“Lin Zhiyu”

She had only taken a few steps out of the dining room when she saw Ji Xianlin leaning against a wall, waiting for her.

She leaned against the wall with one arm, her legs crossed.

This posture clearly indicated she had something to say, or perhaps—

She was deliberately looking for trouble.

Lin Zhiyu wanted to explain her earlier actions. “Before…”

“Before what? Before, you were already married, yet you still came to seduce someone else’s husband?”

“Lin Zhiyu, I could tell you were no good from the moment I saw you.”

Ji Xianlin’s hostility towards her was surprisingly immense, and she cut her off before she could finish.

Lin Zhiyu found it understandable. After all, it was her own husband.

Who wouldn’t be angry if they misunderstood that their husband was cheating?

She tried to explain, not letting Ji Xianlin’s emotions affect her. “It’s not what you think. There’s nothing between me and Mr. Lu. He was the one who approached me to talk.”

“It’s just that the position looked a bit awkward. I came here to clear things up with you both.”

How could Ji Xianlin believe Lin Zhiyu’s glib words?

She let out a cold snort. “Position looked awkward? If I hadn’t come, you’d probably have been eager to take your clothes off. You just got your marriage certificate and you’re already shamelessly seducing other people’s husbands, yet you make it sound so righteous.”

“What? Is bagging Shen Yanli not enough? Do you have to seduce every man in the Shen family?”

She had seen plenty of vixens like this; nine out of ten used the same excuse.

Her words were extremely harsh, belittling Shen Yanli in the process. “But then again, only someone like Shen Yanli would want you. Truly a match made in heaven, both of you like to seize things that don’t belong to you.”

Lin Zhiyu didn’t expect her to be so stubborn, refusing to listen to anything.

She defended herself helplessly, “If you don’t believe me, go ask your husband. Ask him if his story is the same as mine.”

*Your husband is the male lead; surely he wouldn’t lie, right? Hurry up and clear my name.*

The two were at a stalemate, and the tense atmosphere showed no signs of easing.

Lu Yuchen heard the commotion and walked over gracefully. “What’s wrong, A-Lin?”

Seeing Lu Yuchen, Lin Zhiyu felt as if she had seen her savior.

*Big bro, you’re finally here.*

Ji Xianlin turned at the sound of his voice, a hint of joy in her eyes as she quickly walked over and linked her arm with Lu Yuchen’s. “A-Chen, why are you here?”

Lu Yuchen patted her wrist, his gaze lowered, his eyes filled with nothing but his wife. “What were you two talking about?”

“A-Chen, she said you were the one who approached her. Isn’t that hilarious? Tell her what you said at home yesterday,” Ji Xianlin said, acting smug as if she had a powerful backer, and shot Lin Zhiyu a scornful glance.

“How could I have approached her? There were too many people at home, and I was getting a bit annoyed, so I came out for a smoke. I didn’t expect her to throw herself at me.”

Lu Yuchen didn’t even look at Lin Zhiyu. He spoke slowly with a natural expression, showing no guilt for lying to her.

Now it was Lin Zhiyu’s turn to be scornful. She looked in disbelief at Lu Yuchen, who had just lied without batting an eye.

“No, big bro… are you serious?” Lin Zhiyu’s vision went dark.

How was this different from what she had imagined?

What was this male lead playing at? Don’t tell her he had some hidden reason for saying that?

Great. Now, with his confirmation, Ji Xianlin was dead set on seeing her as the vixen who seduced her husband.

No matter how much Lin Zhiyu tried to explain, she wouldn’t listen.

Lin Zhiyu was utterly helpless. The couple was united, and she had no evidence to prove that Lu Yuchen was lying.

In the original novel, Ji Xianlin was depicted as a willful and headstrong young lady from a wealthy family, the first stepping stone for Lu Yuchen to return to the Shen family and seize power. Later, when the Ji family fell into decline, Lu Xuemei immediately broke the two of them up, and he latched onto another, more powerful connection.

Lu Yuchen’s successful power grab was largely due to his grandmother’s various schemes and the financial backing from his different female partners’ families.

Although she had never read a male-oriented novel, she had heard a little about them, and this kind of plot was common enough not to be surprising.

Ji Xianlin was great in every way, except for her jealousy. She believed everything Lu Yuchen said, and it was because of this that in the later stages of their relationship, she frequently argued with him over such matters, which eventually led to their estrangement.

If Lu Yuchen was the male lead, then Ji Xianlin was just a nameless supporting female character.

