Above the Galaxy
Chapter 548 - 341: Battlefield!

Chapter 548: Chapter 341: Battlefield!

Lake View Apartments.

Tang Fei had just pressed the doorbell when the door was yanked open with a "bang," as if someone had been waiting for a long time.

Sheng Xinhua, wearing a black silk nightgown and being rather voluptuous, and also going braless, wobbled slightly as she walked, quite striking to the eye.

Tang Fei stole a glance and felt his head spin and his heartbeat quicken.

He felt a bit dizzy from the sight.

After all, he was still an inexperienced virgin.

Encountering someone like Sheng Xinhua, a stunning older woman, truly tested a man’s composure.

"My dear, you’re back?" Sheng Xinhua advanced and wrapped her arm around Tang Fei’s, asking with a bright smile.

"..."

Tang Fei’s eyes widened as he looked at Sheng Xinhua, wondering what she was playing at.

Calling him "my dear"?

Even Phoenix would not dare to address him so casually.

Sheng Xinhua winked at Tang Fei, who instantly understood and replied, "Yes. Missed me?"

"Missed you to death." Sheng Xinhua said cheerily.

She bent down to retrieve shoes from the shoe cabinet for Tang Fei, and as he looked down, he caught sight of a dazzling expanse of white, quickly shifting his gaze elsewhere.

Mei Yuyin, hearing the noise outside, came out wearing an apron, a joyous look on her face as she smiled at Tang Fei, "Xiao Tang, you’re back?"

"Yes, Auntie," Tang Fei greeted Mei Yuyin respectfully.

"Xin Xin said you’ve been busy at work, but I said no matter how busy you are, you’ve got to eat," Mei Yuyin explained, looking at Tang Fei, "Tonight I’m personally cooking, preparing a few specialty dishes for you. They’re definitely tastier than what those robots make... Xin Xin can’t cook, so you usually eat that kind of food, right?"

"Of course. How could a cooking robot compare to Auntie’s culinary skills?" Tang Fei flattered with a thick face, "It’s just that I’m troubling you too much, Auntie."

"Why stand on ceremony? We’re all family here." Mei Yuyin, with a spatula in hand, waved vigorously toward the living room, "You two go sit on the sofa for a bit, dinner will be ready in half an hour."

Then, reminding Sheng Xinhua, she said, "Xin Xin, get Xiao Tang some fruit. You lazy thing, the fruit I brought last time is going bad in the fridge, and I haven’t seen you eat a single piece... If no one washes it for you, you won’t eat, right?"

"Alright," Sheng Xinhua said, sounding aggrieved, "I only eat the fruit cut by Tang Fei. If he doesn’t cut it, I won’t eat."

"Auntie, I’ll wash it," Tang Fei said with a smile.

Since he was there, he might as well play along with Mr. Sheng in a sweet "lovey-dovey" drama.

As for how to explain their real relationship to Mei Yuyin in the future...

Mr. Sheng said she would take care of it.

"It’s not necessary," Mei Yuyin stopped Tang Fei, not letting him enter the kitchen.

She then glared, scolding irritably, "Sheng Xinhua, hurry and wash the fruit for Xiao Tang... The man has just come back from work, and you’re making him do chores? How will you manage once you’re married?"

"Lao Mei, aren’t you being a bit too biased? I’ve just come back from school myself, and I even taught two classes of over a hundred students each."

"Does your workload compare to Xiao Tang’s? Go wash the fruits, otherwise I’ll hit you on the head with this spatula."

"..."

Helpless, Sheng Xinhua could only go and wash the fruit.

Tang Fei sprawled lazily on the sofa, turned on the TV, and started watching a variety show with relish.

This feeling of being at home was truly not bad.

Sheng Xinhua approached with the washed strawberries, pushed one into Tang Fei’s mouth, and said, "Here, my dear, let me feed you."

"Thank you..." Tang Fei’s mouth was filled with the juicy fruit, as he mumbled his thanks.

Mei Yuyin, who was stealthily observing them from the kitchen, on seeing this scene, smiled with a motherly expression.

