Furthermore, her husband didn't find anything wrong at all.
Chu Yi sighed, lay there, and looked increasingly dejected.
This year's Christmas Eve falls on a weekday Tuesday, so Qiao Anchen undoubtedly doesn't have a holiday. On the first day of the Lunar New Year, while browsing the web, he unconsciously started looking at nearby restaurants with good reviews.
After scrolling through a few pages, she suddenly snapped back to reality and exited the app.
—Anyway, watching more won't make a difference.
Before we knew it, the festive atmosphere gradually grew stronger, and with the arrival of the first light snow in Lancheng, the first Christmas tree began to be placed on the street corner.
The old man in the red shirt and white beard was also pasted on the window glass. On the first day of the Lunar New Year, he went to the supermarket and bought a pound of apples, the most expensive kind.
No one was there to spend Christmas Eve with her, but that's okay, she still had apples to keep her company.
As it was nearing the end of the workday, Chu Yi suddenly received a message from Qiao Anchen. She stared at the short line of text, wondering if she was hallucinating.
Where would you like to eat on Christmas Eve?
For some reason, she had a strange sense of déjà vu, like the bittersweet feeling of her own son finally growing up.
Chu Yi sniffed and replied.
Aren't you working overtime today?
[No addition]
【I'll book the restaurant and send it to you later. You can come over after get off work?】 】【Okay, whatever you like.】
I have to go now, I'm still busy.
【Okay, I'll go choose a restaurant】
Ah, Chu Yi put away her phone, overwhelmed with emotion, but ultimately swallowed her sighs and quickly went to the restaurant.
Given Mr. Qiao's particular taste, Chu Yi didn't dare to order Western food. Instead, she found the highest-rated music restaurant on a review website. Judging from the reviews and pictures, the environment there was nice, the food was delicious, and most importantly, it had all kinds of flavors to choose from, including salty, sweet, and spicy.
After sending the address to Qiao Anchen, Chu Yi started changing her clothes. Although the wind was chilly, nothing could stop a girl from wanting to wear a dress. Chu Yi put on a coat over her dress, still exuding confidence and showing off her curves.
She arrived at the restaurant ahead of time. The restaurant had a very nice ambiance, with a chic decor, large potted plants and flowers, black walnut wood tables and chairs, and a band playing on the stage in the center.
The restaurant is large but quite quiet, with each booth offering a high degree of privacy, separated by plant shelves, and the overhead lighting is also quite unique.
After waiting for about ten minutes, Qiao Anchen appeared at the door right on time. The prosecutor had obviously rushed over as soon as he got off work. He was dressed in a neat suit as usual, with his coat in his hand. The way he looked up and around attracted the attention of several people at the next table.
Qiao Anchen is a very punctual person, almost accurate to the second. Perhaps it is due to his personality and profession, but he will take even a casual promise to heart.
Therefore, most of the time, Chu Yi trusts Qiao Anchen very much, because he always does what he says.
However, he had no intention of speaking out on his own initiative.
"Here—" Chu Yi waved to him, and Qiao Anchen immediately turned his gaze to her. He nodded and walked towards her.
"Have you ordered yet?" Qiao Anchen asked, putting his coat on the back of the chair. Chu Yi shook his head.
"No, we'll order together."
The two studied the menu for a while, and in the end, Chu Yi selected a few dishes that were highly recommended by netizens on the review website. While waiting for the food to be served, Chu Yi asked him a question.
"Why did you suddenly decide to ask me out to dinner today?"
"Isn't it Christmas Eve?" Qiao Anchen poured himself a glass of water, took a sip, and asked in confusion.
“But you’re the kind of person who doesn’t even celebrate Valentine’s Day,” Chu Yi said.
Qiao Anchen paused in his drinking, seemingly with a slight sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a feeling of mixed emotions, often including regret or nostalgia).
"Things are not what they used to be..."
"?" Chu Yi recalled his behavior yesterday. He didn't react much before going to sleep, which didn't seem like someone who was preparing for Christmas Eve.
Something suddenly flashed through her mind.
"Did your colleague remind you?" Chu Yi looked at him suspiciously, and Qiao Anchen's expression stiffened.
"He mentioned it casually..."
Actually, no. Jin Ran came over specifically before leaving get off work to remind him that it was Christmas Eve and he shouldn't take anyone out to eat Hunan cuisine again.
Qiao Anchen had no idea that they were going out to eat together on Christmas Eve.
After listening, he pondered for a few seconds and immediately sent a message to Chu Yi.
Chuyi: "..."
She knew it.
Given Qiao Anchen's personality, the idea of him going out to eat with her during a holiday is practically a collision of planets.
She's resigned to her fate.
Chu Yi poured himself a glass of water, took a sip, suppressed the churning emotions in his mind, and maintained a polite smile.
