Chapter 121: It Was Madam Who Disdained Me First (Word Count Supplemented)

By the time they returned, the sky had turned completely dark.

Beep.

The door opened, and An Ling walked in to change her shoes.

As she walked, she tried to take off the necklace around her neck.

Seeing her actions as he entered, Shen Linyan's breath hitched, but he froze in place, not daring to say a word.

He stood at the door, gripping the doorknob so tightly that his fingertips turned white.

An Ling walked over to the dining table, took off the necklace, and put it back into its box.

Silence filled the living room.

She looked up at the man standing quietly by the door. After a few seconds of silence, she suddenly spoke, "Shen Linyan, go sit on the sofa."

Shen Linyan's eyelids fluttered slightly before he walked over and sat down on the sofa.

An Ling turned on the TV, put on a random movie, took off her coat, and sat down next to him.

The only sound left in the living room was the voices of the actors on screen.

After an unknown amount of time, the girl's voice suddenly reached his ears.

"Do you think it's good?"

Shen Linyan stiffened and gave a very soft, "Mm. It's good."

"Is it?"

An Ling's tone was calm. "As long as you think it's good. Once I finish watching this with you, I'll go to sleep."

Shen Linyan paused and turned to look at her.

The girl was leaning against the sofa with an indifferent expression, staring at the TV as if she were accompanying a stranger to watch a boring movie.

Seeming to notice his gaze, she turned to him and said slowly, "Watching this with you like this, let's just consider it as us having gone out to the movies, okay?"

Shen Linyan's pupils trembled. He clenched his fingers and opened his mouth slightly, but no sound came out.

An indescribable pain spread from the tip of his heart, tearing it in half.

He reached out and gently touched her fingertips, just about to hook his fingers around hers.

"Where did my phone go?" The girl suddenly raised her hand to grab the clothes beside her, quietly pulling her hand away.

Shen Linyan's movements froze, his eyes staring blankly.

The heart that had been suspended in midair finally crashed heavily to the ground, shattering into pieces.

After grabbing her phone, An Ling turned and met the man's gaze.

He looked dazed, as if he hadn't processed what happened.

The two looked at each other in silence.

A few seconds later, she took the initiative to slip her hand into his palm.

The man instantly gripped it tightly, his large palm wrapping around her hand with a slightly trembling force.

After a moment of quiet, the girl suddenly spoke up:

"Shen Linyan, I don't know how much longer I can keep liking you."

An Ling lowered her eyes and said softly, "I'm sorry... I might not really like your true self, and going out with you isn't fun either. Maybe it's because the Shen Linyan from before would never treat me like this."

"I don't mean for you to change back. Pretending must have been exhausting for you before, so just stay like this from now on. I'm just telling you in advance that I might not be able to give you the same kind of response as before. You might be disappointed, but I still hope you can keep our promise."

"You keep watching. I'm going to take a shower."

As soon as she finished speaking, the man grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms.

Her cheek pressed against his warm chest, and the familiar scent of his cologne filled her nose, making it feel just like how it used to be.

An Ling was stunned for a moment, her eyes instantly turning red. She struggled to get up, but the man held her waist down. His warm palm pressed firmly against her back, rendering her unable to move.

"You were the one who disliked me first, Madam," his voice was hoarse and strained.

An Ling stopped moving.

Shen Linyan's eyes were dark, hiding an indescribable mix of complex emotions.

He looked at her, his jaw tight, his Adam's apple bobbing. "Last night, Madam said you didn't want to hear me say those kinds of things anymore."

"?"

An Ling froze and tried to straighten up, but was immediately pressed back into his embrace. She could only awkwardly shift into a more comfortable position, resting her hands against the man's shoulders.

The corners of her eyes were still red. She studied the man in confusion, her voice muffled with a nasal tone.

"Shen Linyan, with such poor reading comprehension, how do you even run a business? What I meant was that you don't need to put up a gentle front in front of me. It means you can be yourself, and you don't have to deliberately cater to me or worry about my feelings. When did that turn into me not wanting to hear you speak?"

