The girl stared at him coldly, her eyes brimming with resentment and an accusation that he had hidden the truth from her!
Shen Xiaoxing knew her temper well—people always do extreme things in the heat of rage. This girl was calm and composed in most situations, but her fatal flaw was her impulsiveness when fury consumed her.
The matter of the child was a knot in her heart. Even others, let alone Shen Xiaoxing, could trigger her anger just by bringing it up abruptly.
And Fang Yingxue, that fool, had walked right into the line of fire. It was only natural that An Ruo, in her impulsiveness, would have her tied up.
Shen Xiaoxing stood up, his voice gentle as he coaxed her, "Tell me where she is first. If you just take her away like this, what happens when Shen Yu investigates?"
"She killed my child—doesn't she deserve to pay with her life?!" An Ruo shook him off, looking at him with a disappointed expression. "You're willing to swallow your pride and not seek revenge—fine! But I can't let it go. Even if it costs me my life, I want justice!"
Hearing her angry outburst, Shen Xiaoxing's heart suddenly clenched. He grabbed her hand and explained softly, "Ruo Ruo, I never said I didn't want to avenge our child..."
An Ruo shook him off again, tears betraying her as they fell. "Then why did you lie to me? Why?"
"If Fang Yingxue hadn't stumbled in to apologize today, I'd probably still be in the dark. You want me to understand the hardship of your endurance—fine, I can do that. But you shouldn't be indifferent even when your own flesh and blood was framed!"
"Calm down first and let me explain—"
"I don't want to hear another word from you!" An Ruo covered her ears, speaking coldly. "You always treat me like a child to be placated, but I'm not a puppet you can manipulate. I don't want to listen!"
If he hadn't deceived her into believing the child was a natural miscarriage, she wouldn't have been consumed by guilt and regret for so many days. Every quiet night, she'd have nightmares—pain that couldn't be erased by a simple apology from Fang Yingxue!
She, An Ruo, might not have power or influence, and she could avoid provoking others, but she would never allow herself to be bullied!
The child was her bottom line. This grudge, she couldn't swallow with tears.
Shen Xiaoxing knew she was too angry to listen to reason, so he could only coax her. "There's more to this. The person who caused your miscarriage might not be Fang Yingxue."
"You're lying to me again!" An Ruo trembled with rage. "She already confessed, and you're still hesitating to defend her!"
"..."
"Shen Xiaoxing, are you afraid of getting into trouble and too scared to avenge our child, or... is this child simply not important to you?"
Shen Xiaoxing froze, staring at her in disbelief.
"Ruo Ruo, how can you think that?" His handsome brows furrowed as he gripped her shoulders urgently. "Don't you know how much I was looking forward to this child?"
"Did you really look forward to it?" An Ruo's thick lashes clung to glistening teardrops. "Why can't I feel it?"
"Ruo Ruo..."
"From the moment the child was lost until now, I haven't seen a trace of sadness from you. You seem so calm to me, as if the child's death means nothing to you!" An Ruo wiped the tears from her eyes and dropped a final line. "If you won't take revenge, I will!"
Seeing her about to leave, Shen Xiaoxing snapped back to reality, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her fiercely into his arms, his arms tightly circling her waist. "I never said I wouldn't avenge our child. But you need to give me time. I'll make those who wronged you pay the price they deserve."
His voice was deep and hoarse. "Ruo Ruo, not all pain and sorrow have to show on your face. I don't talk or cry, but that doesn't mean the child isn't important to me."
"..."
"I'm twenty-eight this year. I really wanted a child."
Though when he first heard she was pregnant, it hit him like a blow, leaving him stunned. But every day, watching her stroke her belly with a loving, maternal smile, he gradually felt that having a child wasn't so bad. He genuinely wanted to start a family.
But that happiness lasted only two months. Before he could even see her belly swell, he was cruelly told the child was gone...
That night, while she lay unconscious, he hid in the study, chain-smoking and drinking, the suppressed rage inside him threatening to break free!
He couldn't control himself and went to the secret base to spar in boxing, fighting until he collapsed from exhaustion.
Because of his own cowardice, he couldn't even protect his unborn child. He hated it—he hated himself for it.
An Ruo was held tightly in his arms. She struggled angrily a few times, but the man didn't let go. Frustrated beyond measure, she lowered her head and bit down hard on his arm.
He was only wearing a black shirt. The moment she bit, he let out a muffled groan but let her vent by biting.
A salty, metallic taste spread, and An Ruo realized she had bitten too hard. She jerked her head up.
Shen Xiaoxing rubbed her head with his large hand. "If you're angry and need to let it out, you can hit me or yell at me."
An Ruo didn't look at him. She stormed off to the second floor in a huff.
...
During dinner, An Che knocked on her bedroom door. When he didn't see her, he asked the servants and learned they were sleeping separately!
"Sis, did you and brother-in-law have a fight?" An Che came in with a tray, setting a lavish dinner on the table in front of her.
An Ruo sat on the sofa, hugging her knees, her chin resting lightly on them, her eyes vacant and emotionless.
Seeing her like this, An Che could guess what had happened. Tactfully, he said, "Brother-in-law said he made you upset. He didn't want you to skip dinner and go hungry—he's really worried. He wanted to bring it to you himself, but he was afraid you'd be even angrier if you saw him, so he asked me to bring it instead."
"..."
"Sis, no matter what, you still have to eat."
An Che had grown up and matured a lot. He was no longer the timid boy who first stepped into the villa; now he was steady and composed.
"Today, there's your favorite braised lion's head meatball. Try some."
An Ruo remained distant and dazed.
An Che bit his lip, thinking about how to cheer her up and get her to eat dinner.
"Sis, remember when we were kids and we'd watch the An family eat together at the table, while we could only watch from afar? That fragrant braised lion's head meatball made me crave it for days, and I kept pestering you for it. Then, the next day, you somehow got one and put it by my bedside..." An Che's eyes reddened as he spoke, and he quickly wiped the corner of his eye.
Back then, they were too young, just brought back to the An family by Grandma An not long before. Seeing delicious food made them drool, but because of their status, they couldn't sit at the table. In the An family, they were treated like servants, only allowed to eat the leftovers from the masters.
An Ruo didn't know how to make that dish. A maid she got along with told her there were leftovers in the kitchen from the masters. Only after confirming no one wanted them did she give them to An Che.
But that maid betrayed her, telling the mistress that An Ruo had stolen food. Several people pinned her down and beat her, and when that wasn't enough, they made her kneel in the snow for a whole day and night.
In the end, she collapsed from the cold and passed out. That punishment left her with a deep chill in her bones, and her body became so weak she had to slowly recover over time.
An Che always remembered her kindness. Recalling those bitter memories, he wiped his tears and forced a smile. "Let's not talk about those unhappy things. Sis, have a bite. This braised lion's head meatball is delicious—you've never tried it before."