Su Chen did what he usually did, buying some groceries from the market on his way home to cook dinner.
After dinner was ready, it was almost 8 o'clock, and Lin Ruoxue came home not long after, and they dined together.
After eating, Su Chen still did the dishes while Lin Ruoxue casually flipped through a magazine on the sofa.
The reason Su Chen always did the dishes wasn't that Lin Ruoxue didn't want to, but that he wouldn't let her.
In just two times, she had broken three bowls and even cut her own finger. How could Su Chen let her do the dishes?
Lin Ruoxue was also annoyed—she could dominate at work and intimidate her opponents, but when it came to household chores, she was like an idiot!
Luckily, she had a good husband who was adept both in the hall and in the kitchen. His only faults were that he seemed to have a bit too much charm with women, and, well, he was a bit of a lech!
After Su Chen had put away the dishes, he sat down next to Lin Ruoxue and picked up a magazine to read.
As he read, he lay down, resting his head on Lin Ruoxue's thigh.
"What are you doing?"
Lin Ruoxue tapped him and asked when she saw him .
"Just lying down for a while,"
Su Chen flipped through the magazine nonchalantly.
"If you want to lie down, just use a pillow. Isn't it heavy resting on my leg?"
Lin Ruoxue said, feeling annoyed.
"A pillow isn't as comfortable as your long leg!"
Su Chen stated matter-of-factly.
Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxue rolled her eyes—this guy really knew how to enjoy life!
"Are you going to get up?"
Lin Ruoxue lifted her thigh and huffed.
Su Chen said stubbornly, no matter how much Lin Ruoxue moved her leg.
Seeing him act like a spoiled child, Lin Ruoxue was both amused and exasperated, so she let him be.
Around ten o'clock, Lin Ruoxue said,
"Honey, it's about time to go to sleep."
At this, Su Chen immediately sat up, his eyes twinkling as he said,
"Wife, are you thinking about continuing what we were doing during the day…"
"What are you thinking?!"
Lin Ruoxue's face turned red at his words; she was immediately reminded of the ridiculous incident in the office that day!
Lin Ruoxue had never imagined that she would do such a thing with a man in the office, even if that man was her own husband!
Su Chen said, his lips curving into a mischievous smile, looking like a big bad wolf ready to devour a little white rabbit!
Seeing Su Chen's expression, Lin Ruoxue's heart suddenly started thumping wildly.
At the same time, a strange interest rose within her…
However, contrary to Lin Ruoxue's expectations, Su Chen didn't take any further action but shifted his gaze toward the door and said meaningfully,
"No rush, let's sit a little longer. Someone should be coming soon."
Upon hearing Su Chen's words, Lin Ruoxue suddenly became confused.
Who would come over so late at night, especially since it was raining outside?
Moreover, how did he know someone was coming?
Could he foresee the future?
Su Chen said lightly, a playful smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.
Lin Ruoxue became even more puzzled, but since Su Chen had said so, she had no choice but to wait with him.
She was curious, who would come visiting in the rain so late at night?
In the deep of winter, there were few people about, and with the incessant drizzle throughout the day, the streets were completely deserted.
The dim streetlights reflected off the wet pavement, casting a faint glow when suddenly four stretch limousines drove towards the Imperial Garden and stopped at the gate.
Then a man alighted from each car, holding umbrellas as they hurried to the other side to open the car doors.
Then an elder stepped out of each vehicle, and after getting out, their gazes were directed towards one of the villas.
"You all go back now, we old folks will walk the rest from here," said Shen Mingchang softly, and the other elders commanded the same.
"Let's go, all of you," Su Chun said, waving his hand when he saw some hesitation in the men.
The attendants could only respond with a yes and then drove away.
They had intended to leave the umbrellas for the elders, but none of the elders accepted them.
After the cars had left, only Shen Mingchang and the other three elders remained outside the gate of the Imperial Garden, their expressions complex as they looked in a certain direction through the night rain.
"Ah, who would have thought we'd see this day," Zheng Yuxian sighed in defeat.
The other elders also displayed a hint of desolation upon hearing this.
They had once been so high and mighty; now, they had to accept such a fate!
"The situation is such; we have no choice," observed Situ Kong as he saw everyone's mood was gloomy and comforted them:
"Forget about so-called pride; besides, we old timers have lived long enough not to be at a loss. Let's do what we must for the continuation of our families,"
"Yes, for the future of our families, let everything go, be it dignity or life," Shen Mingchang said calmly.
Then the elders walked over to the security booth by the main gate, where Shen Mingchang said to the security inside with a slight smile:
"Please inform Mr. Su at villa number 15 that a few old fellows would like to see him,"
"Oh, no need, Mr. Su already instructed us that if several elders wanted to see him tonight, we should just let them in," said someone who appeared to be the head of security.
Upon hearing this, Shen Mingchang and the others felt a tremor in their hearts, followed by a bitter smile.
It seemed that the other party had anticipated their actions, right down to the timing.
"Thank you!" Shen Mingchang said to the guard and then proceeded inside, followed closely by Su Chun and the others.
The Imperial Garden was a mid-to-high-end villa area, naturally with excellent landscaping. Even in winter, the roadsides were lined with lush greenery, the drizzle tapping on them with a "drip-drop" sound.
The elders slowly made their way inside and arrived at the door of a villa. They intended to gently knock on the door knocker, but unexpectedly, the courtyard door wasn't locked at all; a gentle touch caused it to creak open.
So Shen Mingchang gently pushed open the courtyard door and walked in.
The elders stopped at the steps in front of the villa, then removed their shoes, barefooted, lined up, and, prostrating themselves, knelt down....
"Honey, it seems there's some noise outside; are those the people you were waiting for?"
It was drizzling outside, and Lin Ruoxue couldn't hear clearly, asking with some confusion.
Su Chen nodded, his face calm....