Chapter 37 My Husband Will Protect You

Pei Yumin looked at him. Lu Shangyan's eyes were wet, his lips were tightly pressed together, and he was trembling at a barely perceptible degree. After a while, the corners of his mouth turned down even more.

Pei Yumin then looked away and leaned his shoulder against him. This time, Lu Shangyan dared to cry on his shoulder, but he still restrained himself and only let out a few sobs when he couldn't hold it in any longer.

He didn't cry for long before he said intermittently, "They bought this house for my sake, because I was about to start elementary school and they wanted to send me to school in the city."

Pei Yumin finally raised his hand and put his arm around his shoulder: "This is not your fault, it's that drunk bastard's fault."

He finally understood why Lu Shangyan insisted on going to university despite his difficult life and why he consistently ranked at the top of his class.

Lu Shangyan raised his head: "But my uncle and aunt both said it was because of me."

Pei Yumin shook his head and told him firmly once again, "It's not your fault."

"Do you remember that drunk man's name? How much money did he pay, how many years did he serve, and is he out yet?"

An unprecedented annoyance appeared on Lu Shangyan's face. He bit his lower lip and shook his head after a long while: "I don't know, no one is willing to tell me."

“At the time, my uncle and aunt handled everything. I didn’t even get to see my parents’ bodies. Later, I went to the police station to ask, but I was too young then, and they didn’t say anything. They just said that everything had been taken care of.”

“Now that I’m older, fewer and fewer people know about this, and I have no idea where to start. After I went to university, I was very tired every day, and part-time jobs took up too much of my time. I simply didn’t have time to stop and ask or investigate.”

“I don’t dare to stop. I’m afraid that if I don’t finish my studies, my parents won’t be at peace after they’re gone. They’ll blame me in the other world, and I don’t want to make them unhappy.”

He began to suspect Lu Shangyan's so-called uncles and aunts. Instead of looking for the culprits when his own younger brother and sister-in-law died, they shifted all the blame onto a child.

Pei Yumin said softly, "Your parents would never want to see you like this. You're about to become a father yourself, and you must feel the same way about your child as they do."

Lu Shangyan had never shown such vulnerability in front of outsiders, but he just couldn't stop his tears: "No one has ever said they don't blame me. The neighbors around me also said that they would not have bought houses, would not have gone out on rainy days, and would not have died because of me."

Pei Yumin turned around and hugged him tightly: "This is not your fault, you have to believe me. Those bastards must have taken advantage of your young age and kept something from you, but don't worry, I will definitely help you find out the truth."

This matter has always been a hurdle in Lu Shangyan's heart, taking root and sprouting in his heart since childhood and growing for nearly twenty years.

Pei Yumin didn't believe he had the ability to completely remove this long-standing thorn with just a few words of comfort. Even if he stayed by Lu Shangyan's side for twenty years, repeatedly telling him he didn't blame him, he felt it wouldn't work. His comfort was merely a temporary measure.

He felt that the best way to resolve all of this was to let Lu Shangyan experience it firsthand and witness it with his own eyes.

If the bloodsucking worms clinging to Lu Shangyan really have nothing to do with his parents' deaths... He took a deep breath. He also needed to make these people apologize to Lu Shangyan and return everything they owed him.

For the rest of the time, Lu Shangyan didn't say another word. Perhaps after calming down, he also felt at a loss for what to do about not being able to control his tears earlier. His ears and face remained red.

The two of them dawdled all morning, only managing to clear the grass in the yard and leaving the collapsed grape trellis unattended.

Pei Yumin sat on the steps, and looking at it made his vision go black.

Lu Shangyan took out a bottle of water from his bag and handed it to him: "I'll go wipe down the bed in the bedroom. You can lie down for a while if you're tired."

Pei Yumin grabbed his wrist: "No need, I'm so hungry right now, I want to go back and eat."

He pulled Lu Shangyan closer to him with increasing force as he spoke, until his entire face was pressed against Lu Shangyan's stomach.

