Chapter 15: “You’re My Wife”

Chapter 15: "You're My Wife!"

Lu Hechi turned around; the person approaching was a young man, around six feet tall, wearing a baseball cap and a face mask.

Lu Hechi asked, puzzled. "...Who are you?"

The man took off his mask, revealing a handsome face, and stepped forward excitedly: "Boss Lu, it's me, Ji Ziyang."

Lu Hechi recalled the company files Shen Lanxue had shown him.

The name Ji Ziyang appeared on the first page of the artists' list, apparently the company's biggest star.

He gave a brief nod in acknowledgment.

"Boss Lu, why haven't you been coming into the office lately?" Ji Ziyang asked enthusiastically.

Lu Hechi wasn't good with people who got too familiar too fast.

He felt awkward, not knowing what to say.

He kept a polite smile on his face: "I just came to pick up a few things."

Ji Ziyang glanced at his casted arm, concern in his voice: "How'd you get hurt? Is it bad?"

"...Yeah." As Lu Hechi finished speaking, he noticed more people coming up behind them.

He said without hesitation, "Well, Xiao Ji, I've got things to do, so I'm gonna head home. Catch you later."

With that, Lu Hechi turned and left.

He walked off like he was being chased by a pack of dogs.

"Ziyang, who were you just talking to? I've been calling you forever, where'd you disappear to?" A woman linked her arm through his and asked.

Ji Ziyang gently pulled his hand away, "He's the boss of our company."

"Oh." The woman nodded, then said, "Didn't you want that new Tiffany bracelet? I had my sales associate put one aside for you. Let's go."

Ji Ziyang remembered the shopping bag Lu Hechi had been carrying.

He looked up at the store directly in front of them.

He smiled, "Actually, I changed my mind. This store looks way better."

"..."

Lu Hechi got home at five, ate dinner, and played a round of Plants vs. Zombies.

Shen Lanxue didn't get back until almost six.

Lu Hechi looked behind him, confused. "Where's our son? Didn't he come home with you?"

Shen Lanxue took off his sapphire blue suit jacket, handed it to the butler, Feng, who came over, and sat down beside him.

"He's spending the weekend at his grandparents' place. I'll pick him up when school starts."

"Is it... at his grandparents'?"

Lu Hechi figured it was Shen Lanxue's parents, since his own biological parents hadn't come to see him since the accident.

He'd already guessed they weren't close.

Shen Lanxue hummed in agreement, looking a little tired.

"You tired?" Lu Hechi took his hand, feeling a twinge of concern.

For some reason, Lu Wentang's words popped into his head.

He was so busy with work he couldn't even come back for his birthday.

"I'm not."

Shen Lanxue was used to this life by now. But now that he had Lu Hechi with him, how could he be tired?

Thinking of the message he'd gotten after the meeting, his eyes crinkled into a smile.

"Didn't you say you had a surprise? Where is it?"

Lu Hechi whispered in his ear, "I hid it in the bedroom. You only get the surprise if you find it."

Just handing it over would be boring.

"In the main bedroom?"

"Yeah."

Shen Lanxue got up from the couch and headed straight for the bedroom.

Lu Hechi strolled after him, enjoying this little game between them.

The room was spotless, cleaned by the staff. At first glance, there was nothing out of place.

Once inside, Shen Lanxue checked under the pillow first.

Lu Hechi leaned against the door, smiling: "Babe, it's not that easy."

Shen Lanxue paused. "You didn't hide it under the bed, did you?"

"...Well, it's not that hard to find, either."

Shen Lanxue checked all the possible hiding spots—the closet, the drawers, even the bathroom—but still found nothing out of place.

"Did you seriously hide it in this room?" Shen Lanxue rolled his sleeves up to his elbows, walked up to Lu Hechi, his tea-brown eyes searching his.

"You want a hint?" Lu Hechi let out a low laugh.

Shen Lanxue: "Don't need one."

He turned to search again, Lu Hechi trailing behind him, chiming in every now and then.

"Babe, are you sure you don't want a hint?"

"You sure?"

Finally, Shen Lanxue pushed open the patio door and found two jewelry boxes on the table.

"This is it?"

Lu Hechi was a little disappointed he hadn't used this chance to make a demand. Next time, he'd hide it somewhere even harder to find.

He sat on the patio chair, resting his chin on one hand.

"Go on, open it—do you like it?"

Shen Lanxue glanced at him and opened the box.

A black braided cord, studded with teardrop diamonds, caught the sunlight and sparkled.

It was a very simple, clean design.

Shen Lanxue immediately guessed what the other one was. He opened the box, and just as he thought, there was an identical one, differing only in size.

"Pretty great, right?"

Lu Hechi leaned in, eyes sparkling. If he had a tail, it'd be wagging like a propeller right now.

Shen Lanxue looked down, quietly staring at the black braided cord in his hand.

This was the first gift Lu Hechi had ever given him in the four years they'd been married.

On top of the huge surprise, what he felt even more was sheer confusion.

He started to get scared—scared that Lu Hechi would regain his memory and realize their marriage wasn't at all what he'd thought—that it wasn't because of love.

He'd probably regret it. Regret ever giving this gift.

"Hey, what's wrong..." Lu Hechi's dark eyes locked onto him, noticing there wasn't a single hint of happiness in his eyes.

...Did he get it wrong?

Shen Lanxue looked up then. "You don't have to get me gifts anymore."

Lu Hechi didn't understand: "Why?"

"You—you don't like the bracelet, do you..." Lu Hechi pressed his lips together, trying hard to smile: "It's okay, I can get you something else next time. I'll ask Butler Feng ahead of time what you like."

"I do like it."

Shen Lanxue handed the box back to him. "Put it on for me."

Lu Hechi took the box, set it on the table, took out the bracelet inside, undid it with one hand, and slipped it onto Shen Lanxue's wrist.

With only one hand, it was a bit difficult. He fumbled with it for over ten minutes before finally getting it on Shen Lanxue.

"It looks great."

Lu Hechi said, "Bro, your wrist is so pale—this makes it look even paler."

He extended his own hand, asking Shen Lanxue to put the other one on him.

Shen Lanxue, using both hands, was quick—it took him less than a minute to put it on him.

Then, Lu Hechi looked seriously into Shen Lanxue's eyes and said, "Bro, I'll still buy you gifts next time, and the time after that, and the time after that, until I'm old and gray."

"You can throw away the gifts you don't like, but you can't stop me from buying them for you."

Shen Lanxue hadn't expected him to say that.

After a pause, he asked, "What if you regret it?"

Lu Hechi: "The me with amnesia and the me without amnesia are the same person. Once I make a decision, I'll never regret it."

"Besides..." Lu Hechi smiled shyly. "You're my wife—what's there to regret about buying you gifts?"