Chapter 133: Good Luck Charm [Word Count Fulfilled]

After Shen Linyan woke up, Father An, Mother An, and An Zhou came to visit him a few times.

The real culprits who murdered Lu Jingshen were caught a few days later. They were a few thugs whom Lu Jingshen had bullied in the past.

Among the bad crowd Lu Jingshen used to associate with, some frequently relied on his reputation to do evil, offending quite a few people.

An Ling even heard a familiar name: Huang Long.

Not having heard this name for a long time, An Ling didn't react at first. Later, she remembered that she had seen this person in a bar shortly after she returned.

They even had a dispute at the time, and later Mother Shen demanded that Shen Linyan apologize to Huang Long.

Huang Long was indeed very important to Lu Jingshen.

Having followed Lu Jingshen for so long, he knew all about the shady dealings between Lu Jingshen and others. Furthermore, he basically took the blame for everything, since money makes the world go round.

When those matters suddenly blew up later, the group found out the leak came from Huang Long's side. They assumed that Lu Jingshen intentionally sold them out to clear his own name and wash away his past.

But at that time, Lu Jingshen was the second young master of the Shen family. Even if they harbored hatred, they could do nothing. Once the Shen family went bankrupt, they had been looking for an opportunity for revenge.

According to their statements, someone had sent them a message telling them Lu Jingshen's location, but they themselves didn't know who this informant was.

The IP address of the message was from abroad. It was unknown whether it was real or disguised. There were no further developments, and all clues ended there.

But with Lu Jingshen's murderers caught, the matter was considered temporarily settled.

An Ling stopped paying attention to this matter afterward, leaving it entirely to Shen Linyan to handle.

On the day of his discharge, everyone from the An family came to the hospital to celebrate Shen Linyan's recovery.

Mother An walked over and dug out the yellow talisman from under Shen Linyan's pillow.

"Look! I told you this talisman was useful! I remember Xiao Yan woke up the very night I gave him this."

An Ling was checking messages on her phone. Shen Linyan was finishing the discharge procedures and would be back soon. Hearing this, she looked up.

She had almost forgotten about this talisman paper. Before she could react, she saw Mother An take out her phone.

"This master is truly effective. I need to seek him out again."

"..."

An Zhou couldn't help but complain, "Mom, there won't be that many disasters in the future. We don't need talismans."

An Ling also persuaded her, "Yeah, Mom. If you don't buy them, nothing bad will happen. Hoarding these things is useless."

Father An, standing to the side, spoke up leisurely, "Your mother isn't trying to buy evil-warding talismans."

"Then what is she buying?"

Father An didn't say, merely lifting his chin. "Just ask your mother and you'll know."

Hearing this, Mother An looked up, her tone natural and casual. "Nothing special, just a fertility talisman."

A good luck talisman?

That's pretty good. It would be best if it could change her destiny as the vicious female supporting character.

An Ling suddenly understood and nodded in strong agreement. "That works. Can it change my luck if I carry it? I was really unlucky before. If it works..."

Mother An interrupted her unhurriedly, "I mean fertility, as in pregnancy."

"???"

Holding her phone, Mother An glanced at An Zhou next to her. "Don't fight over it when the time comes. Both of you siblings will get one. An Zhou, I'll give you yours after you get married. I'll ask for one for Lingling first."

An Zhou: "..."

An Ling: "..."

No, who was going to fight over it anyway!?

An Ling's face turned slightly red. Fortunately, Shen Linyan wasn't in the ward. If that man heard this, it would be disastrous; she wouldn't get any sleep at night.

She had finally managed to rest for a dozen days.

"Mom! Shen Linyan and I don't need that kind of thing at all!"

"Having it is better than not. A fertility talisman is just a blessing. Don't feel so burdened by it."

Mother An suddenly glanced behind her. "Xiao Yan, don't you agree?"

An Ling's eyes suddenly froze.

The familiar low chuckle of a man suddenly sounded from behind.

"Mom makes a good point. We can definitely have this."

An Ling: "..."

She pretended not to hear him and turned to grab the bags on the sofa.

"Everything is packed, it's time to go. You guys keep chatting, I'll take these things down first and wait for you."

Just as she picked them up, her wrist was gently held by the man.

Shen Linyan's gaze fell on his little wife's reddened ear tips, and he smilingly took the luggage from her hands.

"Madam, let me do it."

...

Two weeks had passed from his coma to his discharge.

An Ling only occasionally went home; most of the time, she stayed at the hospital to accompany Shen Linyan.

Returning home after a long time and looking at the familiar scenes, An Ling even felt as if a lifetime had passed.

"It feels like we haven't been back in ages."

The front door closed behind them with a soft click.

Her waist was gently embraced by someone. Shen Linyan rested his chin on her shoulder and glanced at the empty cat bed.

"Is Huihui still with Shen Fuyuan?"

"Yes. We'll find a time to bring it back later."

An Ling was just about to take a step forward when the arms around her waist gently tightened.

The man tilted his head slightly, rubbing against her hair and kissing the tip of her ear. His deep voice softened, "Honey, about what Mom said earlier..."

