Chapter 3 Cardiac Arrest Shen Li withdrew her hand, but...

Shen Li withdrew her hand but didn't pull it back, instinctively turning her head to avoid Jiang Huaichuan's gaze.

"Shen Li, don't bite your lips. Where did you see that?" Jiang Huaichuan pressed his fingertips against Shen Li's lips with a little force.

"Home, at home."

At home?

Jiang Huaichuan frowned. Besides Shen Li, himself, and his elusive mother who would visit every other house to check up on things, only Zhang Ma, who came to clean the house the next day, knew the password to the house in Yu Shang Lan Wan.

However, Zhang Ma is an honest person who has worked for the Jiang family for over thirty years. She is one of Jiang's mother's true confidantes and should not be turned against her by those idiots on the board of directors.

Seeing Jiang Huaichuan's expression darken, Shen Li knew what he suspected and quickly continued, "Among the documents he brought back on Friday night, there was this divorce agreement."

At the board meeting on Friday morning, after five years of marriage, Jiang Huaichuan received the remaining shares from Old Master Jiang, officially becoming the sole person in charge of the Jiang family with a stake of over 67%.

That evening, Lin Hui and others, having received the news, organized a gathering to celebrate Jiang Huaichuan's new beginning.

These people were all close friends of Jiang Huaichuan. They had all done their best to help Jiang Huaichuan when the Jiang family was in the most difficult time. So Jiang Huaichuan did not refuse and went there with Shen Li after get off work.

——

Inside the KTV room, Lin Hui was singing a love song at the top of his lungs. When the two of them came in, he stopped singing and pressed the service bell. Half a minute later, a cake was brought in. Lin Hui stood in the center of the room and cleared his throat.

"Ahem! First of all, congratulations to our Comrade Jiang Huaichuan on his new life! The shadows of the past have been dispelled! From now on, his life will be brilliant!! Applause!!"

Inside the private room, besides Lin Hui, there were two other people: Lu He'an, the youngest son of the Lu family who works in the entertainment industry, and Liu Jingmo, the second son of the Liu family who was delayed in graduating with a doctorate in G country.

After he finished speaking, the three of them simultaneously clapped like seals.

Seeing this, Jiang Huaichuan felt a surge of warmth in his heart and picked up another microphone from the table: "Thank you, I..."

Lin Hui raised his hand to interrupt Jiang Huaichuan's emotional speech, strode over to pick up two glasses on the table, handed the wine glass to Jiang Huaichuan and the juice to Shen Li, punched Jiang Huaichuan's left shoulder with his fist, and raised his glass: "What I want to say is in the wine, brothers! Cheers!"

For the next few hours, Lin Hui and his two companions danced wildly, chugging bottle after bottle of alcohol down their throats.

At first, Lin Hui and Lu He'an fought over the microphone, each feeling that the other's love songs were not to their liking, and each vying to sing for themselves. In the end, they decided to compete by rolling dice, and Lin Hui lost several times, so the microphone went to Lu He'an.

During the intermission, Lu He'an sang a wailing, heart-wrenching love song, turning it into a tale of unrequited love and breakups, interspersed with a few angry curses against scumbag boyfriends, which startled Shen Li, who cast a bewildered glance at Lin Hui.

At that time, Lin Hui wasn't too drunk yet. He moved closer to Shen Li and said slyly, "Xiao An fell for a scumbag and got her feelings betrayed. She's just looking for a way to vent, so don't bother with her. But I'll tell you a secret, Jiang Huaichuan is actually... Hey, don't pull me."

Jiang Huaichuan tossed the person aside, his face full of disgust: "Stay away, you smell of alcohol."

In the second half, Lin Hui, half-drunk and half-awake, slumped on the sofa. The main characters of the song request battle became Lu He'an and Liu Jingmo, one insisting on singing love songs, while the other kept requesting some melancholic and emo songs.

Later, when the two got tired of singing, Lu He'an yelled at the top of her lungs and cursed the scumbag, while Liu Jingmo tearfully accused her mentor who was far away in G country.

As the main character of this karaoke party, Jiang Huaichuan was also forced to drink no less than 3 bottles. If it weren't for his remaining rationality keeping him in mind about Shen Li, he could have fallen asleep in the private room like the rest of the group.

The hotel was right next to the KTV. After settling the three drunkards into their rooms, Shen Li took the large pendant back to Royal Blue Bay.

Jiang Huaichuan was already quite drunk in the car. He wasn't good at drinking to begin with, but five years ago, during the turmoil at Jiang's company, he had no choice but to force himself to drink more when negotiating deals and signing contracts. Later, as the company gradually stabilized, as the boss, he was required to drink less often, and even when he did drink, it was just a perfunctory sip. That brief period of superhuman drinking ability disappeared.

This large apartment was bought when we got married and is registered under Shen Li's name. The whole house was decorated according to Shen Li's preferences. Warm white lights shone on the wooden floor, casting a soft glow. Because the whole house was equipped with smart home technology, the air conditioning was already turned on early.

