Chapter 29 Chapter 29 (Two in One) You...will not...
Shen Zhuo was slightly stunned.
She remembered that she had mentioned lactose intolerance to Aunt Chen once, but she didn't expect that he would remember it.
It was still early in the morning and not yet nightfall, but the gorgeous crystal chandelier in the living room had already been turned on. The warm white light cast a bright light on the high dome, shrouding the living room in a soft glow.
She tilted her head to look, and the light fell on his face, making his outline more three-dimensional, sharp and clear.
"Wow, Chen Zhuo, Soren really cares about you." Shang Mingxuan blinked and leaned closer to her and joked. Shao Chengke, who was sitting next to her, smiled helplessly: "Nora, you say that, it seems that I don't care about you enough."
"Of course not." Shang Mingxuan's smile became noticeably smaller as she said to Shao Chengke.
Shao Song looked at the two young couples, a smile of relief in his eyes. He raised his hand, picked up the teacup, took a sip, and said, "Chen Zhuo, does your family know about your marriage?"
Chen Zhuo nodded gently: "Yes, I understand. He has already gone home to see my mother."
He frowned and looked at Chen Zhuo, asking, "Then... is my mother-in-law satisfied with him?"
Shen Zhuo was stunned for a moment. He didn't expect Shao Song to ask this. "Well, my mother is... very satisfied with him."
She decided to let her conscience take a back seat for a while.
Shao Song seemed to be relieved and said, "This kid is lucky! If I were your mother-in-law, I would never let him in if he kidnapped my daughter without saying a word."
Shen Zhuo smiled slightly. Although Shao Chengzhang had entered the door, he had indeed suffered some difficulties from Ms. Chi.
Shao Song took the opportunity to chat about her family and work, and also asked about the nanny she had hired, whether her hands and feet were nimble, and how her cooking tasted. Shen Zhuo responded to each question, neither humble nor arrogant, but calm and appropriate, without the scrutiny or harassment she had expected.
Shao Chengzhang sat quietly beside her, his upper body always slightly leaning towards Chen Zhuo. He could even smell the scent of Chen Zhuo's perfume in his every move.
Shao Song said, "Next month is your eldest brother's wedding. Once I'm done with this, I'll make time to arrange it for you two. But first, you have to make an appointment with your mother-in-law to meet her and discuss it in detail." He paused, then changed his tone and snorted slightly, "This kid has no idea about etiquette. He didn't meet his parents, didn't hold a wedding, and secretly took you to get the marriage certificate."
He looked at Shen Zhuo and his tone turned serious, "Don't worry, the Shao family is not a small family, nor is it a family that does not follow the rules. Marrying a daughter-in-law is a big deal, and I can't let you suffer any grievances."
Chen Zhuo was stunned and quickly waved his hands to explain: "No... Um... Dad, we have discussed it... Mainly because we are too busy with work, and we think the ceremony is too troublesome, so we agreed not to hold a wedding from the beginning."
"I'm busy with work, so I can do it later, but I can't not do it." Shao Song frowned.
Shen Zhuo felt a little uneasy and turned to look at Shao Chengzhang, wanting him to help ease the atmosphere and also to smooth things over and reject the wedding proposal. But the next second, Shao Chengzhang said calmly, "Well, I'll listen to Dad."
Shen Zhuo was stunned and looked at him in disbelief.
We agreed not to have a wedding before the wedding, how could he go back on his word so quickly?!
"Chen Zhuo will look great in a wedding dress." Shang Mingxuan's eyes suddenly lit up, and she turned around and took her hand. "There's a brochure of the brands I used when I chose the wedding dress upstairs. Do you want to go up and take a look together?"
Chen Zhuo was a little surprised. How did this lead to ordering a wedding dress?
"Let's go," Shang Mingxuan took her arm without giving her any room to refuse, winking playfully, "They keep talking about work and stocks, it's so boring."
In fact, Shen Zhuo didn't like this kind of occasion either. She was better at and liked chatting with girls, so she nodded to her.
"Then Mom and Dad, shall we go upstairs first? We'll come down for dinner later." Shang Mingxuan smiled and greeted Shao Song and Lan Fuyu, then gave Shao Chengzhang a playful look, "Soren, Chen Zhuo will be gone for a while, don't miss her too much."
