Chapter 101 How about we shower together? I don't mind...
Lu Lin rarely returned early, but once again he was blocked at the bathroom door by Shen Rong.
"Want to shower together? I don't mind." Lu Lin teased her by pulling her hand.
You don't mind, but I do.
"You wish!" Going in would be like throwing herself to the wolves; do you think she's stupid?
"I have something important to tell you, hurry up and wash," Shen Rong urged him.
Lu Lin leaned against the doorway, smiling as he looked at her, his gaze seemingly able to see through her clothes.
Shen Rong clutched her chest in shame and indignation, feeling severely offended. She snapped, "Looking around like that? I'll gouge your eyes out!"
Unfortunately, it was somewhat of a bluff, which only made onlookers want to bully him even more.
"Why can't I look at my wife? Besides, this is the proper thing for a married couple to do late at night." His eyes were deep as he looked directly at her neckline, then reached out and wrapped his arm around her waist.
"Lu Lin, you've changed your expression! You're not a gentleman at all!"
Shen Rong looked at him warily and punched his chest: "Not today."
Her relatives had just arrived, and her face was flushed.
Lu Lin was somewhat disappointed: "So fast." Didn't they just leave?
What's with the rush? She's always on time, okay? She'd be crying if she didn't come.
Now it was Shen Rong's turn to grin mischievously. Touching his hard body, she pushed him into the bathroom: "Go take a cold bath."
Making him soak in cold water in the dead of winter—such a cruel woman! Seeing her gloating, Lu Lin grabbed her chin and bit down on her little mouth.
He was fierce and domineering, as if he wanted to devour her alive. His other hand secretly slipped into her pajamas, climbed over her breasts, and kneaded her softness.
Shen Rong couldn't take it and tried to shrink back, but he pushed her against the wall with his other hand, fixing her in place like a specimen, leaving her at his mercy.
She didn't know how much time had passed before Lu Lin finally stopped, resting his head on her shoulder, panting heavily, his breath hot, and looking at her with the same dark and frightening gaze he had for his prey.
Shen Rong's legs went weak, and she leaned against him. Her body was being stimulated so much that her breasts were surging, and she was afraid that blood was flowing like a river.
Lu Lin wanted to come again, but Shen Rong shook her head, saying she couldn't go on like this, or she would become anemic.
There was a sound at the door, a loud banging, the sound coming from below, and the person was not tall.
Lu Lin looked annoyed: "This kid isn't asleep yet?"
Shen Rong chuckled to herself, "Hurry up and open the door." If you don't go soon, it'll start screaming.
Lu Lin took a deep breath and ruffled her hair. Chen Rong took the opportunity to sneak into the bathroom to clean up.
When she came out, the father and son were having a great time playing. Xiaoming saw her and reached out for his mother.
Shen Rong came over and hugged him, then pushed Lu Lin to wash up.
"Why aren't you asleep yet?" These days, the little guy has been sleeping with his grandparents.
Xiao Ming pouted, "I want to sleep with my mom and dad."
Shen Rong stroked his little face with sympathy. What a pitiful little guy. Lu Lin comes home late and sometimes has to work shifts. The little guy hasn't seen his father for several days.
"Do you miss your dad?" she asked her son softly.
Xiao Ming opened his big eyes and nodded without hesitation, then reached out and cupped his mother's face, giving her a wet kiss. "I missed Mom too."
At such a young age, he already understands the importance of being fair and impartial.
Shen Rong felt a warm glow in her heart, pulled him into her arms, and rubbed him, making him giggle.
When Lu Lin came out after washing up, he saw the mother and son making a big fuss and disapproved: "How can he sleep if you keep him so awake?"
Shen Rong snorted, realizing that her mother had been underestimated.
She placed her son in the middle, kissed him on the cheek and then on the forehead, and told him it was time for bed.
Xiao Ming brought his other cheek close to Lu Lin's, wanting his dad to kiss him too. Lu Lin smiled and leaned down to kiss him.
Then...then Shen Rong covered his eyes, and a minute later, Xiao Ming turned off his phone.
Lu Lin watched in astonishment, wondering if this was even possible.
Seeing that his son was fast asleep, Lu Lin got up, moved him to the side, and came over to hug Shen Rong.
