Five minutes later, Zhan Bei Jue changed into dry casual clothes and quietly sneaked into Jiang Nan Fang's room like a night wanderer.
The door closed, and turning back, he saw Jiang Nan Fang, groggy from drinking, slumped on the edge of the sofa, talking nonsense.
He didn't rush to help her up but went into the master bedroom while she wasn't paying attention.
The four little ones lay side by side on the bed, their eyes wide open, like eight sparkling night-blooming pearls in the dark.
Seeing him, they scrambled to their feet.
Zhan Bei Jue walked over and hugged them one by one.
Everyone sniffed his familiar scent, felt his strength, and eagerly expressed their longing for him.
"Daddy, what did you do today to make Mommy so sad? She was crying, she looked so pathetic."
"When can we finally tell her the truth?"
Zhan Bei Jue looked at them with affection.
"Daddy was wrong today, so I'm here to apologize to Mommy. The truth can't be told yet, be good children, and wait a little longer."
"When Grandma and Aunt's conditions improve, I have my plans."
Seeing his slightly tired expression, the children were very understanding.
"Okay. Then Daddy, don't work too hard. Even though we're not by your side, we think of you every day and still love you. We'll feel bad if you wear yourself out."
"Daddy knows. My darlings, be good. Listen to Mommy when I'm not here, and help me say some good things to her, don't let her hate me too much, okay?"
After a period of affectionate moments, Zhan Bei Jue tucked them back into bed, kissed each of them again, and then left.
Back in the living room, Jiang Nan Fang, who had been talking nonsense just moments ago, was about to fall asleep.
She was barefoot, hadn't washed, and was slumped there, her face flushed, hair sticking to her face.
But in Zhan Bei Jue's eyes, she had a unique messy beauty.
When she was proper and dignified, he thought she was beautifully graceful.
When she was slumped and disheveled, he thought she was beautifully casual.
No matter her posture, she was always beautiful.
Alas, how could he have hurt such a wonderful wife?
He watched her for a moment, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
Zhan Bei Jue walked over, squatted beside her, and gently touched her cheek with his finger.
Taking advantage of her current lack of consciousness, he leaned in and kissed her.
The sweet scent instantly ignited every cell in his body.
Not only Zhan Bei Jue, but Jiang Nan Fang also felt it instantly.
With a "whoosh," she opened her eyes and found a man's face pressed against hers. She instinctively recoiled, pushing him away with her hand.
Only then did she realize it was Zhan Bei Jue.
Jiang Nan Fang's forehead buzzed with anger.
"It's you? Scumbag! Liar! How dare you come looking for me?"
She weakly kicked him.
"What were you doing just now? Shameless! Scum! Who let you in?"
Zhan Bei Jue didn't dodge, letting her soft kicks land on his firm chest.
"The floor is cold. Let's talk after you get up."
"Can you get up? Do you need me to carry you?"
"Who needs your help! Liar, big liar, why are you here looking for me instead of your pretty little sister?"
Jiang Nan Fang, speaking incoherently, continued to kick his chest.
"Tell me I'm ugly, that my lipstick color doesn't suit me? What makes you think you're so great?"
"A man over thirty, you don't like me, but I don't like you either!"
"Director Xie... *gag*... looking at you makes me sick, stay away from me!"
Zhan Bei Jue knew he had gone too far tonight, so he was prepared for whatever she said.
"Alright, alright, I'm an old man, and you don't like me."
"I'm sorry, I spoke too harshly just now. I apologize."
"The floor is cold. If you want to curse me, let's go to bed after washing up, and you can curse me there, okay?"
"You even want to..."
Jiang Nan Fang lifted her other leg and kicked him back and forth.
"Who do you think you are? You're divorced and still harassing me, I'll beat you to death!"
Zhan Bei Jue felt uncharacteristically embarrassed.
"That's not what I meant, I meant to help you back to bed."
"I don't want it! Take your dirty hands off me! Who knows how many wild women those dirty hands of yours have touched?"
If it weren't for the fact that she was clearly lacking strength, her head swaying and her eyes unfocused, Zhan Bei Jue would have almost believed she was faking her drunkenness.
Who could be so logical and clear-headed after drinking so much?
"Alright, alright, I won't touch you. Then you get up yourself. If you don't want to go to bed, can you lie on the sofa?"
"Who wants to hear your apology? Who knows what you're plotting..."
Suddenly, Jiang Nan Fang stiffened her neck.
"The children? You're here to snatch the children! You're going to take them away, aren't you?"
"You want that girl from the film academy to be their stepmother? I'll kill you!"
Zhan Bei Jue: "..."
She couldn't kick him anymore, so she pouted and pretended to cry.
"I worked hard to give birth to these children, and I raised them all by myself. You can't snatch them from me, Zhan Bei Jue, I hate you so much..."
Zhan Bei Jue didn't know what to do with her anymore.
He couldn't touch her, nor could he not touch her.
Fearing she would cry, he could only raise his hands, stiffen his body, and assume a posture of surrender.
"I'm not here to snatch the children, I'm really here to apologize. Be good, get up first."
"You're not here to snatch the children? You want to apologize to me? Why apologize to me?"
"..."
"Because you lied to me, you lied to me badly!"
Her tears fell, and she spoke as if to herself.
"You were the only one I had since I was little, and you... you really owe me an apology."
"But I won't forgive you. Not only will I not forgive you, but I want all the money I spent on you back."
"Zhan Bei Jue, you don't deserve my money, you don't deserve my heartbreak, you don't deserve me doing so much for you."
"This money was saved for my children. How could you use it to buy cars, houses, and bags for those women? Give it back to me! Give it all back to me!"
How did it get back to money again?
Zhan Bei Jue didn't dare to argue with her.
"Alright, alright, I'll return the money to you. You get up first, and I'll return the money to you."
Jiang Nan Fang finally withdrew her feet from his chest, but she still slumped on the sofa, looking at him with a hazy gaze.
"Stop lying to me. What if I get up and you don't return it? Return it now, I'll watch you return it, or this isn't over!"
The weather in late October, although a bit cold, wasn't too cold yet; it wasn't time for the floor heating.
Perhaps she found the carpet dirty, and she had deliberately moved it aside when eating on the floor.
In any case, seeing her sitting on the cold floor, Zhan Bei Jue felt heartbroken.
She said she wanted money, and he immediately took out his wallet.
"Click, click, click!" He presented four black cards to her.
"Unlimited, no password, swipe as much as you want. They're all yours."