Trapped in the Same Day for a Thousand Years: You Don't Mind That I'm Dirty?

Welcome to Trapped in the Same Day for a Thousand Years, an exclusive production of Feilu Novel Network. Written by Sang Ze and narrated by Wang Xiaomo and Lao He.

Li Ruobing really was stubborn. This time, though, she had thought it through carefully, considering every possibility and every hypothetical. No matter how she looked at it, it was impossible. She had even wondered whether Wu Chen and Su Ruiwen might be close friends, but even under that assumption, she still thought it impossible.

There were three main reasons. First, the Su Family would never compromise. Their son-in-law had to meet their standards.

Second, Su Qingying might be a formidable businesswoman, but she was also an obedient daughter. She listened to her family. Having been controlled too strictly since childhood, she had long since learned to accept whatever came her way. She could never rebel against her family the way Li Ruobing had.

Third, and most importantly, Wu Chen would never marry into the Su Family.

Li Ruobing had faith not only in the Su Family, but in Wu Chen too.

How could a man as capable as Wu Chen, a man who never bowed his head, possibly marry into someone else's family?

She knew Wu Chen liked the feeling of being in control. She knew he stayed calm in any situation and never groveled before anyone. Marry into the Su Family?

Never.

"You really want to bet me?"

Wu Chen grinned, showing his white teeth.

After Li Ruobing had spent so long thinking, he had expected her to learn from her last loss. He hadn't expected her to agree.

"A bet? Why wouldn't I take it?"

Li Ruobing said, "I'm just afraid you'll lose again, have a breakdown, and start questioning your life."

Wu Chen laughed. "You're the one who'll have a breakdown. Enough talk."

Li Ruobing tugged Wu Chen's tie again, then let go and smoothed it down twice. Looking up at him, she said, "Go on. Tell me the exact rules and stakes. I'm afraid you won't be able to accept my terms."

Wu Chen said, "That confident?"

"Do you have any connection to the Su Family right now?"

"No. We haven't even met."

"Then what are you talking about?"

"Are you afraid? Did you say that because you thought I wouldn't dare bet you?"

"Now I have to take the bet. You really never learn!"

"All right, Boss Li. Three days. I'll make Su Qingying my woman—the kind who stays with me for life."

"I'll give you thirty days. No, three days is enough."

"Fine, fine. You're amazing. Let's see what you say in three days."

"What are the stakes? You go first." "If you lose, I want you to kneel and apologize to me."

Li Ruobing pointed at the ground.

She wanted to even the score. She had knelt to Wu Chen once, and now she wanted...

Wu Chen to kneel to her once. Fair enough.

Wu Chen smiled. "And your terms?"

Li Ruobing asked at once.

"My terms?" Wu Chen drew out the words, rolled his shoulders, and tilted his neck as though loosening up. Then he put an arm around Li Ruobing's shoulders, leaned close to her ear, and said, "Lately, I've been... So I need you. Maybe a hundred times, whenever I want. What do you say?"

"A hundred times?" Li Ruobing asked, giving him a sidelong look.

"If that's too much trouble, forget it. We don't have to bet." Wu Chen sounded as though he genuinely wanted to call it off.

"No, it's no trouble. I'll take the bet. If I lose, I'll honor it," Li Ruobing said at once. The bet was settled.

They left together. By the time they walked out of Li Ruobing's office, she was smiling and holding Wu Chen's arm, looking bright and cheerful.

No one saw through them. Anyone who did would have taken them for a couple madly in love.

Twenty minutes later, they arrived at East Sea New World Plaza for lunch. It was one of East Sea's bustling shopping districts, and the newly opened Italian Restaurant Li Ruobing had mentioned was there. Wu Chen had eaten there before. Though it had opened only half a month ago, he had spent a thousand years reliving July 7. The Western restaurant that still felt new to Li Ruobing was all too familiar to him. Its food really was good.

The restaurant's frontage was small, but it was spacious inside. It also had several tables outside beneath parasols. Together with the decor, they gave the place the feel of a holiday abroad.

The weather was pleasant, so they chose an outdoor table beneath a parasol. The light breeze felt good.

They ordered tuna, beef in sauce, pasta, seafood soup, and salad. While they waited for their food, they chatted casually.

Wu Chen and Li Ruobing didn't actually need to eat together every day. Their relationship was an act. But when they were both free, they ought to dine together, and in public. That made it believable.

Today, though, they weren't trying to run into some wealthy businessman to spread the word about their relationship. They just wanted lunch, so they had picked the place more or less at random.

