"Thank you... President Wang."
Hanging up the phone, Shen Huaishuang stood there in a daze, completely bewildered.
What on earth had happened?
Why was President Wang acting like a completely different person?
Everyone in the company knew that President Wang had a notoriously fiery temper and would chew out anyone he laid eyes on.
She had been yelled at by him at least a hundred times.
Her heart had long since been tempered into steel.
When she asked for leave yesterday, she had already been given a tongue-lashing, and he had only reluctantly agreed after learning she was going to get married.
When she asked for leave again today, it was no wonder he had lost his temper.
Regardless of why he had changed his mind, as long as she got her day off, that was all that mattered.
Since she didn't have to go to work, she went back to her bedroom to sleep.
When she woke up again, it was already noon.
Entering the living room, she didn't see Lu Zhengting.
She guessed that he might have gone to work.
Suddenly, a phone ringtone sounded.
It was Lu Zhengting's phone, which had been left on the sofa.
Yet he was nowhere to be seen.
Shen Huaishuang glanced at the caller ID and saw it was labeled "Grandma."
She picked up the phone and walked over to knock on the second bedroom door.
"Lu Zhengting, are you in there?"
"What is it?"
Lu Zhengting walked out from another room—not the one he had slept in last night.
Shen Huaishuang guessed that room must be the study.
She handed the phone to him.
"A call from Grandma Su."
Lu Zhengting took it, pressed the answer button, and held it to his ear.
"Grandma."
"Zhengting, where are you?"
"Star Dream International."
"Where is my granddaughter-in-law?"
"She's here too."
"When are you two coming to Yuehu Village?"
"She's feeling a bit under the weather. Let's make it another day."
"Oh my, Zhengting, didn't you mind your boundaries last night and hurt Huaishuang? Take it easy, you know. Look at you, all big and bulky with raw strength, completely lacking any restraint."
Dark lines streaked across Lu Zhengting's forehead.
"Grandma, what on earth are you thinking? Shen Huaishuang just has a cold."
"Oh... ah, a misunderstanding, hahaha. Well, how is my granddaughter-in-law doing? Did you buy her any medicine? If it's serious, you need to take her to the hospital. A young woman is delicate; you can't compare her to a rough-hewn man like you."
"Don't worry, I bought some and she's already taken her medicine."
Sitting on the sofa, Shen Huaishuang abruptly looked over in his direction.
Their eyes met, and she hurriedly lowered her head.
Judging from the conversation between the grandmother and grandson, they seemed to be talking about her.
After that, she didn't hear Lu Zhengting say much, as he only gave the occasional murmur of acknowledgment.
Ten minutes later, he hung up the phone.
She had some faint memories of Grandma Su.
Back when she was little, Grandma Su used to give her candy—she was an exceptionally kind-hearted grandmother.
Later, when she returned to Yuehu Village, her grandmother mentioned that Grandma Su had moved away to live with her son.
It wasn't until a few years ago, after recovering from a severe illness, that Grandma Su returned to Yuehu Village to recuperate.
The countryside air was good, and with her grandmother there as a dear friend, Grandma Su wasn't lonely at all.
After she started working, the number of times she returned to Yuehu Village dwindled, and she never managed to cross paths with Grandma Su on any of her visits.
Her impression of Grandma Su was still frozen in childhood.
Suddenly feeling something placed in her ear, Shen Huaishuang instinctively flinched.
"Don't move! Let me check your temperature."
"Oh."
Only then did Shen Huaishuang sit still and behave.
The masculine scent radiating from Lu Zhengting was too overwhelming, and right now he was standing entirely too close to her.
Feeling somewhat uneasy, she rubbed her fingernails together to distract herself.
With a beep—
Lu Zhengting removed the ear thermometer, glanced at the reading, and said, "37.5 degrees. You still have a slight fever, but it's nothing major."
"Cough, cough..."
Shen Huaishuang broke into a fit of consecutive coughs.
Once the fever broke, the coughing invariably followed.
It was simply part of the recovery process from a cold.
