TMSCEW 100

Cheng Jun has been maintaining a healthy diet for several days, and to reward him, Ruan Jiujiu decided to prepare a big meal.

It’s the perfect season for seafood, so she ordered a variety of fresh seafood at the seafood market: oil-braised prawns, stir-fried clams, and fresh crabs. She placed them in a steamer to cook. To prevent Cheng Jun from eating too much cold food, Ruan Jiujiu didn’t buy too much; just enough to fill one steamer.

The seafood feast was set up on the table, brimming with delicious dishes.

Cheng Jun followed along, helping to set up bowls and chopsticks, carrying plates, and bustling around. He couldn’t resist sneaking a few prawns while Ruan Jiujiu wasn’t looking.

“You’ve been doing well recently; all of this is to reward you,” she said.

Cheng Jun sat obediently on the opposite side of the dining table, like a diligent student receiving an award at school, patiently waiting for Ruan Jiujiu to finish her speech so he could receive his reward.

Ruan Jiujiu even posted a rare update on her social media.

The photo showed a table full of seafood dishes, so appetizing that it didn’t even need a filter. Along with the caption, “Rewarding someone for their healthy diet.”

Not long after she posted it on her social media, several people liked her post.

Lao Meng: [Oh my, young love is truly something else.]

Bai Long: [Did you make this? It looks incredibly delicious!]

Tu Nan: [Is this for the boss’s healthy diet?]

Fu Zicheng: [Sister-in-law, you’re really good to the boss.]

Jiao Fan: [Yeah, there’s everything to eat.]

Ruan Jiujiu: …

For some reason, she felt that they were hinting at something. Ruan Jiujiu glanced at Cheng Jun from the corner of her eye, and he hadn’t noticed her peculiar expression yet; he was still leisurely peeling and eating prawns.

Ruan Jiujiu decided to create a group chat with all of them.

Ruan Jiujiu: [What do you all mean? Did you see something? I hope you’ll be honest in your answers.] [Smile]

Tu Nan: [Huh? I didn’t notice anything! Sister-in-law, I really want to eat prawns too! Please, can you share some with me? I’ll send you a box of air-shipped seafood, super fresh. Can I have a couple of bites in return?]

Ruan Jiujiu: [You can have prawns if you want.]

As soon as she replied, Jiao Fan and Fu Zicheng, who had been pretending to be quiet, suddenly popped up.

Jiao Fan: [Prawns?]

Fu Zicheng: [I want some too!]

Ruan Jiujiu: […]

Ruan Jiujiu: [As long as you guys tell me what Cheng Jun has been eating lately, and if he’s been secretly snacking behind my back.]

There was silence in the chat group for a while. Ruan Jiujiu then understood that Cheng Jun must have been sneaking snacks behind her back, and not just once or twice. Looking at Cheng Jun still enjoying the seafood feast, Ruan Jiujiu revealed a sly smile and continued typing.

Ruan Jiujiu: [If you don’t tell me, I’ll take a screenshot and show it to him.]

Tu Nan: [Please don’t! Isn’t this damaging your marital relationship? QAQ]

Fu Zicheng: [Tu Nan, are you kidding? Stop using cute emoticons!]

Tu Nan: [What are you talking about? Girls love these expressions the most (*▽*)]

Ruan Jiujiu: […]

Watching them beat around the bush without getting to the point, Ruan Jiujiu issued one last warning. She told them that if they didn’t spill the beans, she would take action. Finally, they reluctantly spilled the beans, revealing Cheng Jun’s sneaky snack-hiding behavior in the office.

Since they were exposing the truth, they did it thoroughly. Each of them criticized Cheng Jun for his dishonest behavior. The chat log scrolled down rapidly as they discussed it, leaving Ruan Jiujiu overwhelmed. She quickly stopped them from saying more.

They seemed a bit disappointed, leaving Ruan Jiujiu at a loss for words.

With the evidence in hand, Ruan Jiujiu gave Cheng Jun a death stare.

