Chapter 114 They say I'm afraid of my wife.
After the ball ended, Hu Peifang went home in a friend's car, so Shen Rong and the others didn't need to take her home.
On the way back, Lu Chang was chilled by Shen Rong's laughter: "Sister-in-law, why are you looking at me like that?"
Shen Rong looked him up and down and said, "Our Young Master Lu is still the most charming. I've heard that Miss Xiangqin rarely pays attention to people."
Lu Chang blushed, which was quite a rare sight, and Chen Rong found it amusing.
"You like that Miss Xiangqin?"
Lu Chang lowered his head and remained silent, tacitly agreeing. He secretly glanced at his older brother's expression, wanting to know what his brother thought about the matter, but Lu Lin's expressionless face made him unsure.
While the term "movie star" sounds prestigious, some people still consider them low-class. Given the social standing of the Lu family, it's likely that his family wouldn't approve of him getting too close to a movie star.
Perhaps their gazes were too intense, for Lu Lin glanced at them and asked, "What are you looking at me for?"
Seeing that Lu Chang was a little embarrassed, Shen Rong spoke up for him: "What do you think of that Miss Xiangqin?"
Lu Lin stared straight ahead, tapped the steering wheel, and looked at Lu Chang in the rearview mirror: "I won't interfere with how you make friends."
Lu Chang was overjoyed, but Lu Lin had a "but".
"But you also need to be mindful of your own judgment. Before making any decisions, consider whether you can bear the consequences."
Lu Chang was initially stunned, but after thinking about his elder brother's words, he realized it meant the decision was his own, even though he wasn't quite ready to make it himself.
"Thank you, brother." Lu Chang's eyes lit up.
Seeing him grinning foolishly, Lu Lin twitched his lips. Silly boy, you're so easy to fool!
He said he didn't object, but he didn't say he agreed either.
When he got home, Xiaoming was too tired to stay awake any longer, but he didn't want to go back to his own room. He wanted to lie on his parents' bed and wait.
Shen Rong was incredibly soft-hearted and leaned over to kiss his little face.
Seeing this, Lu Lin went over and kissed him as well.
Xiao Ming moved slightly, and the two of them froze. Their sleeping son was adorable, but they couldn't handle their awake son.
After a long night, they just wanted to get a good night's sleep.
Lu Lin urged her in a low voice to go wash up first.
In another room, Lu Chang was engrossed in his work, writing the application report requested by Lu Lin, and the lights didn't go out until 2 a.m.
The next day, after Lu Lin finished breakfast, he went to work. Lu Chang hurriedly went downstairs, grabbed a fried dough stick, and chased after him.
"Brother, give me a ride."
Xiao Ming opened his mouth wide, looking somewhat aggrieved: "Uncle..."
He felt wronged that his uncle hadn't greeted him today.
Every day, if Lu Chang has enough time, he plays with him for a while before going out. Kissing him is an essential step for everyone in the family before leaving the house.
Before the tears welled up in his eyes, Shen Rong quickly went over to comfort him.
"My uncle is going to be late. When he gets back, let him have double the portion, okay?"
Xiaoming was still reluctant, so Chenrong raised her bargaining chip: "Mom will take you to the street later and buy you a cake."
He had been talking about Gao Gao for the past two days, and Shen Rong's suggestion finally made him hold back his tears.
Xiao Ming followed closely behind his mother, waiting for her to get ready so they could go out.
Shen Rong wanted to go out for a walk. She wasn't really familiar with Shanghai. Hu Peifang had told her about a few places before, and she wanted to take Xiaoming there to see them.
Unexpectedly, someone came to visit just as I was leaving.
It was the wives of Lu Lin's subordinates who came to visit, so Shen Rong had to change her schedule and entertain them at home.
Xiao Ming pouted, looking unhappy, and kept a straight face. He didn't react when others tried to tease him. Shen Rong found it amusing, knowing that if he didn't get to eat this cake today, someone would probably start making a scene.
She asked Guichun and Ermao to go out and buy some food, and also to go to the cake shop to buy some cakes and pastries.
The wives of officials breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that Shen Rong was kind and approachable. They would have been afraid if this Mrs. Shangguan had been arrogant and difficult to deal with.
They are so approachable and easy to get along with; I hope they can visit more often in the future.
Some of them were locals in Shanghai, and some had lived there for many years. They knew much more about Shanghai than Shen Rong did, so Shen Rong took this opportunity to learn about the people and affairs of Shanghai.
They talked about the Wen family the most. If this were ancient times, the Wen family would be the family of the emperor's brother-in-law. Before her marriage, Madam Wen had a good reputation in Shanghai, and now the second Miss Wen is no less so.
She is a leading figure among Shanghai's socialites.
"Miss Wen is even more elegant than Madam was before."
This means she's more arrogant. Shen Rong did meet Miss Wen yesterday, but she has the right to be arrogant.
Her older brother and sister are both extraordinary people, so her background certainly allows her to disregard everything else.
Speaking of Miss Wen, one cannot help but mention her marriage.
