Su Banxia had already slapped him once, and she had no intention of hitting him again. When a person didn’t want to wake up, no amount of scolding or hitting would make a difference. It would all be in vain.
She glanced around the bar, and the boys sitting in the private booths with Su Baiyang quickly avoided her icy gaze. They all knew that Su Banxia was married to Shang Lu, and she was his woman. No one dared to disrespect her.
“Come with me,” she said in just four words.
Su Baiyang was pulled away from the club by her. In the car, Xiong Da saw her coming out and quickly had Xiong Er open the car door. Su Banxia sat inside, while Su Baiyang collapsed into the car, drunk and moaning in discomfort.
Su Banxia stared out the window, lost in thought. Perhaps it was because she had been in this world for a long time that she had come to see her original family, parents, and brother as her own. That’s why she had acted out of frustration and anger when she found Su Baiyang.
Since the last argument between Su Father and Su Mother, Su Father had not returned home. Instead, lawyers had come to discuss divorce proceedings. Su Mother had refused, but the stress had taken a toll on her health.
With her busy academic schedule and preparations for a stage play, Su Banxia had less time and attention to spare for Shang Lu. The family issues remained unresolved, and the household lacked peace.
Fortunately, Su Baiyang’s incarceration had been well hidden, and no information had leaked. The Su family couldn’t afford to fall apart, and Su Baiyang needed to sever ties with his troublesome friends. There was only one way forward now.
Sending him abroad to study at a university would keep him away from trouble and distractions, and he could focus on his education. After graduating, he could return to take over the family business.
Back at the Su family villa, Su Banxia instructed two bodyguards, “Keep an eye on Er Shao (Second Young Master) these next few days.”
“Yes, Miss.”
After a brief pause, Su Banxia added, “He can go out, but keep a close watch, and make sure he doesn’t visit any inappropriate places.”
Xiong Da and Xiong Er acknowledged her instructions.
Su Banxia returned to her apartment and was still contemplating which country would be best to send Su Baiyang to study. She didn’t have much knowledge of foreign universities and was worried about sending him abroad and him getting into trouble.
“What are you thinking about?” came Shang Lu’s voice.
Su Banxia looked up and saw him sitting on the couch. He had just finished showering and was dressed in casual gray attire. His black eyes met hers.
“I was thinking about…” She walked over and sat next to him, wrapping her arms around his.
Shang Lu noticed the slight furrow in her eyebrows and could tell she was once again worried about her brother. He set aside his notebook, pulled her into his lap, and held her close.
Caught off guard, Su Banxia found herself in his lap, her hands resting on his broad shoulders. They sat face to face in a silent atmosphere in the living room, where his dark eyes carried a subtle intensity that added to the tension.
Su Banxia shifted uncomfortably on his lap, wanting to move away and break the heavy silence. His large hand gripped her slender waist firmly, and he said, “Don’t move.”
During this period, they hadn’t had a proper conversation in a while, and there was a sense of awkwardness between them. In the face of his cold demeanor, she inexplicably felt a hint of aggression.
Su Banxia licked her lips and fluttered her eyelashes slightly. “Is there something on my face?”
His gaze remained fixed on her, which made her feel nervous.
Shang Lu’s large hand firmly held her slender waist as he spoke in a low, husky voice, “Don’t you have something to tell me?”
Su Banxia felt somewhat bewildered and started guessing randomly. Had he discovered her frequent visits to check on his rehabilitation progress? That seemed unlikely, as she believed she had been discreet about it. “Well, I actually…”
“Do you remember when I told you that you can talk to me about anything?” Shang Lu’s fingers lightly traced her back, exuding a soothing strength. He continued, “No matter what difficulties you face, you can leave it to me to solve.”
Su Banxia blinked her eyes, and the words she wanted to say were swallowed.
What Shang Lu said seemed to be about something other than his rehabilitation.
“You mean my brother?” she hesitated to ask.
Shang Lu pulled her into his embrace and said gently, “How do you want to arrange things for him?”
Su Banxia directly mentioned her idea of sending her brother abroad, fearing that Su Baiyang might not be willing to leave his hometown for a foreign country.
Shang Lu listened and replied, “I’ll talk to him about it.”
Su Banxia didn’t know how Shang Lu had handled it, but Su Baiyang was willing to go abroad. On the day of his departure, she accompanied him to the airport. Su Baiyang was dressed in simple casual clothing, without any strange chains hanging from him, and he had a neat haircut.
He carried a backpack and first embraced his mother, saying a few words to her. Then, he walked toward Su Banxia, extending his arms. After a moment’s hesitation, he looked at Shang Lu.
Shang Lu raised an eyebrow and asked, “Would you mind hugging your sister?”
Shang Lu gave him a cold and piercing look.
Su Baiyang reached out and hugged Su Banxia. In her ear, he said, “Sis, you’ve changed a lot.”
