Chapter 111: Madam, Who Bullied You [Word Count Supplemented]

On the pitch-black road, a Maybach drove smoothly.

Inside the car, it was quiet. The atmosphere was heavy, a tense and oppressive feeling spreading through the air.

The man sat in the backseat, his long legs crossed. With an extraordinary aura, he lowered his eyes to watch a news video on his phone.

He tapped play. In the video, a woman stood in the center of a crowd, and various gossiping voices could be heard.

The man kept his eyes lowered and quietly watched all the videos before turning off the screen.

He tapped his fingertips against his knee. His expression was calm, but it felt like the silence before a storm as he uttered two words: "Explain."

Those two emotionless words were so cold they made one's scalp tingle.

Secretary Chen's heart tightened, and he hurriedly reported the information he had found.

"Chairman Shen, I'm very sorry. The news broke so suddenly that we couldn't react in time to intercept it. However, we have already found out who is behind it. Both Ms. Lu and your father are involved."

"As for the things the media mentioned, we have also verified them through the jeweler. During the auction, the Madam did intentionally drive up the price against Zhou Wen. The talk about a loan was just a joke; in reality, the Madam didn't win any bids in the end."

"But regarding the part about throwing wine, the surveillance cameras didn't capture the specific details."

"The posts have been suppressed now, and the clarification statement is ready to be sent out at any time."

The man gently rubbed his phone with the pad of his thumb. He looked down at the empty messaging interface, his eyes darkening slightly.

He got out of the car, stood at the entrance of the building, and took out his phone to text Shen Fuyuan.

Shen Linyan: [Come down. Now.]

The simple message was full of murderous intent.

Shen Fuyuan's hand, which was petting the cat, instantly froze. Holding her phone, her eyes were filled with absolute panic.

I'm doomed, I'm doomed. Big Brother definitely saw the news.

Ignoring the cat, she typed furiously.

[Big Brother, that matter really has nothing to do with me! It was Zhou Wen who exposed Sister-in-law's identity! During the auction, I even asked Sister-in-law if she wanted to use my paddle to bid! I didn't know Sister-in-law never left the An family; Sister-in-law didn't say anything herself!]

Shen Linyan: [One minute.]

Shen Fuyuan: [I'm leaving, I'm leaving!!]

Upstairs, Shen Fuyuan reluctantly gave the cat one last pet and shoved her phone back into her pocket.

She stood up, looking toward the kitchen with a forced smile. "Um, Sister-in-law... I have something to take care of, so I'm leaving first."

An Ling was reading the cooking instructions on the back of a bag of frozen dumplings. Hearing this, she nodded and waved at her. "Bye-bye. Drive safe."

"Okay."

Hearing the door close, An Ling put down the bag in her hand and looked at her phone, which remained completely silent beside her.

Had Shen Linyan not seen the news yet?

An Ling sighed. Losing the mood to read the instructions, she stuffed the dumplings back into the freezer.

Too much trouble.

I'm not making them. I'm not hungry anymore anyway.

Sitting back on the sofa, she casually unwrapped a piece of candy, popped it into her mouth, and checked the comments online.

Sure enough, it was still a sea of curses.

The living room was brightly lit. A well-fed Huihui jumped onto the sofa, and An Ling patted its round head.

"How many treats did Shen Fuyuan feed you? Why does it feel like you're getting fatter and fatter?"

Harsh words chill a cat even in midsummer.

Huihui arrogantly swished its tail and jumped right back down.

An Ling leaned back against the sofa, her fingertips hesitating as she tapped the screen twice.

In truth, she couldn't guess how Shen Linyan would react when he saw the news. After all, she had indeed targeted Zhou Wen tonight.

She just found Zhou Wen's way of speaking extremely annoying.

The way the other woman showed concern for Shen Linyan crossed the line, yet somehow seemed like it didn't.

When Zhou Wen said she was Shen Linyan's friend, An Ling hadn't made a sound.

Because she wasn't sure if that was true either.

Shen Linyan treated people with gentleness and kindness, and could make friends with anyone. Even if he wasn't friends with the female lead, their relationship should still be better than normal people's. After all, the female lead had almost acted as Shen Linyan's salvation back then.

She hugged her knees, resting her chin on them. Her tongue pushed against the candy in her mouth, the sweet and sour taste spreading. She muttered softly, "It's not like I restricted him from making friends..."

If Zhou Wen really was Shen Linyan's friend, did that mean she had bullied Shen Linyan's friend?

Thinking of this, An Ling caught sight of the gift bag on the table and was just about to pick it up.

"Beep—" The sudden sound of the door unlocking was exceptionally clear in the air.

An Ling thought Shen Fuyuan had forgotten something and looked up. But when she saw the familiar figure of the man at the door, she froze. Thinking she was seeing things, she swallowed the words on the tip of her tongue.

"You're... back." An Ling hesitantly glanced at her phone screen.

