Please Confess to Me Chapter 1: 00 to 10, a manhua/chinese comics/漫画 fanfic

Before getting married, Shen Xi knew that her fiance had a girl he was secretly in love with for years.

After the divorce, she found out that the girl was her.

Before getting married, Shen Xi knew that there was going to be no love in her marriage.

After the divorce, she found that her ex-husband had married for love.

Before their marriage, her husband had a lot of money.

After the divorce, her ex-husband went bankrupt paying for the huge alimony.

Then, Shen Xi was reborn to the day of their marriage.

Shen Xi would just like to ask, would it kill you to say "I like you"?!

This novel is not mine

For offline purpose only

All credits goes to translator

Chapter 1

Rebirth

After raining for half a month, today finally ushered in some good weather. Shen Xi looked up towards the sky and saw a clear blue, as if it had been thoroughly washed clean. The wind was refreshing, and the sun beautiful; it looks like any word that described good weather could be used today.

It was a fine day, totally different from when they got married. She remembered that when she had married Su Hang, a great thunderstorm had been raging outside. The thunderous lightning was loud and booming, and it made her feel like the apocalypse was close at hand. It was her most profound memory of the day.

"Sister-in-law, I really think you should be the one to put it in." Li QingYuan, Su Hang's best friend, pushed the funerary casket towards her.

(T/N funerary casket as in like an urn of ashes. Not the caskets that contain the entire body. The caskets used here are like ornamental boxes.)

Shen Xi looked at the 'casket' Li QingYuan held. It was supposed to be her former husband's casket, Su Hang's casket. But Shen Xi knew that the ashes it contained weren't Su Hang's because he died in a plane crash. His plane exploded while flying through the Pacific Ocean, and its pieces crashed down into the water's depths. Three months have already passed, but a single piece of wreckage had yet to be recovered.

"That...what's inside it?" Shen Xi's voice was raspy and small.

"It has the things Su Hang treasured the most. Did you want to see?" Li QingYuan ruefully smiled then placed the box in her hands, "Maybe you'll find a few of them familiar."

Shen Xi didn't understand what Li QingYuan was trying to imply. She raised her head to look at him in puzzlement, but Li QingYuan had already turned and left. In the end, Shen Xi had to bring the box to the back of the tombstone herself. Behind the tombstone was a small square hole for the ashes to be buried. On each side of the small opening were staff members in charge of the burial, their faces cold, as if they would immediately fill in the hole as soon as Shen Xi put the box down.

Shen Xi crouched down, her palm stroking the dark grey casket. It was a simple design, with no extra ornamentation. It was just like the man called Su Hang. Just like their five-year marriage.

Before marrying Su Hang, Shen Xi didn't have much of an image of him. She knew that Su Hand was a child the Su family brought in from the outside. Some people speculated that he was the illegitimate son of Su Bai, and was brought in only due to the fact that there were no male sons to inherit the family business. It was also said that Su Bai was deeply in love with a girl during his college days. They married and had Su Hang, but were eventually forced by Su Father the to split up.

For Shen Xi, these rumors were nothing but idle gossip, so she never considered them seriously. Other than that, the only interaction she had with Su Hang before their marriage was an occasional polite nod when they happened to cross each other in a reception or a party.

Shen Xi was the only daughter of the Shen family. Because of her delicate and weakened body, Mrs. Shen could no longer get pregnant after she had given birth to Shen Xi. But the Shen husband and wife pair had always been quite loving. Even when they could no longer have a son, their feelings towards each other never diminished. They would also never make their sole daughter unhappy. Shen Xi never liked to do business, so anyone in S City who knew anything, knew that marrying Shen Xi would equal to essentially getting the entire Shen Group.

The Shen couple had always joked that they would have to sift through millions of willing bachelors when the time came for Shen Xi to marry, but they never could have imagined that one day, they would have no choice but to marry off Shen Xi to Su Hang.

Almost six years ago, Shen Father invested in Country M's investment project. But due to a sudden change in M Country's policies that restricted foreign trade and investment, Father Shen's investment immediately lost value with billions of funds going down the drain. The Shen Group's stock sharply dropped, the company's capital chain broke, and the bank continuously pressured them for their rising debts. Just when Father Shen was about to declare bankruptcy, Su Hang suddenly came to their home.

Yes, Su Hang didn't visit the Shen Group building, and he didn't bring a team or even a secretary. He came to the Shen family home, and he came alone.

On that day, Shen Xi happened to be home. Worried about her family's situation, she eavesdropped from the second floor.

"President Shen, I loan you as much as you need." Su Hang said.

"President Su, are you aware just how much money is needed to fill this hole we're stuck in?" Father Shen asked.

"I had an assessment report made before I came here." The sound of pages flipping could be heard. "The Shen Group needs 3 billion to get back up on its feet."

"3 Billion will only help the Shen Group resume operations."

"Excluding this investment, the Shen Group had always been a very profitable company. I believe that as long as it's given another chance, Shen Group will certainly make a comeback."

"You're only lending us money? You're not trying to buy stock?" Father Shen's voice was full of doubt.

"Yes. I have no intention of buying, just loans." Su Hang confirmed.

"Why are you doing this? I don't think it's just for my ability to do business." Father Shen asked, "3 billion is no small number. If I don't follow through, your newly established bank will collapse, and even the Su family will end up affected. We have no deep ties between us. Why help us?"

"I do have one request." The living room became quiet for a while. Shen Xi fidgeted in anxiousness.

"Say it." Father Shen said.

"I need a wife."

Even after all those years, Shen Xi could still clearly remember her reaction when she heard this. Her brain turned blank, and her body turned as stiff as the pillar she had been hiding in. She couldn't hear anything for a long while as a dull roar overpowered her ears. It was only her father's shouts that woke her up.

"You get out, get out of here! I, Shen Chuan, can become the poorest of the poor, a penniless good-for-nothing, but I will never sell my daughter!" Father Shen yelled, throwing a teacup at Su Hang's feet.

"President Shen, you should think about it a little more." Su Hang's voice was calm, without a hint of emotion.

"I don't need to think about it! Get out, just get out!"

"President Shen, if the Shen Group goes under, tens of thousands of people will become unemployed."

"Get out."

"President Shen, Madam Zun's medical costs alone would cost a few hundred thousand a year."

"You...what the hell are you trying to do?" Every single member of the Shen family knew that Mother Shen was Father Shen's Achilles' heel, "I really grateful that you offered a hand. Any other condition, hell, even if you wanted to buy the Shen Group I would acquiesce, no problem. But why do you want to marry Shen Xi?"

"I need a wife." Su Hang repeated his earlier sentence, his voice without a single tremor.

"In our entire S City, who doesn't know the fact that you already have someone in your heart? If you needed a wife, why not ask that person?" Father Shen asked.

"She...doesn't like me."

"So instead of begging to her, you've come to take my daughter away and make her a substitute?" Father Shen raged.

"I will be good to Miss Shen." As Su Hang assured Father Shen, a change in his voice could finally be heard.

"I..."

"I agree." Shen Xi stood on the steps of the second floor, standing tall and comforted by the surprised expression on Su Hang's face. Her voice was remarkably calm as she said: "I'll marry you."

"Little Xi..." Father Shen was very anxious.

(T/N: Little or Xiao is something a lot of parents/relatives etc. say as sort of a nickname? to younger/cute people.)

"The Shen Group won't last long. If President Su doesn't mind it, please prepare the wedding to happen as soon as possible." Shen Xi couldn't quite remember his expression at the time, just that his voice when he replied was calm.

"Good." Su Hang faintly nodded, politely said his goodbyes to the older Shen couple, then stepped past the broken pieces of porcelain and left.

Shen Xi vividly remembered that the sun was shining brightly that day, it's light filtering past the windows and the open door. Su Hang's pace when he departed was smooth and brisk. Confident.

But the Shen Xi of that day knew that this man she was about to marry was a man who longed for a girl who didn't love him.

This was Shen Xi's initial image of Su Hang: A smart, calm and successful businessman who, although didn't marry her for love, promised to be good to her.

As these thoughts faded, Shen Xi's fingertips were slightly pale. Finally, she opened the box she had been carefully holding. She could admit to herself that she was somewhat curious. These things that Su Hang considered precious, would there be one that belonged to her?

ka-cha.

Shen Xi's eyes widened the moment the casket's lid was lifted. She picked up the topmost photo and stared at it for a very long time.

"It's your wedding photo. Su Hang mentioned that they took so many photos that day, each one with you pretending to be happy, but that's the only photo that showed you genuinely laughing." Li QingYuan said.

Because they rushed the wedding preparations, the wedding photos could only be taken in the suburbs of S City. At the time Shen Xi and Su Hang hadn't been familiar with each other yet, so when taking the photos, they were both just forcing their smiles and pretending to be happy.

She remembered the moment the photo in her hands was shot. A pine cone fell from the camphor tree beside her. A cute little squirrel slipped down from the tree and crawled towards the pine cone, holding it in its arms like a treasure. This lovely appearance was amusing to her.

Putting down the photo, Shen Xi looked at the familiar gift box inside. She didn't need to open the gift box to know its contents. "That's the wedding gifts you sent back to him. He didn't want to part with any of them." Li QingYuan couldn't help but scold, "The fool."

Didn't want to part with any of it? She had always thought that he didn't like any of it.

Shen Xi picked up the last item in the box. It was an old rabbit soft-toy, washed clean and obviously cared for, despite its aged appearance. She didn't know why, but Shen Xi felt an inexplicable familiarity.

"Does it look familiar?" Li QingYuan asked.

Shen Xi blinked, then looked up towards him: "This is?"

"It was given to Su Hang by the person he liked. He carried it with him for 20 years, right until he married her." Li QingYuan bitterly smiled, "So I figured he would want to carry it with him as he moves on."

"Married her?" Shen Xi failed to react.

"He never told you, but he had always loved you." Li QingYuan said, "Otherwise, why would he bear the pressure from all the shareholders and lend 3 billion to your father?"

"I...I don't know." Shen Xi clutched the rabbit doll tightly, her knuckles turning white.

"Sister-in-law, I didn't mean to imply anything. It's just that this guy liked you for so long. Now that he's gone, I just wanted to tell you for him. You probably wouldn't feel more grief with this knowledge anyway."

"Then why didn't he tell me?"

"Yeah, I wonder the same thing."

The reproach that colored Li QingYuan's tone startled Shen Xi. It had only been half a year since she divorced Su Hang, three months since his death, and a fraction of a second since she found that the person Su Hang had always like was her.

pa-ta.

A drop of water fell onto the casket. Shen Xi raised her head and looked at the clear sky, wondering: "It's raining?"

Boom!

Great thunder suddenly rumbled, followed by a serpentine lightning bolt flashing through the sky, its dazzling light streaking the blue sky.

"Shen Xi it's raining outside, don't stand so close to the window."

Suddenly, the familiar voice made Shen Xi turn around. Not far from her was Su Hang, wearing his wedding suit, and looking at her with his brows furrowed.

"Su Hang?" Shen Xi asked with uncertainty.

Su Hang walked towards her, raised his hand, and closed the floor-to-ceiling window that led to the balcony. He then closed the curtains, blocking the rain and thunder.

"The weather's turned cold, and you're still wearing your dress. With such strong winds, it's easy to catch a cold." Su Hang turned and admonished.

Shen Xi looked down and saw that she was wearing a pale pink low-cut evening gown. It was a dress DF's Gao Ding tailored himself in just ten days for her wedding.

"Today is our wedding day?" Shen Xi was still in disbelief.

"Shen Xi, we're already married. Even if you don't want to believe it, you're not allowed to regret it." Su Hang muttered to himself for a moment, then answered Shen Xi's seemingly indifferent question.

Yes, the heavy rain and loud thunder, this familiar setting, how could she forget?

It's just that a few moments ago, I was definitely still in the middle of attending your funeral.

Chapter 2

The Adorable Chu Wu

Su Hang looked at Shen Xi's shocked expression and felt a touch of loss.

Yes, they just got married, but when an unfamiliar man suddenly appeared in your room at night, consternation and shock were normal reactions.

"It's been a long day, so you should go to bed early. I...I'll sleep in the guest room tonight." After saying this, Su Hang nodded to Shen Xi then turned away, leaving the bedroom. It seems that he had forgotten that this bedroom was rightly his' too, along with this new house.

It wasn't long after Su Hang left that Shen Xi finally seemed to have snapped out of her astonishment.

Boom!

Shen Xi heard another thunderbolt, with its light passing through the heavy curtain a few moments after. The room's light-bulb couldn't help but flicker for a moment, the intense weather outside affecting it.

Shen Xi turned back to windows and peeked past the curtains, looking out at the dark clouds, blurred by the rain splattering against the window.

After a while, a determination flashed in Shen Xi's eyes. She pulled the floor-to-ceiling windows open, and rain immediately fell on her. Her first thought was that it was cold. Then she thought about it: Since she felt the cold, did it mean that she wasn't in a dream?

Shen Xi couldn't help but move forward a little more. She walked right up to the edge of the balcony and carefully stretched out her hand past the balcony roof, her palm up. The rain tonight was particularly heavy, as if the sky was leaking. The raindrops were caught by the strong wind and drenched her whole body.

