Chapter 126 - Lilia's Strategy

As it was getting late, Sister Mei was busy cooking dinner in the kitchen. Lilia initially volunteered to help, but she was subtly chased away from there. Finally, Lilia returned to lying on the sofa in the living room with a bored expression.

From her comfortable position, Lilia could see the crimson sky. The light of the evening sun penetrated through the window and dyed the entire room golden. The quiet and peaceful atmosphere made Lilia's eyes slowly close.

She was amazed at herself. Usually, Lilia didn't get sleepy easily in the afternoon, but her eyes felt so heavy this time. Maybe this was because she had barely slept all night, reading how to seduce her husband—

In an instant, Lilia's eyes opened wide and the drowsiness vanished. She sat down on the sofa, then glanced out the window. There was still time to work out the plans she had drawn up last night.

Lilia headed towards the stairs, but her steps stopped when she remembered something. She turned around and walked into the kitchen.

"Sister Mei." Lilia called when she arrived in the kitchen, "After you finish cooking, you can go straight home? We can clean up on our own later."

"Ah?" Sister Mei stared at Lilia in confusion for a moment. Then she realized Lilia's intention and immediately smiled broadly, "Alright then. I'll be home soon after my cooking is finished. You don't need to worry, Mrs. Lilia." She ended her sentence with a wink.

Lilia's face turned red when she saw the all-knowing expression on Sister Mei's face.

"Um… that's not it… this…" Lilia tried to find an excuse, but no idea came to her mind.

"You don't need to explain anything. I understand what you want, Madame." The smile on Sister Mei's face grew wider.

Lilia gave up trying to explain because the woman had guessed it, "Then, I'll go upstairs first!" She said before running away

In her hurry, Lilia slipped and almost fell, but she luckily managed to balance herself. She didn't want to go back to the hospital again just because she slipped on her slippery slipper.

Sister Mei watched Lilia run away while laughing and shaking her head, "How good it is to be young again." She muttered.

*****

Half an hour later, Sister Mei finished her cooking. After saying goodbye to Lilia and praying for her efforts to seduce Jean, the middle-aged woman immediately returned home.

It was seven in the evening, but there was no sign of Jean's return. Lilia was sitting in front of her dresser while carefully arranging her hair. She curled her hair up and left only a strand of hair behind her ears. The hairstyle accentuated Lilia's long, snow-white neck and gave her a mature impression.

Lilia sprayed her favorite perfume while being careful not to overdo it. She had read a text saying that men didn't like the smell of perfume that was too strong. Lilia also didn't forget to squirt a little behind her ear. According to netizen comments, it was an important place to seduce a man.

Then, she added some light makeup around the eyes. She had large, clear-looking black eyes, so Lilia just needed to add a touch. She used eyeliner to define her eye line and make her look even more expressive.

After she was satisfied with how she looked in the mirror, Lilia started looking for a nightgown that would win Jean's heart. She found a blue dress that made her look elegant, but less seductive. Then she also found a pink dress that gave off a pure and innocent impression, but didn't attract enough attention. Lilia rummaged through her wardrobe until she found a silk dress that was as black as night.

The dress was a gift from a clothing brand that recruited Lilia as a model during the Milan Fashion Week yesterday. She received a lot of clothes from other brands as a token of appreciation, so Lilia almost forgot that she had this dress.

When Lilia put it on, it stuck to her body snugly and highlighted her dazzling curves. She tried to walk, making the skirt of the dress sway gently like the waves following her steps. The thin dress felt weightless, as if she was wrapped in black clouds. Lilia grinned at her reflection in the mirror. She couldn't wait for Jean's reaction when the man came home.

As if answering her wish, Lilia heard the sound of the front door opening.

Meanwhile, Jean walked into the dark living room with no light. He frowned when he couldn't find the figure he was looking for. The man turned his head toward the kitchen, the only room with the lights on. But he didn't see anyone there either. Jean took off her coat and was draping it on the sofa when he heard footsteps from the second floor.