Had Shen Linyan sent her a message?

The man wore a black overcoat over a suit, his posture upright and his noble aura completely natural. With a stride of his long legs, his steps were steady.

He stood in front of the sofa, quietly looking at her.

Dark hair fell over his forehead, and the man's pitch-black eyes sank into the shadows like a deep lake. Beneath the seemingly calm surface hid countless emotions.

Just as expected, Shen Linyan had seen the news.

An Ling looked at him eagerly, but before she could speak.

The man suddenly spoke: "Has Madam eaten dinner?"

An Ling paused and blinked. Her gaze moved down, and only then did she notice that the man was carrying a bag in the hand resting by his side.

Inside a translucent white plastic container were piping hot wontons.

Shen Linyan sat down beside the woman and placed the bag on the table.

He untied the plastic bag, lowered his eyes, and said gently, "Madam said there was no food at the banquet. Auntie Cheng isn't home, and I didn't know if Madam would be able to make dinner..."

Before he could finish speaking, the hem of his clothes was lightly tugged.

Looking down, he saw the woman's fair, slender fingers, and her voice sounded in his ear.

"Shen Linyan, did you see the news?"

His gaze halted, and his movements stopped. His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, but he didn't speak.

In the quiet living room, an unknown amount of time passed before the man's very light voice sounded.

"Does Madam not trust me?"

Hearing this, An Ling was stunned and subconsciously asked, "Why do you ask that?"

"Then why didn't you tell me the moment something like this happened?"

The darkness in the man's eyes suppressed his emotions, and his jaw tightened. "Madam, I told you that ours is not a marriage of convenience. I am your husband. I should, and I want to, handle these things for you."

Looking at the girl's stunned expression, his Adam's apple bobbed with a bitter feeling. He slowly opened his mouth, his voice hoarse.

"You didn't tell me... is it because I, as your husband, am not worthy of your trust? Or did I do something wrong?"

His wife had been bullied, but he was the last to know.

Even An Zhou knew before he did.

An Ling hadn't expected Shen Linyan to say that.

Seeing the bitterness hidden in the man's eyes, her feelings became complicated. Her gaze darted away slightly, and she clenched her hands.

"I don't distrust you... I just saw that you were too busy and didn't want to bother you. I originally wanted to wait for you..."

But as she spoke, she fell silent.

After finishing the phone call back then, An Ling had a chance to tell Shen Linyan about it, but she still hadn't.

Because she couldn't see Shen Linyan's expression and didn't know how the man would react to hearing that she had targeted Zhou Wen.

It was different from the situation at the Shen family home before. Last time, Mother Shen had made the first move, but this time, she had actively targeted Zhou Wen.

She didn't want to test whether Shen Linyan would favor the female lead or her.

An Ling pressed her lips tightly together, her eyes gradually stinging, and her eyelashes trembled. She hurriedly turned her head away, but in the next second, the man gently cupped her face.

"Darling, who bullied you? Will you tell me?"

The man's large palms cradled her face, warm and gentle.

By the time An Ling reacted, she was already sitting in his lap.

The crisp scent of cedar mixed with a faint hint of tobacco, and his hot breath brushed against her skin.

Wrapping an arm around her waist, the man tilted his head to kiss the corner of her eye. His voice was gentle. "I don't mean to blame you. I just feel bad for my wife. Won't you tell me?"

An Ling clung to his shoulders. The tip of her nose was slightly red, and her eyelashes were damp. She looked at him with watery eyes, her voice a bit muffled.

"Have you seen the news?"

"Yes, I saw it." Shen Linyan kissed her cheek. "But I want to hear it from my wife."

An Ling pursed her lips. "Then did you see me driving up the price against Zhou Wen? And the drink-spilling incident?"

"I saw."

Shen Linyan kissed the tip of her nose, his voice deepening. "Why didn't my wife win anything at the auction? Why didn't you keep bidding on that last item?"

An Ling: ?

An Ling was a little stunned by his words. She blinked and emphasized again, "I drove up the price on Zhou Wen on pur-pose."

"Okay," the man's voice remained mild.

An Ling paused slightly, then added, "But spilling the drink wasn't on purpose. She grabbed my arm first."

Hearing the latter half of her sentence, the man frowned slightly. He looked down and touched her arm. "Where did she grab you? Does it hurt?"

An Ling was taken aback by his reaction.

What kind of reaction was this...

Seeing that the man was genuinely inspecting her arm, she pursed her lips, pressed her hand over his, and said directly:

"Shen Linyan, I don't like Zhou Wen."

As she spoke, An Ling's voice faltered, and she unconsciously tightened her grip.

"I also know that Zhou Wen used to be your personal assistant for a while."

Hearing this, the man's movements suddenly stopped. He silently raised his eyes to look at her.

