202: Chapter 196 Wishes Fulfilled

He Mengyao shifted in his arms, rustling as she found a more comfortable position.

"What do we do now?" she asked, her voice muffled as she buried her face in his chest. "How am I supposed to get out tomorrow morning?"

"Didn't think about that when you came in?" Yu Heng kept his eyes closed, his fingers twirling a lock of her hair. "We'll worry about it when the time comes."

"What do you mean 'when the time comes'?" He Mengyao looked up at those words, glaring at him in the dim light. "If they see me, won't Shen Yueling explode?"

"Let her explode then," Yu Heng said, his tone flat. "I'll coax her afterward. Besides, you've been gone all night; do you really think Zhou Mengqi doesn't know?"

"That's true," He Mengyao pursed her lips, her voice a mix of teasing and bitterness. "Look at you, all skilled at coaxing people now."

"I used to coax you plenty back then too," Yu Heng replied nonchalantly.

Hearing this, He Mengyao fell silent.

In their past life, they were a legally married couple. What did this count as in this life? This strange sense of sneaking around—she actually found it quite fun.

"Go to sleep," Yu Heng patted her back. "We have to get up early tomorrow."

"I can't sleep," He Mengyao said.

"Then what do you want to do?" Yu Heng still had his eyes closed.

"Let's chat for a bit," she suggested.

"About what?" he asked.

"Let's talk about how many women you have now." He Mengyao finally asked the question that had been circling in her mind for a long time.

"The three in the hotel, plus our Counselor." Yu Heng answered straightforwardly. Only after saying it did he remember—had she even met his Counselor, Qin Lu, yet?

"Huh?" He Mengyao reacted quite strongly, propping herself up to look at him. "Wait, you even went after the Counselor?"

"Her husband cheated, and their relationship fell apart. I took the opportunity to win her over," Yu Heng explained.

"Sigh, divorce rates are really high these days. It feels like getting married is pointless," He Mengyao sighed, feeling a sudden wave of emotion.

"Then why were you always talking about divorce before?" Yu Heng brought up the past.

"I was wrong. I definitely won't say it anymore," He Mengyao immediately backed down and admitted her mistake.

"You won't have the chance to say it in the future anyway," he said.

"Don't say that, or I'll start crying," He Mengyao threatened playfully with a nasal tone.

"Fine, fine," Yu Heng conceded, then added a key piece of information. "But our Counselor isn't divorced yet."

"What?" He Mengyao was surprised again. "You really are..."

"Her husband cheated first. I can't be accused of breaking up a family," Yu Heng asserted, justifying his actions.

"Fine," He Mengyao huffed. "I'll give you that one."

"However, I'm actually doing something interesting right now," Yu Heng said with a smile.

"What is it?" He Mengyao asked.

"There's a girl in our school's Music Performance Department, same year as us," Yu Heng paused before continuing. "She has a boyfriend. I'm building an adult products brand now, and I've hired her as a model. I want to see if I can win her over."

"Tsk, that's really a bit unethical, isn't it?"

"They aren't married, and I'm not forcing her. How is that unethical?" Yu Heng said. "I've just given her compensation far above the industry standard, along with some opportunities."

"Tempting someone to stray and ruining their relationship."

"Life is full of temptations. I'm not forcing anything, so there's no right or wrong," Yu Heng said. "Haven't you faced temptation? Before we got married, you had a senior who was much wealthier than I am now. He pursued you so hard, but didn't you reject him flatly?"

"His money is his business."

"Exactly. You can't expect a relationship to never be affected by outside forces," Yu Heng smiled. "Only what withstands them is true love."

"Aren't you worried your women might encounter the same situation?"

"Is worrying useful? It's just insecurity," Yu Heng narrowed his eyes. "Outstanding people can be pursued or desired at any time. Making sure you all stay loyal is the real skill."

"That's a bit convoluted," He Mengyao curled her lip. "Let's just go to sleep."

"Sleep then," Yu Heng's hand became a bit restless. "But, are you sure you don't want to?"

"I'm not prepared," He Mengyao said. "I'll go buy some medicine tomorrow. Let's wait until next weekend."

"There are 'little umbrellas' in the nightstand," Yu Heng said.

"I don't want to," He Mengyao shook her head. "I don't like the smell, and they're uncomfortable."

She buried her face in the crook of his neck again, breathing in his familiar scent.

The scent brought her peace, but also a touch of heartache.

"You know, it would have been so nice if we hadn't been reborn," she muttered softly.

"If I hadn't been reborn, I'd be dead by now," Yu Heng said with his eyes closed. "You'd be a widow."

"Then I wouldn't remarry either. I'd just stay faithful to you."

"Don't make it sound so noble," Yu Heng twitched the corner of his mouth. "Given enough time, things always change."

"I wouldn't."

"Don't be so sure."

He Mengyao fell silent; she knew Yu Heng was right.

Time can change many things, including a resolve one thought was unshakeable.

Matters of the heart really do come down to one's conscience.

The room fell quiet. After a while, He Mengyao spoke again: "So, how far have things gone between you and Shen Yueling?"

"We've done everything there is to do," Yu Heng didn't hide it from her.

"I knew it," He Mengyao said, her voice muffled. "In this life, you've gotten what you wanted too."

"Teasing me again," Yu Heng said. "But she wasn't the first. Qin Lu was."

"Tsk, are we ranking them by seniority now?"

"I'm just telling you. Weren't you just asking about them?"

"And what about me? Where do I rank?"

"You aren't even on the list yet," Yu Heng spoke the truth. "You haven't officially joined the group."

"Tsk, just you wait," He Mengyao gritted her teeth. "Next weekend, I'll make sure you can't even get out of bed."

—

The next morning, around seven o'clock, Yu Heng woke up.

He Mengyao was still sound asleep in his arms, one hand resting on his chest and a leg draped over him.

He gently moved her limbs aside and got out of bed.

By the time he finished washing up and came out, He Mengyao was still asleep.

Yu Heng walked over and patted her face. "Wake up, it's time to head back."

He Mengyao opened her eyes blearily, looked at the light outside the window, and then at Yu Heng. "What time is it?"

"Seven-thirty."

"Are they awake?"

"I don't know. Go check."

He Mengyao sat up and rubbed her eyes, her hair a mess.

She got out of bed, put on her slippers, crept to the door, and pressed her ear against it to listen.

There was no sound outside.

She looked back at Yu Heng and mouthed, "Go out now?"

Yu Heng nodded.

He Mengyao took a deep breath, gently turned the lock, and pulled the door open a crack.

The living room was empty, and both bedroom doors were closed. She quickly slipped out. "I can just say I slept on the sofa!"

Yu Heng smiled and began to get dressed.