Seeing Shen Rong staring at him warily, Lu Lin explained, "I just wanted to hug her."
"Weren't you just about to say something important?"
Reminded by him, Shen Rong remembered and quickly lowered her voice: "It's about my little sister. Don't you think there's something wrong with her?"
"Why don't you ask her?"
Lu Lin gave him a deep look, his expression somewhat surprised: "I asked?"
He's the older brother, not the older sister. How could he possibly ask about a girl's thoughts?
Shen Rong looked at him with a disapproving expression: "You're her own brother. What if you don't want to talk to your sister-in-law about it?"
Lu Lin slapped his forehead and sighed, "She won't even tell you, her sister-in-law, let alone me."
For some reason, his younger siblings were all afraid of him. He hadn't done anything wrong; he had always been as kind and gentle to them as possible.
"What happened to her?" Lu Lin took a deep breath and asked.
Shen Rong frowned, recalling for a moment: "He seems a bit absent-minded, often spacing out. Do you think we should call a doctor to take a look?"
I don't know if there are any psychologists now, but Shen Rong thinks she may have developed some kind of psychological trauma.
However, anyone would be scared in that situation. The experience of being kidnapped by human traffickers is terrifying to hear, let alone Lu Xuan, who experienced it firsthand.
Those damned human traffickers! They should all be shot, Shen Rong gritted his teeth.
However… Shen Rong leaned closer to him, her voice even lower: “I don’t know if I’m just imagining things, but normally, since Chen Enzhi saved my sister, she should be grateful and close to him. But I’ve noticed that my sister seems a little afraid of him. Their interactions are strange. Today, I even saw them secretly talking under a tree, away from others. My sister seemed a bit agitated, um…”
In the end, she didn't know how to describe it. In short, she had a feeling that something was strange. Lu Xuan didn't seem to be behaving normally towards her savior, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what was wrong. Lu Xuan was being very tight-lipped at the moment, and she couldn't get any information out of her.
"Why don't you ask Chen Enzhi what happened to your little sister and how he saved her?" Shen Rong was afraid that Lu Xuan might have encountered something she couldn't talk about.
Lu Lin's expression turned serious as he listened: "I understand."
The two talked for a while, then fell asleep in each other's arms, separated from the sleeping Xiaoming by a river.
The next day, Lu Lin took some time to see Chen Enzhi. Upon hearing that it was about Lu Xuan, Chen Enzhi looked troubled.
"I promised her I wouldn't tell, Tianming, you should go ask her. She'll definitely get angry if I tell her."
The more he said this, the worse Lu Lin's expression became, proving that something must have happened.
"I'm sorry, Tianming, but I promised her."
"Was she bullied?" He could only guess the worst.
The human traffickers had all been dealt with by Chen Enzhi beforehand, so even if Lu Lin wanted to know what had happened back then, he couldn't find out.
So what happened is known only to Chen Enzhi and Lu Xuan.
Chen Enzhi touched the coffee cup, remaining silent for a long time, not even daring to look up at him.
Seeing this, Lu Lin wondered what else there was to ask. He suddenly stood up and walked out, his face filled with murderous intent.
Chen Enzhi quickly caught up with him and grabbed him, saying, "It's not what you think. Give us a little more time, and I will give you an explanation."
Lu Lin nodded: "Thank you very much. You've already troubled us a lot with our family's affairs. You don't need to get involved in the rest."
Chen Enzhi tightened her grip, her expression anxious: "Tianming, it's not what you think. Don't press her. Give her some time; she's still young."
His anxious appearance made him look like the older brother.
Lu Lin smiled and said, "Don't worry, she's my own sister. I won't hurt her."
Chen Enzhi stared blankly as Lu Lin walked away, then slumped down. A flower girl approached and sat down next to him, her body frail and boneless.
In the past, Chen Enzhi would have always invited her for coffee and flirted with her, but now he really didn't have the time or inclination for that; he was just too irritable.
"Get out." He said impatiently, his eyes cold.
The flower girl glanced at him timidly, but seeing his unfriendly expression, she left dejectedly.
