Chapter 131 Moral Blackmail

"Don't leave, we're leaving right now, we won't be back for the next couple of days." I thought Chu Zhen would be nicer to Vera, but he was still cold and emotionless.

“OK, whatever you want.” Vera shrugged.

I washed up, packed my belongings, and went out with Chu Zhen.

"Oh, right, the chili sauce is in that box, it's for you." Chu Zhen glanced at the box on the table.

"Wow, I knew you were all talk and no action. Thanks!"

"She likes hot sauce?"

“Yes, I used to bring her a lot of chili sauce every time I went back to China, and this was the only brand she liked.”

"I didn't realize that Master Chu is so caring and knows what others like."

Are you jealous?

"Of course, as a wife, shouldn't I be jealous? You went straight to another woman's house with your suitcase, and even brought her favorite things from afar. Why didn't you bring any of my favorite foods? Do you know how bad the food in America is?" I said, deliberately trying to sound jealous.

"How could I forget what my wife likes? There will be a surprise in a little while." Chu Zhen put the luggage in the Vera car.

When did you get the car keys?

"While you were packing your luggage, hurry up and get in the car. I'll take you for a drive."

"Chu Zhen, what exactly is your relationship with Vera? Aren't you supposed to be aloof from women? How come you're so close to Vera? You have to tell me the truth."

"Okay, I'll give you instructions later. Let's go somewhere first."

The car sped along and entered the city, stopping in an apartment parking lot.

Chu Zhen carried her luggage into the apartment and got the key from the property management office. I followed closely behind. I'm such a directionless person that I could easily get lost in such a big city.

"Come in~" Upon reaching the top floor, Chu Zhen opened the door to room 1808. This was clearly not a hotel; all the furniture inside was covered with a white cloth. However, it seemed that someone usually came to clean the room, as there was no dust on the white cloth.

The decorating style looked very familiar, just like Chu Zhen's apartment in City A. Could it be? I looked at Chu Zhen with a questioning expression.

“This is my apartment in the United States. The key is with the property management. They come to clean it regularly. It was already cleaned before they came, so you can just take the cloth off.” Chu Zhen said as she pulled the cloth off.

I was so stupid. Chu Zhen has been in the United States for so long, he should have a place of residence. I never paid attention to it.

"The fridge is fully stocked. I had the property management help me buy things before we arrived. You rest for a bit, we'll eat later." Chu Zhen turned and went into the kitchen. So this was the surprise Chu Zhen had prepared for me. I didn't stay idle either; I took my suitcase to the room and started unpacking.

Seeing our clothes hung in the same closet gave me a sense of security. I realized I'd become so dependent on Chu Zhen without even realizing it. Yesterday was terrifying; I went to sleep without showering. I took a shower in the bathroom. The apartment wasn't big, with only one bedroom. There wasn't even a single picture of Chu Zhen in it. Aside from the decorating style, which was the same as in City A, giving the impression that Chu Zhen had lived here, there was no other trace of her presence.

After taking a shower, I smelled the aroma of food filling the house. I've been trying to cook some Chinese food these days, but the ingredients and seasonings are limited, and my cooking skills are just so-so, so I've been eating steak almost all the time.

Steamed shrimp and egg, braised pork, steamed sea bass, and stir-fried asparagus are already prepared on the table.

"Eat first, the soup will be ready in a little while." Chu Zhen served me rice and chopsticks, he was just about to feed me.

"It's so delicious!" I ate two pieces of braised pork in a row. "I think pork is still the best, much better than steak. Vera also took me to Chinese restaurants during this time, but the taste was never quite right. It turns out that what I wanted to eat wasn't Chinese food, but your cooking."

"Eat slowly, I'll make it for you every day from now on."

"Everyday?" I looked up in surprise.

"Well, I haven't taken a year-end leave in all these years, so I'm just taking it all off now. It's just that the station director doesn't look too good."

"Take a couple of days off and go back to work. I don't want everyone to laugh at me when I return to the station. It's too dramatic of me to bring my family along when I come out to study."

"After we finish eating, I'll take you out for a walk~" Chu Zhen changed the subject.

The streets of New York were bustling with people, and Chu Zhen held my hand tightly, as if afraid I would get lost.

“Back in college, I started out working part-time at that restaurant. I originally applied for a job as a dishwasher, but later the boss probably thought I was pretty, so he had me stand at the door to attract customers,” Chu Zhen said casually, pointing to the fast food restaurant not far to her right.

"See that store? I spent my first month's salary at that store. Americans have a strong sense of time and are very efficient at work. At that time, I could only use my Nokia phone to check the time, so after I got my salary, I bought a watch here. For the next month, I ate instant noodles."

"I sang in that street performer's spot too, do you believe me?"

To our left is a square where a street singer is performing, and there are quite a few people watching.

Chu Zhen recounted all her experiences in a lighthearted manner, but I felt uneasy. I always thought Chu Zhen was the kind of person who lived in this city with the title of a rich second generation, but in reality, she relied on herself to achieve everything she has today. Meanwhile, I was living a carefree life in City A, receiving living expenses from my parents, and then I met Chu Zhen after starting work, without experiencing any hardships.

"Chu Zhen~" I called softly, leaning into his arms. "I will learn to cook and do housework from now on, and I will share the burden with you."

I feel sorry for Chu Zhen; his life in America isn't as easy as others imagine.

"Do you feel that your husband is working too hard?"

"Yes, everyone envies those who study abroad. Only when you are actually in a foreign country can you understand how difficult it is. Others only see the glamour, but how many people see the effort you put in behind the scenes?"

"Silly girl, I'm not suffering. Consider this as a learning experience. I don't need you to know everything. When you're completely independent, won't you be less dependent on me? Then I won't be able to find my own value." Chu Zhen pinched my nose. He always made everything sound so easy.

"This is where I met Vera." We arrived at the World Trade Center.

“At the time of 9/11, I was interning at a TV station and went directly to the scene with the program crew. Vera was interning at a newspaper at the time and was also at the scene. I didn’t notice that the building behind me was collapsing, and Vera pulled me away, so we became comrades-in-arms. That’s when I made a friend in the United States, Vera.”

It turns out that Vera was Chu Zhen's savior. So why did Amy, who was also his savior, use that incident of taking a bullet for Chu Zhen to morally blackmail him?