They were unlikely to encounter any of the wealthiest businessmen here. It wasn't that the restaurant lacked class; East Sea's richest people were generally over forty-five and had no habit of eating Western food.

Besides, a Western restaurant wasn't a reliable place to entertain clients. You might like the food, but your client might not.

No one disturbed them, and few people here would recognize Li Ruobing.

So Li Ruobing relaxed. "I really should thank you. The contract went through smoothly, and the endorsement fee was very low."

"Oh, right."

As she spoke, Li Ruobing took out her phone and quickly tapped at it.

A text arrived on Wu Chen's phone: a bank notification for twenty million yuan. "Thank you, Boss Li," he said with a smile after checking it.

After everything they had been through, Li Ruobing was beginning to find it strange that he still called her Boss Li.

"Could you stop calling me Boss Li? We know each other so well now. Besides, there are so many people here. If someone we know hears you, our cover's blown."

"All right, Ruobing." Wu Chen smiled again.

"Excuse me." A waiter came over with their drinks.

They hadn't ordered alcohol, only fruit juice: watermelon and orange.

The waiter set down both glasses and left.

Li Ruobing picked up the large glass of orange juice and took a sip through the straw. Her brows immediately knitted together.

Wu Chen, who had taken a sip of watermelon juice, noticed her expression. "What's wrong?"

"It's too sour. Try it." Li Ruobing handed him the orange juice as she spoke.

Wu Chen took it and tasted it through the straw. It really was sour.

He knew the orange juice here was sour, and he knew Li Ruobing didn't like things that were too sour.

He had ordered both juices himself. "It is sour. Have this." Wu Chen set down the orange juice and handed her the large glass of watermelon juice.

Li Ruobing took it and drank through the straw. Judging by her expression, she liked it.

"I used that straw. You don't mind that I'm dirty?" Wu Chen asked with a smile.

"Dirty? We're a couple. What's the problem?" Li Ruobing replied. She looked toward the bustling plaza and murmured, "It's not like we haven't kissed. Oh, right."

As though something had just occurred to her, Li Ruobing sat up straight, rested her elbows on the table, leaned closer, and lowered her voice. "I sent people to your family's county yesterday."

"Hm?" Wu Chen was taken aback.

"Ding Ruilong will find out about you sooner or later. Your family could be threatened, so I sent people to protect them. They'll do it discreetly and won't disturb their lives."

"Ding Ruilong doesn't have many connections in East Sea. If he sends anyone here, I'll know in advance. A Tai will tell me. There won't be a problem."

Wu Chen was surprised. He hadn't expected Li Ruobing to make arrangements on her own.

He had thought about protecting his family from harm. There was no rush yet, since Ding Ruilong wouldn't act so quickly. Wu Chen had planned to wait until he had more connections.

Then he could decide which of those connections to use.

It wouldn't necessarily have been Li Ruobing.

But since Li Ruobing had already handled it on her own initiative, so much the better.

"That was thoughtful of you."

Wu Chen placed his hand on the table too and leaned forward. Now that they were closer, they could speak more quietly.

He asked Li Ruobing for the details of her arrangements. This wasn't something they could afford to be careless about.

Wu Chen could Reset time. Even if something suddenly happened to his family one day, he could Reset that day. But he still didn't want them hurt, even if he could undo it.

During his previous thousand years of reliving the same day, Wu Chen had gone home countless times. Each time, he had chosen a different moment to return. Meeting them at a different time meant a different opening line, which changed what they said afterward.

He had once pinned his hopes of staying sane on his family, but it hadn't worked. It hadn't helped at all. His family wasn't the problem; repetition was.

No matter how he varied the time, his family's day remained much the same. In essence, it was still a repetition. Repeat anything too often and it became boring. Boredom drove a person mad.

Wu Chen and Li Ruobing were leaning close, talking softly like a real young couple sharing secrets, when a man's loud voice suddenly sounded beside them. "Baby, what do you think of this place?"

"New Italian food. I ate here last week. It's authentic."

"Have you ever had Western food before, baby?"

A slightly pudgy but handsome middle-aged man in a baseball cap stood at the restaurant entrance with his arm around a heavily perfumed young woman in gaudy clothes. He gestured at the place. "Okay, okay, let's eat here. I've never had Italian food at a restaurant before. Let's sit outside," the young woman said happily in an affected voice.

They sat at the next table and spoke loudly even as they ordered. The man swept out an arm grandly and declared that she could order whatever she wanted.

