huilin's forehead.

She continued to speculate: Chen Ang had remained unchanged for seven years, so why had he suddenly changed now?

Was it because the matter with their son had been discovered?

She immediately denied it, because she had hidden it well, and Chen Ang loved Chen Zetian from the bottom of his heart.

Just like a few days ago, he signed him up for a one-hundred-thousand-yuan interest class without hesitation. Although the money came from her, it showed that Chen Ang was willing to spend money on the child.

If it wasn't about Chen Zetian, then there was only one reason for him to stop enduring.

She immediately pulled out her phone, found Jian Ting's number, and dialed it: "Sis, do you have any news about Director Xu Qingwan?"

"What's wrong? Why are you asking about her all of a sudden?"

"Don't ask, just help me check, okay?"

She didn't hang up. After waiting about a minute, her best friend Jian Ting's voice came over the phone: "I asked a classmate from Bin University, and they said Director Xu Qingwan isn't in Hong Kong anymore; she's now the director of the Culture and Tourism Bureau in Jiangning County."

After hanging up, Wen Huilin was completely stunned.

She certainly knew that Chen Ang hadn't forgotten that woman for seven years, and she knew even better how she had taken advantage of his vulnerability to climb into his bed seven years ago.

There was no doubt about it; Chen Ang had stopped pretending because his "white moonlight" had returned. He was acting out because he didn't want to give all his assets to her.

So when he said he wouldn't divorce, it was actually because he wanted to take back the house and assets so he could reconcile with Director Xu Qingwan.

Slowly suppressing her agitated emotions, Wen Huilin told herself she couldn't alert the enemy now, and she couldn't mention a single word about what she had seen at the bank.

The door lock suddenly clicked. She immediately gathered her composure, stood up, and waited for Chen Ang to enter.

Watching Chen Ang change his shoes and walk in, he was still wearing the same clothes from yesterday, with the top two buttons of his shirt undone.

She didn't ask anything, observing Chen Ang's expression first.

She used to think the calm on his face was cowardice, a numbness from being crushed by life.

Looking at it now, no matter how she looked at it, it felt like a disguise.

"Where did you go last night?" she asked, her voice much steadier than usual.

Chen Ang changed into his slippers and looked up at her, "I was out eating with friends."

"How come I don't know you have friends like that? Eating for the whole night?"

Wen Huilin was naturally suspicious; in the seven years she had been married to Chen Ang, she had never seen him have any close friends.

This was, of course, because Chen Ang rarely brought her into his social circle.

"You don't know them anyway. I got drunk and slept at a hotel." He walked to the living room to pour some water, his back to her.

Wen Huilin watched his back. Before yesterday, she would have exploded, definitely demanding to know who he drank with, which hotel he stayed at, and why he didn't answer his phone.

But she knew that from today on, she had to learn to endure.

"Chen Ang." She stood at the kitchen doorway, her tone softening, "I want to talk to you."

Chen Ang turned around with his water glass, leaning against the wine cabinet on the side, and didn't speak.

"Why didn't you discuss resigning with me?" Wen Huilin fought the urge to roll her eyes at him.

Chen Ang was slightly surprised that she knew, then smiled, "I've been tired all these years and wanted a break. What? You don't agree?"

Wen Huilin naturally didn't want Chen Ang to slack off; after all, they weren't divorced yet, and she was entitled to half of every cent he earned.

But now wasn't the time to obsess over that. She shook her head and carefully chose her words, "I feel like things haven't been right between us lately. Ever since you said you wouldn't divorce, you've changed. You weren't like this before."

Pausing, she looked up into Chen Ang's eyes, "Is there some misunderstanding between us?"

Chen Ang took a sip of water, "What misunderstanding?"

"Tell me, are you hiding something from me?"

Wen Huilin's gaze fixed on Chen Ang, trying to read every expression on his face.