"It's wet. My clothes are wet, and my hair is wet." Such a palpable sensation confused Shen Xi even more. Now she wondered, was it the wedding that was the dream, or was it the funeral?

Su Hang left his new bedroom and headed downstairs to the guest room. He had long considered this scenario before their wedding. Su Hang had already moved most of his personal belongings into the guest room, while the master bedroom only contained a small number of his things. He didn't want to make Shen Xi uncomfortable by his sudden intrusion, but he also wanted to let Shen Xi accept his presence little by little. Hence the small number of personal belongings in the master bedroom.

Su Hang took a shower in the adjoining bathroom, then changed into a set of pajamas from the wardrobe. Somewhat uncomfortable, he pressed his aching temples. Although the wedding was done in a hurry, it was a marriage between the Su and Shen families after all, so many guests still attended. Coupled with the fact that he was genuinely happy that he was marrying Shen Xi, he drank a few more drinks than necessary during the wedding banquet.

Enduring his dull headache, Su Hang went to the kitchen to find some water to drink.

Their new house was a two-person house bought by Su Hang a year ago. It wasn't very big and was a modest, two-story building. It had one living room and only six rooms in total. Four upstairs, two downstairs, and a small yard. There was a dog currently living in the yard. It was picked up from the roadside by Su Hang a long time ago, and he had been keeping this dog for several years already. Su Hang liked it a lot, but it was going to be sent away tomorrow. This was because...Shen Xi was afraid of dogs.

Su Hang had just left the kitchen when he saw Shen Xi coming down the stairs. She had changed into a cream-colored casual dress, her long hair wet.

Su Hang quietly choked on his saliva as he looked at the approaching Shen Xi. After composing himself, with an expressionless face, he asked: "Did...did you come down for some water?"

"Yeah." After that initial shock, the now calm Shen Xi became much more relaxed when facing Su Hang, Whether the five years she had experienced was a dream or not, this current Shen Xi had experienced all those memories. Although the two married for their own separate interests, after five years of marriage, the feelings of embarrassment and awkwardness that colored their wedding night was a thing of the past for this Shen Xi.

"Oh." Su Hang shuffled to the side and gave way so that Shen Xi could enter the kitchen.

Shen Xi entered the kitchen and saw the familiar dining table in the middle of the spacious room, as well as the electric kettle on the table. Shen Xi approached the table and found the filled kettle to be devoid of any steam. She touched its body with the back of her hand, and sure enough, it was cold.

Shen Xi skillfully picked up the kettle, then went towards the microwave to plug the kettle next to it. She pressed the switch at the base to start heating water. It took a few minutes for the water to boil. She then habitually turned back towards the table and noticed a covered white porcelain soup bowl. She walked over and opened the lid to see that it was a bowl of hangover soup.

Shen Xi remembered that during their wedding banquet, she had only drunk one or two cups of alcohol. The rest were all blocked by Su Hang. She didn't need this hangover soup at all, so it was obvious who this was for.

Shen Xi looked at the bowl of cold hangover soup. With a small sigh, she found a small clean pot, poured the soup in, then started the stove to heat it.

When the soup was hot enough, Shen Xi poured the hangover soup back into its original bowl then placed the lid back. She then took a cup and poured herself a glass of water and left the kitchen.

When Shen Xi left the kitchen, Su Hang had already returned to his room. Shen Xi looked towards the guest room. She hesitated for a moment, before finally walking over.

Su Hang, who had been sitting under a lamp, reading, suddenly heard a knock at the door. His heart thumped uncontrollably. Ever since he bought the house, the only person that came over was nanny Zhang Wei, who would clean the house. But Zhang Wei usually left after cooking dinner. So the person who would be knocking at this time could only be Shen Xi.

What was Shen Xi trying to do, knocking on his door on their wedding night?

Su Hang was somewhat shy, but was also a little expectant. He put down his book and went to open the door.

"What's the matter?" Su Hang strived to make himself look extremely natural.

"I just saw the hangover soup that Zhang Wei prepared for you. You seem to have forgotten it." Shen Xi said softly.

"Oh." Su Hang said, stunned. "I didn't drink much anyway."

"Nevertheless, you should drink it just in case."

"Ah." Su Hang was overwhelmed by Shen Xi's sudden smile.

"And..." Shen Xi continued, holding her warm cup of water: "Don't drink cold water if your stomach isn't feeling well."

After saying these words, Shen Xi didn't wait for a reply and turned back to the bedroom on the second floor.

Su Hang stayed by the door for a while, trying to digest Shen Xi's words. Shen Xi knew that he had a bad stomach? Does that mean that she'd been paying attention to him? She saw that he was drinking cold water, so she came to remind me?

So she cares about me.

After some wonderful speculation, Su Hang went to the kitchen in a pleasant mood. When he lifted the lid for the white porcelain soup bowl, white steam wafted up, causing Su Hang's expression to slightly slacken again. He looked at the bowl with disbelieving eyes, before becoming ecstatic.

It was already past nine o'clock. Zhang Hao left here at around eight o'clock. How could this hangover soup still be hot?

Su Hang carefully reached out, his palm touching the warm bowl. The warmth seemed to slowly spread to the depths of his heart.

Shen Xi did this for me, she heated the soup for me. Su Hang silently repeated this over and over again, a silly grin on his face as he clutched the bowl.

The next morning.

The first thing Shen Xi did when she woke up that morning was to check the date on her phone. November 6, 2017- it was still more than five years in the past. Shen Xi put down her phone and walked to the window to open the heavy curtains. Today's weather was lovely, with the air smelling earthy after last night's heavy rain, making one feel comfortable.

Before going to sleep last night, Shen Xi had made a decision. If she woke up on the next day still in 2017, she would accept this as reality. Whether she experienced a rebirth or some sort of foresight, she would start things over with Su Hang. At the very least...

From the second floor, Shen Xi looked at the cheerful Su Hang playing with an adult labrador in the yard below. She softly whispered: "At the very least, I have to find out. Find out whether these memories in my head are true or not. If the person you like...is me."

Su Hang was currently in the yard, wearing light blue sportswear and throwing a toy ball. The silly labrador immediately ran to the ball cheerfully. He bit the toy ball and happily ran back to Su Hang, his tail wagging nonstop. Shen Xi saw that Su Heng seemed to be in a good mood as he praised the dog's efforts and rubbed his head vigorously.

Shen Xi and Su Hang had been married for five years. But during that time, nothing ever seemed to make him smile. Even when he treated her gently, at most, he only showed a slight smile, never like the smile he wore now.

It seemed that he liked this dog very much! Shen Xi was certain of this. But had there ever been such a dog in this house? Shen Xi tried hard to remember, but couldn't find a single memory that featured this dog. Was those five years really nothing more than a dream?

Su Hang hugged the labrador into his arms, his fingers combing the soft and fluffy fur as he said: "Chu Wu, tomorrow Dad will give you to someone else. When you go there, you have to be good, ah. Your new owner will take good care of you, and Dad will go see you often."

(T/N: Chu Wu (初五) means is first/junior five. I thought it'd sound better as the original

Edit: Thanks to commenter Umi Yuki for a better explanation: 初五 is actually stands for the fifth day of the lunar calendar year. It could be the day he met/adopted 初五 (my uncle named his cats February, July and September). Or it could have significance as 破五节. )

The labrador Chu Wu seemed to sense that he was about to be abandoned, so he was eager to lick Su Hang's face with his tongue.

"I know you hate the thought of parting, but there's no other way, Mom is afraid of you." Su Hang said. Holding Chu Wu's head, he continued: "Between Mom and you, Dad can only choose Mom."

Chu Wu seemed to knew that he hadn't succeeded in acting spoiled. He whined in a sad tone, sounding very pitiful.

ding dong

The doorbell interrupted the conversation between father and son. Su Hang said to Chu Wu: "That should be breakfast."

Chu Wu followed behind as his Dad walked to the entrance. Su Hang opened the small door on the big iron gate.

"Boss, your breakfast."

"You've worked hard." Su Hang accepted the bag his secretary passed over. His secretary had gone to the 'Hundred Tastes Restaurant' early in the morning to buy some nutritious porridge and some of their famous snacks.

"Yes." His secretary was a shrewd and capable man, around 27 years old and wore a pair of frame glasses that made him look cultured. But at this moment, he looked a little hesitant as he said: "Boss...are you sure you want to go on a business trip to HK tomorrow?"

"We'll continue as planned." Su Hang replied.

"Yes." The secretary didn't ask again. He waited for his boss to close the door before turning around to go to the company and work. As the boss was going to travel tomorrow, he still had a lot of information to sort out.

With breakfast in hand, Su Hang went back to the yard and tied Chu Wu to his spacious kennel. Squatting down, he apologized: "Sorry, but Mom's here. I'm worried that you'll frighten her, so I can't let you in."

Chu Wu shouted a sad cry, it's big dark eyes wet.

"Hey, I'll come back and feed you in a little while." Su Hang rubbed the dog's head again, before walking back to the living room with breakfast.

Chapter 3

Memories of Breakfast

Su Hang brought their breakfast to the kitchen and placed the food in delicate plates. After finishing his arrangements, he brought the plates to the dining table. Su Huang then hesitated, wondering if he should go upstairs and call Shen Xi to come down and eat. But just then, Shen Xi slowly came down the stairs, wearing a beige, lace embroidered dress.

"Morning." Shen Xi saw Su Hang by the table and habitually smiled, nodding.

"Morning." After a moment of shock, Su Hang turned and pointed to the food on the table: "I've prepared some breakfast."

Shen Xi walked towards the table. She looked at the exquisite breakfast and replied: "It looks delicious."

"It's good that you like it." Su Hang handed her some chopsticks from across the table.

"Thank you." Shen Xi took the chopsticks and politely thanked him.

"You're welcome." Su Hang also replied politely.

Wait, there's something wrong here! Shen Xi sat down and thought about the situation as she began to eat. She had been married to Su Hang for five years. When Su Hang handed her a pair of chopsticks she was habitually polite as she said her thanks, and similar to the man she was married to for five years, the person in front of her replied in a polite manner.

Day after day, in those five years, their conversations were like this, and Shen Xi had never thought anything of it. Just now she suddenly realized that today, on the first day of their marriage, such polite and formal language was understandable. However, even after five years of being together, their way of speaking had stayed the same: courteous, as if speaking to a guest. How strange.

As Shen Xi pondered this, she eyes unconsciously fell on the man eating breakfast across her.

Su Hang had long noticed Shen Xi's gaze. At first, he pretended not to know and continued to eat, but after a while, Shen Xi's eyes still remained on him and he started to feel uncomfortable. But being a well-established businessman, Su Hang naturally wouldn't call Shen Xi out on it and make her uncomfortable. So as he put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth with a napkin he asked: "Was there something you wanted to tell me?"

"Ah?" Shen Xi blinked. She had been lost in thought and had unknowingly stared at Su Hang. His sudden question gave her pause, but then Shen Xi smiled, and replied in a natural manner: "This morning, I looked out the balcony and saw a dog out on the yard."

"You saw." Su Hang was stunned.

"Nn." Shen Xi nodded.

"That's Li QingYuan's dog. He went out on a business trip, so he asked me to take care of his dog for a few days. He'll come by later this afternoon and take him away." Su Hang explained, his expression unchanging as he lied.

"Li QingYuan?" Shen Xi was puzzled, but she had never been familiar with Li QingYuan, so she didn't know if he ever had a dog.

"Yes." Su Hang nodded.

"Oh..." Shen Xi no longer thought about it and smiled, "He's pretty cute."

"Cute?" Su Hang paused, surprise visible in his eyes. "Don't you dislike dogs?"

"How do you know I dislike dogs?" Shen Xi paused in the middle of sipping porridge and looked at him strangely.

"Well..." Su Hang tried to act normal as he explained: "I heard that you were bitten by a dog before, so I just figured that you would be afraid of dogs."

"So you know about that." Shen Xi smiled, then said: "I was very small at the time, I think around five years old when I got bit."

Su Hang had wanted to say that he knew. He knew that she had been wearing a furry rabbit coat and her hair had been braided into looking like two sheep horns. That when she had been bitten, she had shrunk into his arms and cried for a long time. At the thought of this memory, Su Hang's face softened.

"In fact, I don't hate dogs. After I got bit I was afraid for a while, but I'm fine now. I know domestic dogs don't bite people and aren't afraid of their family."

After Shen Xi explained, Su Hang nodded thoughtfully, then picked up his chopsticks and continued to eat.

The two didn't talk again, instead quietly finishing their breakfast. In fact, in the five years worth of memories Shen Xi had, breakfast with Su Hang had usually been quiet. Unless there was anything special going on, the two basically didn't talk when they ate. Respecting each other's boundaries, not interfering with each other; Getting along in a very polite manner.

Shen Xi had never put much thought in their breakfast time together, until one day she got up late, only getting up past 9:00. When she arrived downstairs she saw someone who should have long been at his company doing work. He was sitting on the sofa in the living room, with his secretary at his side, looking at her as if he saw his savior.

"Madam, you're up. Hurry and have breakfast." Secretary Fang Yu looked excited.

