Chapter 076　 Go ahead and lie to the kid; watch out for karma.

  *

  At exactly 12:00 PM, the sound of a car echoed outside. Li Chengshi jumped up from the sofa, exclaiming, "That must be my wife back!" He was the first to rush out the door, followed by Honda and Zhao Nanfeng.

  Su Xian stood at the rear of the car with a bright smile, gesturing for Zhao Nanfeng to open the trunk.

  "Is it a surprise or a shock?" Zhao Nanfeng joked as he stepped forward and opened it.

  A large bouquet of fresh flowers greeted him, and next to it sat an exquisite peach-flavored cake. The chocolate plaque read: 社長，37歳、おめでとう！ (Boss, Happy 37th Birthday!).

  "You must have visited a lot of shops. Thanks," he said, looking quite satisfied.

  "There’s more." She pointed to the bottom.

  He picked up the bouquet. Underneath were several takeout boxes.

  "While waiting for the cake, I searched the shops in that area and found a Chinese deli that actually sells those lamb huoshao (baked meat pies) you’re always talking about. It’s so rare, so I bought them all."

  "You still remember?" He was a little touched. As a child, he would buy one every day on his way home from school as a pre-dinner snack. He credited his height to those lamb pies.

  "Of course. You don't have many culinary demands; this is the only thing you ever reminisce about."

  "Surely these aren't all lamb pies?"

  "Yes, 30 of them in total."

  *

  They were set to return to Tokyo at 3:00 PM. After clearing out all the ingredients in the fridge and adding the cake and lamb pies, Zhao Nanfeng had a very fulfilling 37th birthday party. To let him enjoy himself, Li Chengshi brought out all the remaining alcohol and drank with him.

  Zhao raised his glass to Su Xian. "After how I treated you, you still put this aside. Thank you."

  Su Xian clinked her juice glass against his. "Don't be so polite. I did this for myself—to use new, happy memories to shatter that terrible one from eight years ago. Come on, everyone, Kanpai!"

  Zhao Nanfeng retracted his glass slightly. "I’d rather you hate me than feel nothing at all."

  Li Chengshi grabbed his arm and forced him to clink glasses with the group. "Who cares about your feelings? When my wife says 'cheers,' you just shut up and cheer!"

  "Cheers!"

  Su Xian pulled Li Chengshi closer and rubbed his hair. "Truly my good puppy."

  Zhao Nanfeng swallowed his drink and looked at them with a melancholic gaze.

  Li Chengshi rolled his eyes at him. "Boss, why envy a 'boring' monogamous couple like us? Your life is colorful; others couldn't be jealous if they tried."

  "Don't get cocky, Li Chengshi. When Su Xian gets bored and dumps you, you'll be nothing."

  He certainly knew how to hit where it hurts. Li Chengshi froze instantly and looked at Su Xian as if seeking help. Su Xian pulled him into a hug, cleared her throat, and said seriously, "If I’m ever irresponsible enough to dump you after 'playing' enough, then all the money in my accounts will belong to you..."

  Before she could finish, Li Chengshi immediately covered her mouth with his hand. "No need to go that far. Just say you won't dump me."

  Su Xian pulled his hand down and looked into his eyes. "Talk is cheap. Let’s find a lawyer and notarize it."

  Given how much she loved money, this sentence was enough to move Li Chengshi to tears. "Wifey, I believe you."

  "Good, believe in me. Don't let this scumbag drive a wedge between us."

  Zhao Nanfeng let out a disdainful scoff.

  *

  Li Chengshi went to the second floor to pack, while Su Xian began sorting and organizing all the trash. Zhao Nanfeng, having packed his own suitcase, came over to help.

  "Grateful to the enthusiastic citizen, Mr. Zhao.” Su Xian said.

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  But he clearly wasn't just there to help. "Let me ask you—if you want to give Li Chengshi security, why not just marry him? Why not have a child with him? Aren't those the two things he wants most?"