Shao Chengzhang smiled very lightly.
Chen Zhuo stood up, nodded slightly to Shao Songlan Fuyu and Shao Chengke, and then went upstairs with Shang Mingxuan.
Shao Chengzhang's eyes followed Chen Zhuo's back as he went upstairs. When he turned around, he met Shao Chengke's eyes. His elder brother had an understanding expression on his face and was looking at him with a half-smile.
*
Shang Mingxuan led Chen Zhuo to a bedroom and pulled out a thick booklet from the cabinet. It contained a collection of designs from famous designers of major luxury brands. Shang Mingxuan told her that if she liked any of the designs, she could have them custom-made by the brand's workshop.
Chen Zhuo took the booklet and flipped through it. Shang Mingxuan rested her chin on the side and suddenly asked her, "Chen Zhuo, how did you and Soren meet?"
Chen Zhuo's fingertips paused, and his heart suddenly skipped a beat.
It's over. They hadn't even discussed their statements on this issue beforehand. If Shao Chengzhang was asked about it later, it would be exposed if the two of them gave different answers.
She laughed it off: "Nothing special, just a normal encounter."
"I heard from Cullen that Soren fell in love with you at first sight. He has been pursuing you for a long time."
"Ah, that's what he said." It seemed that Shao Chengzhang had already mentioned her to his family. But then again, although both were being pressured into marriage, Shao Chengzhang and her situation were different.
"Isn't it?"
"Is...it?" She didn't dare to say no for fear of being exposed.
Shang Mingxuan tilted her head and asked her, "So what do you usually do?"
"We cook and eat together, go to the supermarket, have a drink together, watch each other's favorite movies, chat casually, play with the pets or work at home. In fact, it's just the same as other couples, all normal little things."
Chen Zhuo tried his best to recall and embellish what happened between them, making it sound as if they were a real couple.
Shang Mingxuan pouted after hearing this and said with some envy, "But Cullen has never done these ordinary things you mentioned with me."
Chen Zhuo was stunned. She had never expected Shang Mingxuan to say that. It was obvious that Cullen must be Shao Chengke. She asked hesitantly, "Then you..."
Shang Mingxuan smiled and said, "Our two families are old friends."
"That's great, we're childhood sweethearts." Shao Chengke doesn't give the impression of a dandy playboy, but rather gentle and polite.
Shang Mingxuan asked back: "Do you think he likes me?"
This is a bit awkward, Shen Zhuo thought, how should she answer this, she just met them.
"You can tell he doesn't like me, right?" Shang Mingxuan sighed, pouting. "But Soren is different. You can tell he loves you very much."
Huh? How could it be such a misunderstanding... Chen Zhuo felt that Shang Mingxuan's eyes might need to be checked.
"Really?" Shen Zhuo responded perfunctorily.
"He and you are wearing matching outfits, and he even remembers that you have an intolerance to milk. Maybe only Cullen's secretary remembers my preferences, because she's the one who picks out gifts every time. And I've observed several times that Soren's eyes seem to be glued to you." Shang Mingxuan acted very exaggerated, which made Shen Zhuo laugh.
Although Shang Mingxuan is her elder sister-in-law in legal relationship, she thinks this younger sister is quite cute, with a kind of innocence that comes from being protected by her family since childhood and knowing nothing about the world.
As for the fact that Chengzhang's eyes were glued to her, she really didn't know it, because she was facing Shao Song just now, and Shao Chengzhang was sitting behind her and she couldn't see him.
All I can say is that Shao Chengzhang's acting is so good that he even grasped the details and successfully deceived Shang Mingxuan. But she didn't want to talk about this, so she skipped the topic and turned to Shang Mingxuan.
"So you think marrying Big Brother is just an obligation, not love?" Chen Zhuo asked, "But you like him, right?"
"Hmm..." Shang Mingxuan responded softly and smiled awkwardly.
Chen Zhuo smiled and said, "Feelings can be cultivated slowly. If you are sure that he is the one, you can take your time. But one thing is that you must not put yourself in a difficult position and do not lose yourself." Chen Zhuo gave the official rhetoric.
