Chapter 3 Is he good to you?
When her emotions were running high, Lu Zhenyu would eat whatever her mother, whose mind was elsewhere, put on her plate.
She picked up the shrimp meat from the plate; even today, this is still considered by others to be her "favorite" food.
Thinking back, the shrimp meat in Shen Jingsi's mouth was only delicious if it was snatched from Lu Zhenyu.
The usually well-behaved and quiet girl didn't say a word, just sat there peeling the food until she had fed everyone, without eating a single bite herself.
Now, it's his turn to peel the skin for others.
After chewing the boiled shrimp, Lu Zhenyu felt a physiological choking sensation in her throat. She picked up the glass of milk and swallowed it calmly.
After being fed four or five shrimp by Shen Jingsi, Duan Xi'er, feeling a bit better, started a conversation again.
"Sister Zhenzhen, why are you the only one here this time? Didn't you bring your brother-in-law back?"
The person drinking water stopped, the person picking up food paused, and all three pairs of eyes turned towards Lu Zhenyu.
With her cheeks slightly flushed, she put the empty milk cup back and wiped her mouth. "He's been busy lately, but I think it'll be soon."
The woman next to her picked up her water glass, took a sip, and, unusually, started eating.
Duan Xi'er, oblivious to the situation, looked on with envy, "Ah, that's wonderful."
"How come it's all better?" Shen Jingsi, who was casually drinking water with droopy eyelids, suddenly asked.
"Of course, marriage is better." Duan Xi'er cupped her face and looked at Lu Zhenyu, who was eating quietly. "Look at Sister Zhenzhen, how happy she is now."
Lu Zhenyu paused for a moment in mid-air as she picked up a shrimp. At that moment, she felt she should just smile and brush it off, but she couldn't bring herself to move the corner of her mouth that was covered in bruises.
The mother smoothly shifted the topic, "So, Xiaoxi is thinking about settling down too?"
Duan Xi'er silently observed out of the corner of her eye Chen Jingsi slowly peeling shrimp.
"They say that loving someone is like growing a flower. Look at Sister Zhenzhen, she's become more and more beautiful after getting married. Seeing how happy she and her husband are makes me envious."
The girl's account was so detailed and convincing that it made Lu Zhenyu, the person involved, lose confidence.
I glance at my reflection in the food on my plate—growing flowers, beautiful, happy.
...
She burst into laughter for no apparent reason.
This laugh drew the attention of the three people.
Shen Jingsi's gaze was the deepest. When Lu Zhenyu caught it, the corner of her lips, which looked normal from a distance, twitched slightly. "Indeed, anyone else might not be this happy."
These words take on different meanings depending on who hears them.
Mother Shen pursed her lips and secretly took her hand under the table.
The force that suddenly appeared quickly pulled Lu Zhenyu out of her emotional turmoil.
Duan Xi'er then asked, "You've been married for five years now, when are you planning to have children?"
"cough!"
Chen's mother choked twice before she could finish her soup, so Lu Zhenyu calmly patted her back.
As Duan Xi'er eagerly awaited Lu Zhenyu's answer, her head was forcibly turned back by Shen Jingsi's large hand.
"It's fine to be eager to learn from experience, but could you please ask some reliable people for advice?"
Duan Xi'er: "..."
The hand that was stroking his back paused.
After finally catching her breath, Chen's mother almost fainted again after hearing the story.
"Xiao Si! What nonsense are you talking about? If you don't act like a proper older brother, wait until your dad comes back and see what he does to you."
With a snort of a laugh, Shen Jingsi remained completely unconcerned.
Don't even mention that he's thirty now; when he was thirteen, he wasn't afraid of anyone in this family.
Oh, yes, there was, Lu Zhenyu.
No matter when or where, as soon as the girl becomes serious, he dares not make any jokes.
A mocking, cold gaze slowly swept over, and Shen Jingsi thought he was seeing things. But when he looked again, the person was indeed smiling.
"why are you laughing?"
