"Not bad, you really did get handsomer," Fatty said with a lewd grin. "Leem told me you managed to nail that toughest housewife of his, the one from a good family. Impressive, impressive."
"Master, you guys talk about this stuff too?" Luisâs eyes widened.
"Whatâs the big deal? Leemâs also a client here. We make money off each other. Weâve had drinks a few times, every time, he hooks me up with some crazy good-value girls."
Fatty chuckled. "Leem said the one you had yesterday was super difficult and dramatic. No service, complaining about this and that, refusing to do anything. She pissed him off so bad."
"Then he sent her your photo, and she finally agreed to come out."
"Damn, kid. Youâre looking pretty fine now. Got a bit of my style back in the day."
As they chatted, Luis test-drove the car. When it came time to pay, he smiled and said, "Youâre living the good life, Master. I bet your wifeâs not too busy these days either, huh?"
"Sheâs swamped. Why, you got some trouble?" Fatty asked with concern.
His feelings toward Luis were genuine. Back in the day, when Fatty had just finished his apprenticeship and started doing panel-beating jobs on contract, the money was slim and the work was exhausting. Luis was his only apprentice.
Luis worked under him for two years, diligent, responsible, and really thoughtful. Their relationship had long become like family.
When Fatty was thinner, he was actually quite good-looking. Despite his humble background, he managed to win over the only daughter of a city family, a wife who even had a masterâs degree. Seriously impressive.
When his career started taking off, his wifeâs family bought this plot of land, built the auto repair shop, and supported him. He had them all wrapped around his finger, truly a master at playing the tough freeloader.
"Itâs a relative having some issues. Wanted to ask your wife for advice."
Fatty and his wife had one daughter. After giving birth, his wife went back to school and took exams. Once the kid started school, she returned to work. Now she had her own office at the cityâs biggest law firm, fully part of the elite class.
"Well... my wifeâs pretty pissed off right now. If I bring it up, sheâll probably tear me a new one."
Fatty scratched his head awkwardly. "Youâve got her number, right? Just hit her up yourself."
Luis couldnât resist teasing him. "Whoa, Master, feeling brave? Daring to argue with the wife now?"
"Ah, itâs not like that. Hard to explain quickly. Anyway, youâve got her number. Reach out yourself."
Luisâs master might look tough and rough, a real manâs man, generous and upright, but in private, he was totally henpecked.
First, because his wifeâs family had helped him tremendously, no denying that. Second, this pretty wife of his was no trophy.
A top-tier law school graduate, her father was an official, her mother a retired judge, high-caliber talent with serious presence.
A woman with strong opinions, truly admirable, a real independent woman of the new era.
Driving out in his well-maintained second-hand Nissan, Luis thought for a bit and decided to call his masterâs wife first. When she answered, her voice was just as he remembered, elegant and warm:
"Luis, what brings this call all of a sudden?"
The nickname had a teasing tone. As Fattyâs only apprentice, Luis had a pretty good relationship with his masterâs wife.
Fatty only had one daughter, and his wife had once joked that with Luis as their apprentice, they finally had one of each, a son and a daughter.
"You busy, Masterâs Wife?"
"You little rascal. You showed up once when my office opened, dropped off a red envelope, and then vanished."
"Masterâs Wife, I heard from Master youâve been super busy. Didnât want to interrupt your work."
"And what makes you brave enough now? You never call without a reason."
"Thereâs something I wanted to ask your advice about."
"My consultation fees are pretty steep these days. When did you become such a big spender?"
She giggled, then her tone turned playful. "You punk, Iâve got a ton of cases to review today. Iâll call you tomorrow. Itâs been ages, you still havenât learned to show your masterâs wife some respect, have you?"
"How about I treat you to dinner tomorrow? Your favorite food."
"Deal."
Hanging up, Luis saw it was already 10:30. After a momentâs thought, he sent a message to his wife, Lily, then drove straight to the Ocean Hotel.
The community hospital was always a quiet place, with only outpatient services and no emergency department. During the daytime, it mostly handled minor illnesses like colds and flu, along with some routine health check-ups.
Medical disputes were practically nonexistent, making it an ideal environment for retirees or expectant mothers.
The billing department didnât require night shifts, any emergency cases sent here would be tantamount to seeking death, so Lilyâs job was relaxed, and Luis wasnât worried about her overexerting herself.
