My Husband's Eyes Have Been Looking Different Lately After Our Marriage of Convenience - Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Song Ai Hated His Supercilious Expression…

Song Ai was indeed sleepy.

As for the second half of his sentence, that was purely an excuse meant to disgust Zhou Jibai.

Who told Zhou Jibai to mock him for “living like a widow”?

Whether it was a lie or just him being stubborn, the bottom line was that he had to win back some face right then and there.

Zhou Jibai blinked. Although he didn’t quite believe it, he had no evidence to refute it. After all, this was a private matter between a couple. As an outsider, no matter how much he said, he lacked the standing to argue.

“Can you move now?” Song Ai asked once more.

He was a bit shorter than Zhou Jibai, but his presence wasn’t lacking in the slightest. Even though he spoke listlessly, his clear articulation and unique voice made his words incredibly captivating.

Zhou Jibai scratched his earlobe. His cheeks, flushed with embarrassment, were starting to match the color of his hair. He didn’t really want to step aside, but it felt like he had no choice.

After all, the person was going home to sleep with his husband. What right did an outsider have to stop him? If word got out that he had blocked him, people might misunderstand and think he was lusting after a married man…

Holy sht. I’d be laughed to death!*

Dammit.

I shouldn’t have brought up that ‘widow’ nonsense.

While Zhou Jibai was feeling regretful, he gritted his teeth and stepped aside, honestly making way for Song Ai.

Big-Voice Li was still feeling a bit sad because he didn’t want Song Ai to leave so early, but seeing this scene made him want to laugh. He couldn’t laugh out loud, so he could only cover his mouth and try his best to stifle it.

Song Ai walked past with a blank expression.

Just as he crossed Zhou Jibai and pushed the door to leave, he suddenly heard the other man call out to him, whispering something nonsensical: “Actually, I’ve seen plenty of marriage relationships like yours… you don’t necessarily ha—have to do that kind of thing…”

Zhou Jibai’s voice got smaller and smaller, the last few words sounding like the buzzing of a mosquito.

Song Ai heard nothing.

But he couldn’t be bothered to care what Zhou Jibai was trying to say anyway, so he waved his hand impatiently and walked straight out.

Someone was waiting specifically for him outside.

It was the Lu family driver. Song Ai couldn’t quite remember his surname; after all, there were at least eight or ten drivers at home, taking turns every day. Crucially, they all looked like they were made from the same mold—two eyes, one nose, one mouth—making it impossible to tell them apart.

Seeing Song Ai emerge from the nightclub, the driver immediately got out and opened the back door for him.

Once Song Ai was safely seated, the driver nimbly returned to the driver’s seat, shifted gears, and pulled away without a second’s delay.

These drivers didn’t just look alike; their working styles were identical. It was as if they had inherited their boss’s mantle—rigorous and efficient.

But it’s boring.

Recalling the phone call from earlier, Song Ai asked casually, “Was this Butler Wu’s idea?”

The driver glanced in the rearview mirror but said nothing. He probably didn’t understand the implication, so he didn’t dare answer lightly. Talk less, do more was also the Lu family’s way of doing things.

Song Ai had to clarify: “Did Butler Wu instruct you to take me home the moment I appeared?”

Only then did the driver nod. “Yes, Madam.”

Song Ai: “…”

Finding it dull, Song Ai stopped trying to make conversation. He turned to look out the window, rolling it down slightly to let the night breeze rush in, cooling his flushed cheeks and clearing his dizzy head.

He watched the city’s prosperity and bustle gradually recede, and his gaze grew hazy and scattered.

Strange, I didn’t drink that much today.

Why am I so dizzy?

…

The grandfather clock in the study let out a “Ding!”

It was exactly midnight.

Lu Tingyun finally broke away from his complicated work and glanced at the lawn outside the floor-to-ceiling window. It was still pitch black outside. This meant—Song Ai hadn’t returned yet.

His wife’s late return didn’t cause the man any worry. His expression remained unchanged as he moved his gaze back to the documents on his desk, continuing the final verification process for a project proposal.

By the time all his work was finished, it was already 12:33 AM.

