Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Having stayed up late and cried the previous night, Su Tinghe woke up unusually late the next day. Shang Huoyong had already left the villa for work.

Aunt Qin was shocked to see Su Tinghe with puffy eyes, fearing that Shang Huoyong had done something to him.

Su Tinghe quickly explained that he had cried out of excitement for getting married and that it had nothing to do with Shang Huoyong.

Aunt Qin was doubtful but arranged brunch for Su Tinghe and got an ice pack to help with his swollen eyes.

After applying the ice pack, Su Tinghe's eyes looked much better, not as bad as they looked in the morning.

Thinking that an Iced Americano might help with the swelling, Aunt Qin asked Su Tinghe if he wanted one. Su Tinghe didn't understand and asked, "What's an Iced Americano?"

Aunt Qin said, "It's coffee. Want some? Mr. Shang has it every day."

Coffee?

Su Tinghe had seen it on TV but had no idea what it was. But since Shang Huoyong liked it, it must be good.

"I'll have a cup," said Su Tinghe.

Aunt Qin brought him a cup of strong black coffee. Su Tinghe took a tiny sip and grimaced at the bitterness.

It was bitter and harsh, just like drinking herbal medicine. How could Shang Huoyong like this stuff?

Aunt Qin quickly offered some milk: "Here, drink some milk to wash it down. I can't stand this coffee either. Maybe you should skip it next time."

Su Tinghe took a big gulp of milk, barely covering up the coffee's bitterness.

He pushed the coffee aside, clearly not a fan. Aunt Qin couldn't help but smile and shake her head fondly.

Aunt Qin suggested Su Tinghe find something to do, but he was at a loss.

Someone had already unpacked the luggage delivered yesterday, so he didn't even have the chance to organize his things.

Right then, the doorbell rang. It was the package Su Tinghe's father had promised to send the day before.

Su Tinghe was curious about what his mother had left behind for him. When he opened the package, he found a pair of gold-inlaid jade bracelets.

The jade was high-quality, and the workmanship was superb, but Su Tinghe didn't see anything particularly special about them.

He thought it was probably just a keepsake.

What interested Su Tinghe more was the phone in the package. However, after trying to figure it out on his own for a while, he was still clueless.

Su Tinghe was at a loss and didn't know what to do, so he took the phone to Aunt Qin for help.

Su Tinghe asked Aunt Qin, "Can you teach me how to use the phone?"

Aunt Qin, with her kind and gentle demeanor, reminded Su Tinghe of the nanny who had taken care of him in his previous life. He was sure she wouldn't refuse him.

Aunt Qin was shocked. In modern society, there were still young people who didn't know how to use a phone? Even 80-year-old grandmothers on the street were adept at using their phones.

Then she remembered what Shang's mother had told her about Su Tinghe's complicated family background. Connecting this with the fact that Su Tinghe didn't even know what an Iced Americano was, she immediately imagined a story of a wicked stepmother secretly abusing Su Tinghe behind his father's back, even forbidding him from using a phone.

In this story, Su Tinghe was the perfect Cinderella, living in a dusty attic, while Shang Huoyong was the prince who would save him.

Aunt Qin's heart ached for Su Tinghe, and her maternal instincts were fully aroused. She patted her chest and said to Su Tinghe, "Of course, I can. If there's anything you don't understand in the future, just ask me."

Su Tinghe didn’t understand why Auntie Qin was giving him a sympathetic look. Had the inability to use a phone really become such a pitiable state in this world?

It was terrifying; he had to make an effort to learn how to use a phone as quickly as possible.

Auntie Qin was extremely thorough and patient, starting with the very basics of turning the phone on and off, then teaching Su Tinghe how to make calls and use WeChat.

Su Tinghe was horrified to find that he couldn’t understand the letters on the phone’s keypad at all, and what was even more alarming was that he didn’t have Shang Huoyong’s contact information.

At first, Auntie Qin didn’t suspect that Su Tinghe didn’t know pinyin and comforted him, “It’s okay, you probably just haven’t typed much and aren’t skilled yet. Just practice more, and you’ll get the hang of it, or you can use handwriting input.”

Seeing Su Tinghe still looking unhappy, Auntie Qin continued to comfort him, “Mr. Shang probably just hasn’t had the chance to add your contact yet. Ask him for it when he comes back tonight. Though Mr. Shang may come off as cold and distant, he’s really quite kind.”

Su Tinghe thought of the bread and eggs Shang Huoyong had prepared for him late last night, and his heart warmed. Although Shang Huoyong’s words were often annoying, he wasn’t a bad person.

Su Tinghe stopped worrying about the contact information for now and continued to study the phone.

Using a phone is all about learning by analogy. Once Su Tinghe mastered the basic functions, exploring other features became much easier.

However, although handwriting input was convenient, Su Tinghe believed that learning pinyin was still the top priority.

Su Tinghe spent the whole day fiddling with the phone, and Shang Huoyong didn’t come back until late that night.

As Shang Huoyong’s personal assistant, Assistant Song had subtly and directly reminded Shang Huoyong that it would be best to come home early tonight.

But all he got in return was a series of blunt questions: “Are you free? Have you finished today’s work? What’s tomorrow’s schedule?”