"I've noticed she's often seen with the new Director Lin. Has the Wen family and the Lin family finalized their engagement yet?" someone asked curiously.
"What era are we living in? The Wen family is a Western-style family; they don't do things like betrothal."
Everyone chattered excitedly about Miss Wen's marriage, even more so than Old Madam Wen.
Everything in Shanghai was new to Shen Rong, and she was interested in all the topics they were talking about. Before she knew it, it was dinner time.
When Aunt Zhang came to ask if everyone wanted to stay for dinner, they were all surprised to realize how late it was.
"Mrs. Lu, you don't need to bother. If I don't go back, my family might not have anything to eat."
They all politely declined Shen Rong's offer to stay for dinner.
There's no reason to invite someone to stay for a meal on their first day.
They knew that Shen Rong had just arrived in Shanghai. They came to keep her company and chat with her, and also to get acquainted with her. Perhaps if Mrs. Lu whispered in her ear, their husbands could be given more important positions.
They're here to flatter and fawn; if they just laze around and freeload, wouldn't they just be causing trouble for others?
Shen Rong saw them to the door, and they agreed to come again next time to play a few rounds of cards.
The wives of officials' wives all lit up: "Does Mrs. Lu also like playing cards?"
Shen Rong nodded: "However, I'm not very good at this Shanghai Mahjong. I'll have to trouble you to teach me later."
"It's very easy. You'll get the hang of it after playing a few rounds."
They were tempted and couldn't wait to play a few rounds tomorrow, but they also knew that Shen Rong had just arrived and probably had things to take care of at home, so they restrained themselves from the impulse.
Once they returned home, they naturally couldn't help but talk to their husbands about the character and conduct of Mrs. Shangguan.
"So young, yet from a distinguished family. I was initially worried she wouldn't be easy to get along with, but she's not a haughty, aloof person at all. She's very amiable and always has a smile on her face," Mrs. Du said to her husband.
Her husband was in charge of education. Although he didn't have much contact with Lu Lin, he was still nominally Lu Lin's subordinate. Her husband asked her to get closer to Lu Lin's wife, which she was initially somewhat unwilling to do.
At an age when she's almost ready to have a grandchild, she's afraid of having to grovel and flatter a young woman, especially if she encounters one with a bad temper who might give her a hard time.
Director Du smiled and put down the newspaper: "The Lu family and the Shen family are not ordinary families. Just look at Lu Lin. He and his wife are a couple, and he still has basic manners."
After applying the face cream, Mrs. Du gently patted her face a couple of times to relax it, and then carefully applied the excess cream to her hands.
She gestured to her husband with her eyes to help her pull back the covers, and then lay down beside him.
"That's hard to say. Some people think too highly of themselves and act like princesses," she scoffed.
Director Du chuckled: "Did Miss Wen upset you again?"
Mrs. Du rolled her eyes: "I must have had nothing better to do than take on such a troublesome matter. How long do you think she's going to keep this up? She's already given them enough face. The Lin family has agreed to listen to the Wen family in everything. Whatever Miss Wen says is good enough."
When people asked her about this today, she couldn't say anything.
“I went to see Old Madam Wen a few days ago and she agreed. It seemed like it would be settled soon. This morning I sent someone to deliver a gift, but alas, Miss Wen said she’s not in a hurry and wants to wait a little longer.”
She nudged her husband: "What do you think she means by this? How am I supposed to explain this to the Lin family?"
If it weren't for her relationship with Mrs. Lin, she would have turned down the matchmaking job long ago. She thought that since Miss Wen and Lin Shaojie were always together, the relationship was a done deal, and she was just going through the motions.
Who knew it would be this difficult!
Seeing his wife's distressed face, Director Du smiled and comforted her, "Young people have lots of ideas. We'll ask the Lin family to give you a generous matchmaking gift later."
Mrs. Du spat at him: "I don't need their money."
She frowned, a vague sense of unease creeping into her heart: "You said..."
Without saying a word, he shook his head again: "That's unlikely!"
Does the Wen family have a better candidate?
Director Du: "What are you saying, shaking your head and frowning like that?"
Mrs. Du looked at him, leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Do you think the Wen family has other intentions?"
Director Du looked at her, surprised: "Really?"
Who else can compare to Lin Shaojie? The Lin family is also powerful, and not everyone has the luck of Madam Wen.
That evening, Shen Rong also told Lu Lin about what had happened that day.
Seeing her exhausted face, he touched her face tenderly and said, "If you find socializing with them too tiring, then just decline."
He didn't need his wife to handle the social interactions for him.
Shen Rong pulled his hand away: "My exhaustion is caused by your son. Can I not have him?"
Lu Lin was embarrassed; this was unacceptable.
Shen Rong rolled her eyes at him: "Don't worry, they are the ones who need to rack their brains to flatter me, why should I be tired?"
She grinned mischievously: "Actually, it's quite interesting to listen to them gossip and chat."
With their help, she now knows all the interesting stories and anecdotes about Shanghai.
Lu Lin tapped her nose.
"Be careful, people might talk about you behind your back."