Meeting the man's quiet gaze, An Ling stayed silent for a moment before speaking slowly:

"I don't know how you and Zhou Wen got along in the past. Judging by the gifts you exchanged before, I know that to you, she's definitely better than those people in the Shen family. She told me today that she's your friend, and even asked me how you've been doing lately..."

At this point, she lowered her eyes to avoid his gaze, her voice growing soft.

"But I don't like her asking about you like that. Just like before, when she asked you to help with Lu Jingshen's matter and you agreed. Actually, I didn't like that day either."

The living room fell quiet for a moment. Just as An Ling was about to look up to see the man's expression, the back of her head was suddenly cradled.

The man tilted his head and gently captured her lips. His prominent Adam's apple bobbed in the air, and his warm breath slipped between her parted lips.

"Darling, she and I were never friends."

He tenderly pecked the woman's soft lips and whispered, "The personal assistant title was just in name. That gift from before was also the first time she ever gave me anything. As for helping out, that was a task my mother gave me at the time; she just happened to mention it."

His feather-light kisses trailed downward. He lowered his head to kiss the side of her neck, sucking with a bit of force.

The slight sting made An Ling's eyes widen instantly. Her waist went soft, and she let out a muffled whimper.

But immediately after, the mark was gently licked.

"So my wife has been misunderstanding my relationship with her all this time?"

The man narrowed his eyes and lightly bit her earlobe with a hint of punishment. "Why didn't my wife just ask me directly about the personal assistant thing? Hmm?"

An Ling rested her head on his shoulder, turning her face to the side, guiltily pretending she hadn't heard him.

After a while, she mumbled,

"You didn't delete her WeChat."

The man paused, then let out a helpless laugh, nuzzling the top of her head. "Who said that? I've already deleted her. Do you want to check?"

An Ling stayed silent for a moment before slowly turning her head back.

She stared at his profile for a second, then suddenly tilted her head up and kissed his chin.

"I believe you, Shen Linyan."

She sat up straight. "This news breaking out was entirely within my expectations. I deliberately didn't mention the An family just so I could drive up the price against Zhou Wen. So I'm not really sad about the news. You don't need to worry about me."

She looked into his eyes, her tone serious.

"Besides, you're a good husband. If I couldn't handle today's situation, I definitely would have called you over."

Shen Linyan looked at her. "Really?"

"Really!"

Remembering the gift bag on the table, An Ling's eyes lit up, and she suddenly turned to grab it.

"I also bought a gift for my husband."

She picked up the bag from the edge of the table, opened it to reveal the gift box inside, and raised an eyebrow at the man.

"Do you want to guess what's inside?"

Shen Linyan's gaze fell on the box. He looked slightly stunned, but then his eyes softened and the corners of his lips curled up slightly.

"Darling, it's a bit obvious."

"You still have to guess."

An Ling's eyes curved into crescents. "If you guess right, I'll put it on you."

Shen Linyan kissed the corner of her eye and smiled as he spoke slowly, "Then I guess... a ring?"

"You guessed right!" An Ling opened the box with a bright smile.

She took out the ring, solemnly extended her hand palm up, and said, "Alright, Mr. Shen, you can give me your hand now."

A smile rippled in Shen Linyan's eyes as he cooperatively placed his hand in hers.

The ring was slowly pushed onto his ring finger. The man had prominent knuckles and long, slender fingers. Under the light, the silver wedding band made his cool, pale skin stand out even more, adding a touch of aloof, self-restrained asceticism.

An Ling stared in satisfaction at the ring she had chosen and nodded in approval.

It really looked great.

She looked at the man with sparkling eyes. "Do you like it?"

Shen Linyan looked at the ring on his hand. A faint, almost imperceptible daze flashed through his eyes, and his gaze lingered on it for a long time.

Looking up to meet the girl's expectant gaze, his eyes slowly curved. He gently cupped her face and smiled, kissing her cheeks several times. His gentle voice was wrapped in a low sigh. "I love it very much, wife."

An Ling threw her arms around his neck and whispered, "Don't be too happy. I bought this with a loan. Everyone is calling me a bad woman."

Shen Linyan's movements paused. He lowered his head, lightly nuzzling her cheek with his nose, his tone laced with a smile. "I'll handle the things online."

That same night the news broke, during the peak hours of its spread, several clarifying statements were released one after another.

An Group: [Regarding the various false rumors spreading online, such as "An Ling being kicked out of the An family," our company has already preserved the evidence. We urge everyone to stop spreading rumors.]

Before the public could even react.

Immediately after, a new trending topic suddenly shot to the top.

#ShenLinyanResponds

They clicked into it, and a newly created account appeared before their eyes.

The account bore Shen Linyan's name.

Five minutes ago, this account posted its very first update. The content was a simple photo.

In the photo, the man seemed to be sitting on a sofa, his hand slightly raised.

On his ring finger, a silver ring was conspicuously worn.

Shen Linyan: [My wife bought it.]