Chapter 4: It's Embarrassing to Feel a Flutter, but When It's for Your Wife, That's a Different Matter Altogether

“Chen Fan.”

Peng Jiaxin came over to Chen Fan with a bright smile and called his name.

Chen Fan turned his head and saw Peng Jiaxin, stunningly beautiful even in casual clothes.

Noticing Chen Fan was momentarily stunned by her appearance, Peng Jiaxin’s lips curved into a subtle smile.

So, her charm was still very much intact—nothing like what her mother said about being nearly thirty, fading with age, and nobody wanting her if she didn’t marry soon.

Well, her husband certainly seemed to like her.

“Aren’t we having dinner? Aren’t you going to invite me upstairs?”

Chen Fan snapped out of his daze, inwardly screaming “What on earth am I doing?!” as he hurriedly invited Peng Jiaxin upstairs.

As he turned away, he felt a mix of helplessness and frustration.

He had wanted to show some husbandly prowess in front of his wife, but instead, he had completely revealed his awkwardness.

The apartment he rented was on the fifth floor—a modest two-bedroom with a living room, kitchen, and bathroom. Though small, it was spotlessly clean.

On the left as you entered was the shoe cabinet. Chen Fan took out a pair of pink slippers he had just bought and placed them in front of Peng Jiaxin.

“I wasn’t sure what color you’d like, so I just guessed. You can sit in the living room for a bit; dinner will be ready soon.”

With that, Chen Fan hurried toward the kitchen.

He was determined to restore his grand image in his wife’s eyes!

Peng Jiaxin covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. Although it was only their second meeting, she was certain she didn’t mind spending time with this guy.

Slipping on the slippers, she stepped inside the small rented apartment.

It was indeed compact, probably smaller than her own bathroom back home, but somehow, Peng Jiaxin quite liked it.

Every corner exuded a sense of everyday life, giving her a genuine feeling of home.

From the green plants arranged in the living room to the orange-yellow “blob” sprawled across the sofa...

Wait, what was that?

Peng Jiaxin paused, moving closer to take a look.

Oh, it was an orange tabby cat.

“Meow~”

She sat down on the sofa, watching it curiously. The cat, in turn, was equally curious about the new two-legged creature.

The kitchen and living room were separated only by a hallway, so Peng Jiaxin could see Chen Fan with a glance.

This guy looked quite handsome when he was seriously cooking.

After admiring her husband’s earnest cooking for a moment, Peng Jiaxin finally spoke.

“Chen Fan, you have a cat now?”

“Yeah, its name’s Xingxing. I found it downstairs.”

Chen Fan managed to cook and chat simultaneously.

“Can I hold it?”

“Of course, but it’s a bit heavy.”

When Chen Fan found this little guy, it was nothing but skin and bones. In less than a year, it had grown into a miniature bus.

“This guy either eats or sleeps all day. It lives better than I do.”

Peng Jiaxin tentatively stroked Xingxing’s head. Seeing it didn’t resist, she happily began petting the cat.

She actually liked animals but had been too busy at work to keep any. Unexpectedly, marrying a husband came with this delightful surprise.

“It’s okay, Xingxing, come to mommy~”

Chen Fan paused his stir-fry and glanced over at Peng Jiaxin, who was bent over playing with the cat.

Her face bore a genuine smile.

Chen Fan felt a shameful flutter in his chest... No, there was nothing shameful about being moved by his own wife!

Yes, this was perfectly normal.

Honestly, Chen Fan also breathed a sigh of relief.

He had imagined company executives to be aloof, chauffeured around, or like some warlord with a crooked grin. But this seemingly strong-willed female CEO was no different from an ordinary person behind the scenes.

He had driven himself today, and there was no silly drama about disliking the small apartment.

Sure enough, it was best to watch fewer ridiculous TV dramas.

They only gave people fixed, false impressions.

Chen Fan shook his head and focused on cooking. He brought the final dish of oil-braised prawns to the table and called out to the living room.

“Dinner’s ready.”

“Coming.”

Reluctantly setting Xingxing down, Peng Jiaxin’s hands caressed the soft fur, feeling utterly comfortable.

Seeing several of her favorite dishes on the table, especially the richly aromatic oil-braised prawns, she smiled happily.

The thought of coming home every day to such moments made her even more joyous.

The frustration from her employee’s poor performance earlier that morning melted away considerably.

“It’s my first time making this; not sure if it’s any good.”

“Looks delicious to me~”

Peng Jiaxin wasn’t lying. She had no idea what Chen Fan had put in the dishes, but to her, they tasted better than those made by the five-star chefs her family hired.

They both enjoyed the meal immensely.

After eating their fill, Peng Jiaxin even helped clear the dishes.

While Chen Fan was washing up, Peng Jiaxin, who had gone back to pet the cat, suddenly said,

“By the way, give me your bank card number.”

“Huh?”

“I want to transfer you some pocket money. Forgot?”

Suddenly, two words flashed through Chen Fan’s mind: thirty thousand.

Before he could react, Peng Jiaxin added,

“Never mind, just use Alipay. The number’s the same, right?”

Wow—so domineering, and I love it.

Chen Fan nodded. The next second, his phone buzzed with the classic notification:

“Alipay transfer received: thirty thousand yuan.”

As the author of “Flame Emperor,” Chen Fan wasn’t short of money, but who ever complains about having more?

Besides, this was pocket money from his own wife!

For some reason, just knowing this thirty thousand was pocket money made Chen Fan excited—even washing dishes felt more enjoyable.

When he finished, Chen Fan joined Peng Jiaxin on the sofa.

He eagerly boasted in his fan group about the pocket money his wife had sent; question marks flooded the chat.

Peng Jiaxin sat beside him, engrossed in petting the cat and occasionally taking work calls. Though they didn’t exchange words, the atmosphere was far from awkward—in fact, it held a strange harmony.

“Are you usually this busy at night?”

“Not really.”

The rule at StarSea was no work after hours, but as a CEO, it was impossible for her to avoid any work-related matters.

Mentioning work, Peng Jiaxin suddenly recalled the absurd arguments Wan Yongwang had made.

She glanced at Chen Fan, who was rapidly typing away on his phone, a constant smile on his lips.

Hoping for a lucky break, Peng Jiaxin asked,

“You said you’re a novelist, right?”

“Yeah, why?”

After flaunting his status in front of his fans, Chen Fan felt refreshed.

“Do you know the author of ‘Flame Emperor’?”

“The author of ‘Flame Emperor’?”

“Yeah.”

Peng Jiaxin nodded, eyes full of expectation, hoping her husband could surprise her again.

Of course, she knew that a top-tier author like the one behind “Flame Emperor” was unlikely to have any connection with her husband, who made a living writing novels.

“I know him.”

“He’s sitting right here.”

Chen Fan looked at Peng Jiaxin curiously, not knowing what she wanted.

“I get it… wait, what did you say?”

Peng Jiaxin’s beautiful eyes widened in surprise.

“I said, I know him.”

Finding her reaction amusing, Chen Fan decided to tease her a bit and not reveal his identity just yet.

“Are you looking for him?”

Peng Jiaxin, still caught off guard, nodded adorably.

“Yes.”