Chapter 1

"Old lady, I'll be home late."

"Luman, you're drinking again!"

On this end of the phone, Luman felt a bit guilty: "The party is over. I'll call a designated driver and be home in half an hour."

The clear female voice on the other end paused, then asked, "How much have you had?"

"Not much, two catties..."

"White liquor??"

"How could it be white liquor, Lingyi? We only drank Harbin beer. Don't believe me? I'll take a photo."

"Don't try to fool me, do I not know you?" Gu Lingyi sniffed, "Your tone is off! You're definitely lying, come clean, and you'll be treated leniently!"

"Really, just two catties." Luman sighed, feeling a bit annoyed that his wife knew him too well, "If you weigh the beer bottle caps, it's about two catties..."

"Luman, you!"

"Hang up now, you should go to bed for your beauty sleep, okay?"

Beep beep beep...

In a corner of the barbecue shop, the table was littered with peanut shells and soybeans, and empty beer bottles lay haphazardly on the floor, silently telling the story of the intense drinking session.

After paying by scanning the code, Luman wished the boss, who was playing cards on the computer, a happy New Year, and then left.

The biting cold wind of January in Yanjing blew through the collar of his coat, making him slightly more sober.

Luman walked to his Porsche, about to find a designated driver on his phone, when the car lights flashed twice.

A small head with a white furry hat poked out from the car.

The hat had a pair of rabbit ears that were usually flat against the back but now swung back and forth as she peeked out, as if greeting him.

"Lingyi?"

Luman was surprised; he hadn't expected his wife to come over quietly.

"You were already here when I called you?"

"I was afraid you'd get too drunk and give the wrong address to the designated driver, so I decided to be your driver."

Gu Lingyi got out of the car, stomped her feet, and straightened her clothes, then took small steps and pounced into his arms.

She was bundled up like a dumpling, her down jacket tightly wrapped around her body, the hem reaching her knees, barely revealing her delicate ankles.

But even in her bulky winter clothes, her clear and bright face remained charming.

Gu Lingyi rubbed her face against his chest: "No more drinking so much, got it? Let's go home."

Luman nodded and opened the passenger door, saying, "I didn't plan to drink so much. We were eating barbecue and counting to seven, but then Xiao Wu got a call from his girlfriend."

"Xiao Wu again." The two got in the car, and Gu Lingyi started the engine, complaining, "Your friends are afraid of love and marriage, and he's the main culprit... What happened next?"

"Xiao Wu's girlfriend was playing truth or dare at a bar. She called to complain that Xiao Wu had been working overtime in the evenings and on weekends all winter. Then she said that during this period, she had an affair with Xiao Wu's boss."

"That's too much! Even in a game of truth or dare, you can't be so disrespectful!"

"Xiao Wu's girlfriend chose the truth..."

"..." Gu Lingyi sighed helplessly, "I understand why you all drank so much."

"Xiao Wu couldn't take it and started crying his heart out, like a boiling kettle." Luman shrugged, "What could we old friends do but drink with him?"

Gu Lingyi rolled her eyes, "You should have taken the opportunity to advise Xiao Wu more. His private life... Last time you told me, he met his girlfriend in the dance floor of a bar?"

"Better than the last one. The one before that, he met in the men's restroom of a KTV."

"..."

Luman adjusted his seat to be more comfortable, "Xiao Wu has his reasons. He's the same age as us, graduated from university twelve years ago, and had a childhood sweetheart, but her family looked down on him, and her resolve wasn't strong enough, so they broke up."

"I see."

"If you saw the photos of his ex-girlfriends, you'd notice the resemblance to his first love."

Gu Lingyi sighed, "Isn't this just like what Jian Zhen wrote, 'I try to forget her face, yet in a foreign garden, I seek someone who resembles her'?"

At this, Gu Lingyi glared at him, "This experience is very similar to someone, isn't it?"

Luman's head ached, "Let's stick to the facts, why are you bringing me into this?"

"Anyway, your first love wasn't me."

"Cough, if you want to be my first love, the one before you was just a rehearsal."

"Luman, if you keep talking nonsense, I won't let you sleep in the bed tonight."

