“You are not an idiot,” Zhou Sicheng retorted. He was so furious that barely any of his logic remained intact, yet his rebuttal was lightning-fast and absolutely resolute.

Before Xiang Zhen could even rejoice at her husband’s fiercely protective stance, she heard him add crudely, “Because screwing an idiot is against the law.”

The atmosphere inside the tent instantly froze. Xiang Zhen stared at him open-mouthed—this was the first time she had ever heard her husband use such coarse language!

Little Sunflower Pod still tried to chime in: [Idiocy is a medical concept, whereas a person with no capacity for civil conduct is a legal concept. Would you like to know the relationship between idiocy and the lack of civil capacity?]

Clearly, the youth protection mode was working perfectly. The AI’s “judgmental mode” had completely shifted into “encyclopedia mode.” Zhou Sicheng’s private request to the technicians to restrict Xiang Zhen’s account settings hadn’t been in vain.

However, he hadn’t anticipated that Xiang Zhen and Little Sunflower Pod would turn out to be a matched pair of masterminds.

Zhou Sicheng manually muted the app. First, he made his stance crystal clear: he had never beaten his wife in the past, he wasn’t beating her now, and he absolutely would never beat her in the future.

With his position firmly established, Zhou Sicheng turned into a stern interrogator, grilling Xiang Zhen: “How exactly did you arrive at that conclusion?”

Sitting on his lap, Xiang Zhen obediently confessed, “Because I saw the torture device you bought for 1,620 RMB.”

A torture device?

Zhou Sicheng frequently heard shocking terminology from her mouth. “Are you talking about that metal rack?”

Xiang Zhen nodded, speaking in a small, tentative voice, “Isn’t that meant for hanging me up and beating me?”

Hanging her up and beating her?

Zhou Sicheng deeply admired her vivid imagination. In comparison, the original fitness function of a power rack seemed incredibly dull. He pulled up a video to present the cold hard facts: “That is a power rack, not a gallows. It’s used for building muscle.”

He guided her hand, pressing it against his back muscles. “Feel this. And my chest, which you sleep on every single night—do you honestly think people are just born with these?”

Xiang Zhen processed this for a moment. It turned out she had completely misunderstood the power rack! It was actually a good thing!

She looked up and planted a quick kiss on his chin, terrified that her husband might get upset and stop working out. “Hubby, I know I was wrong. Please don’t be mad anymore. From now on, I’ll only look at your wonderful side, okay?”

Zhou Sicheng spoke with a chilly edge to his voice: “Why didn’t you just ask Little Sunflower Pod? Don’t you tell it absolutely everything?”

Xiang Zhen locked eyes with him.

Zhou Sicheng sighed, “Fine, it’s my fault.”

Xiang Zhen admitted, “Actually, there’s another reason I didn’t ask it. I was afraid it would tell me to get a divorce again.”

As her words fell, Zhou Sicheng suddenly fell silent for a few seconds. He had been so blindsided by the phrase “beating his wife” that he hadn’t immediately picked up on the underlying logic and deep affection hidden in her words.

Xiang Zhen thought he beat his wife. Yet, unlike the previous cheating misunderstanding, she hadn’t immediately demanded a breakup. Instead, she had actively looked for a rational explanation for his behavior—namely, that BDSM stuff.

Right, the “S” part.

Zhou Sicheng licked his dry lips, feigning ignorance. “So, what exactly is BDSM?”

Xiang Zhen explained, “Well, I follow a content creator named Sister Li.”

Zhou Sicheng questioned, “Wasn’t it Sister Wang?”

Xiang Zhen clarified, “This is a different blogger who specializes in discussing gay men. His insights are incredibly deep. He said that your symptoms don’t point to domestic violence, but rather a natural Sadistic personality.”

Zhou Sicheng’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “And then?”

Xiang Zhen continued, “Then I even read a reference novel called The Straight Man Falls for a Sadist, and I understood everything—”

Zhou Sicheng cut in, “Understood how to play those games?”

Xiang Zhen scratched her burning cheek. “Mm. Hubby, you wouldn’t actually treat me like that, right?”

Zhou Sicheng reassured her, “I won’t. Let me see that novel.”

When interrogating his wife, no piece of physical evidence could be overlooked, lest there be further misunderstandings.

Xiang Zhen unlocked her phone and opened the story. “I even had to pay for a premium stress-relief membership to read it.”

The corner of Zhou Sicheng’s mouth twitched upward. “Then it seems we’ve found the right culprit.”

Right there in the park tent, the newlywed couple opened up an incredibly explicit novel. The story kicked off with leather whips in the very first chapter.

With his high IQ, Zhou Sicheng instantly drew a connection between Xiang Zhen and cowpea pods. He casually skipped ahead through the progress bar a couple of times, and every single chapter featured entirely different tricks.

How on earth could ginger be used in bed instead of just on the dining table?

He had no interest in reading about other people’s fetishes, but there was one crucial thing he needed to confirm. Tapping his finger against the screen, he asked, “Xiang Zhen, even when you mistakenly thought I would do these things to you, you were still willing to stay with me, weren’t you?”