  Su Xian panicked. "Shh! Keep your voice down, you bastard!"

  "Why 'shh'? Afraid I’ve called your bluff? You know he's not after your money, yet you use money to coax him. You're something else. Go ahead and lie to the kid; watch out for karma."

  "If karma strikes, it’ll hit you first, okay? Trying to lecture me—the nerve. Zhao Nanfeng, you're nearly 40. Either find someone to settle down with properly, or take some female hormones every day to neuter yourself and live alone. Stop messing around!"

  "Fine, I choose the latter."

  "Huh?" Su Xian was shocked.

  "See? I knew you couldn't bear to have me 'neutered' because you need to leave yourself a way out."

  Su Xian rolled her eyes, abandoned him and the trash, and walked straight upstairs.

  **

  After the holiday, Zhao Nanfeng continued to see Yoshida Wakaba for over a month. At the end of September, he proposed a breakup, gave her a severance fee, and invited her to stay at the firm. However, Yoshida chose to resign.

  After finishing her final task, she submitted the drawings to Zhao Nanfeng.

  "Okay, you can clock out."

  Yoshida was putting some discarded office supplies on the recycling rack in the pantry when she happened to run into Li Chengshi, who was washing a cup for Su Xian. She gave a polite greeting, turned to leave the pantry, looked around, but then turned back and whispered:

  "When we went to Shodoshima on business, we stayed in Takamatsu the first night. That afternoon, the Boss and Team Leader Su said they were going to a pre-meeting with a client and told me to wander around the city. You know Takamatsu is a small place... I inadvertently saw the two of them walking out of an OB/GYN clinic."

  Li Chengshi’s brain roared; his mind went blank. "I don't believe you. You're intentionally framing him because the Boss is breaking up with you, aren't you?"

  "I’ve already gained enough benefits; why would I frame him? I just pity you. You can look up the Nakajima Clinic." She turned and left.

  Li Chengshi propped himself up against the edge of the sink, his breathing shallow, feeling dizzy as if he were deprived of oxygen.

  *

  Hearing a sharp crack from the pantry, Su Xian immediately stood up to check. For some reason, she had a bad premonition when he left with the cup today.

  Li Chengshi was crouching on the floor, picking up glass shards.

  Su Xian brought a waste folder and knelt down to help gather the glass. "Baby, stand up. Don't cut your hand."

  He stood up and stepped aside, his mind still a complete blank.

  After packing the shards into a cardboard bag and labeling it, Su Xian walked over and pinched his cheek. "Why are you acting so dazed? What are you thinking about so intensely?"

  "No... I just suddenly felt a bit dizzy."

  "Dizzy? Could it be low blood sugar?" Su Xian called out to Honda to bring a piece of chocolate, while holding Li Chengshi to keep him from falling over.

  *

  Hearing Su Xian’s shout, Yoshida Wakaba picked up her bag, walked to Zhao Nanfeng’s desk, and gave a deep bow. "Thank you for taking care of me during this time, Boss. Goodbye."

  Zhao Nanfeng nodded. "Go-kentou o. (I wish you success in your future endeavors.)"

  She smiled and turned to leave gracefully.

  *

  Su Xian drove on the way home. Li Chengshi was listless. As soon as they got home, he started having diarrhea and only ate a tiny bit for dinner.

  It seemed his gastroenteritis had flared up, leading to poor digestion, which explained the sudden symptoms of low blood sugar. Su Xian felt relieved, gave him medicine, and told him to sleep early. Once he was in bed, she opened her laptop to continue working.

  The excessive mental shock was too much for Li Chengshi’s brain to handle, and he soon escaped into sleep. However, late at night after Su Xian had fallen asleep, he woke up again. Yoshida Wakaba’s words flashed repeatedly in his mind: "I inadvertently saw the two of them walking out of an OB/GYN clinic."

  *