Chapter 104: My Wife Is Waiting for Me at Home for Dinner (Word Count Supplemented)

The atmosphere in the private room dropped to the freezing point, but no one dared to make a sound.

Pain spread across the back of his hand. Xu Huoqing was in so much pain that his breathing trembled, but he didn't even dare to beg for mercy.

Cold sweat soaked the back of his clothes. He knelt on the ground and shook his head frantically, his voice trembling: "No, no, no!! I won't see An Ling again! Chairman Shen, I really won't go to see An Ling again!"

Shen Linyan lifted his foot, his voice flat.

"If you go looking for An Ling again, you won't be needing these eyes of yours."

Xu Huoqing nodded hastily, "Yes, yes, yes..."

Thinking the torture was finally over, he then saw the man slowly pick up the wine bottle from the table.

He looked up in terror, suddenly meeting a pair of icy black eyes.

"Bang—!" The wine bottle shattered upon impact.

Sticky wine mixed with blood flowed down. The marble floor was covered with broken glass shards, gleaming with a cold light.

Seeing Xu Huoqing unconsciously fall to the ground, Guo Yu's pupils shrank, but he didn't dare to say a word, his hands and feet trembling uncontrollably.

Shen Linyan took out a handkerchief and unhurriedly wiped his fingers, his tone calm.

"The nephew drank too much and went crazy, and the uncle accidentally injured him. If there's a next time, you will lie here with him."

Guo Yu nodded frantically as if catching a lifesaver: "Yes, yes, yes... I know, Chairman Shen, President Gu. Leave Xu Huoqing to me, I promise to keep him in line!"

Gu Xiaochi stood to the side with his arms crossed. Looking at him like this, he couldn't help but click his tongue.

"When I personally called you back then to tell you to keep Xu Huoqing in check, you really didn't take it to heart, did you."

Now look what happened, directly provoking Shen Linyan.

If it weren't for the fact that Guo Yu had just finished filming a variety show, and An Ling was in charge of this show, Shen Linyan wouldn't have let him off.

He walked over to Shen Linyan, "Where are you going now? It's rare for you to come out. Do you want to call Wang Yihong and Liang Chen over for a drink?"

The man took out his phone to check the time, his tone returning to its usual gentleness: "My wife is waiting for me at home for dinner."

Gu Xiaochi: "..."

Don't think I don't know you're deliberately using the word 'wife'.

Married men are truly unbearable to look at.

Just as they were about to leave, the sound of footsteps suddenly rang out outside the private room.

Followed by a familiar male voice, "Is Xu Huoqing in here?"

"Yes, President An."

Shen Linyan paused his steps, his eyes darkening slightly.

The private room door was pushed open.

In an instant, An Zhou met the gazes of over a dozen pairs of eyes.

He hadn't expected so many people to be inside, and couldn't help but freeze for a moment.

Seeing that Shen Linyan was also here, he frowned even more.

"Why are you..."

But when his peripheral vision caught the bloodstains on the ground and the unconscious Xu Huoqing, An Zhou's voice abruptly stopped.

He froze in place, his shocked and uncertain gaze scanning the room.

Holy crap... a murder?

And the suspect is his brother-in-law!?

Should he call the police?

As if seeing what he was thinking, the man said flatly: "He's not dead, just passed out."

An Zhou's suspicious gaze shot unabashedly at Shen Linyan.

"Did you do this?"

Look what he said! He always said this guy Shen Linyan wasn't a good person! That girl An Ling still didn't believe it!

Then again, didn't An Ling say she didn't tell Shen Linyan? Or did these two already have a grudge?

Before Shen Linyan could retort, Guo Yu next to him suddenly shouted: "No, no! My nephew drank too much and accidentally bumped into it! It has nothing to do with him!"

Shen Linyan cast a sideways glance, then lifted his legs and walked towards An Zhou, his tone natural: "I was just passing by and came in to take a look with a friend. What is President An doing here?"

An Zhou's eyes were still full of suspicion, "I came here to see Xu Huoqing about something."

He was naturally here to help An Ling warn Xu Huoqing.

