A servant brought over a bowl of soup and placed it near An Ruo. Before she could ask in confusion, Lin Zhao spoke softly.
"This is a nourishing soup, very beneficial for women. You need to get your body in good shape so you can conceive a child as soon as possible."
An Ruo's cheeks flushed slightly with embarrassment. So Lin Zhao was urging her to get pregnant and bear the Shen family's great-grandson as soon as possible.
It seemed like every time she came, this nominal mother-in-law of hers would push the issue.
Under the table, the man held her hand. An Ruo looked up and read the meaning in his eyes—if she didn't want to drink it, she didn't have to force herself.
She gently patted the back of his hand, signaling that it was fine.
Across from them, Lin Zhao observed their interaction and said coolly, "If you don't want to drink it, don't force yourself."
"No," An Ruo shook her head. "I'm not forcing myself."
Since she had agreed to walk through life hand in hand with Shen Xiaoxing, she should know to stand united with him. If she refused to drink now, Lin Zhao would surely find something to complain about later.
It was just nourishing soup, and besides, tonics weren't harmful to the body.
An Ruo took the small bowl the servant handed her, pressed her lips to it, and drank it all in one go.
Seeing her obediently finish it, Lin Zhao's eyes flickered slightly as she picked up her utensils. "Let's eat."
With someone unfamiliar sitting across from her, An Ruo was especially cautious with every bite. She maintained her ladylike image, trying to eat as gracefully as possible.
The last time she had someone tear down a wall, Lin Zhao had seen her covered in dust and coldly scolded her for not having any semblance of the Shen family's eldest daughter-in-law.
This was the final meal, and she didn't want to leave any more ammunition for her to use.
After eating until she was half full, An Ruo was the first to wipe her mouth and set her utensils aside.
The man, who had been watching her closely, raised an eyebrow slightly when he saw her put down her utensils. "Full?"
An Ruo smiled at him and nodded. "Mm."
He took her small hand, brought it to his lips, and gently kissed it. "Then shall we go first?"
Mindful of Lin Zhao's presence, An Ruo instinctively tried to pull her hand back. She stole a glance at the other woman, saw that she was still drinking her soup with her head down, and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Mom, Xiaoxing and I are done eating. It's getting late, so we'll head back to the villa first."
Lin Zhao responded with a faint "Mm," her gaze never turning their way.
With her approval, An Ruo stood up as if relieved, pushing the man out of the dining room as if fleeing.
The dining room fell silent. Lin Zhao elegantly pulled out a tissue to wipe her mouth, her eyes dark and unreadable as she glanced at the dining room door.
Over the past two days, she had seen every bit of their affectionate behavior. She just hadn't expected Shen Xiaoxing to treat this An Ruo so well.
Oh well. Their deep feelings for each other were beneficial to her too.
...
Once they were out of the courtyard, An Ruo let out a heavy sigh. The man's thin lips curled into a slight smile. "You dislike being with her that much?"
"It's not that..." An Ruo couldn't quite explain it.
Before, she hadn't known that Shen Xiaoxing wasn't Lin Zhao's biological son, so she had treated her like a real mother-in-law and hadn't found anything wrong. But now that she knew they had no blood relation, and given how miserable the man's childhood had been, she subconsciously felt that Lin Zhao must not care for him.
If Lin Zhao had been good to Shen Xiaoxing, the man wouldn't have such a cold attitude toward her every time they met.
Besides, last time when she knelt before the Shen family and was slandered by An Qing, Lin Zhao hadn't said a single word in her defense. She was afraid of taking responsibility.
Since Lin Zhao wasn't willing to be kind to her, why should she try to curry favor with this nominal mother-in-law?
Moreover, if she got too close to Lin Zhao, Shen Xiaoxing would clearly be unhappy, given that their relationship was already strained.
"Let's head back to the villa early," An Ruo said, pursing her lips. "I wonder how Xiao Che is doing at home. I miss him."
Shen Xiaoxing's dark eyes deepened. He raised an eyebrow slightly, his voice sounding a bit strained as he cleared his throat and asked, "You miss him that much?"
"Yeah, I'm worried about whether he's eating properly."
"He'll be an adult after the New Year," the man said with a hint of jealousy in his tone. "You don't need to worry about him all the time."
"He's my little brother, and he's never been easy to look after. No matter how old he gets, I'll always worry about him wherever he goes."
"If I were to leave for a few days, would you..." Shen Xiaoxing rubbed the tip of his nose with his long finger, his deep voice awkward. "Would you miss me?"
"Huh?" An Ruo thought he was going on another business trip and frowned slightly. "Where are you going?"
"..." Shen Xiaoxing. "Nowhere. I'm just asking."
Was this girl even listening to him?
"I thought you were going on a business trip."
Shen Xiaoxing thought of the phone call that morning and lowered his voice. "I do have to go abroad in a few days."
Abroad?
This business trip wasn't domestic—he had to go that far?
"When?"
"Either the sixth or seventh of the month."
"Oh," An Ruo responded, her expression blank as she pushed him back into the living room.
"Will you miss me?"
An Ruo nodded. "Yes."
The man maneuvered his wheelchair out of her grip, spinning it around to face her.
Shen Xiaoxing raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Really what?"
His eyes were deep. "You said you'd miss me."
An Ruo froze slightly. So that's what he'd been circling around to ask.
Without hesitation, she nodded. "Of course I'll miss you if you're gone on a long business trip."
"Will it be the same as missing Xiao Che?"
That question completely stumped An Ruo.
She furrowed her brow slightly and shook her head. "Mm... no."
The man's dark pupils locked onto her, a fiery emotion surging in his gaze. "Why not?"
"I miss him because I'm worried about him, so I think of him wherever he goes. But you're different. You're my..." An Ruo's voice trailed off, and she hesitated as she looked at him.
Shen Xiaoxing finished her sentence, asking urgently, "I'm your what?"
"You're my husband..." An Ruo bit her lip slightly, feeling embarrassed to say it, and shyly lowered her face. "If you're away from me for too long, I'll miss you a lot. I won't be able to sleep, and I'll feel like something's missing."
As far as she could remember, the man had never been on a business trip. Maybe the old master was concerned about his leg injury and didn't want him traveling far.
But when she had gone on that business trip, they had been apart, and she had suffered from insomnia those nights, staying up very late before she could fall asleep.
Shen Xiaoxing was very satisfied with her answer. He smiled lightly, took her hand, and kissed it, his voice slightly hoarse. "I miss you too."
Those days when she was on a business trip in Xuancheng, heaven knew how much he missed this girl. Luckily, the people he'd sent to protect her had filmed her daily routine and sent it to him, which was how he managed to get through those days.
"Are you really going on a business trip?"
"Mm." The man nodded gently. "There's a problem with a project overseas. I need to go there in person."
"I see..." An Ruo knew he had a heavy responsibility now and couldn't help much, so she simply said, "Let me know when you're leaving in advance so I can pack your luggage."
The man reached out, hooked his arm around her slender waist, and pulled her onto his lap. His low, magnetic voice sounded in her ear. "Is Mrs. Shen repaying me for packing your luggage last time?"
"No. You keep calling me Mrs. Shen, so it's only natural for me, as your wife, to pack for my husband when he goes on a business trip."
"Seems like Mrs. Shen is catching on fast." Shen Xiaoxing's lips curled into a wicked smile, his voice deliberately lowered, his warm breath brushing against her ear. "As a reward, how about I take good care of you tonight?"
An Ruo's face instantly turned bright red!
He was so improper!