Chapter 3: A Little Jealousy

Miaomiao and Yichen’s sweet married life couldn’t avoid a few small storms, especially when Lin Kaiwen, a former coworker who had pursued Miaomiao all through university, was unexpectedly transferred into her design department after a company merger.

Kaiwen was cheerful and sociable by nature, and he made no secret of his special interest in Miaomiao. He often invited her to lunch with the team and went out of his way to help her with work, a little more familiarly than usual.

Though Yichen kept a calm face, he couldn’t help feeling a slow-burning jealousy every time Miaomiao innocently mentioned “the really kind new coworker” over dinner. He began making small gestures, subtle but unmistakably “staking his claim”: driving his wife to and from work every day even though their offices were in opposite directions, and regularly sending lunch to her office with sweet little notes that left her coworkers gasping with envy.

One day, after the department’s party to celebrate a successful project, Kaiwen, a little tipsy, blurted out his old feelings for Miaomiao in front of several coworkers, making things awkward.

Miaomiao turned him down gently but firmly, deftly smoothing things over so he wouldn’t lose face in front of everyone. But the story soon reached Yichen through a well-meaning “report” from his own personal secretary, who was very fond of Miaomiao.

That night, when Miaomiao got home, she found Yichen sitting in the living room looking unusually serious, without his familiar gentle smile.

“I heard something happened at your company today?” he asked, trying to keep his voice calm, though his eyes couldn’t hide how much it mattered to him.

Miaomiao realized at once that her husband was jealous and couldn’t help laughing. She climbed into his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck, and teased him in her sweetest voice. “Is my hubby jealous? What should your wife do to make you stop being jealous?”

Yichen tightened his arm around her waist, his voice low. “Try pouting at anyone else in front of me and see if I let it go.”

“I only pout at my hubby,” Miaomiao giggled, planting a soft kiss on his cheek. “Stop worrying about silly things. Hurry up and hold me while I sleep. I’m so tired today.”

That little jealousy finally dissolved in their warm laughter, leaving only a small lesson behind: sometimes it’s the tiniest jealousies that add spice to love.