Looking at the girl before her who would soon be abandoned, she couldn’t help but feel it was a pity.

Ji Xianlin’s business acumen far surpassed Lu Yuchen’s. If she had focused on her own family’s enterprise, she could have achieved great things.

Why did she have to depend on a man?

Seeing her act as if Lu Yuchen was her entire world, Lin Zhiyu sighed with helplessness and regret.

She just wouldn’t listen.

*Sister, only believing a man’s words will not lead to a good end.*

Ji Xianlin’s phoenix eyes narrowed. “What are you sighing for?”

She hated flirtatious women more than anything. The scene by the pool a few days ago was still fresh in her mind. Already married to Shen Yanli, yet she still came to seduce A-Chen. It was simply a corruption of morals.

“Lin Zhiyu, since you’re a married woman, don’t covet things that don’t belong to you,” Ji Xianlin warned coldly.

“My man, Ji Xianlin’s man, is not someone you can just manipulate as you please. You and Shen Yanli are both destined to be failures.”

Lin Zhiyu felt helpless in the face of Ji Xianlin’s warning.

This young lady really saw her as a love rival.

Was she mistaken? She truly had no way to defend herself.

Still not satisfied, Ji Xianlin approached with a faint, cold smile, her eyes calm and indifferent, looking at Lin Zhiyu as if she were a cold corpse.

Lin Zhiyu frowned, knowing she was about to get serious. Her heart sank.

A quick glance around revealed no one else. They must have been deliberately sent away.

She had planned to teach her a lesson here today all along.

Lu Yuchen gave her a half-hearted tug. “A-Lin, this is the old residence. Don’t act rashly.”

Ji Xianlin didn’t answer. She swung her arm, aiming for Lin Zhiyu’s face.

Lin Zhiyu caught her wrist just before the palm landed on her cheek. The original owner’s body was truly petite; she had to use all her strength just to stop her.

Lin Zhiyu flung her hand away, discreetly moving her own behind her back to shake it lightly, her face remaining calm. “Ji Xianlin, don’t make baseless accusations without evidence. It’s not even certain if it was your husband who came crawling to me.”

“You should broaden your horizons. Sticking to one man won’t lead to a good outcome,” she advised earnestly.

Ji Xianlin was incensed by her words. “Yuchen seduced you? What part of you could possibly attract him?”

Lin Zhiyu knew that getting entangled with her would lead nowhere. She pushed her away and started to walk off. She couldn’t afford to take another slap.

Shen Yanli wasn’t here, so even if she got hit, she had no one to turn to for justice.

Ji Xianlin didn’t let her get her way. She grabbed her wrist and pushed her back. A sharp pain shot through her shoulder as it hit the wall. She steadied herself by leaning against it.

Ji Xianlin still held her hand, planting her right hand on the wall next to her ear, trapping her in a *kabe-don* pose.

Lin Zhiyu struggled but couldn’t break free, so she looked at her helplessly, trying to bring her back to her senses. “Are you crazy? This is the old residence.”

Ji Xianlin was unfazed. “So what if it’s the old residence? If Grandpa finds out you’re two-timing, married to Shen Yanli but still thinking about our Yuchen, let’s see whose side he takes.”

As she spoke, the strength in her hand didn’t lessen in the slightest. Her wrist was being squeezed painfully, and she twisted her arm left and right, trying to pull it free.

Ji Xianlin’s strength was immense; she struggled for a long time but couldn’t move an inch.

Her patience had run out. She thought to herself, *at worst, we’ll both go down together, and no one will have it easy.*

Her expression turned extremely displeased. She frowned and said coldly, “What exactly do you want?”

Ji Xianlin’s face was grim as she continued her warning. “Nothing. And don’t even think about divorcing Shen Yanli to hook up with Yuchen. For the rest of your life, you can only be tied to Shen Yanli, together in life and death.”

Lin Zhiyu sneered, “Is that so? Then I should thank you.”

Ji Xianlin let her spout her nonsense, her eyes filled with condescending disdain as she squeezed her wrist even harder. “Sooner or later, Grandpa will kick you all out. The Shen Group will only belong to Yuchen.”

She seemed very confident about this.

At that moment, Shen Yanli’s voice cut through her imposing aura.

“Miss Ji.”

His voice was deep, and a lingering aura of hostility surrounded him.

He strode out, followed by the sound of dishes shattering on the floor in the dining room. It seemed Shen Yanli was the winner of that negotiation.

Hearing the newcomer’s grim voice, Ji Xianlin’s expression changed slightly.