Xiang Zhen gave a firm nod.

From a bizarre and explicit misunderstanding, Zhou Sicheng truly realized the sheer depth of her tolerance and love for him. She was willing to accept him even like that, only expressing that she wasn’t quite fully prepared for the pain.

A very long time ago, he had lost the person who could accept him unconditionally. If she could love the current him, she would surely love the billionaire version of him—the one hiding under a harmless lie—even more.

In this strange moment of reading an explicit web novel together, pure romance entirely bypassed lust and struck straight at his heart.

Right outside the tent lay the water lily pond, looking like an oil painting. Her blonde hair resembled the most expensive pigment on a canvas, but her delicate facial features possessed a breathtaking elegance that could enchant gods and spirits alike.

Zhou Sicheng looked down at Xiang Zhen, who seemed to radiate a soft glow even in the dim light. She kept her beautiful eyes lowered, reading along with him. She was intensely curious about the world, looking so innocent that she almost seemed to want to discuss literature with him.

Such a pure wife… even reading these words feels like a desecration.

Zhou Sicheng closed the novel. “I am nothing like the guy in the book.”

Xiang Zhen smiled, “Hubby, I believe you.”

“I won’t use ropes to tie you up, I won’t blindfold you so you can’t look at me, I won’t ignore you, I won’t use bizarre objects to punish you, and I won’t make you call me master…”

As he rattled off these promises, Zhou Sicheng gradually paused.

Damn it, the novel is getting to my head.

But one thing was certain: she was already fully prepared for a normal intimacy.

However, tonight wasn’t the right time. They were out in the wilderness, after all. Given his high profile and her striking looks, it would be an absolute disaster if they ended up on the news.

Zhou Sicheng grabbed an ice pack from the fruit bag and pressed it against his forehead to cool himself down.

Xiang Zhen asked, “Hubby, are you hot?”

Zhou Sicheng muttered, “A little.”

Xiang Zhen peeled a chilled grape and fed it to him. As her soft, smooth fingertip brushed against his lower lip, he caught it with his teeth in a sudden, sharp nip—almost like stumbling into a serpent’s nest.

Zhou Sicheng quickly excused himself, “An accident.”

“It’s okay.”

Xiang Zhen hurriedly pulled her finger back and popped it into her own mouth, her tongue tracing the faint teeth mark he had left behind, along with the lingering sweetness of the grape.

Seeing this, Zhou Sicheng quickly pressed the ice pack tightly over the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes.

“Let’s unzip the tent to get some air.”

Xiang Zhen protested, “But there are mosquitoes.”

Zhou Sicheng reasoned, “We’ll head back early tonight anyway.”

Relying on twenty-eight years of sheer willpower and acting skills, Zhou Sicheng managed to successfully guide them through a perfectly innocent park date.

Once darkness fell, a gentle breeze swept across the lake, bringing a refreshing chill. They weren’t the only family camping nearby, but the grounds were vast, and everyone maintained a respectful boundary of twenty to thirty meters. Wrapped up together, they sat on the grass right in front of the tent, watching the crescent moon slowly drift across the sky. They took turns feeding each other pieces of fruit and snacks, casually chatting about buying a larger refrigerator once next month’s salary came in. With his arm wrapped securely around her waist, Xiang Zhen leaned against his shoulder, completely unbothered by any remaining warmth.

Of course, another major reason they could keep things strictly platonic tonight was that Xiang Zhen didn’t have weekends off and had to work the next day.

That wretched customer service job.

“Zhou Sicheng! Give me my money back!”

On Monday morning, right after finishing a meeting at the bank branch, Fan Hao marched straight over to the corporate headquarters to demand justice. If he didn’t appeal within three days, it meant he accepted the disciplinary action, and it would be formally broadcasted company-wide.

Losing a million-RMB bonus was a minor issue; the real problem was the sheer embarrassment. If his colleagues asked, he couldn’t even explain the real reason. He couldn’t exactly say he had been penalized for laughing at Zhou Sicheng’s expense, or he’d end up docked even more money.

Sitting behind the most luxurious executive desk with the prime ocean-view perspective, Zhou Sicheng didn’t even look up at the sound, his pen scratching rapidly as he signed a document.

From Fan Hao’s vantage point, he could see Zhou Sicheng’s distinct, elegant fingers, a sliver of crisp white shirt peeking out from the sleeve of his black suit, and further up, a bespoke suit tailored to perfection down to the exact angle of its folds. Just a glimpse of his profile screamed immense wealth, to say nothing of the priceless backdrop right beside him: a boundless blue ocean dotted with white sails.

Fan Hao couldn’t help but reflect on the scene from the other day, where Zhou Sicheng was actively picking up順風车 (ride-share) orders, transferring a measly 52 RMB to his wife, and claiming he needed to cash out from a credit card.

Wanting Zhou Sicheng to put on a performance like that again? You wouldn’t see it even if you threw down twenty million.

A million RMB to witness that? It was honestly worth every penny.

“President Zhou, about that disciplinary notice… I have already recognized my mistake and am ready to reform.”

