Chapter 124: Honey, I Believe You Now [Word Count Replenished]

Shen Linyan froze.

He seemed not to have processed it, subconsciously tightening his arms around the girl in his embrace, and asked in a low voice, "You got me a cake?"

An Ling nodded.

At the set, she had noticed a bakery next to the shooting location.

Actually, she didn't even know why she bought it at the time.

It was just that in that moment, what Xiao Yang had said suddenly echoed in her ears.

"Wishes made on the first snow will come true."

Well, making a wish requires a cake, right?

So it made perfect sense for her to buy one.

She tilted her head and blinked at him. "The staff recommended this taro-flavored one. I heard it's really good, so I bought it. Do you not like this flavor?"

Shen Linyan didn't say anything.

But his heart sank.

This continuous wave of happiness came too suddenly, instead giving him a sense of unreality that almost made him afraid.

From the girl's hesitation to speak in the elevator to her heavy-heartedness on the sofa, everything was telling him that An Ling was acting unusual today.

Her closeness to him came only after the news broke.

Shen Linyan's knuckles tightened slightly, and he suddenly spoke up:

"Did you see the news about the Shen Corporation today, Madam?"

The topic shifted a bit too fast. An Ling didn't react immediately, blinking. "I saw it. Why?"

Shen Linyan turned to look at her. "Do you think I framed the Shen family for tax evasion?"

An Ling was taken aback.

To be honest, she actually... really did think so.

But hearing Shen Linyan's tone...

She blinked, her tone a little hesitant. "This... wasn't it you?"

A brief silence followed, making even the air seem to freeze.

Shen Linyan's expression froze, his heart skipping a violent beat.

He almost recalled those words the girl had said before.

Ever since she discovered his true colors, this marriage had been labeled by An Ling as a transaction of interests.

Shen Linyan knew this better than anyone.

The reason An Ling wasn't divorcing him now was to prevent angering him and out of fear that he would harm the An family.

He quietly met her gaze and raised a hand to cup her face. "So, are you still afraid of me, Madam?"

Hadn't she already sent a message?

Hadn't she already... stopped being afraid of him?

He stared into the woman's eyes and said softly, "An Ling, I don't want you to try to please me."

"You are my wife."

Not a relationship maintained by interests.

An Ling blinked, letting out a confused "Hmm?"

She sat up a little straighter. "What are you talking about?"

"Buying me a cake, and treating me like this now, isn't it because you're afraid I'll make a move against the An family?"

Shen Linyan's voice was very soft. He raised his eyes, his gaze obscure, as if suppressing some emotion. "Isn't this what you were worried about today, Madam?"

An Ling looked bewildered for a moment.

After realizing what he meant, she burst out laughing, chuckling softly. "What are you talking about?"

Sitting on the man's lap, she tilted her head and studied him. After a long while, she still couldn't hold back her laughter.

"Honestly, you've made me not know what to say."

The gloominess that had originally been in her heart dissipated slightly with the man's words.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, her tone laced with a smile. "Have you ever seen anyone try to please their sugar daddy with a cake worth a few dozen bucks from the roadside?"

On the day she discovered Shen Linyan's true colors, she had indeed thought of trying to please him, so that when they finally laid their cards on the table, he wouldn't be too ruthless to her.

But she never expected that pleasing him wouldn't be necessary at all.

And now, she was being suspected of trying to please him.

The more An Ling thought about it, the more she wanted to laugh. She kissed his lips. "Is Chairman Shen that easy to please? A cheap little cake is enough? If those people who wrack their brains trying to invite Chairman Shen to dinner found out, they'd cry themselves to death."

Ever since An Zhou discovered she took Shen Linyan's project, he had told her about Shen Linyan a few times.

He said that Shen Linyan was notoriously difficult to meet in their circles; getting an audience with him was nearly impossible, and the number of investors wanting to collaborate with him spanned both domestically and internationally.

Seeing the genuine expression on the girl's face, Shen Linyan's tense jaw relaxed slightly. He lowered his eyes, his nose gently rubbing against her cheek, and his Adam's apple bobbed. "Only for my wife."

