Chapter 21

The fireworks show arrived right on time, bursting into brilliant bursts in the sky with a "boom," illuminating the entire night sky as if it were daytime, and revealing every detail of the expressions on everyone's faces.

Shen Ci saw this almost predatory kiss more clearly.

His pupils constricted sharply, as if struck by lightning. His mind went blank, filled only with surging rage. Without a second thought, he rushed forward, roughly separating the two men, grabbed Lin Langli by the collar, and slammed his fist down hard!

"What are you doing?!" The voice was almost squeezed out from between his teeth, Shen Ci was furious.

Caught off guard by the blow, Lin Langli turned his head away, and when he turned back, his eyes were covered with a layer of frost. He coldly wiped the blood from the corner of his lips, remaining silent, his gaze so sinister it was chilling.

Shen Ci's anger was still burning, and he raised his hand fiercely to strike again.

Lin Langli turned his head to avoid the punch. He had already been punched by Shen Ci and was about to retaliate when Shen Mian scrambled over and grabbed Shen Ci's arm tightly.

Chenmian's voice trembled as she argued, "Chen Ci, don't do this. He was just... just now he was giving me CPR, and I couldn't catch my breath... that's why he did that."

Such a clumsy lie. Lin Langli watched as Chen Mian tried her best to bluff and confuse the situation, and smirked.

Seeing that Shen Ci didn't believe him at all, and his face was still filled with murderous anger, Shen Mian's heart was pounding like a drum. If a fight really broke out and alarmed the entire Shen family, he would definitely be the one who suffered in the end.

He couldn't help but blame Lin Langli for being bewitched and suddenly going crazy, biting his lips as he spoke, which hurt him terribly!

Unfortunately, Shen Ci happened to witness it, forcing him to swallow the humiliation and cover for Lin Langli.

"Shen Ci, don't be mean, I'm so cold..." Seeing that Shen Ci wouldn't listen, Shen Mian simply snuggled into the man's arms, wrapped her arms around his waist, buried her head in his chest, and rubbed against him. "I'm freezing to death, let's go back."

"Did you really jump into the lake?" With her attention diverted, Shen Ci, though still feeling annoyed, asked first.

Shen Ci hugged him tighter: "Even if I accidentally fall in, I would never do something like jumping into a lake."

The two stopped looking at Lin Langli. Chen Mian pulled, pushed, and leaned against Chen Ci, being very affectionate, and almost hanging on him.

Lin Langli's expression turned cold, his fists slowly clenched, and the veins on the back of his hands stood out.

Shen Mianjun called, and Shen Ci answered. His father's question came through: "Where did the three of you go? Why are you all gone?"

Shen Ci, with his shoulder tilted and phone tucked between his fingers, glanced down at Shen Mian, who was shivering and looking at him pitifully. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "We're watching fireworks together. Shen Mian caught a cold, so I'll take him home. Lin Langli and I will come over later."

As soon as he finished speaking, Chenmian in his arms sneezed loudly and clung to him even tighter.

Shen Ci's expression softened. He took off his coat and draped it over the person in his arms, then pulled Shen Mian away.

The fireworks were still going off, and the fireworks show lasted for a long time. The Shen family members in the building were all immersed in the liveliness of the banquet. Shen Mian and Shen Ci only encountered a few servants along the way. Seeing that Shen Mian was soaking wet, they did not dare to ask any questions.

The temperature dropped significantly at the end of October.

After falling into the water, she was held tightly by Lin Langli, and she was trembling with anger from the man's nasty words. She didn't feel uncomfortable when she was asleep, but as soon as she entered the room, her tense nerves relaxed, and the chill seeped into her bones through her pores, and her forehead began to burn.

Shenmian was dizzy and disoriented. Shen Ci pushed her into the bathroom and gave her a hot shower. She was then given medicine and lay on the bed, still half asleep.

Shen Ci sat on the edge of the bed, leaned over and pressed the back of her hand against his forehead: "What exactly happened? Is that bastard Lin Langli bullying you?"

When asked this question, Chenmian instantly became more alert and began to ponder Lin Langli's attitude that evening.

He was drunk after drinking a little wine by himself. First, he was humiliated by Lin Langli, then he was dragged into the water. After being pulled out, he was said those things again and even bitten on the lip.

I'm going to get sick again.

He had suffered a great deal, and Chenmian felt resentful, recalling the last words Lin Langli had said before biting him.

"Sleepless, haven't you always wanted to know how I'll retaliate against you?"

Lin Langli then rubbed his mouth with his fingertips and even tried to stick his finger into his mouth to touch his tongue and teeth, which disgusted Shenmian. However, he dared not speak, fearing that Lin Langli would take advantage of him.

The next second, Lin Langli pinched his chin, forced him to look up, and then bit his lips.

"Sleep, you fuck me, and I'll forgive you." The words were so flippant and casual, yet the actions were so forceful and domineering.

How disgusting!

Lin Langli, that piece of shit, that bastard, that scoundrel, how dare he treat him like that!

Recalling all this, Chenmian felt her blood boil with anger, and she could hardly contain the overwhelming hatred rising in her chest.

