Chapter 32 Lu Yanchuan, I Like You

Xin Yang was busy sending messages to Lan Chaochi, asking for the process arrangement form.

He asked, "What about the auction? If the ship is still at sea, how will you get on?"

"It doesn't matter. I won't participate if it doesn't dock." Lu Yanchuan was very calm. "My money isn't hot to handle, so why would I be afraid of not being able to spend it?"

Xin Yang gave Lu Yanchuan a thumbs up.

These charity auctions always need a few big spenders to generate impressive numbers; otherwise, after an auction, all you get is a pittance, and it's almost embarrassing to call it charity.

Lu Yanchuan was one of the big spenders invited to this auction.

Lan Chaochi quickly sent over the flowchart.

Lan Chaochi: [I've sent you the schedule. But what do you mean by saying Lu Yanchuan won't attend the auction unless the ship docks? Is he superstitious? Does water counteract his luck or something?]

Xin Yang almost burst out laughing.

Xin Yang: [No, his wife gets seasick.]

Lan Chaochi: [Hmph, I got it.]

After landing, Lu Yanchuan told Xin Yang to go first, "Shen Li and I have other places to go."

Shen Li looked at him, puzzled.

When did this happen? How come she didn't know?

It seems like her brainwaves are connected with Xin Yang's right now.

Xin Yang immediately asked, "When did this happen? How come I didn't know?"

Lu Yanchuan scoffed, "Do I need to report to you about my dates with my wife...?"

Xin Yang couldn't refute these words and could only watch them leave.

Then she called Lan Chaochi, her voice cheerful, "Brother Lan, come pick me up!"

Lan Chaochi's voice was strained, as if he were gritting his teeth, "...You have no idea how busy I've been today!"

Xin Yang: "Do you know whose plane I came on?"

Lan Chaochi: "What happened to Lu Yanchuan's plane?"

Xin Yang: "That wasn't just Brother Chuan's plane. You don't know, there's actually a story behind it..."

Lan Chaochi: "What story?"

Xin Yang: "I'll tell you once you come to pick me up."

Lan Chaochi: "..."

On their way to Haicheng city, Lu Yanchuan and Shen Li passed a stretch of coastal highway.

It was very beautiful. Shen Li was sitting properly at first, but when they passed this road, she straightened up, leaned against the car window, and looked at the coastline.

His gaze drifted far away.

"Have you been here before?" Lu Yanchuan asked.

"Hmm." Shen Li continued to gaze at the sea, her eyes somewhat unfocused. "I came here once five years ago."

"Five years ago?" Lu Yanchuan sorted out the timeline; that should have been before their marriage.

Shen Li paused for a few seconds, "I booked a sea-view villa suite, the kind with a swimming pool and a private beach, and it even came with a full seafood barbecue and a band."

"Before we got married?" Lu Yanchuan asked.

In his memory, she was always very obedient after marriage, like a robot with a pre-programmed routine, neither sad nor happy.

She's been so well-behaved since getting married; she doesn't seem like the type to come to a suite like this on her own.

But Shen Li turned to look at him and said, "After we get married."

Lu Yanchuan frowned. "When? Why didn't I..."

How could he not know?

But before he could speak, he stopped.

Lu Yanchuan realized that they had just gotten married, and he was feeling irritable, so he flew abroad to relax.

This was also intended to give the Shen and Lu families a warning and express their dissatisfaction with the arranged marriage.

He was young and impulsive then, and did what he felt like. After spending some time abroad, it suddenly dawned on him that he had left, leaving Shen Li all alone in the eye of the storm…

After realizing what had happened, he quickly returned to China.

But Shen Li's state at that time was already the same as it had been for the next five years, neither sad nor happy.

It seemed as if he hadn't affected them at all by leaving.

Lu Yanchuan felt that Shen Li also disliked this arranged marriage and wanted to give her some dignity, so the five-year marriage agreement came about.

Five years later, they parted ways amicably. She was still young and still had her freedom.

During the time when Shen Wenzhong wasn't constantly trying to annoy Lu Yanchuan, he and Shen Li got along quite well and lived peacefully.

As for the matter of living as a widow...

He wasn't an animal after all, and Shen Li didn't like him, so he didn't have a penchant for forcing himself on her.

Lu Yanchuan has always believed this.

But at this moment, she heard Shen Li mention the past. She mentioned the time when he left her alone in the eye of the storm.

Shen Li's voice was as calm as if she were talking about someone else's business, "You were abroad at that time, so it's normal that you didn't know."

No matter how upset or painful I felt at the time.

Now, when we talk about it, we feel numb. Day after day, there's no hope, and it can gradually numb anyone.

"We were planning to come here for our honeymoon if you wanted. After all, it's our wedding." Shen Li paused, "But... never mind."

She prepared a lot at the time, including a cake she made herself and a whole set of wedding cakes.

The fireworks I ordered were the kind that would explode and spell out his name—Lu Yanchuan, I like you.

Because his name has three characters, they added money.

She prepared the nuptial wine, and the dragon and phoenix cups used to hold the wine were handmade by her and fired in the kiln under her supervision.

She even prepared a band, and the pieces they played were all composed in advance by her.

Shen Li originally wanted to tell Lu Yanchuan on that day how much she liked him.

She had originally wanted to ask him if, even though the steps were messed up, they could start dating again after marriage.

She had prepared so much, wanted to say so much, but what she got in return was her husband leaving and the empty, desolate bridal chamber.

It's the awkwardness of going to your in-laws' house alone to serve tea after marriage, and the sadness of facing your father's angry questioning when you return home alone...

Later, Shen Li still went to the seaside villa and looked at everything she had prepared.

He silently shed tears, drank a lot of wine, and smashed the dragon and phoenix cup to pieces. He threw the fireworks directly into the sea.

She ate cake and seafood barbecue, and had the band play "He Doesn't Love Me" all night.

When Qu Xiang came to find her, Shen Li had developed acute pancreatitis due to overeating and was unconscious.

Qu Xiang was terrified and rushed her to the hospital, where she stayed for several days before recovering.

Shen Li was depressed for a long time. The doctor told her that fortunately, she was brought to the hospital in time and it was a mild case of acute pancreatitis. If she had been brought to the hospital later and it had developed into a severe case, she might have died.

It seems that from then on, all of Shen Li's emotions were locked away in a cage.

Apart from Qu Xiang, no one knew how sad she had been, and no one knew how much she had loved.

She became a programmed robot in Lu Yanchuan's eyes, a compliant and sensible Mrs. Lu.

Lu Yanchuan had never given it much thought, assuming that Shen Li shared the same attitude towards the marriage as he did.

Especially recently, her unwavering desire for a divorce has only strengthened his belief in this.

It wasn't until he heard Shen Li's words that Lu Yanchuan realized that things might not be as he had always thought.

Perhaps from the very beginning, Shen Li had some expectations for this marriage... she did have expectations.

But now she says, "However... never mind."