Wife, please behave yourself.

Chapter 9 The world is so small
Although the process was somewhat tortuous, the final result was good for Liu Changcun.

The bespectacled girl I remember who only knew how to study all day has transformed into a stunning beauty who captivates most men years later.

An Zhaoran is very beautiful.

Not the kind of face that looks beautiful at first glance but is easily forgotten after a while.

Her appearance is extremely distinctive, and her dignified and elegant demeanor immediately makes ordinary people hesitant to engage in conversation.

However, as beautiful as she may be, there seems to be something wrong with her.

During their private dinner, she paid special attention to Liu Changcun, an old classmate she hadn't seen for many years.

They chatted occasionally during the meal.

They either asked about Liu Changcun's current situation or inquired about his children's academic performance.

Liu Changcun did not try to hide this from anyone.

He truthfully told his son and daughter that they were both mediocre students.

Hearing that Liu Changcun, who once had such outstanding academic performance, only had children who were only average in ordinary schools, I couldn't help but feel somewhat disappointed.

As the saying goes, dragons beget dragons and phoenixes beget phoenixes. Liu Changcun was once so outstanding, it seems that it was that woman Lin Wanran who dragged him down.

To this day, An Zhaoran still doesn't understand why Liu Changcun would develop a romantic relationship with a woman like Lin Wanran.

If it weren't for Liu Changcun tutoring her back then, it would have been questionable whether Lin Wanran, with her mediocre grades, could have even gotten into a university.

The dinner party didn't last long.

An Zhaoran didn't seem to have a good appetite. She was so busy talking that she barely ate any of the delicious food on the table.

Although Liu Changcun had crossed out a few dishes on the menu beforehand, there were still a total of 10 dishes when he added the 6 he initially ordered.

Adhering to the principle of not wasting food, they stuffed themselves full.

However, even without eating it with staple food, the amount was only reduced, resulting in most of the dishes on the table still having a sufficient amount of rice.

Liu Changcun went to pay the bill first.

An Zhaoran was left alone in the private room.

When he returned after paying the bill, An Zhaoran, who was getting a little bored, immediately noticed the plastic bag he was holding.

She didn't seem to understand why she would come back with a plastic bag after paying the bill.

He asked doubtfully.

"Why did you take so many bags?"

"Take it to go."

An Zhaoran's question surprised Liu Changcun.

He didn't understand why the other person would ask such a stupid question.

With so much food on the table, are we just going to leave it all at the restaurant if we don't pack it up and take it with us?
Has she never eaten at a large table before?
Pull out the first plastic bag, grab the handle and swing it up and down hard.

The plastic bag expands rapidly after being filled with air.

Seeing that An Zhaoran was still staring at him, Liu Changcun thought for a moment and then asked for a favor.

"Could you pour this out for me? I'll take it back for my child."

"..."

"Come on, pour it in."

Hearing Liu Changcun's words, An Zhaoran, who was already confused, became even more bewildered.

Since the children at home haven't eaten yet, why not order a few more dishes to take home?

Although there was still a lot of food left on the table, it had all been eaten by others.

An Zhaoran felt that this was very unhygienic and was about to say something, but when she saw Liu Changcun ask for help again, she finally stood up.

Holding the plate, he clumsily poured the contents into the bag.

Perhaps due to a lack of experience, there were still a few pieces stuck to the plate after the stir-fried chicken was poured out.

Just as An Zhaoran was about to put the stir-fried chicken down, she heard Liu Changcun's anxious voice.

"Use your chopsticks to dig it out, there's still meat left!"

"..."

Holding a plate of stir-fried chicken in one hand, An Zhaoran's gaze was fixed on the man beside her.

Years later, Liu Changcun remains as refined and handsome as ever.

But at this moment, the other person, holding a plastic bag, spoke in a tone that was noticeably different because the chicken nuggets hadn't been completely poured out.

Once upon a time, he was a quiet, handsome, and aloof young man.

But now it has become like this.

Somewhat strange.

But... it didn't make her feel disgusted.

--------

I watched as An Zhaoran got into a taxi and left.

As Liu Changcun carried the packed lunch home in both hands, the smile on his face gradually disappeared.

Because he needed to maintain a basic level of composure in front of outsiders, Liu Changcun appeared to be fine after settling the bill.

However... he was heartbroken at that moment.

