Chapter 68: Now She Is Mrs. Jiang

Jiang Fan returned to Dafu and asked the dormitory supervisor to find Shen Tingting, who had already gone back to her room.

Shen Tingting knew that her appearance had already brought her quite a bit of trouble. For the sake of peace and quiet, she’d head straight to the dorm whenever she wasn’t working. Apart from buying daily necessities, she rarely even stepped outside the factory gate.

When she arrived at the rented apartment, she saw Wang Wenyu in an apron, busily preparing things for dinner. The gentle, capable manner she displayed now was a far cry from the ethereal, otherworldly aura she’d had the first time they met—two extremes of temperament.

She greeted her politely, “Sister Yu, I didn’t expect you to invite me—thank you.”

Seeing how awkward Shen Tingting looked, Wang Wenyu replied kindly, “Don’t be so formal. This is just a rented place, sit wherever you like. I’m almost done here. I’ll stir-fry some greens, and let that rascal go buy some braised dishes—we can start dinner then.”

Watching Wang Wenyu’s movements, Shen Tingting could tell she was still learning, so she quickly stepped out onto the balcony. “Sister Yu, let me stir-fry them for you.”

She put on the apron Wang Wenyu had just taken off and deftly picked, washed, and tossed the vegetables into the wok, all in one fluid motion.

Wang Wenyu smiled approvingly, “I didn’t expect the belle of Dafu to be such a household expert!”

After finishing the stir-fry and ladling the soup into a bowl, Shen Tingting set it on the small square table in the apartment, wiped her hands on the apron, and replied, “Some belle—just attracts trouble.”

Jiang Fan came back carrying some pork head meat he’d bought downstairs, holding up the bag as he entered. “Wife, is this enough? It’s so convenient living here—anything you need is just a short trip down.”

Wang Wenyu saw that he’d bought more than half a bag of cooked food, easily enough for three people. She thought to herself, Is this really the same man who used to act like it pained him to spend a penny?

Shen Tingting interjected politely, “I already had dinner at the factory, just wanted to stop by for a bit. I didn’t expect to trouble you like this.”

The apartment was less than twenty square meters. Other than a one-and-a-half-meter-wide bed, a wardrobe, and a dressing table, there was hardly room for anything else. The little table for meals had to be folded up when not in use, just so there’d be a walkway.

Because the room was small, there wasn’t even a stool. Jiang Fan put his travel backpack on the floor for himself, while the two women sat on the bed.

Already aware of the trouble Shen Tingting had encountered at Dafu, Wang Wenyu brought it up again after dinner. “If it gets too hard, just quit. Tomorrow I’ll talk to Brother Tian and ask him to help; he should be able to find you a steady job.”

Before Shen Tingting could reply, Jiang Fan asked with a hint of jealousy, “Who’s Brother Tian?”

Seeing Jiang Fan’s tense expression, Wang Wenyu thought, What a little miser, where is your mind going? Brother Tian is over forty and the most upright person I’ve met at the station. Because he’s principled and sticks to his guns, he’s been a deputy section chief in the security division for over a decade without promotion.

Hearing Wang Wenyu’s explanation, Jiang Fan finally relaxed, absentmindedly scratching the back of his head. “You just sounded so familiar with him—I’m not allowed to ask?”

Shen Tingting watched Jiang Fan, who dared to talk back to anyone at the factory, suddenly act like a playful, obedient child with Wang Wenyu, and couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy. Maybe, she thought, this is what love looks like.

Wang Wenyu noticed Shen Tingting was lost in thought and asked with concern, “It’s your choice whether to change jobs or not. If you want to, I’ll talk to Brother Tian tomorrow. He’s trustworthy, so any job he finds should be reliable.”

Shen Tingting forced a smile. “Sister Yu, the HR department has to work overtime tonight to help packaging finish up some orders. Manager Liu sent someone to tell me I didn’t need to work late today—probably because Assistant Manager Jiang gave her an earful this afternoon and it had some effect. I’ll wait it out a bit longer—if things don’t improve, I’ll trouble you then.”

Having changed factories three times in one year, Shen Tingting was weary of adapting to new environments. As long as the pressure eased a little, she was satisfied. Still, her inability to feel happy was largely because of Jiang Fan.

After dinner, Shen Tingting helped Wang Wenyu clean up before leaving.