He wanted nothing more than to tear Lin Langli to pieces, but his anger turned into a laugh as he muttered, "Lin Langli fell into the water, and I called for help for him, but he pulled me down instead. He can swim! Yet he just stood by and watched me almost drown, only pulling me out at the very end! When I was out, I couldn't catch my breath, and he got scared and started giving me CPR..."

Shen Ci was only half convinced, but seeing the undisguised shock and disgust on Shen Mian's face, which didn't seem like she was faking it for Lin Langli, he couldn't help but believe her even more.

But that was nothing compared to the fact that the scene he witnessed back then was particularly jarring to him.

Shen Ci asked in a low voice, "Is he really not bullying you?"

Chenmian sneered: "He hates me to death, yet he still kissed me?"

Shen Ci breathed a sigh of relief and was about to ask again when Shen Mian put her hand into his palm and said, "No matter what, he dragged me into this tonight. You have to teach him a lesson for me. You know how bad my health is. He almost killed me. You can't not help me."

Shen Ci paused for a moment, then nodded and said okay. He then wanted to ask how his relationship with Lin Langli had been recently.

Chenmian pulled her hand back and turned her back to him.

Shen Ci left.

In the latter half of the night, I was half asleep when I heard what sounded like people talking and arguing beside me.

He lifted his eyelids and struggled to open his eyes, seeing Shen Jinshan, Shen Ci, and Lin Langli standing by the sofa not far from the room. Judging from their posture, it seemed that Shen Jinshan was scolding Lin Langli.

The older brother, who was usually kind and gentle to him, now had a look of anger on his face, his expression was extremely cold, and the aura he exuded was particularly frightening.

Shen Mian couldn't hear what Shen Jinshan was saying, but seeing Lin Langli's stern face and slightly lowered head, she couldn't help but feel delighted.

They actually dared to slander him and his elder brother.

As he drowsily pondered, did he really think every man was like that...?

He was so engrossed in his own chaotic thoughts that he had no time to pay attention to what was happening in another part of the room. In a flash, a thought struck him like a thunderbolt, shattering his slumber.

Shen Jinshan, elder brother...

Has she never had any romantic relationships or scandals?

His elder brother treated him so well, and he didn't have a lover. If he couldn't be a son of the Shen family, could he be a son-in-law of the Shen family?

His parents were very good to him, but recently they have been bewitched by that scoundrel Lin Langli and have started to be a little cold towards him. However, having taken care of him for more than ten years since he was a child, Chen Mian does not believe that his parents would be so heartless as to abandon him.

Once he marries his older brother, his parents will be his real parents again, and no one will be able to call him a usurper or an imposter.

His older brother stood up for him, while Shen Ci ignored him, making Shen Mian smug—his older brother must like him too.

As for falling into a deep sleep, the more he thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. He had spent so much time with his older brother during the summer vacation and they had gotten along very well, so why couldn't they start a family together?

The moment this idea appeared, it was like an oasis lake appearing before a weary traveler in the desert, almost a glimmer of hope in a desperate situation. Chenmian couldn't help but jump for joy, almost wanting to scream.

This way, he no longer needs to worry about Lin Langli's retaliation—it's disgusting, what does he take him for? How dare he treat him so contemptuously, he deserves to die!

He was lost in thought, his mind in a chaotic state, and before he knew it, a blush rose on his face, and he unconsciously hummed twice.

Those in the room keenly noticed the sounds, and the conversation abruptly stopped. Shen Ci was the first to push past the two and approach the bedside, looking down to check on Shen Mi's condition.

"His fever is so high, didn't the family doctor prescribe medicine and conduct tests?" Shen Ci muttered to himself, then turned to glare at Lin Langli angrily, "Why did you pull him down? Shen Mian has been frail and sickly since childhood. This time, falling into the water could cause him to fall ill with a fever at best, or even develop pneumonia at worst. This is a human life!"

Shen Mian felt that Shen Ci's words were too long and made him very irritated. He pretended not to hear them, and forced himself to raise his eyes to look directly at Shen Jinshan who was approaching.

When Shen Jinshan saw him looking over, his demeanor softened again. The man approached, gently touching the patient's cheek with his fingertips, and asked, "Mianmian, are you feeling very uncomfortable?"

"Brother..." Shen Mian felt the cool touch of Shen Jinshan's fingers on her cheek, and felt that the small area of ​​her skin that was in contact with him felt more comfortable and was no longer so hot.

But after calling Shen Jinshan "brother," Shen Mian couldn't help but regret it. He suddenly didn't want to call Shen Jinshan that anymore.

He looked up at Shen Jinshan, as if he could only see Shen Jinshan in his eyes. Shen Mian's throat was dry and burning. He opened his mouth to speak, but physiological tears flowed from the corners of his eyes.

Shen Jinshan's expression softened slightly: "Mianmian, are you feeling unwell? Do you want some water?"

"I want you to feed me," Chenmian said coquettishly. "Big brother, your hands are so cold, it feels so good."

Shen Jinshan calmly used his palm to cool down Shen Mian's face again, then looked at Shen Ci.

