The speaker was a heavyset man, suitcase in hand, looking apologetically at Xu Lin.
Lin Jiang didn't know his name, only that he was Xu Lin's husband.
When they saw Lin Jiang get out of the elevator, neither of their expressions changed.
Xu Lin's husband had an air of innate arrogance, as if he believed Lin Jiang wasn't in his social class. Despite being neighbors, he felt no need to greet him.
Xu Lin didn't spare him a glance either, as if she were trying to hide something.
"Just focus on work. Don't drink too much on your trip, and definitely don't drink and drive."
"I know, I know. Sorry to leave you to handle everything at home. I'll try to be back as soon as I can."
"Mm."
"Bye, honey. Just one ki—"
"Zhao Wenxuan, hurry up with your homework! If you dare even look at your phone, you can forget about that Gundam toy!"
Xu Lin's harsh tone cut her husband off. She turned back to him and said,
"I'm going back in to make sure he does his homework. You be careful on the road." With that, she shut the door without a hint of hesitation.
"O-Okay..."
They had agreed to divorce over half a year ago but were still living together for the sake of their child. Aside from necessary matters, Xu Lin couldn't even be bothered to put on an act.
Lin Jiang took out his keys to open his door, paying no mind to the couple's affairs.
After getting home, Lin Jiang followed his usual routine of stripping and showering, his mind filled with thoughts of Zhou Wanyu.
'I have to investigate Ma Shangxi's situation and get to the bottom of it, and fast.'
'If Zhou Wanyu finds out first, the mission will be a bust.'
After his shower, Lin Jiang walked out of the bathroom wearing a pair of loose boxers.
'Living alone is the best. Forget just wearing boxers; I could walk around buck naked and no one would care.'
'What the fuck is freedom?'
'This is fucking freedom!'
'And it's freedom for both of the boys, too.'
After his shower, Lin Jiang took out a short-sleeved shirt and shorts, preparing for his morning run. He wanted to cash in the Sports Card as soon as possible.
With everything ready, he padded barefoot to the kitchen, grabbed a few beers, and settled in to catch up on a Korean webtoon. Now this was the life.
He opened his phone. There were four messages from Xu Lin.
Xu Lin: [Smile.JPG]
Xu Lin: "Done with work, Boss Lin."
That message had been sent half an hour ago, right when he was in the shower.
The third message was sent 23 minutes after that, which was 8 minutes ago.
Xu Lin: "You didn't just knock out and go to sleep, did you?"
The last one was a laughing emoji sticker.
'These messages are very interesting.'
'Her husband's business trip doesn't seem to have affected her mood at all.'
'Second, I didn't reply to her first two messages, and she sent two more after 23 minutes. That's a clear signal she wants to chat with me.'
'At a time like this, any text-only reply would seem a bit weak.'
'I have to send a picture.'
Lin Jiang took a picture of the items on his table, ready to send it to Xu Lin.
'At this point, the order of the text and the picture is a matter of great strategy.'
'Sending the text first, then the picture, gives off a calm, unhurried vibe.'
'Sending the picture first, then the text, creates the illusion that you're eager to reply to her message. The chatting experience will be slightly better than the first option.'
Lin Jiang chose the second option without hesitation.
'It's all about the details.'
After the picture was sent, he composed a text.
"Just got out of the shower. Late snack time."
After typing it, Lin Jiang felt it wasn't right.
'The word "shower" is a bit suggestive. Given our relationship, it's not quite appropriate.'
'For a friend on Xu Lin's level, the phrase "Late snack time" was enough on its own.'
Lin Jiang: "Just finished up. Late snack time."
He finished editing and hit send.
Two, one...
BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ—
His phone vibrated. You could pretty much call that an instant reply.
Xu Lin: "Careful you don't get a beer belly, yo~ [Laughing.JPG]"
Lin Jiang held his phone and started typing a reply.
Just then, Xu Lin sent a picture.
Xu Lin: "How about this? A little something to help me sleep."
The picture was of a bottle of red wine, held in Xu Lin's hand for the photo. In the empty space, her smooth calf was also visible.
Lin Jiang wasn't too familiar with red wine, but given Xu Lin's means, that bottle probably wasn't cheap.
Lin Jiang: "An excellent choice. [Laughing.JPG]"
'Adding stickers in a chat is definitely a god-tier tool for setting the mood.'
'If a woman often uses stickers while chatting with you and sprinkles her sentences with cute suffixes like 'yah,' 'lah,' or 'yo,' then you should definitely keep talking to her. She'll be putty in your hands.'
Xu Lin: "My son is about to fall asleep~ Once he's out, I'll come find you. It'll be quick."
'Well, that's getting a little suggestive.'
Putting his phone down, Lin Jiang found a tank top to put on, dug out a pair of slippers, and then opened his door, leaving it cracked just enough for Xu Lin to get in.
Sure enough, in less than ten minutes, he heard the door to the apartment next door open.
'She's here!'
Xu Lin gently pulled the door open. In her hands, she held a decanter filled with aerated red wine and a plate of fruit.
She was wearing a white nightgown adorned with black lace trim, giving her an air of mature charm.
Even though she wore no makeup, there wasn't much difference from when she did. The amount of money she spent on her face each year must have been a considerable sum.
'She wasn't like some people, who look like a goddess with makeup on but a goblin when they take it off. That kind of transformation is truly wild.'
"You must have been getting impatient. Help me with this," Xu Lin said with a smile.
"Getting the chance to drink with a beautiful woman? A short wait like this is nothing."
"You sure know what to say."
Xu Lin slipped on the slippers and entered Lin Jiang's apartment.
"Just as I thought. When a man lives alone, his place is never clean."
Xu Lin managed the boundaries perfectly; she didn't offer to help clean up.
"All men are like this." Lin Jiang laughed and changed the subject. "You just needed to bring the wine. Why bring fruit, too?"
"My son ate all the fruit I gave you yesterday, so I brought you some more today."
As she spoke, Xu Lin noticed the clothes on the chair.
"Are these for tomorrow?"
"Smart. I'm getting ready for a morning run, get some exercise."
"How good are you? Don't tell me you're out of breath after one kilometer?" Xu Lin seemed to have perked up, a playful smile on her face.
"Now that's just looking down on me. I was the captain of the school Basketball team, you know. Forget one kilometer, five is a piece of cake."
"Oh, that's pretty good. Do you still play?"
"Occasionally. I have the shop to look after, after all."
"True. Adults have to prioritize work."
As she spoke, Xu Lin glanced toward the kitchen.
"Get two glasses."
"I don't have any wine glasses, only regular tumblers."
"Anything is fine. No need to be so particular."
'This reminded Lin Jiang of videos he'd seen online—those people selling red wine, always bullshitting and lecturing everyone on the "proper" way to drink it.'
'Saying you can't touch the bowl of the glass because the heat from your hand will change the wine's flavor and affect the taste.'
'And then some queen or other came to visit, and when she drank red wine, she just casually held the bowl of the glass, totally uninhibited.'
'After that, all those pretentious assholes completely disappeared.'
'Lin Jiang desperately hoped some big shot would come along, stew some eggplant with caviar, and slap the faces of all those people who insist on eating it from the back of their hand.'
He went to the kitchen and got two glasses.
Xu Lin sat down. He poured half a glass for each of them, letting it breathe as they drank.
"Cheers."
Xu Lin smiled, raised her glass, and clinked it against Lin Jiang's.
"Cheers."
Lin Jiang took a small sip.
Night.
Red wine.
Son's asleep.
Husband's on a business trip.
Drinking with a beautiful married woman.
'The fucking buffs are all stacked!'