The Boss and His Wife Had a Fight

The Boss and His Wife Had a Fight

Xu Quan appeared at the door, his gaze fixed on the anxious maid.

"Butler Xu," the maid said in a fluster, "Young Madam changed the bedsheets herself and won't let me wash them. This is part of my job—please talk to her."

Tang Mianmian was at a loss for words.

She simply felt it was inappropriate to let someone else handle something so personal. It wasn't that she thought the maid did anything wrong.

Xu Quan seemed to understand. He waved a hand at the maid. "It's fine. Just let her wash them herself."

Though still startled, the maid nodded and left.

Tang Mianmian quickly bowed her head in gratitude. "Thank you, Uncle Xu."

"Young Madam, once you've had breakfast, please head over to Huayuan," he said calmly.

"Grandpa's looking for me?" She tensed.

Xu Quan nodded without elaborating, but his expression wasn't optimistic.

Tang Mianmian felt the pressure mount again. It always seemed like nothing in this house escaped the old man's watchful eyes.

She sighed, then nodded. "I'll take a day off and come over. You can go ahead."

"Yes, ma'am."

After some hesitation, she picked up her phone and called An Yi.

An Yi seemed to already know she wouldn't be coming in. "Your leave's already approved. Take a few more days to rest."

Tang Mianmian wanted to ask about him, but in the end, she said nothing.

When the call ended, she felt a strange emptiness.

Back in the company's conference room, An Yi looked at the furious boss raging through a meeting and sighed to himself, "Whenever the couple fights, a bunch of people at the company suffer. Young Madam, please have mercy."

He mock-prayed with his phone, while Cindy silently mouthed, "Boss fought with his wife?"

An Yi nodded grimly.

Cindy looked like she might cry—this wasn't going to be a fun few days.

—

Breakfast that morning was different—mild, soothing dishes. Tang Mianmian, who loved spicy food, found them bland. She frowned and asked, "Uncle Xu, did the Long family hire a new chef?"

"No."

"Then why's the food so plain?"

Xu Quan hesitated before replying, "Young Master requested it."

Long Yejue?

Her heart skipped a beat. She bit her chopsticks, hesitating. "Why would he ask for milder dishes?"

"That… you'll have to ask him yourself, Madam."

"…"

Ask him? No way!

She didn't want to talk to him at all right now.

Forget it. She dropped the matter and, after finishing breakfast, drove to Huayuan.

—

In the garden of Huayuan, the old man was playing a game of Go. Tang Mianmian approached respectfully.

"Grandpa."

"Ah, Mianmian, you're here." Long Zhenfei looked up with a kindly smile.

"Uncle Xu said you wanted to see me." She stood upright, well-behaved.

"No need to stand. Sit." He gestured to the chair. "Do you know how to play Go?"

"A little."

She'd learned a bit from her father, but she wasn't very good.

The old man handed her the black stones immediately. "Perfect. I needed someone to play with."

She agreed obediently, sat down, and began to play.

The early winter sun warmed the garden, where flowers were still in bloom and fragrant in the breeze.

They didn't speak, only moved stones—one turn at a time.

As the game neared its end, Tang Mianmian was cornered with no room to move. She was about to concede when the old man picked up a black stone and placed it on the board for her.

"See that? That move is just right," he said with a smile.

Tang Mianmian studied the board—it was exactly as he said. That one retreat opened a path and greatly increased her chances of winning.

She blinked in amazement. "Grandpa, you're amazing."

"Life is like a game of Go," he said, chuckling. "Sometimes, taking a step back opens up the whole sky."

Her heart stirred. She understood he was trying to guide her.

She nodded earnestly. "Thank you for the wisdom, Grandpa. I understand now."

"Good." He didn't say more. That was enough.

He liked Mianmian's sincerity, and even more, her ability to understand with just a hint.

"All right, enough boring you with Go. Go on and do your own thing. Take a few days to rest," he said with meaning.

Tang Mianmian blinked, puzzled.

Why were so many people telling her to "rest well"?

As Long Zhenfei stood and stretched, he said, "You two haven't been married long, but it's time to think about a child. A child stabilizes a family and proves the bond between you two. Your mother-in-law might even stop resisting you."

"Uh…" She didn't know how to respond.

If Grandpa knew they hadn't even been physically intimate yet… would he be disappointed?

"I'm not getting any younger," he continued. "Every day is a gift at my age. Seeing the next generation of the Long family would put my heart at ease."

"Grandpa…" she murmured, moved. "You'll live to a hundred!"

"Hmph, if I live to a hundred, then I want two great-grandkids!"

Her cheeks flushed pink, and she laughed shyly.

On Her Way Back from Huayuan

As Tang Mianmian drove back to Nianyuan, she ran into Su Wanru and Long Ruoshui.

Long Ruoshui, seemingly recovered from her kidnapping, looked much more cheerful. The two girls were walking arm-in-arm through the courtyard, but when they spotted Tang Mianmian's car approaching, they deliberately stepped into the middle of the road.