Everyone can talk about big principles, but who can be so rational when really encountering such a thing?
"What if he doesn't like me anymore?" Shang Mingxuan lacked confidence.
Shen Zhuo sighed inwardly, wondering if the only hardship a child from a wealthy family would experience was emotional suffering. She never let such things bother her, after all, there were many things in this world more important than men. But from what Shang Mingxuan had said, it was likely a marriage between the two families, and for the sake of face, they might be bound together for life. It was unclear whether this situation was a blessing or a curse for Shang Mingxuan.
But comfort should still be given.
"Then screw him." Chen Zhuo snorted. "Even for celebrities with over 100 million fans, there are always people who say they don't like it. If they don't like it, then they don't like it. We don't live for them. In life, we can always find many people and things we like." Chen Zhuo smiled at her. "If he doesn't like you, no matter how good he is, he's not lucky enough to accept your love. You are so beautiful, I won't allow beautiful women to waste their energy."
Infected by Chen Zhuo's confidence and positivity, Shang Mingxuan smiled and sighed from the bottom of her heart: "No wonder that cold-faced guy Soren also likes you and is won over by you."
"Cold-Faced Weirdo?" She asked, somewhat interestingly, "Why is he called the Cold-Faced Weirdo?" In her impression, Shao Chengzhang was mostly serious, but not the kind of cold person.
"Because he always had a sullen face when I first met him. At first I thought he was unhappy because his mom had passed away. I even gave him my favorite toy, but he didn't even look at it."
Shen Zhuo frowned, catching the words "Mom died", and asked in confusion: "His mother died?"
Who is sitting downstairs?
Shang Mingxuan paused noticeably, his eyes widening for a moment, as if realizing he had let something slip. He hurriedly covered his mouth and looked at her with some annoyance: "You...you don't know? Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."
No wonder she always felt that Lan Fuyu's reaction was weird. In addition, Shao Chengke's soft facial features looked like a carbon copy of Lan Fuyu when they sat together. On the contrary, Shao Chengzhang looked more like Shao Song, and there seemed to be no resemblance between him and Lan Fuyu on his face.
She asked in shock, "Shao Chengzhang and my elder brother are... half-brothers?"
Shang Mingxuan bit her lip, as if she hesitated for a long time, and finally nodded softly: "Chen Zhuo, I really didn't mean to tell you, I thought you already knew about his mother... Don't tell him that it was me who told him."
However, Shen Zhuo acted as if he didn't hear anything. His mind suddenly went blank, and only this fact was slowly seeping in - Shao Song had cheated on his wife, and Shao Chengzhang was... an illegitimate child.
"Chen Zhuo, what are you thinking about?" Shang Mingxuan looked at her a little worriedly, "You... won't divorce Soren because of this, right?"
"No." Shen Zhuo shook his head, his voice a little soft, "I just want to ask... when did he return to the Shao family?"
"Probably ten years old." Shang Mingxuan said after thinking for a while.
Shen Zhuo was stunned.
Only ten years old.
At such a young age, he lost his mother and was taken to a completely unfamiliar place.
Although those people were related to him by blood, he had never grown up in that family and did not know them, but he had to suddenly change his words and call them "Dad", "Mom", and "Brother".
And they may not necessarily welcome his arrival.
No wonder he said he was used to being alone.
Chen Zhuo tried hard to suppress the emotions surging in his heart, but a heavy feeling slowly rose in his chest.
Has he had a hard life over the years?
*
Dinner was ready, and Shen Zhuo and Shang Mingxuan went downstairs.
There was a round table for eight people in the restaurant. Shen Zhuo observed carefully. Shao Chengke sat naturally next to Lan Fuyu, and Shao Chengzhang sat on the other side of Shao Song.
The table was filled with exquisite dishes, but the atmosphere was oppressive, with only the sound of dishes and chopsticks colliding, a stark contrast to the atmosphere at home.
Chen Zhuo had no choice but to "do as the Romans do". Besides, if she was here, she would only make more mistakes if she talked too much.
His ears could rest for a while, and Chen Zhuo looked around, noticing that Lan Fuyu would pick up vegetables for Shao Song first, and occasionally for Shao Chengke.
