Meanwhile, Xia Chu accompanied Supervisor Xu and Ling Zisheng—who had a fractured arm—to the hospital for a check-up and a plaster cast.
When she walked into the courtyard, the mansion was pitch black.
"Hah..."
She let out a muffled sigh, stretching her aching shoulders as she walked. Fearing that she might wake anyone up, she didn't even turn on the lights, navigating her way upstairs by the moonlight.
The moment she pushed open the door, Xia Chu saw Shen Hanchuan sitting on the sofa, his eyes dark and his entire body radiating coldness.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she shivered.
For some reason, an ominous premonition suddenly arose in her heart.
Hearing the footsteps, Shen Hanchuan lifted his gaze toward her, his eyes sinister. "Back so late? Which wild man were you out whoring around with?"
Xia Chu frowned. "I wasn't. I came straight back as soon as work ended."
Shen Hanchuan sneered. "The design department gets off at five, and it's already eleven. It took you six hours to get from the company to the Shen Residence—did you crawl back?"
"I—"
Before she could finish, a phone suddenly came flying straight at her face.
Instinctively, Xia Chu caught the phone with both hands.
On the screen was a photo showing the exact moment when Ling Zisheng had shielded her entire body beneath his own during the crisis.
Shen Hanchuan raised his eyes, pure disgust in his gaze.
He strode forward, grabbed her slender wrist, and said word by word, "You completely ignored my warning, didn't you?"
Having spent the entire day carrying bricks, her arms were already aching to the point of feeling useless, and coupled with this tight grip, Xia Chu felt as though her bones were about to shatter.
"Shen Hanchuan, let go of me! Let go right now!" Her eyes turning red with pain, Xia Chu struggled hard while explaining, "I didn't even go to the company today; I was sent to a construction site to carry bricks. This afternoon, a tripod suddenly fell down and I was almost crushed to death. The man in the photo was just trying to save me, and someone must have intentionally snapped that picture!"
Shen Hanchuan's voice was frigid. "Shut up! You're full of lies!"
Absurd!
When had a designer from the Shen Corporation ever sunk so low as to need to carry bricks at a construction site?
Xia Chu was choked with anger. "Believe what you want!"
Irritated, he loosened his tie, his gaze turning cold as he said in a deep voice, "Starting tomorrow, you are to stay right here in the Shen Residence and go nowhere."
"Impossible! I still have work tomorrow!"
"You don't need it. The Shen family can afford to feed you. Until we divorce, you are not taking a single step out of the Shen Residence." Shen Hanchuan's voice was icy.
Xia Chu stared at him in disbelief, glaring at him angrily. "This is imprisonment!"
"I already gave you a chance. Since you haven't learned to reflect and cherish it, you should pay the price!" Shen Hanchuan's face was also shrouded in a layer of fury. "It'll save you from going out and messing around with men to put a green hat on my head!"
He had already shown extraordinary mercy by letting her get rid of a wild bastard and allowing her to stay in the Shen Residence.
Yet she actually dared to fool around with another man again, openly defying his patience and his bottom line—she simply deserved to die!
"Shen Hanchuan, you asshole!"
Overwhelmed by fury and losing her sanity, Xia Chu let out a heartbreaking roar.
Her job was something she had earned through grueling, desperate effort. If she lost it, what would happen to her mother's medical expenses and the baby?
This was her only source of income.
Shen Hanchuan was trying to break her wings and drive her to a dead end.
"Shut your mouth! Don't push my anger any further, or the consequences will be far worse!"
Looking at his ruthless and cold face, Xia Chu felt tears spinning endlessly in her eyes, her entire body trembling with rage.
Shen Hanchuan glanced at her coldly, slammed the door shut behind him, and left.
Feeling utterly weak, Xia Chu sank to her knees, her legs turning to jelly.
She curled her body into a ball, hugging her knees, burying her face between her legs, and gazed out the window with a desolate and bitter expression.
Even Lightning, usually fierce and baring its teeth, was uncharacteristically well-behaved as it huddled quietly beside her.
***
At a bar.
Shen Hanchuan picked up his wine glass and downed it in one gulp.
The image of Xia Chu—her eyes brimming with tears, wearing an expression of furious and bitter resentment as he left—uncontrollably surfaced in his mind.
Han Wenhao raised an eyebrow, walked over with a glass of wine, and flashed a cheeky smile. "I've got the booze, you got the story?"
Shen Hanchuan: "Get lost!"
Nangong Jue raised an eyebrow. "Did you have a fight with little sister-in-law?"
Hearing that instantly set Shen Hanchuan off. "Don't mention her, she's annoying."
Han Wenhao: "Confirmed. He definitely argued with her. Ah, behold the man tormented by love—commonly known as a bitter wretch."
Shen Hanchuan raised an eyebrow and looked at Han Wenhao. "She's a fake. Is she even worthy?"
