During the meal, An Ruo played the part of a gentle and virtuous wife, constantly picking up food for the man, feeding him water, and wiping his mouth. This series of actions finally earned a hint of relief from the old man’s expression. It seemed he hadn’t chosen the wrong person.
Throughout the meal, An Ruo felt extremely uncomfortable, especially with Shen Tingfeng eyeing her like a dog in heat and his mother, who always had a sharp tongue, making snide remarks while subtly belittling the An family. An Ruo didn’t care—as long as she wasn’t being cursed out, the woman could insult the An family all she wanted; it had nothing to do with her.
For a moment, no one responded, so she started stirring trouble again. “Father was worried before that they hadn’t met, afraid Xiao Xing’s temper would be hard to handle, but now seeing the young couple so loving, you and Sister-in-law can rest easy.” Fang Yingxue’s gaze swept over them meaningfully.
Finally, a pleasant word. Old Master Shen nodded in satisfaction. “Xiao Qing is a good girl.” “If Big Brother were here, he’d be pleased too.”
An Ruo bit into a piece of crispy pork, clearly sensing that Fang Yingxue’s words had plunged the table into silence. She lifted her eyes without a sound. Shen Yu, sitting beside her, muttered a low reprimand: “Say less!”
Everyone in Shen City knew that Shen Ye, the eldest son of the Shen family, had died unexpectedly—a pain the family and Old Master Shen least wanted to recall. Fang Yingxue realized she’d spoken out of turn and lightly slapped her own face. “My fault, I shouldn’t have brought up something that upsets Father…”
Shen Ye was a taboo in the Shen family, never to be mentioned!
“I told you, mind your own branch’s affairs and properly educate your son. Other matters are none of your concern!” Old Master Shen’s cold, sharp gaze swept over her. “Lazing around all day, causing trouble outside, gallivanting and not coming home—this is the fine son you’ve raised!”
Shen Tingfeng didn’t expect to be caught in the crossfire. “Grandfather, if you’re in a bad mood, you can’t take it out on me. Besides, I’ve been behaving lately and haven’t caused any trouble.”
Fang Yingxue forced herself to apologize. “Father, I’m sorry… Tingfeng was immature before, but now he knows how to shoulder the Shen family’s responsibilities and is learning to share the burden at the company…”
Old Master Shen snorted coldly. “When has he ever worried about the company? I think he’s just coveting the position of heir!” He glared furiously at Shen Yu. “You’ve raised quite a son!”
The second branch was scolded so harshly by the old man that they didn’t dare breathe too loudly. An Ruo quietly picked at her rice. In the An family, her status was just above the servants. As an outsider, she should play deaf and dumb to things she shouldn’t hear and avoid too much curiosity, or she’d bring trouble on herself.
The lunch finally ended in an awkward atmosphere. An Ruo pushed Shen Xiao Xing out of the dining room, with Shen Tingfeng following nearby. She tried to dodge him, but he maliciously pinched her butt. An Ruo felt like she’d been struck by lightning, but luckily the others had walked far ahead. He gave her a wicked grin, hands in his pockets, swaggering off with a roguish air. An Ruo’s palm itched, wanting to slap that demonic face of his.
A sharp glint flashed in the eyes of the man in the wheelchair.
—
The old man called Shen Xiao Xing into the study for something, while An Ruo was taken back to the main branch’s residence by Lin Zhao. Lin Zhao took a sip of tea. “You saw today what happens to those who don’t know the rules in the Shen family. Don’t let this happen again. One last warning, or even I won’t be able to protect you.” If the family punishment had fallen on her back then, even if she wanted to protect An Ruo, her words carried little weight in the Shen family and would have been useless.
An Ruo sat like a meek daughter-in-law. “I understand, Mother. I’ll never put you in a difficult position again.”
After all, she was the daughter-in-law of the main branch. Lin Zhao might have seen a reflection of herself in An Ruo and sighed softly. “Since Xiao Xing’s accident left him like this, even if your grandfather favors our main branch, it’s hard to keep the second branch from opposing us. I know marrying him is unfair to you, but since you’re his wife, you must take care of him, love him, cherish him, and understand him.”
She wanted to, but the man was utterly ungrateful—irritable and unpredictable. Every time she got close, she feared touching a nerve.
“I heard you two have been sleeping in separate rooms since the wedding night. Is that true?”
The topic shifted too quickly. “Uh… Shen Da, no, Xiao Xing, he…” An Ruo forced herself to say, “It’s me. I have bad sleeping habits and keep kicking him at night, so we had to sleep apart.”
“You saw today how the second branch targets us. If Xiao Xing hadn’t been injured and unable to take over the Shen Group, the heir’s position would have been his.” “…” “Now that he’s disabled, your grandfather has always wanted a great-grandchild. If you can give the Shen family one, our main branch won’t have to depend on others’ goodwill.”
An Ruo finally understood—her mother-in-law was pressuring her to conceive, hoping a great-grandchild would secure their standing in the Shen family. She hadn’t forgotten how the man had mocked her yesterday, accusing her of wanting to bear his child just to curry favor with the old man, painting her as a villain who’d do anything for profit. She had to admit, this mother-son pair was interesting—one didn’t want her to have his child, while the other wanted her to produce a great-grandchild for the Shen family as soon as possible. Neither considered her feelings or asked for her consent.
She hadn’t planned to stay long by Shen Xiao Xing’s side before, and now that she saw the family’s infighting, she couldn’t allow herself to get pregnant. A child growing up in such a family would be ruined. Besides, she didn’t love Shen Xiao Xing. When she left with nothing in three years, she didn’t want to add to her troubles.