It seemed this young couple was doing well, which somewhat reassured her.

"What on earth is going on?" Tang Fei swallowed the fruit and asked in a low voice.

Sheng Xinhua turned up the volume of the TV to cover the sound of their conversation before explaining, "Lao Mei suddenly came over, saying you’ve been working too hard and wanted to make you some soup to replenish your energy... I told her you were too busy to come back. She wouldn’t listen and insisted that I call you. What could I do?"

"In this case..." Tang Fei said with a troubled expression, "how are we going to clearly explain later?"

"Don’t worry, I’ll just say you fell for Phoenix and dumped me."

"..."

Tang Fei looked at Sheng Xinhua in horror.

With the level of doting Sheng Jing and Mei Yuyin had for their daughter, if they heard such an explanation, they would probably tear him apart, right?

He heard that last time, when Sheng Xinhua and he were kidnapped together, the Finance Minister went straight to the Phoenix Palace and, in front of the King, scolded Chen Fenglei for not managing the capital’s defenses properly. The Phoenix City Police Station still hadn’t received its funding for the season.

Who would dare to offend a father who held the national purse strings in his hands?

"Just kidding," Sheng Xinhua smiled sweetly, "I’ll just say I got bored of playing with you and want to try a different man."

"..."

"That’s not okay either?" Sheng Xinhua glared coquettishly, feigning anger, "Well then, how do you suggest we explain it?"

"How about we say our personalities didn’t match, so we broke up?"

"That’s not very convincing," Sheng Xinhua patted her chest and said, "With my tolerance, what kind of man couldn’t I put up with?"

"..."

Tang Fei felt she was flirting.

He had a feeling he wasn’t wrong.

"Let’s not talk about that anymore. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. I’ll explain everything clearly when the time comes, and I will hand you over to Phoenix intact."

"What about my innocence?" Tang Fei asked quietly.

"Innocence? What does a big man like you need innocence for? I’m a woman and I’m not bothered about it, what’s there for you to worry about?" Sheng Xinhua said irritably, "Besides, Phoenix will be the one marrying you... We sisters, what’s there to mind? I’ve had my fun, and then I’ll pass you on to her, and she won’t mind."

"..."

What kind of savage words are these?

Tang Fei simply couldn’t fend them off.

The two chatted leisurely for a while before Mei Yuyin started calling for dinner.

Mei Yuyin’s cooking skills were indeed impressive; she made several homestyle dishes that were a feast for the senses.

Especially that pot of Red-tailed Scorpion Dragon Bone Soup, which was exceptionally delicious, and was truly extraordinary.

Tang Fei had just finished a bowl of soup when Mei Yuyin promptly stood up to serve him another, saying, "Here, Xiao Tang, have some more soup. The workload at the Monitoring Bureau is huge, you should nourish yourself well... If it really doesn’t work out, shall I ask Mr. Sheng to transfer you to the Ministry of Finance?"

"Thank you, Auntie." Tang Fei got up to receive the soup, smiling and saying, "I’m doing okay at the Monitoring Bureau, I’ll ask Uncle for help if needed in the future."

His plan had just been put into action and was progressing smoothly, so how could he possibly be transferred?

"Alright, anyway, we’re family, just speak up if you need anything. With Mr. Sheng looking out for you at the Ministry of Finance, you won’t be wronged."

"Yes, yes, with Uncle’s high position and power, who would dare wrong me?" Tang Fei said, flattering her.

"Mhm." Mei Yuyin was quite pleased with Tang Fei’s attitude and casually asked, "Xiao Tang, you don’t usually live here?"

"Hm?" Tang Fei felt a jolt of surprise in his heart and looked at Mei Yuyin with a puzzled face.

Sheng Xinhua bowed his head to sip his soup, but his ears perked up, anxiously waiting for Tang Fei’s response.

Had Lao Mei noticed something?

That didn’t make sense; he had prepared so thoroughly.

"Although you’ve stocked everything in your room, there are no signs of anyone actually living there." Mei Yuyin said with a smile, "I’ve been around the block; you can’t hide that sort of thing from me."

