His Wife Noticed Something Was Amiss

"Yes, I'll talk to him myself," Zhang Yang told Cheng Dongxue. He simply 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 that kindness. 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 smile.

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

Even though buying groceries was the sort of work a nanny or housewife did, Zhang Yang still loved it. How many people were as lucky as he was, with two gorgeous women accompanying him through a farmers' market? The thought alone made him want to laugh.

"What are you grinning at?" Cheng Dongxue asked after parking the car. She glanced at Zhang Yang, faintly annoyed.

"Uh... nothing. I was just thinking: I get to walk around the market with two gorgeous women. I'd come here every day if I could, just to show you both off and blind everyone with your beauty. Heh..."

Zhang Yang grinned wickedly. Cheng Dongxue stared at him, baffled. Once this man started acting shameless, 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 hard pinch.

Zhang Yang turned toward her, the corner of his mouth twitching. Enduring the sting, he pulled a pointed face at Lin Xiaofei.

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

"Steamed sea bass. Everyone likes that."

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

"Braised pork knuckle. That's a proper main dish..."

"Eight yuan a jin."

"Six and a half..."

"Fine, six and a half. You're a regular, after all."

"Shopping again, Xiao Zhang? The sea bass is especially fresh today. So is the softshell turtle, and it's wild-caught..."

"Mm, it really is!"

These weren't restaurant dishes, just home cooking, but they were all Zhang Yang's specialties. After a thousand years, his culinary skills had long since become extraordinary. He simply didn't want to cook like this for the Cheng Family all the time. If they ate too well, they'd have even more energy to pick on him.

Cheng Dongxue and Lin Xiaofei were astonished. Once inside the market, they followed Zhang Yang the whole way. They didn't need to choose a thing or haggle over prices. The roles they usually played at the mall had been reversed.

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

The stall owners who knew Zhang Yang kept looking at the two gorgeous women behind him. Beauties like them were rare at Nanxi Farmers' Market, let alone two of them shopping with Zhang Yang. They were quite a sight.

Before long, they had easily bought enough ingredients for more than a dozen dishes.

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

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

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

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

Lin Xiaofei lowered her head, her cheeks flushing. Had I gotten too pleased with myself and given something away? Had she noticed?

"What are you talking about? Lin Xiaofei and I have always been out in the open."

Zhang Yang noticed Lin Xiaofei's embarrassment and hurried to explain. And it was true: whatever had happened had been at the Cheng family home, in broad daylight.

The truth was, Cheng Dongxue knew something else. After years of marriage without a sex life, they had suddenly begun sleeping together. Zhang Yang's performance and technique were astonishing. He was clearly an old hand and knew exactly how to please her.

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

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

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

Cheng Dongxue fell silent and focused on driving, though her mind was racing. She and Zhang Yang had been married for years, yet until recently, they had been husband and wife in name only. If Zhang Yang had been unable to restrain himself during that time and had strayed, it would hardly be surprising for a normal man.

As she drove, Cheng Dongxue shot Zhang Yang a sidelong glance. He still wore that teasing smile.

Cheng Dongxue worked in an office and had to go to work. Zhang Yang was the man of the house and spent long stretches at home. Lin Xiaofei lived with them, and as a student, she had plenty of free time. Put those facts together...

"Zhang Yang, you're a good man, but maybe 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 said. "I'm an old hand, I admit it, but you're still a novice. Don't crash."

Zhang Yang laughed it off, leaned back against his seat, and closed his eyes.

"Hmph..." Cheng Dongxue pulled a face and cursed Zhang Yang a thousand times in her heart. Men really are all pigs. Not just the rich and powerful ones. Even... hmph...

Grocery shopping hadn't taken long. Once home, Zhang Yang dutifully went into the kitchen, and the two gorgeous women settled into helping him there again.

As for Cheng Hai, he was still practicing qigong, making the most of the trouble his spendthrift wife Yang Su had caused.

Yang Su knew full well that she'd been duped. Usually, she came out on top in every argument, but now she was anxiously making calls to the guests invited to that evening's family dinner.

The sun sank toward the horizon, bathing Gong City in its last rays. It was a captivating sight, but Zhang Yang had no time to admire it.

In the kitchen, Zhang Yang worked up a sweat while Cheng Dongxue and Lin Xiaofei watched as though they were enjoying an art performance.

"Zhang Yang, I had no idea you were such an amazing cook."

Cheng Dongxue had to admit that she'd overlooked her husband's abilities. Seeing them now left her stunned.

"Right? Zhang Yang's cooking is no joke. Most chefs wouldn't stand a chance against him."

Lin Xiaofei chimed in, praising Zhang Yang's cooking. During the past thousand years, whenever she woke from sleep, Zhang Yang was never beside her. Even her memories would vanish.

But Lin Xiaofei knew that over those thousand years, Zhang Yang had repeated the same routine: after they woke, he would make her a delicious bowl of fried rice for breakfast and feed it to her.

Hearing Lin Xiaofei praise her husband to her face again felt strange to Cheng Dongxue. But Lin Xiaofei was her best friend.

Wait a minute! Cheng Dongxue frowned. Aren't best friends the ones who screw you over, who betray you? Mom's best friend screwed her over—ruthlessly, without a shred of mercy—for 3.5 million yuan.