Su Banxia glanced at Shang Lu from the corner of her eye.
His handsome face remained expressionless, as if he was accustomed to being misunderstood by his father. After explaining himself once and not being believed, he had stopped explaining.
The man’s large hand was cold, and the chill passed through her skin and into her body. That coldness made her heart feel chilly, like eating a bad lemon, leaving a sour and painful feeling in her heart.
Su Banxia’s anger still couldn’t be easily suppressed, like turbulent waves crashing against her heart.
She knew that even if she felt angry with Shang Lu at this moment, she should control her temper. Continuing to argue would be meaningless, as her father’s attitude would only hurt Shang Lu once again.
The living room fell silent.
Lu Yurou looked at the husband and wife, her emotions unclear in her eyes.
Shang Jingyao looked at Su Banxia with complex eyes. When his father got angry, no one dared to challenge his authority.
Su Banxia had actually yelled at her father without caring about her reputation or showing disrespect. She cared about Shang Lu so much that she was willing to disregard propriety and seniority.
Shang Jingyao suddenly felt a lump in his throat. He had been reluctant to believe it before, but now he believed that Su Banxia no longer liked him.
Su Banxia took a deep breath, lowered her head, and forcefully suppressed her anger.
Shang Lu didn’t let go of her hand as they entered the elevator. In the small space, there was silence.
Shang Lu held her hand without letting go, and Su Banxia bit her lip, feeling a strange sensation in her heart.
She turned her head and looked at him, and the man’s expression remained cold and indifferent, as if he didn’t care about what had happened in the living room.
Su Banxia couldn’t explain why she felt so upset. It was as if her heart had been thrown into icy water, causing it to swell and ache with a fine, sharp pain.
Could this still be considered a home?
Perhaps, for Shang Jingyao, it was a home, but for Shang Lu, it was just a place to rest.
His father treated him like a work machine, his stepmother had malicious intentions, and Shang Jingyao, as one of the heirs, couldn’t be considered a true younger brother; he saw him as a rival.
The elevator door chimed, and it opened.
The corridor was quiet, with only faint footsteps. The two of them walked side by side towards the bedroom.
Once they entered the bedroom.
Su Banxia glanced at the indifferent Shang Lu and let out a faint sigh, which naturally caught his attention.
“Tomorrow, let someone accompany you to the hospital to get an X-ray.” Shang Lu spoke.
Su Banxia lowered her head to look at her bruised arm and said with a low spirit, “It seems that I won’t be able to practice dancing for a few days.”
Shang Lu’s gaze fell on her arm, and her fair and delicate arm was bruised and swollen. It was as if a beautiful piece of art had been cruelly damaged, now marred by imperfections.
Why was she so foolish, using her hand to shield him, getting hurt for him?
Even though everyone didn’t believe in him, thinking he was a freak, she opened her arms to protect him, wanting to shield him from the storm.
Shang Lu looked at her severely injured hand and felt a twinge of pain in his cold heart.
Ignoring the pain in her arm, Su Banxia was focused on comforting Shang Lu. She spoke in a light tone, “It looks like fate wants me to take a break.”
Shang Lu pursed his lips, raised his black eyes to look at her pale face, and asked, “Do you believe in me?”
Su Banxia widened her pupils and said, “What are you talking about? I don’t believe anyone but you.”
Shang Lu lowered his eyelashes, his pale lips devoid of color, and his voice was low, “Aren’t you afraid that I’m exactly what they say, a ruthless monster?”
As the last word fell, the bedroom became so quiet that you could almost hear a pin drop.
Shang Lu kept his eyes lowered and clenched his hands on the armrests.
Indeed, no one wasn’t afraid of him.
She had lived in the sunshine, pampered by her parents since she was a child. Her speaking up for him tonight was probably just a momentary impulse, considering they had an arranged marriage.
Shang Lu’s pupils contracted slightly, devoid of focus. He was relieved that he hadn’t been swayed by her.
He was exceptionally calm and rational at this moment. In gratitude for her speaking up for him tonight, he decided that in the upcoming joint projects between the Shang family and the Su family, he could give up a certain percentage of the profits.
He knew that she had visited her family a few days ago, and there must have been pressure from her family’s side. She knew he wouldn’t agree, so she didn’t mention it.
Suddenly, there was a person in his arms. Shang Lu lowered his head to see the girl who had nestled into his embrace.
Su Banxia was half-kneeling in his arms, looking up with her pale face. Her lively cat-like pupils shimmered, and the slightly raised corners of her eyes carried a hint of allure.
“If you insist on calling yourself a monster, then you can only be my little monster,” she said.
Shang Lu was left stunned.
Su Banxia looked at his expressionless handsome face and said, “You have to say it, don’t you?”
Shang Lu frowned slightly, his throat rolling, and he half-uttered words but couldn’t speak.
A strange feeling welled up, filling his heart. He, who had a strong sense of restraint, had unintentionally punctured the icy shell he had built around himself.
Su Banxia urged him further, “You need to answer me quickly.”
The girl’s voice was pleasant, with a hint of coquettishness that made it impossible to refuse.
Shang Lu couldn’t resist her request and uttered a low word, “Yes.”
He remained clear-headed but sinking, craving the warmth she offered. Even if it was just a momentary whim, driven by pity or amusement, leading her to say sweet words to seduce him.