But looking at the current situation, he probably couldn't warn him anymore.

"Is that so?" The man's expression remained peaceful, merely curling his lips, "Then I'll head back first. An Ling is still waiting for me at home."

An Zhou frowned, glanced at the man's departing back, and then looked at the scene inside the room.

He suddenly spoke up: "I'll go with you. I can check on An Ling while I'm at it. I just don't know if it would be inconvenient for me, as her brother, to visit so suddenly?"

Hearing this, the man stopped in his tracks and turned his head to look over.

He curled his lips politely, but his tone was indifferent:

"It is indeed a bit inconvenient."

An Zhou: "..."

Who cares! He was going anyway!

...

In the living room, An Ling was sitting on the sofa feeding snacks to Huihui.

The sound of the front door unlocking could be heard.

It seemed Shen Linyan was back.

She looked up, "You're back..."

But when she saw the man next to Shen Linyan, her voice paused, and she hesitantly glanced at his face.

A bit familiar...

Why did he look a bit like her brother?

The man met her gaze expressionlessly and called out her name: "An Ling."

An Ling: "..."

It really was him.

Placing the snacks on the sofa for Huihui to eat by itself, she stood up and walked toward the door, "Brother? Why are you here?"

An Zhou coldly spat out two words: "Free meal."

He walked through the door and was just about to speak when his peripheral vision suddenly caught the hickey on the woman's neck, causing his mouth to twitch fiercely.

But to be honest, it looked like a bug bite...

Suddenly realizing something, An Zhou's eyes froze.

Could the one from last time be...

After reacting, he glared fiercely at Shen Linyan, and then looked at An Ling with a gaze of disappointment.

An Ling: ?

Shen Linyan's expression didn't change at all as he walked over to the woman.

He quietly blocked An Zhou's appraising gaze and said softly: "Did Madam not see the message I sent you?"

An Ling shook her head, "My phone is charging in the room."

If she left it in the living room, Huihui would always bite the cable.

Although she was a bit confused, she tilted her head and looked at An Zhou, "Brother, take a seat anywhere. I'm going to get my phone."

After entering the room and closing the door, she asked, "Why did you bring him back?"

"I just happened to run into him outside, and he said he wanted to come over."

The man stood in front of the wardrobe and took off his coat, revealing the crisp white shirt underneath. He casually rolled up his sleeves, his taut and powerful forearm bearing a silver watch, looking increasingly ascetic, his narrow waist and abdomen hiding a steady strength.

Especially when he was holding her in the bathroom last night...

She could feel that sensation even more.

Memories flooded her mind. An Ling's face reddened slightly, and she awkwardly shifted her gaze, walking to the bedside to unplug the charging cable, "Then I'll go out first..."

Before she could finish her sentence, she was suddenly hugged around the waist from behind. A burning chest pressed against her, and the man's chin rested gently on her shoulder.

An Ling put down her phone and turned to look at him, "What's wrong?"

The light in the bedroom shone on the man's handsome features, casting a shadow. He didn't speak, but just lowered his head and slowly pressed down.

The man's tall nose almost sank into her cheek. His palms cupped her face, his exhaled breath scorching, as he gently held her lips and kissed her little by little.

An Ling smelled a very faint scent of alcohol, turned around, and hugged his neck: "Are you tired from socializing today?"

The man softly hummed in agreement, his voice carrying an imperceptible trace of weariness, "When we were discussing business tonight, someone outside drank too much and started a fight. Couldn't stop them."

Ever since she went to a social gathering last time, An Ling had become disillusioned with such events, which were all about drinking and forcing people to drink.

She looked at Shen Linyan's face, confirming he wasn't injured before speaking. "You shouldn't get involved in fights between drunks. What if you get hurt? You didn't get hurt this time, did you?"

"No, I won't get involved next time."

The man curled his lips into a smile, lowering his head to kiss the woman's snow-white neck. "Madam, change your clothes before you go out later."

An Ling subconsciously glanced at her collar, her eyes widening slightly as she realized what he meant.

She had taken off her silk scarf when she got home and completely forgot about this.

