Wife, please behave yourself.

Chapter 30 She is my cousin

After the heat was turned off, the boiling inside the pot gradually subsided.

Ning Mengyao placed the lid on the pot and waited for it to cool slightly before putting it directly into the refrigerator.

I left the kitchen and sat down on a chair in the living room.

Holding a small, palm-sized phone, I scrolled through the phone numbers I had just saved that morning.

Ning Mengyao and Liu Changcun exchanged contact information.

In an era before WeChat became the primary means of communication, mobile phone numbers were the main source of information.

During this period, the shift work between the two jobs kept her on edge.

With her work at the supermarket over, she, who only needed to work daytime, got plenty of rest.

The physical fatigue has been relieved, but the mental depression remains unresolved.

Ning Mengyao had no friends to talk to in this city.

Whether it's something that makes her happy or sad, she can't share it with others right away.

I can only silently digest it all by myself.

But things are different now.

The owner of the bookstore next door is a very easy-going and kind-hearted older brother.

The other person, who was five years older, always had a calm expression on their face.

He seems to have a clear understanding of everything, and when we exchanged contact information this morning, he said that I could ask him for help anytime if I had any trouble.

Ning Mengyao felt that she had met a good person.

In today's increasingly indifferent society, such good people are a rare sight.

However, even such good men get divorced.

This made Ning Mengyao, who was already full of fantasies about marriage, feel a little depressed.

The bookstore owner's experience seemed to be telling her a very simple truth.

Nothing in this world is permanent.

Even emotions are like this.

"call……"

Taking a deep breath, Ning Mengyao forced herself not to overthink as she scrolled through her text messages.

Looking at his phone, which still hadn't received a text message, he hesitated for a moment before putting it away.

The tea leaves used to make lemon tea were still cooling naturally in the pot, and she had nothing to do while she was home alone.

The house has been thoroughly cleaned from top to bottom.

I was looking for chores to pass the time, but I couldn't find anything to do in the whole house.

It's getting late.

21:45
Ning Mengyao looked at the clock hanging on the wall; the hands ticked away, signifying that time was constantly passing.

Sitting in her seat, she suddenly realized that she hadn't told Li Mingche about her resignation from the supermarket.

Now that she has plenty of time after get off work at the flower shop, she simply leaves home and walks to her husband's company.

It's so late already, I wonder what the other person is doing.

Or perhaps you've encountered a very difficult project? The kind that requires you to work overtime for several days in a row.

Ning Mengyao, who had never worked in a proper company, was unaware of the intricacies of the business and was simply making guesses based on her impressions during the journey.

The company is not far from home.

It only takes about 20 minutes by bus.

It would take longer if you walked.

Wearing flat shoes with a stiff texture, Ning Mengyao's steps were steady and quick.

Years of walking have honed her steady and fast pace.

It's a journey of more than fifty minutes.

The city streets were rather deserted at night, and it was almost impossible to see any pedestrians on the road as 11 p.m. approached.

Ning Mengyao stopped and looked up at the towering office buildings.

Perhaps it was well past closing time, but she entered the building without any hindrance.

When Li Mingche applied for the job, his wife Ning Mengyao accompanied him.

Knowing the floor where her husband worked, she took the elevator.

Inside the elevator, the numbers kept changing.

The elevator doors slowly opened after stopping on the 17th floor.

Unlike other floors.

The corridor lights on the 17th floor were still on. Following the direction of the lights, I arrived at the door.

The front desk was empty, with only occasional noise coming from inside.

For some reason, Ning Mengyao, who was standing at the door, suddenly became nervous.

Although she had accompanied Li Mingche to an interview once, at that time she simply waited quietly outside the company as instructed by the receptionist.

Now I'm going alone, and the company's receptionist isn't there.

She didn't know what to do for a moment.

Should we go straight in, or call Li Mingche at the company?
Would it be inappropriate to suddenly go in?

After much deliberation, Ning Mengyao, who was standing at the door, finally decided on a solution.

I just took out my phone, but haven't dialed Li Mingche's number yet.

A figure walking out of the break room noticed her at the company entrance.

