My wife made sporadic conversation with Liao Wen, mostly asking questions while he gave brief answers. Listening to them made me so awkward that I got goosebumps.
The awkward atmosphere dampened my appetite, and dinner ended in a hurry.
I brought Liao Wen back home. Since he had just arrived in Yuncheng and had no place to stay, my wife and I had discussed it beforehand—he would stay with us temporarily. It would be convenient for my wife to take him to work, and once he got familiar with the environment, he could find his own place and move out.
I moved all his luggage into the small bedroom and then came to the living room, panting and out of breath, to rest.
"Brother, sister-in-law, I'm really troubling you. I'll move out as soon as I find a place to rent," Liao Wen said apologetically.
"Don't be so polite. Just stay here comfortably. Wait until your work is settled and you're familiar with the environment before looking for a place," my wife said with a smile.
Liao Wen quickly nodded, his face flushed.
"Why is your face so red?" I asked.
At my question, Liao Wen's face turned as red as a monkey's bottom, and he became so nervous he didn't know what to do.
I suddenly noticed something: although Liao Wen was shy when talking to me, his tone and manner were still relatively normal. But whenever he spoke to my wife, he would blush and stutter. Clearly, he was abnormally nervous around her.
My words and Liao Wen's reaction immediately made my wife sense something was off. She looked slightly embarrassed and quickly stood up, saying, "You two chat for a bit. I'll go change the bedsheets and covers in the small bedroom."
After saying that, she shot me a glance and hurried off to the small bedroom, her steps quick as if she were trying to escape.
I glanced at Liao Wen. He was slightly raising his head, secretly gazing at my wife's departing figure. His expression was complex—like that of a young boy experiencing his first crush, secretly watching the girl he secretly admires. There was only admiration and longing, without a hint of disrespect.
I stroked my chin and thought about it, recalling how he had looked when he first saw my wife at our wedding and his behavior around her today. Finally, I came to a conclusion: Liao Wen liked my wife.
Just as I was pondering this, my WeChat chimed several times in a row. I took out my phone and saw that Night's Prince had sent me messages.
This guy was indeed trustworthy—he had sent screenshots of all his chat history with my wife.
I skimmed through them briefly. They were all perfectly normal conversations, and my wife had stopped replying to him after not too long.
I thought to myself that Night's Prince alone probably wouldn't be enough to stir my wife's interest. I needed to come up with some ideas myself.
I put away my phone and glanced at Liao Wen. Suddenly, a wicked thought arose in my mind, growing stronger by the moment.
I've always been a man of action—when I have an idea, I act on it immediately. I lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and then looked at Liao Wen with a smile, deciding to test him.
"You've spent years studying for your bachelor's and master's degrees—have you never been in a relationship?" I asked.
Liao Wen had gradually calmed down, and his face had returned to its normal color, no longer so red. Hearing my question, he quickly replied, "No, I was too focused on studying, and I never met the right person."
Sure enough, he didn't stutter when talking to me. I became even more convinced that he had feelings for my wife.
"You're twenty-five this year, right? I can't believe at your age you've never liked anyone. You know, I was already married when I was your age," I continued probing.
"Not exactly none... I'm not really sure," Liao Wen said softly, looking quite embarrassed.
"If you're not sure, then there must be someone. How long have you liked them?" I asked.
"For... for a few years now," Liao Wen hesitated but answered truthfully.
I couldn't help but laugh. This kid was too naive—I had managed to get the truth out of him in just a few questions. I was now quite confident in my guess.
I leaned closer to him and lowered my voice. "Is the person you like... your sister-in-law?"
Liao Wen's head shot up, his face filled with panic. He shook his head repeatedly, stammering, "N-no, brother, d-don't listen to the village gossip. I really don't..."
His reaction amused me, and I chuckled. "Why are you so nervous? Your brother isn't that narrow-minded. Your sister-in-law is beautiful and outstanding—it's normal if you like her."
Liao Wen was already flustered, waving his hands and stumbling over his words. "N-no, really, I wouldn't dare. Brother, please don't misunderstand."
Just then, my wife came out after changing the bedsheets. Liao Wen quickly stood up, claiming he was tired, and hurriedly slipped back into the small bedroom. From start to finish, he kept his head down, not daring to look at my wife once.
"What's wrong with him?" my wife asked, puzzled.
"I asked him a few questions. I suspect there's a ninety percent chance this kid likes you," I replied honestly with a smile.
My wife's fair face flushed slightly as she scolded me. "Husband, how could you do that? That's so awkward."
"Someone liking you is a good thing—it shows my wife has charm," I said, standing up and coaxing her as I led her back to our bedroom.
My wife seemed a bit angry. Once in the bedroom, she sat on the edge of the bed hugging her knees, ignoring me. Her face was red, and she kept her head down, lost in thought.
"Wow, at your age, you can still blush when someone likes you? Has your long-dormant girlish heart awakened?" I teased with a laugh.
"You're getting more and more childish," she muttered irritably, grabbing her pajamas and heading to take a shower.
I chuckled to myself, leaning back on the bed as I began to mull over my little plan. Perhaps Liao Wen could be the catalyst to help my wife open up faster.
My wife seemed genuinely upset with me. After her shower, she went straight to bed without saying a word, ignoring me no matter how much I tried to talk to her.
Not wanting to push my luck, I took a shower and went to bed as well, though my plan was slowly taking shape in my mind.
Since we had a guest, I couldn't afford to sleep in. When my wife got up, I followed suit.
I couldn't remember the last time I had breakfast with my wife. I quietly savored this rare morning moment while she kept reminding Liao Wen of things to watch out for at the company.
Liao Wen nodded repeatedly, his gaze drifting, never daring to look at my wife for too long.
After breakfast, my wife declined my offer to drive them to the company and left with Liao Wen.
My wife, much like my mother-in-law, prefers to keep a low profile. Even though she drives more skillfully than I do, she refuses to buy a car. For years, she has taken the subway to work and never lets me pick her up or drop her off. I've brought it up many times, but she insists on sticking to her ways, so I've learned to let it be.
For me, 7 a.m. is far too early. I dozed off again on the sofa before slowly getting up and heading to work.
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