The man's fingertips wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes. He said gently, "Madam, I don't know exactly what you mean by a gentle front. I can't tell the difference, so I didn't know what words would make you upset."

He gently stroked her cheek with his thumb, his voice low and soft.

"I wanted to wait for you to wake up this morning. Does that count as a gentle front?"

"I wanted to give you a gift personally. Does that count as a gentle front?"

"I wanted to text you to ask what you were doing. Does that count as a gentle front?"

"I want to talk to you more, hold your hand, kiss you, and compliment you. But I can't distinguish what is just a persona, and I don't know which of my actions make you feel like I'm deceiving you."

An Ling looked at him with red eyes. After a long while, she pursed her lips, looked away, and said in a muffled voice.

"I don't know."

She said softly, "Shen Linyan, you want me to trust you, but I had to find out about your true colors through other people. You never tell me anything. I married you, yet I know absolutely nothing about you. How am I supposed to trust you?"

She gently pushed the man. "Let go of me, I want to take a shower."

Shen Linyan let go and looked at her back. He suddenly spoke up, "Madam, if I tell you everything right now, will you believe me?"

An Ling's back stiffened slightly. She turned to look at him but didn't say anything. A few seconds later, she turned back and continued walking toward the bedroom.

Shen Linyan pursed his lips and curled his fingers inward. His long, thick eyelashes drooped, casting a shadow under his eyes.

But the next second, the girl's voice rang in his ears.

"Turn off the TV. Stop watching that."

He looked slightly stunned. Slowly lifting his head, he saw An Ling standing at the bedroom door.

The girl's beautiful black hair cascaded down her back. The corners of her eyes were still slightly red, but her gaze was clear, the lighting tracing the contours of her pretty, delicate face.

Meeting his gaze, she looked away again, opened the door, and walked into the room, muttering softly.

"It's not good at all, yet you said it was."

Only after she entered the room did Shen Linyan snap back to reality. His eyelashes fluttered as he turned off the TV. He picked up the coat she had left on the sofa, draped it over his arm, and stood up. Just as he was about to head back to the room, his eyes caught the gift bag on the dining table.

After a moment of silence, he walked over.

Just as he was about to pick it up, his gaze fell inside, and he suddenly froze.

Reaching out, his long, slender fingers slowly picked up the sticky note.

At the end of the sentence written there, someone had, at some unknown point, drawn a little "ꐦ≖≖" symbol.

The man stared blankly for a moment, and then the corners of his lips curved up slightly.

...

Inside the room, An Ling grabbed her pajamas, just about to go take a shower.

Hearing footsteps at the door, she closed the wardrobe and turned to look.

Making eye contact with the man, her gaze dropped to the coat in his hands. She pursed her lips. "Thank you for bringing that in for me."

Taking the coat, she pulled her phone out of the pocket. An Ling turned and walked to the bedside table to plug her phone in to charge.

But that burning gaze still hadn't disappeared.

She paused and looked up, unsurprisingly meeting the man's eyes.

His gaze was scorching, his dark eyes staring fixedly at her. He looked as if he wanted to approach her but was restraining himself from stepping forward.

"?"

Why did Shen Linyan keep staring at her?

Could it be because of the movie?

After a moment of silence, she spoke, "We didn't finish the movie tonight, so it doesn't count. Next time, I'll go to the cinema with you."

Shen Linyan looked slightly stunned.

Ripples of emotion stirred in his eyes. His tense lips curved up slightly as he gave a gentle nod. "Okay."

When Shen Linyan came out of the shower, An Ling was sitting on the bed playing with her phone.

Once he got into bed, she put down her phone, lay down, pulled up the covers, and looked at him. "Are we going to sleep?"

Shen Linyan paused at her words and looked down at the girl under the covers.

