06 Condoms on the shopping receipt
This straightforward opening left Wen Xueyan speechless for a moment. Her prepared, tactful remarks seemed somewhat weak in the face of President Cheng's calm tone.
"Mr. Cheng, thank you for calling back. I would like to ask about Song Tiancheng and the intern."
“I’m not your private investigator.” Cheng Boyan’s voice turned cold. “I’m very busy. I told you last time that we should stop here.”
Wen Xueyan gripped her phone tightly: "But I saw some WeChat messages. Is that intern named Zhuxin Xiaotiantian the one you mentioned who's close to him?"
"Yes." President Cheng's tone seemed to soften a bit. "If you are really worried about problems in your marriage, you should talk to your husband directly. I have to continue with the meeting later, and I don't know much about the personal situations of my employees."
Wen Xueyan's heart sank, but President Cheng continued, "Since you've accepted the job offer, I suggest you focus your energy on preparing for the new position. Sometimes stepping outside your comfort zone allows you to see things more clearly. Your husband might be taken away, but your career won't."
His words were almost perfectly airtight; he used the word "maybe," neither denying nor confirming anything.
“I understand, thank you Mr. Cheng for the job opportunity,” she replied.
"You're welcome. The best benefactor is yourself, someone with exceptional execution skills."
After saying that, Cheng Boyan hung up the phone.
Wen Xueyan felt that President Cheng might have seen something, but he didn't have any substantial evidence.
After the call ended, she went to her desk and began to carefully study the requirements of the new position. She suddenly felt that doing a job related to her major would make her feel more fulfilled.
Around 8 p.m., Song Tiancheng returned home and quickly went into the bathroom to take a shower.
Wen Xueyan stood beside the washing machine, holding the pair of pants he had taken off. She remembered these pants; she had specially picked them out for him at the mall when he was promoted to department head. That was their first year of marriage; they would still hold hands and go shopping together. He would patiently accompany her to try on clothes, and she would carefully choose ties for him.
Before starting the washing machine, Wen Xueyan patiently checked her pants pockets. This was a habit she had maintained for many years.
This time, her fingertips touched a thin receipt. She unfolded the slightly blurred photosensitive printout and scanned its contents.
Two bottles of drinks, one bottle of yogurt, and one box of condoms.
Wen Xueyan's fingers paused. Her gaze was fixed on those few lines of text.
The shopping location was clearly printed at the bottom of the receipt: that city was the place where Song Tiancheng had been on a business trip last week.
A dozen minutes later.
"Xueyan, I'm done showering." Song Tiancheng's voice came from the direction of the bathroom, accompanied by the sound of slippers on the floor.
Wen Xueyan quickly stuffed the receipt back into her pocket.
Song Tiancheng walked over in a bathrobe, his hair still dripping wet. He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder: "Help me dry my hair?"
This was their old trick. Whenever he wanted to be intimate, he would use this excuse to have her help him dry his hair, then pull her into the bathroom and, in the ambiguous atmosphere, take advantage of the situation.
During the first year of their marriage, Song Tiancheng was very rigid and only ever used one position. Starting last year, he suddenly began to try new positions.
At this moment, Wen Xueyan paused for a moment and did not lean into his arms as usual.
Song Tiancheng seemed oblivious, his fingers restlessly sliding across her waist: "By the way, is your period over?" His breath brushed against her ear, carrying the refreshing scent of mint toothpaste.
She turned around and looked directly into his eyes. Those eyes, which she had once loved so deeply, now looked both familiar and strange.
“Tiancheng,” her voice was calm, “what’s with this box of condoms? Where are they?”
She took the receipt out of her pocket and unfolded it in front of him.
The tenderness in Song Tiancheng's eyes vanished without a trace.
"What condoms?" He tried to take the receipt, but Wen Xueyan pulled her hand back.
“You bought it last Wednesday in the city where you were on a business trip,” she reminded her.
Song Tiancheng's expression shifted, then he forced a smile: "Oh, that... a colleague asked me to bring it back. You know Li Haiyang, right? He always likes to ask people to bring things for him..."
"Why doesn't he buy it himself? Who asks someone else to bring this back for them?" Wen Xueyan interrupted him, her eyes blazing.
"Xueyan, let me explain..." he pleaded.
"I'm listening." Wen Xueyan crossed her arms and leaned against the washing machine.
Song Tiancheng rubbed his temples, looking exhausted. "That night, we had a meeting at the client's place that went on until very late. Everyone was tired and thirsty, so I went to the convenience store to buy some drinks. Li Haiyang did ask me to bring him a box of condoms, but it wasn't convenient for me to ask him what they were for. Besides, if I bought them myself, why would I keep the receipt to show you?"
"So you kindly bought it for him?" Wen Xueyan's voice carried a hint of doubt.
Song Tiancheng nodded: "That's right. Xueyan, you're too suspicious." He tried to hug her, but she took a step back.
"Then why is the receipt in your pocket? Shouldn't you give the receipt to the person you bought it from?" Wen Xueyan pressed.
Song Tiancheng had not expected Wen Xueyan to ask such detailed questions.
"I forgot to give it to him."