Zhou Sicheng asked flatly, “What exactly was your mistake?”

Fan Hao stuttered, “Uh…”

Zhou Sicheng filled in, “Inadequate risk management.”

Fan Hao tried to argue his case: “Even if you genuinely want to fine me, please don’t use that specific excuse. As a risk control manager, I can’t afford to lose face like that. It makes it sound like I allowed a massive bad debt to slip through.”

Zhou Sicheng countered, “I see you haven’t reflected enough. Who was the one who went behind my back to tell Xiang Zhen that I might not be as poor as I look on the surface?”

Fan Hao: “……” He had muttered that to Xiang Zhen right after stepping out of the car, entirely behind Zhou Sicheng’s back. Did she really relay it back to him word-for-word? Loose lips sink ships.

He suddenly felt incredibly envious of the people in Xiang Zhen’s Moments feed. They could call Zhou Sicheng a cheapskate straight to his face and get away completely scot-free.

Fan Hao gave a strained laugh. “I was merely testing the President’s wife to see how much she trusts you.”

Zhou Sicheng turned dead serious. “Do you have any idea how critical my marital stability is to me, and by extension, to the entire Zhou Fortune Group? Your actions yesterday were actively introducing unnecessary risk into my marriage, yet you still have the audacity to claim you handle risk management? Fining you a million is getting off easy.”

Fan Hao was completely left without a reply.

Naturally, he understood the profound importance of a stable marriage for the helmsman of a mega-corporation. It directly tied into shareholder confidence and prevented equity fragmentation. If a president’s marital scandal were to break out, it could easily trigger a consumer boycott against their products, translating directly into catastrophic financial losses for the group.

The real issue is, do you two even have a legal marriage certificate yet?!

However, Zhou Sicheng’s tone made one thing abundantly clear: he was dead serious about her.

Fan Hao sighed, “Fine, fine, I accept it. Consider that one million my private wedding gift to you, alright?”

Zhou Sicheng scoffed, “Am I running short of your one million?”

Fan Hao knew very well that Zhou Sicheng was simply retaliating for being made a laughingstock the other day. Even though Zhou Sicheng had sent that 52 RMB transfer entirely on his own, it was General Manager Fan who had exposed the cheapskate reality.

“If you want the penalty retracted, it’s fine,” Zhou Sicheng’s tone suddenly shifted. “Do something for me.”

Fan Hao asked, “What is it? Does it involve your wife?”

Zhou Sicheng commanded, “Recruit her into Zhou Fortune Bank.”

He had observed that Xiang Zhen possessed a long-standing admiration for bank jobs. If she could join the bank, she would enjoy standard weekends off with stable nine-to-five hours, allowing her to quit that awful customer service job at the nut company where she was constantly surrounded by potential love rivals. Furthermore, her working environment would fall entirely under his jurisdiction.

Fan Hao rubbed his hands together in anticipation. This was a perfect, legitimate opportunity to get to know the President’s wife. He determinedly resolved to become the lady’s trusted confidant—joining the elite rank of people who could call Zhou Sicheng a cheapskate straight to his face without facing repercussions.

“What was Xiang Zhen’s major? I’ll make the arrangements.”

Zhou Sicheng replied, “She doesn’t have a degree.”

Fan Hao asked, “Then what level of education does she have?”

Zhou Sicheng estimated, “Compulsory education.”

Fan Hao was utterly stunned. Even the newly hired security guards at their bank held bachelor’s degrees, yet Zhou Sicheng had found a partner who had essentially only finished middle school.

Then again, it didn’t really matter. Many jobs in the world only required a striking face and a normally functioning brain—to say nothing of the fact that she had a top-tier husband capable of backing her up completely.

Zhou Sicheng added, “I didn’t tell you to shove her into the finance or risk control departments. Xiang Zhen is an excellent customer service representative. Alternatively, you can bring her along when you visit clients to have her carry your bags—provided they are legitimate clients, a meal is included, and she returns the same day.”

With things explained to this extent, Fan Hao understood perfectly. Zhou Sicheng found it inconvenient to step forward himself, so he wanted Fan Hao to guide Xiang Zhen and help map out her career path.

Once Fan Hao returned to his office, he immediately had the technology department draft an internal recruitment notice, which he promptly forwarded to Xiang Zhen.

[Our bank is currently hiring customer service staff, complete with comprehensive social security benefits. Would you like to come in for an interview? I happen to be the interviewer! 😜]

The hint was as clear as day: just show up, and the job is yours.

Xiang Zhen immediately forwarded the job advertisement to Zhou Sicheng, seeking her husband’s counsel: “What do you think?”

Zhou Sicheng replied, “I think having weekends off sounds wonderful. We can go on dates every single weekend.”

Recalling the beautiful park date they had just shared, Xiang Zhen was thrilled: “Then I’m submitting my resume right away!”

Zhou Sicheng casually glanced at the calendar sitting on his desk. The markings on it didn’t track the jam-packed itinerary of the President of Zhou Fortune Group; instead, they carefully laid out Xiang Zhen’s customer service shift schedule.

“Wifey, do you happen to have a day off tomorrow?”