"Ring, ring..." A phone rang unexpectedly.

"Oh, it seems my phone is ringing!"

An Ling immediately jumped out of the man's embrace and rummaged through her bag with a flushed face. She knew she had almost lost her self-control again.

She answered the phone, "Hello?"

Shen Linyan's arms grasped empty air, and his movements paused slightly.

He slowly raised his eyes, his dark pupils looking at the girl pretending to talk naturally on the phone, and gently rubbed his fingertips together.

The flowers An Ling ordered for Shen Linyan had arrived, and she went to the door to fetch them.

The flower shop employee was already very familiar with her.

Smiling as they handed over the flowers, they said, "Miss An, here are your flowers. Are they for your husband again?"

Ever since the phone number was changed last time, An Ling had used up all of Shen Linyan's remaining balance at the flower shop.

The shop assistant gradually got to know this special pair of customers.

What started as a small surprise bought by the husband for the wife gradually evolved into the wife sending flowers to the husband.

An Ling took the flowers and nodded with a smile. "Yes, thank you for delivering them. Thanks for your hard work."

Closing the door, she looked down and picked up the greeting card attached.

This time she could write "Happy Discharge."

She turned around and just as she looked up, her footsteps paused slightly.

In the living room, the man was standing casually with one hand resting on the back of the sofa. His long legs were casually bent, his figure tall and slender, and the lines of his shoulders and back were sharp and clean.

His posture was loose and relaxed, yet an air of refined nobility radiated from his very bones.

An Ling, struck by his beauty: "..."

She stared for a few seconds, gave a light cough, walked over, and calmly handed the flowers to Shen Linyan.

"Do you like them? These are the flowers I'm giving you today."

Shen Linyan reached out to take them, a faint smile in his eyes. "I like them. Thank you, Madam. This is already the seventeenth time Madam has used the card I topped up to buy flowers for me."

"What, am I not allowed to use it?"

An Ling curled her lips. "Who told you to be in the hospital? Since you couldn't send them to me, it's better for me to send them."

"You can use it." Shen Linyan put down the flowers, rested his arm on her waist, and pulled her into his embrace. He lowered his head and kissed her cheek. "I'll make it up to Madam later."

His eyelids slowly lowered, his nose pressing deeply into her warm cheek, and his lips drew closer bit by bit. "What kind of flowers does Madam like..."

The man's voice was low and gentle. His hot breath brushed against her ear. Just as he opened his mouth to capture her lips, the girl covered his mouth the very next second.

An Ling blinked, her eyes curving into a smile.

"What are you doing, Hubby?"

With his mouth covered, Shen Linyan's eyes crinkled in amusement.

He took the opportunity to kiss the palm of her hand.

"What does Madam think I want to do?"

"Madam, we haven't kissed in sixteen days and thirteen hours."

An Ling was surprised.

How did this guy remember it so clearly?

She steadied herself slightly and waved her hand. "No, no, your injuries haven't fully healed yet."

She wasn't stupid. After what her mother said today, if she gave in to Shen Linyan, she would be doomed!

She could never resist Shen Linyan's kisses. Once they started kissing, things would get out of hand, and his wounds would tear open again.

So she had to nip it in the bud!

Thinking of this, An Ling blinked and smiled at the man. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed the back of her own hand.

"There, that's enough! Hubby, I'm going to pack my luggage. My leave is all used up, and I have to go to work tomorrow."

Watching the girl's retreating back, Shen Linyan stood frozen in place.

After a moment of silence, he chuckled, sighed, and walked toward the bedroom.

"What does Madam want to eat for dinner?"

...

With the New Year approaching, the previously agreed-upon wedding preparations slowly began.

An Zhou and Qin You were already prepared; they planned to hold their wedding during the New Year holiday, while An Ling's wedding was scheduled for the spring.

Knowing that An Zhou was having his wedding before hers made An Ling quite happy.

With someone going ahead of her, she could take the chance to familiarize herself with the process.

While she was revising a project proposal, the phone on her desk suddenly lit up.

Hubby: [Wifey, I won't be coming home for dinner tonight ^^]

An Ling: [Okay~ ^^]

Great! She finally had time to bake cookies tonight!

Lately, Shen Linyan had been home every day, so she hadn't had the chance to make cookies.

She couldn't do it in front of Shen Linyan. If she failed, it would be a disaster, so she had to make them secretly.

And then give Shen Linyan a surprise ( ̆▽ ̆)っ!

...

Nighttime, Golden Palace Club.

Downstairs on the dance floor, the crowd surged. Colorful lights flashed, and the rhythmic music was accompanied by waves of cheering.

Wang Yihong walked to the VIP room on the second floor and pushed the door open.

"I just dealt with a drunk guest causing trouble. So annoying, these drunks..."

Sensing the unusually quiet atmosphere in the room, his voice came to an abrupt halt.

Shen Linyan sat right in the middle of the sofa, his long legs crossed. He was looking down at his phone, his facial expression obscured by the shadows, his jaw tense and devoid of emotion.

Beside him, Gu Xiaochi turned his head, suppressing the corners of his mouth as he drank silently.

