Chapter 15 I Want You to Marry Me
The fiery sunset painted half the sky red, and even the wild geese flying by quickened their pace, as if afraid of being scorched.
The Shen family's main hall, where the air pressure was extremely low, was filled with people kneeling on the floor. Shen Jingsi was sitting on the sofa with a gloomy expression.
The computer on the coffee table is playing a video from a week ago, taken in the front yard of the villa.
"Where else could it go? It takes up too much space, and its white body is an eyesore. It would have been chopped down long ago."
"You feigned weakness and threw yourself into the young master's arms. Isn't that shameless?"
"Since you've already climbed the social ladder with the Zheng family, you should just stay there and not come back all of a sudden to annoy everyone."
Familiar conversations spilled from the computer screen, and the flower servant and the two attendants kneeling at the front were sweating profusely from the cold, fierce gaze.
Having barely slept for several days, the man's eyes were dark and bloodshot, and he slowly raised his eyes to scan the crowd.
"Is there anything else to say?"
“Young Master, we are truly indignant on your behalf,” said the servant. “Everyone witnessed Miss Bei Zhen abandoning the Shen family in their time of crisis for wealth and status. We servants are but lowly and powerless, but we ultimately wish the Shen family well and the young master well.”
"For my own good?" Shen Jingsi's thin lips curled slightly, his smile carrying an ambiguous meaning. "Then tell me, how is it for my own good?"
The servant's eyes darted around. "Everyone knows that Miss Xiaoxi truly loves the young master, but as soon as Miss Beizhen returned, she started to mistreat her."
“Young Master, there is an old saying that good advice is hard to hear. If you continue to spoil Miss Beizhen and hurt Miss Xiaoxi’s feelings, it will not be worth it.”
Shen Jingsi lowered his gaze, a dangerous smile playing on his lips. "It seems you're quite concerned about my marriage."
The servant bowed respectfully and replied solemnly, "This is what a servant should do."
"You still know you're a servant!"
The wine glass was violently smashed, and Shen Jingsi stood up and slammed his laptop directly in front of the servant.
He gripped the servant's collar tightly and pressed down on him from top to bottom, "What, has Madam Shen made you all too comfortable? Now you all want to be the masters of this Shen family?"
The servant who was being slapped turned pale, his lips trembled, and he was so frightened that he could not speak.
The remaining two, one on the left and one on the right, also turned their faces away with trembling hands and feet, as if afraid that if they looked at it too much, they would become the next chicken to be slaughtered.
It was truly terrifying that Shen Jingsi hadn't been able to find Lu Zhenyu in the capital for a week, and had even been implicated by the authorities.
"As you wished, she has returned to Los Angeles and will never come back to bother your Shen family or ruin your love with your good girl. You and your kind and innocent Duan Xi'er must stay together forever and ever, it would be best if you were tied together for life."
Bending your knees downwards will increase the burden on your calves, and then a persistent, dull pain will come from the bone joints.
But no one knew that over the past five years, Shen Jingsi had actually enjoyed this pain.
If smelling a familiar scent when she loses control of her emotions makes Lu Zhenyu feel that Shen Jingsi is always by her side.
The lingering, stammering pain in the stillness of that night was just like that night five years ago, when he embraced Lu Zhenyu and fell into a blissful slumber.
After all these years of hatred, Shen Jingsi finally realized that he still couldn't bear to see her suffer, not even a little bit.
Even if the person did indeed climb to a higher branch and fly away, and lived happily ever after, so be it.
What I hate most is that she chose trash from a group of people.
The servants' pleas were nothing more than, "We're doing this for the good of the Shen family, and for the good of you, young master."
Shen Jingsi got tired of listening, straightened up by supporting himself on his knees, took two steps back to steady himself, rubbed his numb leg, and waved his hands down to his sides.
"Lock her up in the back mountain, don't give her any food, and release her when she realizes she's done wrong."
Upon hearing this, the servants were terrified and knelt down to beg for mercy, but were blocked and taken away by the tall and burly bodyguards.
When Duan Xi'er arrived, she heard something coming from the hall.
“I’ll say it one last time: it’s none of your business how Lu Zhenyu behaves. If I ever hear anyone talking badly about her again, I’ll rip out their tongue and feed it to the dogs.”
Behind him, all was silent as if no one was there. Shen Jingsi shouted, "Did you all hear that?!"
Everyone immediately responded in unison, "Yes, young master."
Duan Xi'er stopped in her tracks, loosened her skirt, and slowly walked in.
"You're going to put them in solitary confinement?"
They were already being lenient by not sending it to some continent for mining.
Without even looking, he knew who it was. Shen Jingsi helped himself to the sofa and sat back down, twirling the ring on his pinky finger. "If you don't behave, you'll be punished."
Duan Xi'er frowned and stepped forward: "Why? Just because they said a few bad things about other people?"
"The other people you're referring to are members of my Shen family."
"Then just say she's the woman you, Shen Jingsi, want to have."
Duan Xi'er's voice turned cold, and the carefree girl from a few days ago was no longer there.
"But don't forget, her name is now Shen Beizhen, and she doesn't love you."
The ring on his pinky came to a stop as it was spinning, and Shen Jingsi looked up.
Even when he was furious, he would still restrain the fierce look in his eyes when facing Duan Xi'er.
Perhaps this is what others call "special favoritism," but all he knows is that this girl has been kind to him.
Despite his wickedness and depravity outside, Shen Jingsi always valued loyalty and righteousness.
That enigmatic, silent gaze calmed Duan Xi'er's already fiery emotions.
