What you wanted

But Jiang Cheng only wondered about it briefly. He soon started the car and turned on the air conditioning. He couldn't let this royal pain get too hot, or she would throw another tantrum.

It was April, and despite it already being evening, the weather was still muggy.

"Madam, President Lu asked me to pick you up first, then go to the office to get him."

"Mm," Xia Zhi said.

She lowered her head to play on her phone again.

She had just discovered a fun level-clearing game, but she was still stuck in Novice Village. Even after several rounds, she hadn't managed to clear it. A little discouraged, Xia Zhi put away her phone and looked out the window.

She hadn't had a chance to take a good look at this world yet.

She had to admit that, though it was only a world inside a novel, the structure of this main world was so realistic that it felt no different from her own real world.

Xia Zhi remained silent the whole way. Jiang Cheng couldn't help stealing glances at her through the rearview mirror.

Xia Zhi was acting far too strangely today.

Usually, whenever she rode in his car, she would probe him about President Lu's schedule in every way possible and find out everything about the women around him.

Today, however, she simply sat there quietly.

When they arrived outside the office building, Jiang Cheng called Lu Heng.

Before long, Lu Heng got into the car.

Jiang Cheng handed Lu Heng his work laptop and began reporting on work matters.

Xia Zhi couldn't understand any of it, so she lowered her head and opened the game again, turning the volume down to its lowest setting.

The Lu Family's old residence was in the suburbs, a full two-hour drive from the city.

After playing on her phone for a while, Xia Zhi's eyes began to ache, so she put it away to rest them.

Leaning against the leather seat, Xia Zhi soon began to doze off.

She had stayed up too late chatting with Little Sponge last night, then been woken by the old madam this morning. With the cool air blowing over her now, it was simply too easy to fall asleep.

Even with that notorious, ruthless, damned pervert sitting beside her, Xia Zhi couldn't resist Duke Zhou's lure.

Lu Heng's fingers were flying over the keyboard when he suddenly felt a weight on his shoulder.

He turned to look. At some point, the woman had fallen asleep, and she was leaning against his shoulder in a decidedly ungraceful sleeping posture.

Lu Heng pushed her away without the slightest courtesy.

Xia Zhi's head slammed into the window, making her cry out, "Ah!" in pain.

Rubbing her head, she turned the other way and went back to sleep.

Lu Heng was speechless.

She could still sleep after that?

What a pig.

Jiang Cheng saw everything that had happened in the back and nearly laughed.

Why did Xia Zhi seem like a different person?

The ride was smooth and steady, and Xia Zhi slept especially soundly, occasionally smacking her lips and making Lu Heng frown in irritation.

Suddenly, Jiang Cheng slammed on the brakes.

Xia Zhi pitched forward.

Lu Heng swiftly reached out to stop her.

Startled awake, Xia Zhi stared unblinkingly at Lu Heng with bewildered, doe-like eyes. What just happened?

Lu Heng gave her a cold look. "Let go."

Only then did Xia Zhi belatedly realize she was still clutching his arm. At the damned pervert's command, she hurriedly released him.

"Sorry, I didn't... I didn't mean to."

She clearly remembered how the damned pervert had flown into a rage after she hugged him last night.

Unexpectedly, Lu Heng didn't lose his temper this time. Instead, he continued working with a dark expression.

"Sit properly."

Xia Zhi immediately sat bolt upright. "I won't sleep anymore."

The scare had driven away every trace of sleepiness.

"Oh, right. Lawyer Zhang hasn't contacted me all day. He hasn't forgotten, has he?"

Lu Heng's fingers flew as he rapidly typed on the keyboard.

Xia Zhi stole a glance at him. His handsome face was taut, and he seemed unwilling to acknowledge her.

Just as Xia Zhi thought Lu Heng wouldn't answer, he spoke.

"Do you think everyone has as much free time as you?"

Remembering her unplanned outing, Xia Zhi felt guilty. "Then I won't go out tomorrow. I'll wait for him at home."

Lu Heng sneered. "Lawyer Zhang heads the Legal Affairs Department. Do you think he's free every day?"

"Well..." Xia Zhi said.

"How about this? I'll go to your office myself tomorrow and find your Legal Affairs Department. Then I can sign while Lawyer Zhang takes a drink of water. That shouldn't hold anything up, right?"

Lu Heng's fingers paused briefly over the keyboard. He turned and shot Xia Zhi an icy look.

"Are you that eager to get divorced?"

Xia Zhi was speechless.

What was wrong with him? Wasn't he the one eager to get divorced?

But naturally, Xia Zhi didn't dare challenge Lu Heng like that. After all, he had a deeply buried perverse streak. Someone like him couldn't be provoked carelessly.

"I thought... that was what you wanted."

Xia Zhi only dared mutter it in a small voice.

[Minor, be fair here. What exactly did I say wrong? Lawyer Zhang is busy, so of course I should consider his needs and priorities. Is it wrong to make things easier for him?]

[Yet that damned pervert glared at me and asked in that snide tone whether I was eager to get divorced!]

[He's clearly more eager than I am.]

The damned pervert's mind really didn't work like a normal person's.

Seeing that the main villain didn't want a divorce, Little Sponge's entire system relaxed. [No divorce is a good thing. That'll make it easier for you to complete your missions.]

[I think the main villain has taken a fancy to you. Why not seize the chance to have his baby?]

*[...]*

[Could we say something useful?]

Little Sponge said, [I think that's very useful.]

Xia Zhi rolled her eyes wordlessly. [He's such a severe germaphobe that he practically wants to scrub off a layer of skin if someone touches his hand. Can you imagine him kissing and hugging someone?]

Little Sponge said, [Maybe once you become his intimate lover, he won't be a germaphobe around you anymore.]

Xia Zhi was about to argue when she suddenly remembered some of the novel's plot and remarked,

[There is someone he isn't a germaphobe around.]

Little Sponge asked, [The female lead?]

[Yes.]

Little Sponge seized the opportunity to urge her on. [The female lead hasn't appeared yet. Why not take this chance to turn yourself into his female lead?]

[Minor, you really are sparing no effort to coax me into a fire pit just to earn experience points.]

Little Sponge earnestly pleaded, [Dear host, I'm only doing this for your own good.]

Xia Zhi gritted her teeth. [Well, thank you so much.]

Lu Heng cast a cold glance at the woman beside him. He was a fire pit?

Hah.

The husband and wife didn't speak again for the rest of the journey, yet the atmosphere was particularly peculiar.

Jiang Cheng couldn't resist stealing several looks at the two in the back through the rearview mirror. How strange. What had President Lu meant by that earlier?

He didn't want a divorce anymore?

That couldn't be right. Over these past five years, when had President Lu ever not wanted a divorce?

But Xia Zhi had clung to him relentlessly and refused.

Why did their conversation now sound as though Xia Zhi was the one eager to divorce, while President Lu refused?

This young couple really was something.

The car soon reached the old residence. Its courtyard was deep and secluded, with a quintessentially Chinese style, carved railings, painted beams, and an antique charm.

Hearing the car, the housekeeper hurried out to greet them. After they exchanged a few pleasantries, he led Lu Heng and Xia Zhi to the old madam's room.

Lu Heng took out a piece of calligraphy and handed it to the old madam. Her eyes lit up the moment she unrolled it.

"Aheng knows this old woman's heart best."

Lu Heng's expression was indifferent. "As long as you like it, Grandma."

"I do."

"Tan, put this calligraphy away carefully for me."

"Yes," Housekeeper Tan replied.

The old madam took Xia Zhi's hand and looked her over. "Child, it's only been a few months since I last saw you. Why do you seem like a different person?"