Given that Shen Tingting’s looks had already caused her problems, Wang Wenyu deliberately arranged for Jiang Fan to escort her back to the factory.

On the way, Shen Tingting wanted to ask Jiang Fan about his relationship with Wang Wenyu, but couldn’t find the words.

All Jiang Fan could think about was hurrying back to the apartment to tumble into bed with Wang Wenyu after seeing Shen Tingting safely back. Soon, they arrived at Dafu.

Watching Jiang Fan’s hurried retreat, tears streamed down Shen Tingting’s face.

Wang Wenyu had arranged for Jiang Fan to accompany Shen Tingting out of concern for her safety. Still, with Shen Tingting’s striking beauty, she couldn’t help but recall how women always seemed drawn to Jiang Fan. As she prepared their clothes for a shower, she kept glancing at her watch.

The round trip was just over a kilometer. When Jiang Fan returned in ten minutes, Wang Wenyu relaxed and teased, “Escorting such a pretty girl, you didn’t have any other thoughts?”

Seeing that Wang Wenyu had laid out his clean underwear and also prepared her own pajamas, Jiang Fan pinched her cheek and replied, “Jealous little vinegar jar, my heart is very small and it’s already been filled to the brim by a beauty like you. There’s no room for anyone else. Hurry up and put your pajamas and underwear away—if I’m home, don’t even think about wearing those.”

Wang Wenyu put her clothes away with a playful reprimand. “Every time we come back to the room, if there’s even a stray thread on me, you get jealous. And you call me the jealous one? Want me to give you a back rub or should I go shower first?”

The night before, after tidying up the place, they’d each showered separately. When they returned from the hospital, Jiang Fan had held her so tightly he couldn’t let go, so they skipped it.

She hadn’t expected Wang Wenyu to offer a back rub first. Jiang Fan kept repeating, “I do, I do!” and, claiming his hands hurt, raised his arms for her to help undress him.

After she’d finished, Wang Wenyu slipped off her own clothes and gave him a push. “Come on, you rascal.”

Wang Wenyu focused on massaging his back, but Jiang Fan couldn’t stay still—pinching here and grabbing there.

She rolled her eyes and scolded, “So your hands aren’t hurting now? Can’t you sit still? You’re getting soap all over my face.”

Once she’d finished helping him shower, Jiang Fan refused to leave, standing at the bathroom door and staring at Wang Wenyu as she rinsed off. “My wife is so beautiful.”

Though they’d only just gotten together, Wang Wenyu couldn’t help being a little shy at Jiang Fan’s lascivious gaze. Covering herself with both hands, she said, “Go lie down—when I’m done, I’ll come keep you company.”

Her bashfulness made Jiang Fan recall that scene in the bathroom, and he mused, “Who would have thought that the campus beauty I once accidentally spied on would now be my wife? Am I dreaming?”

Seeing his silly expression, Wang Wenyu finally let her guard down. She scooped up a handful of water and splashed it in his face. “Are you awake now? Still know who your wife is?”

Jiang Fan wiped off the water with his arm and joked, “I know now—my heart belongs to the campus beauty, now Mrs. Jiang.”

Lying in bed together, Wang Wenyu nestled into Jiang Fan’s arms, gently caressing his face. “Your swelling is much better today. I’ll make sure you get extra nutrition. In a few days, your wounds will be completely healed.”

Unable to be too intimate, they teased and played for over an hour before finally settling down.

Holding her soft hand, Jiang Fan remembered the money he still owed to Hao Meng. “Hao Meng helped me buy things and lent me some money—a total of 317 yuan. Find time to pay her back.”

Wang Wenyu, seeing that Jiang Fan only now remembered, suggested, “You can’t just give her cash—she’d be upset. In a few days, let’s invite her to dinner. You can pick out a gift of equal value and say it’s to congratulate her on her promotion. That’s the best way to handle it.”

Jiang Fan was puzzled. “Do you know where she works? What kind of position did she get promoted to?”

Wang Wenyu cared about Hao Meng as a friend. She knew that although Hao Meng had been promoted to deputy general manager, her past couldn’t stay hidden forever, and she wasn’t sure how Jiang Fan would feel about her previous line of work. Tentatively, she replied, “Silly man, I don’t know where she works. When you were injured the second time, she managed to visit you at the hospital, didn’t she? Do you know what kind of work the girls at that hotel do?”