"Excuse me... what can I do for you?"

"I...I'm here to find someone!"

The sudden question startled Ning Mengyao.

She quickly grabbed the phone that almost slipped from her hand.

He nervously raised his face and looked at the urban beauty in front of him who was asking him a question.

The marketing manager's younger sister, a white-collar worker in the city named Xu Wenwen.

She had just finished making coffee in the break room when she saw the figure hiding by the door as soon as she stepped outside.

Out of curiosity, I asked.

Upon hearing that the other person was looking for someone, he smiled and continued, "Who are you looking for? I'll go in and call out for you."

"I need to find Li Mingche."

"..."

The smile on her face froze instantly, and Xu Wenwen, holding the coffee cup, stood rooted to the spot.

Coming to his senses, his gaze began to linger on the woman in front of him.

Looking at the other person's tired and haggard face.

"Are you looking for Li Mingche?"

"Ah."

Nodding in agreement, Ning Mengyao hurriedly asked in a low voice.

"Isn't he at the company?"

"Here I am."

The scrutinizing gaze continued, responding to the stares.

Ning Mengyao looked tired, but she was still very beautiful.

Without a doubt, the strange woman in front of him was a beautiful older woman.

For Xu Wenwen, who is 24 years old this year, everyone in the department knows about her ambiguous relationship with Li Mingche.

Now, a beautiful, unfamiliar woman suddenly appears to be looking for her, and a sense of crisis immediately rises in her heart.

It's just speculation; it hasn't been fully confirmed yet.

Although Xu Wenwen had doubts, she forced herself to go inside first.

He watched the figure busy at the desk for a moment before calling out.

"Mingche, someone is looking for you outside."

"Who?"

The man raised his head and asked Xu Wenwen, whom he had called out to.

"A woman."

"woman?"

Or perhaps he sensed the other person's cold tone and didn't pay much attention to the glances his colleagues were giving him.

Li Mingche got up from his workstation and walked over to Xu Wenwen.

Just as he was about to get closer to her, Xu Wenwen dodged to the side.

The hand that had been hanging in mid-air paused.

Li Mingche watched Xu Wenwen turn and leave, only hearing her voice.

"Let's go, don't keep them waiting too long."

"..."

The two left the office area one after the other.

When Li Mingche arrived at the gate, he saw that familiar figure.

The previously brisk pace suddenly slowed down.

Until they arrived in front of the other person.

"Clear and bright".

His weary eyes lit up when he saw the figure that appeared.

Ning Mengyao called out the other person's name affectionately, and was about to step forward to greet them.

But the step he had just taken was stopped again by a single sentence from Xu Wenwen.

"who is she?"

"she……"

Two pairs of eyes were fixed on Li Mingche, who was being asked the question.

Looking at the two people in front of him, his gaze quickly swept over Ning Mengyao and then settled on Xu Wenwen.

"She is my cousin."

"cousin?"

"..."

The two people in front of them were still talking.

But at this moment, Ning Mengyao heard a buzzing sound.

She didn't know why Li Mingche was lying.

Why should I present myself as my older cousin in front of my colleagues?

My body started to feel cold, as if I were in an ice cellar.

"Your cousin who shares an apartment with you?"

Xu Wenwen paused for a moment, then realized something.

“I remember you said…it’s her.”

"You know, poor relatives are the most troublesome. You go back first, I'll handle it myself."

"OK then."

Xu Wenwen, who had just been wearing a cold expression, returned to her normal state.

With her doubts dispelled, she smiled again.

Looking at Ning Mengyao, who was standing still, Xu Wenwen felt that her cousin, who only knew how to take, was the most disgusting.

She had heard Li Mingche talk about his family.

He mentioned that a cousin of his had been staying at his house and would occasionally ask him for money.

They have hands and feet... yet they don't know how to go out and earn some money.

They look so tired; they've probably been working day and night shifts all the time.

Turning his back, he watched the two figures gradually moving away as Li Mingche pulled them away.

Xu Wenwen felt a pang of sympathy for Li Mingche's hardships.

He turned around and walked back into the house.

　Thank you to: Youchuya [300] for the generous donation!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)