Luman, who was 34 and drained by life and work, perked up at this, "Is that a good thing?!"

"Are you deliberately trying to make me angry?!" If she weren't driving, Gu Lingyi would have reached out to pinch his arm.

She quickly changed her tone, "Then... if it happens again, you won't be able to get out of bed!"

"Uh..."

"Hmph!" Gu Lingyi ignored him and focused on driving.

The night in Yanjing was still bustling with traffic and bright lights. In this city, millions of people lived alone together, and the capital never turned off its lights.

Luman looked out the window and suddenly said, "Lingyi, thank you."

"Hmm?"

"If you hadn't come to Yanjing ten years ago, I might be..."

"Really like Xiao Wu now," Luman said.

They fell silent, though unspoken, both knew the scene flashing through their minds was their shared past.

Luman and Gu Lingyi rarely mentioned to others that they, more accurately, Luman and the Gu sisters, had been childhood sweethearts.

Gu Lingyi had a twin sister named Gu Jia, who looked exactly like her.

They had known each other since childhood and even attended the same university after the college entrance exam.

The twist was that initially, Luman was with Gu Jia.

The ending of their story was a common one, just like the one they discussed about Xiao Wu: Gu Jia's father, Gu Yan, disapproved of Luman, and the family's opposition swayed Gu Jia's heart.

Trivial matters between lovers often escalate, and with external interference, the spoiled Gu Jia made a big fuss and broke up with him.

Ten years ago, after the breakup, Luman came to Yanjing as a migrant worker, failed in his startup, and was in deep debt, at the lowest point of his life.

In this self-destructive state, he suddenly received a call. Gu Lingyi claimed she was in Yanjing on business and wanted to catch up with her old friend and classmate.

When one is at their lowest, the last thing they want is for friends to see their weakness, especially her sincere concern, a feeling he felt unworthy of.

But Gu Lingyi didn't ask about his situation; instead, she poured out her grievances about her father, Gu Yan's autocratic rule.

"Old stubborn Gu" Gu Yan not only ordered her to find a job within a 30-kilometer radius of home but also arranged a series of blind dates without her consent.

Once the conversation started, Luman also opened up, talking about his failed career and failed love.

"In our second year of high school, you and your sister were in the neighboring class," Luman said with a bitter smile, "I went to find your sister during breaks, but she always ran out of the classroom to avoid me. I always missed her, and all the classmates laughed at me. You cared about my face and pretended to ask me for help with problems. I never had the chance to thank you."

"You never thought about it."

Perhaps due to the alcohol, Gu Lingyi's eyes were misty as she looked at him, "My sister went out to play with her friends every break. Why did I always sit at my desk, waiting for you to find me?"

Luman was stunned, his mind racing, but he didn't know what to say.

Gu Lingyi's face was flushed, her eyes sparkling, staring at the flustered Luman. When Luman looked up to meet her gaze, she shyly looked away, pretending to look elsewhere.

Over the next few days, they visited all the major and minor attractions in Yanjing, but their minds were not on the sights.

Using the pretext of sightseeing, they spent time together, and Gu Lingyi finally had the chance to share her long-hidden feelings.

Before parting, at the high-speed rail station, Gu Lingyi asked directly, "Do you want to date?"

"Sure!"

He countered, "Do you want to date with the intention of marriage?"

"Sure!"

Without a second thought, Gu Lingyi canceled her high-speed rail ticket.

After knowing each other for over twenty years, their story finally began.

...

The two enjoyed the silence in the car.

The streetlights passed by one by one, and the neon lights outside the window kept changing. The buildings rushed by, and the warm air in the car made them drowsy, as if time and space were rewinding.

Gu Lingyi skillfully parked the Porsche in the garage.

"Quick, quick, go take a shower, you smell like alcohol."

After getting home, Luman slowly took off his coat, and Gu Lingyi raised an eyebrow, "What? Want a couple's bath?"

Hearing this, Luman immediately grabbed a towel and closed the bathroom door, "No thanks, that would be a couple's hot pot!"

"Che." Gu Lingyi's voice came from outside the door, "I was kidding, I already washed. I set the water temperature just right, wash thoroughly, don't just rinse and come out!"