Nangong Jue retorted, "If she's not worthy, what are you sulking about? Sounds to me like you're interested in her, have a soft spot for her, and maybe even fallen for her already."
Shen Hanchuan's complexion darkened a shade, and he sneered, "Even if every last woman on earth dropped dead, I wouldn't like her."
Even before his best brothers, he would never admit out loud that he had been cheated on.
The more he thought about it, the more infuriated he became.
Nangong Jue clicked his tongue. "The only thing hard on him is his mouth. Come on, drink up."
...
Kept locked up until the evening of the next day, a maid knocked on the door from outside. "Young Madam, the Mid-Autumn reunion dinner is ready, and Elder Shen is waiting for you to dine."
Xia Chu opened her eyes wearily, her voice hoarse. "Reunion dinner?"
"Yes, today is the Mid-Autumn Festival. Elder Shen has prepared many flavors of mooncakes and is calling you to come downstairs."
Xia Chu was in a daze, realizing in a flash that it was already the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Pulling her thoughts together, she weakly replied, "Alright, tell Grandpa I'll be right down."
Afterward, Xia Chu mustered all her strength to walk to the bathroom, only to see that her face looked incomparably haggard, devoid of any spirit.
Fearing that the elder would notice and worry, she applied a light layer of makeup to slightly cover it up.
The elder scanned the dining table and asked, "Where is Hanchuan?"
Butler Chen: "I haven't seen the young master since he woke up this morning. He probably didn't come home last night."
Hearing this, the elder said angrily, "Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, a day for family reunion! Tell him to get his ass back here right now!"
As he spoke, Shen Hanchuan strode in.
Xia Chu's expression stiffened, and she lowered her head, not wanting to look at him.
The elder scolded, "Stop staying out all night every day. Don't forget you're a married man."
In an instant, Shen Hanchuan's face darkened, especially when he saw the woman treating him like air—the anger in his heart reignited once more.
Instead of reflecting on herself, she was ignoring him entirely. It seemed she hadn't realized her mistake at all.
He said coldly, "Instead of wasting time worrying blindly, you'd be better off reminding your good granddaughter-in-law to remember her current identity as the young madam of the Shen family."
Sensing his insinuation, Xia Chu wanted to retort.
But then she remembered that today was the Mid-Autumn Festival, a day for family reunion, and she didn't want to ruin the mood at the dinner table or spoil the elder's happiness.
Thus, Xia Chu pretended not to hear and silently ate her food.
The elder, however, was dissatisfied. "Rest assured, Chuchu is much more sensible than you."
Shen Hanchuan let out a disdainful sneer and said nothing more.
For a moment, the dining table fell into absolute silence.
The elder glared at Shen Hanchuan. "Stop stuffing your own face and pick some food for Chuchu, too."
Shen Hanchuan ignored him.
Annoyed, the elder kicked him under the table and lowered his voice. "Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, a day for reunion. Do you have to make me unhappy?"
Shen Hanchuan frowned. Although he kept a stern face, he still picked up some celery and put it in Xia Chu's bowl.
Xia Chu froze for half a second.
The elder smiled with gratification and pressed his advantage. "Lanhe Villa sent over hot spring tickets today. After we finish dinner, take Chuchu to soak in the hot springs."
Shen Hanchuan said coldly, "I'm not going."
Just as his words fell, he felt his suit pocket vibrate.
Glancing at the caller ID, he pressed answer. "You're not back for the Mid-Autumn Festival, and you still have the nerve to call?"
"Something came up at the last minute, of course! Instead of having time to lecture me, you'd better send people to properly supervise the newly started construction site in Jiangnan District. What kind of shoddy, tofu-dreg project is this—even a tripod collapses, almost crushing a female employee whose name is something like Chu to death."
Shen Hanchuan was startled, his brow furrowing.
After hanging up, he specifically opened the photo and zoomed in to the maximum before he finally noticed the terror on the woman's face.
So, she really hadn't lied!
Shen Hanchuan tugged at his tie, casting a casual glance at the woman opposite him.
He saw that her eyelashes were lowered as she obediently picked out food for the elder, not even sparing him a single glance.
Consequently, his irritation grew even more intense.
At this moment, the elder handed over the hot spring tickets brought by Butler Chen. "Hurry up, these are the hot spring tickets for Lanhe Villa. Take Chuchu to soak in the hot springs after you eat."
Xia Chu ate silently, too lazy to even lift her head.
Even when they weren't fighting, Shen Hanchuan would never take her to a hot spring—let alone when the two of them had just had a fierce argument last night and she had even been placed under house arrest.
Even with her toes, she could figure out that there was no way he would agree to Grandpa.
Shen Hanchuan glanced once more at the woman who showed no reaction and treated him as if he were air. Narrowing his eyes, he said, "Fine, I got it."
