Chapter 7#

The Cowardly Office Worker 7#

Walking out with the crowd through the elevator.

Shen Anyu saw Shen Xifu waiting for him in the reception hall. Walking up to him, Shen Anyu instinctively wanted to explain, but opening his mouth, not a single sound came out.

He could only lower his head and type.

—My phone was on silent, I didn’t see your messages.

Pressing his lips together, Shen Anyu added an emoji after that sentence and held it up in front of Shen Xifu.

—My phone was on silent, I didn’t see your messages (crying).

Seeing this, Shen Xifu raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in her eyes, and said softly: “Did hubby really cry?”

“…” Shen Anyu kept his head down without a word, his ears slowly turning pink.

At the same time, Shen Xifu handed the lunchbox she had prepared to Shen Anyu, asking: “Will hubby eat with me in the car, or here?”

It seemed like there was a choice, but looking into Shen Xifu’s eyes and hearing the “with me” in her words, Shen Anyu silently took her hand.

Soundlessly saying—go to the car.

Shen Anyu knew that even if he chose to stay here, after a few words from Shen Xifu, he would end up changing his mind anyway.

It was better to follow “her” wishes from the very beginning.

But not until he walked out of the company gates, Shen Anyu even glanced back, and still didn’t catch sight of the male lead, Jian Lixu.

Only Shen Xifu beside him, fingers interlocked with his.

The afternoon sun was blazing.

Inside a high-comfort SUV, Shen Anyu sat in the back seat, slowly eating the lovingly made lunchbox Shen Xifu had prepared with her own hands, the car’s air conditioning set to a comfortable temperature.

Many times, if he weren’t fully aware that in this novel he was only an ordinary background character, Shen Anyu would even think that living out his whole life with Shen Xifu like this was just fine.

It’s just…

If only Shen Xifu could get rid of “her” strange kinks in bed… that would be even better.

“Was hubby just coming down with President Jian?”

Shen Anyu had just swallowed a mouthful of rice when he heard Shen Xifu across from him suddenly speak.

Shen Anyu looked up, but only met Shen Xifu’s emotionless eyes. His nerves tightened for a moment, and he nodded in answer.

He thought Shen Xifu would say something more, but all the way until lunch was finished, Shen Anyu didn’t hear a second sentence from her. He could only woodenly hand the lunchbox to Shen Xifu and type—

I’m going upstairs now?

The question mark at the end was just like Shen Anyu’s unsettled heart, full of confusion about the unknown.

Shen Xifu smiled. “Why is hubby asking me?” In the cramped space of the car, she leaned in close, her cold fingers gently brushing against Shen Anyu’s eyelid, murmuring, “As long as hubby doesn’t have anything to hide from me, that’s fine.” She lowered her head.

The kiss came to an end.

Shen Anyu’s shirt collar was a bit disheveled. He turned his head, gazing out of the car, his thoughts hazy, only feeling grateful that the car windows were fitted with privacy film.

Otherwise, a passing pedestrian might cast a casual glance and see the disastrous scene in the car just now.

A husband being kissed breathless by his own wife.

Pressing his slightly numb lips together, Shen Anyu pushed open the car door and got out in a disheveled state. This very thing happened every single day Shen Xifu brought him lunch.

But after all this time, Shen Anyu still hadn’t gotten used to it.

Upstairs in the company building.

After sitting down at his workstation, Shen Anyu sent Shen Xifu a message.

[I’ve arrived.]

Wife: [Really?]

Shen Anyu took a photo and sent it to Shen Xifu.

Wife: [Hubby is so obedient.]

Clearly Shen Anyu was the husband, but most of the time, Shen Xifu’s choice of words always gave Shen Anyu the illusion that he was the one who was Shen Xifu’s wife.

He silently put down his phone.

Then, a moment later, realized something was off.

After all, at times like this in the past, when Shen Anyu didn’t reply, Shen Xifu would send messages over and over again until he responded. But today, she was eerily quiet.

