Chapter Seventy-One, Husband
Returning from the trip was a week later.
This was probably the happiest week Sang Zhe had since coming to this world.
He and Zhang Xiaoying were like true newlyweds, happily traveling and enjoying themselves for an entire week.
Daytime was spent sightseeing.
Nighttime was… well, you get the picture.
After a week of honeymoon bliss, Sang Zhe awkwardly pushed open the door to his house.
“I’m back!”
However, what greeted him was a face full of sorrow that could almost solidify.
If one had to describe Si Jingzhu’s expression at that moment, it would be like a dog that had been waiting forever for its owner to return home.
The instant she saw Sang Zhe, her eyes brimmed with grievance, and she almost cried out:
“You actually remembered to come back?”
“Uh… if I didn’t come back, I’d be marked absent.”
“You, you still care about your job?”
Si Jingzhu walked over with red-rimmed eyes and bit Sang Zhe’s arm fiercely.
“Ouch!” Sang Zhe winced, “What was that for?”
“Next time, don’t leave me here alone… I… I really get scared being alone.”
“What do you mean alone? Aren’t there two cats?” Sang Zhe muttered, “They’ve got some spiritual awareness, you know, female cats.”
Si Jingzhu’s expression grew more sorrowful as she stared at him.
Seeing her lips pout more and more, it looked like she was about to cry again.
Sang Zhe could only helplessly coax her, “Alright, alright, next time I’ll take you with me.”
“You better keep your word.”
Seeing Shi Qingyan pouting and making a pinky swear with him, Sang Zhe felt like he was a kindergarten teacher.
This time, Zhang Xiaoying surprisingly didn’t tease Si Jingzhu but instead gently lowered her head:
“Then husband, I’ll go tidy up and cook.”
“Ah… okay. Thanks for that.”
Once Zhang Xiaoying left, Si Jingzhu’s eyes widened in disbelief as she said:
“H-Husband?”
“You two?” Her cheeks slowly flushed.
Sang Zhe was just about to awkwardly cough when he heard Zhang Xiaoying’s calm voice:
“Although my husband and I haven’t officially taken a husband-wife name, we already have the essence of husband and wife.”
“Why can’t I call him husband?”
After saying this, she shot Si Jingzhu a glance, looking like a peacock flaunting its feathers.
Si Jingzhu looked completely defeated, turning to Sang Zhe with teary eyes.
“Y-You two are already… a couple?”
“Uh, well, we haven’t had the formal marriage yet.”
“But it’s pretty much the same, right?” Sang Zhe scratched his head.
With those words, Si Jingzhu immediately felt a lump in her throat and ran crying into the house.
Sang Zhe had no choice.
He really couldn’t pinpoint Si Jingzhu’s moods and didn’t understand why she cried so much.
Let her cry for a while.
——
——
The first order of business after returning to work was, of course, to report to the boss.
When he entered Yan Rouwan’s office, she was buried under a mountain of documents, looking quite exhausted.
“Ah, welcome back.”
Seeing Sang Zhe, Yan Rouwan popped her head up from the pile of papers, managing a weary smile, “Did you have fun?”
Sang Zhe thought for a moment, “Quite a lot.”
“That’s good.”
Yan Rouwan subtly masked her emotions, continuing in a usual tone: “Now that you’re back, get back to work, don’t slack off.”
“I got it.”
But actually, Sang Zhe didn’t have any urgent tasks on hand.
Shi Qingyan had become almost an optional task. Not doing it wouldn’t bring any trouble his way.
As for Master Yu Xia, he didn’t want to rush things either.
After all, she was a Crossing Tribulation Stage master. Not so easily bent.
Besides, according to Sang Zhe’s own plans, getting Master Yu Xia to yield might take some time.
No rush.
“What about you?”
Sang Zhe looked pityingly at the mountain of documents, “Seems like being the head of the Punishment Department isn’t easy.”
“Who says it isn’t?”
Yan Rouwan let out a quiet sigh and said gloomily, “Many disciples from the Water Moon Sect are getting released these days, and quite a few choose to directly join the Demon Cultivators.”
“With so many personnel changes, just writing reports has me dizzy.”
“Sigh, if I had known, I might as well have stayed in the Heavenly Punishment Department. Fighting and killing is definitely better than worrying about paperwork every single day.”
Seeing her exhausted and frustrated look, Sang Zhe couldn’t help but doubt.
Was it a blessing in disguise that he didn’t become the head of the Punishment Department?
“Hey, I have to ask.”
Yan Rouwan suddenly switched to a mischievous expression and leaned in, full of gossip:
“This trip… did you manage to win over Little Ying?”
“Ah… yeah, I guess so…”
Sang Zhe felt awkward and rubbed his nose.
“Wow, did you really pull it off?”
Yan Rouwan’s face lit up with happiness, beaming, “So? How’s Little Ying? Is she everything you hoped for?”
“Hey, how am I supposed to answer that? Watch out, or I’ll report you for workplace sexual harassment!”
“Come on, just give me a hint! We’re all girls; Little Ying won’t mind.”
“Anyway…” Sang Zhe thought for a long time but couldn’t come up with a good adjective to describe how it felt, “It’s just very comfortable.”
“Especially comfortable. Like melting away.”
Yan Rouwan exaggeratedly elongated her tone, “Is Little Ying’s chest big?”
“Uh… not small, and it’s soft.”
“Really? She must maintain her figure well; there’s no flab around her belly?”
“Uh…”
“What about kissing? How was it?”
Sang Zhe could no longer hold it in: “Can’t you ask something less inappropriate?”
Yan Rouwan’s lips parted, and after a moment, she slowly closed them again.
Her gaze fell down unconsciously.
“I just… wanted to fantasize a little.”
Things she couldn’t experience, just wanted to imagine.
Is it that unreasonable?
Sang Zhe seemed to be losing patience with Yan Rouwan’s teasing, grumbling,
“I’ll go work now. Remember to tell Little Ying what you want to eat tonight.”
“Got it!”
Watching Sang Zhe leave the office, Yan Rouwan then shrank her small head back into the pile of papers.
But this time, she didn’t have the heart to write a report.
She leaned on the table, her mind continually picturing Sang Zhe and the well-dressed Zhang Xiaoying in the inn.
Half undressed, whispering sweet nothings…
A moment later, she found herself blushing, her cheeks warm, and she shook her head.
Can’t think about it anymore.
She stared blankly at her pen, her thoughts seemingly scattered to who knows where.
“How nice. I envy Little Ying so much.”
“Will there be a day.”
“…when it could happen to me?” she softly murmured to herself.
Sang Zhe, of course, wouldn’t notice.
From the moment he entered to when he left, Yan Rouwan always wore a hint of barely concealed loneliness and bitterness in her eyes.
Perfectly hidden, but ever-present.
