Chapter 46: The Incompetent Husband 01 Part 1

In the coffee shop.

The long-haired man in a sharp suit lifted his head, a polite smile on his face as he clasped his hands together. With the corner of his eye, he glanced out the window.

The man sitting across from him stared at his face with obsession, leaning forward in a posture that screamed determination.

In the clothing store across from the glass window.

Yu Sui, hiding behind a mannequin, watched them intently. “System, is that man my wife?”

[Yes,] the System replied. [You suspect he’s cuckolded you.]

“Huh?” Yu Sui blinked in surprise.

He had just arrived, guided by the System to the clothing store to observe the two men in the coffee shop opposite.

“System, what about my memories?” Yu Sui asked. His recollections of the previous world were only vague fragments.

[Human brain capacity is limited. To prevent the Host from suffering mental breakdowns or confusing worlds, they’ve been temporarily sealed,] the System explained.

“I see.” Yu Sui didn’t dwell on it. “What’s the plot of this world?”

[Your wife, Ye Mingxu, is a renowned star lawyer—sharp-tongued and meticulous at work, gentle and devoted at home. The perfect man.] The System sighed. [But you’re no good yourself.]

[You’re just an ordinary employee at a company. Being with him is pure social climbing, but instead of being grateful, your pride took a hit. Plus, you’re impotent, and your wife is stunningly handsome. So you constantly suspect he’s cheating, paranoid and forever hunting for proof.]

“Huh?” Yu Sui instinctively glanced down at himself. “Me?”

[This was a request from the Host himself.] The System answered according to its memo. It had no intention of revealing the memory seal to Yu Sui, lest he worry.

“I…” Yu Sui’s eyelid twitched. What the hell had gotten into him?

[Your wife is this world’s protagonist shou, and the protagonist gong is your new boss.] The System continued. [Whenever you see the boss, you assume your wife will hook up with him. To test it, you keep dragging the guy home, creating all sorts of opportunities for them to be alone, then trying to catch them.]

“I’ve got issues,” Yu Sui muttered, unable to hold back. What kind of cuckold fetish was this?

[Once your wife learned your suspicions, he was utterly disappointed in you. So he decided to get revenge—by actually getting together with the boss.] The System went on. [But the boss’s status is beyond what you can challenge, so you swallow your anger and pretend not to know.]

“Self-inflicted wound?” Yu Sui said in astonishment. “Why would my wife marry someone like me?”

[His career wasn’t always smooth sailing. A few years ago, his strong sense of justice got him targeted. He couldn’t land a single case, had no income, and family pressure was crushing him. His mental state was in shambles. That day, you took the fall for a coworker and were in a bad mood. The usually spineless you lashed out at a stranger.]

“So… he got chewed out by me and fell in love?” Yu Sui couldn’t wrap his head around it.

[He was suicidal back then, but your words snapped him out of it just in time. So even though you’re utterly worthless, you’re still his white moonlight.] The System explained. [Your wife is just that kind—he married you out of gratitude. No matter how much you suspected him or yelled at him, he never got mad. But you ruined it all in the end.]

“I’m a real piece of work,” Yu Sui sighed.

[You really are.] The System agreed. [The task for this world is simple. Scheme to create alone time between the two of them, heap suspicions on your wife until he’s thoroughly disillusioned with you.]

Yu Sui’s eyes lit up at how straightforward it sounded.

He pulled out his phone, zoomed in, and snapped a photo of them.

The pathetic him would only inwardly grumble that his wife was seducing people in the face of such blatant leering.

Yu Sui tsked twice before leaving the clothing store.

Back in the coffee shop, Ye Mingxu glanced toward the store. When the legs behind the mannequin vanished, his patience wore thin.

“If that’s all Mr. Wang has to say—empty words—then I’m afraid I’ll take my leave.” He stood, ignoring the man’s attempts to stop him, and strode out.

The man tracked his wife whenever he had time, spying on who he met with, then imagining infidelities and growing ever more suspicious.

Before, it had only been verbal accusations. But today, seeing them exchange looks and smiles, he was convinced. So he grew bolder.

Step by step, he trampled his wife’s dignity, turning the man’s love to hate.

It was the weekend, so he didn’t have to work. After snapping the photo, Yu Sui headed home.

Back at the house, he went straight to the master bedroom.

He had hidden his impotence from his wife, using suspicions of his infidelity as an excuse to sleep in separate rooms.

He opened the drawer. Inside were stacks of photos—sneaky angles, contrived compositions making them look intimate. But his wife’s expression was always cold.

This was why he had stuck to verbal slander without acting before.

But now action was imminent. Yu Sui rubbed his face.

Ye Mingxu had spent the afternoon buried in work at the law firm. He turned down an invitation to drinks with colleagues and drove home.

He parked in the underground garage but didn’t get out right away. Instead, he pulled out his phone and checked the home surveillance feed.

His fingers curved slightly, propping up his chin as he watched the man rifling through the photos in the drawer.

His eyes were icy cold, devoid of the gentleness he showed in front of the man.

He had married this guy for two reasons: to placate his family, and because he hated him.

