Chapter 37: I'll Go Make You a Bowl of Noodles

She had no idea when he had come in. She only stared at him blankly. It had been merely a week, yet it felt as though they had not seen each other for an entire century. In the past, apart from business trips, he had been home almost every day. But this time, he had disappeared for a week with Ziyan, and now that he had returned, Lin Yan felt an inexplicable heaviness in her chest.

“I was away on business for a week. Things were urgent, so I didn’t have time to let you know,” Leng Mohan said as he walked out of the study.

He tossed his bag onto the sofa. One hand reached for the hanger while the other tugged at his loosened tie. Lin Yan blinked, momentarily dazed, then hurried over and took the suit from him, hanging it up neatly.

When she turned around, she found Leng Mohan watching her with leisurely composure. His gaze made her feel strangely self-conscious. The blush that had only just faded from her face immediately spread across it again. She touched her cheek and stammered, “W-what is it? Is there something on my face?”

“No.” Leng Mohan turned and sat down on the sofa, a smile playing at the corners of his lips—one whose meaning was impossible to read.

Leaning back against the sofa with his head slightly raised, he revealed the gentle movement of his throat as he swallowed. He looked somewhat tired and disheveled.

“Yan Yan, come sit here,” Leng Mohan said softly.

There was a trace of warmth in his weary voice.

Lin Yan sat down beside him, yet had no idea what to say. Who would have thought that a married couple of two years could sit together and have absolutely nothing to talk about?

Desperate to find a topic, Lin Yan asked, “You’ve been away on business lately?”

“Yes.” Leng Mohan answered with a quiet hum before continuing, “I left in such a hurry that I didn’t have time to tell you. You didn’t overthink it, did you?”

“Huh?” Lin Yan looked up at him blankly, meeting his dark, jewel-like eyes, which held a faintly amused glimmer.

She hurriedly told him about everything that had happened at home over the past few days. In her heart, she believed that a good wife should take care of everything while her husband was away, then report it all to him properly once he returned.

“There hasn’t been anything major at home lately. Mother called to ask whether we’d taken the medicine from that folk remedy she gave us. I didn’t dare tell her the truth, so I said we took it every few days. She was very unhappy and insisted that we drink it every day. It looks like we’ll have to take that medicine daily from now on.”

As she spoke, she frowned in distress and propped her chin on her hand.

Leng Mohan gave no response. After waiting a moment, she continued, “Oh, right. Ye Ye hasn’t been home these past few days either. I don’t know where she went, and I didn’t ask.”

“Hmm.” Leng Mohan merely nodded faintly.

So this was how a married couple reported their whereabouts to each other after a week apart, Lin Yan thought. She searched her memory, wondering whether there was anything she had missed.

Then Leng Mohan suddenly spoke.

“Yan Yan, truthfully, I can only eat my fill when I’m at home. I’ve never eaten behind your back while I was out.” He stared intently into her eyes. His expression seemed half serious and half playful, making it impossible to tell what he really meant.

Lin Yan met his gaze for a few moments, then remembered the phone call she had just had with Li Ran. He must have heard the whole thing. At last, her face flushed, and she lowered her head in defeat.

“Um... you haven’t eaten yet, have you? I’ll make you a bowl of noodles.”

As she spoke, Lin Yan rose and walked toward the door.

Leng Mohan did not object. He only watched her retreating figure and let out a soft sigh.

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