Shen Ci was full of resentment towards Shen Mian's biased behavior. He had been ignored since he woke up, but considering the patient in bed, he felt wronged and uncomfortable. At this moment, he was very vulnerable. He pursed his lips and went to the water bar in the room to get Shen Mian a glass of warm water.

Shen Jinshan took the water, sat on the edge of the bed, supported Shenmian's upper body with one hand, and carefully fed him water with the other.

As she slept, she took small sips of water in this position, her heart filled with tenderness.

In a daze, he also remembered that Shen Ci had fed him in the same way, but at that time he was full of bad things about Lin Langli and had no such thoughts. Now his state of mind was very different. In just a few moments, Shen Mian felt that Shen Jinshan was no longer his older brother, but a man he could rely on.

His eyes were brimming with tears as he sipped his drink, recalling the grievances he had suffered during this time, when suddenly he felt a displeased gaze fixed upon him.

Chenmian looked up and saw Lin Langli standing alone on one side, his face looking unpleasant, as if he were being isolated by them.

Chen Mian felt a little better. Lin Langli wished he could be as miserable as possible, and he himself probably felt the same way.

He knew it! All the kindness I showed him when we were together recently was just a pretext for humiliating him later. What a vicious person he is.

Fortunately, he was wise beyond his years in his slumber; though he couldn't understand other things, his feelings and opinions about Lin Langli remained consistent.

How could Lin Langli not hate him? They were two naturally opposing people. Others always wanted them to get along, but how could that be possible?

Chenmian withdrew her gaze, a hint of smugness in her heart, and softly leaned her head into Chen Jinshan's arms.

However, we should also thank Lin Langli. If it weren't for his words that enlightened me, Chenmian would probably never have imagined that there was such a path in her life.

What should Lin Langli call him from now on? Sister-in-law? Brother-in-law? Both are so strange.

Lost in thought, Shenmian gradually drank more than half a cup of water, then shook her head and refused to drink any more. Shen Jinshan put the cup down and gently patted Shenmian's back.

"Mianmian, go to sleep. Mom was very worried about you today. I've already talked to Lin Langli, and he won't dare to do it again." As Shen Jinshan spoke, his gaze swept over his younger brothers beside him, a hint of barely perceptible annoyance hidden in his eyes.

He learned about Shenmian falling into the water only after a servant came to report to him, saying that Shen Ci and Lin Langli were fighting. When asked about the reason, he only vaguely said that "Lin Langli dragged Shenmian into the water."

It's absurd that such a person could cause such a commotion in the family.

But his attitude towards Shen Mian remained indifferent, as always.

Once Shenmian fell asleep, the three left the room. Shen Jinshan's gentle expression vanished instantly, and he reprimanded the two of them again.

Shen Ci said, "Their relationship is unlikely to improve. Why don't we talk to Dad and let Lin Langli stay at my place for now? I'm worried that he will hurt Shen Mian again if he stays with her."

Shen Jinshan glanced at his younger brother indifferently, his expression unchanged: "This is all a misunderstanding. Xiao Li was also bullied by Shen Mian before."

Ignoring Shen Ci's angry expression, he looked gently at Lin Langli, "Lin Langli, let's put an end to the matter of Chen Mian. Dad hopes you two can get along well. Can you do that?"

A sense of sarcasm rose in Lin Langli's heart; he had seen the scene of the sleeping man clearly just now.

Shen Mian, who so deeply loved and relied on his elder brother, never imagined that the first person to abandon him would be Shen Jinshan. To call him a fool, unable to see what was in front of him, is absolutely true.

It's laughable that he would do such a thing for a fool like Chenmian, but when Lin Langli recalled that moment, he didn't feel disgusted. The kiss and bite were vividly recalled in his mind.

Mingming initially only wanted to stop Shenmian from being so promiscuous, but the moment he kissed her, the joy and excitement that swelled in his heart quickly seized his thoughts. The instant he touched Shenmian's soft lips, he wanted to penetrate her more fiercely without saying a word. An instinctive impulse, like a flame, rose fiercely in his heart.

Upon seeing Shenmian's shocked and unfocused eyes after being kissed by him, Lin Langli couldn't help but become even more wicked, almost wanting to devour Shenmian whole.

Looking back at Shen Jinshan's gaze, Lin Langli smiled and said, "It was just a misunderstanding. It was Shen Mian who pushed me, and I accidentally brought him down with me."

Shen Jinshan glanced at him, seemingly unconcerned: "It's good that you know what's important, Xiao Li. Your household registration has already been transferred here, and your family values ​​you highly. Don't make any mistakes."

A note from the author:

No wonder Mianmian thinks that way; it's all because Shen Jin's disguise is too good.

Shen Jinshan, I wonder if you will regret it in the future when you look back on the moment you sent Chenmian to Lin Langli's side?

Surprisingly, I wasn't so sleepy when I got back tonight, so I managed to write a chapter! I didn't miss today's update, haha!! It'll probably be going to be a paid chapter in the next couple of days, so I'll be writing more of those chapters. I hope you all will support me! I love you all!