Just then, a dish of stir-fried black fungus came to a halt. Shen Zhuo held onto the white porcelain stone turntable and used a serving chopstick to pick up a piece of black fungus for Shao Chengzhang and put it on his plate.
Seeing Shao Chengzhang turning around and looking at her in shock, Shen Zhuo narrowed his eyes and raised a smile that couldn't be more fake.
Shao Chengzhang picked up the fungus, hesitated for a few seconds, and then ate it.
During the meal, Shen Zhuo picked up a few dishes for Shao Chengzhang from time to time, playing the role of a considerate wife.
After dinner, Shao Song heard about the bud vine tea that Chen Zhuo brought and said he wanted to try it. Aunt Zhen brought over both the vine tea and the mango sago pudding.
Shen Zhuo sat upright on the sofa, nibbling on a bowl of tapioca pearls. She had no idea where Shao Chengzhang and Shao Chengke had gone. She unlocked her phone and checked it. It wasn't even eight o'clock yet, and even the sky outside the window was just beginning to darken. She wondered how much longer she would have to stay here.
"This tea is good." Shao Song looked at the rattan tea and then moved closer to smell it. "Does Chen Zhuo usually drink tea?"
Shen Zhuo shook his head and smiled: "I don't drink much, and I don't know much about tea. I'm glad you like it." She subconsciously unlocked her phone again and found that only three minutes had passed.
Time passed so slowly. At this moment, she really hoped that someone would call her and ask her to go away. It was strange to say, her phone usually received a message every three to five minutes, but today it was unusually quiet.
She had no choice but to look up and look at the decoration in the living room boredly, but she met a pair of familiar eyes.
Shao Chengzhang and his elder brother walked into the living room side by side. He saw Chen Zhuo's little movements from a distance, and raised the corners of his mouth slightly. After walking closer, he told Shao Song that he still had work to do and had to go back first.
Chen Zhuo's eyes suddenly lit up. He was simply a savior! She put down the dessert in her hand, stood up, and prepared to say goodbye to the family.
Shao Song insisted that she stay for a sip of tea before leaving. She smiled and said, "Chengzhang's work is more important. Dad, I'll come and have tea with you next time."
Shao Chengke and his wife saw Chen Zhuo and his partner out the door. After they got in the car, Chen Zhuo finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The holiday is over, and Chen Zhuo will follow Shao Chengzhang back to Yuelan Bay tonight. She sent a message to Jiang Jun and told her that she would go back on the weekend.
Chen Zhuo opened the calendar and asked, "By the way, when is your eldest brother's wedding?"
Shao Chengzhang mentioned a date, which was a Saturday, and Chen Zhuo conveniently marked an important day on the calendar.
"Are we going to have a wedding too?" Shen Zhuo asked with a frown.
Shao Chengzhang said calmly: "If you don't want to, I will turn it down, it doesn't matter."
"It feels different." Chen Zhuo shook his head. "We agreed to get married just to satisfy our families, and it's over in two years. Wouldn't it be a bit too formal to have a wedding with all the family and friends? It would be a bit awkward to announce the divorce a year after the wedding."
Especially at the wedding, they had to recite some corny vows to each other and kiss in public. Considering her and Shao Chengzhang's current relationship, it was embarrassing to think about it.
When the word "divorce" fell into his ears, Shao Chengzhang's knuckles gripping the steering wheel tightened slightly, and his brows unconsciously furrowed.
She remembered it clearly.
But he doesn't want an expiration date now.
"If we don't have any major conflicts, can we extend it?" Shao Chengzhang asked tentatively, "Or do you have someone you like?"
"Ah?" Hearing his question, her heart began to beat for no reason again. She tilted her head slightly, glanced out the window, and denied in a low voice: "No..."
Shao Chengzhang was a little disappointed, but also relieved. She said that nothing is better than something.
"If you have someone you want to date, you can tell me."
Shen Zhuo agreed quickly: "Okay."
Shao Chengzhang listened and felt uncomfortable.
She hadn't thought about him at all. Perhaps in her heart, he was really just a partner, someone who could completely disappear from her life after completing the two-year mission.
If this is the case, shouldn't he also remind himself not to have any more delusions?