Thinking of the plot in the original novel, Shen Anyu asked 9106: [Is the female lead with the male lead right now?]

9106 flew out. [Yes yes, they’re together! Also, host, remember you need to go fulfill the plot where you walk in on the female lead giving the loving lunchbox to the male lead.]

9106 said excitedly, flying up into the air: [Work hard to become a perfect background character (cheer up)!]

[…] Heh.

The female lead is currently still my wife.

But not long after, when the team leader asked him to bring a document to the director for review, Shen Anyu went anyway.

Through the crowd, onto the elevator.

In the original text, the office worker who had realized something had happened between his wife and his boss, distracted for a moment, pressed the wrong floor button and accidentally arrived at the floor where the company received important clients. Outside the reception room, he saw his wife handing the lunchbox to the male lead.

Shen Anyu did the same.

He thought it wouldn’t be that coincidental.

But just moments after stepping out of the elevator, before Shen Anyu’s thoughts had fully gathered, his footsteps halted.

Not far in front of him, the Shen Xifu who should have left was standing face to face with Jian Lixu, discussing something, holding a lunchbox that looked different on the outside from the one she had given Shen Anyu.

“…”

Realizing that standing here made him far too conspicuous, Shen Anyu froze for a moment. After snapping back to his senses, he held the documents and moved to a corner outside the reception room.

His heart inexplicably tightened.

Leaning against the wall, Shen Anyu didn’t understand why, only his lashes trembling faintly. The faint sound of conversation at his ear clearly told him that on the other side of the corner were his wife and… his superior.

Thinking of the content in the original text.

A moment later, Shen Anyu silently left with the documents, just like the office worker in the original novel who drew no one’s attention.

Six o’clock in the evening.

Shen Anyu, who had no overtime tonight, had just walked out of the company gates when he saw Shen Xifu waiting to take him home. His steps faltered.

“…”

“Hubby?” Shen Xifu didn’t understand why he had stopped.

Shen Anyu slowly walked over, his hand caught by Shen Xifu’s cold fingertips. He wanted to say something, but only breathy sounds came from his throat. In the end, Shen Anyu said nothing.

Getting into the car, on the way home, Shen Anyu sat in the passenger seat with soothing music playing in his ears.

During a lull at a red light, Shen Xifu suddenly asked: “What did hubby do today?”

Shen Anyu turned his head.

He didn’t understand why Shen Xifu was asking this question in the car.

But he still lowered his head, preparing to type a response.

Shen Xifu kept her eyes forward. As the red light countdown finished, she started the car and pulled forward, saying: “This afternoon, I saw someone who looked a lot like hubby. I originally wanted to say hello to him, but he walked away without looking back.” After speaking, Shen Xifu’s gaze landed on Shen Anyu. A moment later, she turned back to the road.

“Isn’t that a coincidence?”

Shen Anyu looked at her, alarmed and uncertain.

This afternoon, Shen Xifu was clearly outside the company’s reception room.

Had she seen him?

But the way “she” was speaking to him now didn’t seem like it.

Or… was it a test?

Lowering his eyes, unable to figure out Shen Xifu’s true intent, Shen Anyu could only remain silent, just like the office worker in the original novel.

The rest of the ride passed without a word.

After getting home, Shen Anyu was still thinking about what Shen Xifu had said in the car. Even when he bumped into Xie Yuzhi, who had been at home all day, while pouring water, he didn’t react in time.

A cup of water spilled onto Xie Yuzhi.

Xie Yuzhi, who had been playing games all day and had only just managed to leave his bedroom, frowned. Seeing the distracted Shen Anyu, he forcibly swallowed the words that were about to slip out and clicked his tongue.

Shen Anyu snapped back to reality, wanting to say “sorry,” but when he opened his mouth, only a faint breathy sound came out. He waved his hands frantically in apology and grabbed tissues from the table, making as if to wipe Xie Yuzhi down.

“Forget it.” Xie Yuzhi grabbed Shen Anyu’s hand, refusing to let him touch him. “Just my bad luck.”