So soft, so fragrant, so lovely to kiss.

He rubbed against it, switching cheeks from left to right, and finally buried his entire face in it when he spoke: "Are you trying to starve my husband to death? You only make me work but don't let me eat."

"Don't talk nonsense, what husband? There's no husband!" Lu Shangyan looked around in a panic, and finally saw only a few birds perched on the courtyard wall, tilting their heads to look at them.

Pei Yumin said again, "What husband are you talking about?" He pointed to his face and deliberately smiled in a particularly bright and cute way: "I am your husband."

Lu Shangyan felt hot all over and pushed his hand away, saying, "It itches, stop talking."

But he could never stop Pei Yumin, who loved to take advantage of others with his words: "I don't have any strength right now, pick me up."

Lu Shangyan pushed him again: "I can't carry you, get up quickly."

“I can carry you.” Pei Yumin was trying to distract Lu Shangyan and get him away from the sadness of the morning: “When you were suffering from morning sickness before, you were able to jump off the fifth floor with the baby in your arms, then break in through the window and beat up your enemy on the ground. After that, you could run very fast. You are so capable, how could you not be able to carry me?”

Lu Shangyan had just raised his chin slightly when he suddenly realized something was wrong: "When did you find out?"

He thought he had done a good job of keeping it a secret, and Pei Yumin believed him when he said he had a cut, so he made two plates of chicken feet for him that night to help heal his hand.

Pei Yumin also realized that he had been too complacent and had inadvertently caused his plans to be exposed. But who was he? He betrayed his good brother without hesitation: "Tang Suichen told me."

"He was dating a boy from your school at the time. The news that you were willing to jump off a building to beat someone up had spread far and wide. That boy told him about it. He knew we were living together, so he told me too."

He was still lying on Lu Shangyan's stomach, his breath hot as he spoke. In July, the midday heat was already quite humid, and with him pressed against him like that, Lu Shangyan felt as if there was fire burning around him.

He nudged Pei Yumin's shoulder and solemnly announced, "I'm going to get angry."

Pei Yumin completely ignored his question: "When do you think the baby will kick me back?"

Lu Shangyan glanced back again: "I don't know when he'll kick you." He turned to look at Pei Yumin, then gritted his teeth and said, "But I want to kick you right now!"

Pei Yumin immediately let go, and seeing that Lu Shangyan had returned to his usual unapproachable demeanor, he felt relieved.

She looked at him expectantly, her voice drawn out in a pitiful tone, "I'm really hungry."

The next second, Lu Shangyan took out a cup of instant noodles: "Eat this."

Going back to eat would be a waste of time and money, as it involves going back and forth.

Pei Yumin knew what he was thinking, reached out and took it without a word of complaint: "But there isn't even a pot here, how are we going to boil water?"

Lu Shangyan handed him a sausage: "Just borrow some from next door."

Pei Yumin was hearing for the first time that boiling water could be borrowed; he looked bewildered, but his eyes were full of curiosity.

Ten minutes later, the two of them, carrying steaming hot instant noodles, squatted together in the shade of the yard.

Lu Shangyan decided that he would still make a bed later. The sun was too strong at noon to work, so they could take the opportunity to rest for a while and then clear out the grape trellis in the afternoon.

Some people in the village cook and burn firewood, but he would leave it outside in his yard, and after a few days someone would pick it up and burn it.

He had planned everything perfectly, but before he'd even finished his noodles, his second aunt called. He initially wanted to pretend he didn't hear it and not answer, but she immediately sent a text message: [You went back to the old house?!]

Lu Shangyan could no longer play dumb, so he called back. A sharp, cursing voice came from the other end: "Lu Shangyan, what do you mean by this!"

"You're back for summer vacation, and the first thing you did wasn't to come and see us elders, but instead ran back to your dilapidated house without even saying hello! I heard you were even cleaning the yard? What do you mean? Do you want to take the house back? Do you think you've grown up and don't need us elders to take care of you anymore, and want to start your own household? Is that it?!"