Shen Xi didn't really feel hungry but seeing Secretary Fang Yu look so eager, she didn't have the heart to refuse. Coupled with the fact that food was already plated and ready on the table, she agreed and sat at the table.

As she sat, Su Hang put his computer down and sat across from her.

"You haven't eaten yet?" Shen Xi was a little surprised.

"Boss had been waiting for the Madam to eat together." Su Hang didn't speak, so the secretary hastily explained.

Shen Xi was dismayed and told Su Hang: "You don't have to wait for me. The next time I wake up late, go ahead and eat first."

"Un." Su Hang faintly nodded, gulped down a few mouthfuls of porridge in his bowl, then rose, telling her: "I'll be going to work."

Shen Xi remembered that the moment Su Hang said he was going to work, Fang Yu immediately became excited and pulled out his phone. She didn't know who he was talking to, but she could hear him say as he walked away: "We're going out, the Boss is going to be there soon. Just hold on a little bit longer."

Shen Xi had wondered why they didn't just go if they were in such a hurry.

Not long after that, a similar situation happened. Shen Xi soon realized that as long as Su Hang was home, he had to eat breakfast with her before leaving for work. At the time, Shen Xi thought that Su Hang was being a bit strange, but ever since that first moment, no matter how late she slept, as long as Su Hang was home, Shen Xi would wake up on time to eat breakfast with him.

"You don't need to clean up, Mrs. Zhang will be in soon and can do it." Su Hang said this when he saw that Shen Xi had finished eating and was about to take her plate to the sink.

Only then did Shen Xi realize that she had habitually begun to clean up while wrapped up in her memories.

"I'll just put them in the sink so it'll be more convenient for Mrs. Zhang. It also makes the place look a little more comfortable." Shen Xi said casually.

"Then I'll help you." Instead of stopping her, Su Hang stood up and picked up the two remaining dishes on the table and went into the kitchen and Shen Xi.

Su Hang looked at the tableware crowding the sink and suddenly felt a sense of peace. Shen Xi was really here and a part of his life now. Eating in the same table, washing their dishes in the same sink. Two pairs of bowls and chopsticks were going to be washed together and in the end, after washing, it'll be unclear who used who.

"Do you have any plans for today?" Shen Xi suddenly asked.

"Ah...I have a few documents to deal with." Su Hang reflexively answered.

"I see." Shen Xi's tone when she replied was somewhat subdued.

Hearing this, Su Hang couldn't help but add: "But they aren't that important, all I need to do is sign them."

"Then do you have time this afternoon? I want to visit my mother." Shen Xi remembered that on the day after her marriage, her mother became hospitalized. At the time, Su Hang also went with her to visit, but her mother hadn't been very accommodating as she had always felt that Su Hang used his money to force her to get married.

What Su Hang's expression was on that day, she couldn't remember. At that time, her inner heart was probably similar to her mother's. Although Shen Xi personally accepted Su Hang's proposal, their marriage wasn't done out of love. Back then she had needed more time to adjust her thoughts.

"What happened to Mrs. Shen?" Su Hang asked nervously.

"Oh, she's alright, just some old trouble. She just went to the hospital to recuperate a bit, and I wanted to see her." Shen Xi replied.

"Then I'll go prepare some presents." Su Hang said, immediately picking up his phone to make a call.

"No need." Shen Xi stopped him. "We can just stop by a flower shop and buy a bouquet. My mother likes flowers."

"Alright." Su Hang hesitated, then agreed to Shen Xi's proposal.

"Then go on and finish your files. I'll go get ready." Shen Xi said.

With a nod, the two left the kitchen together. Su Hang went to his study, and Shen Xi walked up the stairs to the second floor. Halfway up, Shen Xi suddenly stopped and called out to Su Hang.

Su Hang, who was about to step into the study, turned around.

"I just forgot to tell you: You shouldn't call my mom Mrs. Shen. Call her mom, or she won't be happy." Shen Xi suggested with a chuckle.

"OK." Su Hang nodded.

Satisfied, Shen Xi continued up the stairs.

Su Hang stood at the doorway for a while. His heart was in full bloom and full of enthusiasm. No matter the reason, Shen Xi had called out his name.

Su Hang's happy mood continued as he dealt with his documents, with Shen Xi's smile was in his thoughts. On this first day as a married couple, they got along better than Su Hang could ever have hoped. Does this mean that Shen Xi wasn't really as opposed to marrying him as he had imagined?

Because of his elated state, Su Hang had almost forgotten to feed Chu Wu. Finally remembering, he took some dog food to the yard and brought the hungry Chu Wu out of his kennel. Seeing Su Hang, Chu Wu barked excitedly.

"You must be hungry. Go on and eat more." Su Hang poured dog food on Chu Wu's bowl, then squatted, ruffling Chu Wu's head. "Did you know, both mom and dad think you're really cute."

With a few mouthfuls of dog food, Chu Wu looked back up at Su Hang, making him smile wider.

ring ring

Su Hang took out his mobile phone and saw that it was Li QingYuan. With a frown, he asked: "What is it?"

"Hey hey, did you forget? Weren't you gonna call me when I could come over and take Chu Wu?" Li QingYuan asked.

Su Hang looked at the happily eating Chu Wu. Chu Wu seemed to notice his owner watching him so he immediately swallowed the food in his mouth and spit out his tongue. Su Hang smiled and petting the dogs head, said: "You don't have to come."

"What are you talking about, I'm already almost at your house."

"I won't give you Chu Wu." Su Hang said.

"What do you mean you're not giving, I already bought the kennel and some dog food. Heck, I even have some toys here." Li QingYuan said, "Everything has already been prepared, the only thing missing is Chu Wu."

"Shen Xi isn't afraid of dogs, she even said that Chu Wu was cute." As Su Hang said this, his mouth involuntarily lifted to a smile.

"..." Li QingYuan was silent for a moment, before spitting out: "Yes, yes, you're not giving it so you're not. I just bought a bag of dog food you know, you don't need to feed me some specifically."

Su Hang hung up his phone, gathered Chu Wu into his arms, and swayed with joy.

The author has something to say:

Su Hang: Shen Xi liked Chu Wu so I'm not sending him to you.

Li QingYuan: So I should just eat the dog food I already bought myself?

Crab: I'm an obedient and well-behaved child.

Chapter 04

She's My Wife

Sometime before lunch, Shen Xi shrugged on a khaki trench-coat and stepped into a pair of exquisite high-heels, then went downstairs.

Shen Xi's figure looked graceful and seductive. Su Hang had been sitting in the living room and looked up when he heard her walk down. His eyes subconsciously followed her long slender legs as she descended, and he found that he couldn't look away.

"Can we go?" Shen Xi asked softly, holding onto the railing with one hand and an elegant bag on the other.

"Of course." Since Shen Xi didn't let him prepare anything in advance, other than feeding Chu Wan, he didn't have anything else going on. He had simply needed to dress, then that was it.

"Then let's go." Shen Xi said.

"Wait for me by the door; I'll bring the car out." Su Hang finally managed to tear his eyes away from Shen Xi and headed for the garage.

Shen Xi walked to the front door and waited quietly, the wind occasionally blowing her clothes. Shen Xi brushed away strands of hair from her face and smiled towards the autumn sun.

At this time, Su Hang had left the garage and saw Shen Xi. Even when she's just standing still, Shen Xi still exudes a noble and elegant temperament. This was what a noble birth and a good education can do.

Unlike him, even when he was given the best and most expensive disguise, his bones still had the wear and tear that only the lower class could have.

Su Hang stopped the car beside Shen Xi, then got off and opened the back door for her.

Shen Xi was shocked. She looked at Su Hang, her feet not moving.

"What's wrong?" Su Hang was puzzled. "Did you forget something?"

"No." Shen Xi shook her head. At Su Hang's confused gaze, she moved to the other side of the car and opened the passenger door.

"I'll sit here." Shen Xi smiled, then went in the car.

Su Hang was amazed. She really had such a good education carved into her bones, staying so polite even during car rides.

Shen Xi had already buckled her seatbelt when Su Hang entered. Seeing him getting ready to go, she suggested with a smile: "Let's go find a place near the hospital to have lunch first, then see my mother."

"OK." Su Hang started the car, eyes straight ahead, then slowly drove the car out to the road.

"Su Hang?" As the car passed the gates of their neighborhood, Shen Xi suddenly called out to him.

"What's wrong?" Su Hang looked back at her.

"You forgot to wear your seatbelt." Shen Xi pointed towards his chest.

"Oh..." His ears ringing from Shen Xi saying his name, Su Hang tried to order his thoughts and move

Probably due to Shen Xi's perfume or just overall presence, Su Hang had long become some-what distracted. With his right hand he tried to fasten his seatbelt but just couldn't manage it.

Shen Xi noticed that the car was already on the main road and the number of cars on the street was slowly increasing. Suddenly, Shen Xi leaned over and took the seatbelt from Su Hang's hand. Under his dismayed gaze, she said: "Concentrate on driving; I'll help you fasten it."

"No." Su Hang refused.

"We're already on the road. It's not safe; let me do it for you." Shen Xi focused her beautiful pair of eyes straight at Su Hang.

Su Hang immediately turned stiff and turned his head to watch the road, hands grasping the steering wheel tightly. Eventually, he managed to choke out a thank you.

Shen Xi smiled and reached out for the seat belt. But it seems that there was something wrong with how it was pulled, and the seatbelt ended up stuck. She leaned towards Su Hang and pulled at the belt twice, eventually managing to get the seat belt out. She inserted the latch into the socket with a click.

Satisfied, Shen Xi leaned back to her seat, while Su Hang desperately tried to concentrate on his driving. His hands were gripping the steering wheel too tightly, causing his knuckles to turn white.

When Shen Xi leaned towards him, his heartbeat skyrocketed. Including their wedding day, when they had their one-touch kiss next to a witness, this was the first time Shen Xi had ever taken the initiative to get close to him.

It took a long time for Su Hang to calm down.

He was still a mess when they arrived at a mall near the hospital. Su Hang stopped the car to let Shen Xi our first to go and order while he parked the car. When Su Hang arrived at the restaurant, half of the dishes had already been served.

"Sorry for the wait. I had to circle around a few times to find a parking space." Su Hang apologized.

"Parking must be hard due to the mall being so close to the hospital." Shen Xi said thoughtfully, "I ordered a few dishes. Check if you want to add some more."

Su Hang wasn't a very picky eater, but glancing at their table full of light dishes, he raised his hand and called a waiter over to add a spicy dish.

When the waiter left, Shen Xi hesitated, then asked: "Do you like spicy dishes?"

"Oh...uh, yes." Su Hang assented.

Shen Xi nodded and said nothing more. After a while, the waiter brought the rest of the dishes. The two people ordered a total of five dishes, with the red boiled beef in the middle looking particularly eye-catching.

Su Hang naturally remembered that he admitted to liking spicy food to Shen Xi just a moment ago, so he hardened his scalp and placed a few pieces into his plate. After eating the beef, Su Hang's stomach hurt a little, but he ignored the pain and lifted his hand to grab a few more pieces of spicy meat.

"Eat a little less." Shen Xi suddenly spoke up, "You have a delicate stomach. Even if you like eating it, just have a taste, don't eat do much."

"...alright." Su Hang obediently moved his chopsticks from the spicy beef to the fried vegetables.

"Drink some soup too." Shen Xi put some soup in a bowl and passed it to Su Hang.

"Thank you." After taking the bowl, Su Hang held it carefully, as if reluctant to drink.

Shen Xi served another bowl for herself. After a moment's thought, she asked: "Have you always liked spicy food?"

"Nn." Su Hang nodded.

"I used to like it too." Shen Xi replied.

"Used to?" Su Hang remembered that Shen Xi had always liked eating spicy food. How come this suddenly changed?

"Yeah." Shen Xi nodded but didn't explain.

Truth be told, she changed her preferences five years later for him.

In their last life, during their marriage, they never actually communicated all that much. She didn't know any of his preferences, so when Mrs. Zhang had asked her what food she liked, Shen Xi honestly answered that she liked to eat spicy food. She figured that Mrs. Zhen would better understand Su Hang's tastes and would take this into account when she cooked for them.

Since then, the dishes in their home had all been Hunan or Sichuan cuisine. Su Hang never had any objections during meal times and always seemed to enjoy it. So this kind of spicy cuisine was present in their meals for more than half a year. Until one day, Su Hang had a stomach perforation in the middle of the night and ended up hospitalized. Once there, she found out that he actually had a serious stomach ailment and couldn't eat any spicy food at all.

When she heard this, she looked at the unconscious and sweaty Su Hang, obviously still in pain. For the first time, he felt doubt in her heart. Was it because he liked spicy food, so he didn't control himself? Or was it all just to accommodate her? The thought only flashed through her mind for a second before she denied it. She knew that Su Hang had another girl in his heart, one that he loved deeply. In this marriage of theirs, love wasn't in the picture from the very beginning.