Shen Li took the briefcase handed to her by the driver, placed it in the entryway, and closed the door.

In just a short while, Jiang Huaichuan had already kicked off his leather shoes and staggered towards the bedroom.

Shen Li was somewhat amused and exasperated: ...Luckily, the door closed quickly, otherwise I would have lost all my dignity.

The man buried himself in the soft bedding. Shen Li helplessly turned him over, and was about to call someone to get up and change his clothes when he discovered that the drunkard was lying on the bed completely out of it.

There's no need to make any hangover soup; judging by this, he won't be able to get up until the sun is high in the sky.

Helpless, Shen Li went to the bathroom to wring out a towel and washed Jiang Huaichuan's face and body, who had fallen into a deep sleep. After changing him into dry pajamas, Shen Li pulled a thin blanket over Jiang Huaichuan's stomach, then sat blankly on the edge of the bed and slowly traced the outline of Jiang Huaichuan's face with her fingertips.

Jiang Huaichuan was well-behaved when he was drunk. His dark eyes, which often sent chills down people's spines, were tightly closed, and his thick eyelashes gently covered his eyelids like two small fans, softening his originally aggressive and handsome face.

After a long while, Shen Li stood up, quietly took out her pajamas from the closet, and went to the guest room bathroom to take a shower.

It was past midnight when he finished showering. Shen Li was sleep-deprived; he would usually be sound asleep by now. But tonight, perhaps because the environment was too noisy before bed, or perhaps because he had just showered, he wasn't sleepy at all. He tiptoed back to the bedroom, glanced at Jiang Huaichuan who was sleeping soundly, dimmed the lights, turned around, slipped on his slippers, walked to the entryway, and took the briefcase he had left on the entryway cabinet back to his study.

Tomorrow is Saturday, and Assistant Song hasn't given us any schedule. According to Jiang Huaichuan's usual practice, tomorrow will be a day of working from home.

Shen Li opened her briefcase, took out the documents, and sorted them out by category.

A sudden downpour began outside the window, the raindrops pounding against the glass behind him. Only a desk lamp was lit in the study, its flickering light illuminating Shen Li's pale, dazed face.

A tear splashed on the table.

Shen Li knew this day would come, but she didn't expect it to come so soon, nor did she expect Jiang Huaichuan to be so resolute.

Shen Li squatted down, buried her head in the crook of her arm, and chuckled self-deprecatingly.

Divorce agreement.

Divorce agreement!

The date on the divorce agreement is today...

For five years, Shen Li always thought that he might be able to warm this person's heart, and even if he couldn't, they should part ways in a dignified manner.

Instead of...

Tears streamed down her cheeks, one drop after another.

Shen Li cried very quietly.

Instead of getting the shares in the morning, drafting the divorce agreement in the afternoon, and then casually taking him to a friend's celebratory party in the evening.

Those congratulatory greetings were like sharp swords piercing into Shen Li's already riddled body.

A new lease on life... The gloom has dissipated... Life is bright...

With him around, how could Jiang Huaichuan's life be brilliant? Every time he sees him, Jiang Huaichuan must be reminded of the forced marriage he was forced to have because of the shares.

Shen Li felt like a clown, vainly hoping to receive applause and flowers that didn't belong to her.

That night, Shen Li sat blankly on the study floor until dawn.

He propped himself up on his already numb legs, his heart filled with a dense, stabbing pain.

At dawn, as the first rays of sunlight broke through the darkness, Shen Li signed her name.

——

"I never had my lawyer draft this agreement!" Jiang Huaichuan burst out laughing upon hearing this. The usually elegant and composed CEO Jiang was now like a cat on a hot tin roof. He quickly pulled out his phone to defend himself, "If you don't believe me, I can call my lawyer right now to prove it."

As he spoke, he started flipping through his contacts.

Shen Li pressed down on Jiang Huaichuan's wrist.

"Chen Li, believe me, I really never thought about divorcing you." Jiang Huaichuan was terrified. The divorce agreement was still in front of him. He had been wondering why Shen Li had been acting strangely these past two days. She kept avoiding him and her complexion and appetite were both poor.

Like a flower he carefully nurtured in a greenhouse, its roots were severed overnight, causing it to wither quickly.

Seeing that Shen Li remained silent, Jiang Huaichuan panicked even more. He pulled Shen Li onto his lap, making him face him, and wrapped his strong arms around Shen Li's body. Jiang Huaichuan buried his head in the neck of the person in his arms and said in a muffled voice, "Shen Li, I admit that our marriage did not have a good beginning. We were bound together without knowing each other, without getting to know each other, and without falling in love. Mom told me that she went to your family to exchange benefits for you, hoping that you would marry me. I thought you would not agree, but I didn't expect that the next day, the Shen family called and said that you agreed."

“I was shocked. I’m afraid the Shen family forced you to agree. You had just been found, and I had no idea how they treated you, whether it was good or bad. That’s why I signed that marriage agreement with you, thinking that if we couldn’t continue after five years, you could take this money and leave the Jiang family, or even the Shen family.”

