Chapter Fifty-Four: His Phone

Now, Shen Huaijing wasn't sure whether she should look or not, but her curiosity compelled her to do so.

After all, Fu Chen had agreed—there was no need for her to pretend any longer. She had wanted to see his phone from the start.

Shen Huaijing opened the phone without hesitation and quickly found the source of the vibrations.

“Chen, why aren’t you answering me?”

“Are you angry with me?”

“Did Lin Yu send you home?”

“Are you really planning to ignore me forever?”

Message after message popped up on WeChat like bamboo shoots after a rain, and Shen Huaijing could almost picture Lin Yiqing's expression as she sent them: pitiful and endearing.

Shen Huaijing had expected to find something related to Fu Chen's work or some secret, but never imagined the messages would be from Lin Yiqing.

So Fu Chen had been together with Lin Yiqing and Lin Yu yesterday. Did he drink too much because he couldn’t be with Lin Yiqing as he wished?

Shen Huaijing gazed solemnly at the texts on the phone. Fu Chen, seeing her expression, grew uneasy.

“Did you find out some little secret?” Fu Chen feigned composure as he asked.

Seeing Lin Yiqing’s messages, Shen Huaijing lost interest in anything else.

She tossed the phone back to Fu Chen, stretched indifferently, and yawned, saying, “Lin Yiqing is looking for you.”

Fu Chen took the phone. Lin Yiqing’s relentless questions flashed before him. He hadn’t expected Lin Yiqing to message him so early; they had drunk quite a lot last night, and much of it was a blur.

“I’m home, don’t worry,” Fu Chen replied to Lin Yiqing succinctly.

Lin Yiqing had spent nearly the whole night awake, waiting by her phone until dawn. As soon as it was time for Fu Chen to go to work, she hurried to message him, but his reply never came, and her anxiety grew.

She paced her house in agitation, tempted to call Lin Yu, but after what had happened last night…

In the end, she didn’t call Lin Yu.

When Fu Chen finally replied, her heart, which had been suspended, settled instantly. But then her mind raced: Fu Chen came home, yet didn’t reply to her messages all night. Could something have happened with Shen Huaijing?

Or perhaps Fu Chen had fallen in love with Shen Huaijing?

“Do you remember what happened last night?” Lin Yiqing bit her finger and asked Fu Chen tentatively.

“Did something happen yesterday?” Fu Chen frowned. He didn’t want to admit he’d blacked out last night, so he turned the question back to Lin Yiqing.

“It wasn’t really anything. You just drank a lot, and I was afraid you’d say something foolish,” Lin Yiqing replied, well aware of Fu Chen’s temperament.

Her words, however, jogged Fu Chen’s memory. He really couldn’t recall much from last night—only vague flashes: Shen Huaijing removing his watch, and perhaps he had kissed her.

The rest was a haze, and the more he tried to remember, the more his head hurt.

He massaged his temples and glanced at Shen Huaijing, who was grinning at her phone, and said lightly, “I did drink a lot last night. We didn’t do anything, did we?”

Shen Huaijing’s mischievous side stirred. She traced Fu Chen’s jawline, feeling the prickly stubble that grew so quickly.

She pouted playfully, “What do you think?”

“Are you trying to deny everything after pulling up your pants?” she teased, sticking out her lips in mock grievance.

Fu Chen narrowed his eyes, watching her wandering hand, remaining composed, a slight smile on his lips. “We’re legally married—I couldn’t deny it even if I wanted to.”

“Well, since it happened, we might as well make the pregnancy real,” he added.

This time it was Shen Huaijing’s turn to be dumbfounded. She hadn’t expected Fu Chen to accept it so calmly. Her prank had failed, and she was unwilling to let it go.

“Then you need to compensate me.”

Fu Chen raised his eyebrow and looked at her coldly, “You want compensation for something married couples are supposed to do?”

“You!” Shen Huaijing was so flustered by his retort that her face turned red, but then she broke into a sly smile.

“Well, seeing messages from my husband’s lover first thing in the morning has left me heartbroken. I deserve emotional damages.”

Shen Huaijing truly was born to act. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, like dewdrops on petals on a summer morning, ready to fall with the slightest touch.

Who could resist such a sight? Even Lin Yiqing, with her innocent demeanor, couldn’t cry as convincingly as Shen Huaijing.

Fu Chen tapped her forehead lightly, “How can you prove she’s my lover?”

“If she’s not, why would she send so many messages so early in the morning? She clearly cares about you. Besides, we all silently agree she’s your lover, don’t we?”

The more Shen Huaijing spoke, the more aggrieved she sounded, almost convincing herself as her voice grew softer.

“Then tell me, how did I agree to that? I’ve never said so, and have you seen me say anything intimate to her?”

Fu Chen placed the chat window before her, inviting her to look. Shen Huaijing grabbed the phone and examined it carefully.

Sure enough, Lin Yiqing was always the one initiating contact; Fu Chen rarely replied, and when he did, his words were concise.

“But… but you lived together for half a month. How do you explain that?”

The conversation’s tone shifted, and Shen Huaijing began counting the days Lin Yiqing and Fu Chen had spent together, questioning him.

She seemed to have adopted the role of the wife, lecturing her husband with righteous indignation.

“Wasn’t it because you were sulking and didn’t want to live with me? I just stayed with a friend for a while,” Fu Chen explained patiently. He and Lin Yiqing were indeed innocent, at least physically.

“Why didn’t you stay at Lin Yu’s place? You’re like the Pigsy accusing others to cover your own guilt!” Shen Huaijing sat up abruptly, glaring at Fu Chen, nearly ready to point at his nose and scold him.

Fu Chen couldn’t help but laugh as he watched Shen Huaijing’s furious outburst.

Only then did Shen Huaijing realize her reaction had been a bit much. She had intended to extort Fu Chen, but he had led her into a trap instead.

“I don’t want to play anymore—it’s boring,” she said, pretending nonchalance as she tidied her hair and got out of bed.

As she passed Fu Chen, he caught her hand.

“There’s nothing between Yiqing and me.”

Fu Chen’s deep eyes gazed straight into Shen Huaijing’s heart. His voice was low and melodious, like clouds softly breaking at the horizon.

Shen Huaijing stood motionless, bathed in clear sunlight streaming through the huge glass window. Their shadows stretched long, dust motes floating gently in the air.

The light fell on Fu Chen’s profile, his dark pupils clear as crystal, transparent and pure.

“Then stop contacting her,” Shen Huaijing said with a seductive smile, utterly irreverent.

“Alright.”

Fu Chen answered her readily, without a trace of hesitation.