Under the light, her features were beautiful and delicate. She blinked at him as if she had been waiting specifically for him. Her watery eyes were almost irresistible.

Shen Linyan stared blankly for a moment, instinctively reaching out to touch her face.

As soon as he made the move, both of them froze.

An action they were once so used to suddenly felt unusually intimate in this moment.

His movements were a bit stiff. Pretending to be natural, he withdrew his hand and turned around. "Alright, I'll turn off the light."

With a click, the room plunged into darkness.

The faint bedside lamp illuminated a small corner. In the quiet room, there was only the rustling sound of the covers rubbing together.

An Ling lay in bed, sleepiness just beginning to wash over her.

Right then, a warm hand suddenly touched her waist. As if possessed by some magic, a jolt of electricity instantly spread through her entire body.

Her drowsiness instantly vanished. An Ling's body stiffened, and she opened her eyes in the dark.

Perhaps sensing the change in her body, the man also stopped moving.

In the pitch-black environment, the two of them remained frozen without moving. Their breathing was exceptionally clear in the silent night.

Heavy and slow, wrapped in a hidden, lingering affection, it beat against both of their hearts, stroke by stroke.

In the end, An Ling said nothing.

She closed her eyes again and pretended to turn over unconsciously in her sleep.

Shen Linyan immediately pulled her into his arms. With gentle movements, he lowered his head and slowly kissed her cheek, then kissed the tip of her nose. The light, scattered kisses were full of love.

The crisp, cool woody scent on the man was warmed by his body heat, carrying a reassuring fragrance that slowly drifted into her nose.

An Ling slowly opened her eyes in the dark. She lowered her gaze, pursed her lips, and her fingertips slowly gripped the corner of his shirt.

In the morning, the ringing of the alarm clock broke the silence.

"Hmm?" An Ling woke up in a daze. With sleep-filled eyes, she was just about to turn and turn off the alarm when, the next second, a sudden force on her waist pulled her back.

"It is okay, wife, it is my alarm." The man's voice was deep, carrying the magnetic laziness of the early morning.

An Ling nodded instinctively and went back to sleep.

The spot next to her shifted slightly as someone lifted the covers and got out of bed.

The sounds were intermittent. After an unknown amount of time, her consciousness returned slightly, and she heard someone approaching.

Then, the hair on her forehead was brushed aside, and someone gently kissed her forehead and cheek.

The footsteps gradually faded away, and the sound of a door closing echoed. Her sleepiness slowly dissipated. An Ling's eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes.

Covering her forehead, her face flushed slightly red. She lay in bed in a daze for a while before sluggishly sitting up.

She threw off the covers, got out of bed, and noticed a bag on the dressing table.

It was still on the dining table last night. Did Shen Linyan bring it in?

An Ling did not pay much attention to it. She glanced at it casually and was about to go wash up when she caught sight of a sticky note on the bag from the corner of her eye.

It seemed to be the same one from yesterday...

But she remembered the sticky note was inside...

As if realizing something, An Ling's footsteps came to an abrupt halt, her eyes widening slightly.

Could Shen Linyan have seen what she drew yesterday?

Her face turned slightly red. She changed direction, walked over, and took off the sticky note.

Looking down, her expression instantly froze when she saw the contents clearly.

Right next to the "ꐦ≖≖" emoticon she had drawn, there was an entirely new one: "つ♡⊂".

An Ling stood there pinching the note. Only after a moment did she put it down.

Her gaze wandered. She touched her burning cheeks with the back of her hand and muttered softly, "Where did he learn to draw that?"

She took another look, then blushing, placed the sticky note back where it was.

...

In the evening, after finishing her overtime work, An Ling planned to go straight home, take a shower, and get a good night's sleep.

Just as she got into the car, Shen Fuyuan suddenly called her.

As soon as she answered, Shen Fuyuan's boisterous voice came through the line.

"Sister-in-law! Where is Huihui?! Hurry up and have Huihui call me!!"

An Ling: "..."

