Unconvinced, Erica punched Matthew on the shoulder. "You're so annoying. You didn't tell me anything. It's your fault that I misunderstood you then!" If she had known earlier that Matthew had always loved her, she wouldn't have wasted so much time being jealous of Phoebe in the past.
Matthew said helplessly, "Yes, whatever you say. It's my fault."
Erica also wanted to ask him about the plastic stars he ordered her to fold, but the driver was also in the car with them. She would have to save it for when they got home.
Resting her head on his shoulder, she burped and then sighed, "Oh! I really wanted to be a panda. I would eat and sleep all day long. And no matter how fat I was, I would still have someone to love me."
Matthew was amused by her words. Weren't they just talking about themselves? Why did she suddenly change the subject back to pandas?
'My wife's logic is really confusing. I always find myself trapped in its maze.' He couldn't help but smile.
"You can eat and sleep all day long like a panda if that's what you want," he cooed.
"No, thanks. Men enjoy women with a good figure. If I get fat like a panda, I'm afraid Noreen Xia will show up at our house tomorrow."
'Noreen Xia?' Matthew was puzzled, and then he asked, "What does she have to do with it?"
"If you don't like how I look, you will take her home as your mistress one day!"
All the tenderness Matthew held in his eyes was quickly replaced by wrath. At that moment, he wished he could strangle Erica. Did she really think that his love for her was that shallow? "Shut up. Don't talk to me now."
Erica couldn't help laughing at his angry outburst. Holding his waist, she challenged him in a sweet voice, "If my weight reached 110 kilograms, you wouldn't be able to carry me. What would you do then?"
"I would exercise harder," he answered. In 2018, a weightlifting champion lifted 163 kilograms in the snatch, and 197 kilograms in the clean and jerk. That man won three prizes with a total of 360 kilograms lifted, breaking the world record.
If someone could lift that much weight, Matthew believed that he could do the same—or even better.
Erica, who had no idea that her husband was thinking of her now as a barbell, suggested melodiously, "Why don't you also put on some weight? In that case, we can be a couple of fat people." 'We've shared weal and woe, why shouldn't we gain weight together as well?' she thought to herself.
"Okay." Although he had agreed, he was afraid he wouldn't be able to hold his end of the deal since he had been working out every day.
"Then I can eat as much as I want from now on!"
"Of course."
On the way home, Matthew answered a phone call urging him to get back to the company. So, as soon as he left Erica at the villa's door, he hurried to ZL Group.
Erica didn't mind it at all since she also had work of her own to do.
Eventually, she realized she had lost track of time while editing Dylan's photos and forgot to pick up the boys. They had been off school for over an hour by the moment she remembered to check the clock. Apprehensively, she called Matthew. "Oh, Matthew! I forgot the time. Did you pick up our sons?"
"No, I didn't. But Mom and Dad picked them up. They should be in the manor now."
"Oh! Really?" Erica heaved a sigh of relief. "That's good. Will you come back for dinner tonight?"
"Actually, I have a dinner to attend later. But you may eat at the manor. Terilynn will take Jeffrey too."
"Okay!"
The moment Erica hung up, she received a call from Terilynn inviting her to have dinner in the manor. Upon accepting it, she turned off the computer and headed straight to her in-laws' place.
Once the dinner was over, Erica went to play with the kids until she got a call from Owen. "Mrs. Huo, Mr. Huo has drunk some wine, but I'm busy now. Could you go pick him up?"
"Sure!" She didn't hesitate to agree to his request.
Just in case, Owen asked to confirm, "Mrs. Huo, do you have a driver's license? How many years have you been driving?" A long time ago, when Erica went to pick up a drunk Matthew, she dared to drive without a license. Owen wanted to make sure the episode wouldn't repeat itself.
"Yes, I have a driver's license, and I'm quite experienced. I've been driving for over two years! Don't worry!" she assured him.
'Experienced? Really?' Owen didn't believe her. How did Erica get a car to drive in that poor Tow Village? Nonetheless, he said, "Please don't race, Mrs. Huo. If you can't make it, call me back."
If he hadn't known what Matthew was thinking, he would have definitely arranged a professional driver.
"Got it!"
Once she arrived at the Caesar Hotel, Erica parked the car in front of the main entrance.
Before heading out that night, she had purposely chosen the cheapest car from the garage.
Yet the cheapest car in the Huo family's garage worth no less than five million dollars.
She could still remember the last time some gangsters stopped her car in the middle of the road and broke its window. Not to mention that time she drove to The Princess cruise ship at high speed and ended up scratching the vehicle.
With those two experiences in mind, Erica was now very careful with her driving. Fortunately, nothing happened before she got to the hotel that day.
Relieved, she dialed Matthew's number and asked, "Honey, I'm here. How long will it take until the dinner is over?"
"I'm coming out now," Matthew replied.
"Okay, I'm waiting for you at the door."
"Alright."
A few minutes later, people started coming out of the hotel. Erica could see Matthew in his grey suit in the middle, leading the group.
He was followed by at least seven or eight people who had come out just to see him off.
At the same time, Erica got out of the car and opened the passenger's door for her husband in advance. She then stood beside the vehicle, waiting for him with a smile on her lips.
As the men approached her, she saw one who seemed familiar to her next to Matthew. Then Erica remembered she had met him at Matthew's office door one day she went to the company looking for her husband. His name was Michel Wang, who, in turn, had also recognized her.
"Mr. Huo, you and Mrs. Huo love each other so much. We are all so envious of you!" Michel told Matthew with a grin.
Matthew then looked into Erica's eyes and felt really good inside. With a smile that reached his eyes, he asked, "Shouldn't a man marry his wife only to love and spoil her?"
Michel laughed heartily. "You're right, Mr. Huo." Next, he greeted Erica, "Mrs. Huo, it's so late. You must be tired, and yet you came to pick up Mr. Huo."
Erica wasn't much used to attending social events and didn't know how to return his compliment. Therefore, she answered sheepishly, "It's fine. I was free anyway."
Matthew held the woman in his arms and said, "Thank you, Mr. Wang. We're leaving now."
The moment Matthew came near her, she smelled the strong scent of alcohol emanating from him. But instead of commenting about it, she smiled and nodded as everyone said their goodbyes.
By the time they left the hotel, Matthew leaned back in the passenger seat and then glanced at his wife behind the steering wheel. "Have you brought your driver's license?"
"Ah! I forgot!" She didn't take her purse with her when she got out.
"But don't worry, I have a driver's license. I've been driving for over two years now. I won't make the same mistake as before."
Matthew closed his eyes and said helplessly, "Then my life is at the hands of Mrs. Huo!"
"Don't worry! I promise you will get home alive!" she said with great confidence.
Matthew twitched his lips. "Well, I'm glad to know I'll be home alive. But Mrs. Huo, promise me I won't lose an arm or a leg in our way there, okay?" He couldn't afford to lose any of his members. After all, he needed his body intact in order to satisfy his wife's sexual drive in the future.
Erica chuckled. "Fine, I promise you, Mr. Huo! You won't get hurt."
"Good girl."
Matthew sounded like he had too much to drink. However, the smell in the car was not bad, perhaps due to the quality of the wine he had drunk.
Finally, the car drove into the Pearl Villa District. Once Erica parked it, she got out of the vehicle and ran to open the door for Matthew. As she helped him out, she warned, "Slow down!"