But this would attract attention. Still, as long as she could get some fresh air, she reluctantly agreed.
"No." The man remained firm, unwilling to let her take even the slightest risk.
An Ruo stood up angrily. "Then we have nothing to talk about."
She stormed to the door, ignoring his calls, and ran straight out of the room.
Shen Xiaoxing let out a heavy sigh, shaking his head helplessly like a worried father dealing with a willful, rebellious daughter.
A little girl's anger—just coax her, and she'll be fine, as long as you have enough patience.
But...
Shen Xiaoxing pulled out all the stops, seizing every chance to cheer her up—giving her gifts she liked, buying her favorite desserts. Yet the girl dug in her heels, ignoring it all.
During dinner, An Che could sense the tension between them. Shen Xiaoxing kept fussing over her, while An Ruo deliberately sat far away, picking out the food he put in her bowl.
After dinner, An Che secretly found Shen Xiaoxing.
"Brother-in-law, did you make my sister mad?"
Shen Xiaoxing, who had been frowning, immediately put on a kind smile. "No, we're fine. Go do your homework, don't overthink it."
"Don't fool me. I just mentioned you to my sister, and she snapped at me to shut up." An Che narrowed his eyes at him. "My sister has a great temper—gentle, kind, and sweet. You must have done something to upset her."
"..." Shen Xiaoxing pressed his thin lips together. "Is it that obvious?"
"I don't know about obvious, but if you don't make it up to her now, you won't be sleeping with your wife tonight."
Shen Xiaoxing froze at that, then turned with a laugh, patting his shoulder. "Kid, you know a lot. How come I haven't seen you bring a girlfriend home?"
"I'm still young." An Che's eyes widened, his face reddening like Guan Yu. "I don't know about that stuff. Don't corrupt me, brother-in-law."
"..."
"My sister is the type who responds to softness, not hardness. Handle it yourself. I'm off." Before leaving, he patted Shen Xiaoxing's shoulder and gave him a wink like a good buddy.
Shen Xiaoxing watched his retreating figure. This kid was getting bolder, even joking with him now. Not bad.
He stood there for a long moment, then let the smile fade from his face. But what if he couldn't coax this girl?
...
The man wheeled himself to the door, hesitated with a sigh, and turned the handle to enter. His gaze swept the room without finding her, but the sound of rustling came from the bathroom. He wheeled over just in time to see her changing clothes.
She had her back to him, and on her right shoulder blade, that strange totem had appeared again.
Shen Xiaoxing stared intently at the freshly healed scar on her shoulder and the odd tattoo that came and went.
He had observed it—this tattoo only showed up under high temperatures.
An Ruo finished changing into her pajamas and turned around to find the man sitting at the door, watching her. Realizing he had seen her changing, her face flushed crimson.
"When did you come in?" Her tone carried a hint of displeasure as she frowned. "Why didn't you knock?"
How long had he been there, just watching her change? This was so embarrassing!
The man's lips curled into a sly smile. "I'm looking at my own wife's body. Any objections, Mrs. Shen?"
That might be true, but she still felt shy. Couldn't he just knock?
She pouted as she walked out, with the man wheeling behind her.
"Still mad at me, Mrs. Shen?"
An Ruo pulled back the covers and slipped into bed, her face cold. Clearly, she hadn't calmed down yet, pursing her lips and ignoring him.
Seeing her so thoroughly aloof, Shen Xiaoxing let out a soft sigh.
He could handle any tricky situation with ease, but coaxing a woman? He had no experience and no clue.
"Mrs. Shen?" The man pulled out a new phone from his pocket, its pink case giving it a girlish charm.
He gently placed it in her arms. "You broke your phone last time, and I never had time to get you a new one. Try this one, how about it?"
An Ruo's beautiful eyes glanced over—it was the latest model. Her current phone had been flung out during the attack in New Zealand, its screen shattered on the ground.
It wasn't a huge problem, just old and worn from use.
"I've saved my number in it."
Urged by him, An Ruo bit her lip and opened the brand-new phone. A scrolling message popped into view: "Honey, I was wrong (sad face). Please forgive me, beautiful and kind Mrs. Shen~"
She curved her lips slightly, then caught herself and switched back to a stern expression, glancing at him. The man coughed awkwardly, his face a bit red.
It was his first time coaxing a girl, so he was a little embarrassed.
Shen Xiaoxing wheeled closer. "Do you really want to go back to school?"
An Ruo's voice cooled. "Let me go to Lanzhen, then."
She had to pick one, right?
The man smiled, fine lines crinkling at the corners of his eyes, and nodded lightly. "Alright, since Mrs. Shen is so diligent, I'll support you. But going to school isn't very convenient. Come to the company instead."
School had too many eyes and ears. With her personality, she definitely wouldn't tell the school about her pregnancy. Lanzhen was safer—at least the company was full of his people, and Gu Zhao could keep an eye on her.
An Ruo couldn't believe her ears. "Really?"
The man nodded gently. "If I didn't agree, I'm afraid Mrs. Shen wouldn't let me sleep in the bed tonight."
"..." An Ruo bit back a smile. "At least you know yourself."
Shen Xiaoxing reached out and ruffled her hair, his voice dripping with endless affection. "You really make me rack my brains."
"You mean being with me is annoying?"
"No." He let out a sudden laugh, messing up her hair even more. "What's going on in that little head of yours?"
She pushed his hand away, frowning. "Racking your brains means I'm bothering you..."
Shen Xiaoxing didn't know how to explain it to her. This little girl, who made him both love and drive him crazy, was truly sent by heaven to torment him!
They made up, and the man leaned against the headboard, looking down at the girl nestled in his arms, playing with her new phone. His palm rubbed her right shoulder blade. "Let me ask you something."
An Ruo was transferring photos from her old phone to the new one. She glanced up. "What?"
"Do you know there's a strange pattern on your right shoulder?"
"Is there?" An Ruo froze, put down her phone, and twisted around to look at her shoulder. The skin was fair and smooth, with no strange pattern at all. She shot him a suspicious look. "Are you messing with me?"
Shen Xiaoxing's deep black eyes flickered. "This pattern only shows up after you take a hot shower."
"Really?"
An Ruo had never noticed any strange pattern on her back. Besides, after a shower, she'd sometimes look at herself in the mirror.
The man didn't answer, his dark eyes growing still. "Do you really not know about your background?"
At the mention of her background, An Ruo's good mood plummeted. "I've been without parents since I was little. As far back as I can remember, I wandered around. Later, I ended up in an orphanage with Xiao Che, and within a year, Grandma An took me into the An family."
His sudden question made the insecure An Ruo bristle with sensitivity.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing." The man sank into thought, his dark eyes deep.
[The female lead's identity is quite something~]