Chapter 45 The Third Day of the Lunar New Year: Returning Home
On the third day of the Lunar New Year, Lu Zhenyu returned to her parents' home. Before leaving, she was warned for a long time by Zheng's mother.
“You’ve gone back to the Shen family, but you’ll have to come back sooner or later. I’m saying this so you can understand your place and be mindful of what you should and shouldn’t say when you’re out.”
“Xiao Meng has been following you since she was born into the Zheng family. It’s easy for people to think we’re mistreating you, not even giving you a personal maid.”
A low-key yet luxurious black Mercedes was parked outside the villa early on. As the driver opened the car door, Zheng Yaozong was revealed to be sitting on the other side.
The man casually swung his legs across his back, raising an eyebrow with a smug grin. "Surprised?"
Surprise my foot.
Lu Zhenyu ignored him and crouched down to sit inside.
"You're disappointed to see me, aren't you? I'm going to ruin your good time with your lover again."
"Consider it a self-sacrifice for the girls in the capital, it's nothing."
Lu Zhenyu rarely spoke to him before, but her sudden remark left him speechless.
Zheng Yaozong's consistent rule was to come back and torment her while he could stop harming other girls.
They arrived at the Shen family's residence in silence.
Beneath the grand entrance of the main house, the dignified Madam Chen stood there, breathing out and rubbing her hands together as she tiptoed and peered out into the distance, her eyes filled with anticipation.
The gate opened, and a Mercedes slowly drove in.
As soon as Lu Zhenyu got out of the car, she was embraced by Chen's mother, who came running to greet her.
In an instant, memories of the past struck the girl's heart unexpectedly.
Back then, regardless of the season, every day after school, this mother would wait for her children in this way.
They would prepare their favorite dishes early in the morning, personally change her into comfortable and simple home clothes, wash her little hands, and take her to the restaurant.
The family sat around the round table, which they couldn't remember when it had been replaced, chatting and laughing as they enjoyed their dinner.
In the evening, she would lie on her mother's lap and listen to stories, while Shen Jingsi was in a worse situation, being forced by her father to do his homework in front of the coffee table by twisting his ear.
I'm really tired of teaching, so I'll come over and switch tasks with Shen's mother.
Lu Zhenyu didn't know why she suddenly thought of these things; lately, she had been overly sensitive to the things around her.
Mother Shen looked at the person in her arms carefully, her smile deepening. "You look much better now. Have you been getting along well with your son-in-law lately?"
"Mother-in-law, what are you saying?"
Zheng Yaozong walked over slowly, looking more serious than usual, and put his arm around Lu Zhenyu's shoulder like a good husband.
Have my husband and I ever had bad times?
Mother Shen squinted at him, her expression half-serious and half-serious, "You think I don't know anything?"
Zheng Yaozong's upturned lips paused slightly.
Just when everyone thought the mother-in-law was about to unleash her fury, she changed her tone, saying, "But considering how well you've taken care of her during this time, I won't hold you accountable for now, especially since it's the New Year."
Despite his wicked and rebellious nature outside, Zheng Yaozong is a master of putting on airs in front of these powerful and influential elders.
Back then, when Lu Zhenyu, disregarding her reputation, confessed that Zheng Yaozong had raped her in order to clear Shen Jingsi's name, the parents preferred to believe that she was making up a lie to save her troublesome brother rather than believe that ten-year-old Zheng Yaozong would do such a thing.
Without further ado, Mother Shen pulled the person towards the hall.
Upon inadvertently catching sight of the snowman on the right side of the entrance, Lu Zhenyu paused at the foot of the steps.
"Yo~"
Zheng Yaozong walked briskly to the snowman with his hands in his pockets, circled it once, then came back and put his arm around Lu Zhenyu's shoulder, deliberately turning her body towards the snowman.
"Honey, look, this snowman is much bigger than the one you built."
The woman in front explained with a smile, "This was made by Xiao Si for Xiao Xi a few days ago. I thought it was a waste to leave it piled up so nicely to dry in the back hills, so I had the servants move it to the front yard."
The snowman was as tall as an adult man, with eyes made of glass and jade, wearing a jade crown and a sapphire necklace.
The two arms, replaced by several branches, are stretched out behind them, their lively and playful charm silently telling the story of the seriousness and patience the man put into creating it.