An Ling smiled and kissed his chin. "Okay, okay, okay."

Hugging the man's neck, the smile at the corners of her mouth faded slightly, and she let out a happy sigh. "I bought the cake because today is the first snow. Didn't you see it snowing outside today? My colleague said that wishes made on the first snow are very effective, and I want to make one too. Can we take the cake out now?"

Pausing, she whispered into the man's ear, "Actually, my colleague also said that you should go on a date with your partner on the first snow. But we are a married couple, so let's just have a date at home."

Shen Linyan looked slightly stunned. Staring at the girl in front of him, his heart swelled as if it were soaking in warm water, rising and falling with the ripples.

"Okay." He curled his lips into a smile, kissed the corner of her eye, and got up to get the cake.

The bakery didn't provide candles for this kind of small cake, but they still had some left over at home from celebrating Shen Linyan's birthday last time.

An Ling found the remaining candles and stuck one on top.

Sizzle—

A match burned in the air. She lit the candle and turned off the main lights in the living room, leaving only a dim floor lamp.

She closed her eyes and thought for a few seconds, then slowly opened them and blew out the candle.

The moment the candlelight extinguished, she turned her head and met a focused gaze.

The dim yellow light was reduced to a faint speck, casting light shadows around the man's noble silhouette, his aura elegant and serene.

He gazed at her, his eyes gentle and steady, inexplicably making one feel grounded in this cold, dark night.

The man reached out and held her hand.

His fingers were long and warm. He traced over her fingers little by little, slowly intertwining them with his own.

An Ling blinked, withdrew her gaze, and suddenly spoke slowly:

"Shen Linyan, didn't you ask what I was worried about?"

"Actually, I was worried that my ending might be coming."

As soon as the words left her mouth, the man's grip on her hand instantly tightened.

An Ling looked down and smiled. "I remember, I also froze to death in a heavy snow like this."

An Ling couldn't quite describe her feelings about today's sudden first snow.

This snow instantly pulled her back to the plot of the past.

In that moment, amidst everyone's cheers, the thought that flashed through her mind was—

The plot of her death was getting closer and closer.

Although most of the previous plot had changed, An Ling still found it hard to be at ease.

Because no matter what, some plotlines were still somewhat similar to the original story.

"I don't know what this first snow foreshadows."

"Maybe it's reminding me not to forget that my storyline hasn't finished yet, or maybe it's telling me that everything is over. Who can say for sure?"

So she thought, if making a wish on the first snow really worked.

Then she wanted to make a wish too.

"I used to be worried all the time. I was afraid you would change your mind later, afraid you would make a move against the An family, afraid the plot would suddenly change. But today, I'm suddenly no longer afraid."

An Ling tilted her head, looked at the man, and slowly curved her eyes into a smile.

"You told me before to trust you."

"Hubby, I trust you now."

Hearing this, the man looked at her, his dark eyes deep and intense.

A moment later, he reached out, gently pulled her into his arms, brushed the hair from her forehead, and softly planted a kiss.

"Honey, don't worry. I'll be here."

...

The news of the Shen Group's tax evasion quickly spread.

Overnight, the once infinitely glorious Shen family fell into ruin.

The person primarily responsible for this tax evasion was Shen Jiandong. Furthermore, after a thorough investigation, it was discovered that Shen Jiandong had used his position to secretly transfer tens of millions out of the company, leading straight to his imprisonment.

Although Lu Jingshen and Father Shen were unaware of the situation, one as a major shareholder and the other as the acting chairman, they could not escape being held accountable.

Following that came astronomical compensation claims for project breaches of contract.

On the night the scandal broke, Father Shen fainted out of sheer anger and was admitted to the hospital.

At the hospital, Shen Linyan walked up to the ward.

Pushing the door open, Father Shen on the bed saw him and instantly flew into a rage.

But remembering the doctor's words, he forcefully suppressed the fury in his heart, his face dark and gloomy.

"Shen Linyan, you still have the nerve to come see me?"

