Chapter 495: Arrogant

Translator: Henyee Translations  Editor: Henyee Translations

There were times when he really wanted to call over to ask about her, but he felt that he couldn’t let her think that she had him under control.

It seemed as though at this moment in time, whoever gave in first would lose.

If he admitted defeat, what would happen to his goal of restoring the patriarchy?

On the fifth day, He Mingshan called and he asked about Ruan Yang ambiguously. “Where’s Ruan Yang? Why didn’t you invite her along to shop with you today?”

“Why should I have invited her along?” He Mingshan said. “She’s a mega-celebrity. Wherever she goes, there will be a crowd gawking at her. I don’t like to be watched. Besides, she to Beijing for the past couple of days. Didn’t you know that?”

“Beijing?” Li Shaobin got a rude shock.

“You really didn’t know?” He Mingshan chided. “What’s wrong with you, children? How could you not know where your wife has gone?”

Li Shaobin was annoyed. “Why did she go to Beijing?”

“Didn’t Ruan Yang tell you?” He Mingshan was really worried about them. “She said that her friend asked her to invest in a drama serial together so she went over to take a look. Such a young lady should find something to do after leaving the entertainment industry. But as her husband, how could you not know anything? You were the one who insisted on marrying her. Don’t tell me you don’t want to spend your life with her after just a few days?”

“I was just asking. Don’t prattle on and on. I still have something to do so I’m hanging up.” Li Shaobin was extremely frustrated. He had found a reason to angrily call Ruan Yang immediately.

The call was picked up not long after it rang. Ruan Yang’s voice was light and languid. “Shaobin, is anything the matter?”

So I can’t call her if nothing’s the matter?

Li Shaobin wanted to scold someone. This woman had called him a couple of days ago and would ask him gently if he had eaten or if he had gone to sleep no matter his attitude. In just a few days, she had become cold.

Is this still the same person?

“Of course I do,” he said angrily. “Ruan Yang, why didn’t you tell me that you weren’t in Northern City? My mom chided me because I didn’t know where you were and caused me to be in a very awkward position. Why didn’t you think about what others would think? They’ll definitely think we’re quarreling again.”

“I wanted to call you too but didn’t you find me too annoying? So I didn’t want to call and disturb you,” Ruan Yang said apologetically.

Li Shaobin clenched his teeth. Isn’t she very smart? Couldn’t she tell that I was just faking it when I said it was annoying? If I found it annoying, I wouldn’t have even picked up her calls.

Besides, even if I was annoyed at her, she should still continue calling me. Doesn’t she know what it means to never give up?

“No matter whether I said you were annoying or not, you should still tell me the important things,” Li Shaobin said angrily. “As my wife, it’s only right for you to report your whereabouts to me.”

“I don’t think so. If I report my whereabouts to you but don’t know where you are at all…” Ruan Yang hesitated to speak. “I think we should just forget it. You can have your fun and I won’t control you. I know my limits. I’d never make you a cuckold. Don’t worry.”

“What do you mean I can have my fun?” Li Shaobin was stunned. “Who would know if you made me a cuckold? I don’t believe you.”

“I can’t do anything about it if you don’t believe me.” After saying that, a man’s voice came from Ruan Yang’s side, asking her to go to lunch.

“I’m hanging up. I’m going for lunch now,” Ruan Yang said.

“Wait, who are you having lunch with? Why do I hear a man’s voice…” The call ended before Li Shaobin could finish speaking.

He almost threw his phone away.

“Brother Hu, you have a dinner appointment with your second brother tonight. It’s about time you head over,” Hu Zhi, who was in the passenger’s seat in front, reminded him cautiously.

Li Shaobin glared at him and said angrily, “If you know it’s time to head over, can’t you remind the chauffeur to drive over?”

Hu Zhi shrank back. He had once again ended up as a victim of the crossfire. He knew it wasn’t such an easy task for Boss to restore the patriarchy.

…

He was very gloomy throughout the dinner with Li Jinchi. Li Jinchi said, “It’s rare for us to meet up like this. Can you not look as though I owe you a few million?”

“You do owe me a few million. I’d be happy if you gave me a few million.” Li Shaobin poked his bowl of rice with his chopsticks and took his phone out from time to time.

“Whose call are you waiting for?” Li Jinchi lifted his brows. “Ruan Yang?”

“No way. I was just looking at the time. Eating with you is so boring,” Li Shaobin said lazily.

Li Jinchi was so angry that he wanted to whack Li Shaobin with his chopsticks. What kind of bad luck did he have in his previous life to get such a brother?

After dinner, on the way back, Li Shaobin couldn’t hold back anymore and gave Ruan Yang a call. It was very noisy on her side. “You’re still not done dinner?”

“I’m done dinner. I’m having fun with a few friends at a bar in Sanlitun,” Ruan Yang said something that made Li Shaobin gloomy again.