Su Banxia was taken aback, and the young man continued in her ear, “No matter how you’ve changed, you’re still my sister. It was my fault before, but in reality, Shang Lu is pretty good. I admit that he’s my brother-in-law now.”
With that, he let go of her and revealed a cheerful smile, waving as he walked into the boarding gate.
Mother Su wiped away her tears and said with reluctance, “He has never lived alone outside before. What if he gets bullied abroad?”
A mother’s worry, even when her child is traveling far away, is entirely normal.
Su Banxia hugged her mother’s shoulder and reassured her, “Mom, don’t worry. Shang Lu has everything arranged, and no one can bully him.”
She looked at Shang Lu, and he nodded in response.
…
As the Lunar New Year approached, old lady Shang fell seriously ill and was admitted to the intensive care unit. The atmosphere in the Shang family became somber.
Su Banxia and Shang Lu went together to visit the old lady. They consulted the doctor about her condition, and the doctor painted a grim picture, indicating that the situation was not optimistic and she might only have a few months left.
After soothing the old lady to sleep, Su Banxia found Shang Lu by the hospital’s lake. He was sitting in a wheelchair, surrounded by barren land, and he appeared somewhat lonely with his back to her.
The winter in Hai Cheng was exceptionally cold, and when they spoke, their breath formed visible clouds in the chilly air.
People were not gods; they couldn’t foresee the future or change everything. Even if one were a god, there were moments of powerlessness.
She had once asked the system if it was possible to exchange points for some miraculous medicine for treating illnesses. However, the system’s marketplace only had peculiar items that could bring wealth or punish wrongdoers. Surprisingly, there were no items related to health or healing.
Health was the priceless treasure in the world, but she was not a god and couldn’t stop the passing of life.
Standing beside Shang Lu, she silently kept him company.
She still remembered when she first arrived in this world, she had tried to get close to Shang Lu by exploiting the old lady’s desire for him to settle down and start a family.
A group of birds flew low over the surface of the lake, and the accompanying wind created ripples, spreading out in concentric circles.
Shang Lu snapped back to reality, realizing that Su Banxia had been standing beside him for who knows how long. His gaze fell on her slightly cold flushed cheeks, and he spoke, “Let’s go back.”
Su Banxia glanced at him, wanting to say something but hesitating.
Together, they returned to the apartment. She didn’t know how to comfort Shang Lu, and the only thing she could do was to be there for him.
During the Lunar New Year, the old lady was discharged from the hospital and brought back home. The old mansion was filled with a large family gathering, and the first floor was bustling with activity. Su Banxia was upstairs, keeping the old lady company.
“Grandma, I want to tell you a secret,” she said.
The old lady was curious and asked, “What secret?”
“Shang Lu has been undergoing rehabilitation for half a year, but he hasn’t told anyone, not even me,” Su Banxia said, lowering her voice. “I’m telling you now, so don’t betray me, okay?”
The old lady looked pleasantly surprised and said, “Xiaxia, Shang Lu is really lucky to have married you.”
“Grandma, please don’t say that,” Su Banxia’s cheeks flushed slightly. She continued, “Meeting him was my luck. You must take good care of yourself, and I believe you’ll soon see Shang Lu standing up again.”
The old lady patted her hand and said, “I’d be even happier if I could see you two have a baby.”
Su Banxia lowered her head, feeling a bit shy and guilty. Fulfilling that wish for the old lady was something she couldn’t do at the moment.
After chatting for a while, the old lady grew tired and went to sleep with Su Banxia’s help. As she left the room, she ran into Shang Mingkai. Half a year ago, during the college forum post incident, Shang Mingkai had been at the forefront, leading the charge against Su Banxia.
Although it was later revealed that it was all a setup by Mu Ruxue, Shang Mingkai had been blinded by anger. He felt that Mu Ruxue deserved to win the dance competition, and he believed that Su Banxia had used unfair means to steal the title.
“Back to pleasing the old lady, huh?” Shang Mingkai’s eyes were full of contempt. “The old lady wants a grandchild the most. You’ve been married to Shang Lu for over half a year, and there’s still no sign of a baby.”
“Shang Lu is truly pitiful, marrying a hen that can’t lay eggs,” he mocked.
Su Banxia’s expression darkened, and she stared at him coldly. “If you can’t say anything nice, then shut up.”
Shang Lu had used ruthless means to control the spending of Shang Mingkai’s family, and they had been living quite miserably for the past six months. Recently, Shang Mingkai’s father had lost several million in gambling and hadn’t been able to pay it back. He was harassed by debt collectors every day, making life unbearable.
This issue could have been resolved with just a word from Shang Lu, but he chose not to interfere. Shang Mingkai didn’t dare to voice his anger, but when he saw Su Banxia, he wanted to vent his frustration on her.
Shang Mingkai had more to say, but he felt a strong sense of pressure and turned to look. Shang Lu’s dark and brooding eyes were coldly fixed on him.
Shang Mingkai stammered, “Big Brother.”