The meal cost over 500 yuan.

In 2006, such expenses were not a small amount.

These days, each of my son and daughter only gets five yuan in pocket money, after deducting the cost of lunch at school.

Five hundred dollars!
"call……"

Taking a deep breath, Liu Changcun adjusted his breathing.

I glanced at the food I was carrying and mentally told myself something.

Consider it a way to supplement the child's nutrition.

He turned and left, walking along the sidewalk towards home.

Fortunately, it's not too far from home; if I quicken my pace, it only takes about twenty minutes to reach my destination. It's located near the city center, and the millennium has just passed its sixth anniversary.

The mental outlook of the people was very different from that of later generations.

If an old man falls down on the road, a group of people will rush to help him in no time.

Liu Changcun was not traveling too fast, observing the world as he went.

The script has been submitted to An Zhaoran for internal review. If it passes, he will contact me soon to discuss the price of the script.

As long as he can negotiate a good price, Liu Changcun is confident that he can turn his life around with his first pot of gold.

Passing by the bar, a large group of young people gathered under the neon lights, while in the alley next door, men and women were passionately making out.

Alcohol amplifies humanity's most primal desires.

Liu Changcun stopped and looked for a while.

The couple realized they were being observed. Although they had drunk a little alcohol, they didn't seem to have completely lost their minds.

The woman quickly broke free from the hand that had reached inside her clothes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and whispered in his ear.

The man turned around and met Liu Changcun's gaze.

She glared at him, seemingly blaming the man carrying the plastic bag for ruining her plans.

The two, hidden in the shadows of the alley, slowly walked deeper into the alley.

Only after the two figures disappeared from sight did Liu Changcun reluctantly walk away.

Once you leave this bustling street, there are noticeably fewer pedestrians on the sidewalk.

A bicycle was coming from the opposite direction from Liu Changcun.

As they got closer, the bicycle that had already passed suddenly braked loudly.

"Mr. Liu?"

The voice sounded from behind, and Liu Changcun, who was carrying food, turned around.

I watched the figure supporting himself on one leg, turning around to look behind him.

Ning Mengyao.

Liu Changcun was surprised to meet her outside the bookstore and walked over to her side.

Looking at the woman riding her bicycle out late at night, she must have been riding for a long time, because there were obvious beads of sweat on her forehead.

"What a coincidence, to meet you here."

The woman said this with a smile.

"What a small world."

Liu Changcun responded as well.

He hasn't seen the other person at the bookstore since they borrowed the book last week.

Have you finished reading the book you borrowed last time?

"Not yet. The shop has been a bit busy these past few days, and I haven't had much time to look at it since I got home."

"Oh."

Liu Changcun didn't want to chat with the other person anymore.

It's been three days and he still hasn't finished reading it. He was hoping that once the other person finished reading the book, he could lend out a few more copies.

It seems there's little chance now.

Ning Mengyao seemed oblivious to Liu Changcun's sudden change in attitude.

He continued to ask.

Why are you carrying so many groceries?

"I just finished eating with someone and am taking the leftovers home."

"That's too much."

"..."

How could it not be more? It cost over 500 yuan!
Where are you going?

Not wanting the conversation to revolve around him, Liu Changcun changed the subject after remaining silent.

His gaze swept over Ning Mengyao, who was riding a bicycle.

"Going out for a bike ride so late, for exercise?"

"No."

Shaking her head, Ning Mengyao, who had been panting, calmed down noticeably after a short rest.

"Go pick up my husband from get off work."

"Went to a party?"

"Yeah, it was supposed to be a department gathering, and we drank a bit too much."

"Then let's stop talking and you should go."

The topic has been successfully terminated.

This time, Ning Mengyao realized that Liu Changcun didn't want to continue the conversation.

Just smiled and nodded.

"The lemon tea last time was a great success. I'll bring you some more tomorrow."

After leaving behind the words "See you tomorrow," Ning Mengyao set off again on her bicycle.

The figure on the bicycle went further and further away, disappearing around the corner.

Liu Changcun looked away, a hint of emotion in his eyes.

Compared to Liu Changcun and Lin Wanran's marriage, Ning Mengyao, who runs the flower shop next door, and her husband's marriage is truly enviable.

He has a wife who is always thinking of him...

Perhaps this is the kind of marriage that normal men yearn for.

(End of this chapter)