Shen Nanyue stopped asking questions and finished a lunch with Zhou Yushen that could hardly be called pleasant.
After the meal, Zhou Yushen unusually didn’t tease her or say anything flirtatious.
He also didn’t ask Shen Nanyue to drive him back and returned to the company on his own.
A faint sense of grievance rose in Shen Nanyue’s heart.
They had only been married for a few days.
Had Zhou Yushen already revealed his true nature because of Gu Linlang’s return?
She shook her head, trying not to think about it.
After all, she and Zhou Yushen hadn’t married for love.
To the two of them, marriage felt more like completing a task.
Even though she kept brainwashing herself with that thought,
Shen Nanyue spent the entire afternoon trapped in restless irritation, unable to calm down.
Her mind was filled with all the entanglements she had had with Zhou Yushen during this time.
Only after returning home that evening and seeing Shen An’an did she finally stop dwelling on it.
“Sis, brother-in-law told me he contacted a famous dermatologist who’ll do everything possible to help me recover.”
Although Shen An’an had little hope regarding the burn scars on her body, Zhou Yushen’s tone had been so firm that it was impossible not to believe him.
She had also gained a little more confidence.
“That’s wonderful. Once your beautiful face recovers, Sister will take you out to have fun.”
“Okay!”
The sisters chatted for a while when Zhou Yushen suddenly picked up his coat as if preparing to leave.
As he passed Shen Nanyue, he stopped and said apologetically, “Sorry, there’s an urgent matter at the company. I need to head out.”
“If it’s work-related, then don’t delay. Go take care of it. Remember to eat.”
Zhou Yushen nodded.
Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly turned back and looked deeply at Shen Nanyue.
Not caring that Shen An’an was still beside them, he raised a hand, cupped the back of Shen Nanyue’s head, and leaned down to press a kiss against her forehead.
“Don’t wait up for me. Go to bed early.”
After saying that, he turned and left.
The moment Zhou Yushen kissed Shen Nanyue, Shen An’an had already spread her fingers apart and pretended to cover her eyes.
When Zhou Yushen left and Shen Nanyue still stood there in a daze, Shen An’an couldn’t help teasing her.
“Sis, you and brother-in-law really have such a good relationship.”
It was meant as a joke, but paired with Shen An’an’s hoarse voice, it carried a faint sense of bleakness and weariness.
Shen Nanyue forced out a smile and glared at Shen An’an in mock annoyance.
“The doctor told you not to talk so much. Do you still want your vocal cords or not?”
Shen An’an pouted, completely unafraid of her.
“Oh~ someone’s shy.”
Shen Nanyue finally couldn’t resist lightly tapping Shen An’an on the head.
That made Shen An’an cover her mouth and laugh softly.
But as she laughed, she suddenly started coughing.
Her throat hurt painfully from it.
“Why are you suddenly coughing? Did you talk too much? Here, drink some water first.”
Seeing this, Shen Nanyue hurriedly helped Shen An’an sit down on the sofa.
Carefully, she fed her a cup of water.
The warm water soothed her throat, and the stinging pain gradually subsided.
Shen An’an shook her head to signal that Shen Nanyue shouldn’t worry.
She truly didn’t want to say another word.
Shen Nanyue looked at her with heartache.
“Alright, stop talking now. Go eat first and get some rest early tonight.”
Shen An’an nodded.
After the two finished dinner, Shen Nanyue helped Shen An’an get settled into bed before finally returning to her own bedroom.
Ever since Zhou Yushen left the house, he hadn’t sent her a single message.
Shen Nanyue scrolled through their chat history.
From their constant contact in the beginning, it had dwindled to only a few messages a day now.
And most of those messages had been initiated by her.
They had only been married for a few days.
Had a man’s true nature of losing interest once he got what he wanted already surfaced?
Or rather, had Zhou Yushen’s decreasing messages started from the moment Gu Linlang returned?
The deeper she thought about it, the colder Shen Nanyue’s expression became.
Suddenly, a notification sound rang out.
She looked at her phone screen.
A glaring red dot indicated someone had sent her a friend request.
Who would it be this late at night?
She tapped open the request.
The verification message contained only three words: “Gu Linlang.”
Shen Nanyue’s face turned even colder.
She accepted the request.
The instant they became contacts, Gu Linlang sent over a photo.
The setting in the picture appeared to be a KTV lounge.
Amid the chaotic, shifting lights and dim atmosphere, a noble and handsome man sat in a booth seat.
He seemed drunk, supporting his head with one hand, eyes closed as though indulging in the paradise of pleasure brought by the surroundings.
That man was Zhou Yushen.
Immediately beneath the photo came another message, fresh and full of provocation.
“Miss Shen, Ah Shen said you’re very boring.”
Shen Nanyue stared at the photo for a long time.
In the end, however, a faintly self-mocking smile curved at her lips.
Calmly, she closed the chat window with Gu Linlang.
Then she directly initiated a video call to Zhou Yushen.
The phone rang for a long time before eventually disconnecting.
Shen Nanyue didn’t call again.
A few dozen seconds later, Zhou Yushen called her back—but not through video.
“What’s wrong?”
The man’s deep, cool voice sounded through the phone.
Shen Nanyue almost felt as though she could smell the alcohol on his breath through the line.
“Where are you?”
The other side fell silent.
As if he were wondering why she had suddenly started checking up on him.
Soon, he answered, “Having dinner with a client at a restaurant.”
“Having a late-night meal with a client in the middle of the night?” Shen Nanyue let out a cold scoff from her throat.
“Fine. I understand.”
Without giving Zhou Yushen time to react, Shen Nanyue hung up the phone herself.
A glimmer of moisture seemed to flash in the corner of her eyes.
Tilting her head back, she quickly hid the bitterness surging in her heart.
Men really were such calculating creatures.
Willing to use any means necessary just to get married.
Then after marriage, they started finding the outside world more exciting.
Her parents had been like that.
And now she was too.
The only thing more tragic for her was—
Her parents’ relationship had fallen apart after two years of marriage, while she and Zhou Yushen had already grown tired of each other after only a few short days.
Sure enough, she should never have believed in marriage.
Fortunately, she had never truly believed in it.
….
Early the next morning, when Shen Nanyue woke up, she discovered that Zhou Yushen had returned at some point during the night.
He was holding her in his arms, still sleeping soundly.
Under the soft morning light, the man’s sharp and resolute features seemed veiled in a faint mist, making him look unbelievably gentle.
The obedient way he slept looked nothing like the man in last night’s photo.
Shen Nanyue looked away and quietly tried to slip out of his embrace.
But the moment she moved, the arm wrapped around her tightened.
The man’s magnetic voice sounded above her head, lazy and thick with sleepiness.
“Sleep a little longer.”
The pleasant scent of sandalwood lingered around her nose.
She struggled slightly, only to realize she couldn’t break free.
She could feel the heavy breaths of the man above her, as well as the growing heat of his body.
After a while, Zhou Yushen finally spoke again, his low voice slightly hoarse.
“So early in the morning… can’t my wife hold herself back anymore either?”
His hand gently stroked her back, his burning fingertips brushing across her smooth skin, waves of heat spreading from where he touched and coursing through her entire body.
— The end of the Chapter–
TL note : Join Patreon to support the translation and to read up ahead of the release :
https://www.patreon.com/DeCakraWnloverz
