Chapter 10 Arguing and Handing Over the Bankbook
Bai Zhenzhen stood barefoot on the sofa, one hand on her hip and the other pointing at him, asking, "Let's make things clear today. Do you have a problem with me?"
Although she asked that question, she had a look on her face that said, "You're dead if you dare say that."
Shen Huai'an found it strange that she kept calling him "wife," and he was also curious about what had happened to cause such a big change in her attitude.
"No," Shen Huai'an thought, preferring to avoid trouble. He had been focused on his work and just wanted some peace and quiet at home. "I have no complaints about you."
As he spoke, his gaze fell on the various open lunchboxes on the table. Almost every dish was barely touched; the young lady wouldn't eat leftovers, so most of these would be thrown away.
Shen Huai'an glanced at it and looked away. He had only eaten some bread given to him by a colleague to tide him over the night, and was about to go to the kitchen to wash his hands and cook a bowl of noodles.
How could someone leave halfway through an argument? She hadn't even had a chance to get going yet! Seeing Shen Huai'an's nonchalant attitude, Bai Zhenzhen immediately reached out to pull him back, "You're not allowed to leave..."
She reached out her hand and realized she was still standing on the sofa. The soft fabric sofa sagged slightly from her footsteps, and she lost her balance and fell forward.
As Shen Huai'an turned to the side, he caught a glimpse of Leng Yan's cold eyes. He reached out and caught Bai Zhenzhen, who was falling over. He looked thin, but he was quite strong. He held her waist firmly with his large hand and supported her shoulder and back with his other hand, pulling her off the sofa.
Startled, Bai Zhenzhen fell onto him and instinctively reached out to hug him tightly. She buried her face in his neck, her forehead against his ear, and her slightly parted red lips brushed against his prominent Adam's apple with a gasp.
The moment the unfamiliar, soft touch brushed against him, the man's straight back stiffened almost imperceptibly, and he tilted his head back, trying to create some distance. "It's alright..."
Unexpectedly, the person in his arms was terrified and not only did not dodge, but was also rubbed against by Bai Zhenzhen, whose feet were not touching the ground, a couple more times.
With her soft, fragrant body pressed tightly against his chest, Shen Huai'an's breathing became slightly heavier. His large hand, which was on her waist, gently tightened. His thoughts wandered at this moment, and he felt that the waist under his hand was incredibly soft and slender.
Shen Huai'an is a full 1.86 meters tall. When Bai Zhenzhen was lifted up by him, her feet couldn't reach the ground, making her feel very insecure. Her fair toes kicked wildly at the man's calves a few times, the force was not strong, but it immediately pulled him back from his daze.
He loosened his grip, preparing to put her down. Bai Zhenzhen's body slid down involuntarily, her cheek brushing against his half-open collar. Her toes touched something, and only when she stepped on it did she realize that she was stepping on Shen Huai'an's foot.
The two were still very close. Noticing that he was about to let go, Bai Zhenzhen hugged his shoulders even tighter and made a request, "Don't put me on the ground, I'm filthy without shoes."
The man tensed up, pursed his lips, and went to find her slippers as instructed. He only found one by the sofa, but couldn't find the other one. He simply bent down, put his large hand under her legs, and prepared to pick her up and put her on the sofa in front of him.
When his fingertips touched the smooth, slightly cool skin of her legs, Shen Huai'an's expression remained calm, and he unconsciously pursed his lips.
Bai Zhenzhen was also very uncomfortable from the heat of his hands. She curled her toes slightly and wrapped her arms around his neck until the man gently put her down before belatedly letting go.
After putting her down, Shen Huai'an didn't leave. He found the other slipper that she had kicked away and placed it in front of the sofa along with the other one.
It was just a very subtle gesture, but Bai Zhenzhen's anger inexplicably dissipated.
She put on her slippers and stood up again, only to see that Shen Huai'an had already turned around and walked into the kitchen. It was called a kitchen, but it was actually only a half-open space with a few cabinets and the stove and pots against the wall. The space was very small, and two people could not turn around in it.
Bai Zhenzhen had no intention of going into the kitchen. She saw that Shen Huai'an's actions seemed to indicate that he was preparing to cook. Her eyes swept over the cold food on the table, and she pursed her lips, feeling a little annoyed.
Shen Huai'an simply cooked a bowl of vegetables and noodles, quickly finished cooking, and turned off the heat. Hearing a faint sound behind him, he turned around and saw Bai Zhenzhen cleaning up the mess on the table with a slightly disgusted look.
He was a little surprised. Just then, Bai Zhenzhen looked up, and their eyes met. She pointed to the food that was more than half left and said, "I originally ordered your food, but you had to work overtime again."
It's not that she's the one who's missing out on the food; it's that he's the one who's
"Okay, you don't need to worry about me next time." Shen Huai'an walked over to help her tidy up, but saw Bai Zhenzhen standing there glaring at him.
He thought for a moment and then explained, "The prosecutor's office is quite busy, and I usually don't come back for meals when there are urgent cases."
"Oh, so you're not always this busy, are you?"
Bai Zhenzhen wanted to reassure her father so he could go abroad for treatment, but now they can't even have dinner together. How can she cultivate a relationship with him under these circumstances?
Since joining the procuratorate, working overtime has been a regular occurrence for Shen Huai'an. Only his family members care about whether he has rested and eaten well. This is the first time Bai Zhenzhen has inquired about his situation.
Shen Huai'an glanced at her quietly, then threw the trash into the bin before replying, "No."