"Cough, cough, cough..."
Startled to the point of choking and coughing, Xia Chu looked across the table in utter shock.
Shen Hanchuan actually agreed? What was going on?
Watching her eyes open wide and round in sheer astonishment, Shen Hanchuan curved the corners of his lips, the fire in his heart dissipating quite a bit.
The elder smiled. That's more like it, acting like a young married couple.
"Are you going after you finish eating or right now?"
"After I finish dinner with you."
"No need to stay for me, I'm already full. You two hurry up and go."
Hearing this, Shen Hanchuan casually picked up his suit jacket, stood up, and looked at Xia Chu. "Let's go."
Xia Chu was still in a daze, failing to snap back to reality.
Urged repeatedly by the elder, she blankly stood up and followed behind him.
The car was parked in the courtyard, and Shen Hanchuan got inside.
Xia Chu walked around the car, and just as she pulled open the rear door, the man's displeased voice rang out: "Sit in the front."
She bit her lip and got into the passenger seat.
The car drove out of the urban area and headed toward the suburbs.
Shen Hanchuan glanced at her. "Help me turn on the navigation."
"Oh."
Xia Chu entered the address into the navigation system, then cast a peculiar look at Shen Hanchuan as he drove.
For some reason, today he was not only less fierce than yesterday, but he was also a lot easier to talk to than usual.
"Hah..."
Taking a secret, deep breath and mentally preparing herself, she hesitatingly spoke up. "Um... I..."
Shen Hanchuan curved his thin lips. "If you have something to say, spit it out. Stop stammering."
Looking straight at him, Xia Chu mustered up her courage. "Even though I know you won't believe a word I say, I still have to say it—I really didn't fool around with other men. Believe it or not."
"Also, I didn't make any mistakes at work, and I fought hard to get that job. You're the CEO, but you can't cover the sky with one hand and simply ban me from working. I want to go to work tomorrow, otherwise I'll definitely be—"
Before she could finish, Shen Hanchuan interrupted her flatly. "Granted."
"Huh?"
Xia Chu was baffled.
He agreed just like that? Why is he suddenly so easygoing?
Shen Hanchuan raised an eyebrow. "As long as you keep your distance from the opposite sex, don't flirt around with men during our marriage, and avoid crossing my bottom line, naturally I won't make things difficult for you."
Xia Chu nodded. "Understood."
With her work issue resolved and the crisis averted, the heavy, oppressive feeling in her heart finally eased.
Soon, the car arrived at Lanhe Villa.
The resort was truly massive, and the air was exceptionally fresh.
Rockeries, flowing streams, pavilions, dense bamboo groves, and seasonal flowers made the scenery remarkably picturesque.
Visiting for the first time, Xia Chu looked around in wonder.
Shen Hanchuan turned his head. "Did you bring a swimsuit?"
Xia Chu shook her head. "I don't have one."
"Follow me."
Dropping those two words, Shen Hanchuan strode forward on his long legs.
Inside the specialty store, all kinds of swimsuits were on display.
A salesperson stepped forward respectfully. "Young Master Shen, is there anything I can help you with?"
Shen Hanchuan pointed at Xia Chu. "Help her pick a suitable swimsuit."
"Right this way, please. Since your skin is fair, purple, black, or blue would all look good, and these styles are also quite nice. Why don't you try them all?"
Looking at the pitifully minimal amount of fabric on the swimsuits, Xia Chu's cheeks grew hot, and she randomly pointed at one. "Just that one."
Shen Hanchuan glanced at his watch—it had only been five minutes. Raising an eyebrow in surprise, he asked, "So fast?"
"Yeah."
After changing, Xia Chu stood in place, hesitating.
Every swimsuit in the store was a bit revealing, so she had deliberately picked a relatively conservative one, only to discover after putting it on that while the front wasn't exposed, a large portion of her back was bare.
Hesitating for a moment, she walked out of the fitting room.
Winding past the lush bamboo grove, she caught sight of the steaming hot spring pool and the man inside it.
Involuntarily, Xia Chu grew nervous. Her foot suddenly tripped on a pebble, and she tumbled straight toward the hot spring pool.
Instinctively turning pale, she threw her hands over her stomach to protect it.
However, Xia Chu didn't crash into the hot spring pool; instead, she fell directly into a sturdy embrace.
As her tense nerves relaxed, she let out a breath and looked up, unexpectedly meeting Shen Hanchuan's handsome face.
Their eyes locked.
Their bodies pressed close together without a single gap.
Xia Chu could even clearly feel her chest pressed hard against his firm, muscular pectoral muscles.
His hot breath brushed against the crook of her neck, feeling both warm and ticklish. Xia Chu's body trembled, and her cheeks burned.
Shen Hanchuan's brow furrowed tightly.
Her clothes were completely soaked, and her breasts brushed against his pectoral muscles with every ripple of the water.