After this event, Shen Xi came home and asked Mrs. Zheng to cook a spicy and non-spicy dish from now on. But who knew that Su Hang's chopsticks would still end up on the spicy dishes. Shen Xi couldn't stop him. After a few times of Su Hang stubbornly keeping to his ways, Shen Xi had to ask Mrs. Zheng to just stop putting any sort of chili in their meals. After a few years of eating like this, Shen Xi slowly stopped eating spicy food.

"What do you like eating now?" Su Hang couldn't help but ask.

Shen Xi looked up, a little surprised.

"I...I was just casually asking." Feeling like he'd been seen through, Su Hang's gaze awkwardly drifted down.

"I like eating lighter dishes nowadays. Before we left, I asked Mrs. Zheng to make lighter dishes in the future." Shen Xi then hesitated, "I'm sorry I made the decision without asking for your opinion. If you aren't used to such dishes, I can talk to Mrs. Zheng again."

"It's fine. I'm not a picky eater." As Su Hang said this, he immediately felt that he had just contradicted his previous assertion that he liked spicy food. He promptly tried to salvage the situation: "But my stomach is a little sensitive, the doctors said that I should eat less spicy food."

Shen Xi smiled and didn't reply. The two then bowed their heads and resumed their meal. However, as she ate, she suddenly found a strange phenomenon. Any food she liked seemed to be liked by Su Hang too. As long as her chopsticks lingered in a particular dish, Su Hang would also take a few more bites of it. Shen Xi bit her lip, wondering if Su Hang was a little too sensitive.

After eating, the two went to a flower shop on the first floor. Su Hang stood at the sidelines and let Shen Xi pick the flowers. Shen Xi eventually picked a 30 yuan potted aloe vera.

"This one." Shen Xi said.

"Just this?" Su Hang was stunned. This was the first time he'll be seeing his mother-in-law after getting married. Wouldn't it be too insincere to give her a worn out 30 yuan potted plant?

"Yeah." Shen Xi smiled. "Mother will definitely love it."

"Well, if Miss Shen...if Mom likes it." Su Hang took out a hundred yuan bill from his wallet and went to the counter to pay for the pot. As he waited for the clerk to count his change, he noticed the beautiful roses nearby.

"Did you want to buy some roses too, Sir?" The clerk took the opportunity to recommend, "These flowers arrived just this morning. They're very fresh, and for only 10 yuan, you can buy a nice gift for your girlfriend."

"She's my wife." Su Hang corrected.

"Oh, you two really look like a perfect match. Why not buy one for your wife?" The female clerk continued her pitch.

"No need." Su Hang hesitated but ultimately decided against it. He figured that if he suddenly bought a rose that represented love and gave it to Shen Xi, she would be very surprised.

Now that they were getting along far better than he had ever expected, Su Hang didn't want to do anything that might change this.

"Alright, your change is 70 yuan, have a nice day." The clerk handed Su Hang his change.

Su Hang nodded, then turned around and left the store with Shen Xi.

Right after, a younger salesgirl who saw the situation approached her colleague and said: "That man looked really handsome and rich, but he wasn't even willing to part with 10 yuan to buy his wife a rose."

"Is this the difference in attitude between couples before and after marriage life?"

Chapter 5

My Mother-in-Law Doesn't Like Me

The hospital Mrs. Shen was recuperating in was a very famous private hospital in S City. The cost for a single room was more than the cost in a five-star hotel.

When Shen Xi was a child, she had followed her mother as she took part in some charity works. As she grew older, she began to follow along when they went to the countryside or to mountainous areas. She had always understood how good her life was, so she continued participating in as much charity works as she could. But she never thought that one day, she would feel that her mother's hospitalization fees were expensive and that they would struggle to pay them. If it wasn't for Su Hang...

"What's the matter?" Su Hang looked puzzled as they stood before the hospital doors.

"It's nothing." Shen Xi came back to herself and looked at Su Hang sincerely. "Thank you."

"Ah? You're welcome." Su Hang automatically responded, but he didn't understand why Shen Xi suddenly decided to thank him.

"This is for you," Shen Xi handed him the pot of aloe vera.

Su Hang accepted it.

"When we get in there, you give it to my mother and say I chose it for you." Shen Xi said.

"Thank you..." Su Hang wasn't an idiot. He understood the meaning of Shen Xi's words. She was helping him win over Mrs. Shen. But why would she do this? Did she hope that he could get along with her family? Thinking of this, Su Hang's heart became a little nervous and excited.

"You're welcome." Shen Xi's eyes curved, and she looked very beautiful smiling like this.

Su Hang felt himself losing control of his expression. He hurriedly looked down to the potted plant in his arms, his back becoming stiff.

Shen Xi blinked with dismay, wondering why the fine atmosphere they just had suddenly turned awkward.

She smiled, embarrassed, and finally said: "Let's go up."

"Alright." Su Hang's expression remained flat as he followed Shen Xi, but in his heart, he was scolding himself to death.

Su Hang you blockhead, acting so obviously, are you deliberately showing your unsightly side to Shen Xi? She smiled at you and you dare not look at it? Didn't you marry her in the hopes that she would stay with you?

"Here we are." As Su Hang berated himself, they quickly arrived at Mrs. Shen's door. Shen Xi reminded Su Hang again, before raising her hand and knocking on the door.

When Father Shen opened the door and saw that it was his daughter and Su Hang, his expression changed from joy to a somewhat complex face. "How come you're here?"

"Coming to see my mother." Shen Xi replied.

"It's just your mum's old illness acting up, she's fine." Father Shen said.

"I know Dad, I just wanted to see her." Shen Xi smiled at her father, then went inside, leaving the two awkward men outside the room.

"Cough...well, go on." Father Shen coughed and broke the silence first.

"Thank you...Dad." Su Hang remembered Shen Xi's advice and was also preparing himself mentally during the entire drive. So when he saw his father-in-law, he hadn't been too embarrassed.

Father Shen was somewhat surprised. He looked at Su Heng with a serious expression, then finally nodded in response.

The two men went inside the room one after the other, only to hear the mother-daughter pair engaged in a friendly conversation.

"Xi Yan, Su Hang came by too." Father Shen reminded Mother Shen.

When Mother Shen heard her husband's voice, she looked up with the same complex look Father Shen had been wearing when he looked at Su Hang moments before. She felt resentful towards the person that snatched their daughter away and hated her body that dragged her husband and daughter down, allowing Su Hang to take advantage of them. She knew that Su Hang didn't really do anything wrong, but she just couldn't like him.

Mother Shen had a clear idea for her future son-in-law. She hoped that the other party wouldn't be too wealthy, was cultured and elegant. She hoped he would share the same beliefs as Shen Xi, and could finish each other's sentences, could love each other...

But Su Hang was someone who only managed to get an elementary education by 18 years old, who grew up in an orphanage, who made a living by picking up garbage. Although he was very successful now, he grew up in a very different environment and was doomed to be different from Shen Xi in every way.

"Shen Xi helped me pick this out, she said..." Su Hang glanced at Shen Xi then continued, "She said that you liked plants, Mom."

Mother Shen looked at her daughter strangely. When she saw Shen Xi nodding and smiling, she turned her head and coldly replied: "Thank you for coming to see me."

When Su Hang came in the room he immediately noticed the many plants piled by the windowsill. So he said: "Then I'll put this on the windowsill."

"Mm." Mother Shen nodded lightly.

Su Hang awkwardly walked towards the window. In fact, he was really just an outsider. He knew that Shen Xi's parents didn't like him. Of course that was to be expected, after all, he forced Shen Xi to marry him. It was very despicable and her parents' hate was appropriate.

Shen Xi looked at Su Hang's back, then her mother's cold face. She knew that trying to change her mother's attitude towards Su Hang with a potted plant was her bring a little too optimistic. She saw the fruit basket on the table. She didn't know who sent it, but asked Su Hang anyway: "Su Hang, could you help me wash some fruit?"

"Alright." Su Hang took the basket and left the room.

It wasn't until she heard the door close that Mother Shen turned to her daughter and unhappily asked: "Why did he come?"

"Mom, he's my husband now. You're sick, why wouldn't he come?" Shen Xi replied.

"But he forced you to marry him. You don't like him at all, do you know how worried I was last night?" Mother Shen was so incensed that none of the three people in the room heard the sound of the door opening. Su Hang had come back as he forgot to take some plates.

Mother Shen's room was a suite. When Su Hang came back, he only just closed the outer door. Even with the inner door closed, he could hear Mother Shen's words clearly.

"Mom, I'm fine. You don't need to worry." Shen Xi advised.

"How can I not worry?" Mother Shen was agitated, "Why does he want you to marry him? He can make any condition in this situation. We would even sell off our shares. Why does he want to marry you?"

"Xi Yan, you shouldn't get so excited." Father Shen tried to placate his wife.

"And you! How could you agree to marry off our little Xi? Are you that reluctant to part with your precious Shen Group?" Because of this matter, Mother Shen hadn't been giving Father Shen face these days.

"Don't be so excited Mom." Shen Xi also tried to advise her mother.

"Actually I know." Mother Shen vented towards them, but in her heart, she knew. "You all did this for me, because of my illness. I was the one that forced the both of you to do this."

"Xi Yan..." Father Shen wrapped an arm around Mother Shen, trying to reassure her.

"Mom, don't say that. Don't you know how important you are to me and Dad?" Shen Xi took her mother's hand and said, "In fact, I'm very grateful towards Su Hang. It if wasn't for him, we still wouldn't know what to do. Now that you and Dad are alright, I'm very happy."

"But you..." The one thing any parent refused to do, was to make their children suffer.

"Su Hang is very good to me." Shen Xi looked at her mother earnestly and said, "We're married. So Mom, can you please try to accept him?"

"Little Xi, your parent's are very sorry." Mother Shen's voice sounded like she was at the verge of crying, making Su Hang feel like he could no longer listen for another second. He went towards the nurses' station to ask for a fruit tray, still in a complex mood. Feeling numb, he washed the fruit in a nearby water depot.

Ten minutes later, Su Hang came back with the washed fruit and Mother Shen's attitude towards him was much better.

Later, as they left, Father Shen pulled Su Hang aside and said with great emphasis: "Su Hang, little Xi is the pride of my life. I hope you'll treat her well."

"I will." Su Hang guaranteed.

"I know there's another woman in your heart. You may not love little Xi, but...don't use my family's Xi as a substitute. She wouldn't be able to endure."

"I don't." Su Hang passionately denied.

When they left the hospital, Shen Xi asked him, curious: "What did my Dad say to you just now?"

"We just chatted casually." Su Hang answered.

"Oh...My parents have always been a little too overprotective, so maybe they're a bit strict with you...I hope you don't mind." Shen Xi tried to explain.

"I understand." He knew that no matter how hard he tried, despite standing next to her, they would always be from two different worlds.

But even so, even if they were worlds apart, if there was even the slightest chance, he wanted her. He wanted to marry her and bring her home, even if to the eyes of others, he was a robber.

Shen Xi wanted to say something, but Su Hang's expression was so solemn that in the end, she couldn't say anything.

When the car returned to the villa, Chu Wu was playing out in the yard. At the sound of the familiar engine, Chu Wu excitedly rushed towards the direction of the car, barking at the driver's seat incessantly.

Su Hang got out of the car, his expression helpless as Chu Wu rubbed all over him.

"Sir, Madam, you're back." Mrs. Zhang rushed to pull Chu Wu back to her side, Su Hang having told her that the Madam was afraid of dogs.

"Li QingYuan hadn't come to pick up his dog yet?" Shen Xi casually asked.

"..." Su Hang imperceptibly turned stiff for a moment, then with a completely straight face, said: "He doesn't want it anymore."

"No way. Owning a pet is a serious thing. How can he just not want it anymore? That's too irresponsible." Shen Xi frowned, angry.

"That's right." Su Hang nodded his head and agreed.

The silly Chu Wu didn't understand, simply continuing to wag its tail, but Mrs. Zhang was confused. When did this dog become Mr. Li's?

"Mrs. Zhang, you can let go of Chu Wu and go prepare lunch." Su Hang looked at Mrs. Zhang.

"Alright." Mrs. Zhang tacitly went back to the kitchen. Anyway, no matter what, she was just the maid and shouldn't be involving herself in such matters.

"What's its name?" Since they would support it from now on, Shen Xi felt it necessary to get to know it.

"Chu Wu." Su Hang introduced.

"Chu Wu? How cute." Shen Xi carefully touched the dog's head. Chu Wu's round eyes looked up at his father, then at his mother. Finally, he couldn't resist and licked the back of Shen Xi's hand.

"Ah!" Shen Xi exclaimed.

"What's wrong?" Su Hang nervously grasped her hand and checked.

"It's alright, I was just surprised." Shen Xi looked down at their clasped hands.

Su Hang's eyes darkened, the hand holding hers loosening. His voice low he said: "Sorry."

"It's nothing. Chu Wu seems to like me a lot." Shen Xi tried to hide her embarrassment.

"Yeah." Su Hang could only nod, his eyes melancholic.

Chapter 6

Just Got Married Then Went on a Business Trip

It was 8:00 a.m. in the morning, and they sat on the table, eating breakfast. When they finished, Su Hang suddenly said to Shen Xi: "I'm going on a business trip today."

"Business trip?" Shen Xi was visibly surprised.

"I'm traveling to HK on business." Su Hang clarified.