"Hello, brother-in-law! Hello, brother-in-law!"
It was so tranquil here that employees could even take midday breaks. In the cafeteria, Lily was chatting with several younger female coworkers, two who reported to her and a few friendly nurses.
"Honey, what did you bring?"
Lily smiled charmingly, her face glowing with happiness.
Luis had called earlier, telling her not to buy a boxed lunch and to wait for him to bring food instead. When her close girlfriends heard, they playfully demanded to share the "love meal," and after confirming the headcount, Luis readily agreed.
Lilyâs favorability meter was currently at 96% and hadnât budged for a while. Luis wanted to pamper her a bit to raise it.
Although the System didnât explicitly state the purpose of the favorability meter, it seemed to serve mainly as a reference to gauge what actions were appropriate toward the other person, Luis was no stranger to web novels. He knew there had to be hidden functions or potential easter eggs and rewards tied to it, so he took great care to maintain her favorability and prevent it from dropping.
Luis opened the trunk, and the girls swarmed over, carrying the food into the cafeteria.
"Wow, long live brother-in-law!"
"Sister Lily is so lucky! I thought brother-in-law made the lunch himself, but this is a full-on feast!"
"Long live Boss Lily! Brother-in-law is so thoughtful!"
No woman is immune to vanity. The moment the containers were opened, the girls squealed with delight, drawing curious onlookers from nearby.
"With so many people, individual boxed meals wouldâve been inconvenient, and I wasnât sure about everyoneâs preferences, so I picked up some of my wifeâs favorites on the way."
The first package was impressive right away, the Ocean Hotel was famous for its seafood feasts, and just the packaging alone built anticipation.
Fried crab, butter-fried shrimp, garlic mantis shrimp, a classic roasted meat platter, and most extravagantly, a portion of abalone and soup for each person...
The second package contained Fiery cuisine: Lilyâs favorite sliced pork in spicy broth, mapo tofu, extra-spicy chicken perfect with rice, and finally, a strawberry smoothie for everyone.
"Brother-in-law, you picked up all these delicious things on the way?"
"And theyâre all Sister Lilyâs favorites! Today weâre benefiting from her good fortune~"
The girl speaking had an especially sweet voice, and on closer look, she was quite pretty, her eyes curved like crescent moons, sparkling with lively charm.
A delicate, upturned nose, a lovely cherry-like mouth, and a perfectly shaped oval face made her a striking beauty.
This little beauty had just graduated from nursing school and was interning here. When she arrived, she immediately caught everyoneâs attention, turns out she was the school belle of her year. For her to earn that title at a nursing school said a lot about her looks.
Rumor had it, from what Lily mentioned, that she had countless suitors and was quite the proud little peacock. Currently single, her favorite hobby was cosplay.
Her name was Rococo. What stuck most in Luisâs memory was Lily mentioning theyâd gone to a spa together once, Rococoâs skin was so fair it practically glowed.
"Keke, this oneâs for you, your sister mentioned youâd like it."
Luis took out a separate box: extra-spicy popcorn shrimp.
"Wow, brother-in-law, I only said that offhand! You remembered?"
"If I didnât, your sister wouldâve smashed my head in."
After some laughter, Luis, whoâd only brought six meals, set the food down and said cheerfully, "Enjoy, everyone!"
"Hubby, arenât you eating with us?" Lily asked with concern.
Luis shook his head. "No, I need to stop by the bookstore. That book I mentioned last time came in, gotta pick it up."
"Make sure you rest, sweetheart!"
Luis drove off in his newly bought car. Other staff in the cafeteria came over to sneak a bite, some envious, some admiring, but Lily smiled blissfully throughout.
One commented with a hint of jealousy, "Such surface-level concern, Lily. Youâre pregnant and still riding an e-bike to work. Why doesnât he let you drive the car?"
Lily shook her head. "I havenât gotten my license yet. I wouldnât dare drive even if he gave it to me."
Rococo giggled. "Sister Lily, I heard youâve been working on that license for a year."
Another voice chimed in, tinged with envy, "Aunt Yana said Lilyâs husband is loaded. Whyâd he buy a Nissan? A new oneâs only like, what, over 10,000 dollars? This oneâs probably used."
"My husband said itâs for practice."
Though gentle by nature, Lily was still a woman. In this setting, her inner "green tea" instincts effortlessly kicked in, letting her show off a little.