"I really have to thank you for being my friend. I'll have to thank him in person next time I have the chance."
The dishes were served, and they all looked quite good. Before taking a bite, Chu Yi felt inexplicably nervous, staring at Qiao Anchen, a little afraid that he would suddenly speak—
"This dish wasn't cooked through." Or, "It tastes a bit awful." Or, "We should have gone to that Hunan restaurant instead."
Chu Yi felt like he wanted to die.
Fortunately.
"Hmm...it tastes alright." Qiao Anchen took a bite, picked up his chopsticks, nodded, and gave a serious evaluation. Chu Yi breathed a sigh of relief.
"That's good."
Overall, the meal was pretty good. In the end, Qiao Anchen paid the bill. He swiped his card at the cashier and waited, while several other customers stood nearby.
Chu Yi only glanced down at her phone for a moment before looking up again and saw that there was a woman next to Qiao Anchen, smiling and talking to him.
From her angle, she could only see Qiao Anchen's profile and back, and couldn't hear them talking. Chu Yi waited for a while, and the two seemed to still be talking, with no sign of it ending.
Chu Yi shifted his focus and began packing his bag and belongings.
Suddenly, Qiao Anchen waved to her from the other end.
Chu Yi was taken aback, but still got up and walked over, taking her personal belongings and grabbing Qiao Anchen's coat that was hanging on the back of the chair.
"What's wrong?" she asked Qiao Anchen, her gaze sweeping over the woman in front of her.
She is mature, beautiful, with exquisite makeup and elegant attire; she is a beauty, but she is far inferior to Cheng Li.
My thoughts on the first day of junior high.
She tried her best to suppress the despicable hostility in her heart and deliberately moved a little closer to Qiao Anchen.
Unexpectedly, Qiao Anchen pulled her into his arms, holding her shoulders tightly, his expression and tone very serious.
"This is my wife. I am already married."
"Miss, please have some self-respect."
"Alright." The woman pouted, somewhat disappointed, and looked at Chu Yi with a regretful expression.
“Sir, your wife doesn’t seem to be a good match for you,” she said with a shrug.
You deserve better.
“This seems to be none of your business.” Qiao Anchen’s face darkened completely.
"Besides, I think my wife is a hundred times better than you."
"At least she won't just go up to any man she sees outside and ask for his contact information, and then keep bothering him even if he says he's married."
"I think you should examine yourself before judging someone else."
After Qiao Anchen finished speaking, his anger seemed to have subsided a bit. He put his arm around Chu Yi and walked out, not looking at the woman's face, which was already distorted with anger.
Chu Yi... Chu Yi was stunned.
She felt that her marriage could still be saved. ~Author's Note: Hahahaha, this story is also known as "The Complete Inner Journey of a Humble Wife." A few more plot points and I can start writing the synopsis :)
18. Chapter 18
That evening, Qiao Anchen noticed that Chu Yi seemed to be in a particularly good mood. On the way home, she was unusually gentle, and her eyes were always curved, as if they were filled with a pool of scattered stars.
Before going to sleep, she moved closer and hugged his arm, suddenly becoming a little clingy.
Qiao Anchen thought about it for a moment and realized that the two of them hadn't had marital relations for a long time.
He reached out and tucked Chu Yi's hair behind her ear, cradling her cheek in his palm, his thumb gently stroking her soft skin beneath.
"...What's wrong?" Chu Yi stared intently at Qiao Anchen's face, which had suddenly become affectionate, and felt inexplicably nervous, wanting to swallow hard.
"Are you...?" he hesitated.
"Hmm?"
Qiao Anchen paused for a moment, then took action instead of asking questions; he leaned down and kissed her.
Chu Yi was taken aback at first, then her brows furrowed slightly before relaxing.
She could roughly guess Qiao Anchen's thought process.
—It should be that I suddenly felt a little overwhelmed by her enthusiasm, and after thinking it over, I finally came up with this reason.
Because they hadn't had marital relations for a long time, they made passionate advances.
"..."
Chu Yi didn't explain anything. She silently cooperated with Qiao Anchen's actions, just like a great wife who tolerated her ignorant husband from behind.
After Christmas, Lancheng had a light snowfall, leaving thin footprints when you stepped on it, and the world was covered in a layer of white.
The cold weather kept Chu Yi from going out. She was like a hibernating animal, staying at home every day to draw and make herself a hot cup of milk tea.
Qiao Anchen would occasionally be curious about that sweet thing, with a hint of tea fragrance and a rich milky flavor.
Once, Chu Yi cooked some and shared some with him. Qiao Anchen took a sip from her cup, first frowning, then relaxing.
"It's not as bad as I imagined."
"It tastes better than your coffee, right?" Chu Yi defended her dignity as a bubble tea enthusiast, as if she were fiercely protective of her own.