Lu Tingyun closed his laptop with a click, leaned back slightly in his chair, and rubbed his brow before dialing the landline to the first floor.

“Is Madam back?”

Butler Wu replied, “He’s on his way, should be arriving any moment.”

“Good.”

Lu Tingyun stood up, his posture reflecting a bit of fatigue. He looked out the window again; a faint light finally flickered in the distance—the lights at the estate’s main gate.

Song Ai was home.

He had really wanted to come back just a moment ago, but now that he was actually back, he didn’t want to be here as much. Humans are just that fickle.

Thus, Song Ai lingered in the car for quite a while before getting out.

The moment he stepped out, he saw Butler Wu waiting at the door, his tone as respectful as ever: “Madam, it has been a long journey.”

Song Ai said nothing.

He did feel a bit “hard-pressed.” Although he hadn’t clearly done anything, his body felt exhausted. Right now, he just wanted to get to his room, lie on the bed, and sink into a heavy sleep.

But as fate would have it.

The moment Song Ai entered the door, he ran into Lu Tingyun coming down from upstairs—his twenty-five-year-old, boring-life, dull-personality husband, the one people teased as “Brother Abstinence.”

Lu Tingyun looked at him expressionlessly.

Song Ai stared back at Lu Tingyun without any reservations. To be honest, they had been married for over half a year, yet they had never really stood face-to-face like this.

Oh, wait, they had. Just once.

It was the day Song Ai and Lu Tingyun met for the first time.

Back then, Madam Song said that since both parties had agreed to the alliance, they should meet in advance to get familiar, lest they grab the wrong person on the wedding day. So, she arranged for them to meet at a café.

At that time, Song Ai had just returned from studying abroad and was in a phase of being arrogant and self-important. Although he had agreed to the marriage under pressure, he didn’t want to show that humiliation. He especially didn’t want the other person to look down on him because of the alliance, so he dug out the most expensive clothes, pants, shoes, and even sunglasses from his closet.

So, on the day of the meeting, Song Ai showed up wearing the latest flashy Gi shirt, shiny red-bottomed black leather shoes, and sunglasses so large they covered half his face.

If Song Ai could have heard Lu Tingyun’s inner thoughts at that moment, he would have heard three words:

So. Cial. But. Ter. Fly.

That was Lu Tingyun’s first impression of Song Ai, and it had become his stereotype of him for the past six months.

But that was all.

Lu Tingyun had no spare mind or energy to get to know his “alliance wife,” so after taking a sip of coffee, he left hurriedly on the pretext of work.

His expression back then was exactly the same as it was now. To describe it, he looked like the King of Spades in a classic deck of cards—stiff, cold, and supercilious.

Song Ai hated that supercilious look.

Thinking about how Zhou Jibai laughed at him for being a “widow” despite having a husband, and mocked him for barely speaking to Lu Tingyun in a year… Song Ai hated it even more.

He was a living, breathing, beautiful, vibrant person! Why did Lu Tingyun always treat him like he was transparent? And make him the target of ridicule!

A sudden surge of inexplicable, stifled anger rose from his chest.

Song Ai tried his hardest to hold it in… and hold it in…

But he couldn’t.

He stared at Lu Tingyun’s abstinent and handsome face and blurted out: “Why won’t you sleep with me?”

The moment those words were spoken, everyone else in the living room widened their eyes. What kind of explosive statement is this?!!

Lu Tingyun merely frowned slightly.

He didn’t understand why his wife would suddenly make such a grievance. In fact, there was no emotional foundation between them at all; they only lived under the same roof because of the alliance. He thought that not disturbing each other was the optimal way to get along.

But Song Ai’s pouting mouth from anger and his cheeks flushed with shame didn’t look like an act.

Song Ai… wants to sleep with him?

As soon as that thought popped into his head, Lu Tingyun rationally dismissed it. It was impossible. Then, he keenly caught a hint of fruity alcohol in the air.

…So that was it.

“You’ve had too much to drink.” Lu Tingyun flatly pointed out the truth. He looked away, glanced at Butler Wu behind Song Ai, and ordered: “Take the Madam to his room.”

