An Qing went berserk, shaking off the security guard. "Get lost! I'm the young miss of the An family—who dares to touch me?!"
"Can you lot afford to offend the An family?"
Shen Xiaoxing's thin lips curled into a cold sneer as he pulled the girl beside him close, wrapping an arm around her slender waist. "My wife is the heiress of An Enterprises."
"What?!" An Qing's face turned green with rage. Not only had An Ruo stolen her incredibly handsome husband, but now she wanted to replace her as the An family heiress?
Delusional!
An Ruo stared blankly at the man holding her. Though he was blind, faced with others' accusations and insults, he trusted her as clearly as if he could see.
But...
She was afraid she'd disappoint him. She wasn't the An Enterprises heiress—just a fake living under someone else's name.
The man didn't blink. He waved his hand. "Throw her out!"
"I'm the real An family heiress—she's the fraud..."
An Ruo's heart sank. She rushed over, covered An Qing's mouth, and followed the security guards in dragging her out of the mall.
"If you still want to be the An family heiress, keep your mouth shut and behave!"
"An Ruo, you bitch! You stole my man—he was supposed to be my husband!"
"You were the one who refused to marry him back then. What, regretting it now?"
An Qing glared at her viciously. "Just wait. Sooner or later, he'll find out who the real An Qing is!"
"You..." An Ruo was about to faint from anger.
Unable to deal with her, An Ruo turned and hurried back to the man's side.
The onlookers hadn't left yet. The man reached out, grasping at empty air, and guessing his intent, An Ruo voluntarily placed her hand in his.
Shen Xiaoxing held her small hand, his thumb tracing faint circles on the back of it. "Everyone, this is my lawfully wedded wife. It's not as that woman just claimed. She's magnanimous and doesn't want to pursue this, but for the slander you've thrown at her, shouldn't you apologize?"
The spectators, who had initially believed An Qing's story, now realized the misunderstanding. Though embarrassed, they recalled their harsh words and, putting themselves in her shoes, acknowledged how hurtful they had been.
And so, An Ruo found herself stunned as they collectively apologized.
---
Getting into the car, Han Chong handed over hot milk tea. An Ruo opened the first cup and offered it to the man.
Shen Xiaoxing pressed his thin lips together. "I never drink this stuff."
"Oh." Figures—still the same aloof, stubborn Young Master Shen, unchanged.
"Han Chong, you have this." An Ruo passed the milk tea to Han Chong in the front seat. "Your young master doesn't want it."
Han Chong glanced at the young master, flattered, and was about to take it when the man suddenly spoke. "Who said I don't want it?"
"..."
An Ruo was taken aback. "But you just said..."
"I said that just now. Now I want it again. Is that not allowed?"
She frowned, then smiled and nodded. "Fine. If no one else can, Young Master Shen can."
No wonder he was called Shen Xiaoxing.
The words were met with silence, and Han Chong quickly turned back to face forward.
The man's handsome brow furrowed. "Stupid woman, what are you saying?"
"What did I say?"
Shen Xiaoxing opened his mouth, then stopped. Forget it—he couldn't explain it to this stupid woman in a hurry.
An Ruo handed the milk tea back to him. Remembering the scene at the mall, she feared he might grow suspicious and scrambled for words to explain.
"Sorry about earlier, that person..."
The man cut her off. "Just a crazy woman."
An Ruo bit her straw. Did he really not suspect anything about what An Qing said?
"But..." A flicker of mischief crossed Shen Xiaoxing's eyes. "She called you An Ruo?"
Damn, he was suspicious after all.
"Uh... An Ruo is just a name I gave myself."
"Your parents gave you your name. Why change it on a whim?"
"Because... it didn't sound good."
"An Ruo."
The girl's heart suddenly tightened as she stared at him, dazed.
"That name does sound nice." The man's lips slowly curved into a smile. "Can I call you that from now on?"
"As long as you're happy, you can call me anything."
It's just a name.
---
At the An residence.
The room was a mess, the servants too scared to go in and clean.
Hearing the sound of things breaking, Madam An came over. "What's going on?"
"The young lady locked herself in her room as soon as she got back. She seems upset—she's broken quite a few things..."
Madam An lifted her chin. "Alright, stop crowding around here. Go about your business."
The servants acknowledged and withdrew. Only then did Madam An push the door open.
The room was littered with debris. An Qing sat on the floor, her hair disheveled, furiously tearing at a plush toy in frustration.
"Who's upset my precious daughter again?"
An Qing ground her teeth. "Who else but that little bitch An Ruo?!"
"..."
"She's stolen everything from me since we were kids—Grandma's love, others' praise, and even the man who should have been mine is defending her!"
Madam An was puzzled. "Tell me, what did she do to you this time?"
Remembering Shen Xiaoxing's face, An Qing scrambled up and clung to her mother's arm, whining. "Mom, I regret it. I want to marry Shen Xiaoxing."
Madam An was taken aback by her daughter's sudden change. "Why do you suddenly want to marry him?"
"...I just do. I want to push An Ruo out!"
"It's common knowledge that girl married in your place. How can we fix it now that you've changed your mind?" Madam An shot her a glance. "What happened to make you change your mind?"