Shen Linyan sat down on a chair and replied calmly, "Right now, besides me, there probably isn't anyone else who would come to see you, Father."

He was right. Lu Jingshen could barely save himself, and Mother Shen and Shen Fuyuan were even less likely to come.

Father Shen had a breath stuck in his chest, unable to go up or down, yet he couldn't find the words to refute it.

He stared grimly at Shen Linyan and said after a while, "Shen Linyan, you have no idea what you've missed out on. You were always the only heir to the Shen Group. Letting you be the acting chairman was only temporary; I had placed high hopes in you."

High hopes?

Did high hopes mean the oppressive educational environment over the past dozen years that nearly drove him to a breakdown? Did it mean the indifference—and even participation—when he was retaliated against and tortured by Lu Jincai?

Shen Linyan lowered his eyes, turning the ring on his finger. "It seems I cannot bear the high hopes Father speaks of. Besides, from the very beginning, I never wanted the Shen Group that much."

He slowly raised his eyes and let out a laugh.

"So, seeing the Shen Group end up like this, I'm actually a bit happy. I'll be taking over those projects of the Shen Group."

After saying that, he stood up to leave. "Rest well."

"Stop right there!!"

Father Shen gritted his teeth, pointing at his back and shouting, "Shen Linyan! You ungrateful wretch! I am your father! Even if you cut ties with me, I'm still your only relative in this world! How could you treat me like this!"

Shen Linyan stopped in his tracks and turned his head.

"From beginning to end, my only family has been my wife."

He had never had a home.

It was because of An Ling that those cold residences could be called a home.

...

With such an incident happening to the Shen Group, An Ling hardly dared to ask about Shen Fuyuan's situation.

She had debuted with the title of the Shen family's heiress and had caused so much trouble in the past. Now that she had lost this status, it was unimaginable how much trouble she would encounter.

But to An Ling's surprise, there weren't many comments about Shen Fuyuan on the internet.

After thinking it over, she still sent a message to her.

An Ling: [If you need help with work, you can come to me anytime. I'll try my best to help with whatever I can.]

If she couldn't help, she could ask Shen Linyan to help.

At first, An Ling didn't have much of a good impression of this eldest miss of the Shen family.

But after interacting with her, she found that aside from having a bit of a temper occasionally, the girl wasn't bad at heart.

A reply came quickly.

Shen Fuyuan: [Minor issue, don't worry.]

An Ling paused slightly.

This girl was so carefree? This was just a minor issue?

Then what would be considered a major issue?

For a minor celebrity with no power or influence who had offended many people, encountering unspoken rules of the industry would be commonplace.

An Ling: [If the company makes any inappropriate demands of you, or asks you to attend any shady drinking parties, you must refuse.]

Shen Fuyuan: [They probably won't make me attend them.]

An Ling frowned slightly.

Before she could type, Shen Fuyuan sent another message.

[The boss of my company is friends with my eldest brother. Things like that shouldn't happen.]

An Ling: "..."

No wonder it was a minor issue.

It turned out her debut didn't rely on the Shen family, but on Shen Linyan.

After replying, Shen Fuyuan put down her phone.

She was just about to get out of the car when she saw the court seals pasted on the door of the villa, causing her steps to falter slightly.

Pushing the door open, the sound of arguing instantly hit her ears.

Accompanied by Mother Shen's agitated and shrill voice.

"What do you mean it's my fault! Lu Jingshen, are you trying to rebel?"

As her words fell, it was followed by a crashing sound of things being smashed.

She hurriedly walked in and saw Lu Jingshen and Mother Shen arguing in the living room, both of their faces looking exceptionally ugly.

The living room floor was covered with broken porcelain shards, a complete mess, as if it had just survived a massive battle.

Shen Fuyuan carefully bypassed the broken glass. "Mom, what are you arguing about?"

Hearing her voice, Mother Shen turned her head, panting, with lingering anger still on her face. "Fuyuan, look at what your brother is saying. He said he wants me to take responsibility for this matter. Is this how you speak to your own mother?!"