At this moment, all the details point to a fact she doesn't want to face.
"Tiancheng, look at me." Her voice trembled slightly. "I want you to look me in the eye and tell me the truth. Who was that box of condoms for? If you really cheated on me, let's get a divorce, okay?"
Song Tiancheng avoided her gaze and looked down at the ground.
"Don't get a divorce. I swear, I didn't cheat on you. Please believe me, okay?"
"Then show me your chat history with that 'Little Sweetie Bamboo Heart' right now."
Song Tiancheng quickly took out his phone, and Wen Xueyan saw that all the chat history between the two had been deleted.
"Because it involves project details, the company requires confidentiality, so I deleted it. I really only love you, otherwise why would I add your name to the house purchase? You have to believe me." Song Tiancheng once again used the excuse of "needing confidentiality."
After saying that, he took a step forward, trying to end the interrogation by kissing her neck.
Wen Xueyan felt that she wouldn't get any information out of him tonight.
Just as his lips were about to touch her skin, Wen Xueyan suddenly recalled the posts she had seen online in the past few days, where several strange women shared their experiences of contracting HPV after their husbands cheated on them.
Those cold medical terms suddenly became vivid and terrifying: high-risk viruses, lifelong carriers...
She pushed him away abruptly, her movements decisive and without reservation.
"I feel a little dizzy today and want to go to bed early."
Song Tiancheng was stunned; his prepared words of comfort suddenly became useless.
Wen Xueyan turned and walked towards the second bedroom.
While physical infidelity is heartbreaking, the effects of a virus are lifelong. Love may forgive a moment of infatuation, but the HPV virus will not forgive any negligence.
The moment she closed the bedroom door, Wen Xueyan leaned against it and took a deep breath. She realized that her care for her body had always been meticulous, including annual physical examinations, a balanced diet, and regular exercise.
Now, however, we may face unknown risks because of another person's desires.
If Song Tiancheng's previous indifference made Wen Xueyan doubt her personal charm, she is now almost certain that it wasn't her fault.
For the next month, Wen Xueyan refused Song Tiancheng's requests to share a room with her for various reasons. Headaches, fatigue, work pressure... these excuses came one after another, and after a few days of testing the waters, Song Tiancheng stopped insisting.
But Wen Xueyan's body possesses its own memories and desires. In the dead of night, she would suddenly wake up, her skin sensitively sensing the friction of her pajamas, a strange restlessness surging through her blood.
On several mornings, she would wake up from blushing dreams in which a man would kiss her tenderly and passionately, the kisses bringing a thrilling pleasure as they intertwined. The kisses would travel downwards, inch by inch, exploring every secret place of her body.
Upon waking, Wen Xueyan would be momentarily disoriented. Her body still lingered with the joyful afterglow of her dream, but her heart felt a profound loneliness.
In those half-awake moments, she even hesitated whether she should compromise with reality or close her eyes and just make do.
But whenever the morning light filters through the curtains and reason returns, Wen Xueyan reaffirms her decision.
However, a new thought began to sprout in her mind: her own physiological needs should not be ignored.
One detail in this matter puzzled her: if Zhu Xin Xiao Tian Tian was really a mistress trying to take her place, why did she never actively appear in her life except for the ambiguous messages on WeChat? There were no provocative phone calls, no sudden visits.
This doesn't make sense. It's even less likely that it's because the mistress is morally superior.
Wen Xueyan felt that rather than making a hasty decision to divorce under the influence of emotions, it was better to stabilize her situation first, otherwise she wouldn't even have enough money to rent a place. Ning Zhiyi's financially strained life was a ready example. With her new job about to start, she would wait until she was established in the new company and had a higher income before dealing with this marital relationship.
At that time, whether she chooses to forgive or leave, she will have more control.
A month later, Wen Xueyan stood in front of the Nosai Chemical Technology Company building. The scorching summer sun beat down on the glass curtain wall, reflecting a blinding light.
The receptionist verified her identity and handed her a temporary employee badge: "Wen Xueyan, the Human Resources Department is on the eighth floor. HR is waiting for you. Submit your onboarding documents today, and you will receive your official employee badge in three working days."
The Human Resources Department's onboarding process was efficient and standardized. After completing all the formalities, Wen Xueyan was taken to the R&D Center.
"This is your direct supervisor, Manager Lin Shuyi," the HR introduced.
Lin Shuyi looked to be in her mid-thirties, with neat short hair. She raised her head and glanced at Wen Xueyan, her eyes sharp and calm.
"Wen Xueyan? Your last job was as a receptionist?" She glanced down at the documents in her hand, her eyes not friendly.
Welcome to leave comments if you enjoy reading! Thank you for reading.
The pace is so fast, my new job is about to start.
It's good. I'm curious why Song cheated on her husband but doesn't want a divorce.
It looks great, please update it soon!
Another clear-headed female lead! I love her!
I really like the clear-headed female lead; she should really focus on her career!
I really like the female lead's way of thinking, please update soon!
Thank you for your comment, reader!
Thank you for your comment, reader!
Haha, I'll explain why later! Thanks for the comment, reader!
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