Chapter 192

Chapter 192

Domestic Extra 3: A Whole Vat of Jealousy

Xie Qiyan had recently noticed something.

Ever since the wedding, Xia Wanzhi had been surrounded by one rotten admirer after another. They just kept coming, endless and unstoppable.

Late at night, when everything was quiet, Xie Qiyan held Xia Wanzhi’s ring finger-the one wearing her wedding band-and rubbed it thoughtfully.

He himself remained perfectly still.

He was touching Xia Wanzhi’s hand, yet making no move to do anything else. That was not normal.

Xia Wanzhi’s eyes were bright and clear. She leaned in slightly, pinched his chin between her thumb and forefinger, and let her tone take on a teasing edge. “Which pretty lady are you thinking about?”

Probably because he was angry, Xie Qiyan’s arm, which had already been around Xia Wanzhi’s waist, tightened slightly. With one tug, he lifted her onto his lap. “I’m thinking about all those bastards trying to seduce my wife.”

Xia Wanzhi: “…”

She knew it. This account was not going to be settled that easily.

Xie Qiyan slowly turned the wedding ring on Xia Wanzhi’s finger, utterly baffled. “Tell me, are those bastards blind?”

Such a big ring. Could they not see it?

By now, everyone knew Xia Wanzhi was taken.

Yet those blind fools still dared to crowd around her.

The more he thought about it, the deeper Xie Qiyan’s gaze became.

Xia Wanzhi was still secretly amused, thinking that a jealous Xie Qiyan was kind of handsome too. Who would have thought that in the very next second, she would be pinned down by an aggressively imposing body, unable to move?

“Let’s go back to the bedroom…” Xia Wanzhi cried out.

The curtains in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows had not been drawn yet.

“No.” Xie Qiyan usually went along with her, but tonight, he only wanted to reassert his authority as her husband. “Right here on the sofa…”

After downing an entire vat of jealousy, Xie Qiyan was exceptionally capable.

And Xia Wanzhi, stimulated by the unfamiliar setting before she had even adjusted to it, was exceptionally sensitive.

She still had to go to work the next day. Although Xia Wanzhi’s complexion was rosy, she kept yawning nonstop.

Those who knew them and those who did not all teased that the newlywed passion had yet to wear off for the couple.

Only Xia Wanzhi knew the truth: during the day, she had to do hard labor at work, and at night, she still had to do hard labor.

“Wanzi.” From outside the door to the painting room, Zhuzi made a gesture, signaling Xia Wanzhi to urgently pause what she was doing.

“What is it?” Seeing the expression on Zhuzi’s face, Xia Wanzhi took off her apron and walked out. The paint on her hands had not yet been washed off.

Paint was the one thing she did not mind getting dirty with.

Her painting style changed according to the dreams provided by her clients. The piece she was working on now belonged to the wild, expressive school. Xia Wanzhi had just splashed an entire bucket of paint onto it, so at that moment, her spirit was bold and uninhibited. There was not the slightest trace of gentleness left in her movements or demeanor.

Zhuzi had long since grown used to this side of Xia Wanzhi, but the person standing outside very obviously furrowed his brow.

“One of your rotten admirers.” Zhuzi jerked her thumb behind her. After exchanging a look with Xia Wanzhi, she continued receiving the other clients who had come for consultations.

Xia Wanzhi was not wearing a dress today. Beneath a thin, hollow-knit cardigan was a small black camisole, her fair skin and graceful curves faintly visible. She had paired it with a loose pair of black wasteland-style jeans.

Once her gentleness faded away, what remained was ease and freedom.

Zhou Yu had never seen Xia Wanzhi this casual before.

“Can Xie Qiyan not afford to support you? He actually has the heart to let you come out and work from morning till night,” Zhou Yu said with a sneer.

There were quite a few clients at the Studio. Anyone who wanted to see Xia Wanzhi had to make an appointment.

Only after checking his appointment number did Zhuzi let him in, all business.

Xia Wanzhi tilted her head. She was busy, and she had no time to deal with irrelevant people, so she slipped both hands into her pockets and walked back to her painting room.

Zhou Yu had not expected her to ignore him completely. Just as he was about to follow her into the painting room, Zhuzi called out loudly, “Sir, can you see the sign up ahead that says ‘No Unauthorized Entry’? Please cooperate.”

At that shout, everyone around them looked over. Zhou Yu could only glare angrily at Zhuzi before pressing his hand against the transparent door. “Zhi Zhi, I have something to say to you. Can we talk somewhere private?”