***
Lu Chang got out of the car, walked a few steps, and noticed a car parked on the side of the road. He looked at it curiously, but then the car door was opened and Chen Enzhi got out.
Chen Enzhi was Lu Xuan's benefactor, and Lu Chang had a good impression of him. He walked over with a smile and asked, "Brother Enzhi, why don't you go in?"
"I just arrived, and I don't have anything to do. I just wanted to see how my little sister is doing," Chen Enzhi asked.
Lu Chang pushed him inside: "Since you're already here, come in and have a cup of tea. She's full of energy and has recovered. She went shopping with my sister-in-law and the others today."
He went too, but shopping was too much trouble for women, and he couldn't stand it, so he slipped back.
Today is Sunday, and everyone is home except for Lu Lin.
The elders were very happy to see him visit, and as they chatted, they started talking about the current situation, but Lu Chang was not interested and changed the subject.
"Eunji-hyung, I heard you're staying in Nanjing. Which department are you going to join?"
Chen Enzhi: "It's not decided yet."
Mr. Shen smiled and said, "I've heard a few old friends mention that they want you to go to the Ministry of Finance. You're capable, and many people are eyeing you. You young people have a bright future!" He spoke with an envious tone.
Who wouldn't envy a son as promising as Chen Enzhi? However, when Lu's father thought of his own eldest son, seven-tenths of that envy disappeared, leaving only three-tenths for his unambitious younger son.
He glared at his lazy youngest son: "Learn from your older brother Chen, stop being idle all day long."
Lu Chang was embarrassed, wondering how the fire had spread to him: "Dad, I'm fine as I am. This is called enjoying life. Anyway, as long as my brother is doing well, you've saved face!"
Mr. Lu's face turned blue with anger, and he was about to explode when Mr. Shen held him down.
"The child is still young and lacks experience. He did a good job on his previous job in Bincheng."
Mr. Lu said irritably, "What does this have to do with him?"
If it weren't for his status as Lu Lin's younger brother, who would have sent him to Bincheng? He finally managed to get some credit and was assigned to the Ministry of Commerce. Just when we were expecting him to make a name for himself, this kid started living a retired life, idling around all day.
"You might as well resign and go home, so you won't embarrass me," said Mr. Lu in anger.
Seeing that the father and son were about to start arguing, Chen Enzhi quickly tried to mediate.
"Uncle, please don't say that. The Ministry of Commerce has a lot of plans recently, but they haven't started yet. Chunshan has actually done a lot of practical things, and Jincheng's commerce is now much more prosperous."
Lu Changru nodded vigorously, having found a kindred spirit: "That's right, I didn't take the salary for nothing, I did some work."
Before, he was fine on his own in Jincheng, but after his older brother came and he had a powerful backer, Lu Chang started to let himself go and spent his days wandering around with a group of spoiled brats.
When his son argued back, Lu's father's temper flared up again. He took off his cloth shoe and threw it at Lu's head. Lu Chang turned his body aside and said, "Dad, be civilized."
From the doorway came Lu's mother's pained cry: "Whose stinky shoes are these?!"
Mr. Lu's face darkened, and he hid his feet behind his back. His wife must have recognized him to deliberately expose him.
Lu Chang jogged over to pick up the shoes and kindly put them on his father, saying, "Auntie, these are my dad's; his feet were itchy."
Lu's father gave him a hard slap.
Lu's mother, who had been keeping a straight face, immediately broke into a smile when she saw Chen Enzhi.
"Enzhi is here. Please stay for dinner today. Auntie will cook some delicious dishes herself."
This is her daughter's benefactor; the more she looks at him, the more she likes him.
Chen Enzhi glanced at the person who followed him in. Lu Xuan, who had been smiling, stopped when she saw him.
Knowing she wasn't welcoming him, he said somewhat sadly, "No need, Auntie. I'm leaving soon. I just happened to have an appointment, so I came to see you."
"You're leaving so soon after you arrived!" Mrs. Lu said with some disappointment.
Mother Shen nodded in agreement: "Yes, it's true that you came and left so quickly, which makes us feel like we haven't been very hospitable."
Chen Enzhi looked embarrassed, but Lu Chang came to his rescue: "He's been here for quite a while. Let's eat next time. Enzhi will be in Jincheng in the future, so there will be plenty of opportunities to meet."
