Chapter 313
Lu Xinyi leaned on her seat and stared back at her mother-in-law. As expected, always on point and not wasting her time to put her in a hot seat. Zhang Jingwei ignored her son’s glaring eyes, but Lu Xinyi was aware of her husband’s mood.
She let her lips curled into a predatory smile, something she learned from Shen Yi. The same smile he plastered on his face when he’s pissed and about to crush someone.
“Is Miss Zhang worried that I’m only using Shen Yi to get even with my mother’s relatives and for my own advantage? Then, I’m telling you now when I married your son, it was only because I want to avoid an arranged marriage the Sun family was forcing on me. Our marriage might have started as a farce, but it’s a different story now.”
She then glanced at her side, gauging Shen Yi’s reaction.
“I have no idea how can I make Miss Zhang understand that Shen Yi is everything that I wanted, but I won’t insist on it. Obviously, Shen Yi and I hope that you’ll overlook the family line where I came from and give us your blessing in our marriage. If you can’t, I’m sure you can find your way out from here and his life, considering that it’ll only bring disappointment to my husband.”
There was this moment of slip on Shen Xue’s part where he told Lu Xinyi about their mother’s whereabouts. Both Shen brothers held some resentment against their mother, especially Shen Yi.
Zhang Jingwei’s smile faltered on Lu Xinyi’s words. Her eyes then sought her son’s, but Shen Yi refused to give her the attention. His eyes fixated on his wife’s face.
She smiled as a thought crossed her mind. Her son that she hadn’t seen for a long time was enamored by this woman.
“I can see why you would be smitten by her.”
Her expression turned friendly, her eyes glint with satisfaction and amusement. Now, her worries that her son’s wife would take advantage of him were gone.
“Interesting. So tell me, Yi. When did you know you’re in love with Miss Lu if your marriage started as a deal?”
Lu Xinyi looked up expectantly to hear her husband’s answer. After all, she had no idea when he started to get interested in her. She lifted her teacup to her lips, intent to savor such expensive tea variant that Shen Yi ordered for her for today.
“When she stormed into my office and slapped our chief property manager into submission,” Shen Yi replied nonchalantly.
“She what?!” Zhang Jingwei gasped.
Lu Xinyi spat out her drink, liquid shooting through her nose painfully as she coughed violently. She covered her mouth with a napkin and felt Shen Yi’s hand at her back. She could feel her blush spreading on her face down to her neck.
Damn it all! Of all the things her husband would tell his mother, why would he tell her about the day she slapped and terminated Duan Yong from City H without his permission? That wasn’t something she expected to hear from him!
“Xinxin, are you alright?” Shen Yi asked as he looked at her watery eyes and red face. Fortunately, her drink didn’t spill on her clothes.
Lu Xinyi threw a glare at her husband. “Alright? Why did you tell that to your mother?!” She hissed in a low voice.
Shen Yi raised a brow. “What? I’m just merely answering my mother’s question.”
“Are you okay, Miss Lu?” Zhang Jingwei shot her a confused look.
“I’m sorry. It’s just your son’s sense of humor get me sometimes.” Lu Xinyi laughed awkwardly.
“So you mean you didn’t do what he said?”
“Oh, no, I actually did.” Lu Xinyi sweatdropped. How was she supposed to explain what happened to her mother-in-law? “I just didn’t think that’s what made him interested in me.”
She continued to laugh awkwardly. Gosh, that was something she wanted to forget already. If Shen Yi hadn’t brought it up, she would not even remember about Duan Yong.
“Manager Duan had drugged Yi the day we were supposed to have a dinner date. I found him in pain, trying to kill the woman with his bare hands.”
That piqued Zhang Jingwei’s attention. With wide eyes, the menu in front of her forgotten as she leaned forward with interest.
“She drugged him?! What did you do then, Miss Lu? No—Xin’er. I can call you Xin’er, right? You can call me ‘Mom’. Don’t be shy. Please tell me you teach that woman a good lesson! How dare she do that to my son?!”