"Are you working overtime tomorrow?" Bai Zhenzhen asked immediately.
This time, Shen Huai'an did not answer immediately. His eyes were lowered, as if he wanted to find out what her purpose was. After a long while, he said, "I don't know. It depends on the situation."
If there are no urgent cases, he might leave work a little earlier.
After finishing his sentence, Shen Huai'an went to the kitchen and brought out a bowl of noodles that had clumped together. His cooking skills were good, but no matter how he cooked simple vegetable noodles, they would never become a delicacy. Fortunately, he was not a picky eater. When he picked up his chopsticks to eat, he saw Bai Zhenzhen sitting down opposite him with her chin resting on her hand.
A pair of bright, watery eyes, filled with undeniable curiosity, fell upon him. His hand, holding the chopsticks, twitched slightly, and then he heard Bai Zhenzhen ask again, "Is the noodle you cooked delicious?"
"The taste is so-so." Shen Huai'an said honestly, picking up the noodles with his chopsticks as he was about to eat when he caught a glimpse of Bai Zhenzhen pouting slightly, as if expressing her dissatisfaction.
Shen Huai'an raised his head again, and sighed softly as if in helplessness, "Would you like to try some?"
Bai Zhenzhen's eyes lit up. She thought of the fried rice Shen Huai'an had made last night and really wanted to try it.
Knowing she was just curious, Shen Huai'an went to the kitchen and got a clean bowl and chopsticks. He picked out two mouthfuls of noodles, put them in the bowl, and placed it in front of her.
The vegetable noodles he cooked were indeed just average. The noodles lost their chewiness after sitting for a while and became mushy. However, they had the advantage of being refreshing and not greasy. Bai Zhenzhen took a couple of bites, but put down her chopsticks after her curiosity was gone.
Shen Huai'an didn't pay much attention to her actions, but halfway through this belated dinner, Bai Zhenzhen pushed another box in front of him.
"I went to the mall today to pick out a gift for Shen Qing and bought one for you too. Here, take it." Bai Zhenzhen's tone was casual, as if she had just casually given away a worthless trinket.
"Take it back, I don't need the phone." Shen Huai'an's gaze was indifferent; he didn't touch the box and continued eating his noodles.
"Why wouldn't I need it? I'll call you tomorrow to ask if you'll be working overtime." Bai Zhenzhen didn't believe him and suspected that he didn't want to accept the gift she gave him.
She might have previously suspected that Shen Huai'an was just pretending to be noble and that he was plotting something bigger. But through that dream, she realized that Shen Huai'an genuinely had no interest in her family's money. Furthermore, Bai Chuxiong kept telling her how outstanding and upright this man was, which changed her opinion of him considerably.
Therefore, Bai Zhenzhen was not angry when she was directly rejected. She just continued, "If you hadn't forgotten your phone last time, Shen Qing wouldn't have missed calling you so many times. Also, I can't call your workplace every time to ask if you're working overtime or if you'll be home for dinner, can I?"
What she said was true, and it made some sense. After giving her advice, she ignored Shen Huai'an's reaction and then asked, "By the way, those bastards who almost bullied Shen Qing weren't released, were they? If anyone dares to use their connections to protect them, just tell me, and I'll find someone..."
“No, investigations take time. Those people are still in detention. I’ve already had someone take care of this,” Shen Huai’an’s gaze turned cold as he spoke of his sister. He then looked at Bai Zhenzhen and paused before saying, “You just said you were going to buy a gift for Xiao Qing…”
“Yes, she was tricked by those people because of me, so as her sister-in-law, I should make it up to her.” Bai Zhenzhen said frankly, her gaze seeming to ask if there was anything wrong with it.
After hearing her words, Shen Huai'an was genuinely stunned for a moment. He looked at her with deep eyes, and the doubts in his heart grew even stronger.
Bai Zhenzhen continued talking to herself, "I also bought her a cell phone, so it will be much easier to contact her in the future."
Having a mobile phone would indeed make things much more convenient. After thinking it over, Shen Huai'an accepted the box and then got up to get something and handed it to Bai Zhenzhen.
It was a savings book. Bai Zhenzhen took it and opened it without thinking much, only to find that it contained Shen Huai'an's savings from working for several years, totaling 32,000 yuan.
When he first entered the procuratorate after graduating at the age of 23, his salary was only a few hundred yuan. As he rose through the ranks, his salary and benefits increased significantly. Now, Shen Huai'an serves as the deputy chief procurator of the procuratorate, with a monthly salary of about 1,500 yuan.
He doesn't usually spend much money. Apart from sending 200 yuan home every month, he doesn't have many other daily expenses. This is the money he saved up over four years of work.
It would be a huge sum of money for an ordinary person, but it shouldn't be much for Bai Zhenzhen. Shen Huai'an knew that she was not short of money, but he really couldn't accept it with a clear conscience.
When the two got married, their marriage existed in name only, so there was no need to take out this savings book. Now, Shen Huai'an has no intention of taking it out, since he doesn't even know what Bai Zhenzhen is thinking.
"I've heard that wives usually manage the money after marriage. You're quite perceptive." Bai Zhenzhen accepted the bankbook and looked up at him with a smile.
Her words made it sound as if the two were truly an ordinary couple.
But Shen Huai'an still slept alone on the sofa at night.
A note from the author:
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One second my wife asked me if I could answer her question about working overtime.
The next second, he handed over his bankbook. [Dog head holding a rose][Dog head holding a rose]
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