Jean turned towards the stairs and smiled, but his expression suddenly froze. His eyes were fixed on a woman descending the stairs with graceful steps. The woman looked like a goddess who had emerged from the darkness of the night. Her snow-white skin stood out even more, contrasting to her black dress.

When the light of the kitchen lamp illuminated the woman's figure, Jean recognized his wife.

"Welcome back!" Lilia smiled broadly as she approached her husband.

As Lilia drew closer, her floral scent filled the room and tickled Jean's nose. The man felt his self-control weaken, but he forced himself to divert his thoughts. He had promised himself not to touch his wife until they were truly ready to become family, but Lilia's appearance tonight was a flirting with his faith.

Jean reached out and pulled the woman into his arms. He made sure that just hugging her wouldn't cause any trouble. The man looked down at Lilia and stroked her silky cheek.

"Did I keep you waiting long?" Jean asked with a warm smile.

"No, you're on time." Lilia replied with glowing eyes.

Jean let go of his hug, but one hand was still wrapped around Lilia's slender waist. Then together they headed to the dining room. When Jean sat down at the dining table, he looked around.

"Where's Sister Mei?" Jean asked while watching Lilia's back who was warming dinner.

"Sister Mei left early because she had business that needed to be resolved." Lilia answered without turning around. She had expected Jean to ask that, so she prepared a suitable answer.

Jean didn't ask any further and just watched Lilia serve their dinner on the table. Her nightgown that looked both dazzling and provocative was no match for such a simple job.

Jean continued to stare at Lilia while frowning. He could already guess that the woman was trying to seduce him tonight, so Jean wouldn't be provoked by whatever Lilia was doing. He had intended to tell her, but his wife was too cute so Jean wanted to observe her a little longer.

Lilia finished preparing their dinner, then sat across from Jean. They started eating in silence.

"Lilia." Jean gently called .

But the woman jumped in surprise when she heard that. It seemed like Lilia was so tense up by this situation that she couldn't enjoy her dinner.

"Y-Yes?" Lilia's voice sounded squeaky as she answered.

Jean smiled faintly as he continued, "What are you doing at home this afternoon? Are you bored?"

"Hmm…" Lilia tilted her head while looking deep in thought. Her movement made the shoulder of her right dress slump down and revealed Lilia's snow white skin.

Jean swallowed hard and looked away with difficulty.

"This afternoon, I'm talking about the role offer of Louis Spark, the music video director I was working with." Lilia decided to tell Jean what happened, "And… next Wednesday… I have to go to Jakarta." She continued looking up at Jean to see his reaction.

Jean's hand who was spooning the food stopped for a moment. A few seconds later, he was eating again as if nothing had happened, "How long will you be away?" Jean asked in a light tone.

"… About a month."

The answer was greeted by complete silence.

Lilia stole a worried glance at Jean. It was as if she could feel the temperature in the room starting to sink due to her husband's deteriorating mood. Lilia knew Jean didn't want to let her go, but she didn't want to miss this precious opportunity either.

The woman placed her hand on the table and leaned toward Jean. Lilia's movements made the shoulders of her dress slump again a few inches.

"Is one month too long for you?" Lilia asked while looking closely at Jean.

Jean returned Lilia's gaze calmly. He put down the spoon and replied, "If you want to go, I won't stop you."

Jean had learned that he needed to let her do what she liked. If Jean broke her wings and locked Lilia up in the house, it would be the same as killing the part of Lilia that made her unique. The woman was not a bird in a cage. Just like the song that said "If you love her, you have to let her go."

Lilia felt a little relieved that Jean let her go, but she also felt frustrated by the man's calm attitude. She muttered, "I'll be gone a month, you know? Don't you think it's a long time?"

Jean smiled slightly at Lilia's grumbling.. He reached out and adjusted the dress that slumped from the woman's shoulder as he replied, "That's a really long time for me."