Trouble, how could I have forgotten about this!
Li Chonglou sighed in his heart.
The distance between professions was vast. He thought that since Jiang Yuxin didn't dabble in antiques, she wouldn't see the video of him appraising for Lü Yunxu.
The appraisal was supposed to be live-streamed online, but unfortunately, his car was hit that day.
He had to go to the company and have Wu Hao film it on-site and then edit it.
Although his face wasn't shown, his hands, clothes, and voice were not altered in any way.
Even if others couldn't guess, how could Jiang Yuxin, his wife of three years, not recognize him?
Li Chonglou could only brace himself and reply, "A coincidence, would you believe it?"
"Keep on lying, just keep on lying. If I hadn't wanted to see what Lü Yunxu liked, planning to give her a gift, there's no way I would have known about this," Jiang Yuxin's face clearly turned cold. "You come out with me!"
This matter could be big or small.
Firstly, Li Chonglou had lied to her, making her angry.
More importantly, why would Lü Yunxu help her because of Li Chonglou?
Was there something shady going on between them?
If it were in the past, she wouldn't have bothered to think about it. What Li Chonglou did had nothing to do with her; they were just a contractual couple.
But recently, she found herself thinking of Li Chonglou unconsciously.
Her heart had also gradually shifted towards him.
Yet now, she discovered he had been lying to her all along. If she didn't get to the bottom of it, she felt as if a cat was scratching her heart.
The more she thought about it, the less she could sleep.
It would even affect her future cooperation with the Lü family.
However, she knew what was important. She couldn't say these things in front of her mother-in-law, lest it overwhelm her heart.
"Chonglou, talk nicely to Yuxin. There's no big deal between a husband and wife," Zheng Xiumei said, quickly instructing. Although she hadn't heard their conversation, having lived her life, how could she not notice the change in Jiang Yuxin's expression?
"Understood, Mom. Yuxin was asking me about some company matters, trade secrets," Li Chonglou comforted her and followed her out of the ward.
On the rooftop.
Jiang Yuxin's flowing hair lifted in the breeze, emitting a faint fragrance.
She looked into the distance, silent.
There was no sun in the sky, and the fish-scale-like clouds made the atmosphere feel heavy, like the prelude to a storm.
Just like Jiang Yuxin's current mood.
"You think I'm lying to you, right?" Li Chonglou spoke first. "There are three reasons why people lie."
"One is to gain profit."
"Another is to protect oneself from harm."
"The last one is to protect the other person, to avoid misunderstandings and trouble."
Jiang Yuxin turned back, her eyes shining. "Which category are you?"
"I'm afraid of trouble. After all, my mother is ill, and my mental energy is limited," Li Chonglou replied truthfully.
Actually, he had always wanted to explain, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.
Because any explanation that couldn't reveal the source was futile.
How he knew Lü Yunxu and why they had such a deep friendship all stemmed from his rebirth.
But the concept of rebirth, to others, sounded utterly absurd.
No one with a normal mind would believe such nonsense.
He knew Jiang Yuxin's personality too well. Forcing an explanation would only make things worse.
"This is your explanation?" Jiang Yuxin's face was filled with disappointment. "If I were Lü Yunxu, there would only be two reasons for me to help you or your family."
"Infatuation or indebtedness!"
"If you have feelings for each other, I can withdraw."
"After all, we are only nominal husband and wife; I have no right to interfere in your personal life."
Li Chonglou was stunned.
Anyone could see that Jiang Yuxin's words were insincere.
On the surface, she seemed calm and collected, but how could he miss the turbulent emotions within her?
Was this a provocation? Or a test?
It was quite interesting.
At least it showed that Jiang Yuxin cared about him now, unlike before when she was completely indifferent.
Fortune and misfortune are intertwined.
It seemed that even though he knew an explanation wouldn't work today, he had to try.
He said, "It's not feelings; it's indebtedness."
"I saved her father's life, and I understand antiques. It's only fair that I helped her, and she helps you."
"Aren't you curious why I understand antiques?"
Jiang Yuxin's eyebrows knitted. "Why else? You learned it secretly at home these past three years."
"You wanted to be taken seriously by people this way, and I admit you've achieved that."
"However, in my opinion, this is still a crooked path!"
Her emotions were starting to break through.
Her words carried a hint of anger.
Anger meant there were feelings; otherwise, Jiang Yuxin would have been cold as ice.
"You think I could learn antiques in three years? Do you think I'm a genius?" Li Chonglou saw through Jiang Yuxin's disguise and smiled. "I was reborn from the future."
"It was on the day of Old Master's birthday banquet, when Jiang Tao falsely accused me of stealing the family heirloom."
"I've been studying and immersing myself in antiques for nearly fifty years, day and night, before achieving any success."
"Otherwise, I would have been sent to jail by Jiang Tao that day."
The moment he confessed, Li Chonglou felt a sense of relief.
It was often the self-imposed burdens that weighed one down. Regardless of Jiang Yuxin's reaction, at least he had been open and honest.
This is how it should be between husband and wife.
Perhaps everyone had little secrets, but major matters that could cause all sorts of misunderstandings should be clarified.
It was his own apprehension that had made him keep silent before. Since things had reached this point today,
He decided to go all out.
To his surprise, Jiang Yuxin's expression didn't change at all. She crossed her arms and looked around, asking coldly, "Li Chonglou, did you install cameras on the rooftop, waiting for me to make a fool of myself?"
"Do you think this is a movie?"
"If you're going to make up a story, at least make it a believable one!"
"How low do you think my intelligence is in your eyes?"
"Am I a kindergarten graduate?"
At this moment, she felt both annoyed and amused.
Li Chonglou was clearly treating her like a child.
"Alright, I admit I am making up a story." Li Chonglou conceded, as reality matched his expectations. He changed his tune. "Actually, I took a master, and I'll introduce you to him someday."
"He taught me how to appraise antiques, which is how I got involved with the Lü family."
"This business trip was actually to Yucheng for archaeology."
"I didn't tell you not to deceive you, but it was a comprehensive consideration."
"You have your own ability to think. If I had any inappropriate relationship with Lü Yunxu, would I still find a way for the Lü family to help you?"
Since he couldn't explain clearly, it was better to focus on the less sensitive aspects.
Hearing this, Jiang Yuxin's eyelids twitched, and she remained silent, seemingly pondering the matter.
Li Chonglou seized the opportunity, pulled out a key he had prepared earlier from his pocket, and said, "Your birthday is coming up soon. Before I left on my business trip, I prepared a gift for you."
At this point, delving deeper into the reasoning behind the matter was meaningless.
Women were not rational beings by nature.
The more he spoke, the more trouble he would stir up, and the more mistakes he would make, revealing flaws.
The only way out now was to present a grand gift.
"Huashan Villa? What does this mean?" Jiang Yuxin took the key, looked at it, and read the inscription on the tag. She was stunned.
The key to a house?
How was this possible!
Huashan Villa, tens of millions per unit. Didn't she know Li Chonglou's financial situation?
Just half a month ago, he was still scrambling for his mother-in-law's medical expenses.
Giving her a house?
Absolutely impossible!
It was likely a trick to distract her.