Lu Huaizheng was equally dumbfounded. He instinctively glanced at Huo Ting, wondering how to begin, when he noticed Yu Hao staring at him with a serious expression on her small face.

The two men exchanged glances, silently communicating.

Lu Xin didn’t give them any chance, immediately exposing them: “You didn’t get your stories straight, did you? Why don’t we step out for a moment to give you time to coordinate?”

Huo Ting suddenly smiled, looking at Lu Xin: “What are you making a fuss about in the middle of the night? Look at what time it is. With your health, you’re still staying up late?”

Lu Xin completely ignored him, taking on the posture of a three-person tribunal. The two men, who had tried to get by with smiles, seeing the serious faces of the women, lost any desire to joke around. They composed themselves and prepared to be reprimanded.

Lu Huaizheng gave Yu Hao a meaningful look, but she deliberately ignored it, clearly acting like a small servant emboldened by her mistress’s support.

“Stand up straight!” Lu Xin commanded.

The two men reacted reflexively, immediately standing at attention. Such scoldings were not uncommon, perhaps even routine.

Yu Hao almost couldn’t hold back her laughter, slightly curling the corner of her mouth. Discovering that Lu Huaizheng was looking at her with an inquiring expression, Yu Hao immediately resumed her imperious demeanor, glaring back at him. This time, it was Lu Huaizheng who couldn’t help but grin.

Look at her, pretending with me.

Lu Xin shot him a cold glance, like a sharp arrow aimed at his eyes. Lu Huaizheng realized the seriousness of the situation and stopped smiling. He formed a loose fist, placing it against his lips as he lightly coughed, regaining his composure.

Then, Lu Xin glanced at Yu Hao, signaling that she could bring out the props.

Yu Hao obeyed the command, soon returning with two sheets of white paper and two pens, placing them on the low table, and spreading them out smoothly, one for each man.

Seeing the setup, Huo Ting thought they would have to write self-criticisms again. He frowned at Lu Xin: “Just because we came back a bit late, do we need such a… dramatic scene?”

“Don’t you think there’s been a problem between us lately?”

After saying this, Lu Xin glanced at Yu Hao again. In less than one evening, the two had developed a perfect rapport. Yu Hao, like a little maid, understood Lu Xin’s every look. Their coordination was even better than hers with Lu Huaizheng.

Within minutes, Yu Hao somehow produced an ink pad from somewhere, plus two glasses of water, one for each side, arranged neatly and properly.

When Yu Hao sat down beside Lu Xin, Lu Xin spoke again: “Huo Ting, in all these years I’ve been married to you, have I ever been unreasonable?”

Huo Ting thought about it. “No.”

Lu Xin continued: “No matter what, I’ve always believed that marrying you is the happiest thing in my life. And because of that, I especially cherish all of you. So when there’s a problem, let’s solve it. When there’s conflict, let’s resolve it. We’re all civilized people—we don’t use our hands, we use our pens.”

Lu Huaizheng, who had been silent all along, seized the opportunity to interject, patting Huo Ting’s shoulder with friendly persuasion: “Right, you two sort out your differences. Yu Hao and I will go upstairs first.”

Lu Xin: “Wait.”

Despite Lu Xin’s small stature, round face, and seemingly non-threatening appearance, she had weathered many storms in the first half of her life and gained considerable experience. She was very accurate in reading people. In just one evening, she had figured Yu Hao out completely.

This girl was particularly simple. Whoever was good to her, she was good to them in return. She had a grateful personality type—people like her wouldn’t take initiative, wouldn’t complain, and wouldn’t grumble. They would endure grievances on their own, afraid of causing trouble for others.

Although Lu Huaizheng had been raised by her since childhood and had good emotional intelligence, men were indeed not as sensitive as women in certain respects. Huo Ting mentioned that the two had secretly registered their marriage without telling their families, which touched Lu Xin deeply.

On one hand, she wanted to resolve her issues with Huo Ting.

On the other hand, she wanted to help Yu Hao establish marriage rules for Lu Huaizheng.