Assistant Song inwardly rolled his eyes, lamenting the inhumane nature of capitalists who not only exploited workers but also themselves when they got ruthless.

Neglecting his newlywed, beautiful wife to stay and work overtime at the company, he really hoped the boss’s wife could tame the boss in the future.

Su Tinghe lounged on the living room sofa playing with his phone, waiting for Shang Huoyong to return. Auntie Qin had repeatedly advised him, but Su Tinghe refused to eat alone, insisting on waiting for Shang Huoyong to eat together.

The moment the door opened, Su Tinghe immediately jumped up from the sofa, ran to the door to greet Shang Huoyong, and excitedly shouted, “Husband!”

The moment Shang Huoyong opened the door and saw Su Tinghe, he was momentarily stunned.

The expression in Su Tinghe's eyes brought back memories of a dog Shang Huoyong had as a child. Every time he came home, the dog would immediately come up to him, looking at him with expectant and longing eyes.

After Shang Huoyong took off his coat, Su Tinghe effortlessly took it and hung it on the coat rack.

The intensity of Su Tinghe’s crying yesterday had scared Shang Huoyong, making him unsure how to face Su Tinghe today.

In his past life, Su Tinghe had never shown such attentiveness, leading Shang Huoyong to suspect ulterior motives.

“I’ve been waiting forever! Have you eaten yet?” Su Tinghe asked.

“I’ve eaten,” Shang Huoyong replied, taking a few steps and seeing the untouched food on the dining table. He paused, “You haven’t eaten yet?”

Mr. Su insisted on waiting for you to eat, no matter how much I advised him,” Auntie Qin interjected. “Mr. Shang, if you’re not coming back to eat next time, please let us know in advance.” Her tone unconsciously carried a slight hint of reproach.

Su Tinghe's stomach growled just then, underscoring the implicit accusation against Shang Huoyong.

“Why do you keep skipping meals?” Shang Huoyong chided. “Next time, don’t wait for me. Just eat if you're hungry.”

“It’s so lonely eating by myself; I wanted to share a meal with you,” Su Tinghe replied.

A few days ago at the Su family home, Su Tinghe had been confined to his room, with meals delivered by servants at set times. Eating alone in his room was very lonely.

Now that he was married to Shang Huoyong, it was only natural they should eat together.

But it seems like things have gone wrong.

It was all his wishful thinking; he forgot to ask Shang Huoyong if he had other plans.

Auntie Qin glanced at Su Tinghe, who was awkwardly standing to the side, with a look of pity. "Let me whip up some wontons to tide you over. The food won't taste good if it's reheated again."

Shang Huoyong, who was heading upstairs, turned around and pulled out a chair to sit down. "Make me a couple too. I had dinner early and I'm a bit hungry."

Su Tinghe couldn't help but smile; he got it now—Shang Huoyong was all bark and no bite.

Once the wontons were ready, Shang Huoyong ate a few with Su Tinghe. Su Tinghe ate his bowl slowly, bite by bite, then pulled out his phone and asked Shang Huoyong, "We're not friends yet, can we add each other?"

A flicker of suspicion crossed Shang Huoyong's eyes, but he shared his contact info, and they added each other as friends.

Shang Huoyong's profile picture was a landscape photo, and his nickname was a capital letter S.

Su Tinghe's profile picture was the default system image, a gray silhouette on a white background, which looked dull, and he wasn't happy with it.

So Su Tinghe asked Shang Huoyong, "Where'd you put our marriage certificate?"

After picking up the marriage certificate yesterday, Shang Huoyong had his assistant store it away, and Su Tinghe hadn't seen it since. Now he needed it right away.

Shang Huoyong: !!!

It seemed this was Su Tinghe's real intention, but what could he possibly need the marriage certificate for?

Buying or selling property? Inheriting an estate? Filing for divorce? Applying for a birth permit or birth certificate?

None of these seemed right.

Shang Huoyong said without batting an eye, "I've stored it away; do you need it for something?"

Su Tinghe replied, "I want to snap a photo of our picture with my phone."

Shang Huoyong: ???

"You don't need the marriage certificate for that; there's a digital version of the photo."

But Shang Huoyong didn't have the digital version either, though the ever-reliable Assistant Song did.

So, after Assistant Song clocked out, just as he was about to enjoy some me-time, he suddenly received a message from his boss.

Being a top-notch assistant, Assistant Song replied instantly to his boss's request.

Su Tinghe didn't get what a digital version was, and taking photos with a phone was a skill he had just learned that afternoon.

Su Tinghe only saw Shang Huoyong tap a few times on his phone, then send him a photo, exactly the red-background ID photo he wanted.

Su Tinghe set this photo as his profile picture.

Shang Huoyong looked at Su Tinghe's new profile picture with a complex expression, saying incredulously, "You wanted the photo just to change your profile picture?"

Su Tinghe, who had changed to his desired profile picture, was in a particularly good mood. "Yes, isn't it nice?"

At a glance, others would know he was married, and his husband was Shang Huoyong—how clear and straightforward.

Is it really nice?

Shang Huoyong looked left and right but couldn't see what was nice about it, except that Su Tinghe did look somewhat attractive, but he wasn't bad either—they did look quite matched.

!!!

Shang Huoyong quickly stopped the dangerous thoughts in his mind.

Only those destined to be shark food are the best match for sharks.