Chapter 80: Can We Please Stop Making a Scene?

At night, Yang Fan was completely unable to sleep. Lin Xi, Xu Zihan, and Ai Xiaomei hadn’t come back at all. According to Ai Xiaomei’s phone call, she had gone off to pamper her dog again! Most likely, the three of them were either at the Huanjiang Club or the Tianning Club. As for the other three clubs, they were too low-end. Ever since the redemption mission had been completed, everything of his had been confiscated by Lin Ruo.

Now, even if he wanted to rent a room, he had to let the woman pay for it. Life was truly miserable!

Compared to his situation upstairs, life for Zhang Chen and the others downstairs was much better. Every day it was wine and meat. Tonight, when they came home, they called Yang Fan. Since he couldn’t sleep anyway, he told Lin Ruo and went downstairs.

Life really was good. There was plenty of wine and food. They were now living so extravagantly that they could drink red wine as if it were water. The only thing missing was women.

In fact, no matter how they acted outside, they never brought women home. At most, one of them simply wouldn’t come back for the night.

“Yang Fan, don’t just eat! Have a drink too!”

“That’s right, Yang Fan! You must be starving!” Wang Jie chimed in.

“I didn’t eat dinner tonight. At first, I didn’t feel hungry, so I skipped it, thinking I could sleep it off. Who knew the more I tried to sleep, the hungrier I got, and the hungrier I got, the harder it was to sleep. I ended up stuck in that vicious cycle!” Yang Fan took a big bite of meat and then grabbed a cold steamed bun.

“You didn’t get in trouble again, did you?” Xu Tao asked suspiciously. People usually skip meals when they’re in trouble.

“I’ve been busy with work every day, coming home on time every night. How could I have done something wrong?”

“That’s true. You’ve been out a lot less lately,” Zhang Chen said, pouring Yang Fan a full glass.

“By the way, Haoyu, have you gotten everything ready for that place I mentioned to you last time?”

“Don’t worry about that! The fireworks we bought will last an hour. I guarantee you’ll see the most spectacular display, Uncle!”

“That’s great!” Yang Fan was in high spirits—Lin Ruo and Lin Xi’s birthday was coming up soon.

After chatting for a while, Yang Fan went to bed. They could sleep in the next day, but he had work to do.

He brought some food for Lin Ruo, knocked on her door.

“What is it?”

“I brought you something to eat. You didn’t have dinner either, so I was worried you’d be hungry,” Yang Fan said from the doorway.

“Well, bring it in, then.”

Yang Fan was delighted and hurried inside. It was only eleven at night, and Lin Ruo was still up…

“Why aren’t you asleep yet?” he asked.

“You want me to go to bed early so you can have your way, don’t you? You pervert!” Lin Ruo said from her bed.

“I really didn’t mean that,” Yang Fan replied quickly.

“So, do you want to sleep here tonight?” Lin Ruo asked.

Yang Fan shook his head at once...

“Be honest. Tell the truth!”

“Fine. I do want to.”

“That’s what I thought! I’ll give you a chance. If you can shrink yourself, I’ll let you sleep here for the night,” Lin Ruo said.

“How small?” Yang Fan looked glum—what fun was it to sleep after shrinking?

“As small as a baby! It’ll last ten hours! Go on, shrink!”

Yang Fan hesitated, but decided to go along. A night’s sleep was a night’s sleep, after all.

He rented a shrinking device from the warehouse and used it on himself. In an instant, a strange transformation occurred—Yang Fan really did shrink.

He couldn’t make a sound because his vocal cords were underdeveloped. He couldn’t even stand up, and fell straight onto the bed, struggling to move at all.

He’d brought this on himself. As the saying goes, many dream of regaining their youth, but if it really happened, it would drive them mad.

“Zhao Jing, come and take him away for me!”

Startled, Yang Fan heard the door open, but he couldn’t see it now—he couldn’t even turn over.

“When did Zhao Jing get here? How come I didn’t notice?” he wondered.

Zhao Jing laughed and teased him with her finger before picking him up and carrying him away.

Yang Fan was dumbfounded. Lin Ruo really had put some thought into preventing him from spending the night alone with Zhao Jing!

Today was the first of the month. Actually, Yang Fan and Zhao Jing no longer abided by the old routine of the first of each month, and Yang Fan could clearly sense Zhao Jing’s growing intensity each time.

But behind this frenzy, Yang Fan felt a sense of dread.

Just as Zhao Jing had said, only when two people are entwined does it feel like they are truly husband and wife.

A day as husband and wife brings a hundred days of kindness; a hundred days as husband and wife, a bond as deep as the sea.

Yang Fan was truly afraid that after a hundred days, Zhao Jing would suddenly leave. For after a hundred days, perhaps fate itself would run out.

This was what Zhao Jing said most often in the midst of their wildest moments. Only by becoming stronger, Yang Fan believed, could he extend the end indefinitely.

In fact, he rarely spent time alone with Zhao Jing anymore. He had to restrain himself, suppress his own impulses, waiting until he was strong enough to rewrite this ending and keep Zhao Jing by his side forever.

“Come, sleep with mommy tonight,” Zhao Jing said with a smile.

“I…”

The next morning, at nine o’clock, Yang Fan returned to normal size. Zhao Jing had teased him all night!

Every time he’d just fallen asleep, Zhao Jing would wake him up. Then Huo Xinqi called. Yang Fan was so exhausted he thought he’d sleep a bit longer, but Lin Ruo came in and patted his face.

“Get up!”

Yang Fan, utterly drowsy, was delivered by Lin Ruo to the police station…

Just as he reached the entrance, he bumped into Huo Xinqi.

“Lin Ruo, you’re just going to leave me? Where are you going?”

“What business is it of yours where I go?” The white SUV drove off, disappearing from Yang Fan’s view.

Yang Fan was frustrated. He hadn’t done anything! Why such a bad temper so early in the morning?

“What’s wrong? Did you two have a fight?” Huo Xinqi asked with a smile.

“No, not at all. This is just a little spice in married life!” Yang Fan replied.

Huo Xinqi pursed her lips, thinking, “Look at you, still half asleep—it’s obvious you spent the night on your knees at the washboard.”

But to outsiders, this was a different story entirely. Huo Xinqi seemed happy, while Yang Fan looked exhausted as they went in together…

Did you two have a wild night or something?

“Good morning, Sister Xi! Yang Fan, did you not sleep last night? You look so tired!”

Yang Fan waved his hand. “Don’t mention it. I was up all night!”

Everyone looked at each other. Actually, even before the redemption, rumors had circulated about Yang Fan and Huo Xinqi, about keeping and being kept. After the redemption ended, it seemed even more certain.

After all, Huo Xinqi lived in a villa and drove a luxury car. It was obvious!

Huo Xinqi knew what everyone was thinking but said nothing. Yang Fan, too sleepy to care, kept quiet.

They might as well let everyone believe whatever they wanted.

“All right, let’s get this over with. It’s supposed to be a holiday, and we can’t even get some peace. Let’s finish quickly so I can go back to sleep!” Yang Fan said grumpily.

“There’s no way to finish it quickly!” Huo Xinqi explained.

“Don’t tell me it’s another major case? Who’d be so foolish as to commit a crime during the holidays?”

“Yeah, Sister Xi, what’s going on?”

…

Everyone was talking at once. Yang Fan grew more frustrated. Could these criminals just give it a rest?