She spoke louder and louder, causing Lu Shangyan to move his phone away several times. His good mood was visibly dissipating, and his eyelids drooped again.

Pei Yumin glanced at it, then quickly leaned in, pressing her face against his: "I want to hear it too."

The voice on the phone continued, but Lu Shangyan had no time to pay attention to it.

"I was wondering why you weren't paying. When I called to ask for the money, you kept making excuses. It turns out you had this all planned out! You thought you were all grown up now, that you could live on your own, and that's why you wanted to kick us all out, huh?"

"Lu Shangyan, let me tell you, stop with your wicked thoughts! Don't forget, that house in our hometown was originally allocated to me, it's mine now, and has nothing to do with you! Get out of my house now, and continue to pay me every month as before, and behave yourself, or I won't let you off the hook!"

Lu Shangyan's mouth moved. After making up his mind, he had rehearsed the response many times in his mind. He had thought of many different kinds of answers, but when it came time to speak, he couldn't think of a single word and couldn't say a single syllable.

Pei Yumin glanced sideways, noticing his expression, and immediately snatched the phone: "After all these years, can't you have any shame? How many things have you taken from him, but what have you given him in return?"

“I’m telling you right now, we’re moving in and we’re not leaving! This house belongs to Lu Shangyan, it’s his legacy left to him by his parents! And all the money you’ve taken from him over the years, you’ll have to return it all!”

"If you want to keep sucking his blood, let me tell you, that's absolutely impossible!"

Lu Shangyan was used to being submissive in front of her, and he had no friends or relatives around him. No one had ever stood up for him or spoken up for him. Now that Pei Yumin had suddenly appeared, she was at a loss for what to do.

But unlike Lu Shangyan, she was used to being assertive. Even if she was momentarily confused, she would quickly retaliate: "The house is mine, in my name! If you dare not do as I say, I'll sell the house right now!"

Once a house is sold, even if it is bought back, some of the memories that existed before will change.

Lu Shangyan's breathing became erratic as he nervously looked at Pei Yumin. He knew he couldn't back down any longer, but he really didn't know what to do.

Pei Yumin grabbed his hand: "We're not giving you the money. What can you do to us? Otherwise, go ahead and call the police!"

The person on the other end pretended not to hear Pei Yumin's words and shouted into the phone, "Today I'm inviting all your uncles and aunts to my house, Lu Shangyan, you better get over here right now!"

After saying that, he angrily hung up the phone. The noodles in Lu Shangyan's hand had gone cold, but he couldn't eat any more of them.

He dared not look Pei Yumin in the eye: "I think I still have to go. I want to make things clear in person."

Pei Yumin didn't speak, but asked in a low voice, "Do you also think that I'm spineless?"

Pei Yumin looked at him in surprise, then suddenly stood up, looked up at the sky at a 45-degree angle, spread her arms, and exclaimed with passion: "No! Lu Shangyan, you are the bravest person to dare to face real pain and setbacks!"

After saying that, he clenched his fist and placed it on his chest, turned around and looked down at him: "Brave Lu Shangyan, please give me a chance to go back with you."

Lu Shangyan was so shocked that his mouth hung open. He looked at him with a puzzled expression and asked, "Are you suffering from heatstroke?"

-

None of the work that was supposed to be completed in the afternoon was done.

Lu Shangyan and Pei Yumin went back. The village was a bit far from where they could hail a taxi. The only thing they had at home was Lu Shangyan's old baby walker. It took them a full twenty minutes to finally get a taxi.

Pei Yumin was panting as soon as he got into the car, but Lu Shangyan remained calm, as if he had long been used to doing these things. He couldn't believe that he had already reached his limit after only a few days. But little Lu Shangyan had been living this kind of life for almost twenty years.

Lu Shangyan handed him a tissue and said, "If I had known I would be going back so early, I wouldn't have eaten instant noodles."

