Return to the Day When My Pregnant Wife Jumped Off the Building-Chapter 293 She’s a Man_1

The next day, at Lingnan Museum, journalists from all walks of life—social, humanities, financial, and even entertainment media—gathered, filling the ceremony hall. Cameras, long and short, were busily set up, heralding an event of great importance.

It wasn’t that these journalists hadn’t seen the world, but that the event itself was quite special.

A man fraught with topics of interest had, in a very topical manner, bid on an artifact of even greater interest and was now, in partnership with its equally interesting former owner, donating it.

Heroes, money, relics, royalty, affairs, innuendos, international relationships—just these elements alone could fill the pages of a popular novel by the hundreds of thousands of words.

For the journalists, it was an excellent report worthy of deep investigation.

Backstage, after chatting with a few leaders, Xiao Ming knocked on the door to Furukawa Shizuka’s resting room.

As the main characters of the donation ceremony, they were inevitably going to give speeches, so the museum had arranged private rooms for them to rest and familiarize themselves with their speeches.

The door was opened by a fierce-looking burly man, who eyed Xiao like he was guarding against a thief.

"What, afraid I’ll hit you again?" he asked with a laugh.

"Murata-san, you may leave now."

After sending the man away, Furukawa Shizuka put down her manuscript and gave Xiao Ming a slight glare, not without a trace of resentment.

"My impression of Han Country men has always been that they’re rather reserved and shy. To mention hitting a woman so casually, you are the most shameless I’ve ever seen."

Xiao Ming chuckled and sat down on the sofa next to her, "Being considered the ’most’ of anything by Shizuka is my honor."

"Really an honor?" Furukawa Shizuka tilted her head and looked at him, her eyes full of scrutiny.

Xiao Ming nodded seriously, "Any beauty who describes me with the word ’most’, be it in a good or bad sense, as a man I should feel honored."

"So it’s ’any beauty’ that can do so. And here I thought I was special!"

"Eh? Is Shizuka flirting with me?"

Xiao Ming leaned in closer, jokingly saying, "Touched by my thoughtfulness on Christmas Eve? Or has your father commanded you to seduce me again?"

Furukawa Shizuka’s gaze dimmed for a moment, and she said with a pout, "Mr. Ming, there’s something you should understand. In romantic relationships, I take on the role of ’T’.

In other words, our interactions should be seen more like jokes between men."

Xiao Ming’s expression changed in an instant, and he pretended to get up, "Goodbye then."

Furukawa Shizuka giggled charmingly, "Mr. Ming, you keep saying that you approached me because I posed no threat. If my identity were male, wouldn’t that be even safer?"

Xiao Ming rolled his eyes, "Don’t twist the concept. The premise is beauty. There are plenty of fellows out there, why would I seek you out?"

"So, Mr. Ming still likes to be close to all sorts of beauties, it’s just that marital morals restrain you from recklessness.

You don’t love your wife as deeply as you claim, and you’re not a good man."

Xiao Ming raised his eyebrows slightly and looked into her eyes, "Shizuka is quite aggressive today, feeling unhappy? You should know that’s what friends are for.

Also, I don’t think liking to be close to beauties conflicts with loving one’s wife. When two people know and love each other, being together should be a pleasurable thing. Marriage is a responsibility, not a prison.

Fidelity depends on managing the fine line.

Just like when my wife and I go shopping, if she spots a beauty, she’ll pull me over to appreciate her too. As the saying goes, ’the love of beauty is common to all’, which the Saint himself said."

"Marriage is a responsibility, not a prison,"

Furukawa Shizuka murmured in repetition and then said, "According to Mr. Ming, whether love lasts depends on self-discipline rather than constraints?"

"Exactly!" Xiao Ming snapped his fingers, "If one’s partner can’t be self-disciplined, the tighter you constrain them, the stronger their desire to escape will become.

If both spouses clearly understand the boundaries of their responsibility and can control their impulses, then naturally there are no prohibitions."

Furukawa Shizuka pondered for a moment, shook her head, "That’s too idealistic. It requires not just absolute trust but also a certain wisdom. Very few can achieve this.

Just like you don’t know if you will encounter a beauty that will make it impossible for you to restrain your impulses in the future. If your wife doesn’t set certain limits on you, it’s tantamount to leaving your love and family entirely to chance."

"So Shizuka believes herself to be a pessimist, then no explanation of mine will suffice," Xiao Ming spread his hands, "But once you meet my wife and get to know her, you’ll understand how lucky I am.

She is exactly the one in a million you mentioned.

Even if I were to encounter a woman I couldn’t resist, what are the odds that she too would be one in a million?

And how likely is it that I would be foolish enough to give up a wife who is infinitely tolerant to choose someone else?

Shizuka, you’re underestimating me."

"Perhaps,"

Furukawa Shizuka laughed noncommittally and then asked, "You just said that I might have a chance to meet your wife. Is she coming to Lingnan?"

"Oh right, I almost forgot the main reason I wanted to see you."

Xiao Ming said seriously, "I plan to use this opportunity of the donation to establish contacts with major domestic museums and discuss founding a cultural heritage recovery fund, specifically for searching and acquiring lost cultural relics overseas.

If Shizuka is interested, I’d like to invite you to take charge of this institution."

"Me?" Furukawa Shizuka widened her eyes in surprise, "Are you joking?"

Xiao Ming shook his head, "If you don’t believe me, we can draft a letter of intent right now."

"Why?"

"Do you want the truth, or a lie?"

"Let’s hear a lie for a change."

"I don’t want to part with you so soon."

Furukawa Shizuka’s gaze flickered, and she gave a bitter smile, "Thank heaven you’re a married man who still has some self-discipline, otherwise who knows how many women would be heartbroken by your charm."

"I’ll take that as a compliment, thank you!"

"And the truth?"

"I don’t think you’re cut out to be a spy. Or to put it another way, with your current position, there’s practically no room for growth, and your future is already set in stone."

"What future?"

"To be discarded like trash; or to marry a trashy man just like trash."

Furukawa Shizuka instinctively tensed up, lowered her face, and said nothing for a long time.

After a while, there was a knock on the door and the rough-featured man pushed the door open, revealing Gu Tinglan standing outside.

"Chairman, the staff just informed me that the ceremony is about to start."

Xiao Ming stood up and said to Furukawa Shizuka, "Don’t rush, take your time to think about it. A response before the 30th will be fine."

"Do you have time tonight, Mr. Ming?" Furukawa Shizuka asked, looking up.

"I have a dinner engagement. If you don’t mind it being later, I’m free after nine o’clock, and it’s up to you."

"Then I’ll call you before nine o’clock."

Furukawa Shizuka stood up and bowed her head.

As Xiao Ming left the resting room, he saw Gu Tinglan hesitating and said, "Speak your mind."

"I... I’m just a bit surprised," Tinglan said, "An open-ended promise like ’it’s up to you,’ Chairman, you’ve never made even to Hanqing or Mrs. Ding."

"Saying that to them would be a disaster, but with Furukawa it’s fine because she’s a man."

Tinglan was stunned, but Xiao Ming just laughed out loud.