Lu Zhenyu, having withdrawn her hand, met his gaze and replied in the same tone, "Can't I laugh?"
The only defiant response he gave tonight caught Shen Jingsi off guard and left him speechless.
She picked up the freshly poured milk but didn't drink it.
Then she added, "Your brother-in-law isn't good quality; he's too hard to get pregnant. Xiaoxi should be careful when choosing a husband in the future. You can't have someone like that who's petty and always looking for trouble."
He deliberately emphasized his words, but his action of picking up a shrimp and putting it in his mouth was nonchalant: "The quality is all poor."
Shen Jingsi: "..."
This meal was full of twists and turns.
When Lu Zhenyu finished touching up her makeup and came downstairs, the "family of three" was sitting in the living room.
Chen's mother, who was holding hands with Duan Xi'er and chatting casually, waved to her, "Come here, Zhenzhen."
Lu Zhenyu didn't go over, completely ignoring the gaze that someone was giving her as she leaned her head.
"Godmother, I'm going out for a bit."
Where are you going?
Turning around, Mother Shen quickly noticed something was wrong, clapped her hands, and walked over.
"What happened to your face? Let Mom take a look."
"It's nothing, just a slight allergic reaction. I'll go buy some medicine."
"Allergies?" I know my child's constitution perfectly well, the one I raised. "How could they suddenly develop an allergy?"
Duan Xi'er: "Could it be that she's having trouble adjusting to the new environment after returning to China?"
"How could the Zheng family possibly accept the culture and environment of our Shen family?" Shen Jingsi said sarcastically, already getting up from the sofa.
Lu Zhenyu knows better than anyone why she has allergies.
She didn't want to pay attention or argue, and before the man could come over and mock her again, she walked straight outside.
The Shen family home is so big, calling a family doctor is just a matter of a phone call. Lu Zhenyu simply didn't want to stay there.
She couldn't bring herself to give up on the man who occupied two-thirds of her life, but she would feel envious when he was gentle and considerate to another woman.
Even if a sensible girl keeps her secret from the beginning, she will still secretly love him by peeling shrimp for him, ostensibly for herself.
As night fell, the capital city grew even colder. After walking for a long time, Lu Zhenyu stopped as if in surrender, wanting to hail a taxi.
A car approached from a distance and stopped right in front of her before she could even wave.
The passenger window rolled down, and Duan Xi'er poked her head out. "Sister Zhenzhen, why did you run so fast? Get in the car quickly, A Si will take me home and then drop you off at the hospital on the way."
Looking through the car window at Shen Jingsi, who was in the driver's seat and wasn't looking at her, Lu Zhenyu shook her head. "You guys go ahead, I'll take a taxi."
In the dim light, the man's brows furrowed, his gaze sweeping past Duan Xi'er and shooting coldly, "Lu Zhenyu, what are you being so dramatic about?"
Lu Zhenyu: "..."
Duan Xi'er turned around and patted him, "Can't you speak properly?"
“Sister Zhenzhen, don’t take it personally. It’s just a short walk from my house to the hospital anyway.”
Lu Zhenyu refused outright, saying, "Thank you, but it's not necessary."
Just then, a taxi came from the opposite direction. She turned around, waved it down, and jumped into the car with an extremely unpretentious speed.
After saying, "Driver, to the nearest hospital," the shared bike sped past the Rolls-Royce Phantom.
"ha!"
Shen Jingsi let out a cold laugh for no reason, his tongue pressed against his back teeth, and he exuded a chilling aura that seemed to be able to kill people. He stepped on the gas and the car shot forward.
The sudden acceleration caused Duan Xi'er to lurch backward, losing her previous liveliness, and she silently clenched her hands on the seatbelt.
-
A minor allergic reaction is nothing serious; Lu Zhenyu came to the hospital mainly to get antidepressants.
I left in such a hurry on this trip that I left everything in Los Angeles except for myself.
The head of the psychiatry department saw Lu Zhenyu and suggested a full set of tests, which Lu Zhenyu refused.