Pei Yumin agreed, "Anyway, you didn't eat much just now. Let's go back to the hotel, take a shower, and then go out to eat."

Just as Lu Shangyan was about to say he couldn't eat, Pei Yumin said first, "We're going tonight, so you need to eat more, otherwise you won't have the energy to 'communicate' with them tonight."

Pei Yumin closed his eyes after speaking, not giving Lu Shangyan any chance to refuse.

He deliberately dragged it out until evening, leaving more than six hours.

After returning to the hotel, while Lu Shangyan was taking a shower, he went outside and called Dai Qin. He briefly explained Lu Shangyan's family situation and then asked him to find out where the drunk motorcyclist from back then was now.

Dai Qin sighed: "President Pei, why don't you resign now? More than ten years have passed, this is like looking for a needle in a haystack."

Pei Yumin: "One million after it's done."

Dai Qin quickly said, "I will investigate with Qi Min."

Pei Yumin readily agreed: "Then give him a million, as long as you can find out."

Qi Min, who was eavesdropping nearby, suddenly widened his eyes and gave Dai Qin a thumbs up repeatedly.

Dai Qin raised an eyebrow at him and said, "Then I'll set off now and go find Madam Yuan on the way. I'll ask her to send a few more bodyguards with me so that you and the boss's wife can be fully safe."

Upon hearing this, Pei Yumin couldn't help but smile: "You guys figured out he's my boyfriend?"

Dai Qin truthfully said, "It's hard not to tell." Then he quickly added, "After all, they look very much like a married couple."

Qi Min stayed at the company to handle the follow-up affairs, and also tried to find connections and leverage relationships to investigate clues.

Dai Qin led his men away to that small county town. Even if the Pei family had absolute power, they couldn't cover up that small county town. They could only wait for Qi Min to smooth things over in Z City and get to that small county town layer by layer.

As Dai Qin left, he said, "You were able to earn this million thanks to me. Once the money comes in, you must buy me the bracelet I've been eyeing."

Qi Min knew that he mainly wanted him to help with the work, and that he would be the one to take advantage of any loopholes in the end, but he still agreed readily, smiling as he nodded.

Afterwards, Pei Yumin sent another message to Tang Suichen. He always felt that Tang Suichen's mouth was more venomous. Moreover, Tang Suichen owned many bars and hotels, and his network of connections was wider than his. His methods were also more ruthless. With him around, even if Lu Shangyan's group of bloodsucking relatives wanted to cause trouble, Tang Suichen would have to rise up first and then kick them down one by one.

Sometimes, dealing with these shameless people does require unconventional methods, so he called Tang Suichen, but it took a long time for the call to be answered.

He heard Tang Suichen call out from afar, "Wife, bring me the phone, I still don't really want to get out of bed."

Pei Yumin assumed he had found a new boyfriend, but to her surprise, a familiar voice replied, "Okay."

It's Song Yuxin! Tang Suichen called him "wife"! He didn't deny it!

When did those two get together?!

Pei Yumin's mind was in turmoil, but he quickly brought his thoughts back. Right now, Lu Shangyan should be the more important person.

He wanted Tang Suichen to come with Dai Qin, and Dai Qin would tell him the specifics on the way.

Tang Suichen was unconvinced: "I just got back from my honeymoon with my wife. We've been working hard for several days, and I'm exhausted. I need to rest, don't you understand?"

He deliberately showed off, waiting for Pei Yumin to ask him what was going on, but Pei Yumin didn't respond at all: "Oh, if you don't come, and Jian Guo comes to disturb my date with Shang Shang again next time, I'll send him to you."

Tang Suichen sat up with a dark expression: "I understand."

After Lu Shangyan finished showering and drying his hair, Pei Yumin came in from outside: "I called a few people over, just in case a fight breaks out and it gets messy."

“Normally I would definitely believe in your fighting ability, but now…” He stopped there: “Don’t worry, you know the person who came, it’s Tang Suichen.”

