When I got home that evening, I found my wife sitting on the couch, watching TV.
As soon as she saw me, she sweetly said, "Honey, you're back!"
Usually, she talks to me like this, which makes us seem really loving. But today, when she said those words, I felt completely different.
I just nodded lightly, took off my suit, and leaned back on the couch, pretending to be tired.
My wife looked at me with her beautiful eyes and asked, "Honey, are you really tired?"
"Yeah, I went to Jingzhou today!" I replied.
As I said this, I thought, if my wife can lie to me, why can't I lie to her?
She seemed genuinely concerned and said, "You've worked hard, so I made dinner for you."
I glanced at the dining table, where a sumptuous dinner was already laid out.
Seeing that, I felt a bit touched and said, "Thanks, babe, you really didn't have to."
Lu Wan's cooking skills are pretty good; at least, her dishes suit my taste.
I enjoyed the meal and started noticing my wife's hair.
It was obvious her hair looked particularly shiny today, clearly styled.
As a guy, I don't really understand hair dyeing or perming, so I didn't bother to ask.
But it proved she had gone to get her hair done, which meant Fang Min hadn't lied to me.
So, while I ate, I felt particularly happy.
But suddenly, my wife said, "Zhao Jian, I need to ask you for a favor."
I felt a bit strange; why would we need to use the word "ask" between husband and wife?
I furrowed my brows and said, "Just tell me what it is; I'm not hard to talk to."
She said, "You know my best friend Fang Min, right?"
I nodded and asked, "What about her?"
I couldn't shake the feeling that she might have told Lu Wan about my call to Fang Min earlier.
Thinking about it made me feel guilty.
My wife continued, "Fang Min is the same age as me, twenty-five, but she still hasn't found someone. Shouldn't we help her out?"
I thought my wife would be upset with me, but I didn't expect her to want to play matchmaker.
It seemed she was really anxious about Fang Min.
However, Fang Min has a quirky personality, and I wasn't sure what kind of guy would suit her.
I thought for a moment and said, "She'll figure her own stuff out; we don't need to worry about it."
My wife didn't like that response and said, "Come on, Fang Min is my best friend. You have to help her."
Hearing this made me a bit angry. Why should I be responsible for a young woman's love life? Doesn't that sound unreasonable?
Seeing my expression, my wife quickly said, "Zhao Jian, hold on. Let me explain. Fang Min actually has someone she likes."
Now I was even more curious. If she already has someone in mind, why do I need to keep an eye on it? What's that all about?
At that moment, my wife leaned in and whispered, "The guy she likes is Zhao Hu."
I was a bit surprised and asked, "Do they know each other?"
My wife shook her head and said, "Of course not! That's why we need you to introduce them!"
Once I heard that, I realized my wife was hiding something from me, so I asked, "Honey, you need to tell me everything about this!"
She said, "Do you remember who was the best man at our wedding over a year ago?"
Of course, I remembered clearly—it was Zhao Hu.
For no other reason than the fact that Zhao Hu is quite handsome and single, he was the perfect choice for best man.
And naturally, Fang Min was the best choice for maid of honor since she's my wife's closest friend.
At the time, everyone's attention was on the newlyweds, so no one noticed the best man and maid of honor at the back.
I looked at my wife's beautiful face and asked, "So Fang Min developed feelings for Zhao Hu back then?"
My wife nodded and said, "At first, I had no idea. Today, while we were getting our hair done, Fang Min finally told me the truth."
Hearing this, all my doubts about my wife vanished. It seemed she really did go out with Fang Min to get their hair done.
I furrowed my brows and thought carefully before asking, "Honey, do you think Fang Min and Zhao Hu are a good match?"
She smiled and said, "You have no idea how picky Fang Min is when it comes to dating. If she finally found someone she likes, we have to support her."
I felt a bit conflicted because I knew Zhao Hu was notorious for being a playboy.
If Fang Min ended up with Zhao Hu, he might chew her up and spit her out.
And then, as the introducers, we might end up being blamed by Fang Min.
So, I shook my head and said, "Fate is decided by the heavens; we shouldn't interfere."
"Why not? Fang Min is my best friend! If you don't help, I won't agree to this," my wife started throwing a little tantrum.
With my wife being so stubborn, I knew her tactics worked well, and I usually gave in.
"Alright, alright!" Faced with her persistence, I finally surrendered.
Now my wife had plenty of ideas. She said, "Let's set up a meeting between Zhao Hu and Fang Min tomorrow so they can talk."
I couldn't help but chuckle. If those two actually hit it off, that would be a miracle.
After dinner, I found a moment to call Zhao Hu.
On the phone, Zhao Hu sounded puzzled.
"Zhao Jian, I remember you hardly called after you got married. What made you think of me now?"
It's true; after getting married, I had settled down and stopped hanging out with Zhao Hu and the others.
Honestly, he and I have the same last name and grew up playing together.
The background noise on his end was pretty loud, so I wasn't sure if he was in a karaoke bar or a dance club.
Zhao Hu hadn't changed his playboy ways.
"Zhao Hu, do you have time? I'd like to invite you for tea tomorrow."
When I said that, Zhao Hu sounded even more curious. "Don't joke around. You know I'm not into that artsy stuff. I don't have time for tea. But if it's about chasing girls, I might consider it."
"Actually, I'm talking about helping you chase a girl. I know someone who's had a crush on you for a while. Are you free to meet her?"
Once I said that, Zhao Hu's interest was piqued. He replied, "If that's the case, I'll be there tomorrow. But if you're lying to me, we're going to have a problem."
Since Zhao Hu agreed, everything was set. I arranged to meet him at Longquan Tea House at 9 AM the next day.
After hanging up, I shared the good news with my wife, and she was thrilled.
"Zhao Jian, you're amazing! Whether my best friend can find love now depends on you," she said.
That night, maybe because it had been over half a month since we were intimate, my testosterone started kicking in.
I held my wife and began making some affectionate moves.
But she seemed really resistant, which puzzled me.
It had been a year since we got married, and there hadn't been any signs of a baby, which made me anxious.
I hugged her and said, "Honey, I want a child."
She pushed my hands away and said, "Honey, we're still young. Plus, there's so much pressure in life. Let's wait a bit before having kids."
I found it strange. My wife was really enthusiastic about intimacy when we first got married; now she was becoming distant.
For some reason, the scene at the bank flashed through my mind.
Just thinking about it made my heart race.
If my wife really cheated on me, I couldn't accept that.
But her behavior clearly indicated something was off.