Chapter 23: Honey, I'm really pissed off right now.

The words hung in the air, and it was as if someone had pressed the pause button in the living room. It grew so quiet that the sound of a pin dropping would have been deafening.

The smile had long since vanished from An Ling’s face. She frowned deeply, looking at Shen Linyan beside her.

The man sat quietly on the sofa, looking as if he were isolated from the surrounding commotion. His features still held their usual gentle and refined air. His lashes were slightly lowered, and those dark, ink-blue eyes were devoid of their usual warmth and peace; instead, they were like a pool of stagnant water, calm as if he had long since grown accustomed to this.

"I apologize, Mother."

His voice was very soft, like a snowflake falling onto a lake—light, airy, and carrying a hint of hoarseness that was difficult to detect.

An Ling froze in place, staring blankly at the scene before her.

Wait a minute...

Before she could process it, Mother Shen’s cold, harsh voice rang in her ears.

"Now you know you were wrong? What about your brother's reputation? So many people saw what happened last night. Find a way to suppress it."

An Ling paused, then turned her gaze back to the woman on the sofa. "You know it was Lu Jingshen’s friend who was at fault first?"

Sensing her gaze, Mother Shen’s movements faltered for a moment. She shot An Ling a sidelong glance. "And you, as well. That friend of Lu Jingshen’s only greeted you yesterday because he recognized you. But you? You actually plotted against him. Is this how an elder sister-in-law should—"

At this point, seeing An Ling's face growing darker and darker, Mother Shen abruptly stopped. She acted as if nothing had happened and took a sip of her tea.

"Jingshen has already transferred those two million to you. Just act as if this never happened. I will have Shen Linyan handle the aftermath. You just behave yourself."

"...Ha!" An Ling couldn't help but laugh out loud. "That is beyond ridiculous..."

What was this? She had thought Mother Shen called them over because she had caused trouble again.

As it turned out, the woman knew the truth perfectly well. She was just blaming Shen Linyan, the elder brother, for not protecting his younger brother's reputation and for not handling the situation "perfectly."

That coward Lu Jingshen didn't dare to face Shen Linyan alone, so he had to run to his mommy.

No wonder Shen Linyan ended up as the "gentle second male lead" in the story. This wasn't being gentle; he was being treated like a doormat and a tool.

She leaned against Shen Linyan’s shoulder and muttered under her breath, "That old hag doesn't just have bad eyes; her heart is blinded by grease, too."

Her voice wasn't loud, but in the silence of the living room, it was exceptionally clear.

Clatter— The fruit platter the maid was preparing crashed to the floor.

In that instant, the living room fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone’s eyes were filled with shock, bewilderment, and disbelief.

Hearing her words, the man’s eyelids flickered slightly, and the corners of his mouth curled into an imperceptible arc.

Once she finally registered what had been said, Mother Shen’s voice erupted in a furious roar from the sofa: "An Ling!! What did you just say!?"

"I wasn't talking about you, so why are you so angry?"

An Ling slowly raised her head. "The fact that Shen Linyan had to pay for your son last night already made me angry enough. This matter isn't going to be suppressed. I’ve already prepared a clarification and am ready to post it."

She didn't care if the clarification was actually ready or not.

She was in a foul mood right now, and she wasn't going to let anyone else have a good time.

Her perfect business partner was being bullied like this right in front of her.

Her gaze fell on the couple on the opposite sofa who were acting like bystanders. An Ling tutted.

Were the male and female leads just sitting there to reap the benefits? Letting the old lady charge into battle for them?

"Also, as a daughter of the An family, I am high-born. Tell your younger son not to associate with just any kind of trash. It brings me bad luck, and it might even ruin the Shen family's financial fortune."

The An family might not be as powerful as the Shens, but they hadn't fallen so low that they could be harassed by just anyone.

"You!!"

It was unclear which sentence had struck a nerve, but Mother Shen’s face changed instantly, twisting with rage.

Without a second thought, she threw the cup in her hand. "An Ling, how dare you!! Is it your place to speak here?"

