His Wife Began to Suspect Something

"Yes, I'll talk to him myself," Zhang Yang told Cheng Dongxue. He just didn't want her worrying about him. Besides, Yang Gang was a good man, a brother-in-law he could talk to.

At Yang Su's birthday banquet, Yang Gang had stood up for Zhang Yang in front of everyone. Zhang Yang had never forgotten it. And since Yang Gang saw antiques as an investment opportunity, Zhang Yang had found a way to repay him.

"Nanxi Farmers' Market," Zhang Yang answered with a grin.

The brown Volkswagen CC turned at the intersection and headed straight for Nanxi Farmers' Market. When it came to buying groceries, Zhang Yang was the authority. Even Cheng Dongxue didn't question him.

Even if grocery shopping was the sort of thing a nanny or housewife did, Zhang Yang still loved it. How many people were lucky enough to stroll through a farmers' market with two gorgeous women? The thought alone made him want to laugh.

"What are you grinning about?" Cheng Dongxue asked after parking the car. She glanced at Zhang Yang, a little put off by his goofy smile.

"Uh... nothing. I was just thinking: I get to shop at the market with two beautiful women. I'd come every day if it meant bringing you along to dazzle everyone. Heh..."

Zhang Yang gave a wicked grin. Cheng Dongxue stared at him, baffled. Once this man sank to a new low, he really went all the way.

Only Lin Xiaofei understood what he meant. After getting out of the car, she waited until Cheng Dongxue wasn't looking, then gave Zhang Yang's arm a vicious pinch.

Zhang Yang turned toward her, his mouth twitching as he endured the pain, and pulled a face loaded with meaning.

"Dried bamboo shoots with smoked pork. Perfect with drinks or rice."

"Steamed sea bass. Good for all ages."

"Soft-Shelled Turtle Soup. Delicious, though the turtle isn't wild-caught."

"Braised pork knuckle. Now that's a hearty dish..."

"Eight yuan a pound."

"Six fifty..."

"All right, six fifty. You're a regular."

"Buying groceries again, Xiao Zhang? The sea bass is fresh today, and so are the turtles. They're wild-caught, too..."

"Mm, they certainly are!"

The dishes weren't as fancy as restaurant food. They were all homestyle fare, but they were Zhang Yang's specialties. After a thousand years, his cooking skills had long since surpassed the ordinary. He simply didn't want to cook for the Cheng family all the time. Feed them too well, and they'd have even more energy to give him a hard time.

Cheng Dongxue and Lin Xiaofei were dumbfounded. Once inside the market, they followed Zhang Yang the whole way. They didn't have to choose a thing or haggle over a price. Their roles at the mall had been reversed.

Zhang Yang handled everything: choosing, bargaining, paying. All Cheng Dongxue and Lin Xiaofei had to do was carry the grocery baskets.

Throughout the trip, stall owners who knew Zhang Yang kept looking at the two beauties behind him. Gorgeous women were a rare sight at Nanxi Farmers' Market, let alone two of them shopping with Zhang Yang. They made quite a sight.

Buying enough ingredients for a dozen or more dishes was quick and easy.

"I told you. At the market, we're the clueless ones."

Lin Xiaofei explained it to the bewildered Cheng Dongxue. Clearly, she knew more about Zhang Yang's abilities in this area.

"Lin Xiaofei, you're my best friend, and you know how good Zhang Yang is at shopping here? Be honest. How many times have you followed him?"

Cheng Dongxue loaded the groceries into the car, then suddenly put the question to Lin Xiaofei inside.

Lin Xiaofei lowered her head, her cheeks burning. Did I get too smug and give myself away? Has she noticed something?

"What are you talking about? Lin Xiaofei and I have never done anything in secret."

Zhang Yang noticed Lin Xiaofei's embarrassment and hurried to explain. And it was true—they'd been right there in the Cheng family home, in broad daylight.

In fact, Cheng Dongxue knew something else. They had been married for years without a sex life, but now that they had suddenly started sleeping together, Zhang Yang's performance and technique had been astonishing. He clearly knew exactly what he was doing, much to her satisfaction.

Another fact shocked Cheng Dongxue even more: she couldn't keep up with Zhang Yang. The first time, she had thought he had simply been holding back for too long. Later, she realized he was just that formidable.

"Cheng Dongxue, what are you talking about? There's really nothing going on between Zhang Yang and me."

Lin Xiaofei tried to explain, but even she could hear how unconvincing she sounded.

Cheng Dongxue fell silent and focused on driving, though her thoughts were running wild. She and Zhang Yang had been married for years, husband and wife in name only. If he hadn't been able to restrain himself and had had an affair during that time, it would have been understandable for a normal man.

As she drove, Cheng Dongxue glanced sideways at Zhang Yang. He still wore that teasing smile.

Cheng Dongxue had an office job and had to go to work. Zhang Yang stayed home most of the time, while Lin Xiaofei lived with them. As a student, she had plenty of free time. The more Cheng Dongxue thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed...

"Zhang Yang, you're a good man, but maybe you're not a good husband."

Cheng Dongxue said it out of nowhere, but everyone in the car knew what she meant.

"Watch the road," Zhang Yang reminded her. "I'm experienced, I admit it. But you're still a novice. Don't crash."

He laughed it off, leaned back in his seat, and closed his eyes.

"Hmph..." Cheng Dongxue pulled a face and cursed Zhang Yang ten thousand times in her head. Men really are all pigs. Never mind the rich and powerful ones—even... Hmph...

The grocery shopping hadn't taken long. Once home, Zhang Yang obediently went into the kitchen, and the two beauties once again made perfect assistants.

As for Cheng Hai, he was still using the trouble Yang Su had caused as a reason to practice qigong.

Yang Su knew full well she'd been duped. Normally, she never lost an argument, but now she was anxiously calling the guests invited to that evening's family dinner.

The sun sank in the west, its slanting rays bathing Gong City in a lovely glow. But Zhang Yang had no time to admire the sunset.

In the kitchen, sweat poured off Zhang Yang as Cheng Dongxue and Lin Xiaofei watched from the side, as though enjoying an artistic performance.

"Zhang Yang, I had no idea you were this good at cooking."

Cheng Dongxue had to admit she had overlooked this side of her husband. Seeing him at work now left her stunned.

"Of course. Zhang Yang's cooking is the real deal. Most chefs can't hold a candle to him."

Lin Xiaofei joined in, praising Zhang Yang's cooking. Over the past thousand years, whenever she woke from sleep, Zhang Yang had never been beside her, and even her memories would fade.

But Lin Xiaofei knew that throughout those thousand years, Zhang Yang had repeated the same routine. He would wake up, make a delicious bowl of fried rice for breakfast, and feed it to her.

Hearing Lin Xiaofei praise her husband to his face again made Cheng Dongxue feel uneasy. But Lin Xiaofei was her best friend.

Wait a minute! Cheng Dongxue frowned. Aren't best friends the ones who stab you in the back? Mom's best friend certainly did. She cheated her out of 3.5 million yuan without a shred of mercy.