"Just prescribe the medicine for me; I know my body best."
After reviewing her diagnosis from the American hospital, the doctor did not insist further.
After paying and picking up the medicine, Lu Zhenyu poured out three pills and swallowed them, intending to rest for a while before leaving.
Just as she was about to sit down, a figure suddenly appeared and dragged her into the adjacent stairwell.
Her light body was slammed against the wall. The newcomer looked travel-worn, and in the dim light, the smell of chocolate nicotine mixed with the cold air permeated the air around her.
Shen Jingsi had been holding his breath all night, but now that it was just the two of them, he decided to stop pretending.
"Weren't we supposed to never see each other again? Why are you back here to get in our way?"
Look, that's just how this man is.
When things are going well, they're great; but when things get chaotic, the things they say can drive people crazy.
Lu Zhenyi thought he would have matured after all these years, but it turns out he's still so naive.
"If you find it an eyesore, gouge your eyeballs out. I didn't beg you to look at me." The voice was hoarse, with a hint of stubbornness.
Well, she's not much better when she's angry.
She tried to break free from his grasp, but he pulled her behind him instead, pinching her chin with his other hand and forcing her to look up in a domineering and forceful manner.
"After five years, your temper has certainly grown a lot. Has that beast Zheng Yaozong spoiled you?"
The hallway was dark, but she could sense that Shen Jingsi's face was within reach of her if she stood on tiptoe.
The breath, carrying a moist heat, sprayed on her face, with a faint chocolate scent, leaving Lu Zhenyu's emotions in turmoil.
"Weren't you quite the talker? Why are you silent now?"
She thought the man was being a bit unreasonable, looking for trouble out of nowhere. "Let go of me, you're hurting me."
It didn't hurt at all. Compared to Zheng Yaozong's punch, that amount of force was like a tickle to Lu Zhenyu.
But she doesn't like being controlled; that kind of top-down oppression suffocates her.
Shen Jingsi didn't let go, but he reduced his strength a bit.
After my eyes adjusted to the darkness, they slowly searched for the lips that smelled of osmanthus.
He used to always be there.
It's soft and has a slightly chewy texture when you bite into it.
It has a sweet osmanthus honey flavor on its tongue, and if you piss it off, it will bite you with its little tiger teeth.
Some things from the past shouldn't be recalled; dwelling on them too much will only lead to attachment.
A feeling of heat rises in the abdomen, and the Adam's apple is suppressed by the action of swallowing and then surges up again.
Shen Jingsi's breathing became heavier, but his tone suddenly softened, "Is he good to you?"
It seemed to carry a soft, compromising quality, suddenly binding Lu Zhenyu's heart, and a wave of soreness washed over her.
Okay?
The truth is very bad.
Beat her when she's drunk, beat her when she's manic, and beat her even more when you can't vent your animalistic desires on her.
That must have been the year before last. After she had taken sleeping pills and fallen asleep, he pried open the bedroom door and tried to force himself on her.
Lu Zhenyu, who was feeling extremely dizzy and drowsy, gripped a small knife hidden in her sleeve and used it to bleed herself back to consciousness.
She was the newlywed bride of the Zheng family, married with a grand wedding procession, but for five years after their marriage, she never allowed her husband to get close to her, not even to touch her skin.
A deep-seated disgust and physical aversion made Lu Zhenyu loathe Zheng Yaozong so much that she felt she wanted to die if he touched her.
But Lu Zhenyu couldn't tell the man in front of her these things.
He was so close to her now, as if in countless dreams, she had nestled into his arms and poured out all the grievances and longing she had felt over the years.
At that moment, he held her face in his hands as if it were a precious treasure and kissed her lips with utmost tenderness.
There were even bruises left from Zheng Yaozong's punches, but that no longer mattered.
Lu Zhenyu missed Shen Jingsi's embrace so much; she probably felt safer lying in it now.
Every time he sat behind Duan Xi'er, his imposing upper body would completely envelop her slender frame.
Once upon a time, that was exclusively hers.
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