Su Banxia heard his response and rubbed against him in his embrace, smelling the fresh scent emanating from him.
“Shang Lu, can we move out, please?”
She realized that it was best not to expect the family ties that were destined not to be. Everyone in this world was unique, and one should live for themselves, not under the expectations of others. That way, they could be happier and more carefree.
She wanted happiness for Shang Lu and wanted to see him happy.
Shang Lu looked at her and in an instant, remembered all the rumors and gossip. Su Banxia had married into the Shang family to get closer to Shang Jingyao.
In just over two months since coming to the Shang family, she actually wanted to move out.
If she moved out, her chances of meeting Shang Jingyao would be few and far between. Had she really given up?
Su Banxia saw that he remained silent and continued to talk softly in his ear, “We’re adults now, married, and have our own little family. We shouldn’t have been living with our parents in the first place.”
“A large family with different eating habits, different habits, will always lead to friction in daily life, and it can be annoying.”
“Moving out and living freely would be better. If you ever want to come back to see your grandparents or visit during holidays, that’s enough to accompany the elderly.”
Shang Lu remained silent for a moment and said, “I will talk to my father.”
He had a spacious apartment in the financial district, which he occasionally stayed in. If they were to move there, they would need to send someone to clean it up.
Previously, he hadn’t moved out because his grandmother was afraid he would be lonely on his own, especially with his legs being inconvenient. She was worried that there wouldn’t be anyone to take care of him, so she didn’t agree to him moving out.
He had gone along with his grandmother’s wishes and didn’t really mind where he lived.
Su Banxia was right; now that he was married, dealing with his stepmother and younger brother every day, even if he didn’t care, it still affected the atmosphere at home.
Late at night, as Su Banxia slept soundly, she accidentally put pressure on her injured hand, causing her to moan in pain.
Shang Lu had a shallow sleep, and when she woke up due to the pain, he took her hand and held it against his body to prevent her from moving too much.
The next day, Su Banxia obediently went to the hospital for an X-ray. She never took her health lightly.
After taking the X-ray, she received the results and was relieved to find that there were no fractures or serious injuries. It was just minor muscle damage, and with proper rest, it would heal in a few days.
She had injured her right hand, and the pain was worse the second day. It was even somewhat inconvenient to eat.
Su Banxia thought that this was an opportunity to earn some goodwill points, so she had Xiong Da and Xiong Er follow her and went to the company to see Shang Lu again.
The incident with the nanny was still causing a stir, and it had become the talk of the town. The crowd of people causing a commotion outside Shang Corporation was still there, but there were fewer media reporters compared to before.
Shang Corporation had not issued any statements yet, so the reporters who had been camping outside for a few days had already conducted interviews and left to write their articles. Only a few small media reporters were still trailing the story.
Su Banxia took the elevator up to the office floor, and when she appeared, the receptionist immediately made a call and then led her to the CEO’s office.
Entering the office, she looked at the cold man sitting behind the black desk.
“Stop working and come have lunch,” she said.
Xiong Da and Xiong Er placed a thermos on the desk and tactfully retreated.
In the office, only the husband and wife remained.
Shang Lu wheeled his chair closer, his first concern being her hand. He asked, “How did the X-ray results turn out?”
Su Banxia replied, “The doctor said there’s no problem, I just need to rest for a few days.”
She raised her hand, showing a hint of frustration. “Having an injured hand is really inconvenient. It makes everything difficult. Sigh.”
Shang Lu glanced at her, took out the food from the thermos, and arranged it neatly.
Silently, he scooped some dishes into a bowl, his handsome face expressionless. He lifted the bowl and fed her, saying, “Open your mouth.”
Su Banxia stared at him in a daze. She admitted that she had some expectations, hoping that the big shot Shang Lu would pamper her. She didn’t expect that after complaining a few times, he would actually feed her.
Suddenly, she felt a bit uncomfortable and reached out to take the bowl and chopsticks. “It’s okay, I can do it myself. I can still manage this.”
Seeing that she wasn’t listening, Shang Lu’s expression turned cold. “Don’t want it anymore?”
Su Banxia quickly withdrew her hand and said, “I want it.”
He was quite stern.
Shang Lu was really feeding her, and she found it interesting how she used to boldly get close to him. When he playfully rejected her, she secretly liked it. But now, she felt a bit awkward and fortunate at the same time.
She felt awkward and let him feed her a few mouthfuls, her long eyelashes trembling.
Shang Lu’s movements were a bit stiff. It was his first time taking care of someone, and his heart was beating strangely fast.
They finished the meal quickly, without much conversation.
After they finished eating, Shang Lu proactively cleaned up the table.
Su Banxia didn’t want to stay in the office and disturb him, so she left with Xiong Da and Xiong Er. However, as soon as they stepped out of the elevator, they saw the troublemakers who had entered the lobby.
A group of people were making a commotion, causing chaos in the lobby. The security guards couldn’t stop them.
A sharp-eyed journalist from a media outlet spotted her and rushed over with a camera. “Mrs. Shang, do you have anything to say about the situation with Li Qiang’s mother?”
Everyone turned their attention to her. The leader of the group, a man wearing a black vest and slippers, had a fierce expression. He walked over in a few quick steps.
“Are you Shang Lu’s wife?” he asked.
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