"So fast. Have you already booked the tickets?" Shen Xi asked.

"Nn." Su Hang nodded.

Shen Xi couldn't remember the last time Su Hang talked to her about such trips, but she remembers being relived whenever such trips happened. After all, being with Su Hang was often an awkward affair.

But now, Shen Xi felt that it was a little strange. He left his new wife to go on a business trip only a day after their wedding? She can't help but doubt if Su Hang actually did like her. However, her upbringing and modesty as a woman made it impossible for Shen Xi to directly ask him. It was also entirely possible that due to their hasty preparations for their wedding, Su Hang could've arranged this meeting long before they actually agreed to get married. So in the end, Shen Xi could only ask: "How many days will you be gone?"

"One week." Su Hang answered.

"Is everything prepared and ready?" Shen Xi asked again.

"I've packed." Su Hang nodded.

"..." Shen Xi felt like there was nothing else to say, so she dryly said: "I wish you all the best."

"Thank you." Disappointment flashed in Su Hang's eyes. Sure enough, Shen Xi didn't feel any reluctance from his departure, not even just a tiny sense of dissatisfaction.

The car picking up Su Hang had already been waiting for a while outside. When Su Hang walked towards the front door with his suitcase in tow, Shen Xi followed, wanting to walk him to the car. But Su Hang held her back, saying: "It's cold outside, so you don't need to go out."

November's weather had always been temperamental, and when Su Hang got out of bed today, he saw frost on the lawn outside.

Shen Xi's feet stopped at his words. She felt embarrassed. She couldn't tell if Su Hang's words meant polite rejection or considerate concern. Shen Xi had always been an introverted and gentle girl. She had never been the type to take the initiative, especially towards things like feelings.

What's more, their marriage was based on mutual benefit. She was afraid that becoming too eager will make Su Hang think that she was the kind of woman who wanted to nitpick on things and take control of his life. Her pride would never allow her to do so.

(T/N: the Chinese used here means to lose money instead of being paid [i.e. should pay me, but is actually taking my money] so like, Shen Xi is afraid of acting like Su Hang owes her something when in the first place, this marriage was for her family's benefit.)

The reborn Shen Xi began to doubt the authenticity of Li QingYiuan's words once more. Did Su Hang actually like her? If that really was the case...why does he always keep his distance and treat her politely, like one would a stranger?

"Ah, sir forgot his scarf." Mrs. Zhang, who had been cleaning, suddenly came out with a black cashmere scarf, hurrying to the front door.

"Mrs. Zhang," Shen Xi hesitated for a moment, but then continued: "Give me the scarf, I'll give it to him."

"Ah, the 'Wife delivering a scarf to the Husband' routine? What a good feeling, yes, yes, here you go." Mrs. Zheng happily handed the scarf to Shen Xi then returned to her cleaning.

Shen Xi quickly walked out of the front door with the scarf and saw Su Hang already in the car. Shen Xi was afraid that the car would start to drive away, so she shouted out: "Su Hang!"

Su Hang, who was about to close the car door, turned his head to see Shen Xi running towards him, wearing nothing but thin clothes. He hurriedly opened the door to meet her.

"What happened?" Su Hang's mind raced, thinking that something had happened.

"Your scarf, Mrs. Zhang said you forgot to take it." Shen Xi smiled and raised her hand, showing him the black scarf.

"..." Su Hang looked at the scarf that Shen Xi held, a complicated expression on his face.

When Shen Xi saw that Su Hang remained silent, she bit her lip, then went on her tiptoes to wrap the scarf around Su Hang's neck. Under Su Hang's surprised (who was actually scared silly) gaze, Shen Xi smiled and said: "Have a pleasant journey. And come back soon, alright?"

"Nn." The astounded Su Hang nodded.

"Then go on, you might miss your plane." Shen Xi said.

Su Hang went back into the car, and Shen Xi continued to wait outside, rubbing her cold hands, right until the car drove past the villa gate.

Inside the car, Su Hang stupidly clutched at the scarf around his neck, completely motionless.

"President Su, President Su..." The driver had been calling out to him for a while now, and had no choice but to raise his volume.

"Hm?!" Su Hang jolted and seemed to come back to himself.

"President Su, we're here." The driver already took out his luggage from the trunk and had opened his door.

Su Hang looked down at his watch and found that they only had half an hour left before his plane started boarding. He quickly got off and with his luggage, went to the waiting room with his secretary, Fang Yu, and his legal adviser, Li QingYuan.

A few minutes later, the plane began boarding. After boarding, Li QingYuan removed his scarf, took off his coat, and leaned back on his chair in the first-class cabin. Sighing comfortably, he turned his head and found that his good pal had taken off his suit jacket, but was still wearing his scarf. Dumbfounded, he asked: "Why are you still wearing a scarf when it's so hot in here?"

"Don't you dare." Su Hang slapped away Li QingYuan's hand that was stretched out towards his scarf.

"Such a strong reaction, did your little lover give it to you?" Li QingYuan joked.

Su Hang gave Li QingYuan a frosty glare, immediately causing him to surrender, saying: "I was wrong, I was wrong, I know you only have Shen Xi in your heart."

Satisfied, Su Hang turned his head and closed his eyes.

"It won't be my fault if people think you have a little sweetheart on the side, I mean, how can you go on a business trip right after your wedding?" Li QingYuan said, before exaggerating: "Shen Xi is probably at home right now, her face covered in tears."

"No way." Su Hang replied with great certainty.

"Well, even if she won't be crying, she'll still be miserable." Li QingYuan analyzed. "Which woman on this earth would be okay with the fact that her husband left on a trip so early in their marriage?"

"She doesn't-"

"I know Shen Xi doesn't like you, but as long as it's a woman, they would definitely be unhappy." Li QingYuan retorted.

Su Hang didn't know whether Li QingYuan's analysis was bullshit or not. This morning, Shen Xi's face didn't show even a trace of unhappiness. If that hadn't been the case, he wouldn't be on this plane.

"I think she needs more time and space." Su Hang said.

"Boss, you're already married, what time? What space? Ah, ah, you're already doomed to die together, just let whatever happens, happen..." the excited Li QingYuan started to persuade him, but he soon sensed a cold glare piercing the side of his head. Seeing such a terrorizing look pointed at him, he immediately backtracked: "I won't say anymore, I won't say anymore."

Li QingYuan sighed, then sulkily muttered: "You're no fun."

After lunch, Shen Xi, who had been reading in the living room, received a call from her best friend Yun Shu, asking her to come to a get-together in 'Cirrus Cloud.' Seeing that she had nothing else to do, Shen Xi packed up and drove to Yun Shu's clubhouse.

When Shen Xi arrived, Yun Shu had already been waiting for quite a while. When she saw Shen Xi, she rushed towards her and wrapped her arms around her friend. Excited, she shouted: "Xiao Xi, It's been so long, I was about to die!"

(T/N: I opted for Xiao Xi instead of Little Xi as it sounds better. Also, Xiao Xi translated as 'small brook' or 'streamlet.' cute.)

Helpless, Shen Xi replied: "We saw each other just the other day."

Yun Shu was Shen Xi's bridesmaid. Calculating the time, it had only been one day since they last saw each other.

"That was different. That was the day you changed from Miss Shen and became Mrs. Su." Yun Shu quipped.

"Whatever you say." Shen Xi replied. "It's cold outside, let's go in first."

"Alright." Yun Shu led Shen Xi inside, then up to the third floor to a VIP box. This clubhouse was opened by Yun Shu, and it didn't take long for it to become one of the top clubhouses in S City. The third floor, which housed the VIP area, had no more than one million membership cards.

(T/N: Clubhouse as in those high-end ones. I think of those mansions with golf and horse-riding and boating and fancy shit. But in the city, so there's probably no horses.)

Probably because it was still in the middle of the day, the third floor was quiet. When they entered, Shen Xi looked around and saw a table with wine and fruit, but no other person. Surprised, Shen Xi asked: "Just the two of us today?"

"Yep, so we can get super drunk and make a night of it!" Yun Shu poured her a glass of red wine. Shen Xi took a glass, and smiled, asking: "How'd you know I suddenly had the urge to drink?"

"Drink up first." Yun Shu raised her glass and drank the wine like a shot, while Shen Xi looked down at her glass and took a small sip.

"Why'd you take such a small sip? Come on, drink it all." Discontent, Yun Shu complained.

"You know I don't like to drink a lot." Shen Xi said helplessly.

"Why are you so unreasonable, arrghhhh..." Despite being brought up as a proper lady, Yun Shu had a tendency to be ruthless at times.

"Do you have anything to say to me?" Shen Xi wasn't angry. She put down her glass and looked at her unusual friend.

Yun Shu poured herself another glass of wine, the looked at Shen Xi to ask: "I heard Su Hang went to HK?"

Shen Xi nodded. "Yes, he left this morning. How did you know?"

"Su Hang, that scum man!" Yun Shu suddenly started shouting.

"Yun Shu!" Shen Xi gave her friend a disapproving look.

"You're still protecting him? He went on a business trip just a day after his wedding. What are you doing? What did he do to you?" Yun Shu slammed a hand on the table.

"It's not what you think." Shen Xi started to explain: "You know that to inject funds into the Shen Group as soon as possible, the wedding preparations were done in haste. This business trip was planned long before any of that happened, so Su Hang couldn't put it off."

"That's no excuse!" Yun Shu retorted. "What's going to happen now that he left like this? Do you know what people are saying about you? The moment Su Hang stepped on that plane, countless rumors started circulating, saying that...that..."

"I know." Shen Xi had heard a few in her last life.

"And you're still smiling?" When Yun Shu first heard the rumors, she almost exploded in anger.

"Because they're not true. Su Hang is really good to me. And this business trip really was planned a long time ago." Shen Xi explained to her friend. "He discussed it with me before he left."

"He's kind to you?" Yun Shu questioned.

"Very kind." Shen Xi confirmed.

"Well...then...do you..." Yun Shu hesitantly started.

"What?" Shen Xi tilted her head as she listened to her friend's vague words.

"Howisheinbed?" Yun Shu asked in one breath.

Suddenly Shen Xi, who caught very much off guard, turned bright red.

"What are you shy about, ah? I'm asking you." Yun Shu shuffled closer to Shen Xi.

"Still...not yet.." Not in this life anyway, and her last life shouldn't count.

"No?" Then how can you say he's good to you?" Yun Shu was in disbelief.

"This and that are two different things." Shen Xi was very embarrassed.

"How are they different, you're married to him. Such a beautiful girl lives with him, and he doesn't even touch you. How is that not a problem?" Yun Shu started to speculate.

"He's fine." Shen Xi quickly defended Su Hang.

"How do you know?" Yun Shu squinted at her best friend.

"I just do." Shen Xi blushed harder, Yun Shu's words reminding her of her past life. Su Hang, who had always been the silent type, would change into a different person in bed. His broad and powerful body would be relentless, and they would do it all night. The shy Shen Xi could only hang on, and would often end up biting Su Hang's shoulders, leaving marks.

"Then why doesn't he touch you?" Yun Shu asked.

"Its...He's trying to give me some time to adapt and get used to things." This was the only reasonable answer the reborn Shen Xi could think of.

"So, in your opinion, he's a gentleman." Yun Shu couldn't believe it.

But well, it was true. Apart from being a bit overbearing in bed, he had been a gentleman in the past five years of their marriage.

Chapter 7

You Deserve to be Admired

Shen Xi and Yun Shu continued to chat all afternoon. Because of this, Shen Xi's memories of five years ago became a little clearer. For example, she was currently interested in opening a contemporary coffee shop in S City as there were only eight chain stores right now. For example, Yun Shu's future husband has yet to return from abroad, so she was still single.

"Come on, let's go to my restaurant for dinner." Yun Shu looked at the time, then stood up. "I just changed one of my cooks some time ago. I'll take you to try their dishes."

"Alright." The delicacies in Cirrus Cloud were one of its brightest highlights. Their western meals were better than most Michelin restaurants.

When they left the room, they saw several waiters carrying wine and fruit plates past the corridor. It was obvious that other guests have arrived.

"Your membership fees for the third floor are so high. Do you have members that can rent out several rooms at once?" Shen Xi asked, curious.

"One or two." Yun Shu replied.

"And it's fine for us to use one of the rooms anyway?"

"It's my place." Yun Shu shrugged indifferently.

Shen Xi smiled and no longer spoke. They continued to walk towards the elevator. Just when they were almost halfway past the corridor, Shen Xi suddenly heard someone say her name.

Shen Xi stopped and looked around. She was standing right in front of a door and found that someone was saying her name from inside.

"Su MingLi, I heard that your brother doesn't like Shen Xi?" A young girl's voice sounded out.

"Who are you calling my brother? My mother gave birth to me, but she didn't give birth to any son." A 20-year-old girl dressed in luxury brands impatiently replied. She was the eldest daughter of the Su family, Miss Su MingLi, Su Hang's half-sister.

"You still refuse to acknowledge him, even after your father gave him the entire Su Group?" A yellow-haired boy answered.