It took Butler Wu several seconds to snap out of it. He quickly replied, “Al—Alright.”

But things didn’t go as planned.

Just as Butler Wu went to support him, Song Ai waved his arms, swiping away all the air around him as if warding off anyone who dared get close, and shouted: “I haven’t had too much! I’m not leaving!”

His wife’s unreasonable behavior made Lu Tingyun’s frown deepen.

Song Ai hated deliberate neglect. He demanded, “Answer my question first. I’m so f*cking good-looking, why won’t you sleep with me?”

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that during his time studying abroad, almost every gay man around him wanted to sleep with him. Why didn’t Lu Tingyun want to?

Song Ai thought this through gritted teeth, while Lu Tingyun just looked at him in silence.

Are drunks always this difficult to deal with?

But Song Ai showed no signs of letting it go. Lu Tingyun sighed and helplessly raised his hand, signaling the servants to excuse themselves for a moment.

Once everyone had left and only the two of them remained in the spacious living room, the spring night breeze blew in through the window, making the air inside feel moist and warm.

Song Ai’s breathing gradually became rapid.

Lu Tingyun remained calm and detached throughout. Before they talked things out, he poured a glass of plain water for Song Ai, but the other didn’t take it, so he turned and sat on the sofa, drinking it himself.

“Ours is a contract marriage. There is no need to sleep together.” Lu Tingyun said.

Song Ai looked down at him, his words sounding like those of a rogue. “How is there no need?”

Lu Tingyun: “We will divorce sooner or later.”

Song Ai was very unhappy. Because of the alcohol, he had unconsciously fallen back into Zhou Jibai’s mockery. He retorted, “So what? Just because we’re going to divorce eventually, will my physiological needs be ignored? Right now, I can’t sleep with you, and I can’t sleep with anyone else. How is this different from being a widow? This is unfair to me!”

Lu Tingyun finally looked up at him and asked, “You have… needs?”

Lu Tingyun was smart. This sudden, key question caught Song Ai off guard.

Did he have needs? Usually, definitely not…

But today, at this very moment, he did. He very much did, the kind that was urgent and intense. Song Ai couldn’t explain why. He felt like he must have lost his mind, but he couldn’t stop his foolish behavior. He felt very hot, his whole being was restless and stifled, and he needed to vent it out to feel better.

So, he nodded seriously. “Yes.”

Lu Tingyun asked again, “Does it have to be today?”

…

Song Ai continued to nod. “Yes. And right now.”

Lu Tingyun fell silent again.

After a few more minutes, Song Ai had completely lost his patience. He felt like he was forcing a virtuous person into “shameful acts,” but he still couldn’t help but demand: “Are we doing it or not?”

Lu Tingyun looked at him hesitantly.

A person’s body language and facial expressions don’t lie. From top to bottom—Song Ai’s face was very red, his lips were moist, and his legs were trembling slightly from weakness…

Taking it all together, Song Ai indeed wanted it.

But why would he suddenly want it?

Lu Tingyun had been a science student in school. He was great at biology, scoring nearly full marks on every exam. So, even though he didn’t work in that field after graduation, he still had an understanding of human anatomy and physiological functions.

The teacher had said that, from a certain perspective, humans and animals are the same. When they reach full development, they will have needs for sexual desire and reproduction.

Although Lu Tingyun himself had lived for over 20 years and never seemed to notice having such needs… that didn’t mean his wife didn’t have them.

Furthermore, Song Ai had just said it himself. He couldn’t sleep with Lu Tingyun, nor could he sleep with others. For someone with needs like Song Ai, it was indeed unfair.

While Lu Tingyun didn’t want to have an overly intimate relationship with Song Ai, he also didn’t want his wife to cross the line with other men. After all, if outsiders found out, it would be detrimental to the reputation of both the Lu and Song families.

Modern young people didn’t have a rigid rule that doing it once meant being locked in for life; whether they slept together or not wouldn’t become a factor in considering a future divorce.

In that case…

“Okay.” Lu Tingyun seemed to deliberate for a long time before making up his mind. He said calmly, “Then let’s sleep together.”