"That's just the truth."

Lu Jingshen's expression was equally ugly, his eyes filled with resentment. "Wasn't being the acting chairman what you wanted, Mom! Now that we're bankrupt, I've been dragged down without knowing anything. Isn't it enough that the cars at home were seized? Mom, shouldn't you clean up this mess for me!"

Mother Shen's blood boiled as she roared, "Can't you see that the house has also been taken to pay off the debts!"

If this continued, she would also be admitted to the hospital soon.

Seeing this, Shen Fuyuan quickly helped her to sit down first.

"Mom, sit down first."

Mother Shen was so angry that she couldn't breathe smoothly.

Lu Jingshen frowned. "Then what do we do next? I've been blacklisted now; I'm not even allowed to take the high-speed rail!"

Hearing this made Mother Shen's temper flare even more.

What do you mean what to do?!

Still thinking about the high-speed rail!

How did she give birth to such a stupid son!

However much Mother Shen used to dote on Lu Jingshen, after the Shen family's bankruptcy, all that doting turned into bubbles along with their wealth.

She gritted her teeth and pointed a finger at Lu Jingshen. "Get out of my sight! You useless thing! Now that we're bankrupt, you ask me what to do? What can I do! Conjure money out of thin air?"

Shen Fuyuan patted her back to help her catch her breath.

However, not knowing which word struck a nerve in Lu Jingshen, his face suddenly darkened, and his voice carried a tone of gritted teeth.

"Mom, do you think Shen Linyan is better than me?"

Without waiting for Mother Shen to speak, he turned around with a dark face and walked outside.

That night, inside a bar club.

In the private room, several empty liquor bottles lay haphazardly on the table, and the smell of alcohol permeated the air.

Lu Jingshen lay on the sofa, his face flushed with intoxication, continuously cursing, "Damn it, why does it have to be me cleaning up this mess!"

He was clearly so capable, yet things went wrong right when it was his turn!

Wasn't this all Dad's fault? If he had just handed the company over to him to manage earlier, none of this would have happened!

Struggling to get up to pour himself another drink, the phone on the table suddenly vibrated.

Narrowing his eyes, he looked down at it. The contact name clearly read: [Zhou Wen]

Lu Jingshen's expression shifted slightly, and his drunkenness faded a bit.

Did Wenwen see the news and want to comfort him?

He set down his wine glass and answered the call.

He cleared his throat and was just about to speak when Zhou Wen's angry voice came from the other end.

"Lu Jingshen, what is the meaning of this? You promised to give me that apartment, so why did people come to seize it today?!"

Lu Jingshen: "..."

He took a deep breath and spat out coldly, "I don't know either. I don't have any money now!"

He then hung up the phone viciously, his chest feeling heavy and suffocated.

He knew it. How could that woman possibly call to check up on him? She only got together with him for his money. She couldn't even compare to An Ling...

At the thought of that name, Lu Jingshen's expression suddenly froze.

Catalyzed by the alcohol, everything that woman had once done for him flashed before his eyes, piece by piece.

Everyone else was fake...

Only An Ling.

Only An Ling's love for him had been real.

Struck by a sudden thought, Lu Jingshen's Adam's apple bobbed slightly. He slowly took out his phone and dialed a number.

"Beep... beep..."

After a long while, the call finally connected, but there was dead silence on the other end.

Sitting on the sofa and resting his forehead in his hand, Lu Jingshen remained silent for a moment before speaking, his voice hoarse and soft. "An Ling."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the phone.

In a dimly lit bedroom, a young woman lay in bed.

The corners of her eyes were flushed red, and her beautiful face bore the enchanting afterglow of passion. Barely able to endure it, she tightly shut her eyes and buried her face in the pillow. Her breathing was rapid, her dark hair scattered in a mess, and she bit her lower lip, letting out a soft whimper.

"Mmm..."

Below her, a man with a noble and elegant face slowly lifted his head.

He lowered his gaze, gently licking away the lingering sweetness from his lips and fingertips, before casting a careless glance at the phone lying nearby on the bed.