Without comparison, there is no harm. Looking back at the snowman that Zheng Yaozong destroyed, Lu Zhenyu poured all her hope and love into making it, but compared to the one in front of her, it is completely dilapidated and ridiculous.
"Well done." Lu Zhenyu's nonchalant glances made it impossible to discern her emotions.
Ignoring the provocative voices coming from behind her that only they could understand, she calmly walked into the living room with her mother.
Mentioning the snowman, Chen's mother became very excited and pulled Lu Zhenyu to the sofa to show her the WeChat Moments that Duan Xier posted on the night of the first snow.
Snowflakes filled the snow-covered forest behind the Shen family's house, where a majestic crimson-black hue occasionally blended with the gradually darkening evening.
The man squatted there, making snowballs with his bare hands. The hem of his coat was covered with a thick layer of snow. All around was quiet, except for the crunching sound of his thin-soled leather shoes on the snow.
The snow was exceptionally obedient in his hands, and soon it grew from a tiny piece into a large ball.
It's clear that Duan Xi'er secretly filmed this video in her room. Her WeChat Moments caption reads: "The gift for the first snow was a big snowman that this man built by hand. He said it's called Little Xi, so I generously sponsored the eyes, crown, and necklace. What can I do? Just standing here looking at his back makes me feel so happy."
Even after watching it many times, the mother couldn't help but sigh as she turned off her phone, "Seeing them finally achieve something, a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders."
Looking at Lu Zhenyu again, the girl was sitting quietly to the side, her gaze still fixed on the blacked-out phone screen.
She didn't say anything, her face remained calm.
But when it came to Shen's mother's eyes, even a clear-headed observer couldn't help but feel her eyes redden.
Realizing belatedly that his actions were inappropriate, he secretly pinched her thigh and pulled her into a hug.
"Zhenzhen, is something wrong with me that's making you feel uncomfortable?"
At this moment, Lu Zhenyu could truly feel the deep remorse that her mother felt.
So she told herself to smile and not be the one to spoil the mood on such a joyous occasion as family gatherings.
"No, I'm happy for them too."
Shen Muben wanted to say something, but was interrupted by the sound of clattering footsteps.
Mr. Shen, who had just finished a video conference with a foreign company, heard that his daughter had returned and immediately went to find her.
Before she arrived, her voice came first, "Is that your daughter? Where is she? Let me see her quickly."
Shen Zhen'an appeared on the stairs, and his outline came into view.
That was a man who bore a striking resemblance to Shen Jingsi in appearance; though over fifty, he still possessed a dashing and upright physique.
That three-point difference is the filter created by countless past experiences, added to the sharp and deep features and extraordinary demeanor, making even the towering mountains appear softer.
Shen Jingsi's appearance is six parts similar to his mother's, and seven parts resemble his father's temperament.
The father and son shared the same roguish charm, especially when it came to attracting women.
Even Shen Zhenan only gradually calmed down and focused on the family business after his father passed away.
Father Shen walked over and examined the person carefully.
When she got married, she was just a young girl who hadn't even graduated yet. Now, she has grown into a poised and dignified woman, and the man is very pleased as he pulls her into his arms.
"My daughter is back."
Lu Zhenyu felt that she had been too emotional lately, otherwise why would she suddenly feel teary-eyed and want to cry?
Isn't this just a perfectly normal sentence that parents say every day?
With his daughter, everyone else became invisible to Shen's father. He held her little hand in his big hand and led her to the sofa to reminisce.
Zheng Yaozong, a grown man, was left being ignored as if he didn't exist, so Shen's mother stepped in with a smile to smooth things over.
"Xiao Zong, don't mind him. Your father is always like this. When Zhenzhen is around, he doesn't care about anyone else."
Zheng Yaozong responded with a grin, and a group of people gathered in front of the sofa.
Shen's father simply wanted to ask about Lu Zhenyu's life abroad over the years.
But he was a sharp-eyed man, and within a few words he sensed something was amiss. His phoenix eyes, which had become even more charming with age, slowly shifted towards the person opposite him.
Sensing a murderous aura, Zheng Yaozong, who was leisurely sipping tea, straightened his legs and asked, "Dad, is there something you need?"
Mr. Shen's face was tense, and he didn't even bother to beat around the bush. "Have you been bullying Beizhen behind our backs all these years?"
"Ah...ah?"
This was the first time Lu Zhenyu had ever met Zheng Yaozong. She was so nervous that she licked her lips, unsure whether to drink the tea in her hand or not. She swallowed and put the cup back down.
