An Ruo stared at him blankly.
Her lips curved as if to smile, but remembering she was still angry, she forcefully suppressed the urge.
The man held her hand and gently kissed it.
"Mrs. Shen, still not planning to forgive me?"
Since he'd put it that way, An Ruo pressed her pink lips together and said, "I never planned not to forgive you. I just... can't accept this reality."
She would rather he still be that dejected eldest young master Shen—at least then she felt worthy of him. Now suddenly telling her that he had endured and hidden his burdens for years, that his body had recovered but carried too many secrets...
Shen Xiaoxing tightened his grip on her hand slightly, his voice low and hoarse: "I know it's hard for you to accept this all at once. I can give you time to slowly adjust, but you have to promise me you won't ignore me."
This girl was perfect in every way except for one flaw—she always bottled things up inside.
He knew she'd been upset these past few days, and he hadn't had time to soothe her, making things worse.
An Ruo lightly bit her lip. The man lifted her onto his lap and held her close.
"These past few days, even though you've been right in front of me, I felt like we were miles apart. I had to numb myself with work just to keep from impulsively pulling you into my arms."
"..."
"I've missed you so much. Ruoruo, can we end this cold war?"
If he'd known the truth would make her this angry, he shouldn't have revealed it so rashly. He should have found the right time to tell her slowly.
An Ruo didn't want to be in a cold war either, but the string of events over the past few days had left her breathless. Combined with the man hiding so many things from her, she felt deeply hurt inside.
She knew deep down that cold wars and arguments couldn't solve anything. She understood his helplessness, his resignation, his forbearance. As his wife, she should be understanding.
After all, the ones who had driven him to this were the Shen family. He had been forced onto the path of revenge.
How terrified he must have been when his plane crashed, how helpless when he woke up blind and nearly crippled.
These past days, An Ruo had thought it over—she couldn't let her own emotions negate Shen Xiaoxing's feelings for her.
...
When An Ruo was framed for a miscarriage, Shen Xiaoxing endured it silently. While the second branch of the family and everyone else assumed he wouldn't pursue it, he delivered a shocking blow.
Shen Xiaoxing moved up a project planned for the next quarter, forcing Shen Yu into a trap he had set, causing the subsidiary under his charge to suffer massive losses.
When word reached Old Master Shen, Shen Yu's barely healed injuries from days ago were compounded by new ones. With no other choice, he dragged his battered body to beg Shen Xiaoxing for mercy.
When Shen Yu arrived, Shen Xiaoxing was feeding An Ruo breakfast.
Seeing someone come in, An Ruo felt embarrassed and tried to take the bowl, but the man, unconcerned, continued feeding her congee.
Shen Yu ignored their display of affection, sat across at the dining table, and forced a smile: "Xiaoxing, consider that we're family—help your uncle out. We're all Shens; we shouldn't let things come to this, making a spectacle for outsiders."
An Ruo knew they were discussing business and hesitated about whether to leave. The man seemed to read her mind and pulled her onto his lap.
Shen Yu was stunned by this series of actions, but he didn't care about that. What infuriated him was Shen Xiaoxing, a junior, keeping him waiting like this!
It seemed he had been right not to eliminate this girl earlier. Why hadn't he thought of using An Ruo against Shen Xiaoxing?
Shen Xiaoxing let out a cold laugh: "Uncle, what are you saying? You ran your company into near bankruptcy—how can you blame me?"
"I'm not blaming you." Shen Yu put on a fawning smile: "I was set up. A billion-yuan project fell through overnight. Your grandfather gave me just a few days to fix it, or he'll strip me of my position!"
"Xiaoxing, your uncle has always treated you well. Help me get through this crisis."
Hearing this, even An Ruo couldn't help but sneer, let alone Shen Xiaoxing.
He had repeatedly tried to kill Shen Xiaoxing, nearly succeeding, and still had the nerve to say he'd treated him well?
An Ruo could understand his strategy of biding his time, but this wasn't something she could meddle in. She picked up her cup and drank a few sips of milk.
"I'm full." An Ruo gently patted the man's arm, signaling him to let go. "You two talk."
She had submitted her resignation and was planning to go back to school in a couple of days.
Shen Xiaoxing had assigned her a driver, and this time she didn't refuse. After all, Shen Yu was a slippery character—begging for help one second, and once free, he'd still try to destroy them.
After she left, Shen Xiaoxing leaned back in his wheelchair, lifted his chin slightly, and squinted at Shen Yu.
"Uncle, you're being too formal. I don't recall our relationship ever being this good." A sinister smile curled at the corner of his mouth. "You've had plenty of people try to kill me, haven't you?"
Shen Yu was taken aback, staring at him in disbelief.
"Don't look so surprised. Let's lay our cards on the table now. We both know exactly what you've done to me and how I've retaliated. Why pretend to be clueless?"
"..."
"That project you invested in—I had a hand in it. I set the trap, and I'm the one who brought you to this point." Shen Xiaoxing admitted it openly, his smile deepening.
Shen Yu froze for a moment before slowly realizing: "You conspired with that Du guy to set me up?!"
"What can I say? The commission I offered was too tempting. He had a choice, didn't he?"
"Shen Xiaoxing!" Shen Yu gritted his teeth. "The Shen family has treated you well, and you collude with outsiders against your own? What the hell are you thinking?"
"Treated me well?" Shen Xiaoxing let out a cold, deep laugh. "Doesn't saying that make you sick? How the Shen family treated me, how you treated me—do I need to spell it out?"
"..."
"How I ended up like this, sitting here like a cripple—you know better than I do, don't you?"
Shen Yu hadn't expected him to confront him head-on. He had always assumed that even if Shen Xiaoxing knew what the second branch had done, he'd have to bow his head due to their power.
But now, ever since Shen Tingfeng's failed assassination attempt landed him in prison, and Shen Yu still hadn't found a way to get him out, he realized the man's strength. Shen Xiaoxing was no longer the pushover he used to be!
"Tingfeng has already been punished for what happened last time. He's repenting in prison—isn't that enough?"
Shen Xiaoxing's brow furrowed sharply, his voice icy with no trace of emotion: "Of course not. Compared to what you've done to me, that's nothing!"
"..."
"If I don't eliminate you this time, how can I face my unborn child?"
Shen Yu was stunned: "What child?"
"Don't play dumb with me. You think I don't know what Fang Yingxue did?"
From what Butler Xu had confessed, the one who bribed him to drug An Ruo's food was Fang Yingxue. How could Shen Yu not know!
"Are you sure you're not mistaken? I admit, what happened before was our branch's fault, but I've never heard of any child..."
Shen Xiaoxing slammed the table: "Can you swear she did nothing!?"