A Matrilocal Husband's Counterattack

Chapter 12: The Bottle Over the Head

Ethan originally intended to go to the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce to collect the debt, but Sophia forcefully dragged him to lunch.

Ethan could feel that, compared to her previous indifference, Sophia seemed to regard him with a bit more importance now.

At noon, they walked into the Aegean Sea Western Restaurant.

It was the peak lunch hour, and the aroma of food mixed with the chatter of diners as luxury cars filled the parking lot outside.

Despite the crowd of young women dressed to impress, Sophia's elegance and poise easily outshone them all.

As soon as they entered, numerous eyes locked onto Sophia with admiration and desire.

Some belonged to successful businessmen, some to wealthy heirs, and others to confident young men.

But Sophia didn't spare them a glance. She found a table in the corner, ordered two steaks, a salad, and a bottle of wine.

Today, she wore a chic urban dress that perfectly accentuated her curves.

Her fair legs, exposed without the cover of stockings, crossed and shifted with an alluring grace, leaving more than a few onlookers dry-mouthed.

Ethan gulped down two glasses of lemon water to suppress the rising heat.

"After lunch, go visit your mom," Sophia instructed, recalling Linda's earlier call. "Be home for dinner tonight. I'll help you manage Mom's temper."

"Don't even think about going to the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce to collect the debt."

She was worried that Linda's provocations might drive Ethan to do something reckless.

Ethan hesitated before speaking, "Sophia, I still want to try..."

He remembered how Linda had been livid the previous night. If he failed to bring back the money today, she would surely subject him to endless humiliation.

More importantly, he wanted to settle things for Sophia's sake.

Sophia's expression turned cold. "Are you ignoring my advice now?"

Ethan replied calmly, "If I don't get the two million, Mom will scold us for a month."

"If I said don't go, then don't go. Why argue?" Sophia said impatiently. "I'll handle it. Even if I can't, let her scold. A few insults are better than losing an arm or a leg. The Four Seas Chamber of Commerce is not something you can handle."

Ethan said nothing and took a sip of his lemon water.

"This conversation is over," Sophia declared firmly. She then shot him a sharp look and asked, "When did you learn medicine?"

If she hadn't witnessed it herself, she wouldn't have believed Ethan had saved Cici.

Even now, the whole thing felt unreal.

The quiet, unremarkable husband she knew had somehow pulled off a miraculous rescue—something that would be hard to believe even if she explained it to someone else.

"I used to watch TV while doing housework," Ethan explained. "I followed a Traditional Chinese Medicine program. Over time, I picked up some basics."

"From TV?"

Sophia suddenly remembered a local program her father, Timothy, had once appeared on.

The show was too technical to attract young viewers, but Ethan had watched it diligently and learned a thing or two.

This explanation seemed plausible—it also explained why he couldn't help Mary during her year-long hospitalization.

Cici's recovery, she concluded, was merely a case of blind luck.