Just after five in the afternoon, Li Ye had barely stepped out of Teacher Ke's home when he received a call from Old Meng urging him on.
"Li Ye, are you almost here? You've finished making the rounds at your father-in-law's place, but I still need to hurry over and apologize to mine!"
"Yeah, yeah, right away. Wait ten minutes for me, alright, alright."
"..."
"Wife, let's take it slow. No rush."
Li Ye hung up with a smile and told Wen Leyu to drive a little slower.
The normal shift change was at six. It was only a little after five—what was the hurry?
It was nearly six by the time Li Ye arrived beneath the group's office building, and Old Meng had already waited himself into impatience downstairs.
"I'm telling you, Li Ye, you..."
Old Meng was about to angrily argue with Li Ye when he noticed Wen Leyu behind the wheel, staring fixedly at him.
Old Meng, who had always been skilled at playing the elder and throwing his weight around, suddenly found the girl's gaze painfully sharp.
"Forget it. Be more careful next time."
Old Meng hurried away, and only then did Wen Leyu ask Li Ye, "Is he trying to pick a fight with you?"
Li Ye said blandly, "It doesn't matter. He can't stir up much of a wave."
"..."
Since the two children were still at their maternal grandmother's house, Wen Leyu did not accompany Li Ye to work and drove straight home.
Besides, Li Ye had been drinking. Once he got to the duty room, he spread out the folding cot and went to sleep, so he did not need his wife to keep him company.
Li Ye slept until after ten, when the ringing of the Big Brother woke him up.