In the bathroom, Luman saw the shower handle turned all the way to the left and frowned.

He turned it a bit to the right.

Steam came out of the showerhead, and Luman quickly stepped aside, testing the water with his hand.

It was scalding hot.

Hot enough to burn the skin.

Luman shook his head; no wonder a couple's bath is like a hot pot, this water temperature could easily scald a pig.

He really didn't understand why women could tolerate such high water temperatures.

After a quick wash, Luman came out and saw Gu Lingyi sitting on a small stool by the coffee table, still in her down jacket.

A bowl of hearty porridge was steaming in front of her.

"Drink this to warm your stomach and sober up. I added lotus root powder and dried fruit."

She hadn't even changed her clothes; the first thing she did after getting home was to cook for him.

Luman felt a warm feeling in his heart.

"Finding a wife like this, what more could a man ask for?"

"The matter of drinking hasn't been settled yet."

Gu Lingyi picked up a Pikachu from the sofa and started talking, "We agreed to start trying for a baby after the New Year. For the next six months, we both need to avoid alcohol and stay up late. Also, pay attention to your diet. No more barbecues or fried foods, and try to cut down on soda, or better yet, stop drinking it. Oh, and in a few days, come with me to check my teeth; you can't go to the dentist during the preconception period."

Luman, who had just swallowed a mouthful of the slightly unpalatable porridge, immediately asked, "Is there something wrong with your teeth? Are you okay?"

In the past, when they were newly in love, Luman would have been more curious about why you can't go to the dentist during the preconception period...

"It's fine," Gu Lingyi was pleased by his concern and explained, "Dental procedures often involve anesthesia and bleeding, which can be harmful to the baby's development and health. It's better to catch and fix any issues before trying to conceive. Otherwise, if a wisdom tooth starts acting up during the ten months of pregnancy..."

By the time Luman finished the whole bowl of porridge, she was still talking non-stop.

When your beloved is earnestly planning your future, Luman couldn't resist her.

"If we have a baby, one is fine, but what if we have twins? This two-bedroom apartment won't be enough, and we need to plan ahead to move to a bigger place."

Luman laughed, "Let's start with one. We can wait a few years for the second or third. My company just went public, and the executives' shares can't be cashed out immediately. Your husband may not have the billions of Old Stubborn Gu, but making a few million is not a problem."

"What if we have twins?"

"The chances are not that high."

Gu Lingyi wrinkled her nose, "You need to be prepared. My family has a twin gene. My grandmother was a twin, my uncles are twins, and Jia and I..."

Mentioning her sister, she suddenly got angry and slapped Luman's thigh, "It's all your fault! Why did you have to pursue my sister?!"

"Ouch! Lighter... " Luman endured, knowing he was entirely in the wrong.

"If you had pursued me from the beginning!" Gu Lingyi pouted, "Old Stubborn Gu and Mom wouldn't have skipped the wedding, and I wouldn't have been so awkward with my twin sister. We could have even asked her to help with the baby..."

Luman didn't dare to argue, letting her talk for a while. Gu Lingyi was sweating, her fine hair sticking to her forehead, making her look even more like a devoted wife.

Luman reached out to brush her hair, noticing she was still in her down jacket, "Lingyi, aren't you hot? Why don't you take off your coat at home?"

Gu Lingyi had a "you finally noticed" look, "You made me angry all night, so you need to make it up to me."

Luman was wary, "What bag did you have your eye on this time?"

"Not that~"

Gu Lingyi stood up, her big eyes twinkling, and she smiled softly as she unzipped her down jacket, making Luman catch his breath.

"You were wearing this under your coat to pick me up?"

"That's why I was all bundled up, so only you could see."

"Ouch—"

"I told you, if you make me angry, you won't be able to get out of bed."

She leaned close to Luman's ear, her breath hot and urgent, "I have 70 ways to love you, and 'I love you' is the first one~"

Luman pulled her into his arms, "I don't understand, what about the rest? And the rest..."

Seeing Gu Lingyi's coy smile, Luman pondered her words and finally understood, "Oh~~~"