On the other side of the sofa, Liang Chen was slowly pouring wine, looking completely composed.

He paused slightly. "What's wrong? Why are you guys so quiet?"

Walking over and sitting on the sofa, Wang Yihong saw the wine glass in front of Shen Linyan and instinctively asked out of concern,

"Brother Shen, are your wounds healed? How can you still be drinking?"

This single sentence instantly made Gu Xiaochi lose his composure.

Covering his mouth, he tried hard to hold back his laughter. "Wang Yihong, you're dead meat. I can't believe you actually dared to say that! Brother Shen can't bear to hear anything about whether his wounds are healed or not right now."

Wang Yihong: "?"

Shen Linyan lightly lifted his eyes. "Is it funny, Gu Xiaochi?"

Gu Xiaochi immediately wiped the smile off his face and said seriously, "Not funny at all."

Wang Yihong sat down in confusion. "What exactly happened?"

Gu Xiaochi threw an arm around his shoulder, his lowered voice still unable to hide his amusement.

"Because our Chairman Shen has wounds on his body, it's been over a month now, and he hasn't even been able to kiss his wife once."

Liang Chen took a sip of his drink. "What I meant at the time was no intercourse for two months. I never said he couldn't even kiss for two months. That was Sister-in-law's own decision."

Shen Linyan lowered his eyes, his fingertips lightly tapping his knee.

He naturally knew this had nothing to do with what Liang Chen said. There had to be another reason why An Ling didn't want to kiss him.

But right now, he still hadn't figured out that reason.

Moreover, over the past few days, his wife had been intentionally or unintentionally asking him if he had any social engagements at night. It seemed she didn't really want him staying at home in the evenings.

Suddenly, Wang Yihong's voice rang out unexpectedly.

"Could it be a lack of novelty?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, the room suddenly fell dead silent.

The air itself seemed to stagnate slightly.

The man's movements paused, the corners of his mouth tightening into a straight line. He slowly raised his eyes and looked at him expressionlessly.

Beside him, Gu Xiaochi and Liang Chen both cast glances at him as if looking at a brave warrior.

Wang Yihong hurriedly raised his hands to prove his innocence.

"...I'm not trying to pick a fight, I'm genuinely offering Brother Shen some advice. I've seen too many of these relationship issues in the bar. A lot of men and women still love each other, but they lose the passion. They lose that sense of novelty with one another, and their relationship gradually exists only in name."

"How does that saying go? Love is like a flower. Flowers need 'preservatives,' and love also needs 'novelty'."

Hearing this, Shen Linyan lowered his eyes and didn't speak.

After a long moment of silence, he slowly stood up and methodically straightened his suit. The wedding ring on his ring finger glinted with a cold light as he spoke in a flat tone.

"Utter nonsense."

...

"Beep—"

The sound of the door opening rang out. An Ling poked her head out from the kitchen and took a look. "Hubby, you're back."

Shen Linyan gave a hum of acknowledgment. He unbuttoned his suit jacket, slightly loosened his tie, and walked over. "What is Madam making?"

An Ling blocked the items behind her. She was still wearing an apron. She raised her eyebrows, a mysterious little expression on her pretty face.

"Guess!"

Shen Linyan caught a glimpse of the oven behind the woman, a smile flashing through his eyes.

He casually leaned against the kitchen island, his long legs bent. Even such a simple action looked exceptionally pleasing to the eye.

He feigned a thoughtful look on his face and pondered aloud:

"It couldn't be cookies, could it?"

"..."

How boring!

An Ling harrumphed and turned around.

Shen Linyan smiled, walked over, and wrapped his arms around her waist. His chin gently rubbed the top of her head as he glanced at the cookies on the baking sheet, a full tray.

His voice carried a bit of husky magnetism. "Madam made this many?"

"I'm taking them to Mom and Dad tomorrow, as well as my brother and Sister Qin You." An Ling had used up all her ingredients today.

She picked up the best-looking cookie, turned to look at Shen Linyan, and handed it to him, blinking. "Do you want to try one?"

The man lowered his head, opened his mouth, and took a bite right from her hand. His Adam's apple bobbed gently. His eyelashes drooped, casting a faint shadow, and the lines of his side profile looked sharp and cold under the light.

Even though An Ling had looked at this face many times, it was a new visual impact every single time.

The tips of her ears turned slightly red, and she asked softly, "Is it good?"

"Has Madam tasted it herself?"

She made it herself, so of course she had tasted it.

Just as An Ling was about to answer, she saw the other party suddenly take another bite.

With that noble and ascetic face biting into the cookie, the man used his long fingers to lift her chin, leaning down wanting to kiss her.

Over the past month, An Ling had formed a habit. Before her brain could even react, her hand had already instinctively blocked him.

In an instant, Shen Linyan's movements froze in place, his heart tightening slightly.

He maintained that posture without moving. Stray hairs fell across his forehead, and his gaze flickered slightly under the light. Countless complex emotions seemed to surge in the depths of his eyes.

An Ling paused in surprise. Just as she was about to speak, she saw the man let go of his hand.

He lowered his eyes obscurely, slowly ate the rest of the cookie, and said softly:

"It's delicious."