“Ruan Yang, don’t push your luck. You’re already married yet you keep thinking about having fun. You even go to shady places like bars,” Li Shaobin said angrily. “If you do anything to let me down, I’ll never forgive you.”

“Don’t you already think I’ve done something to let you down? Regarding Xin Ziao.” Ruan Yang snapped her fingers at the bartender. “Give me a Bloody Mary.”

After she ordered her drink, she told him, “Go have fun too. Don’t keep saying that I like to control you. Goodbye.”

“Ruan Yang, you’re hanging up on me again,” Li Shaobin shouted at his phone. “Hanging up after just a few words. Do you really think I care about talking to you? I don’t even care about picking up your call.”

He blacklisted her number straight away.

However, before he even reached his hotel, he was afraid she would call him again, so he quickly dragged her number out of the blacklist.

Hu Zhi sat in the passenger’s seat quietly and pretended to have heard and seen nothing in case he got another scolding.

Ruan Yang seemed to be silent all the way until the day he was about to book his tickets to leave Shenzhen.

Li Shaobin was restless, holding on to his phone every day. It felt as though there were ten thousand claws scratching his heart constantly, making it feel unbearable. There were several times when he wanted to call her but he could only hold himself back forcefully.

There were times when he would wonder if it was abnormal for a couple to not call each other for days. Would they end up divorced in no time at all?

He might be unhappy but he had never thought of getting a divorce.

Also, Ruan Yang had been wandering around Beijing every day. He didn’t know whether she was back in Northern City nor did he know when she would return. Should he try to find out from Changqing?

In addition, would she have any pursuers in Beijing? After all, she was so pretty. It was only normal if there were people pursuing her. There were too many people without principles these days. They wouldn’t care if she was married or not.

…

“Hu Zhi, say, was my tone towards her in the past few days really bad…” Li Shaobin hesitated for a while and cast his gaze on Hu Zhi.

Hu Zhi scratched his head. He knew Li Shaobin would ask him that sooner or later. Actually, he thought Li Shaobin’s poor attitude was one of the reasons. The main reason was probably that Ruan Yang was loosening the reins to control him better.

However, even if he told Li Shaobin that, he might not be a match for Ruan Yang. After all, men were hardly a match for women when it came to pushing and pulling. Women could hold themselves back and ignore you for a very long time but men might not be able to.

Hu Zhi thought Ruan Yang had given in to Li Shaobin and was very submissive to give him a little treat in the beginning. Then, when it started getting to his head, she would retreat and that would only make a man itch.

Hu Zhi thought for a while and decided not to tell him. After all, he still hoped they would reconcile as soon as possible. If the two of them were to continue in this stiff situation, he would be the victim of this crossfire and would get a scolding every day. “Mm, yes. Boss, your tone was quite bad indeed. If I were in her shoes, I wouldn’t want to call you either. It feels as though her feelings weren’t reciprocated.”

“Really?” Li Shaobin felt a little uneasy. “But she was in the wrong in the first place. She can’t take it after just that? Aren’t her feelings for me a little too shallow? Indeed, all the talk about liking me was a lie. She still hasn’t let go of Xin Ziao.”

“Boss, you can’t put it that way either,” Hu Zhi said patiently. “Your attitude is full of ego. Anyone with a bruised ego would be afraid of moving forward.”

“But I called her too,” Li Shaobin retorted, unable to accept it. “Look at her attitude towards me. She hung up after a few words.”

Hu Zhi clenched his teeth and gave him a stronger dose of medicine. “It might’ve been because she saw your attitude so she gave up too and felt that the two of you weren’t compatible. Since that’s the case, you should just get a divorce sooner.”

“What are you talking about?” Li Shaobin was furious. “I got married after going through so much but you’re telling me to get a divorce? Do you know what you’re saying?”

“But if you go on like this, you’ll end up with a divorce sooner or later,” Hu Zhi said. “Look—you don’t want to get a divorce and since Miss Ruan has already taken the initiative to beg for your forgiveness, you should go along with her and resolve this conflict. If you still feel unsettled inside, this knot will only make your attitude continue to worsen. You’ll give her the cold shoulder and after enough time, it’s bound to hurt your relationship and wear out whatever feelings you have for each other. When that happens, you can go to the Bureau of Civil Affairs and go your separate ways.”

Li Shaobin was stunned. “Then what about restoring the patriarchy? Also, if her feelings for me were deeper, she would continue calling me despite everything.”

“Boss, that would require the woman to be thick-skinned and not egotistical,” Hu Zhi said. “Miss Ruan is also an egotistical person. In my opinion, if Miss Ruan were to call you again, you should just go along with her. If you want to restore the patriarchy, you can do it harmoniously. Don’t end up kicking her out. In my opinion, you’re just being arrogant.”