"But these past few years have passed, and I've completely forgotten about that agreement. I swear, I've never thought about divorcing you, and I can't even bear to imagine you with someone else," Jiang Huaichuan pleaded cautiously. "I love you, Shen Li, I love you. Let's not get a divorce, okay?"

Shen Li never imagined that Jiang Huaichuan had this thought when he signed the agreement. He tilted his head slightly, his lips parted but he couldn't speak. The intense pain in his chest made him lose consciousness instantly.

"Chen Li!"

The last thing I remembered was Jiang Huaichuan's panicked shouts and a chest filled with the fresh scent of mint.

——

When I woke up again, I saw a clean white ceiling, smelled the familiar disinfectant, and watched the electrocardiogram monitor working steadily beside me.

Shen Li's fingertips twitched slightly. She took a deep breath and felt a slight pain and tightness in her chest.

Suddenly, the ward door was pushed open a crack, and Shen Wenyuan, dressed in a sharp suit, scurried in, followed by Shen Ci, whom he hadn't seen in a long time. The two tiptoed to close the door, and when they turned around, they met Shen Li's bewildered gaze.

Shen Li: ?

Shen Wenyuan and Shen Ci: ! !

Having eaten more food over the years, Shen Wenyuan quickly coughed and asked casually, "Awake? Still feeling unwell?"

With the oxygen tube still in place, Shen Li gently shook her head and asked in a low, halting voice, "Why... are you... acting like thieves?"

Shen Wenyuan froze: ...That's not cute. You see through it but don't say it.

Shen Ci pushed aside Shen Wenyuan, who was blocking the doorway, walked to the bedside, pressed the call bell, bent down and patted Shen Li's head, saying in a coaxing tone, "You've been asleep for three days. When you were brought to the hospital, your heart stopped. When we arrived, the doctor was having the family sign a critical condition notice. After President Jiang signed it, my older brother punched him. These past two days, my older brother has been avoiding President Jiang like a mouse is avoiding a cat."

Jiang Huaichuan got punched?

Shen Li's breath hitched, and her eyes widened suddenly.

Shen Wenyuan quickly explained, "It was just a punch, nothing serious."

"Yes, yes, yes, he was beaten until he bled. President Jiang's lip is still blue." Shen Ci said with a smile as he poured himself a glass of water, soaked the tip of a cotton swab, and dabbed it on Shen Li's chapped lips.

Under the worried gaze of his younger brother, Shen Wenyuan strode over and pulled up a chair, sitting down with an air of self-righteousness: "Given Xiao Li's situation back then, if I had held back, I wouldn't be Shen. Besides, do you dare say that the footprints on Jiang Huaichuan's trouser leg weren't from you?"

Shen Li took a deep breath of oxygen and looked at her second brother: "He even kicked me?"

Shen Ci remained silent.

Seeing Shen Li's gaze drifting towards the door, Shen Wenyuan knew what was going on and sighed silently, "She went to the company. Today, the higher-ups came down to discuss the land development in the west of the city. Jiang Huaichuan couldn't get out of it. But you really scared us this time. I saw your medical report this month, and the results are all looking good... you..."

Thinking of how Jiang Huaichuan's hands trembled so badly when he signed the critical condition notice that he could have gone to the cafeteria to get food, Song Wenyuan narrowed his eyes suspiciously: "Did Jiang Huaichuan do something to you?"

Before Shen Li could speak, the ward door was pushed open.

The doctor who came in first glanced at the data on the electrocardiogram monitor, then placed the stethoscope on Shen Li's chest and observed Shen Li's complexion. He saw that although Shen Li was still a little short of breath and weak, he was in good spirits.

“If you had brought it over a few minutes later this time, you could have been reporting to the underworld to apply for a permanent residence permit.” Lu Mingxuan finally relaxed and could even crack a joke. He slowed down the IV drip. “Alright, get some rest. If you have trouble breathing, turn up the oxygen. If you feel tightness or pain in your chest, be sure to press the call button. Don’t try to hold it in. If anything happens to you while I’m handling this, Huaichuan will tear this hospital down.”

Lu Mingxuan is Lu He'an's older brother, and he has an older sister named Lu Mingshu. The Lu family's business mainly involves medical and health care, and this hospital belongs to the Lu family.

Shen Li: "Thank you, Brother Mingxuan."

Lu Mingxuan chuckled and ruffled Shen Li's hair, then gave Shen Wenyuan a few more instructions. He tucked the medical record under his arm and prepared to leave gracefully, but suddenly he stopped, pulled back one foot, and leaned back 30 degrees. He asked curiously, "Xiao Li is awake. Did anyone inform Huai Chuan?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the air suddenly became eerily quiet. In an instant, Shen Wenyuan, Shen Ci, and Lu Mingxuan at the door looked at each other in bewilderment.

Oh no, I've forgotten everything.

So when General Jiang rushed to the hospital, having dealt with his superiors, and sped over the speed limit, Shen Li was already soundly asleep.