Cheng Jun slept like a baby last night, almost dreamlessly, and woke up at dawn feeling refreshed.
Humming a little tune, she got up, washed up, and dressed neatly to head to the office.
The dinner from the previous night had been quite pleasant, and Cheng Jun decided to buy more groceries after work today and invite Shen Yi over again. She was determined to win him over, one interaction at a time.
Standing in front of the full-length mirror, she straightened her collar, when she suddenly heard a knock on the door.
"I didn't order any takeout, so who could it be?"
Cheng Jun thought for a moment and then her eyes lit up. She quickly walked over and opened the door.
Standing there was a curvaceous beauty, dressed in a light blue dress that exuded elegance. She appeared to be in her late twenties. Cheng Jun felt a pang of disappointment upon realizing it wasn't who she had hoped to see.
She suppressed her emotions and was about to ask the woman her business when the latter beat her to it.
"Who are you?"
Cheng Jun frowned. The question was brusque, and she didn't know this woman, so she retorted without hesitation:
"And who are you?"
"Moreover, you're asking me who I am at my own doorstep. Isn't that a bit rude?"
Shu Yunyi was momentarily stunned. Realizing she had indeed gone to the wrong place, she took a deep breath, calmed herself, and immediately apologized.
"I'm sorry, I was in a hurry just now. My apologies for troubling you."
Cheng Jun noticed her apologetic expression and, coupled with the sincere apology, relaxed her frown. She shook her head indifferently:
"It's fine. Just ask more carefully next time."
With that, she didn't want to engage further and began to close the door.
"Wait, please..."
Just as Cheng Jun was about to close the door, a hand pressed against it. Shu Yunyi, with a forced smile, asked:
"Sorry to bother you again, but do you happen to know where Shen Yi lives?"
At this question, Cheng Jun stopped closing the door. Her back straightened, and she tilted her chin slightly, looking at the woman without directly answering. Instead, she countered:
"Shen Yi? And who exactly are you to him?"
After a moment's hesitation, Shu Yunyi replied:
"I... I'm his wife."
Cheng Jun's eyes widened in surprise at the response, but then she couldn't help but chuckle. Fu Nanzhi wouldn't dare make such a bold claim, and she certainly didn't believe this woman.
"His wife? If you really were, wouldn't you know where he lives?"
All of a sudden, Cheng Jun was struck by a sense of déjà vu, but now wasn't the time to dwell on it, so she pushed the thought aside for now.
Instinctively, she compared Shu Yunyi to Fu Nanzhi, concluding that they were equally matched. While Fu Nanzhi might have the edge in looks, Shu Yunyi definitely had the upper hand in terms of figure.
Despite the unpleasantness in her tone, Shu Yunyi was secretly pleased. The fact that Cheng Jun knew Shen Yi made things easier. She planned to fabricate a story to gloss over the situation.
Smoothing her hair, she offered an explanation:
"Well, you see, whenever we have an argument, he tends to hide out here, but I'm not sure which apartment exactly. He's not picking up his phone, so I've come here to apologize."
"Could you please tell me?"
Shu Yunyi quickly summarized her story, not wanting to engage further and hoping to get the information quickly so she could leave.
"Heh..."
Cheng Jun, unsure where this woman had suddenly come from, was instantly on high alert. She didn't believe a single word she said.
Her eyes darted, and she couldn't help but sneer:
"Fighting, huh?"
"What if I told you... you haven't gone to the wrong place?"
Shu Yunyi's expression changed instantly, and her smile disappeared. She removed her hand from the door frame, her tone taking on a strange edge:
"You mean... this is his place...?"
"Yes! If you're his wife, wouldn't you recognize this place?"
Cheng Jun smirked, standing firmly by the door without moving.
As for heading to work, that could wait. Work was always an option, but this situation demanded her full attention right now.
Shu Yunyi now understood why the woman inside had been so defensive. However, with that realization came even more confusion:
"And you... who exactly are you?" she asked.
The key was that Shu Yunyi didn't recall ever having seen this woman before. A face as striking as hers would be hard to forget.
'A friend? A sister? Or maybe... a girlfriend?'
Shu Yunyi struggled to connect the dots. She knew Shen Yi's social circle was fairly clean, and this woman seemed to have just popped out of nowhere.
Cheng Jun, unrattled, responded smoothly. Her mind was working fast, and she crossed her arms, trying to assert control over the conversation:
"Isn't it customary to introduce yourself first before asking others about themselves?"
Shu Yunyi, being a university professor, wasn't a pushover even after drinking.
She saw through Cheng Jun's tactics and, with her hands behind her back, studied her thoughtfully:
"It seems you prefer to answer questions with questions. Are you that insecure?"
Cheng Jun was about to retort, but Shu Yunyi raised her hand to stop her, proceeding:
"But these are all trivial matters to me. To show my sincerity, I'll introduce myself first, and I hope you'll answer me truthfully afterward."
"Let me reintroduce myself. My name is Shu Yunyi, and I work at Jingyuan University. I'm Shen Yi's wife!"
Then, she extended her hand, signaling Cheng Jun to follow suit.
Cheng Jun, momentarily cowed by her assertiveness, nevertheless straightened her posture—and her chest—and replied:
"Cheng Jun, working at Tiancheng Group, Shen Yi's... girlfriend!"
Realizing her assertion as "girlfriend" might have seemed a step down, she quickly lifted her chin and locked eyes with Shu Yunyi.
"Girlfriend? He doesn't have one; I've never heard of it!"
Even though she had braced herself for this, hearing Cheng Jun confirm it still infuriated Shu Yunyi enough to break her composure and curse.
Cheng Jun, of course, wasn't about to back down. Her eyes widened, and she shot back:
"Oh, really? Well, he married you without consulting me, either."
"You!"
Shu Yunyi pointed a finger at her, then asked, unable to hold back:
"So... have you two been living together?"
"O-of course!"
With the pressure mounting, Cheng Jun wasn't about to back down, her chin jutting forward defiantly.
Hearing this, Shu Yunyi felt a surge of jealousy. She started doubting whether she was even sober, as reality seemed so disconnected from her memories.
"No... you've really been sleeping... sleeping with him?"
Suppressing her heartache, she asked again, unwilling to accept it.
"Yes, what about it?"
Cheng Jun replied without hesitation.
Shu Yunyi gave her a skeptical look. Doubts started to creep in, and she continued smoothly, testing the waters:
"Then... you've seen the birthmark on his... bottom?"
Cheng Jun's heart skipped a beat. This question was extremely risky; she hadn't seen Shen Yi naked, so how would she know about any birthmark?
She cautiously observed Shu Yunyi's expression, wondering:
'She sounds so certain. Has she seen it?'
But no matter what, she couldn't avoid answering. Delaying would only confirm her lie.
Cheng Jun didn't dare to wait too long, realizing it was a fifty-fifty chance, and quickly replied:
"Of course I have!"