An Ling was stunned. She instinctively raised her hand to shield herself, but her waist was suddenly encircled by a powerful arm. A warm palm protected the back of her head as she was pulled into a hard, broad chest. A crisp, woody scent of pine filled her nose.

The porcelain cup rolled off the edge of the sofa with a thud, and lukewarm tea splashed onto her skirt.

She looked up blankly, only to collide with a pair of dark, deep eyes.

The man reached out to touch the area where the tea had spilled. After confirming it was only warm water, he took off his suit jacket and draped it over the woman’s slender shoulders. He gently tidied her hair and whispered softly, "Go wait for me in the car, honey. I’ll finish up here quickly, and then we’ll go home."

That was perfect. If she stayed here any longer, she really wouldn't be able to show any respect for her elders.

An Ling stood up, but then she looked at Shen Linyan with hesitation, looking as if she wanted to say something.

The man’s eyes crinkled into a smile, and his fingertips lightly brushed against her palm.

Once she had left, Shen Linyan bent down to pick up the tea cup from the carpet. He placed it slowly on the table, his voice clear and calm. "Mother, you shouldn't treat my wife like that."

Mother Shen’s chest was still heaving with rage. "Did you hear what that woman said!?"

The man looked up, appearing completely oblivious, and asked in a gentle tone, "What did she say?"

"..."

The words died in Mother Shen’s throat.

She realized that nothing good ever happened whenever she clashed with An Ling. She took a deep breath, chose to ignore the insult, and returned to the main topic.

“Let’s not talk about that for now. You must fix this situation with your brother. Go and have that report retracted before the clarification comes out.”

Shen Linyan replied in a calm, indifferent voice, “I’m afraid it’s already too late. The clarification has been released.”

Mother Shen’s voice suddenly spiked in volume. “What?!”

Beside her, Lu Jingshen asked in a low, heavy voice, “Brother, did you release that report?”

The man stood up with a faint curl of his lips, looking every bit the refined and elegant gentleman.

“I didn't release the report.”

“But I did release the clarification.”

Ignoring his mother’s scolding echoing behind him, he walked straight out of the villa.

As he crossed the courtyard, the sound of hurried footsteps came from behind, followed by a woman’s soft, breathless voice.

“Big Brother, wait a moment!”

He stopped and turned to see Zhou Wen standing behind him.

She caught her breath and lowered her head, letting out a gentle sigh. “I’m sorry, Big Brother. I’ve caused you trouble again. It was the same with the last incident. This was all done by Jingshen’s old group of friends to get back at him.”

Shen Linyan gave a soft hum of acknowledgment. “I know. There’s no need for you to apologize.”

Zhou Wen bit her lower lip, her fingers twisting together in a display of submissive grace, her eyes downcast. “I know these incidents have made things very difficult for you and Sister-in-law, so I understand why you released the clarification. Honestly, I didn't know what to do. Since I married into the family, Jingshen has been dealing with these headaches every day. The only thing I can do is stay by his side.”

The man’s gaze swept over her face, appearing lost in thought.

After a moment, he looked away, his eyes filled with a casual indifference. His voice remained gentle as he said, “I warned you before that Lu Jingshen is not a suitable marriage partner. He keeps company with a questionable crowd.”

Zhou Wen froze for a second before letting out a small laugh. “Big Brother, you sound like you’re trying to convince me to get a divorce.”

The man said nothing.

Zhou Wen hesitated for a moment before finally revealing her true purpose. “Big Brother, I know Jingshen is already dealing with those friends of his, but there might be more trouble in the future that requires your help. Could you look out for him a bit more?”

Shen Linyan looked down at his watch and gave a brief “Mhm.”

Seeing him agree, Zhou Wen’s eyes brightened. She turned and waved. “Thank you, Big Brother! Goodbye then.”

Shen Linyan turned to head back to his car, but his footsteps suddenly faltered.

Not far away by the door, a woman stood leaning lazily against the frame, a suit jacket draped over her shoulders. It was impossible to tell how long she had been watching.

Noticing his gaze, she tilted her head against the wall and slowly curved her eyes into a smile.

“Hubby, I’m absolutely fuming right now.”