That makes sense. Mr. and Mrs. Lu weren't going back so soon: "Next time you come, you must stay for a meal."
Lu's mother hurriedly told her daughter to see him off.
Chen Enzhi glanced at Lu Xuan, who had her head down, but did not offer any words of refusal.
Lu Xuan nodded and followed behind him. Shen Rong stood on the veranda holding her son and watched. Lu Chang squeezed in and asked, "Sister-in-law, what are you looking at?"
Is there something wrong with it?
He peeked out, only to have a big, chubby boy stuffed into his arms: "Never mind that, take Xiaoming to play."
She followed them herself.
Lu Chang's eyes darted around. What was his sister-in-law up to with that sneaky look?
***
The people of Jincheng have a particularly rich nightlife, with endless dance parties. Shen Rong has only been here a short time, but she has already attended no fewer than fifteen or sixteen dance parties.
She was really tired of it, but since Lu Xuan hadn't been in a good mood lately, Shen Rong thought she should take her out to cheer her up and maybe she could make some more friends, so she came again.
Unexpectedly, the ball also invited many people from the cultural circle. Shen Rong ran into an unexpected acquaintance, Professor Hao, who had given her the book before, which surprised and delighted her.
Professor Hao asked about her studies as soon as they met. Shen Rong felt a little ashamed, as she had indeed neglected her studies recently.
"I've read most of the books you gave me, but I've only skimmed through them, and I don't really understand a lot of them."
Professor Hao nodded understandingly: "After all, it's just theory. You can try it out in practice when you have the chance."
He was the one who brought the first batch of cultural relics to Jincheng. Lin Wenhui asked him to bring some things to Shen Rong: "I also prepared a few books for you. I hope you won't find me troublesome."
"Please don't say that. I was just wondering what to learn next. You're a real lifesaver."
Professor Hao didn't call her out on her flattery: "Then send someone to pick it up tomorrow." There were quite a lot of things, so it would save him the trouble of delivering them to her door.
The Shen family had high social standing, and he didn't really want to associate with them, so he told Shen Rong the name of the hotel he was staying at.
When the topic of cultural relics came up, Shen Rong hesitated, and Professor Hao, annoyed, said, "Why are you stammering? Just say what you have to say. What's there to be embarrassed about in front of me? I'm practically your teacher."
"You being my teacher is a huge honor for me, I'm getting a great deal out of you." Shen Rong then spoke frankly, "I was thinking that Jincheng might not be a safe place. Should we reconsider sending all the cultural relics here and make a few more preparations?"
Professor Hao's expression turned serious: "Have you heard some news?"
He knew Shen Rong's identity and that her husband was now an attendant, so he assumed she had heard some inside information.
It was a wonderful misunderstanding, but Shen Rong didn't explain. She simply went along with him, since she did indeed have "insider" information.
He pretended to be hesitant and stammered out some ambiguous statements.
The gist is that if a large-scale war breaks out, Jincheng, located south of Pingcheng, would be the first to be hit and would likely be difficult to defend.
Professor Hao was greatly shocked, his face turned pale, and he muttered, "This is the capital city."
He looked at the men and women swaying and dancing on the dance floor, lost in the fleeting, ephemeral glamour, oblivious to the passage of time.
Shen Rong knew he had taken some of it to heart: "These are all just my guesses, so just take them with a grain of salt."
Professor Hao shook his head: "You're right." His gaze became distant. "I was thinking too simply. We still need to plan this out carefully in the long term."
He looked at Shen Rong with a hint of admiration in his eyes: "It's rare to see someone so clear-headed even when they're in the thick of it. Wen Hui is right, you're different from the others."
Shen Rong was somewhat pleased, not expecting that she was highly regarded by Lin Wenhui.
She inquired about Lin Wenhui's situation in Pingcheng, and the two conversations lasted quite a while. When Wu Yong came over with a wine glass to find Professor Hao, he was somewhat surprised to see Shen Rong there: "I didn't expect Mrs. Lu and the professor to know each other as well."
Professor Hao joked with a smile, "I originally wanted to take her on as my last disciple, but unfortunately, she wasn't willing."
