Lu Zhengting felt two piercing, unmasked gazes fixed upon him. He glanced at Shen Huaishuang through the rearview mirror.
"You're drooling."
Shen Huaishuang hurriedly wiped her mouth. There was nothing there.
"You lied to me!" she said, annoyed.
Lu Zhengting looked into the mirror again, his eyes meeting hers exactly. "Don't stare at men like that in the future."
Shen Huaishuang curled her lip. *Fine, I won't look then. Who even cares?* He made it sound like she was some kind of lecher. But then, thinking back to that night, she realized she really had left a terrible impression on him. Pestering him, crying, making a scene, tearing at his clothes... her track record was abysmal. It was so embarrassing.
"Lu Zhengting, that night was an accident. I’m actually very conservative; I’m not like that at all normally."
Lu Zhengting smiled without saying a word.
"It’s true."
"I trust my own eyes."
"What your eyes see isn't necessarily the truth."
Shen Huaishuang tried to salvage her image in his eyes, but Lu Zhengting wasn't buying it. She felt deeply frustrated.
The car stopped in front of a lavishly decorated hotpot restaurant. Once inside, Lu Zhengting requested a window seat. As they sat down, he handed the menu to her. "You order."
Shen Huaishuang pushed it away. "No need. You order. I’ll eat whatever you pick; I'm not a picky eater."
She was used to letting others handle the ordering. Whenever she went out to eat in the past—whether with her family, Bai Yujie, or colleagues—no one had ever asked for her opinion. Over time, she had simply grown accustomed to it. She wouldn't voice a preference; whatever others ordered, she would eat. If it tasted good, she’d eat more; if not, she’d eat less.
Lu Zhengting placed the menu back in front of her. "I told you to order, so order. Today, you’re in charge."
Shen Huaishuang had no choice but to pick up the pen and study the menu. She was very slow, taking fifteen minutes just to finish ordering. Lu Zhengting didn't rush her, waiting patiently.
While they waited for the food, Shen Huaishuang asked, "Lu Zhengting, you live in Yuehu Village, right?"
"Yes."
"The thing is, I want to move out of the Shen Family home today. If I live in Yuehu Village, I won't be able to make it to work on time. I’d like to rent a place in the city. I’ll stay here during the work week and go back to Yuehu Village on weekends. Do you have any objections?"
"No need to rent. I have a place in the city. I’ll take you there after we eat."
"...Alright."
Shen Huaishuang didn't refuse. They were husband and wife now, so staying in his place was perfectly fine. This was actually a good arrangement—she wouldn't have to pay rent, saving her a considerable amount of money and making life a bit more comfortable. Although she had been working for three years, her salary hadn't increased much; she only made ten thousand a month. In Suzhou, that really wasn't much. If she had to rent a place on her own, the financial pressure would be immense.
Soon, the broth was brought out and the food was served. Lu Zhengting put the meat and vegetables into the pot, his movements practiced and efficient. Despite the air conditioning, Shen Huaishuang broke into a sweat. Eating hotpot in the summer was both exhilarating and sweltering—a double-sensory stimulation. She noticed that Lu Zhengting ate very quickly.
"Slow down," she couldn't help but remind him. "Careful not to burn your mouth."
"It’s fine. I’m thick-skinned, I’m used to it."
Shen Huaishuang found Lu Zhengting to be remarkably bold—he ate big mouthfuls of meat and vegetables with impressive speed.
When it was time to leave, Lu Zhengting took the initiative to pay the bill. Shen Huaishuang didn't fight him for it. It would be meaningless for a husband and wife to bicker over such things.
Before long, Lu Zhengting drove her to the Suzhou CBD. The car pulled straight into the basement of an upscale residential complex. He took her up to the 20th floor to a large, sprawling apartment. She estimated it to be at least five hundred square meters. She stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, looking out at the surrounding skyscrapers, completely stunned.
"Lu Zhengting, is this place yours?"
"Yes. I stay here occasionally, but I mostly live in Yuehu Village."
"Lu Zhengting, what do you do for a living? How are you so rich?"
When her grandmother had first told her about him, she’d assumed Lu Zhengting was just a villager from Yuehu. Grandma had said he was steady, reliable, and of good character, so she had agreed to the arrangement. As long as he was a good person, his being from the countryside didn't matter. But now, what was this? He drove a Bentley and owned an apartment over five hundred square meters in the city center.
This complex, Star Dream International, was known for these massive, high-end units. You couldn't just buy a place here just because you wanted to, or even just because you had money. Bai Yujie had told her once that he’d tried to buy a place here, pulling every string he could, but ultimately failed because it sold out the moment it hit the market. Bai Yujie had been depressed for days. She was very curious now about who exactly Lu Zhengting was.
Lu Zhengting walked over and handed her a glass of water. "My family is in business. We have a bit of money."
Shen Huaishuang didn't press further; his family's business must be massive if they had the strength to own property here.
"Which room is mine?" she asked.
"This is my room." He led her to the master bedroom.
Shen Huaishuang fell silent, not knowing how to respond. Did Lu Zhengting mean they were to live together? But they were a married couple; they *should* be living together. If she suggested sleeping in separate rooms, would that be too pretentious?
Lu Zhengting took note of her reaction. Just then, his phone rang. He answered it, listened for a moment, and replied, "I’ll be there right away."
After hanging up, he said, "I have an emergency meeting at the company. I’ll send someone to help you move your things from the Shen Family house."
Shen Huaishuang hurriedly waved her hand. "No, no, I don't have much. Just one suitcase. I can just take a taxi over."
Lu Zhengting didn't insist. "Give me your phone."
Shen Huaishuang, confused, handed it over. Lu Zhengting entered his number and added her on WeChat. After finishing, he returned the phone. "Call me if you need anything. I’ve sent you the door code."
Shen Huaishuang took the phone. "Go on, take care of your work."
"Do you need me to drive you to the Shen residence?"
"No, I'll take a taxi."
Lu Zhengting nodded and hurried off.
Shen Huaishuang, having nothing better to do, tidied up the place. Cleaning a five-hundred-square-meter apartment was truly exhausting, even with a robot vacuum helping. However, the place was already quite clean; someone likely came regularly to maintain it.
When the time seemed right, she took a taxi back to the Shen residence. As soon as she reached the gate, she ran into her grandmother. Shen Huaishuang hugged her excitedly. "Grandma!"
Grandma Qin patted her granddaughter’s back, her face soft and loving. "My precious granddaughter looks even more beautiful."
Shen Huaishuang pulled away. "Grandma, why are you here?"
"I’m here to stand up for you! That scoundrel of a father of yours, daring to marry my granddaughter off to a man who’s been divorced four times and is a domestic abuser—see if I don't beat him into the ground!" Grandma Qin said fiercely.
She took Shen Huaishuang’s hand and walked toward the villa, asking as they went, "Have you and that young man, Lu, gotten your marriage certificate?"
"We have," Shen Huaishuang replied obediently.
Grandma Qin’s eyes crinkled with a smile. "Good, good. Young Lu is a good kid. My judgment is never wrong. You two just settle down and live a good life together."
"I will, Grandma."
The two of them entered the villa, where Shen Dong and the others were sitting on the sofa. Seeing Grandma Qin, Shen Dong asked in surprise, "Mom, why are you here?"
Grandma Qin swung her cane toward Shen Dong. "Why am I here? If I didn't come, you’d have sold my granddaughter off, wouldn't you? How could I *not* come?"