My Husband's Eyes Have Been Looking Different Lately After Our Marriage of Convenience - Chapter 9

Chapter 9: “Why didn’t you bring your husband?”

“Do you have any ‘needs’ today?”

All the way back from the ancestral home, those words echoed in Song Ai’s mind.

He glanced at Lu Tingyun, who was resting his eyes beside him.

The man looked like he was dead to the world, his breathing so faint it was practically non-existent.

Did I dream that?

How ghostly.

Song Ai retracted his gaze sheepishly. Surely he hadn’t had a wet dream last night? And dreaming of Lu Tingyun saying something like that—was that even right?

It was clearly wrong. Song Ai shook his head vigorously, rattling the “yellow scrap metal” out of his brain.

Shadows of spring leaves flickered across them, and the sight of prosperity in bloom flashed past the car window. Suddenly, a lighthearted melody rang out.

Two sets of eyes simultaneously shot toward the phone on Song Ai’s lap.

The caller ID read: “Big Voice Li.”

Song Ai fell silent for a moment. To pick up or not to pick up?

Of course, he had to pick up.

Not picking up would make him look guilty. Song Ai had always been upright and open—what was there to fear?

Beep—

The call connected.

Song Ai spoke lazily: “Hello?”

Li Shang, however, was brimming with passion. His voice completely drowned out the wind noise, hitting Song Ai like a brick. “Ai! Ge! Old Wang said there’s a special performance at M&C tonight! Word is some mystery guests are coming. Do you want to go together?!!”

Song Ai: “…”

Is it too late to turn off my phone?

M&C was a club—short for Masquerade Club. As the name suggested, it was a masked party. Customers who wanted to enter had to wear a mask, an eye cover, or even sunglasses; anything to obscure part of their face.

Once inside, there were no names and no identities. Except for the friends you arrived with, everyone else was a stranger.

The main draws were novelty, excitement, and the chance for a mysterious encounter. It was one of the most popular entertainment spots in City J.

The first time Song Ai went was because Wang Ruijing dragged him along. Wang had said his cousin was an investor in the shop and that dropping his name would get them free drinks.

The free drinks didn’t matter, but the theme—”everyone else is a stranger”—really appealed to Song Ai. He went once and had a blast.

In there, he wasn’t “Young Master Song” or “Mrs. Lu.” He was just an ordinary, yet exceptionally eye-catching “handsome guy” or “stunning beauty.” No one cared what he said or did.

Since then, whenever his friends invited him to this club, Song Ai never refused.

But this time…

At the end of the day, M&C was a place of entertainment—in ancient times, it would have been called a “red-light district.” Although Song Ai only ever drank, large crowds invited a mixed bag of people. There were always customers there who were “not just there for the drinks.”

With his husband right next to him, agreeing to go to such a place in front of his face…

Was that a bit inappropriate?

Song Ai stole another glance at Lu Tingyun.

The man looked indifferent, eyes closed, leaning slightly against the back of the seat. Had he not woken up yet?

Even that noise hadn’t woken him. Song Ai didn’t know whether to doubt Big Voice Li’s nickname or marvel at the extraordinary quality of Lu Tingyun’s sleep.

Then again, it was possible Lu Tingyun was faking it. Maybe he heard everything but simply didn’t care.

After all, they had signed a “Three No’s” treaty. Lu Tingyun was famously cold and detached; perhaps he truly didn’t care at all. The rule of elite families was always: As long as you don’t overdo it, play however you want. Song Ai knew this well.

Forget it.

Thinking about it gave him a headache.

If I’m going, I’m going. What’s there to be afraid of?

Li Shang was still pressing for an answer over the phone: “Hey? Why’d it go quiet? Hello? Hello! Ai-ge? Ai-ge! Why aren’t you talking? Did you fall asleep again??”

Song Ai covered the microphone. “I’m going. Tell Old Wang I’ll be there in an hour.”

Li Shang cheered: “You got it!”

The call ended. Song Ai looked sideways again. Lu Tingyun still hadn’t opened his eyes.

Impressive.

He hadn’t aged a few years for nothing; he really slept soundly.

Before long, the driver pulled into the manor, presumably to park in the underground garage.

Before that happened, Song Ai called out just in time: “Just drop me off by the fountain.”

After saying it, he felt a bit weird—why did it feel like he was riding a bus?

That brilliant, shimmering purple car was still parked there, the crushed diamonds on it dazzling under the afternoon glow. Song Ai had personally picked the wrap for this Ferrari; it was incredibly flashy from any angle.

But that was exactly the effect he wanted.

Song Ai got out of one car and immediately hopped into his own.

Lu Tingyun hadn’t opened his eyes the entire time. It wasn’t until the car came to a steady halt in front of the villa and Butler Wu—who had returned early to check on the cleaning—opened the door for him that he finally snapped his eyes open. There wasn’t a single red blood vessel in sight.

Butler Wu watched the tail lights fading in the distance and asked curiously, “Why did Madam leave again?”

As Lu Tingyun’s leather boots hit the ground, his expression and voice carried a trace of indiscernible coldness: “Let him be.”

…

At the M&C Club

Outside, the neon lights were breathtakingly vibrant, and the upbeat drum beats of the music seeped out from the building. To describe such a lively, boisterous scene, “glamour, wine, and decadence” would be perfect.

A bustling crowd queued at the entrance gates.

Everyone wore different masks. Though half their faces were hidden, their excited expressions were plain to see.

Business was usually good here, and if there really was a special performance and mystery guests as Big Voice Li said, this level of popularity was normal.

But Song Ai didn’t like overcrowded places.