Lu Huaizheng looked at Lu Xin in bewilderment.

Lu Xin kept a straight face: “I heard you two got your marriage certificate, and Yu Hao’s parents don’t know yet?”

Yu Hao wanted to explain that it was she who had tricked him into going, but Lu Xin stopped her, still looking at Lu Huaizheng: “For a girl to marry you without her parents knowing, do you understand how much courage that takes? You stand there too, with your uncle. When a man gets married, he needs to be self-aware. Don’t be away from home all the time. You’re already barely at home, and in situations like tonight, do you know how worried Yu Hao was?”

Lu Huaizheng instinctively looked at Yu Hao.

Originally, Yu Hao hadn’t thought much about it, but to support Lu Xin, she pressed her lips together and nodded vigorously, like a pecking chick.

Huo Ting had already resigned himself to his fate, sitting cross-legged at the tea table. He pulled at Lu Huaizheng. “Come on, let’s get this over with quickly. I’m exhausted.”

Lu Huaizheng sighed, sitting down at an angle, one foot bent at the knee, an elbow resting on it. His gaze was melancholic as he looked pitifully at his wife. “Coming home is more tiring than being in the military.”

But then he saw Yu Hao raising her fist, like a little cat, saying, “You can do it, husband.”

Lu Huaizheng couldn’t help but burst out laughing, shaking his head in surrender.

Finally, the two men sat cross-legged at the tea table, with the two women sitting on the sofa opposite them.

The confrontation officially began.

Lu Xin: “Now, on the white paper, write down five flaws of your wife.”

Both men, with strong survival instincts, looked shocked.

Lu Huaizheng: “Don’t joke around. I couldn’t think of even one flaw, no matter how hard I tried.”

Huo Ting: “Do you have some misunderstanding about yourselves?”

Lu Xin remained unmoved, staring at them for two seconds.

The two men backed down, silently picking up their pens. Huo Ting said shakily, “You told us to write, right?”

Lu Huaizheng bit open the pen cap, holding it in his mouth. He looked at Yu Hao roguishly, his gaze scanning her up and down, making Yu Hao feel uncomfortable. Lu Xin scolded him: “What are you looking at? Don’t you know what your wife looks like?”

Lu Huaizheng, still with the pen cap in his mouth, lowered his head. Soon, he was scribbling rapidly on the paper, which shocked Huo Ting.

Is he writing?

When Huo Ting looked closer, he saw what Lu Huaizheng had written.

Beautiful, generous, gentle, good at cooking, great figure…

Lu Huaizheng had filled an entire sheet of paper. Looking over it, all were complimentary idioms. After submitting his “test paper,” Yu Hao was very dissatisfied. “Aunt told you to write down flaws.”

Lu Huaizheng capped his pen, leaning back with both hands supporting him from behind, smiling somewhat impertinently: “I did write them.”

“Where?!”

Lu Huaizheng leaned forward, took back the paper, and amid the dense compliments, tucked away in a tiny corner, he had written—”too sensitive”—three characters.

The writing was so small that it was nearly invisible unless examined closely.

Following this line of thought, upon careful inspection, he had indeed written five flaws, but they were all hidden among his flowery praises, written in tiny characters.

“How am I sensitive?”

Yu Hao was asking about her mental sensitivity.

“You’re sensitive everywhere. Do I need to elaborate?”

Lu Huaizheng was naturally referring to her physical sensitivity.

Talking suggestively in front of his aunt and uncle made Yu Hao blush instantly. This man was too much! She glared at him fiercely.

Yu Hao hadn’t expected him to write all five. Now she didn’t know whether to be angry or amused.

Huo Ting was cleverer; he had written five virtues.

Intelligent, beautiful, good figure, and so on.

Lu Xin didn’t even look at it. “Rewrite it.”

Huo Ting said: “Let me explain. Intelligence, right? That’s a flaw. When a woman is too intelligent, it hurts a man. You never know when to pretend to be a little foolish; you always have to get to the bottom of everything. Beauty—you have too many admirers, giving me insecurity. That’s a flaw. Great figure—same as the previous point…”

He eloquently and subtly praised Lu Xin once more.