Shen Rong was speechless: "You can't just talk nonsense like that. I'll take it seriously. Be careful, or I might come to ask to become your apprentice tomorrow."
It's clear that he doesn't think highly of his own abilities.
Professor Hao waved his hands repeatedly: "I can't afford it, I can't afford it."
Everyone laughed, knowing they had something to say, and Shen Rong tactfully walked away.
She circled around the venue but couldn't find Lu Xuan. Somewhat puzzled, she was about to go outside to look for her when she ran into an acquaintance.
"Mrs. Wu," Shen Rong greeted her with a smile, pointing in a direction, "Mr. Wu is over there."
Mrs. Wu looked a little embarrassed: "Mrs. Lu, I'm not here to see him. I'm here to apologize to you. I'm really sorry that I said some rude things to you last time. I wanted to come to your house to apologize, but after sending out invitations several times, your servants all said you weren't home."
Shen Rong suddenly realized and smiled, "I didn't take those words to heart. I was indeed busy with some things the other day, but I didn't mean to neglect you."
Mrs. Wu seemed relieved, as if she had breathed a sigh of relief: "It's good that you're not angry. I'm a bit slow-witted and come from the countryside, so I don't know much. I may have said some harsh things, so please don't take it to heart."
"How could that be? Mrs. Wu is very proper in her conduct; she clearly comes from a distinguished family." Shen Rong exchanged a few polite words with her before preparing to go find Lu Xuan.
She could tell that Mrs. Wu wanted to befriend her, but given the complicated relationship between Hu Peifang and their family, it was better for her to keep her distance.
Mrs. Wu noticed her aloofness, chuckled awkwardly, took a step back, and pointed in a direction: "I just saw the young lady who came with you leave from there."
"Thank you." Shen Rong nodded.
Mrs. Wu stared blankly, her expression somewhat complicated.
"Mrs. Lu is not someone you can get close to. You'd better avoid causing trouble. I'll send you back in a few days," Wu Yong said as he walked over, his tone disdainful.
Mrs. Wu turned around and glared at Wu Yong: "What do you mean!"
Wu Yong sneered: "You've inquired about the Lu family's background and want to befriend Mrs. Lu to put pressure on me, right? Stop using those underhanded tactics of yours."
Mrs. Wu's face turned pale and then purple: "You keep an eye on me."
"I'm afraid you'll embarrass me," Wu Yong sneered. "You've inquired about Mrs. Lu, don't you know she and Pei Fang are friends?"
Mrs. Wu stared wide-eyed in disbelief, her face turning pale. Looking at Wu Yong's retreating figure, she gritted her teeth in hatred: "So that's how it is. No wonder he's been getting increasingly mean to me lately."
She turned and stared at the doorway where Shen Rong had gone. She was that little bitch's friend, so did that little bitch say something?
She could tell that Mrs. Lu really didn't take it to heart and was gentle and polite to her. Once upon a time, she wanted to be such a lady of the house. Who wouldn't want to be a kind and generous person? But some people just had to force her to be mean and shameless.
But when it comes to being scathing, who can compare to that scoundrel Wu Yong?
Shen Rong found Lu Xuan in the small garden.
"Why are you hiding here?"
Lu Xuan turned to look at her: "I feel suffocated, so I came out for some fresh air."
"Sister-in-law, can we go back now?"
Shen Rong knew she always loved lively gatherings, so what was wrong with her today?
"Don't you think it's fun?"
Lu Xuan shook her head and then nodded: "It's fun, but there are too many people and it smells bad. I feel like I'm going to throw up."
"It must be because the perfume is too strong. Let's go back." Shen Rong reached out and took her hand.
Not to mention Lu Xuan, she also thought the smell was a bit unpleasant. Every girl wears different perfumes, and when they are mixed together, it's really hard to describe.
None of them reacted as strongly as Lu Xuan. She reached out and touched Lu Xuan's forehead: "Are you sick?" Her complexion was not good.
Lu Xuan shook her head: "I just feel listless, weak, and sleepy."
She's been going to bed early these days, she must be tired. After saying that, she yawned again.
Shen Rong smiled and shoved her into the car. The two hurried home: "Go home and sleep."
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