Lu Zhengting popped two pills from a blister pack and handed them to her along with a cup of warm water.
"Take your medicine."
Shen Huaishuang took them, popped both pills into her mouth, and washed them down with a gulp of water.
Lu Zhengting looked quite satisfied with her cooperative behavior.
"What were you doing last night?"
He was curious about how Shen Huaishuang had suddenly managed to catch a cold.
Embarrassed, Shen Huaishuang replied, "I fell asleep while taking a bath."
Lu Zhengting was left speechless, completely at a loss for how to respond.
Who on earth falls asleep while taking a bath?
What a talent!
Shen Huaishuang was equally speechless at her own bizarre feat.
Thank goodness it was just a cold and she hadn't drowned in the bathtub.
Noticing that the hour was getting late, Shen Huaishuang said, "I'll go make lunch."
"No need. I had food delivered, and it should be here any minute."
Just as the words left his mouth, the doorbell rang.
Lu Zhengting strode over to open the door, offered his thanks, and brought the meals inside.
Her dizziness having cleared up, Shen Huaishuang went over to help set the food on the table.
Only then did she notice the characters "Huihuang Hotel" printed on the food containers.
This lunch had been ordered from Huihuang Hotel.
Huihuang Hotel was Suzhou's most luxurious six-star hotel, integrating dining and accommodation into one.
If anyone hosted guests at Huihuang Hotel, it was a tremendous status symbol.
For Shen Huaiyu's birthday, Shen Dong and his wife had booked the banquet hall at Huihuang Hotel half a month in advance.
The banquet hall at Huihuang Hotel cost as high as one million for a single evening.
Shen Dong and his wife spared no expense when it came to Shen Huaiyu.
Shen Huaiyu's birthdays were always extravagant affairs, whereas no one ever remembered her birthday, let alone celebrated it for her.
After she got together with Bai Yujie, he at least bought her a cake and gifts every year.
Thinking of those past days, Shen Huaishuang's mood plummeted.
During the meal, she was somewhat absent-minded.
Glancing at the person sitting across from him, Lu Zhengting asked, "Is it not to your liking?"
Shen Huaishuang snapped out of her daze.
"No, it's delicious."
"Then eat properly. Don't let your mind wander while eating."
"Oh."
Watching Lu Zhengting eat with such hearty relish, Shen Huaishuang unwittingly found her own appetite improving.
After the meal, Shen Huaishuang took the initiative to clear the table.
As she cleaned up, she asked, "Lu Zhengting, did you stay home from work today because of me?"
Lu Zhengting helped her clear the plates.
"Since I've married you, if you're sick, there's no way I would leave you home alone."
A warm wave washed over Shen Huaishuang's heart, filling her with a cozy glow.
Even though Lu Zhengting was tall and solidly built, he was remarkably attentive.
She smiled.
"Lu Zhengting, thank you."
After packing up the trash, she noticed there was still a bag of garbage from the morning sitting by the doorway that hadn't been thrown out.
She changed her shoes and prepared to head out.
She told Lu Zhengting, "I'm going downstairs to take out the trash."
"I'll go with you."
"There's no need."
Shen Huaishuang knew Lu Zhengting was worried she might faint.
But after taking a nap and swallowing some fever medication, her head no longer felt dizzy.
"Don't worry, I'm much better. Going downstairs will be no problem at all."
Lu Zhengting nodded.
After Shen Huaishuang left, he walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window and looked down.
At that moment, a phone ringtone sounded.
It was Shen Huaishuang's phone, which she had left behind when she went downstairs.
Lu Zhengting walked over and picked it up.
The caller ID showed an unlisted number.
He hadn't intended to answer, but the caller was relentless and kept ringing again and again.
With no other choice, Lu Zhengting answered it.
A man's voice came through the receiver.
"Shen Huaishuang, where are you? I want to see you!"
"She's not here."
The other end paused for a second before angrily demanding, "Who are you? Why do you have Shen Huaishuang's phone?"
"I'm her husband."