Chapter 143: Extra: London

The dark, heavy sky pressed down. A drizzling rain drifted under the eaves, looking like fine silk threads beneath the streetlights.

At the entrance of a high-end Japanese restaurant, An Ling saw off the investors.

Having had a few drinks in the private room just now, her face felt faintly hot. She stood there and took out her phone to call a designated driver. The cool night breeze blew rain against her face, dissipating the heat.

Only after someone accepted the order did she return to the private room.

The two interns who had tagged along, a man and a woman, were still there. The man was currently passed out drunk at the table, while the girl sat in her chair.

Seeing her approach, the girl quickly stood up. "Sister Ah Leng, is there anything else we need to do later?"

"No, that's all." An Ling glanced around the private room. "Where's Brother Nan?"

"Brother Nan went to the restroom."

Just as she spoke, the door to the private room opened, and Nan Zhechuan walked in.

An Ling pointed to the passed-out intern on the table. "Brother Nan, I called a designated driver. You take that intern back, and I'll take the other one."

"Alright," Nan Zhechuan agreed.

At this moment, the female intern suddenly raised her hand to interrupt. "Um... actually, my boyfriend is waiting for me outside right now, so you don't need to go out of your way, Sister Ah Leng."

An Ling paused upon hearing this, inexplicably feeling that these words sounded familiar.

But she didn't think much of it and simply nodded. "Okay, you go on ahead then. Be safe on the road. You've worked hard these past few days. The upcoming tasks will be lighter, so get some good rest."

"You've worked hard too, Sister Ah Leng." The intern quickly grabbed her bag and hurried out of the private room. "I'm leaving now, bye-bye."

An Ling waved at her, then turned to see Nan Zhechuan holding up the drunk intern. "Need some help?"

"No need." Nan Zhechuan draped the man's arm over his own shoulder.

As he stood up and walked out, he suddenly smiled and said, "That intern just now really resembles you."

An Ling was taken aback. "Huh?"

"I mean, finishing up a business dinner and having a partner come to pick you up."

Nan Zhechuan raised an eyebrow. "But things seem different now. We've been out checking venues these past few days, and I haven't seen Director Shen come to pick you up. Is this just how an old married couple gets along?"

An Ling couldn't help but laugh. "No, Shen Linyan recently went abroad on a business trip. He won't be back until next week."

Besides, because the business trip was going to be so long, Shen Linyan had asked her to go with him, suggesting they treat it as a vacation. But she was too busy with work these past few days and simply had no time, so she flat-out refused.

Because of this, the night before his trip, the man pestered her several times. It was truly overwhelming, and the hickeys on her body took days to fade.

"No wonder," Nan Zhechuan said as he got into the car. "I'm actually a bit unaccustomed to him not being here."

Watching the car drive away, An Ling blinked.

Unaccustomed?

The designated driver called, snapping her back to reality. She looked down and answered the phone.

...

"Beep—" the sound of the lock unlocking rang out.

An Ling entered and changed her shoes.

Huihui trotted over and rubbed against her pant leg.

"Give Mommy a kiss before you can have treats." She bent down, scooped up the cat, and kissed its furry little head.

Setting the cat down, she walked to the living room, opened a pack of treats for Huihui, and took out her phone while feeding it.

At this hour, it should be noon where Shen Linyan was.

An Ling: [Hubby, have you eaten lunch yet? ^^]

Just as she finished feeding a small dried fish, a reply came through.

Hubby: [I've eaten ^^ I'm at the hotel right now. Is my wife done with work?]

An Ling: [Yes! I'm home now, feeding Huihui dried fish.]

Hubby: [I want to see.]

She snapped a picture of Huihui munching on the dried fish and sent it over.

An Ling: [(Image) Cute, right?]

Hubby: [Cute, but actually, I want to see my wife.]

An Ling paused for a moment before the corners of her lips curled up. Instantly understanding the man's meaning, she tapped the video call button.

She stood up, tossed the treat bag into the trash can, and walked back to her room with her phone. The video call connected at the same time.

Before she could speak, a voice came through the phone first.

"My wife is back earlier than usual today."

The man's voice drifted through the receiver, deep and magnetic. It fell softly on her ear, laced with a faint trace of fatigue, yet incredibly gentle.

On the screen, Shen Linyan appeared to be sitting on a sofa. His dark suit was impeccably ironed, and he was wearing the tie she had given him. The light fell on his sharp contours, making him look pale, aloof, and noble.

"I didn't go to the set today. I had dinner with the investors."

An Ling opened her bedroom door and walked in. "Are you busy this afternoon?"

Shen Linyan nodded. "I have to go meet Damian in a bit."

An Ling lay on the bed, holding up her phone to look at him. She blinked, her eyes clear and transparent under the light, shimmering with a faint watery glint.

Shen Linyan was also looking at her. He was most familiar with this look of his wife's. His eyes slowly curved into a smile, and his voice was deep and soft. "Have you been drinking?"

An Ling gave a soft hum of agreement and turned on her side. Her soft hair slipped down her cheek. She raised a hand to tidy her hair, her fair cheek sinking into the dark quilt. Her voice was softened by the alcohol.

"After dinner today, I was planning to take an intern home, but the intern said her boyfriend was coming to pick her up. Then a colleague said she was a lot like me. Do you know why?"

The man gently played along, "Why?"

An Ling's eyes brimmed with a smile. "Because he said I used to always be like that too. I didn't need them to take me home, saying you would come to pick me up."

Shen Linyan seemed about to say something, but his movements suddenly paused. Then, he pressed a fist to his lips, turned his head aside, and let out a few deep coughs.

She was startled. "Do you have a cold? I saw the weather forecast, and the temperature in London is very low. You need to wear more clothes; what you have on isn't enough."

"No, honey, I just accidentally choked." Shen Linyan's tone held a smile, though his voice carried a hint of hoarseness from coughing.

An Ling wanted to say more, but then she heard the man's gentle voice.

"So, did you miss me?"

She instantly stopped, a slight blush creeping onto her face. After a few seconds of silence, she held out her hand and gestured a tiny amount. "Probably about this much."

Shen Linyan smiled and held out his hand, gesturing a width twice as large as hers. "Then I must miss you this much. There's still a bit of wrap-up work to do, and I'll be back next week."

"Okay." An Ling still couldn't help but add worriedly, "Remember to take care of yourself, don't get sick."

"I will. You too, my wife. Rest early."

After hanging up, An Ling lay on the bed with her eyes closed, but she didn't feel very sleepy. Without the man's voice, the large bedroom felt empty.

When she was busy before, she would come back so tired that she'd fall asleep the moment her head hit the pillow. Now that she finally had some free time, she suddenly felt for the first time that this house was a bit empty and quiet.

A moment later, she opened her eyes, grabbed her phone from the side, and opened a ticket-booking app, muttering softly:

"I really am a bit unaccustomed to it."