Shao Chengzhang scratched his chin gently, feeling a slight itch. He checked the navigation system and saw that he had already exited the highway. It would take another half an hour to get home, and he would soon pass a shopping mall.
"Do you want to go in and eat something?" He knew that Chen Zhuo was not full tonight, but he still couldn't help but care about her.
"It's too late, I won't eat." Shen Zhuo said, "But I didn't expect the atmosphere in your house to be so serious." Shen Zhuo glanced at him and found that his chin seemed to be a little wrong, red, and asked, "What's wrong with your face?"
"It's nothing, just an allergy." Shao Chengzhang said lightly.
"Allergy?!" Shen Zhuo turned around, turned on the small light on the roof of the car, and moved closer to carefully check Shao Chengzhang's condition.
His chin was a little red, and upon closer inspection it looked like a small rash, and the corners of his mouth were a little swollen.
"What are you allergic to?"
"fungus."
"..." Chen Zhuo thought about it, it seemed that she had given it to him, "No, why would you eat it if you knew you were allergic to it?"
She doesn't understand.
Shao Chengzhang said: "As my wife, you should know that I am allergic to wood ear mushrooms." So in front of the Shao family, Shao Chengzhang could only eat the dishes she handed over.
"Sorry, I'll be more careful next time." Chen Zhuo pursed his lips, feeling sorry but also very unconvinced. "No, even if I didn't know, you could just put it aside and not eat it. Do you think you'd eat poison even if I gave you poison?"
"You knew it was poison, but you still let me eat it?" Shao Chengzhang asked back.
Shen Zhuo replied: "That's not necessarily true."
Shao Chengzhang smiled and said, "Tell me, what about me makes you unhappy? I want to play myself in the Chinese version of 'Desperate Housewives', right?"
Shen Zhuo also smiled. Suddenly, she seemed to have thought of something, and her tone was full of excitement: "If something happens to you, then wouldn't I be the first heir to your estate?"
Will the house in Yuelan Bay and this Cayenne belong to her?
Shao Chengzhang narrowed his eyes and said with a half-smile, "Before I die, I will definitely make a will that will follow your wishes and will not let you take advantage of me."
Chen Zhuo knew he was talking about the prenuptial agreement and tutted his tongue twice: "You are so stingy."
Shao Chengzhang raised the back of his hand and rubbed his chin again. She asked, "Is it still itchy?"
"A little bit." Shao Chengzhang nodded.
Shen Zhuo directly took the phone that Shao Chengzhang was using for navigation, searched for the nearest hospital and located it there.
"Let's go to the hospital first." The navigation system replanned the route.
"No, it's nothing."
"What do you mean it's okay? Did you know that a severe allergy can cause shock?"
"Are you worried about me?"
"Nonsense." Chen Zhuo blurted out, then realized his tone was a little anxious, so he tried to make amends, "After all, your allergy is also due to me..."
Shao Chengzhang's mood suddenly cleared up, the corners of his mouth raised, and he followed the navigation obediently.
The doctor looked at the allergy and found it was not serious, so he prescribed loratadine and ointment. Chen Zhuo also asked for a pack of iodine cotton swabs.
After getting in the car, Chen Zhuo asked him to take the medicine first, while he tried hard to read the instructions for use, dosage and dietary restrictions on the ointment.
"Let me see your face." Shen Zhuo put away the instruction manual, stuffed it into the medicine box, and took out the ointment.
Shao Chengzhang turned sideways, facing her, "Do you want to apply the medicine now?"
"What else?" Chen Zhuo glanced at him, "Or can you hold on until you get home and apply it?"
Shao Chengzhang looked at her pitifully: "No, it's really itchy, here, here, and here." As he said that, he pointed to the location with his finger.
Chen Zhuo frowned and glared at him, "You haven't even washed your hands yet and you're touching them."
Shao Chengzhang immediately withdrew his hand.
She took out two iodine swabs and waved at him: "Come here."
Shao Chengzhang pursed his lips, trying hard to suppress the corners of his mouth that wanted to curl up, and leaned towards Chen Zhuo with his elbows on the center console. He quietly watched Chen Zhuo break off one end of the cotton swab, and the white cotton swab was quickly soaked with iodine.