Listening to this, Yu Hao stared at Lu Huaizheng, as if she could imagine that when they returned to their room, she would point at his heart and say, “Learn from your uncle!!! You big idiot!”

Lu Huaizheng just smiled noncommittally.

This hurdle was barely passed.

Lu Xin, with a serious face, took the paper and said: “I’ll try to improve on the flaws you mentioned. For those I can’t change, you’ll just have to put up with them.”

Both men, with foreheads beaded with cold sweat, exhaled deeply.

“Let’s go to bed.”

“Let’s go.”

The two brothers in misfortune, arms around each other’s shoulders, were about to stand up.

Lu Xin: “We’re not done yet.”

The two froze in sync, mouths open in shock.

“What the hell?”

“What the fuck?”

Lu Xin handed them more paper. “Reflect on your flaws or any lies you’ve told recently. I’m giving you a chance to come clean.”

The two exchanged glances. Huo Ting was clever; if Lu Xin asked such a question, she had heard some rumor.

Lu Huaizheng was also very clever, realizing this question wasn’t directed at him. He focused on critiquing his flaws, such as being too busy with work, not having much time to spend with Yu Hao, and having too much physical energy… Just as he wrote this, Yu Hao, who was peeking, saw it and hastily tried to erase his paper, whispering fiercely: “Be serious!”

Lu Huaizheng smiled, moving her hand away, and was about to continue writing. He had just written a vertical heart radical, and looking at this “忄,” inspiration struck. Just as the three words “sex life” were about to appear on the paper, Yu Hao became anxious and bit his hand. Lu Huaizheng laughed uncontrollably, then with a twist of his pen, changed it to the characters for “personality.” Seeing her teased into embarrassment and indignation, the man roared with laughter.

“…”

Meanwhile, Lu Xin, looking at Huo Ting who was staring directly at her, grew increasingly angry. “What are you looking at? Write!”

Huo Ting didn’t put his pen to paper: “It seems like we have more than just simple problems, don’t we? Are you sure one page of self-criticism is enough?”

Huo Ting knew Lu Xin too well; tonight she was upset with him.

He stood up and went to the room. Lu Xin didn’t follow, instead sitting on the sofa for a while.

After Yu Hao and Lu Huaizheng finished their teasing and went upstairs, Huo Ting came back down, holding onto the railing. “If you sit here until dawn, and I have to travel tomorrow.”

Lu Xin stood up, returning to the room impassively, like a robot. She covered herself with the blanket, closed her eyes, and breathed through her nose.

Huo Ting crouched helplessly by her bedside, his hand on her head. “Isn’t it just about wanting a child? If you want to have it, then have it. I have no objections.”

Lu Xin didn’t open her eyes. Huo Ting, looking at her face that hadn’t aged a bit, sighed: “How is it that after so many years, you’re still the same as when we first met? Haven’t changed at all. Did you eat preservatives?”

Lu Xin snorted: “Don’t flatter me.”

Huo Ting laughed: “You’re so beautiful, don’t you realize it yourself? Last time we went shopping, someone even asked for your number, didn’t they?”

Lu Xin didn’t respond.

“Still angry?”

Lu Xin turned over, covering her head with the blanket, not wanting to talk to him at all.

After a long while, she couldn’t hold it in anymore. From under the blanket came a muffled voice: “Let me ask you, last month, did you go on a business trip with Fu Qing?”

Huo Ting was in the middle of unbuttoning his shirt, halfway through, when his brows furrowed: “Who’s been gossiping to you?”

Lu Xin fell silent.

Huo Ting lifted the blanket and climbed in, embracing her from behind. “Yes, I did go on a business trip with Fu Qing, but not alone. There were several shareholders too. Think carefully—did I tell you? It was during that period when you weren’t listening to me at all. You were calculating your ovulation period every day, with your mind full of baby matters. You probably forgot how much you were neglecting me then.”