Xia Wanzhi looked at him through the door, a trace of impatience appearing on her face.
Knowing exactly how shameless Zhou Yu could be, Xia Wanzhi worried he would interrupt Zhuzi while she recorded the client’s dream account. In the end, she had no choice but to compromise and step outside the Studio.

“If you have something to say, Cousin, say it here.” Xia Wanzhi’s voice was faint. When she lifted her eyes, she could see the Sky Garden ahead.

Last May, he had painstakingly planned a confession and gotten the answer he wanted.

But this May, she had become someone else’s bride.

Zhou Yu felt a tight, suffocating ache in his chest. Still, afraid that Xie Qiyan would make trouble for the Zhou Family again, he forced himself to rein in his emotions and said, “Do you think I should keep Sun Lingzhi and her child, then spend the rest of my life tied to someone I don’t love?”

Through the glass, Xia Wanzhi admired the scenery in the garden. She had heard him; she was simply thinking about what to say.

“That was your own choice, wasn’t it?” Xia Wanzhi did not dwell on it. She only knew she had no right to interfere in someone else’s life, so she smiled lightly. “You shouldn’t be asking me. Things have already come to this. Shouldn’t you accept it?”

Zhou Yu only found her smile painfully dazzling.

“That’s right. Things have already come to this, and you’ve accepted it so quickly.” He gave a bitter, self-mocking laugh. “So quickly that you’ve followed Xie Qiyan’s lead and started treating me as a cousin.”

Xia Wanzhi said nothing. She merely smiled and indicated that she was going back in to continue working.

This time, Zhou Yu did not follow her.

Not long after Xia Wanzhi returned to the Studio and picked up her brush, Zhuzi knocked on the door again.

“No unrelated personnel will be received,” Xia Wanzhi said flatly.

“Does Yu Fei count?” Zhuzi asked with a sly smile.

Xia Wanzhi lifted her lowered eyes. Her listless face instantly brightened with a smile. “What do you think?”

Zhuzi held back her laughter. After exchanging a glance with Yu Fei, Yu Fei happily presented the gift his boss had prepared. “Madam.”

Xia Wanzhi gave a soft snort.

“President Xie said this is a small token of apology, and he hopes Madam will graciously accept it.” To demonstrate just how sincere his boss was, Yu Fei stepped forward, bowed deeply, and offered the gift to Xia Wanzhi.

Xia Wanzhi: “…”

In keeping with his principles as a dutiful lackey, Yu Fei provided thorough service. He opened the outer packaging and displayed the seven exquisite ring boxes inside one by one. “President Xie said this is one week’s worth.”

Honestly, handing out diamonds like candy.

“What a wasteful man.” The corner of Xia Wanzhi’s mouth could not help twitching.

Inside the President’s Office at Xie Corporation, Xie Qiyan thoughtfully repeated the sentence Yu Fei had relayed from Xia Wanzhi.

“I’m wasteful?” Xie Qiyan asked Yu Fei.

“Am I wasteful?” Xie Qiyan asked Huo Yang.

Yu Fei answered without hesitation, “Most women say one thing and mean another.”

For once, Huo Yang agreed. “If the money is spent on Madam, it doesn’t count.”

Xie Qiyan was satisfied. “What were you about to say just now? Continue.”

Yu Fei swallowed and said cautiously, “Well… when I delivered the rings, I happened to see Zhou Yu come looking for Madam. The two of them talked at the entrance of the Studio for about three minutes.”

Xie Qiyan abruptly went still.

Only after a long while did he speak. “Got it.”

After weakly retreating from the President’s Office, Yu Fei held his breath. “Did you hear that? His tone was as cold as a frozen abyss.”

Huo Yang drew in a heavy breath. “Not bad. At least it wasn’t laced with poison.”

Yu Fei shuddered involuntarily. “This is scarier than poison.”

He had a very ominous feeling.

And so, everyone in the entire Xie Corporation building worked overtime that night.

Yu Fei lay half-dead at his workstation. “Do you know what President Xie is doing?”

Huo Yang pressed his temples. “Turning grief and anger into motivation?”

“No. He’s sulking because of Madam.” Yu Fei let out a long sigh to the heavens. “Whether we can get off work before ten depends on whether Madam comes to coax him.”

That night, the other employees of Xie Corporation worked overtime until eight thirty.

Yu Fei and Huo Yang stayed with Xie Qiyan until ten thirty.

All because Madam had gotten so carried away singing karaoke with her best friend…

That she forgot her very jealous husband was still stewing.