An Ruo stared at him blankly, not understanding what he meant by that.
Meeting the man's icy gaze, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt. Was he angry that she had sneaked out?
"Mr. Shen, that's a bit harsh. I just thought An An was bored alone at the hotel, so I agreed to take her out for a stroll." Yun Li wasn't stupid. Seeing the man's cold expression, the terrifying chill radiating from him, and the barely concealed fury in his eyes, he felt uneasy. Then he glanced at the girl beside him, who looked like she'd done something wrong. It pained him—did she have to live so timidly in front of Shen Xiaoxing?
After getting to know her, An Ruo had once confided in him that she was an adopted daughter. Although Shen Xiaoxing was disabled, he came from a prestigious family in Shencheng, and marrying him was indeed a step up for her.
Yun Li frowned, mistakenly assuming that Shen Xiaoxing looked down on her background and vented his frustrations about his disability onto An Ruo.
He stepped forward, shielding the girl behind him. "It was my idea to bring her out. If you want to blame someone, blame me. She has nothing to do with it."
Shen Xiaoxing's face darkened even more. Seeing how protectively he stood by his girl, his eyes narrowed. *An An?* He was calling her pretty intimately!
To outsiders, they looked like a perfect couple, while he seemed like the villain trying to tear them apart!
Behind him, Han Chong silently rubbed his forehead. What was up with this Mr. Bryce? He'd heard the guy was pretty smart—otherwise, he wouldn't have made a name for himself in European business circles. But every move and word he made now was just walking straight into trouble!
Even as an outsider, Han Chong could tell Yun Li's actions were way out of line.
"Mr. Bryce, I respect you because XE has a partnership with the Shen Group, but that doesn't mean you can stick your nose into matters concerning my woman!" The man's narrow, phoenix-like eyes narrowed slightly, fury swirling in their depths, his voice icy. "You're overstepping your bounds!"
"..."
Yun Li was taken aback, suddenly realizing his position was inappropriate. Awkwardly, he shifted aside and glanced briefly at the girl.
"Mr. Bryce, you're not young anymore. Since you have half Chinese blood in you, you should understand a term we have in this country." His voice was low and cold. "It's called 'keeping your distance.'"
"..."
"She's my wife. As a friend, I don't mind you two interacting, but ask yourself—can you honestly say you have no other motive for getting close to her?"
As a man, Shen Xiaoxing could clearly see that Yun Li was drawn to An Ruo, and he knew exactly what roundabout game he was playing.
Too bad he was up against Shen Xiaoxing. He wouldn't boast about much, but being petty, jealous, and intolerant of any speck in his eye—that was his motto.
How could someone as despicable as him allow Yun Li to approach his woman with ulterior motives!?
The man hit the nail on the head, exposing the secret in his heart. Ashamed, Yun Li lowered his head and cautiously looked at the girl beside him.
An Ruo was clueless about romance; she had no idea about the unspoken battle between the two men. Thinking Yun Li might really have some hidden agenda for getting close to her, she stared at him with a questioning gaze.
Their eyes met, and Yun Li awkwardly turned away.
Shen Xiaoxing smirked, a hint of wickedness at the corner of his mouth. He glanced at the dazed An Ruo, then back at the man, his eyes clearly taunting. "Mr. Bryce, this is now time for me and my wife to be alone. Are you sure you want to stay and watch us be affectionate?"
They were a legally married couple. As an outsider, staying would be nothing but awkward.
Yun Li, being well-educated, couldn't help but slink away, his inherent grace forcing him to retreat.
After he left, the entire pottery shop fell into a long silence. There were hardly any customers around, just the three of them.
An Ruo still didn't understand what deep topic they had been discussing. She only saw Yun Li leave looking dejected, which only deepened her confusion.
She twisted her fingers lightly, breaking the silence with a soft voice. "I'm sorry..."
The man gazed at her with dark, unfathomable eyes, like a bottomless whirlpool, as if trying to pull her into his domain.
She bit her lip hard. "I shouldn't have ignored your advice and sneaked out..."
The sound of the wheelchair sliding across the floor grew closer. Suddenly, her small hand was grasped by the man. His palm was burning hot, while her fingertips were cold from nervousness and guilt.
"I'm the one who should apologize." It was his fault for losing control of his temper, letting jealousy consume him. He shouldn't have blown up like that in front of her.
Shen Xiaoxing tightened his grip on her hand, his voice slightly hoarse. "It's not that I don't want you to go out. I promised to take you on a trip, but then left you alone in the hotel because of work. That was my oversight."
She wasn't his caged canary, meant only to waste time locked up. He blamed himself for not considering that.
Admittedly, Yun Li had done better in this regard. If not for that remark, he'd probably still be stewing over the girl sneaking out.
That was truly uncalled for!
She was so sought-after now; he couldn't afford to let a small thing tarnish her impression of him.
He kissed the back of her hand. "Can Mrs. Shen forgive me?"
Huh?
Shouldn't he be the one coming to confront her? How had it turned into him apologizing?
An Ruo, who had braced herself for a scolding, was momentarily stunned. "...I don't blame you."
"Thank you for understanding, Mrs. Shen." His brows softened with tenderness as he pulled her onto his lap—their most intimate gesture.
An Ruo snapped out of it and struggled a little. "No, let go of me first. There are people..."
Though the large pottery shop had no customers, there were staff around. Seeing them cuddled so intimately, they cast envious glances.
The man was strikingly handsome, with sharp, well-defined features that fit European tastes. The women here liked tough guys, especially those who could dominate them with sheer presence.
So, as they whispered about Shen Xiaoxing's looks, even though he was in a wheelchair, their sharp eyes greedily lingered on his physique, making An Ruo very uncomfortable!
It felt like someone was eyeing her private property, coveting it.
He kissed her flushed cheek. "What are you afraid of? We're married—legally, at that."
Han Chong, standing silently nearby, was utterly exasperated.
When the young master heard that the young lady had left the hotel with someone else, he was so furious he nearly tore up the freshly signed contract. He stormed over to confront her, only to end up... kneeling first.
What was even funnier was that the young lady hadn't said a word, not even a glance of explanation, and she had the young master completely wrapped around her finger.
Han Chong looked up at the ceiling. Was this what they called being whipped?
Just then, the shop assistant brought over the finished ceramic piece. They had helped paint it—a shade of Klein blue that An Ruo had picked out earlier.
An Ruo tried to get up from the man's arms, but he held her tight. Awkwardly, she reached out to take it. Seeing the engraving on it, she broke into a lovely smile with dimples.
The man holding her also saw the English letters the girl had carved on the mug's surface. The heart in the middle was painted red, while the letters were coated in gold.
"Did you carve this?"
"Yeah." An Ruo examined it, making sure there were no flaws, then handed it to him with a smile. "For you."
The man raised an eyebrow. "For me?"
"Of course. It was always meant to be a gift for you."
"Why the sudden gift?"
"It's New Year's, so it's a New Year's gift."