Shen Rong: "I'm not afraid of what others say, but do you have any secrets you're hiding?" She stood up and threatened him fiercely: "Confess and you'll be treated leniently."
Lu Lin looked at her with a smile and teased her on purpose: "Yes, they say I'm afraid of my wife."
Shen Rong blushed and quickly covered him with the blanket.
Lu Lin used force to pull her under the covers as well.
For several days in a row, Lu Chang left early and returned late.
He looked at Shen Rong with a troubled expression while eating breakfast that day.
"Not doing well at work?" Shen Rong looked up and asked, following his lead.
Lu Lin also looked up at him. Recently, he and Lin Shaojie had been acting like brothers, but things weren't going well.
Lu Chang shook his head: "It's not about work."
That's a matter of feelings.
“Your Miss Xiangqin is ignoring you,” Shen Rong teased.
Lu Chang hesitated, then moved his chair closer to his sister-in-law.
Lu Lin cast a cold glance at him: "Speak if you have something to say, why are you acting strange?"
Do we really need to be so close?
Lu Chang obediently stepped back a little: "Sister-in-law, it's like this, if someone likes you, but you don't like them, how do you politely refuse them?"
Shen Rong looked at Lu Chang in astonishment: "You've got some luck with women?"
Lu Changfan scratched his head and nodded.
Lu Lin sneered: "Who's blind enough to have taken a liking to you?"
Shen Rong felt that these words were too much and immediately stood up for Lu Chang: "Why do you look down on him? Our Lu Chang is handsome and talented, and he is quite presentable."
Lu Lin glanced at her angry eyes, then lowered his head to eat. He couldn't afford to offend her!
Shen Rong turned to Lu Chang and asked who was so discerning.
Lu Chang blushed slightly as he stirred his coffee: "You know her too, sister-in-law?"
She knows her? Could it be Hu Peifang?
Lu Chang spat out the coffee he had just taken a sip of, and Lu Lin moved Chen Rong's cup aside with obvious disgust.
"Sister-in-law!" Lu Chang said, displeased. Wasn't Miss Hu supposed to be his older sister?
Shen Rong knew he had guessed wrong, and chuckled awkwardly.
Lu Lin glared at him: "Just say what you have to say. What are you acting all stammering about?"
Lu Chang shrank back, looking quite troubled: "It's that Miss Wen."
Now it was Shen Rong's turn to choke. Lu Lin helplessly reached out to pat her back: "Be careful."
Shen Rong coughed for a long time.
"Aren't you overthinking this?"
Lu Chang said with a serious face: "I don't think so. Ever since I went to the government building, Miss Wen has followed me there and has been hanging around me all day long."
Shen Rong knew without even guessing that he was just being presumptuous, and sighed, "He's going to see Director Lin."
Lu Chang rested his chin on his hands and sighed, "I used to think so too, but..."
He turned to look at Shen Rong and his wife: "Brother, don't you really feel anything?"
Lu Lin asked, puzzled, "What do you feel?"
"She's trying to please you!" Lu Chang clapped his hands and pointed to his fingers to show him: "Look, she came straight to me as soon as she arrived at the government building, and she kept subtly asking me about you and your sister-in-law. She's also very nice to me. She's not even this enthusiastic towards Brother Lin. She pesters me with questions every day. Most importantly, she treats me to coffee every day!"
It was obvious that she wanted to please her older brother and gain favor with the Lu family. Lu Chang was very troubled. His parents and older brother would definitely be very satisfied with Miss Wen, but he didn't like her that much!
The image of Miss Xiangqin's gentle smile suddenly appeared in his mind when he thought of the woman he liked.
Lu Chang was lost in thought, while Shen Rong stared at Lu Lin with unfriendly eyes.
Lu Lin wanted to beat his younger brother to death; what nonsense was he spouting?
"I don't know anything about coffee, you know, I never drink other people's stuff."
Ever since Xingzi caused that scene in Bincheng, he has never dared to accept anything from other people.
The people in the secretariat knew his habits, so coffee was never served to him.
Shen Rong suddenly reached out and lifted his chin, turning it left and right, her brows furrowed.
"Lu Lin, you need to reflect on your actions!" She raised an eyebrow, her eyes blazing with anger.
Lu Lin sighed and glared fiercely at Lu Chang.
Shen Rong reached out and turned his head: "Why are you looking at him? If he doesn't tell you, are you trying to hide it from me?"
She wasn't as stupid as Lu Chang, who actually thought the other person had taken a liking to her.
She clearly came for Lu Lin; what a troublemaker!
You're a father now, why are you still flirting with other women?
Lu Lin's face turned as black as charcoal. "That idiot Lu Chang, all he knows is to spout nonsense about that Miss Wen."
"Don't let him fool you. How could that be? She's a young lady from the Wen family. Use your brain and you'll know it's impossible!"
Shen Rong reached out and patted his face.
"Then why didn't you tell me someone bought you coffee?"
Lu Lin was speechless. Had he just said something for nothing? He had never even seen coffee before.
"I really don't know!" Lu Lin said innocently.
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