Lu Xin nestled in his arms: “So you were getting back at me? Going on a business trip with your ex-girlfriend?”

Huo Ting laughed. “I’m not that free. This company was started by Fu Qing and me together. She’s a single mother, and my work relationship with her is unavoidable. If you’re upset about this, well, we’ve been on many business trips together, and you’ve never been this angry before. Dr. Xu was right—pregnant women are indeed sensitive.”

“That’s because, that day when I went to your company, people were saying Fu Qing knocked on your hotel room door at night. Given your past relationship, how could people not think something was going on? Plus, she’s a single mother.”

Huo Ting sighed: “Fu Qing transferred her shares a few days ago. I was planning to tell you later, but I didn’t expect you to be so impatient. She’s leaving Beijing next week for America.”

“You fired her?”

“She’s not a single mother anymore. She found an American man. The wedding is in October, and we’re invited to attend.”

Lu Xin didn’t know what to say for a moment, so embarrassed that she could only close her eyes and pretend to sleep.

Huo Ting didn’t expose her pretense. Smiling, he turned off the light and whispered something in her ear that made Lu Xin punch him in embarrassment.

At the end of the hallway, a faint light was still on. Under a blanket, two young, passionate bodies moved tirelessly, turning heaven and earth upside down.

Sweat soaked the bedding, the air hot and humid.

Yu Hao gritted her teeth, her body trembling. “Lu Huaizheng…”

“Hmm?” The man’s voice was exceptionally sexy, his gaze even more profound. Hearing it made her feel as if she were falling into an abyss, completely forgetting what she wanted to say. She struggled with incoherent sounds for a while, until he firmly pinned her down, warning in a husky voice: “I’ll let you sleep when I’m done. If you keep moving like this, I won’t finish anytime soon. I’m not joking.”

…

Lu Huaizheng carried Yu Hao to the bathroom. Even during her shower, he wasn’t behaving himself. But this time, Yu Hao didn’t let him have his way, clutching the showerhead and dodging him. Suddenly, she remembered the scene from earlier when they were writing self-criticisms.

He stood in the bathtub, holding the showerhead to rinse her.

Yu Hao protested: “So in your eyes, I have that many flaws?”

Lu Huaizheng silently washed her clean, dried her off, carried her to bed, and answered honestly: “Didn’t we say we should face our truest selves? If I hadn’t pointed them out, would you have noticed the flaws I wrote?”

“No.”

“You see? That’s how I see you.”

Yu Hao seemed to understand yet not understand, looking at him. Then she heard him say: “It’s like, many people praise you, but you always focus on those who criticize you.”

“Did you find out about what happened between me and Di Yanni?”

Yu Hao thought of the online abuse.

“I know, but now is not the time to discuss it. Let’s sleep. Everyone has flaws, including me.”

Yu Hao snuggled into the blanket, her eyes brighter than the moon outside. “But I think you don’t have any.”

Lu Huaizheng tucked her in. “You’ll discover them later. I have many flaws.”

Yu Hao was curious. “Like what?”

Lu Huaizheng put on an ordinary T-shirt. It seemed he had worn it since high school. Yu Hao found it somewhat familiar, then suddenly remembered—it was the t-shirt from when they played games on the rooftop, and he had pinned her against the wall.

A white T-shirt with a simple string of English letters on the chest.

At that moment, it was as if they had returned to the past—a simple, clean young man, with gentle arms, teasing eyebrows, and eyes, all just like before.

“For instance, if you don’t go to sleep now, I’ll start thinking of doing other things.”

Yu Hao, frightened, kicked her feet and immediately closed her eyes.

Lu Huaizheng, leaning on the bed, couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

However, what Lu Huaizheng didn’t expect was that.

Feng Yanzhi suddenly rushed back from Quancheng overnight. In the middle of the night, she called Yu Hao’s phone, and he answered it.

Because in Yu Hao’s contacts, she was saved as—”Ms. Feng.”