She covered her neck and gently pushed the man in front of her. "This is all your fault. You always kiss my neck. You're not allowed to do it next time."

Shen Linyan's eyes curved with amusement as he parted his lips to speak. "Then can I kiss where it can't be seen..."

An Ling raised her hand to cover his mouth, her face flushing red. "Fine, fine, fine! Stop talking!"

Why was he even asking? Did this man not do exactly that last night?

...

An Zhou hadn't really come over with the intention of eating this time; he just wanted to see how An Ling was doing.

And also to talk about what happened today.

Walking over to the sofa, he saw Huihui munching away on some food. He hissed, his tone suddenly full of disgust.

"Why did you get a cat?"

He chose a seat far away from the cat and took out his phone. His secretary had sent a message a dozen minutes ago.

[President An, Xu Huoqing has been sent to the hospital. He has a mild concussion along with some minor injuries and is currently unconscious. Xu Huoqing's uncle is not pressing charges, so the Golden Palace is refusing to provide surveillance footage.]

An Zhou clicked his tongue. "His head is pretty hard. To think it's only a mild concussion after all that."

Then again, the guy was thick-skinned too.

But did tonight's incident really have nothing to do with Shen Linyan?

Why did he find that so hard to believe?

[Tell me if Xu Huoqing wakes up.]

[Yes, sir.]

Having dealt with the matter, An Zhou had just put his phone away when a milky little meow suddenly sounded beside him.

Turning his head, he saw that Huihui had rubbed up against him at some point.

"Damn, when did you get over here!"

An Zhou hurriedly stood up and changed seats.

Although he didn't hate cats, he couldn't say he liked them either. He always felt these little creatures were too fragile and could just drop dead at any moment.

But Huihui seemed determined to go against him and chased after him again.

An Zhou: "..."

He stepped back to avoid the little guy and glanced toward the cat bed. "Are you hungry? Didn't An Ling feed you?"

Seeing some unopened snacks on the table, he picked them up, tore open the plastic bag, and warily handed it some dried meat.

"Here you go, don't come any closer."

Huihui stopped instantly and lay on the sofa, eating the dried meat.

An Zhou laughed seeing this. "An Ling really raised a foodie."

He looked at the little head bowed down eating and reached out to poke its ear.

Someone sent a message to his phone.

Qin You: [You can come pick me up in half an hour.]

Right, he almost forgot about this princess.

An Zhou: [Don't you still have two hours until your rehearsal ends? It's way too early for the movie.]

Both sets of parents said it was to foster their relationship, resulting in them having a fixed number of mandatory dates every week.

He had originally planned to just watch a movie tonight to get it over with, but this Miss Qin said she had to practice dancing until late, so they bought tickets for the 10:30 PM show.

Qin You: [Rehearsal ended early. Please bring me dinner. I want a diet meal: less carbs, more veggies, and no sauce.]

"..."

Was she treating him like a delivery guy?

An Zhou held back his frustration again and again. Remembering that inexplicable kiss from last time, he still hadn't let it go.

That was his first kiss!

His first kiss, kept for over twenty years, was suddenly just gone like that!

[I'm out at a social engagement right now and can't make it. Plus, why get delivery for a diet meal? Wouldn't it be better to just go eat at a restaurant.]

Qin You: [Okay.]

Qin You: [I'm dieting lately, so I'm not eating outside food.]

An Zhou's eye twitched. Looking at that "Okay," he inexplicably felt a bit annoyed again.

[Send it, send it!! I'm almost done on my end too. Which place do you want to eat from?! I'll bring it to you later!]

Qin You: [(Link)]

Before An Zhou could even open the link to check the address, he heard the sound of a door opening.

Seeing the two of them come out of the room, he stood up from the sofa, pretending not to notice that An Ling had changed her clothes.

"Something suddenly came up for me later, so I can't stay for dinner. You guys eat by yourselves."

Right before leaving, he suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned to look at An Ling.

"An Ling, walk me out. I have something I want to tell you in private."

As he said this, he intentionally or unintentionally glanced at Shen Linyan beside her.