A sense of foreboding rose in Tang Mianmian's chest. Still, she stopped the car and rolled down the window. "Little sister, do you need a ride?"

"Who said I need a ride? This is my home—I don't ride in cars, I use them!"

Even though Tang Mianmian had risked herself to save Long Ruoshui, the girl saw it as her own stupidity for getting caught in the first place.

So there was no gratitude, only the same arrogance as always. "Wanru and I are going to Jinyuan. Give us the car. You can walk back."

Tang Mianmian's brows furrowed slightly—she was clearly reluctant.

The distance to Nianyuan was farther than to Jinyuan, and with her cramps acting up, walking all that way would be torture.

But judging by Long Ruoshui's expression, she had no intention of backing down. Tang Mianmian could only sigh and step out of the car. "Fine, I'll walk."

Her easy submission startled Long Ruoshui.

She had expected Tang Mianmian to make a fuss—then she'd have an excuse to complain about her. But this woman yielded so easily, making her seem petty instead.

So even though she'd gotten the car, it didn't feel like a victory. Watching that lonely figure disappear down the road, she kicked the car in frustration. "That woman is too much!"

"Don't get too worked up," Su Wanru coaxed patiently. "You're still recovering. It's only right she gave you the car."

Long Ruoshui's pride flared again. "You're right. Let's go. I'm taking you to my mom—I want you to move into our house and start planning how to get closer to my brother."

Su Wanru feigned hesitation. "But... he's already married."

"So what? Their marriage hasn't even been announced. And my mom hasn't handed over the marriage certificate—clearly, she's not happy with it. As long as Tang Mianmian hasn't had a baby, anything's possible."

She was pushing Su Wanru to go after Long Yejue.

Little did she know, that was exactly what Su Wanru wanted.

Still, Su Wanru kept up the act, hesitant. "How do you know they haven't had a child? They've been together a while now."

"Come here, I'll tell you a secret." Long Ruoshui beckoned her over and whispered something in her ear.

Su Wanru's eyes widened. "How do you know she's on her period?"

"The maids said so. Plus, they fought last night." Long Ruoshui looked smug. "This is your chance. If you get pregnant before she does, the title of Long family's Young Madam will be yours."

Su Wanru looked tempted. "Really?"

"Of course! Let's go. I told my mom I was scared and needed you to keep me company. She agreed to let you move into the old house. You'll have plenty of chances now. Do your best! I worked hard to set this up for you."

Su Wanru nodded, falling into thoughtful silence.

—

Tang Mianmian was exhausted.

The cramps were worsening, forcing her to stop and rest every few steps.

Her whole body was weak, worse than any time before—probably from downing three cold yogurts the night before.

Thinking of the yogurt reminded her of him, and her heart grumbled with frustration. Just as she was about to get moving again, her phone rang.

It was Long Yejue.

The sight of his name made her heartbeat quicken, nerves flaring. After a moment of hesitation, she picked up. Her voice was soft and weak. "Hello?"

"It's me." His deep voice was calm, but distant.

There was no warmth in his tone—totally unlike her usual playful self, her response was just as indifferent.

"Are you outside?" he asked, catching the sound of wind in the background.

"Mm."

There was a pause. Neither of them knew what to say.

After a moment, he finally spoke again. "Where are you? I'll send someone to pick you up."

"No need. I'm almost home," she replied flatly.

Long Yejue's brows furrowed tighter. "You're walking? No wonder you sound so weak."

She hadn't wanted to mention it, but now that he'd guessed, she admitted it honestly. "Yes."

"Why aren't you using the car? Do you think it's okay to walk like this right now?" His calm voice suddenly grew agitated—reminiscent of their fight the night before. "Turn around and wait there. I'm sending Uncle Xu to get you."

"There's no ne—"

Click.

He'd hung up.

She stared at the phone for a long time before finally finishing her sentence, "…need. I can walk. I'm almost there."

But there was no one to hear it now.

She sighed and pushed herself to keep walking.

Still, she couldn't figure out why Long Yejue had called.

Was it concern?

Or just a random check-in?

Maybe both.

—

Back at the office, Long Yejue was giving instructions to Uncle Xu when he reached for his phone again.

An Yi quickly stopped him, exasperated. "Boss, the way you spoke just now—who would think that was out of concern? It sounded like you were just randomly checking in!"

Long Yejue shook him off coldly. "If I didn't care, why would I call?"

An Yi looked like he might cry. "Then show it! Use a softer tone, say a few comforting words, is that so hard?"

Long Yejue shot him a frosty glare, and An Yi could only retreat with a long sigh.

How long would this awkward cold war continue?

The entire company was already suffering!

Especially him, the special assistant—life under this moody boss was a battlefield.

From now on, he wouldn't be praying for love or fortune anymore. He'd be praying for his boss's marriage to go smoothly—because that meant his life could finally be peaceful too.