A whirlwind marriage with a high-ranking official: Lights out, don't force me to take the initi

Wang Yingxue quickly took out her water bottle from her bag, unscrewed the cap, and took two sips.

The water was a bit cold, which suppressed the choking sensation and made it easier to breathe.

"It's nothing." Wang Yingxue waved her hand, her voice a little hoarse. "My trachea just got a little itchy, and it hasn't subsided yet."

"Xiaoxue, do you have a cold? You sound a bit off today." Sister Liang put down her notebook, looking worried. "Should we take you to a clinic?"

"No need." Wang Yingxue stuffed the water bottle back into her bag, cleared her throat, and said, "It's a small problem, we'll talk about it when we get back. Let's go, next place."

In one afternoon, Wang Yingxue and Sister Liang alternated between collecting pedestrian flow data and viewing properties.

Basically, after inspecting one shop, they would return to the collection point and squat down again to count heads, record time periods, and observe the age and clothing of the people.

In the coming days, they will continue to collect data on candidate neighborhoods and pedestrian traffic points using the same method.

Yeh Wen-hsi suggested that the period should last at least three to five days. If the data is relatively stable each day, three days is about right. If there are large fluctuations, the period should be extended and should span the weekend.

Throughout the morning, Wang Yingxue's hands, feet, and mouth were all constantly busy.

By the afternoon, her cough had worsened. Passing a pharmacy, Sister Liang pulled her inside and got some cough medicine and throat lozenges.

"We're going to be staying for several more days. What if you get sick? Listen to me, buy some medicine and take it first." Sister Liang slammed the money on the counter, not allowing her to refuse.

Wang Yingxue looked at the packet of medicine, nodded, took it, poured the pills into her palm, and drank it down with the water that Sister Liang handed her.

The pill was a bit big and got stuck in her throat, so she had to gulp down two more mouthfuls before she could swallow it.

After finishing get off work at the garment factory, Ye Wenxi rode her bicycle to the place where Lu Zhenghua and Liu Xiuyun lived.

As soon as I arrived at the entrance of the building, I saw Lang Yuqin waiting there with a large clay pot in her arms.

"Thank you for your hard work, Aunt Qin!" Ye Wenxi locked the car and quickly went over.

"It's no trouble at all, you can go up now. It's just a little warm, so heat it up a bit before you eat it." Lang Yuqin handed the pot over.

Ye Wenxi carried a full pot of braised fish and cabbage upstairs.

She had called in the afternoon, asking the elderly couple to cook less for dinner. Liu Xiuyun couldn't help but grumble again, "Sending vegetables again? We just had braised pork a couple of days ago."

Ye Wenxi usually let such words go in one ear and out the other. She knew that although Liu Xiuyun was muttering to herself, she was secretly pleased.

Ye Wenxi kicked the door and called out, "Mom~"

Liu Xiuyun opened the door: "Wow, such a big pot!"

She took the pot and placed it on the stove.

Ye Wenxi instructed Liu Xiuyun, "Mom, don't stir this dish, or it will all crumble. Just warm it up a little, don't add water, or it will become too watery."

"This dish has been stewing all day?" Liu Xiuyun lifted the lid and took a sniff.

"Yes, and we don't add water; the soup comes entirely from the cabbage," Ye Wenxi said.

Liu Xiuyun exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, this takes so much effort... This sounds like food from the Grand View Garden! This dish..."

"Ahem!" Lu Zhenghua quickly came out from the inner room and glared at her.

Because of this, Lu Zhenghua specifically told Liu Xiuyun that she should eat whatever Wenxi gave her and use whatever she was given, and not say so much.

Your daughter-in-law's good intentions are appreciated; just enjoy them and stop nagging.

Liu Xiuyun choked for a moment, then turned around to find a bowl, but the corners of her mouth were turned up.

"Haha, Mom, from now on, whether it's us or others, this kind of life will be the norm. It's just that our family will take the lead first, so you can rest assured and enjoy your life from now on." Ye Wenxi smiled and leaned over, putting her arm around Liu Xiuyun's shoulder and gently patting her back.