He ditched his car by the side of the road, pulled a pair of sunglasses from the glove box, and put them on. He looked at the crowd with a raised eyebrow, then turned and slipped into the small alleyway next to the club.

M&C had a back door.

Wang Ruijing had brought him through the back door on his very first visit—the perks of knowing the right people.

Later, as he became a regular, the owner recognized him and upgraded him to VIP status. So now, he could enter through here even without Wang Ruijing.

The staff guarding the door immediately made way for Song Ai without a moment’s hesitation. His face was simply too memorable; even with sunglasses on, he was unforgettable at a glance.

As soon as Song Ai stepped inside, the two staff members started gossiping:

“That customer is back.”

“Yeah, I was worried he wouldn’t show up today. I would’ve swapped shifts for nothing.”

“Oh? Are you thinking of making a move?”

“Nah, a beauty of that caliber isn’t someone like us can match. How does that poem go? ‘One may view from afar, but not dally with.’ I can’t touch him, but can’t I at least look?”

Wang Ruijing had sent a message saying they were at booth 000.

Song Ai grabbed a passing waiter and asked for the location. The waiter was momentarily stunned by his beautiful face, but after regaining his senses, he pointed to the upper left. “It’s… it’s right up there.”

Song Ai looked up following the finger.

The spot was the leftmost booth on the second floor. While not in the dead center, it offered an unobstructed view of the dance floor.

At that moment, two heads popped over the railing of the booth.

One wore a black cat mask, while the other wore a hilarious “big-eye, small-eye” eye mask that looked like he’d just crawled out of bed.

Song Ai didn’t even have to guess who was who.

As he walked up, the one with the lopsided eye mask asked listlessly, “Ai-ge, why are you wearing sunglasses again? You wear them here every day. Don’t you get bored? It’s lame!”

Song Ai: “…”

He replied mercilessly: “And your brain-dead eye mask is exciting?”

“…” Li Shang argued stubbornly, “This… this is called creativity! Have you ever heard the idiom ‘a refreshing change’? I bet no one’s eye mask tonight is more novel than mine!”

“Never heard of it,” Song Ai said. “I’ve only heard of ‘blinding both eyes,’ which perfectly describes a freak like you.”

Li Shang clutched his chest, deeply wounded.

He took a breath and patted Wang Ruijing. “I can’t win the argument, I’ll shut up now. Old Wang, you take over.”

Wang Ruijing, who had been enjoying the show, smiled and dropped a bombshell: “Why didn’t you bring your husband?”

Song Ai: “…”

Li Shang silently gave a thumbs-up. “It had to be you.”

Song Ai stopped talking. He swung his long legs over the sofa and sat down, changing the subject. “Didn’t you say there was a special performance? Why hasn’t it started?”

Wang Ruijing sat down near him, though not too close, and tilted his chin. “Soon. Look, the stagehands are clearing the dance floor.”

By “clearing,” he meant kicking people out.

Song Ai looked down. Whoa. Five or six waiters were working together—he’d never seen this kind of production here before.

This was getting interesting.

His interest piqued, he spread his arms across the sofa cushions and crossed one leg over the other. His movements were fluid, his posture utterly languid.

He looked like a beautiful ragdoll cat—yawning, stretching, and elegantly sharpening its claws.

Wang Ruijing looked at him for two extra seconds before turning away.

In no time, the dance floor was cleared.

As if by deliberate arrangement, the lights in the club suddenly cut out just as the music reached its crescendo. A second later, the music stopped abruptly.

The room was pitch black, and murmurs of confusion rose from the crowd.

Just as the confusion was about to turn into agitation, a spotlight flickered back on, hitting the center of the dance floor.

Countless gazes converged—

Sometime during the darkness, the once-empty dance floor had been filled with a group of tall figures! They wore identical outfits, identical masks, and were even striking the same pose!!

The slower customers were stunned.

The faster ones were already swallowing hard, staring at the bulging muscles of the men, tightly packed beneath their suit shirts.

Only Song Ai’s expression faltered slightly. “…Strippers?”

Wang Ruijing, who knew there was a show but didn’t realize it was this kind of show, gave a wry smile. “Seems like it.”

Song Ai fell into silence.

…

Back at the Lu Residence

After returning home, Lu Tingyun changed into a more formal suit.

Hearing that his wife had gone out to party was hardly a blip on his radar. He had plenty of work to do—for instance, meeting an important client shortly.

With a new product just launched, he needed the help of distributors to quickly seize the market.

The partnership with the Laicai Group had already been negotiated; the purpose of this meeting was to finalize some details according to the supplementary clauses of the original agreement.

The driver was waiting outside.

As soon as Lu Tingyun got into the car, his assistant in the passenger seat reported, “The CEO’s secretary from Laicai Group called this afternoon. President Qian wants to talk over dinner. He’s booked a luxury private room at the Gulf International Hotel and hopes you can arrive on time.”

Doing business over a meal was common. Lu Tingyun nodded slightly. “Mm.”

The driver, having learned to read the room, immediately updated the navigation to the restaurant’s location.

The car started smoothly.

Shortly after leaving the manor, President Qian’s secretary called again. The assistant put it on speaker so Lu Tingyun could hear.

“—I am very sorry, Assistant Zhang. We just received word that the Gulf International Hotel is undergoing a temporary fire department inspection and cannot operate normally today. President Qian’s suggestion is… if President Lu’s schedule allows, could we move to a different location?”

Assistant Zhang didn’t respond immediately; he looked at his boss for instructions.

Lu Tingyun thought for a moment. He had no other arrangements, and given the “act of God” situation, changing venues was reasonable. He gave a slight nod.

Assistant Zhang understood and replied, “That is fine. Where should we move the meeting to?”

“…M&C Club.”