"Auntie..." Tang Fei quickly thought of an excuse, saying, "I’ve been so busy with work lately, I didn’t want to disturb Xin Huai, so I’ve been living somewhere else... You know, Xin Huai likes quiet."

"Mhm." Mei Yuyin nodded and said, "No matter how busy work gets, you still have to come back more often. I’m not an old fuddy-duddy, I approve of cohabitation before marriage."

"Living together first to see how things go. If you’re compatible, getting married naturally follows. And if not, parting ways later leaves no regrets."

"Xiao Tang, don’t you agree?"

"Yes, Auntie, you’re right." Tang Fei nodded again and again.

"Come on, have some food, eat more dishes. You’re too skinny; boys look better with a bit more weight."

"Okay, thank you, Auntie."

After dinner, Tang Fei and Sheng Xinhua wanted to help clean up, but Mei Yuyin refused.

She shooed them to the sofa to chat, as if this would somehow strengthen their relationship.

After busying herself for a while and seeing that it had gotten late, Mei Yuyin finally stood up to leave.

"Xiao Tang, if you’re not busy, stay here and keep Xin xin company. This child... always keeps to herself, doesn’t have many friends, and it’s really too boring alone."

"Sure, Auntie."

"And, tell her to drink less. Best to quit drinking, what if she gets pregnant? Drinking so much, how would that be?"

"Yes, yes..."

It wasn’t easy to send Mei Yuyin off, and Tang Fei felt a layer of fine sweat covering his body.

This kind of thing was even more exhausting than working a case or giving Yu Huoshui a beating.

Sheng Xinhua also seemed relieved as she looked at Tang Fei and asked, "Tired?"

"Tired." Tang Fei nodded.

"Me too." Sheng Xinhua said, "Is this what it means to have a guilty conscience?"

"Yes." Tang Fei nodded.

Sheng Xinhua ran to the wine cellar to fetch some drinks, saying, "Come on, have a drink with me."

"Auntie said you should drink less," Tang Fei advised.

"What’s the problem?" Sheng Xinhua’s red lips parted in a seductive smile, "Are you actually planning to have a baby with me?"

"..."

"Besides, we’re not having a baby, so what’s the harm in a drink?" Sheng Xinhua said while pouring two glasses of whiskey, "I was craving a drink during dinner, seeing all those delicious dishes but not being able to drink made me feel miserable."

"You have a drinking problem."

"No." Sheng Xinhua shook her head, saying, "I just enjoy the sensation of being tipsy."

The two leaned over the railing, admiring the Luoxia Lake at the foot of White Crane Mountain.

Lake Luoxia at night was extraordinarily gentle and serene, deep and vast.

Slivers of moonlight spilled across the lake’s surface like a silver veil had been draped over Luoxia Lake.

Even Sheng Xinhua became unusually quiet, the normally flamboyant woman exuding an intellectual and mysterious beauty.

"What are you looking at?" Sheng Xinhua suddenly asked.

Only then did Tang Fei realize he had been staring at Sheng Xinhua’s profile and quickly shifted his gaze to the lake, saying aloud, "Thinking about the case."

Sheng Xinhua rolled her eyes and said, "Just look, I’m not making you pay."

"..."

Sheng Xinhua downed the contents of her glass in one go and said, "Come on, let’s hit the sack."

Tang Fei looked at Sheng Xinhua in panic and blurted out, "Didn’t we agree it was just a pretense to live together?"

"I’m telling you to go to bed, get in bed on your own..." Sheng Xinhua, pulling Tang Fei’s hand, walked him to the guest room she had prepared for him and said, "Go roll around on the bed a bit."

"..."

"Come on, quit dawdling. Didn’t Lao Mei say it? No signs of anyone having lived in your room..." Sheng Xinhua spoke, "From what I know of her, she’ll definitely come to inspect the battlefield tomorrow."

"Battlefield?"

"Yeah. I mean, I’m all dressed up like this, and we haven’t had a good battle yet... isn’t that kind of suspicious?"

"..."