During the direct interrogation by Shen's father, Zheng Yaozong lied without batting an eye, saying, "I love her so much that I can't bear to lay a finger on her."
Father Shen slammed his large hand on the sofa, "If you dare to lay a finger on her, I'll chop your hand off!"
The atmosphere was too heavy, so Shen's mother stepped in to lighten the mood, "Old Shen! Your daughter and son-in-law have only been back for a few days. Instead of talking about something cheerful, you're questioning all sorts of nonsense. Can a person's state of mind really lie?"
Mother Shen smiled and touched Lu Zhenyu's face, "This girl has a rosy complexion and looks like she's gained weight. How could she look like she's been bullied?"
Even though his sharp edges have been smoothed out by experience and time, Shen's father still doesn't play the social game and directly states his words to people's faces.
“Beizhen has been raised like a treasure by us since she was a child. If I ever find out that you’ve bullied her, I’ll beat you to death!”
Zheng Yaozong grinned and chuckled twice, feeling a little guilty and becoming more obedient, even straightening his posture a bit.
Lu Zhenyu didn't say a word from beginning to end. She just watched as Chen's mother lost her temper and then dragged her back upstairs to do some persuasion.
No sooner had the man left than Zheng Yaozong collapsed back like a pile of mud, cursing, "Damn it, my father didn't even say he was going to break my legs, and Shen Jingsi's father is all cocky now."
Hearing this hindsight comment, Lu Zhenyu sneered, "Why didn't you say this when your godfather was around?"
Zheng Yaozong chuckled shamelessly, "I was just giving him face. Do you think I wouldn't dare?"
Lu Zhenyu raised an eyebrow, stood up and pretended to shout upstairs, "Godfather, Zheng Yaozong said he was giving you face, and that you were bragging... um."
He was only halfway through his sentence when Zheng Yaozong rushed up and grabbed him by the waist with one hand and covered his mouth with the other.
Lu Zhenyu struggled, but he wouldn't let go. Their back-and-forth struggle looked to an unsuspecting bystander like a young couple playfully arguing.
The two who had just entered watched this scene, and Duan Xi'er let out a soft "Oh!" and buried her eyes back in Shen Jingsi's arms.
"Some couples should be mindful of the city's appearance. Even if you're licensed to do this, it's broad daylight and everyone's around. If you two want to kiss, go back upstairs and do it behind closed doors."
The two, who were arguing, turned their heads at the same time. In the doorway, Duan Xi'er was arm in arm with Shen Jingsi. The two stood there shoulder to shoulder. They were wearing light pink Chanel-style clothes with light brown men's coats. It was the kind of couple's outfit that you would wear if you were in the throes of a passionate relationship.
Feeling a focused gaze fall upon her, Lu Zhenyu tried to push Zheng Yaozong away, but the man instead grabbed her waist and held her tightly in his arms.
He looked at Shen Jingsi, whose expression was inscrutable, and smiled provocatively, "Brother-in-law and sister-in-law are back. Why didn't you have the servants announce your return so my wife and I could have found a different place? Doesn't this make things awkward for you?"
Shen Jingsi glanced at the person with a half-smile, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw a small figure staring intently at him.
He turned to look at Duan Xi'er, raising an eyebrow with a casual, mocking tone, "When did you buy this dog?"
Duan Xi'er was taken aback. "What dog?"
Clearly, her thought process hadn't caught up with Shen Jingsi's abstract ideas, and she was instead amused by Lu Zhenyu, who was tightly held in Zheng Yaozong's arms.
Zheng Yaozong narrowed his eyes at her with a hint of displeasure, "Why are you laughing like that?"
Lu Zhenyu's smile faded, replaced by a serious yet slightly flippant tone. "So what were you barking about?"
Zheng Yaozong: "..."
Realizing what was happening, Duan Xi'er playfully punched Shen Jingsi with her small fist, saying in a coquettish tone, "You're never serious again! That's my brother-in-law!"
Shen Jingsi impatiently grabbed her chest with his large hand, "Why are you in such a hurry if your sister isn't? Brother-in-law, open the door, I'm my sister!"
Zheng Yaozong immediately chuckled and whistled, "Wait, your brother-in-law is flying over."
Duan Xi'er, who almost vomited, cursed, "Get out of here, all of you!"
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