"If I acknowledged him, I don't know what that illegitimate bastard would do." Su MingLi's expression was full of disgust. "Do you know, when my father first found him, he was picking up garbage in the slums, dressed in dirty clothes and pushing a broken tricycle that was covered in water bottles and cardboard boxes from the trash. So disgusting."

"Ew..." Several voices shouted their disgust.

"What's even funnier was that when father said he wanted to take him away, that stinky person insisted on selling his crap first. Guess how much money he got." Su MingLi asked.

"How much?" Someone asked.

"$14.80. The garbage man said he didn't have five cents change so he was five cents short, hahaha...I just laughed to death."

Another person was laughing along with her in the room.

"But now it's different. Now even my father can't stop praising Su Hang." Some people in the room disagreed.

"No matter how big he is now, he'll never be able to change the fact that he used to be a filthy beggar." Su MingLi smirked. "Why do you think he married Shen Xi? She's a well-known young lady in our circles. Being a lowborn, he wanted a woman of good birth and humble background to bury his past. He's probably thinking that he can escape being a frog if he married a princess. Unfortunately, Shen Xi is now nothing but a fallen phoenix.

"According to you, Su Hang doesn't like Shen Xi at all?" The yellow-haired boy asked.

"No wonder Su Hang went on a business trip."

"It's only been a couple of days since they got married, be he turns around and goes on a business trip?"

"Sister Shen Xi is really pitiful."

"Think you can still tolerate the rumours?" Yun Shu asked incredulously. "If you're not barging in there, I will!"

Shen Xi stopped the rampaging Yun Shu, then pushed the door open and walked straight up towards Su MingLi.

The elite circle in S City wasn't big so they were all familiar with each other from the various parties they attended. Besides, the Shen family was one of the top five richest before their fall so no one in the room didn't know what Shen Xi looked like. When she suddenly entered the room, several people shrank inwardly and didn't dare say anymore. The previously rowdy room instantly quieted down.

"Shen...you...what are you planning on doing?" Su MingLi had never expected to meet Shen Xi here. She figured that what she had just said was most likely heard by Shen Xi, so she started to feel a little guilty.

"While you open your mouth and laugh at Su Hang in front of outsiders, have you forgotten that what you eat, wear, and use is money made by Su Hang?" Shen Xi asked.

"That's my company, when have I spent Su Hang's money?" Su MingLi angrily refuted.

"If I remember correctly, Su Hang owns 51% of Su Group shares while you only have 8%." Shen Xi quipped. "Every penny you own is a dividend from Su Hang. If you really hate Su Hang why don't you sell your shares and leave altogether?"

"Why do I have to sell them? The Su Group has always been mine." Su MingLi stubbornly said.

"The Su Group is yours?" Shen Xi laughed. "Your friends are all here, go on and ask them if Su Group is really yours."

Silence reigned in the room, with no one speaking.

"You...why do you care about this?" Su MingLi furiously asked. "If you're nitpicking about me getting dividends, then how about you? You sold yourself for some capital. What princess, all I see is a prostitute. Do you actually think that Su Hang likes you?"

Wow...

Shen Xi picked up a glass on the table then threw its contents at Su MingLi's face. There were shocked cries and even Yun Shu was stunned.

"You dare splash me?" Su MingLi completely lost it. She jumped up and reached out towards Shen Xi's face. Shen Xi calmly raised her hand and grasped Su MingLi's outstretched hand. She then pulled and threw her directly to the ground.

"Whether Su Hang likes me or not isn't important. But don't you dare insult my husband in front of me." Shen Xi looked down at Su MingLi. "Understand?"

"You..." Su MingLi was about to stand back up when Shen Xi lifted another glass full of wine. Su MingLi was instantly scared silly.

"Understand?" Shen Xi looked down at her with a terribly cold expression.

Su MingLi didn't answer, but her face was full of panic.

"It looks like you've understood." Shen Xi put down the glass. "As long as the Shen family continues, I will stay as the eldest lady of the Shen family. But the moment Su Hang took charge of the Su Group, you ceased to be Miss Su of the Su family. So pay attention to what you say in the future."

(T/N: I think what she means is that since she's the only Shen heir, no matter what, she'll inherit the Shen Group business. But with Su MingLi, the heir is Su Hang. So the business will go to his future children. So no matter what, Su MingLi is no longer the 'first lady' of Su Group [That's Shen Xi for marrying Su Hang].)

After saying this, Shen Xi turned around and elegantly left the room.

This was the first time Yun Shu had ever seen her girlfriend be so badass. She was frozen for a few seconds before she managed to rush out. She caught up to her friend and excitedly said: "You were so cool just now! I never expected the gentle you would be so frightening when mad."

"Really?"

"Yeah, Su MingLi was scared silly!" Yun Shu looked at Shen Xi's still cold expression and said: "You were really angry. That was the first time I've ever seen you so mad."

"I know that people didn't think that my relationship with Su Hang wasn't very good, but I didn't expect Su MingLi to say those things to outsiders." Being so blackened by his own sister, Shen Xi felt a chill down her spine just thinking about it.

"So what you're angry about is Su MingLi insulting Su Hang? Then what's your opinion on Su MingLi's analysis on why Su Hang married you?" Yun Shu was very curious.

"I myself didn't marry Su Hang for love, so it doesn't really matter why Su Hang married me." Shen Xi replied.

Yun Shu knew this to be the truth, but when she heard it directly from Shen Xi's mouth, she felt an indescribable sadness for her friend.

"But his reasons for marrying me is certainly not what Su MingLi thinks." Shen Xi affirmed. "Su Hang is an excellent man all on his own. He doesn't need anyone else to be recognized."

Yun Shu widened her eyes in surprise, feeling that Shen Xi's words were somewhat interesting. It seems that Shen Xi acknowledges Su Hang?

At the entrance of a five-star hotel in HK.

Su Hang and his group just finished a business dinner and returned to their hotel. Li QingYuan pulled at his tie and complained to Su Hang: "That Chief is always so difficult. We hardly made any progress today."

"Both companies are just feeling out the other." Su Hang replied.

Fang Yu sent the driver on his way and said: "Boss, I ordered some snacks from the hotel restaurant."

"Great! Even after all that food, after all that posturing, my stomach is empty." Li QingYuan took the lead and walked towards the restaurant.

After eating a midnight snack, Su Hang stared out to the window, towards the eye-catching electronic billboard across the road.

Li QingYuan noticed this and said: "Isn't that a famous actress in HK? Monica? Took a fancy to her?"

Su Hang turned and looked at him coldly.

"Don't look at me like that. You've been staring at that screen for more than ten minutes. If you're not looking at the actress, don't tell me you've been looking at the jewellery she's advertising?"

Fang Yu glanced up towards his Boss and Lawyer Li. He couldn't help but admire the courageous lawyer for daring to talk to the Boss like this.

"If you miss Shen Xi that much, then just do buy it already." Li QingYuan moaned.

"...Boss, Mr. Li, I'll be returning to my room. Please enjoy the rest of your meals." Fang Yu, the wonderfully tactful and sensible man that he was, took his leave.

Su Hang was silent for a long while before saying: "I don't know how to give it to her."

"Just give it to her directly, how complicated does it have to be?" Li QingYuan wondered.

"It would be weird," Su Hang explained, "She'll probably ask me why I gave it to her..."

"It's so simple: just say that when you saw the jewelry, you thought it was as beautiful as her. So you bought it especially for her." Li QingYuan put forward his first script.

"disgusting!" Su Hang commented.

"How is it disgusting, ah?" Li QingYuan fervently explained. "Women like to hear those types of things, the sappier the better."

"Something else." Su Hang remained ungrateful.

"Then why don't you say..." Li QingYuan then put forward script number two: "It's an apology gift since you suddenly went out on a business trip."

"Doesn't that sound too deliberate?' Su Hang frowned.

"Brother, of course it's deliberate. Sigh, why don't you just send it to her under someone else's name? Pretend that this person found out that she got married recently and decided to send her a wedding gift."

"That's good." Su Hang was finally satisfied and left the restaurant.

Li QingYuan looked at Su Hang's retreating figure, his three views destroyed.

"I was kidding! don't take it seriously!" Li QingYuan stabbed a piece of bread with a fork and couldn't help but bemoan: "So stupid, he's just trying to give his wife a gift, why does he need to think of so many excuses, acting like some secret admirer."

Chapter 08

Madam is Ill

Bark! Bark! Bark!

Shen Xi woke up from a deep sleep when she heard the barking of a dog. She turned her head and looked at her bedside. As expected, she saw Chu Wu sitting close by.

"Arf!" The first thing Shen Xi sees when she woke up was Chu Wu wagging his tail at her.

"Chu Wu, how'd you get in?" Shen Xi sat up in a daze. She felt a little off, and her head seemed heavy. Shen Xi took her phone from the bedside table to check the time and found that it was already 10:00 a.m. in the morning.

Jolting, she suddenly said out loud: "How come I've slept so long?"

Shen Xi rubbed her forehead and walked to the bathroom to wash her face. Afterward, she wore a big shawl and went downstairs with Chu Wu.

Mrs. Zhang, who had been cleaning the living room, saw the happy Chu Wu running downstairs, followed by Shen Xi. Nervous, she apologized: "Madam, did Chu Wu wake you up? I'm sorry I didn't keep an eye on him and accidentally let him run in."

"It's alright. I needed to get up anyway." Shen Xi replied with a smile.

"Madam, are you feeling unwell?" Noticing Shen Xi's lethargic behavior, Mrs. Zhang asked Shen Xi about her health.

"Maybe I drank too much and exposed myself to the cold wind yesterday. It's probably just a small cold." Shen Xi went to sit on the sofa, with Chu Wu running towards her and sitting next to her feet. With a smile, Shen Xi reached out and touched Chu Wu's head.

"Do you want to go to the hospital to check?" Mrs. Zhang asked.

"No, No, there's no need to go to that much trouble. Do we have any cold medicine? I'll just take a tablet and sleep some more." Shen Xi replied.

"Oh, yes, there's some powdered medicine. I'll go get it now." Mrs. Zhang went out of the living room and came back with a medicine box. Taking out the box of cold medicine, she put it in some water and then gave the cup to Shen Xi.

"Thank you." Shen Xi took a sip.

"Madam, I'll go cook you some porridge." Mrs. Zhang said, "People with colds usually don't have appetites, but you have to eat."

"Sorry for the trouble, Mrs. Zhang." Shen Xi thanked her with a smile.

"It's no trouble, no trouble. It's what I should be doing." Flattered, Mrs. Zhang waved her comments away and went into the kitchen to cook some porridge.

Because of her cold, Shen Xi had no strength. But she didn't want to sleep again, so Shen Xi simply nested on the sofa, drinking her medicine as she patted Chu Wu and watched the news together.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Zhang placed a pot on the stove and after the water boiled, she lowered the flame. While she waited for the porridge to cook, Mrs. Zhang was afraid that Shen Xi was getting hungry, so she brought out a few snacks for Shen Xi to eat.

"Mrs. Zhang, you're very considerate." Shen Xi couldn't help but say.

"Madam, you're being too kind. Isn't this what I should be doing?" Mrs. Zhang smiled.

"When did you start working here Mrs. Zhang?" Truthfully, Shen Xi knew that Mrs. Zhang came to work here a year ago. However, they haven't spent a lot of time together yet, so she pretended to not know.

"I've been here for about a year." As she answered Shen Xi's questions, Mrs. Zhang wiped the table with a rag.

"Do you like working here?"

"I'm used to it, and I like it. Mr. Su is nice and I get well-paid. I start at 9:00 a.m. and I can be home by dinner. I don't have long work hours and I can go home and tuck my children to bed at night." Mrs. Zhang's huge smile showed that she clearly liked her job.

"9:00 a.m.? But you've been coming in earlier than that these past two days." Shen Xi noted.

"That's because you're here Madam. Before getting married, Mr. Su usually just bought his breakfast outside, so I didn't need to make breakfast. But when you arrived, things became different. Sir stayed at home and had breakfast with you instead. So now, I usually make breakfast."

"Doesn't that increase your workload?" Shen Xi worriedly asked.

"Well, I should be on call 24 hours a day with the salary your husband usually gives me. Making breakfast isn't a hard thing to do, and Mr. Su even recently increased my salary by 1000 yuan."

"But don't you need to get up very early every day?" Shen Xi asked.

"My house isn't that far from here, just half an hour by car." Mrs. Zhang answered with a smile. "I can also buy my breakfast on the way."

"Is that the neighborhood next to GuangMing Road?" Shen Xi thought about the surrounding area and if there were any cheap houses nearby for rent.

"Why yes, you seem to know the area well, Madam." Mrs. Zhang commented, somewhat surprised.

"I've passed by once or twice." Shen Xi said with a smile.

"Madam, let me tell you, I've worked as a nanny and maid for a lot of people and met many rich bosses, but this is the first time I've encountered people like you and your husband." Mrs. Zhang found that Shen Xi wasn't arrogant and was willing to chat, so she couldn't help but warm up to her.

"What do you mean?" Shen Xi asked, curious.

"I mean good people." Mrs. Zhang boasted. "You see, all the people I worked for are rich people. These people are used to having people at their beck and call and have quite a temper. If I'm too chatty or a little bit slow, they immediately go to my company and complain about me. But look at you, you've been very kind and how many times have you said 'thank you' just this morning!"