But the man showed no strange reaction at all; he simply held the woman's hand. "Madam, remember to wear a coat. The wind outside is cold."

An Zhou: "..."

He just looked more and more suspicious!

After exiting the front door, waiting for the elevator doors to close, An Zhou finally spoke. "I went to look for Xu Huoqing today."

An Ling could already guess it was about this. She had her hands stuffed in her pockets, her palms warm; Shen Linyan had slipped a hand warmer to her right before she walked out.

She nodded. "Did you threaten him then?"

"No." An Zhou's tone was slightly heavy. "When I got there, he had already been knocked unconscious on the floor, and there was blood all over the ground."

An Ling's eyes widened slightly, and she hesitantly asked, "Dead...?"

"Not dead."

"Oh..."

"?"

An Zhou turned his head in astonishment. "What kind of reaction is that??"

"What's wrong?" An Ling gave him a strange look. "Not dead means he's alive. What other reaction do I need? Am I supposed to be happy or disappointed?"

An Zhou was left speechless.

That seemed to make sense too.

His expression was somewhat subtle as he slowly said, "More importantly, do you know who was at the scene?"

An Ling turned her head. "Who?"

"Shen Linyan."

Hearing this, An Ling looked slightly startled and blinked. "...Shen Linyan?"

"Yeah."

An Zhou described it vividly. "You have no idea. The moment I pushed open the door to that private room, there were several people inside, the floor was covered in alcohol and blood, and Shen Linyan was just standing right there in the crowd..."

An Ling looked thoughtful. "Is that so..."

An Zhou asked her, "Did you mention Xu Huoqing to Shen Linyan?"

"No," An Ling shook her head.

Although they did talk about the incident last night, she remembered she hadn't mentioned Xu Huoqing's name.

"Ding—"

The elevator doors opened, and the cold night wind rushed in. An Zhou subconsciously shrank his neck.

He turned his head and said worriedly, "Anyway, I've said it before, Shen Linyan isn't a good guy. Even though Xu Huoqing's uncle said it had nothing to do with Shen Linyan, the fact that he appeared there..."

"He went there for a social engagement."

An Ling spoke up, interrupting him. "Shen Linyan already told me. Some people got drunk and started fighting, and he just went to take a look."

Saying this, she paused. "However, Xu Huoqing knows of Shen Linyan, so it can't be ruled out that he intentionally went looking for him."

An Zhou choked on his words, staring at her with a complicated expression. After a long silence, he said, "An Ling, you need to have a little bit of caution when it comes to Shen Linyan. Don't just foolishly believe whatever he says."

Saying things like this made it seem like he was trying to break them up.

But An Zhou really didn't mean it that way.

He just felt that An Ling had this absolute trust in Shen Linyan. Her good-guy filter for him was way too thick.

He had never even seen her trust her own biological brother this much!

"Business matters aside, what if Shen Linyan really was the one who bashed Xu Huoqing? Didn't you marry him in the first place because you thought he was gentle? This is the exact opposite of your ideal type."

An Ling froze for a moment. She tightened her grip on her hand warmer and stayed silent for a while before finally speaking.

"Brother, stop saying things like that. Shen Linyan isn't that kind of person. He is my husband, and even if he did hit him... that should still count as self-defense, right?"

"..."

An Zhou had already anticipated this answer. He waved his hand in exasperation. "Just keep taking your husband's side. I was only bringing it up casually anyway. Hurry up and go upstairs."

Watching An Zhou leave, An Ling stood at the entrance in a daze for a moment.

The cold wind hit her face, snapping her back to reality. She blinked, looked down at the time, and then turned around to step into the elevator.

Meanwhile, upstairs.

The man sat quietly on the sofa, his phone screen displaying a live surveillance feed. Seeing the woman get into the elevator, he lowered his gaze and took off his earphones.

Huihui, having eaten and drunk its fill, was resting beside him when its head was suddenly patted.

It lifted its head, only to see its male owner staring intently at something.

Huihui stood up and caught a glimpse of the screen on the man's phone.

There, on the search engine page, a typed question was prominently displayed:

Can a person's ideal type change?