Just then, the door was pushed open with a "bang," and Lu Xiaojun rushed in. Upon hearing Ye Wenxi's voice, he headed straight for the kitchen.

He didn't even look at her; he knew his second aunt wouldn't come empty-handed.

"Second Aunt! What delicious food did you bring?"

Ye Wenxi gestured with his chin toward the stove: "It's in the pot. This dish will make you eat five bowls of rice tonight."

"Huh? What's delicious?" Lu Xiaojun craned his neck forward.

"I had the chef make this specially, so you'll have to wait and try it."

In the division headquarters building, Lu Weidong had just finished his afternoon meeting and returned to his office.

When he came out of the cafeteria alone at noon, he felt something was strange, since Ye Wenxi was supposed to eat with him in the cafeteria today.

But the person didn't come.

Usually, she would either eat with him or tell him in advance, "I'm eating at the clothing store today."

After returning to his office at noon, he made a phone call to the garment company.

Zhang Yunxia said that Ye Wenxi didn't come in the morning; he made the interview call from home.

But when he called home, no one answered.

Lu Weidong closed the office door, picked up the phone and dialed those two places again. The people at the clothing company said that Ye Wenxi had already left.

After he hung up the phone, he dialed home but no one answered.

Lu Weidong sat in the chair, tapping his fingers on the table, the tapping becoming slower and slower.

He scratched his eyebrows and suddenly realized something—his wife seemed angry.

Lu Weidong picked up the phone, spun his fingers around the dial pad, and clicked the numbers a few times.

"Hello, Dad?"

"Wei Dong?" Lu Zhenghua's voice boomed. "What's up?"

"Is Wenxi with you?"

"Yes, I'm here! I brought a big pot of vegetables, didn't you know?"

"Oh, right, she told me, but I forgot... Okay, I'll go over now."

After hanging up the phone, Lu Weidong's lips curled into a smile. He had found the person, who was still at his home.

But his smile lasted only two seconds before his face fell.

Ye Wenxi would always tell him about going to his parents' house for dinner.

Unless... she did it on purpose.

It’s over.

This seems to be the first time Ye Wenxi has given him the cold shoulder since they got married.

Lu Weidong's palms were sweating a little.

He stood up, walked to the mirror, looked at his handsome face, and began to reflect on his actions.

"Just because she was a little jealous on set? Just because she leaned on someone's shoulder?" He frowned at the mirror. "Lu Weidong, Lu Weidong, you're too much."

He pointed at his reflection in the mirror: "Stingy. Petty."

After thinking for a moment, he added, "Remember that next time!"

After saying that, Lu Weidong immediately took off his military cap, buttoned it up, locked the door, and left.

At Lu Zhenghua's house, Liu Xiuyun carried plates of food to the table one after another, with three kinds of staple food alone.

A bowl of white rice, a bowl of steamed buns, and a bowl of cornbread.

There's nothing we can do; the Lu family has big appetites.

Lu Xiaojun alone can finish half a bowl of rice and five steamed buns, not even counting the side dishes.

"Hey! Are you done yet? I'm starving!"

"Hurry up! Have a couple of steamed buns to tide you over!" Liu Xiuyun brought out a pot of stewed green beans and slammed it on the table. "Wait! Your second uncle will be here soon."

Lu Xiaojun sniffed, broke open a steamed bun, dipped it into the stewed green beans soup, and ate half of it in one bite.

Click, the outer door opened.

Lu Weihua dragged herself in, looking completely different from Lu Xiaojun's excited demeanor. She was listless, her eyes glazed over, as if her life force had been drained away.

"Auntie?" Lu Xiaojun called out, peeking out of his window.

Ye Wenxi came out of the kitchen and glanced into the room: "Wei Hua?"

Lu Weihua didn't say a word, walked straight into the room, buried his head in the bed, and lay there motionless like a corpse.