After ordering, they kept talking just as loudly. The young woman suddenly demanded, "You said you came here last week. How come I didn't know? Did you come with that old wife of yours? Didn't you say you were getting divorced?"

The man hurried to coax her and explain. "Baby, listen to me. I am getting divorced, but I can't avoid social engagements. And we still have property matters to settle, so I can't do it yet. Hey, keep your voice down. Let's not talk about this." "Hmph. You say that every time." "Don't be angry, baby. I'll take you to buy a handbag later."

The other diners outside, frowning at the noise, had heard enough to understand. An older cheating scumbag had brought his mistress to lunch.

Wu Chen and Li Ruobing frowned too. Shouting in public like that showed no consideration for anyone else.

They had been speaking quietly about arrangements for Wu Chen's family, including many things no one else could be allowed to hear, strangers included. With those two making such a racket, they couldn't even hear each other.

Li Ruobing sat up straight and looked back. Wu Chen sat up too, but he didn't need to turn around. The pair were behind Li Ruobing and directly in front of him; he had seen their faces clearly as soon as they sat down.

He knew the handsome, slightly pudgy middle-aged man. The man was rich.

Wu Chen knew more than who they were. He knew the old rascal had been bragging. Divorce? He was only fooling the young woman. Give him eight hundred times the courage and he still wouldn't dare divorce his wife. He didn't even dare bring it up; if he did, a beating that landed him in the hospital would be getting off lightly.

"Could you please keep your voices down? You're disturbing everyone's meal."

Li Ruobing turned back and spoke coldly. She wouldn't start trouble for no reason, but she wouldn't put up with it when someone disturbed her. "Who asked you? This isn't your—" The man looked up and began cursing. He had no manners and seemed obsessed with saving face.

But the moment he saw Li Ruobing's face, his voice cut off, and his anger turned into a smile.

"Uh, sorry, miss."

"We'll keep it down."

"Sorry, everyone."

"Uh, my apologies."

He apologized not only to Li Ruobing but also to the diners at the other outdoor tables, standing up to do it. He looked thoroughly well-mannered.

If he hadn't been staring at Li Ruobing with lecherous eyes, it might even have counted as recognizing his mistake.

But he had changed his tune because Li Ruobing was beautiful—strikingly beautiful. His eyes gave him away.

Li Ruobing couldn't be bothered with him. She turned back to Wu Chen and took a sip of watermelon juice.

The handsome middle-aged man finished apologizing and sat down, but the young woman wasn't having it.

"What 'miss'? What were you looking at?" she demanded crossly.

"Uh, I wasn't looking at anything, baby. We were in the wrong. We disturbed them."

"You always talk like that! Weren't you acting so impressive? Why'd you start playing the gentleman the moment you saw a pretty woman?"

"Have you taken a fancy to her?"

"No! You're the one I love most, baby. Every other woman is trash to me."

"Really?"

"Then why are you still whispering?"

"Are you planning to chase her?"

"How am I whispering? Hey, can you stop making a scene?" The handsome man suddenly raised his voice again.

His anger took the wind out of the young woman. She didn't dare say more, but she turned away and ignored him, apparently determined to give him the silent treatment. "Baby, don't be angry. The food's coming soon. Look at the menu again and see what else you want," the man coaxed her.

"You've fallen for that slut, haven't you?" The young woman kept her face turned away, but glanced at Li Ruobing's back. "Don't let those fancy clothes fool you. She probably sells houses. Who knows how many clients she's slept with?"

"You'd pick up any piece of trash, wouldn't you!"

As she spoke, the young woman's eyes flashed with jealousy at Li Ruobing's back.

Li Ruobing had already had more than enough. When the young woman finished, she shot to her feet.

At the same moment, her bodyguards, seated a short distance away, stood and hurried toward the restaurant entrance.

Li Ruobing gripped her glass of watermelon juice, but before she could lift it, Wu Chen held down her hand.

Li Ruobing looked at Wu Chen. I'll handle it.

Wu Chen said nothing. He smiled and silently mouthed the words to her.

Then, with his other hand, he took out his phone and deftly typed a message: Your husband is on a date with his mistress. The address is...

He entered an Unknown Number and sent it. Done. Now to watch the show.

Perhaps because he knew so many people and so much about them, Wu Chen felt he could build connections anywhere, through almost anything.

This was no exception. The handsome middle-aged man's wife was a formidable businesswoman. On her own, she ranked just below the very top, with connections comparable to Lei Cheng's while he lay low. But her family was extraordinarily powerful in East Sea.

That concludes this episode. Please keep listening!