Lu Qing’s right eyelid twitched, the hand holding his cigarette trembling slightly. Jin Jing teased him:
"Little Lu, feeling out of sorts without your wife nearby?"
Yan Lv chuckled: "Brother Lu, the Wang Family seems rather unhappy about the Lin Family affair."
Meng Yan sneered: "The Wang Family? These days, the only one who can call the shots is the old man. The younger generation is utterly useless. Lin Jiadong’s sister married the old man, using her looks to win favor and make a good amount of money, just to keep him happy. The old man caught a few sweet words by the pillow and now wants to support the Lin Family."
Song Li’s expression turned slightly cold, reminding them:
"A centipede dies but never falls stiff. The Wang Family still has some foundation."
Lu Qing took a deep drag on his cigarette and said indifferently:
"It’s just meeting an old man. What are you all so afraid of?"
"It’s not fear, it’s boredom. Finally, someone shows up to relieve the dullness, so we chatter away. Oh, by the way, how’s your wife’s injury?"
"She’s with her Ninth Uncle recuperating, nothing serious."
Yan Lv clicked his tongue twice: "Brother Lu, you hit the jackpot. The Su Family’s Pear Garden, and it’s her Ninth Uncle no less. What’s the Wang Family compared to that? The Su Family is at the top of the four aristocratic families. If the Wang Family’s old man meets your wife’s Ninth Uncle, he’d probably have to respectfully call him ’Mr. Jiu’. So why are we even bothering? Your wife is the one with a true backing."
Jin Jing nodded in agreement:
"Exactly. Without your wife around, our gatherings have been dull. My hands are itching to play mahjong."
Meng Yan nodded as well: "Brother Lu, next time your wife has to be here, otherwise we’re not coming."
Even Song Li offered a rare comment: "Agreed."
Lu Qing scoffed coldly: "What, my wife has now been reduced to your mahjong buddy?"
"It’s not about that. Your wife is interesting and fun. Even if we aren’t playing mahjong, dice, horse racing, Pai Gow, or drag racing, it’d still be entertaining. She’s not as troublesome as other women, and her personality is straightforward. Honestly, I really like her."
Jin Jing raised his hand: "I like her too."
Meng Yan: "Brother Lu, you’ve got real luck."
Song Li: "She’s very amusing."
Lu Qing smirked proudly: "Of course. Do you even know whose wife she is? My taste wouldn’t be lacking."
"Brother Lu, don’t get so smug."
"Hey, I think your phone’s ringing."
As soon as Lu Qing reached for his phone, Yan Lv snatched it away.
"Oh wow, your wife’s calling you directly with a video chat. Looks like she’s doing a spot check. Guys, should we grab a few girls to sit with him?"
Meng Yan joined in the loud banter: "A few? Why not a dozen?"
"Knock it off, give me back my phone."
Yan Lv tossed the phone over to Song Li, who checked the label on the WeChat contact:
"’Dear Little Baby’? Looks like our Brother Lu is secretly the affectionate type."
He then handed the phone to Meng Yan, who also glanced at it: "So cheesy! Looks to me like Brother Lu is set on torturing us single guys. You lot ought to step it up—otherwise his kids will be buying soy sauce while you’re still single."
"Meng Er, does this even register to you? It’s the modern era, and your old man still insists on setting you up with some arranged marriage. Are you seriously planning to marry blindly without even meeting her?"
Meng Yan shrugged indifferently: "Women, whatever. Marry if I need to. As long as she doesn’t interfere with my business, I don’t care."
In a flash, Lu Qing snatched his phone back, but the call had already been disconnected. He elbowed Meng Yan in the chest and said in a low voice:
"You, playboy, need a tiger of a wife to keep you in line."
"I’m not afraid. If she’s got the guts to tie me down, fine. Otherwise, there’s no way she’ll control me."
A month later, Meng Yan would eat his words spectacularly—and he’d have no place left to cry.
Lu Qing found a quiet corner and returned Qin Miaomiao’s video call. After a dozen seconds, she finally picked up.