Cheng Jun, who was in the middle of peeling prawns, looked up and saw Ruan Jiujiu staring at him as if he were a dead man. Cheng Jun couldn’t help but ponder for a moment, and then he cautiously asked, “Did I eat too much?”

Ruan Jiujiu shook her head and smiled, “Cherish your last supper, Judas.”

Cheng Jun: “??? Did I betray something?”

Ruan Jiujiu: “You’ve betrayed your dignity and your soul!”

The two of them stared at each other, with Cheng Jun looking innocent.

Ruan Jiujiu: “Still not realizing your mistake? I’ll give you one last chance. Have you lied to me about something? If you admit it now, I might consider forgiving you.”

Cheng Jun’s survival instincts kicked in, and his hippocampus worked rapidly, dredging up memories.

After a long pause, he said, “I’m sorry.”

Ruan Jiujiu’s expression softened slightly, “Go on.”

“Your outfit yesterday did indeed resemble an eggplant, and I shouldn’t have dishonestly complimented you.”

Ruan Jiujiu: …

After finishing dinner, as Cheng Jun was washing the dishes, Ruan Jiujiu began to act up. Cheng Jun’s blanket was returned to his own study, and Ruan Jiujiu strictly forbade him from sleeping in her bedroom. Standing alone at the door, Cheng Jun called Ruan Jiujiu’s name, his voice sounding somewhat pitiful.

“Jiujiu, I’m so cold.”

Ruan Jiujiu: “…It’s almost summer, and you’re cold?!”

That night, Cheng Jun didn’t have the comfort of a soft Ruan Jiujiu in his arms. He lay back on his hard single bed alone, staring at the familiar ceiling. Despite having recently moved out of the study, it felt like it had been many years, and he was starting to feel uncomfortable sleeping alone.

He even began to dislike the loneliness of having an empty space beside him, as if the whole world consisted only of his own solitude.

The soft blanket felt thick and warm, causing him to sweat, but he still couldn’t shake off the icy feeling in his bed.

Cheng Jun lay there with his eyes open, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought.

A long while later, he sighed.

At the same time, Ruan Jiujiu, lying in her own bed, was sound asleep.

Being alone in the spacious bed was more comfortable, although it felt like something was missing without Cheng Jun. However, she quickly fell asleep due to her carefree and contented mood.

In her dream, Ruan Jiujiu saw Cheng Jun cowering in a corner, calling her name with a pitiful expression. She originally had no psychological burden, but when she saw Cheng Jun’s downcast eyelids, tightly pressed lips, and a pervasive gloominess that seemed to permeate his whole being like a rainy day’s little mushroom, she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt.

Had she been too harsh on Cheng Jun?

Ruan Jiujiu began to doubt herself, thinking that maybe she should just be honest with Cheng Jun about why she was angry. After all, Cheng Jun often operated on a different wavelength than her, so it was only natural that he couldn’t figure it out right away.

“Jiujiu…

Jiujiu…”

Ruan Jiujiu suddenly opened her eyes and heard Cheng Jun knocking on the door. “You’re going to be late.”

Ruan Jiujiu: “!”

She quickly changed clothes and applied makeup. Cheng Jun, who was sitting at the dining table, watched her as she moved from left to right. In Cheng Jun’s eyes, Ruan Jiujiu seemed to undergo hardly any changes, but she had spent nearly half an hour getting ready.

Ruan Jiujiu had finally finished getting ready, holding a bag and casually grabbing a rice ball from the fridge that she had bought at the convenience store. She said, “Let’s go, the driver must have been waiting for a while.”

“Oh.”

As they sat in the car, Cheng Jun picked up the rice ball. Ruan Jiujiu initially thought he was going to sneak a bite, but to her surprise, Cheng Jun picked it up and held it in his hand.

Ruan Jiujiu: ???

Cheng Jun said slowly, “You mentioned that eating cold food isn’t good for the stomach.”

