When she first married into the Shen family, he had Han Chong investigate the girl's background. Strangely, all information before she entered the orphanage was cut off.
She entered the orphanage at twelve, with two years of wandering before that. Going further back, the information should have been traceable.
Unless her identity was unusual, and someone deliberately erased her past.
Seeing him silent for so long, An Ruo's heart began to race. "You... are you bothered by my past?"
Shen Xiaoxing paused, then realized she was sensitive about being an orphan. His eyes softened as he gently tousled her hair. "Silly girl, am I making you feel so insecure?"
An Ruo bit her lip lightly. It wasn't that he didn't give her enough security—it was her own fault. Her childhood experiences had made her feel inferior.
Before, she hadn't felt lesser than others, but since falling in love with Shen Xiaoxing, his dazzling status and position had only made her lose confidence.
"Marrying a cripple like me, I should be grateful. How could I dare to despise you?" He affectionately tapped her small nose. "Be confident. In this marriage, I'm the one who's reaching above my station."
That was true. She was an orphan, but at least her background was clean.
And him? His mother was a lowly bar girl, and he himself was a bastard child born from a night of debauchery, scorned by everyone.
Only after falling in love with her did he realize how important a clean background was to a person.
Perhaps the greatest hesitation in loving someone is inferiority—the more outstanding the other person, the more inferior you feel.
An Ruo knew he was comforting her. After all, he was still the eldest son of the Shen family, respected by all, unlike her, who was mocked wherever she went, hiding her stunning beauty just to live easier.
"Alright, don't overthink it." The man pulled her into his arms, his chin resting on her head, his magnetic voice low and husky. "You just need to know that I love you, more than those ethereal backgrounds and pasts. That's enough."
His strong heartbeat gave her all the security she needed.
"I love you for who you are. No one else will do."
An Ruo smiled, her beautiful eyes shimmering like water, her nose tingling slightly as she looked up at this handsome man.
She chuckled softly. "Women can't say no, and men can't say can't."
That was a twisted lesson he had taught her.
"Whether I can or can't, do you want to try again?"
If he couldn't, where would the child in her belly come from?
An Ruo's eyes crinkled with laughter. "Of course you can. Otherwise, why would you be called Shen Xiaoxing?"
Her playful smile struck straight at the man's heart, and his thin lips curled slightly. "Looks like my mother didn't name me wrong."
An Ruo thought for a moment. "What's the meaning behind this name?"
At the mention of the past, Shen Xiaoxing's expression stiffened briefly, but he didn't react too strongly. Since he had already shared his past with her, there was no need to hide it.
"She hoped I would carry the courage of the character 'Xiao' and keep walking forward."
From this explanation, An Ruo figured her future mother-in-law couldn't have been the bar girl Shen Xiaoxing described. She must have been a cultured, well-read woman.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have come up with such a beautiful and meaningful name.
"She must have loved you very much."
Shen Xiaoxing's lips twitched slightly. "Probably."
Though he had briefly told her about his mother, he never wanted to dig up those memories.
An Ruo knew he was missing his mother and immediately stopped. "I heard your friends call you A-Xing. Can I call you that too?"
He smirked. "I'd be happier if you called me husband."
A faint blush crept across An Ruo's cheeks. He was being improper again.
"I can't exactly call you that in front of others, can I?"
"We're protected by law. Why can't you?"
"But..." An Ruo bit her lip. "I'd be embarrassed in front of a crowd."
"Mrs. Shen, having such thin skin isn't good." The man leaned down and kissed her cheek, smirking. "I haven't even teased you much, and you're already blushing."
"..." An Ruo couldn't handle being teased. Who would have thought that the aloof, cold goddess everyone saw could be so charming and adorable nestled in a man's arms?
A kiss, a tease, and she was too shy to speak.
"What were you raised on that makes you so shy, huh?" He kissed her earlobe, making the girl shiver with sensitivity.
"Don't..." An Ruo shrank her shoulders to avoid him. She couldn't handle this man's tender whispers—too seductive, too irresistible!
She pulled the covers over her head and crawled in. "I'm going to sleep."
"Sleep? It's still early. Won't you talk with your husband?"
The girl's voice was muffled under the blanket, soft and sweet. "No."
Shen Xiaoxing chuckled and lightly patted her bottom. "Didn't I just say women can't say no? Forgot already?"
An Ruo peeked out from under the covers, her clear eyes looking at him as she pouted. "You're old and shameless!"
She called him old!?
Shen Xiaoxing raised an eyebrow. "Little girl, are you asking for a spanking?"
"I'm carrying your child. If you hurt me, don't blame me."
"..." Was she threatening him?
A clever move—using the child to command the father.
"Who told you to keep making dirty jokes?"
He frowned slightly, looking very wronged. "Mrs. Shen, you're冤枉 me. I'm such an upright and friendly young man. How could I say such indecent things?"
An Ruo mimicked his tone, speaking seriously. "From the look in your eyes, sir, I can't see any innocence. What's hidden inside is nothing but possession and plunder."
"I love you. I won't settle for a gentlemanly friendship." He leaned down and kissed her forehead.
...
This time, the man was determined to deal with Shen Tingfeng, using the opportunity to warn Shen Yu. He was no longer the Shen Xiaoxing from three years ago who could be pushed around.
Tang Beiqiu had obtained key evidence. Several of the assassins Shen Tingfeng had sent were still alive, and with a little pressure, they confessed everything.
The police got involved. The old master Shen, disappointed in Shen Tingfeng's indulgence, harshly ordered him to reflect in prison. If this got out, the entire Shen conglomerate would fall into chaos. Keeping him locked up was a way to wait for calm.
This worried Fang Yingxue, who was anxious for her son. She kept urging her husband to beg the old master for leniency. Unable to bear her daily nagging, Shen Yu reluctantly went to Lanting Pavilion.
As soon as he opened his mouth to plead for Shen Tingfeng, the old master, who was flipping through documents, suddenly threw a hardcover file that landed heavily at Shen Yu's feet.
"I always thought your brain hadn't fully developed," the old master said, his voice full of authority as he glared at him. "But after all these years, you haven't improved at all!"
Shen Yu lowered his head, seeing the scattered documents on the floor—records of a failed New Zealand partnership and massive loopholes in the projects he was responsible for.
He had been too busy dealing with these issues to pay attention to Shen Xiaoxing, but he never expected that bastard to be so capable—not only getting Shen Tingfeng thrown in prison but also exposing his own problems to the old master.
"You can't even handle a younger generation. I think your brain is just for show!" The old master gripped his cane in anger and slammed it hard against the floor.
"I don't understand. Born to the same mother, how can you be so different!" The old master laughed bitterly. "Look at yourself. In what way can you compare to your older brother?"
"..."
"Though he's no longer alive, even the living can't match him! And the son he left behind—I think you'll never surpass him in this lifetime!"