Shang Lu pursed his lips and ignored him, moving over to Su Banxia. “Is Grandma asleep?”
Su Banxia nodded. It seemed like Shang Lu had come to fetch her for dinner.
As they went downstairs together, they left behind Shang Mingkai, whose face had turned ashen. He regretted his inability to control his tongue. Shang Lu was not one to engage in arguments openly, but behind the scenes, he could be ruthless. Shang Mingkai knew that his days were about to get even worse.
During the Lunar New Year period, everyone gathered at the old house, playing mahjong, watching TV, and engaging in noisy discussions. Su Banxia didn’t enjoy spending time with her relatives, so she often stayed in her room.
At night, when Shang Lu came out of the bathroom, she turned and sat up.
“Shang Lu.”
“Hmm?” Shang Lu placed her in his lap and asked, “Do you want to play a game?”
There was no space to practice dancing at the old house, the TV was monopolized by the kids, and she didn’t enjoy playing cards. She often roped him into playing games with her.
“No,” Su Banxia lay on his chest, not saying much.
Shang Lu asked, “If you don’t like the atmosphere at the old house, we can go back to the apartment after the New Year’s Eve dinner.”
“Wouldn’t that be inappropriate…” What she actually wanted to say was something else.
“Grandma is unwell, and having too many people around can disturb her,” Shang Lu said calmly.
“Hmm.”
During the New Year’s Eve dinner, everyone gathered around the table. Shang Erbo, who had been drinking, scolded Shang Lu at the table, but Lu Yurou subtly added fuel to the fire. Fortunately, the old master had a sense of reason and scolded Shang Erbo a few times.
Su Banxia listened to their discussions about the company’s affairs, as Shang’s father was still unwilling to give up his power. Plus, with Lu Yurou’s crafty interference, she argued that the old master couldn’t show favoritism and needed to give more opportunities to Shang Jingyao to prove himself.
In the end, she didn’t understand the whole situation, but she could tell from Lu Yurou’s face that Shang Jingyao had gained considerable real power within the company.
Shang Lu had some drinks during the meal, and his well-defined eyebrows and eyes appeared slightly intoxicated, making his deep black eyes look more alluring than usual.
Su Banxia pushed his wheelchair into the apartment and prepared a hot towel for him to apply on his face. As the alcohol began to wear off, she took out her pajamas, intending to take a shower.
“Banxia,” Shang Lu called her.
Su Banxia turned back. “Hmm?”
Shang Lu pushed his wheelchair up to her and said, “Together.”
Su Banxia’s toes wiggled on the carpet, feeling a bit shy. They had been together many times, but moments of complete honesty like this were rare.
Shang Lu looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “You don’t want to?”
“No,” Su Banxia responded quickly, pushing him, “Let’s do it together.”
Water had splashed all over the bathroom, fogging up the mirror. Their intertwined figures were blurred in the mist.
Coming out of the bathroom, Su Banxia’s cheeks were tinged with a captivating blush. The room’s heating was on, and it wasn’t cold at all. She and Shang Lu sat by the window.
The bedroom had a wall lamp with a dim, warm light. She lay in Shang Lu’s arms with the curtain partially covering the window. The atmosphere was intimate. Her hands rested on his shoulders as she lovingly kissed his eyebrows and eyes.
As the clock struck midnight, there were several distant bangs, and fireworks lit up the sky, creating a spectacular display of colorful explosions. They watched the fireworks together, wrapped in each other’s arms.
“Shang Lu, Happy New Year,” Su Banxia’s voice was soft. This was their first New Year together.
Shang Lu held her close, lowered his head, and kissed her.
This kiss was gentle, filled with lingering sweetness, and they both wished for it to last a lifetime.
As time passed, Su Banxia felt a bit drowsy, and she heard Shang Lu’s voice in her ear. He seemed to say a few words, but she didn’t catch them, feeling like she had misheard.
On the second day of the Lunar New Year, when Su Banxia returned to her parents’ home, she found that her father wasn’t there. It seemed he had made up his mind to divorce her mother. After having dinner with her mother, Su Baiyang initiated a video call.
Over the past six months, Su Baiyang had worked hard on self-improvement. His demeanor had become more refined, and upon learning that their father wasn’t at home, he restrained his anger and advised their mother to get a divorce.
“Mom, the family’s wealth will eventually be mine. Besides, he can’t have children anymore. You should separate from him.”
“Get a divorce and let him regret it, Mom. You’re still young, why bother with a man who doesn’t care about you?” Su Banxia encouraged.
She didn’t say anything provocative, like leaving him to find her little wolf-dog, which would be more appealing than staying with their father.
Their mother didn’t immediately agree but took some time to consider before consulting a lawyer and filing for divorce from their father, putting an end to a relationship that had been dragging on for two or three decades.
Back at the university, when she encountered Mu Ruxue again, the latter had a triumphant look on her face. “Su Banxia, I told you I would take away what belongs to you.”
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