Shen Xi smiled but didn't reply.

"And Mr. Su, although he doesn't speak much, he's very considerate and doesn't hesitate to help other people, especially when in danger." Mrs. Zhang said. "It's rare nowadays to find such a good man."

"Why do you say that?" Shen Xi wondered.

"You can tell by how this house is decorated." Mrs. Zhang said. "I've been working here for a year, and I can count in one hand the times I've seen your husband. He's always so busy, and every time I cook dinner, I often see it on the table untouched the next day. But when he redecorated the house for your arrival, your husband came home every afternoon for a week to look at the progress himself."

"This house..." Shen Xi was stunned.

"Yes, this house was redecorated half a month ago. The furniture and curtains have been changed from top to bottom." Mrs. Zhang said. "In fact, the previous decorations were still quite new and still looked fine, but Madam...Mr. Su said that you preferred warmer tones so he changed everything."

"And I say, while expensive, the end result looks really good. In our old house, there was a formaldehyde smell that lingered for the longest time whenever we finished repainting a room. But see here, you can't smell a thing." After all this, Mrs. Zhang suddenly realized that Shen Xi had stopped talking. Nervous that she might've talked too much, she said: "Oh, I'm sorry Madam, I nag a lot more now that I'm old. I've said too much."

"It's alright." Shen quickly said. "I have to thank you, I never knew that this happened."

"Sir didn't tell you! What a real gentleman. He says too little, but he's such a good man, definitely someone you can rely on." Mrs. Zhang spoke highly of Mr. Su.

Shen Xi smiled but didn't speak.

"Ah, it's been a while, I'll go ahead and check if the porridge is ready." Mrs. Zhang went to the kitchen and brought out a bowl of cooked porridge.

In her last life, Shen Xi had been too busy trying to adapt to married life. She hadn't been in the best of moods and didn't communicate with Mrs. Zhang all that much. Although she gradually became familiar with her, Mrs. Zhang had never talked to her like this before.

Redecorating the house...even after two lives, Shen Xi never knew that such a thing happened. Now that she thought about it, Shen Xi did feel that the style of the house was somewhat familiar. It felt so comfortable that she never even noticed it.

Perhaps in her last life, the person who was trying to adapt had actually been Su Hang.

By noon, Shen Xi had only eaten a few handfuls of rice. In the end, she drank another cup of cold medicine and went upstairs to take a nap.

After deliberating things, Mrs. Zhang couldn't help but call Su Hang.

Meanwhile, Su Hang was in the middle of a conference, negotiating with the other company, when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He took out his phone and found the caller to be his home phone. Su Hang's eyes suddenly lit up and with an apology, he quickly left the room to answer the call.

Seeing Su Hang suddenly leave, Li QingYuan quickly took over the conversation with the other party's boss and continued the negotiations.

Su Hang walked into the hallway and answered: "Hello."

"Sir, this is Mrs. Zhang."

"Mrs. Zhang? What's the matter?" At this, the light in Su Hang's eyes dimmed.

"Before you went on your business trip, you said that if anything happened to Madam to tell you. So I'm just reporting that she's sick." Mrs. Zhang said.

"Sick? Is it serious?" Su Hang immediately tensed.

"No, It's not serious, just a small cold." Mrs. Zhang replied.

"Has she seen a doctor yet?" Su Hang asked.

"Madam said it wasn't anything serious and that she didn't need to see a doctor. She's now sleeping upstairs after taking some cold medicine." Mrs. Zhang continued, "She didn't have much of an appetite and only ate a few spoonfuls of rice at noon."

Su Hang frowned. "Alright, thank you, Mrs. Zhang."

Mrs. Zhang hung up, shocked. This was the first time Mr. Su had ever thanked her so solemnly.

Su Hang looked down at his watch and saw that it was 2:00 p.m. He went back into the conference room and talked for a few more minutes before making the excuse of fixing a few more details to their plans and ended the meeting.

When they walked out of the building, Li QingYuan couldn't help but ask: "The meeting was going great and the plans we wrote were well within the other party's accepted range. Why do we need to fix it again?"

"No need to fix it." Su Hang said.

"What? Then why'd you say we were going to fix it just now?" Li QingYuan didn't understand.

"I just wanted to finish the meeting ahead of time."

"Why?" Li QingYuan became even more puzzled.

"I want to go back to S City." Su Hang said, "Tomorrow will still go ahead as planned, just talk with Fang Yu."

"You're putting me in charge?" Li QingYuan was shocked.

Su Hang ignored his question and turned towards Fang Yu. "I'm going to head to the airport now, help me book the earliest flight you can get."

"Yes, Boss." Fang Yu immediately nodded.

"Ah..." Li QingYuan wanted to ask him why he suddenly wanted to go back. But before he could even blink, Su Hang was already in a taxi and was speeding away. He could only turn to Fang Yu in amazement. "Do you know why he's such in a hurry to go back?"

Fang Yu shrugged, indicating his confusion.

By 7:00 p.m., Shen Xi had started to cough. Mrs. Zhang looked anxious as she said: "Madam, why don't I stay the night and take care of you."

"No, I'm fine." Shen Xi shook her head.

"...You must remember to eat dinner." Mrs. Zheng still looked conflicted.

"Nn." Shen Xi smiled as she nodded.

In the end, Mrs. Zheng could only leave in distress.

Looking at the hot dishes on the table, Shen Xi reluctantly ate half a bowl of rice. Afterward, she put down her chopsticks and left the table to go back to the sofa.

"Arf!" Seeing Shen Xi, Chu Wu gave a gentle cry.

"Are you worried about me?" Shen Xi rubbed Chu Wu's head with a smile. "I'm OK."

"Arf!" Chu Wu gave another soft bark.

"Why don't we see a movie together." Shen Xi took the iPad from the coffee table and started a movie to watch together.

Maybe the cold medicine finally worked, or maybe she was just tired. Halfway through the movie, Shen Xi slowly fell asleep. Chu Wu lay by Shen Xi's feet, silently guarding her.

About ten minutes later, a taxi that had been speeding from the airport stopped outside the villa.

Chapter 9

I Know You Care About Me

When he flew back from HK, Su Hang didn't bring anything with him except for the clothes on his back and the items in his suitcase. He came back in a great hurry. Su Hang just wanted to go home and see Shen Xi. But now that he was standing in front of their familiar gate, looking at the light coming out from the windows, he suddenly felt a little timid.

The lights were still on. Was Shen Xi still up? She would probably be surprised to see him. Or will she ask him why he came back all of a sudden? How should he answer?

But no matter how anxious and uneasy he felt, his need to see Shen Xi right this instant surpassed all his misgivings. Su Hang took out his keys and opened the front door.

In the warm living room, Shen Xi was soundly asleep on the sofa. But Chu Wu, who had been lying next to her, suddenly pricked up his ears.

Click.

Hearing the sound of the door opening, Chu Wu leaped up from the sofa and walked a few steps towards the door, his eyes alert. With his hind legs bent, Chu Wu growled low. But when the front door finally opened, Chu Wu smelled the familiar scent of Su Hang, and his eyes became peaceful. He began to pant softly, and his tail started to sway back and forth.

As Su Hang closed the front door, he saw Chu Wu wagging his tail happily. Following the sound of the unfinished movie, they both slowly walked towards the sofa. There, Su Hang saw Shen Xi wrapped in a beige blanket, sleeping soundly.

Shen Xi seemed to be sleeping very well. His cheeks were tinged with a faint red, and her soft hair was hanging down her face. It rose and fell every time Shen Xi took a breath. Su Hang squatted down and reached out to help lift her hair off her face. It was just that his fingers were too cold. Just as they touched Shen Xi's cheek, she murmured out uncomfortably.

Su Hang quickly pulled back his hand, thinking that Shen Xi was waking up. He looked at her, nervous, but after waiting a while, Shen Xi didn't wake and continued to sleep quietly. The tense Su Hang gradually relaxed, then thought about the heat he felt when he had briefly touched Shen Xi. He became worried.

Did she have a fever? Su Hang wanted to reach out again and try to feel Shen Xi's forehead, but he was afraid that he might wake her. Su Hang got up in a hurry and went to fetch the medicine box. He opened it and took out an infrared thermometer. He tested Shen Xi and saw that her temperature was normal. Su Hang sighed in relief.

He put down the thermometer, then bent down. After securing the blanket wrapped around Shen Xi, Su Hang picked her up and slowly walked up the stairs.

"Woo?" Seeing Father suddenly take Mother away, Chu Wu made a confused sound. But in the end, he obediently laid back down on the carpet.

Su Hang gently placed Shen Xi on the master bed. He pulled the quilt up to cover her properly, then sat on the bed, dazedly staring at Shen Xi's sleeping figure like a fool.

He didn't know how long he sat there in the dim light, but Su Hang startled when Shen Xi's body turned towards him, causing one of her hands to emerge from the quilt.

Su Hang was afraid that she might get cold, so he reached for Shen Xi's exposed hand, wanting to put it back under the quilt again. But just as Su Hang was about to touch her, he hesitated. His gaze fell to Shen Xi's slender fingers. There lay the wedding ring he had put on her.

As if possessed, Su Hang raised his left hand and gently placed it beside Shin Xi's.

It was a picture he's seen before. It looked exactly like a poster he had happened to pass- two hands, a pair of wedding rings. Beautiful and harmonious.

Su Hang's fingers moved until they touched Shen Xi's. Carefully at first, before becoming bolder. Greedy, Su Hang moved his hand until it rested below Shen Xi's open hand. Then, he lowered his head, giving the back of Shen Xi's hand a soft kiss.

When Su Hang came back downstairs, the warmth of Shen Xi's hand still lingered on his lips.

When Chu Wu saw his father come back down, he stood up again, his tail wagging.

Su Hang bent down and gently rubbed Chu Wu's head. With a big smile, he said: "Chu Wu, did you accompany Mother the whole day?"

Chu Wu didn't understand his father's words, but he knew he was being praised, so his tail wagging cheerfully sped up.

"Good Boy!" Su Hang exclaimed.

Chu Wu merrily wagged his tail.

Su Hang patted Chu Wu for a few more minutes before finally going to his room to rest.

After a good night's sleep, Shen Xi woke up and habitually looked around for her phone. But after searching her bed, she couldn't find it. Puzzled, Shen Xi eventually gave up and left the room.

"Madam, you're awake." Mrs. Zhang saw Shen Xi walk downstairs and concerned, asked her: "Is your cold better yet?"

"I'm feeling much better." When Shen Xi woke up this morning, she felt normal. It seems that yesterday's medicine worked.

"I still hear a little hoarseness in your voice. Why'd you wear so little? Quickly put this on." Mrs. Zhang picked up the shawl Shen Xi had left on the sofa last night, and helped her put it on.

"Thank you." Shen Xi said.

"Take a seat first, Madam. I'll go and heat up some breakfast for you." Mrs. Zhang nodded, then went to the kitchen.

Shen Xi sat on the sofa, her gaze casually sweeping across the coffee table. Noticing her iPad, last night's memories started to come back to her. Shen Xi vaguely remembered watching a movie with Chu Wu last night, drinking some more medicine, then getting sleepy.

So how come she woke up in her bedroom?

"Madam, come and eat breakfast." Finished, Mrs. Zhang shouted out.

Shen Xi put her doubts aside and walked to the dining table. Looking at the sumptuous breakfast spread on the table, Shen Xi said: "Mrs. Zhang, you don't need to prepare so much next time, I don't think I can finish this."

"Oh, how can two people not finish that?" As she spoke, Mrs. Zhang took out two clean dishes and placed them on both sides of the table.

"Su Hang is back?" Shen Xi asked as she looked at the two bowls and two pairs of chopsticks on the table.

"Yes. It seems that he came back last night." Mrs. Zhang replied with a smile.

"Where is he then?" Shen Xi looked around the room.

"Playing outside with Chu Wu." Mrs. Zhang answered. "Sir said he would wait for you to get up first, then eat breakfast together. I'll go get him now."

Shen Xi watched Mrs. Zhang leave towards the backyard. She had just been wondering how she had gotten to bed, and now it seems she had her answer.

"Woof, woof, woof!"

Chu Wu ran in the kitchen, past the table and chairs, to circle around Shen Xi. As he went round and round, Shen Xi couldn't help but laugh, finding the dog to be extremely cute.

"Morning." Su Hang, dressed in sportswear, pulled out the chair opposite Shen Xi and sat down.

"Morning." Shen Xi greeted him back and sat down.

After saying their greetings, Su Hang looked down and busied himself in his food. Shen Xi ate two mouthfuls of porridge, poked at the bottom of the bowl with her spoon, then broke the silence. "When did you come back?"

"Last night." Su Hang replied.

"Thank you."

Shen Xi suddenly thanked Su Hang. He was surprised at her sudden thanks and looked up, puzzled.

"You carried me up last night. Thank you." Shen Xi thanked him again.

Shen Xi's mouth curved, and her beautiful eyes twinkled, causing Su Hang's heart to itch.