He exhaled softly and stood in front of his legs.
"Shen Jingsi, do I have to tear open your wounds so bluntly? How many times do I have to emphasize it before you understand that Shen Beizhen has never loved you!"
"You can say she doesn't love me now, but you can't say she never did."
People suffering from severe depression can soothe their emotions simply by smelling the cigarettes they've been smoking since they were teenagers.
It wasn't until that night at the hospital that Shen Jingsi realized that Lu Zhenyu had definitely loved him.
He once told her, "As long as I find even a trace of your love for me, you will never be able to run away from me again."
Years later, he finally discovered clues that she had loved him, but he couldn't hold onto her tightly.
Shen Jingsi's regret and self-blame at this moment cannot be erased by punishing a few servants.
This man is too stubborn. Duan Xi'er suddenly felt a surge of anger rising in her chest.
She wanted to curse, throw things, and even send someone to kill Lu Zhenyu immediately.
But she couldn't, otherwise all her plans over the past few years would be in vain.
She tried her best to suppress her anger, biting her lower lip tightly with her teeth until it bled.
"Shen Jingsi, then may I ask, what did you take me for when you said those words?"
Her voice trembled, and her eyelids reddened. Anyone who cherishes beauty would feel a pang of sympathy and self-reproach upon seeing her.
"You said in front of everyone that I would be your fiancée from this day forward, and that you would marry me. Were those just angry words you said to Shen Beizhen?"
The arrogance surrounding Shen Jingsi was somewhat diminished by her trembling words.
He licked his dry lips with the tip of his tongue and stood up. "Sorry."
Duan Xi'er lost control a bit, "I don't need your apology, I just want to ask you, what am I to you!"
Shen Jingsi was sincere: "Xiao Xi, you are a very important person in my life."
"If you're so important, why can't you marry me?"
“I think you know.”
She knows, she knows all too well.
So what if he loves Lu Zhenyu? So what if she appeared in his life a little later than Lu Zhenyu?
"But Lu Zhenyu is already married. She told you herself that she loves Zheng Yaozong, didn't she? So why can't you marry me?"
"I don't want to let you down."
At this moment, Duan Xi'er had completely gotten herself into the obsession with "getting Shen Jingsi" and was determined to force him no matter what.
"I'm not afraid of being let down, I just want you to marry me, I want to be your wife."
Hot tears streamed down his face as he spoke, splashing onto the floor and revealing Shen Jingsi's helpless guilt.
"Xiao Xi, I told you long ago that in this life, whether I love or hate, I will only give it to Lu Zhenyu."
Duan Xi'er closed her eyes weakly, then smiled helplessly, "Is this your answer to me?"
Shen Jingsi replied solemnly, "Yes."
"Fine, then let's break up completely."
Duan Xi'er left without hesitation, leaving Shen Jingsi standing there alone.
Slow footsteps came from behind her, and Mother Shen came downstairs with a solemn expression.
"Xiao Si, you've gone too far."
Shen Jingsi slumped back into the sofa, rubbing his temples in pain. "Mom, can you please stop getting involved?"
Mother Shen walked over and sat down beside her, her expression no longer as loving as before.
"If I don't get involved, am I supposed to just let you completely break the heart of a good girl?"
Shen Jingsi irritably loosened the tie in front of his shirt. "If you had just been less involved in these past five years, she wouldn't be so heartbroken today."
"..." Mother Shen frowned, "I just don't understand, how is Xiao Xi worse than Zhen Zhen?"
Shen Jingsi chuckled, "The difference is that if I don't love you, I simply don't love you."
She slammed her hand on the sofa and raised her voice, "Then don't forget, if she hadn't arrived in time back then, you would have been dead in the mountains long ago!"
Mother Shen added, "No matter what, it can't change the fact that Duan Xi'er is your savior, Shen Jingsi, and the Duan family is the most suitable choice for the Shen family!"
That's right. Without Duan Xi'er back then, he might have died long ago at that desolate cliff. She was even seriously injured while saving him.
Because of this phrase, "a life saved by her," he has always put that woman first over the years, no matter what.
But that doesn't mean he should reciprocate with his marriage!
No further words were needed; Shen Jingsi knew that, in his mother's eyes, his love for Lu Zhenyu was wrong.
Arguing further is just a waste of time.
Watching her son get up and leave without a word, Mrs. Shen bent her elbow to support her forehead and let out a long sigh of exhaustion.
"Blame me, blame me."
The old butler came over with a cup of lukewarm tea. "Madam, you are too worried."
"I knew it. As soon as Zhenzhen came back, Xiao Si would definitely not be able to sit still."
Mother Shen was filled with remorse. "It's my fault, it's my fault. I thought that after so many years, he would still hate that child and would never get entangled with him again."
It's too late to say all this now; since it has already happened, all we can do is try to find a solution.
Mother Shen closed her eyes with a headache, pondered for a moment, and then looked up as if she suddenly remembered something.
"Butler Li, call the court and tell them that if someone named Shen Beizhen goes to file for divorce, you must suppress it."
The butler paused. "So... you're not planning to let Miss Beizhen get a divorce?"
"It's not possible to leave for the time being."
Chen Jie's gaze was exceptionally firm, and her clenched fist unconsciously pounded on the sofa.
“If she gets divorced, Xiao Si will be even less restrained. I need to make his marriage with Xiao Xi a done deal first.”
Marrying into the Duan family has now become an obsession for Chen Jie.
Thinking of the daughter she had raised herself, she hardened her heart. "Let's just endure the injustice for now. We've already made it through five years, what's a little more?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com