She looked bewildered. "What are you talking about? Have you been drinking?"

"Hahaha! I haven't been drinking! I want to chat with Huihui!" Shen Fuyuan's voice was crisp and bright. "Huihui, let Auntie give you a kiss."

Hearing the noisy background music on the other end, An Ling frowned. "Are you at a bar? Are you alone?"

"Hic... yeah, I am alone, hehehe. Sister-in-law, if you bring Huihui over, I won't be alone anymore!"

"..."

An Ling rubbed her temples. "Where is your manager?"

"I don't know! They didn't come!"

An Ling's tone was filled with disbelief. "You got this drunk all by yourself?!"

Is this girl crazy? What if she gets photographed?

Shen Fuyuan chuckled. "What is wrong?"

"..."

Great, as the on-site producer, she even had to provide after-sales service.

An Ling coaxed and tricked her, "Give me the address and the private room number, and I will bring Huihui to you."

After getting the address, An Ling rushed to the bar. Just as she was about to get out of the car, she paused, grabbed a mask, and stuffed it into her pocket.

She did not know if Shen Fuyuan was wearing a mask and hat. It would be trouble if she got recognized.

She put on a mask herself, pulled down her hat, and opened the car door to step out.

The bar was at its busiest at this hour, filled with all sorts of people. An Ling searched for the private room number. When she reached the door of one of the rooms and confirmed the number, she pushed it open.

The pungent smell of alcohol instantly hit her face.

Sure enough, she saw a drunk Shen Fuyuan inside.

The girl was sprawled on the sofa, her red hair in a mess and her face flushed red. Her hat had fallen to the floor. She was hugging a wine bottle and muttering to herself, while the bottles on the table were scattered everywhere.

Shen Fuyuan was truly the only one there.

An Ling stood at the door and frowned. She walked over, picked up the hat from the floor, placed it on Shen Fuyuan's head, crouched down, and patted her. "Shen Fuyuan, are you still awake?"

Hearing this, the girl opened her eyes, looking confused and dazed.

She squinted at the woman wearing a mask and hat in front of her. Realizing she did not recognize her, she waved her hand grandly and slurred, "Who are you!? How dare you touch me? Do you know who I am??!"

An Ling: "..."

What a sin.

She expressionlessly pulled down her mask to let her take a look. "I am An Ling."

Shen Fuyuan blinked with effort. It took her a long while to suddenly realize, "Oh! It really is my sister-in-law!"

"Yes, it is me."

An Ling took out a mask and tried to put it on her. "Do you have any other friends here? If not, we are leaving."

Shen Fuyuan started throwing a tantrum again, refusing to wear the mask. "I won't wear it! It is uncomfortable! It is stuffy!"

"..."

An Ling patiently repeated herself, "You don't have any other friends here, right? Then we are leaving right now."

"Friends?" Shen Fuyuan thought for a moment, frowning as if struggling to remember. "I think there is one."

An Ling paused her movements. "What?"

The next second, Shen Fuyuan collapsed onto her, continuously muttering about how sleepy she was.

An Ling had no other choice. She slipped a face mask on her and was just about to go find a waiter to help carry her out.

Suddenly, footsteps echoed behind her. The door to the private room was pushed open, and two men in suits strode in. Without a single word, they grabbed the dead-drunk Shen Fuyuan and hauled her away.

An Ling was completely stunned.

Were they actually kidnapping someone in broad daylight?

Snapping out of her daze, she instinctively reached out to block their path. "Wait a minute, who are you? You can't just take her away!"

The two suited men exchanged a glance before one of them spoke up, "Are you Miss Shen's manager? Then please come with us."

"Huh?"

Utterly baffled, An Ling followed the two men out of the private room.

Sensing that something was off, she pulled out her phone, intending to secretly send a message to Shen Linyan.

Just then, she heard the voice of the suited man ahead of her.

"Chairman Shen, Miss Shen's manager is here as well."

An Ling: ?