"In the future...don't sleep in the living room." Su Hang bowed his head, his words of concern becoming a little blunt due to his bewilderment. Realizing his tone wasn't very good, Su Hang couldn't help but panic.

"Uh..." Shen Xi blinked, a little stunned. It took a while for her to reply. "Alright."

"I didn't mean it like that." Su Hang quickly tried to clarify.

"I know. You're just concerned about me." Shen Xi looked at the obviously panicked Su Hang trying to explain. For some reason, Shen Xi found it funny and couldn't help chuckling.

Su Hang was stunned, then lowered his head. He awkwardly continued to eat.

"By the way, why are you back so soon?" Shen Xi asked.

Ah, she asked.

"Things were going better than expected, so I came home ahead of time." This was the answer Su Hang had come up with just this morning.

"Oh." It seems that she just couldn't find a good topic to talk about. Shen Xi bit her lip, a little discouraged, and went back to eating.

And so breakfast still ended in silence as usual. After breakfast, Shen Xi and Chu Wu sat in the living room to play, while Su Hang went into his study to work. This continued until 10:00 a.m., when Mrs. Zhang gave Shen Xi a glass of water and some cold medicine.

Shen Xi accepted the cold medicine and realized that colds were contagious. She said: "Mrs. Zhang, please give my husband a cup of indigowoad root.

(T/N: one of those healthy, nourishing plants)

"Madam, are you afraid you might pass your cold on to Sir?" Mrs. Zhang asked with a smile.

Shen Xi awkwardly smiled back and replied: "Please make yourself a cup too, so you don't catch it."

Mrs. Zhang laughed merrily and left to make the drink. Soon, Mrs. Zhang came back to Shen Xi with a cup and at her confused stare, replied: "I'm not allowed in Sir's study."

Not even waiting for Shen Xi to reply, Mrs. Zhang put down the cup and went back into the kitchen to clean up.

Shen Xi opened her mouth, then looked down at the steaming cup on the coffee table. In the end, she helplessly sighed and accepted her fate.

Knock knock.

Su Hang, who had been talking to Li QingYuan via video call, signaled Li QingYuan to stop for a bit. He looked towards the door, and expectant, said: "Please come in."

The door was quietly pushed open, revealing Shen Xi, who was wearing a casual white sweater. Su Hang especially liked what Shen Xi was wearing today. It looked very warm and comfortable.

"I hope I didn't disturb you." Shen Xi whispered.

"No." Su Hang stood up and asked: "What can I do for you?"

"Well..." Shen Xi walked up to Su Hang and put down a cup on his desk. Under Su Hang's surprised eyes, she explained: "It's indigowoad tea. It can prevent colds. Just remember to drink some, I won't bother you anymore."

After saying this, Shen Xi turned, intending to leave the study.

Watching Shen Xi's figure disappearing behind the door, Su Hang's expression became gentle. He took the cup and stared at it for a long time.

"If you don't drink that soon, it's going to get cold." Suddenly, Li QingYuan's unpleasant voice rang out from his laptop.

Su Hang returned to his senses and sat back down on his chair.

"That saw Shen Xi just now? She sounded like she had a cold. So you frantically rushed back home because she had a cold." Li QingYuan guessed. "And she gave you some indigowoad tea. I guess she's afraid she might infect you?"

"Back to the contract details." Su Hang ignored Li QingYuan's teasing tone.

"Didn't I just tell you? The CEO wanted to talk to you directly." Li QingYuan replied.

"Talk to him one more time. If he doesn't agree, then just abandon the co-operation plans." Su Hang said directly. Then, without waiting for Li QingYuan's reply, he promptly closed his laptop.

Su Hang focused on the steaming cup in front of him, a smile slowly forming on his face.

The author has something to say:

Li QingYuan: What are you staring at, quickly drink it.

Su Hang: I don't want to drink it, but I can't just throw it out either.

Li QingYuan: Why?

Su Hang: I want to be infected by Shen Xi's cold, but Shen Xi made this tea for me.

The abused dog Li QingYuan: ...

Chapter 10

Su Hang had been back from HK for two or three days already, but he stayed holed up in his study the entire time, barring mealtimes. This made Shen Xi very confused. If he was going to be so busy anyway, why doesn't he go to work in the company?

So after breakfast that day, seeing Su Hang head for his study again, Shen Xi couldn't help but ask: "Is your work particularly busy right now?"

"It's not that bad." After a brief pause, Su Hang replied.

"I feel like you've been in your study all day for the past few days. Wouldn't it be better if you go to the company if things are this busy?"

"It's tolerable." Su Hang sounded like he had been wronged.

"Er..."

"There's no need to go to the company." Su Hang stubbornly said.

Shen Xi was startled as she looked at Su Hang. She wasn't sure if she had hallucinated it, but she swore that Su Hang's eyes looked just like Chu Wu for a second there.

"Alright." For some reason, an unprovoked sense of guilt rose from Shen Xi's heart. She felt like she had just bullied someone just now.

Su Hang pursed his lips as he awkwardly stood there. He had intended to go to his study, but after Shen Xi's words, he didn't want to go anymore. He looked at Shen Xi, who looked more than a little confused, and suddenly felt fed up with himself. Why is it that he couldn't speak properly when it came to Shen Xi?

Fortunately, today's Shen Xi was a Shen Xi who had been reborn. She was someone who had lived with Su Hang for five years already. This extremely awkward conversation wasn't anything new to her. In the past, Shen Xi would silently walk away whenever she encountered this kind of situation, but now, Shen Xi wanted to change get along with Su Hang. So she raised her head and asked him: "Are you free this afternoon?"

"Huh?" Su Hang looked at Shen Xi in confusion.

"Are you free this afternoon?" Shen Xi repeated with a smile.

"Yes." Su Hang nodded his head with certainty. That is, even if he wasn't, he'd make it so that he was free. This was something Su Hang conveniently left out.

"Mrs. Zhang reminded me this morning that all the gifts we received on our wedding are still piled up and unopened in the upstairs guest room." Shen Xi said. "If you have some time later, let's go have a look so Mrs. Zhang can clean up."

"Alright." Su Hang nodded.

"We can do it after lunch." Shen Xi suggested.

"Nn." When Su Hang turned around to leave, there was a faint smile on his lips.

When Mrs. Zhang came out of the kitchen with a rag in her hand, she happened to see Su Hang, who was heading to his study. She was about to say hello, but Su Hang nodded to her first. A surprised Mrs. Zhang walked to the dining table and started tidying up. While she did so, she couldn't help but chat with Shen Xi. "Sir looks very happy today."

"Oh?" Shen Xi casually commented as her gaze drifted towards the direction of the study.

"Yes, I just saw him smiling. I've been here for more than a year, but I've only ever seen him smile twice." Mrs. Zhang replied.

"When was the other time?" Shen Xi asked.

"It was on your wedding day. That morning, Sir had a smile on, the entire time." Mrs. Zhang answered.

Shen Xi looked down at the ring on her hand, her expression thoughtful.

Meanwhile, a certain someone who claimed he was busy with work was currently leaning on his chair with a silly expression, his computer not even turned on. After a while, his smile twisted, and with a wrinkled brow and annoyed expression, he dropped his head and hit his desk with a slam.

"Su Hang, what are you going to do? You need to get a hold of yourself." The angel and demon sitting on Su Hang's shoulders began to fight.

"You're married now, she's your wife. Such thoughts are normal." The devil seduced.

"But didn't you marry her to help her? You shouldn't take advantage of the situation." The angel warned.

"Then why didn't you make it clear that this is nothing but a fake marriage? That you'd just wait for the Shen Group to recover, then divorce her?" The devil replied. "You didn't explain because you selfishly desire more."

"But Shen Xi doesn't like you. Didn't you know this from the start?" The angel argued. "Are you really capable of forcing Shen Xi?"

"She agreed to marry you even when she didn't need to. She agreed to accept you. And isn't she being kind to you? Maybe she likes you too?" The devil said.

"Oh, well, if Shen Xi likes you, then there's no issue." Surprisingly, the angel and demon had come to an agreement.

Su Hang hit the desk with his head again. He knew that the longer he stayed with Shen Xi, the more his selfishness would grow. He would eventually lose control.

These past few days they spent living together, Shen Xi kept bombarding him with her kindness. She smiled at him, talked to him, and cared for him. All this made Su Hang delusional. He couldn't help thinking that maybe Shen Xi liked him.

How can he have such a ridiculous thought? He knew that Shen Xi was like this because of her upbringing. She was a kind and polite person ever since she was a child. How can he not be aware of this?

He had been brought back into the Su Family when he turned 18. In this so-called upper-class environment, none of his peers thought much of Su Hang, so he never had any friends. Because no matter how hard one worked, or how great they became, these so-called 'real' noble families would still look down on a person just because of the circumstances of their birth.

Su Hang still remembered the first time he saw Shen Xi after studying abroad. Shen Xi had been wearing a pink dress, and was sitting on a sofa as she chatted with a Miss from the Yun family. Countless young men would approach Shen Xi and invite her to dance. And every time, she would politely refuse them, one by one.

Su BoNian had noticed him staring. Even today, Su Hang still remembered what Su BoNian had said to him in perfect clarity. Su BoNian had said: "That's Shen Xi, part of the Shen family. Most of the most famous families in City S are gathered here tonight, so your future wife is likely one of these little girls."

Su Hang turned his head to look at Su BoNian.

"But don't even think about Shen Xi. Shen HeChuan would never let his baby girl marry an illegitimate son who grew up in an orphanage." Su BoNian said.

Su Hang knew he wasn't an illegitimate child. It was just because the marriage between his mother and Su BoNian hadn't been recognized by these so-called elites that he was labeled so. It was ridiculous.

But when Su Hang took control of Su Group and pressured the company shareholders to rescue the failing Shen Group, Su BoNian laughed. "You look just like me when I went against my grandfather. But this won't end well. You know this."

"Do you think that if you marry Shen Xi, you'll get what you want?" Su BoNian said. "Girls like Shen Xi are proud, down to their very bones. If you marry her this way, she won't appreciate you, much less like you. She'll just think you're some toad trying to eat swan meat. She'll think you forced her to do this, and will probably hate you."

"You should've waited for her to fall even lower, and let reality crush her pride." Su BoNian suggested. "When that happens, she'll willingly attach herself to you."

"I'm not like you." Su Hang coldly answered his father. "Your cowardice made my mother's life miserable, but I would never hurt Shen Xi."

Su BoNian no longer spoke. Instead, he smiled meaningfully, as if he knew that tragedy was inevitable.

Deep down, Su Hang knew that while his father's words were cruel, they were justified. Shen Xi would despise him. Su Hang understood this. Although Shen Xi agreed to marry him for the sake of her family, emotionally, she would be 10,000% unwilling and would be unhappy.

From the very start, Su Hang had been very reluctant to hurt Shen Xi this way. Although he would have the right to do so, he didn't want to pressure Shen Xi into anything. So even before they got married, Su Hang had already planned to refrain from being a real couple with Shen Xi, and would instead focus on helping Shen Group recover. But in the end, he never told Shen Xi of his intentions. When Shen Xi walked towards him under a white veil, when they kissed by the altar, greed and delusion grew in his heart.

What if, he thought. What if Shen Xi could gradually come to like him?

Su Hang decided to keep his plans to himself. He wouldn't force Shen Xi, nor would he tell her. He'll give her time. Maybe one day, she would accept him.

But now Su Hang was a little scared. The longer he got along with Shen Xi, the more he felt his control slipping. Every time Shen Xi smiled at him, Su Hang wanted to run over and kiss her. He was afraid that if things go on like this, he would snap, run into Shen Xi's room one night and force himself onto her. After all, they were husband and wife, weren't they?

He let Mrs. Zhang go home every night, leaving them alone. Wasn't this because he had such terrible intentions?

The more he thought about it, the more fidgety Su Hang became. He felt like someone possessed. In the end, he continued to bang his head against the desk until he calmed down.

At lunch, Shen Xi was shocked when she saw Su Hang at the table. She pointed towards his swollen forehead and anxiously asked: "Are you alright? Did you hit a wall?"

"Ah?" Su Hang covered his forehead and replied: "I just wasn't paying attention, it doesn't matter..."

"But why is it so swollen?"

"It's nothing, I..." As he said this, Shen Xi suddenly walked towards him, causing Su Hang to freeze.

"Mrs. Zhang, please help me get the medicine box." Shen Xi suddenly reached out and touched Su Hang's forehead checking it carefully.

Shen Xi took out a can of medicine spray from the box. She gingerly stroked the red skin while she sprayed some of the medicine. Still worried, Shen Xi said: "It's so swollen...let's see if the anti-inflammatory spray works. If it's still looking bad in a few hours, we can try a hot compress."

Su Hang's eyes narrowed as he felt Shen Xi's soft fingers on his skin. He could hear the concern in her voice, and her fragrance lingered at his nose.

The woman that he loved was standing so close to him. She was worried about him and talked so tenderly. As her fingers quivered against his forehead, his delusions forcefully came back to the front of his mind. Like a hungry beast, it frantically pulled at the shackles that held it down as it growled at him:

'What are you waiting for? Aren't you married already? You have the right to take what's yours. Don't shut me up and let me out.'