He had another purpose in calling Tang Suichen here: if Lu Shangyan really didn't like so many people knowing about his family affairs, he could, just like in the morning, shift the blame to Tang Suichen, saying that these people had nothing to do with him and that Tang Suichen had brought them on his own initiative.

All he wanted to do was ensure Lu Shangyan's safety.

To everyone's surprise, Lu Shangyan said, "If I had known you had called him over, I wouldn't have let Xiao Fu come."

Pei Yumin frowned: "Xiao Fu?"

“It’s Zhao Jian,” Lu Shangyan explained, “the one who takes off his wig at the school gate.”

Pei Yumin remembered that the scene was quite eye-catching, but said, "When did your relationship become so good?"

Lu Shangyan gripped his phone tightly, feeling inexplicably guilty: "It's a secret."

Pei Yumin didn't press further. He was worried that Lu Shangyan didn't want others to know, but since he had taken the initiative to seek help, he was relieved.

-

The two finished their meal with trepidation, but after returning to the hotel, they were inexplicably filled with excitement again.

It was just a trip to see a few uncles and aunts, but it turned into something like going to war.

Lu Shangyan was so nervous that he couldn't even take a nap.

I'm afraid of missing Zhao Jian's message and not being able to reach him.

However, they still overlooked the long distance. The small county town was not connected to the highway, and even if they took the highway, they would not be able to get there within six hours.

Especially since his uncles and aunts were worried that things might change again, they kept calling Lu Shangyan, urging him to go quickly.

He couldn't get away with it; those people kept calling, and his phone was practically exploding with calls.

In the end, I had no choice but to go earlier than planned.

Upon arriving at the location, before even entering, two cups filled with hot water were thrown at Lu Shangyan, splashing hot water on his face, just below his eyes. Fortunately, it wasn't serious; he was only slightly red.

Pei Yumin immediately became angry and went inside with a dark face.

The uncle and aunt were usually arrogant and looked down on people, but Pei Yumin stood there with an imposing aura, and for a moment they forgot to speak.

In the end, it was Second Aunt who, relying on her position in the old house, stepped forward first: "Where's the money?"

Lu Shangyan lowered his head and opened his schoolbag, taking out three envelopes and placing them on the coffee table. They were a bit thicker than 1,500 yuan.

After he finished distributing the money, the aunties immediately picked it up and opened it. After seeing that it was indeed money, they rolled their eyes at him and started counting the money: "Why didn't you listen to us earlier? You made us go through so much trouble."

After counting, Auntie said, "This extra five hundred, is it for you to apologize to us? At least you have a conscience."

"But I still have to tell you, don't even think about getting your hands on that old house. I didn't get a single penny when your parents sold that house in the city. I was the one who lost out! That was compensation for me!"

As she spoke, she rolled her eyes at the two women beside her.

Lu Shangyan lowered his head, not daring to look at them: "I may not be able to give you money in the future, because I have a very serious illness and need a lot of money to treat it."

The aunt slammed her hand on the table: "Who are you trying to fool! If you were really seriously ill, would you still be standing in front of us and talking to us? I think you're just getting old and starting to become cunning!"

Second Aunt chimed in, "That's right. As long as you're still alive, transfer the money to us on time. Otherwise, if I don't receive the money, I'll sell that old house to get the cash!"

Lu Shangyan wanted to say something more, but Pei Yumin had already had enough and kicked over the table in front of him with all her might.

Glass shattered on the floor, and the electric kettle full of hot water spilled out, steaming. Several people jumped up from the sofa in fright, pointing their fingers at him and yelling, "Who do you think you are, coming into our house and causing trouble! I'll call the police and have you arrested!"

Pei Yumin narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping over their ugly faces: "The deaths of Lu Shangyan's parents were actually related to you, weren't they?"

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Author's Note: Pei Yumin: Let's see who dares to bully my wife! [question mark][question mark]