He felt itchy on his chin, but the itching was not limited to his chin.
Shen Zhuo held the cotton swab in one hand and used the other hand to hold his chin with his thumb and index finger, fixing it at a suitable height.
The two people's eyes met, and time seemed to be suspended for a few seconds.
She was the first to look away and look at the red and itchy skin.
She held a cotton swab and wiped him with disinfectant first, then squeezed out a soybean-sized amount of ointment on a clean cotton swab and spread it evenly around his chin and lips.
Her eyes followed the cotton swab up from his chin, finally stopping at the corner of his mouth.
This scene seems familiar.
But at that time Shao Chengzhang's lower lip had not swollen yet and his lip shape was still very beautiful, so she really wanted to kiss him.
Now, the corner of his lower lip was swollen, which looked ridiculous no matter how he looked at it. Shen Zhuo stared at it for a few more seconds, but still couldn't help laughing.
Shao Chengzhang also knew that his mouth was swollen, so he deliberately asked, "How is it, sexy or not?"
Suddenly I remembered a line from a comedy film where actor Leung said with a swollen mouth: "If you want to win a girl's heart, you must rely on——"
"Eyes." The two people said almost in unison.
The more she thought about it, the more funny the scene seemed to her. She couldn't control her laughter, her shoulders were shaking, and she could hardly speak.
"Who made me like this?" Shao Chengzhang looked at her laughing like this and said helplessly, "I'm angry."
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but it's really... too funny, hahahaha..." Shen Zhuo laughed so hard that tears almost came out, and his voice was breathy.
Shao Chengzhang narrowed his eyes, and suddenly reached out and gently scratched her waist.
"Hey—" Shen Zhuo shuddered suddenly. That was the spot she was most ticklish about. "Why are you still trying to sneak attack me?"
Shao Chengzhang raised his eyebrows, not smiling, "Are you still laughing?"
Shen Zhuo smiled and shrank back. Shao Chengzhang reached out and held her wrist. Afraid that she would bump into the door, he pulled it a little harder, and the distance between the two was instantly compressed.
There was a small ceiling light above his head. Even with such a dim light, Chen Zhuo thought he looked good, except for his swollen mouth which was a bit of a spoiler.
Through a small hazy halo of light, his eyes seemed to be filled with the tranquility of the entire night.
"I really can't look at you like this." Chen Zhuo suddenly came back to his senses and raised his hand to cover his swollen mouth, breaking the ambiguous atmosphere.
He held her hand and slowly moved away.
The smile on Shen Zhuo's face gradually faded, and she felt that his eyes had changed. No longer teasing or joking, but looking at her quietly and deeply.
Shao Chengzhang's gaze moved from her eyes to her mouth, and he really wanted to kiss her.
Shen Zhuo wanted to say something, but his mind was blank and he couldn't say anything. He could only stare at him blankly.
My breathing became shallower and shallower, as if I was slowly being submerged by the rising tide and being swept into a sea of love.
She realized that she seemed to...really like him.
The roar of her heartbeat, the panic in her eyes, the swallowing of her saliva, seemed to be out of control. She came to her senses, broke free from Shao Chengzhang's hand, sat up straight and looked forward.
"The medicine has been applied... Didn't you say you still had work to do? Go home quickly." Shen Zhuo said with some stammering.
"No work." Shao Chengzhang also stepped back, widening the distance between them. "It seems you want to leave, and besides," he pointed to his chin, "if you're any later, they would have found out."
Shen Zhuo was stunned, only then realizing that the Shao family didn't know that he was allergic to black fungus. Even when she went there for the first time today, her aunt asked her about her dietary restrictions. How could she not know about it after all these years?
Either they didn't care about him at all, or he never said it.
"Don't they know you're allergic?" Shen Zhuo couldn't help but ask.
"Yeah. At home, I never eat anything I'm allergic to." Shao Chengzhang said lightly, "Except today." He smiled, "So there's no need to say it."
Shen Zhuo looked at his smile and felt very bitter. If he was a valued child at home, why would he say anything unnecessary?
Shen Zhuo felt a slight sourness in his heart, filled with heartache.
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