The couple shared a knowing look when Zhang Jingwei called Lu Xinyi affectionately. Oh, how was easy for the little devil to charm her in-laws? She hadn’t even used food bribery to please Zhang Jingwei. ρꪖꪕᦔꪖꪕꪫꪣꫀꪶ
Shen Yi shook his head while Lu Xinyi gave him a triumphant grin.
“With how any self-respecting wife would do.” Her lips curled in a devilish smirk. “I gave her a lesson she would never forget in this lifetime.”
“Tell me more about it…”
Lu Xinyi then filled her mother-in-law the details. She’d also revealed how she and Shen Yi met the first time during their cruise vacation, leaving the parts where Gong Yijun and Meng Jiao cheated behind her back.
A few hours later, their lunch passed; and it was already three in the afternoon when Shen Yi’s phone rang. He cleared his throat to get the attention of his mother and his wife, glad that he would be free from being trapped with their long conversations.
“Mom, Grammie just called. We have dinner arrangements with other partners. I have to bring Xinxin home.”
“Oh, dear. Still working overtime even if it’s weekend? Yi, you’re a husband now. You can’t just leave Xin’er whenever you like it.” Zhang Jingwei chastised his son. She then turned to Lu Xinyi and held her hand. “Why don’t you go to my place and stay for dinner? We can do all sorts of things and talk about everything. I’ll keep you company until your husband is free.”
“Mom…” Shen Yi groaned. It was the weekend! Lu Xinyi should be his at this time!
Lu Xinyi looked at both mother and son and nodded.
“I don’t mind. I would love to join you for dinner.”
Zhang Jingwei’s eyes lit up and clapped her hands.
“Great! Great! I have some pictures of Yi you might be interested in.” She winked at her daughter-in-law.
The grin that spread across his wife’s lips made Shen Yi uncomfortable in his seat. Oh, no. The little devil was planning something behind his back, and he surely wouldn’t like it.
“Even baby pictures?” Lu Xinyi’s eyes sparkled with mischief. He knew it!
“Maybe some other time…” Shen Yi attempted to delay, but his mother cut him.
“Oh, hush you.” She waved a hand on him. “I’ve always wanted a daughter, but what did I get? Two boys who refused to visit their mother. With Xin’er here, my dreams finally came true.”
“I thought you would want a little girl for that?” Shen Yi retorted.
“You don’t have a child, no? Unless Xin’er gives you a daughter, then Xin’er would temporarily take her place.” Zhang Jingwei insisted.
Lu Xinyi could only listen to the banter between her husband and mother-in-law. Oh, dear. Did this mean Zhang Jingwei would doll her up just like what Matriarch Shen did to her before?
The horror of those memories resurfaced in her mind. No, please no full-body wax again! Anything but that! She didn’t think she could endure that pain again.
“How can I give you a granddaughter if you’re going to keep my wife away from me?”
Lu Xinyi pinched her husband’s thigh for that shameless remark, but Shen Yi’s face remained expressionless. How dare he say that in front of his mother?!
Zhang Jingwei chuckled at her son before shaking her head.
“You can’t trick me, Yi. I know Xin’er is attending Silver Leaf at this moment, and she couldn’t bear you a child until she leaves the academy.” She smiled smugly towards him.
Shen Yi sighed in defeat. Later, he drove them back on his mother’s place. Lu Xinyi wanted to laugh at his slightly sullen face, knowing that he was upset that she’d be spending time away from him again.
“Don’t be upset. You’ll see me later.” She grinned.
He gave her a brief glance. “Your weekends should be mine.”
“You look like someone who drank a pitcher of vinegar.” Lu Xinyi stated, with barely contained laughter.
The ends of her husband’s mouth were slightly pointed down. It must be his version of pouting, she thought.
As he parked his car in front of his mother’s house, Zhang Jingwei stepped outside before them to open the front door with Lu Xinyi following behind. She kissed her husband’s cheeks before darting away.
“I’ll wait for you! Don’t forget to miss me,” she said with a wink.