His Adam's apple bobbed as he felt heat surge through his body, and his gaze dropped downward.
Xia Chu followed his gaze down as well.
Then, her cheeks flushed bright red in a flash. She shoved him away abruptly, standing up in a flustered and rushed manner.
"Thank you."
Xia Chu thanked him with her head lowered, her voice sounding somewhat unnatural.
"Hmm."
Straightening his body, Shen Hanchuan let out a cold hum and glanced at the woman opposite him.
She was wearing a pink swimsuit that made her entire skin look pink and tender, with water droplets glistening on her body.
His gaze gradually darkened.
For a moment, the atmosphere inside the hot spring pool was extremely subtle.
Under the moonlight, only the sound of water and the intermittent chirping of small insects echoed back and forth.
As the warm water continuously washed over her body, Xia Chu finally relaxed.
Perhaps the atmosphere at that moment was too gentle, or perhaps the man today was simply too easygoing.
She bit her lip, and on a sudden impulse, she asked, "Can I ask you a question?"
"Ask."
Xia Chu: "Why did you like Xia Anran? What on earth do you like about her?"
She had racked her brain and still couldn't figure out how the lofty heir of the Shen Corporation could possibly fall for someone like Xia Anran.
"Who told you I liked her?" Shen Hanchuan narrowed his eyes and retorted.
"Huh?"
Xia Chu was dumbfounded.
She had always assumed he had deep feelings for Xia Anran and loved her with all his heart, even wondering at times if Xia Anran had put some sort of spell on him.
Yet hearing Shen Hanchuan's answer, it didn't seem to be what she had imagined at all.
Xia Chu was truly baffled.
Frowning, she asked, "Then why did you marry her?"
"A life-saving grace."
Hearing this, a flash of surprise crossed Xia Chu's eyes before she let out a chuckle.
Shen Hanchuan narrowed his eyes. "What are you laughing at?"
"Nothing..." Xia Chu was still giggling. "I just thought of the martial arts TV shows I watched when I was a kid. A hero saves a beauty, and if the beauty is pleased, she'll blush and say: 'Hero, thank you for saving my life. This humble maiden has no way to repay you other than to offer you her body in marriage.'"
"And if she's not pleased, she'll say: 'Hero, thank you for saving my life. This humble maiden has no way to repay you other than to be a beast of burden in the next life to repay this great kindness.' But actually, I think it just comes down to looks. Xia Anran must have taken a fancy to your face..."
Turning around, she met Shen Hanchuan's profound gaze.
Xia Chu reined in her smile and gave an unnatural, light cough. "I was praising you. Praising you for being good-looking."
"..."
Shen Hanchuan's cheek twitched faintly.
After a moment's thought, she probed tentatively, "Xia Anran doesn't know any medicine. How did she save your life?"
Shen Hanchuan's eyes were unfathomable, dark currents swirling within them.
Then, slightly raising an eyebrow, he replied indifferently, "The more you know, the faster you die."
"Forget it, then I'd rather not know." Xia Chu reined in her curiosity and said, "That photo—Xia Anran sent it to you, right?"
"Yeah."
Xia Chu gritted her teeth, wishing she could tear Xia Anran to pieces.
Pushing her at the construction site and almost costing her her life was bad enough, but Xia Anran actually had the nerve to deliberately snap a photo designed to provoke imagination and send it to Shen Hanchuan to frame her.
She couldn't help cursing under her breath, "Vicious."
Shen Hanchuan frowned and said in a deep voice, "If you hadn't failed to keep your distance from the opposite sex, you wouldn't have given her the opening to snap that photo."
Hearing this, Xia Chu was practically fuming.
He managed to drag keeping her distance from the opposite sex into this? Was there something wrong with him?
If Xia Anran hadn't pushed her in order to save her own skin, she wouldn't have run into danger, nor would she have been photographed.
However, she didn't say it out loud.
Because she had no proof, and even if she told him, he wouldn't believe it.
Lowering her head, she muttered, "I already told you, the tripod fell, and he protected me like that just to save me."
Sensing that the woman's voice lacked its previous lightness and was instead sullen, Shen Hanchuan felt a strange blockage in his chest. His tone turned unusually and unprecedentedly gentle. "I know. That's why I'm reminding you to be careful in the future and not leave others with an opening."
Instead of getting angry, Xia Chu nodded. "I know."
He wasn't wrong; what he said made a lot of sense.
"And stay away from her in the future, so you don't cause conflicts."
Xia Chu: "I can manage that, but what if she insists on coming looking for trouble with me?"
After all, Xia Anran was like a cockroach that couldn't be crushed to death, popping up to stir trouble every few days.
Shen Hanchuan turned his head to look at her. "She's no match for you, and she isn't as smart as you."
Xia Chu: "..."
What kind of answer was that?