…

For a moment, a sense of warmth welled up in her heart. Ruan Jiujiu looked at Cheng Jun, who had dark circles under his eyes, probably because he hadn’t slept well last night. When she thought about how she had slept like a log, Ruan Jiujiu cleared her throat and said, “About last night—”

Cheng Jun calmly said, “Even though I don’t know what it was about, I’m sure I was in the wrong. I’m sorry.”

Ruan Jiujiu: …

His words actually made her feel even more guilty!

“No, I should be the one to apologize. I should have been upfront about this from the beginning and not let it become a bother for you,” Ruan Jiujiu said, turning to face him directly. “I got angry last night because I found out that you’ve been secretly snacking.”

Her solemn expression made it seem as though she had discovered Cheng Jun was having an affair, when in reality, it was all about snacks.

Cheng Jun blinked.

He remained outwardly calm, mentally noting down the names of the informants and planning to settle scores later.

Ruan Jiujiu sighed. “You shouldn’t have deceived me, making me feel like I’m some kind of tyrannical enforcer and causing you to avoid me.”

Cheng Jun replied, “I won’t.”

Ruan Jiujiu continued, “You can eat snacks, but you shouldn’t overdo it. I’m concerned about your health, after all.”

She grumbled and complained, her eyebrows furrowing. Her tone didn’t sound like scolding; instead, it seemed like she was being playful. As he listened, his gaze landed on her full, red lips. They were exceptionally suited for kissing.

Suddenly, Cheng Jun leaned in and kissed her lips, saying, “I’m sorry.”

Ruan Jiujiu was startled by the unexpected kiss. She instinctively glanced at the middle-aged driver sitting in the front seat and was relieved to see that he had lowered the partition, completely isolating the two of them in the back seat. Her face turned crimson; just moments ago, she had been confidently scolding Cheng Jun, but now, after the kiss, she felt a bit less sure of herself.

She gave Cheng Jun an annoyed glare. “Stop fooling around! We were talking about something important!”

He responded with a nonchalant “hmm” and moved closer to Ruan Jiujiu, wrapping his arm around her waist to keep her from moving around too much.

Cheng Jun’s handsome face was magnified, so close that it was just inches away. His slightly lowered eyes stared at Ruan Jiujiu, and his long, slender eye shape, dark irises, which he usually didn’t pay much attention to, now felt like an intense focus, making her feel a bit apprehensive.

Cheng Jun said slowly, “This is the important matter.”

“!”

When they got out of the car, Ruan Jiujiu wore a mask and walked ahead with a stoic expression. Cheng Jun, walking behind her, received a gentle bump from her, indicating that he was clearly used to such treatment. He followed calmly.

The employees in the company couldn’t help but gossip when they witnessed this scene.

— Another day of the boss lady’s elegance and aloofness!

When they arrived at the office, Ruan Jiujiu insisted on checking how much snack stash Cheng Jun had hidden. She stood with her arms crossed, watching Cheng Jun take out one item after another, and as the pile on the table grew, Ruan Jiujiu was astonished.

“Are you stockpiling food for the winter?”

At this moment, Tu Nan and a few others were about to enter the office when they saw Ruan Jiujiu and Cheng Jun facing each other, with a pile of snacks on the table.

Their survival instincts kicked in, and they quickly halted.

Tu Nan: “…I think I can go on a business trip for a month.”

Fu Zicheng: “Take me with you.”

Jiao Fan: “You can’t leave me alone here!”

…

Ruan Jiujiu hadn’t noticed the commotion outside the door, and Cheng Jun was still confessing his loot to her one by one. Just then, Cheng Jun’s phone rang, displaying the name Xiao Fan on the screen.

Cheng Jun answered, and the voice of Xiao Fan came through the phone, instantly cooling down the interrogation scene.

“Boss, just now, Mr. Cheng passed away.”

---

Author’s Note: The second update is combined into one long passage. See you at nine o’clock in the evening!

 

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