Shen Anyu stood there at a loss.

Xie Yuzhi originally wanted to say something more, but seeing the flustered look on the young man before him, he swallowed the harsh words at the tip of his tongue and said flatly: “Not that I want to say this, but brother-in-law, are you like… some kind of jinx to me? How come every time I run into you, I end up with some kind of bad luck?”

Either being ordered around by Shen Xifu to wash dishes, or indirectly running into those scenes and raising his hatred value in Shen Xifu’s eyes.

And now, getting hit directly on his person.

Good thing it wasn’t hot water that got spilled.

“…”

Shen Anyu couldn’t speak. Looking at the wet patch on Xie Yuzhi’s chest that he had caused, he didn’t even have grounds for rebuttal. He could only lower his head and listen silently.

“Tsk.”

Seeing how weak and pitiful he looked, Xie Yuzhi took a breath and couldn’t even muster the desire to make things difficult for him.

After all, picking a fight with someone this spineless was boring.

“How dull.” Xie Yuzhi muttered.

He originally wanted to just turn and leave, but a scene suddenly flashed through his mind—the image of Shen Anyu with his full features revealed that night. He stopped in his tracks. “Hey,” Xie Yuzhi said. “Brother-in-law, do you really want to make it up to me?”

Shen Anyu couldn’t figure out how the conversation had suddenly jumped to compensation, but thinking that he was the one at fault first, he nodded.

Xie Yuzhi said softly: “Anything?”

Shen Anyu looked at him uneasily, lowering his eyes to type, “Things I can’t do, no.”

Xie Yuzhi smiled. He originally wanted to directly state his request, but after remembering how petty Shen Xifu could be, he quietly observed his surroundings, confirming that Shen Xifu had gone downstairs to buy groceries and wouldn’t suddenly pop out from some corner. But to be safe, he said: “Then brother-in-law, come to my room to talk.”

“?”

Shen Anyu looked at him warily.

Xie Yuzhi said with dissatisfaction: “It’s not like I’m going to eat you. Besides, if you don’t change clothes, are you happy being soaked through like that?”

“…”

At fault first, Shen Anyu conceded, following behind Xie Yuzhi into his room.

The space inside the room was very small.

After all, this room was originally meant to be turned into a study by Shen Xifu, but in the end it never came to fruition for various reasons, and it had now become Xie Yuzhi’s temporary residence.

Aside from a bed and a completed wardrobe, there was only a table.

Shen Anyu was looking at the room’s surroundings when he heard a “thump” behind him. He turned his head and saw Xie Yuzhi closing the bedroom door like a thief.

Lowering his head, he typed—What’s wrong?

Xie Yuzhi saw it and let out a cold laugh. “Afraid your wife—my sister—might suddenly come home.”

Shen Anyu originally wanted to ask what there was to be afraid of, but looking at the water stains on Xie Yuzhi’s front that he had spilled, unsure whether Shen Xifu would even suspect her own brother, he curved his brows in mild amusement. But then, at the thought of what he had seen outside the reception room this afternoon, his expression settled back into calm.

Even his thoughts were dragged back once more.

Until the Xie Yuzhi before him began changing clothes.

The youth’s body, with smooth muscle lines radiating youthful vigor, was exposed in front of Shen Anyu. Looking at his eight-pack abs, Shen Anyu thought about his own stomach that didn’t have a single one, and fell silent.

No wonder… he didn’t understand how Shen Xifu, in the darkness every night, could bring herself to kiss him.

Neither of the two people in the room felt there was anything odd about seeing the other’s male body, or about having their own male body seen.

After Xie Yuzhi finished changing.

Shen Anyu was just about to ask him what compensation he wanted.

Then he saw Xie Yuzhi in front of him suddenly lean down, staring at him, and say: “Brother-in-law, can you push your hair up and let me see what your complete face looks like?”

Shen Anyu, uncomfortable with his closeness, stepped back two paces.

But the youth’s scorching breath still followed him like a shadow, sweeping across his ear.