Back then, new to the industry, he was naive about its twists and turns. This face of his caused endless trouble, and his family didn’t understand—pressuring him to compromise.

Beaten down at every turn, that day on the overpass, he was contemplating his future when the passing Yu Sui sized him up and mocked him. The jabs at his looks hit right at his rage.

Ye Mingxu hated him, hated them all. He threw himself into his work harder, vowing to make them all regret it.

Then he learned of the man’s issue—perfect for shaking off family pressure. He made what seemed like an irrational choice: marrying a man who was inferior in every way.

Just thinking of the words the man might say to preserve his fragile pride made him feel a rush of satisfaction.

A thin, cold smile tugged at Ye Mingxu’s lips as he stepped out of the car.

In the elevator, he composed his expression.

The man who was sharp and aloof to the world instantly softened.

He opened the door. Yu Sui wasn’t in the living room.

Ye Mingxu glanced toward the master bedroom before heading to his own room.

He changed out of his suit, rolled up his sleeves, and went to the kitchen to cook.

Staring into the pot, he wondered if he should slip something in…

Nah, no rush.

Yu Sui heard the noises from his room. He took a deep breath to steady his nerves before finally pushing open the door.

Just then, Ye Mingxu emerged with dinner. “Yu Sui, have you eaten?”

“Who were you with today?” Yu Sui eyed him suspiciously.

“What’s wrong?” Ye Mingxu looked puzzled. “A client.”

“Just a client?” Yu Sui scrutinized him, feeling awkward about what he had to say. “You… strutting around all dolled up like that—who knows if you’re…”

He trailed off, unable to finish. “Anyway, you better behave. If I catch you getting cozy with another man, don’t blame me for not holding back!”

Staring up at his taller wife, Yu Sui thought a fight probably wouldn’t go his way.

Hearing the suspicions, Ye Mingxu’s fingers tightened around the plate. He sneered inwardly—today’s scene must have bruised the man’s pathetic ego again.

“Yu Sui, I really didn’t,” he said, feigning hurt. “Why don’t you trust me? I only like you.”

Yu Sui snorted coldly and went to eat dinner.

Ye Mingxu was a good cook, but Yu Sui had no appetite, anxious about the task ahead.

Seeing him unhappy lifted Ye Mingxu’s mood; he ate heartily.

After dinner, the man went to wash the dishes.

Yu Sui sat on the sofa, waiting for him to emerge.

Ye Mingxu had tied his hair back, unbuttoned the top of his white shirt. Without the severity of work mode, his narrow eyes were gentle as water, his thin lips curved beneath a straight nose.

This was his habitual facade.

Emerging, he looked at the man on the sofa.

His slightly long hair veiled his brows, his skin too pale and body too frail. That mild temperament, combined with his behavior, often made Ye Mingxu overlook the delicate features of his face.

A golden exterior hiding rotten insides.

He assessed inwardly, his face showing confusion. “What’s wrong, Yu Sui?”

“My coworker said they saw you chatting and laughing with some other guy,” Yu Sui said unreasonably. “You seemed in a great mood when you got home. Where’d you go after?”

Seeing him more clingy and nitpicky than usual thrilled Ye Mingxu. “I really didn’t. Just polite chit-chat, then back to the firm.”

“Is that so?” Yu Sui still didn’t buy it. “Come here.”

Ye Mingxu stepped forward. “What is it?”

Steeling himself, Yu Sui said, “I need to check. I have to see if you’ve betrayed me.”

Ye Mingxu froze at the words, lowering his gaze to hide the chill in his eyes.

What was up with this man today?

“You don’t trust me?” He looked wounded, not budging.

Yu Sui felt a pang of guilt—this was humiliating—but the task was heartless.

“Feeling guilty?” He stood, closing the distance step by step. “Got some shady marks on you?”

Ye Mingxu tensed as he approached.

The two shared no real feelings. Yu Sui had married him to cover his impotence, telling his family he liked men.

This was their closest they’d ever been.

“You…”

He stepped back.

Yu Sui reached out and tugged at his collar, but his ear tips turned red with embarrassment.

This was too much like acting like a beast.

He tugged symbolically a few times, but he couldn’t pull it open.

Sure enough, TV shows were all lies.

Ye Mingxu clenched his fists, struggling to hold back his impulses. He lifted his gaze, about to say something, only to see his husband pursing his lips with downcast eyes, the ear tips peeking from his black hair flushed as ripe as cherries.

He was shy?

Ye Mingxu was stunned.

“Yu Sui, you… you just don’t trust me like that?”

Yu Sui looked up, his eyes full of suspicion. “If you haven’t done anything shady, why won’t you let me check?”

The scent of orange body wash clung to his husband’s body. They were standing so close now, and Yu Sui’s hands gripped the collar of the shirt. His bangs parted to either side with the motion, revealing those eyes.

They weren’t cloudy as he’d imagined—instead, they were clear, perfectly reflecting his own figure.

Hearing those words, Ye Mingxu suddenly felt the meaning twist into something else.

What had once felt uncomfortable now sounded like jealousy.

With a jolt, he shoved the man away.

Yu Sui was completely unprepared and landed hard on his butt.