The brute force on her wrist vanished in an instant. Lin Zhiyu took advantage of her surprise to quickly escape the danger zone and reached out to Shen Yanli, who understood immediately and caught her hand.

Her fingertips were cold, and the red mark on her wrist was particularly glaring.

Shen Yanli thought: *She got bullied just a short while after we separated.*

Shen Yanli examined the slender wrist in his hand and asked softly, “You were bullied?”

Lin Zhiyu lowered her head and muttered in a voice only the two of them could hear, “What’s the use of being concerned now? It hurts like hell.”

Shen Yanli pursed his lips, his thumb gently caressing her skin to soothe her. He looked up, glanced coolly at Ji Xianlin, then lowered his head again as if consulting with her. “How about I get even for you?”

This soft-spoken question sounded to Ji Xianlin like the King of Hell marking the Book of Life and Death, the tip of his brush striking a heavy line across her name, sealing her fate.

Yet, she remained unfazed, her expression one of entitlement.

With Lu Yuchen and the old master around, no one could touch her.

“Are you serious?” Lin Zhiyu was a little shocked.

Shouldn’t he be lying low with his tail between his legs right now? Why was he openly declaring war? Did he have a death wish?

This world… she didn’t understand it anymore.

Seeing the red mark on her wrist gradually fade, Shen Yanli finally let go and wrapped his arm around her slender waist instead. “Of course.”

Without a second thought, Lin Zhiyu nodded. “Then do it quickly. There are too many people and prying eyes here.”

She didn’t care anymore. Protagonist, villain, strawberry pie, mango pie—whoever could protect her was the right side to be on.

“Little Uncle, it’s just girls playing around. Don’t take it seriously,” Lu Yuchen said, shielding Ji Xianlin behind him to defend her.

The man’s gaze remained fixed on the young woman’s face. Her brow was furrowed with a hint of impatient anticipation.

Lu Yuchen’s voice interrupted his thoughts. He looked over at him, his eyes devoid of warmth, his tone flat. “Is that so? Then I’ll play around with my dear nephew for a bit, too.”

Before he could make a move, an old, pale, and hoarse voice came from behind, saving the day. “Enough.”

“How long are you going to keep this up?”

Shen Jun’s face was grim, his cane thudding against the ground.

Lin Zhiyu let out a small “tsk.”

*What terrible timing.*

His appearance pulled the escalating situation back from the brink. Ji Xianlin, with a tearful voice, struck first. “Grandpa, Lin Zhiyu was rude to me. You have to control her.”

Shen Jun’s face was cold, not coaxing her as he used to. “Alright, everyone settle down.”

“Stay at the old residence tonight. You can go back tomorrow morning.”

Ji Xianlin looked incredulous and tried to demand justice. “Grandpa—”

But Shen Jun ignored her, thumping his cane with a somber expression. “I’m tired. We’ll talk about whatever it is tomorrow.”

Lin Zhiyu pursed her lips, watching this pair of superficial grandfather and granddaughter, and glanced at Shen Yanli.

He met her gaze calmly, still wearing that same unruffled expression.

*Did he get the old man under his thumb again?*

–

The old residence had many small courtyards. As they walked, they saw that each courtyard had a different style of decoration. Following the stone path eastward led to the one that belonged exclusively to Shen Yanli.

Even though no one usually lived there, the servants in the courtyard still cleaned it daily.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone in the old residence, the two couldn’t very well sleep in separate rooms.

After her shower, Lin Zhiyu couldn’t help but stand by the bed, lost in thought.

*Are we really sleeping in the same bed tonight?*

*Isn’t this developing a bit too fast? Will something really not happen?*

Shen Yanli looked like a perfect gentleman, but she didn’t dare to trust him completely.

With a *click*, the bathroom door opened, and the “perfect gentleman” walked out. Lin Zhiyu looked over at the sound.

He was still dripping wet and steaming, water droplets falling from the tips of his hair onto his bathrobe. The belt at his waist was tied loosely, and Lin Zhiyu stared at him, transfixed.

As if possessed, she wanted to reach out and pull that belt undone.

She completely forgot her earlier doubts about him. Compared to him, Lin Zhiyu felt she was the bigger threat.

*Anyway, we’re husband and wife. What’s wrong with letting his wife have a good look?*

*It’s not against the law.*

That’s what she thought, but she didn’t dare to act on it. If she dared to reach out, the big boss would surely bring his hand down like a blade and take her down swiftly.

She only had one life; she couldn’t risk it so casually.

She tried to resist the temptation of the “handsome man emerging from the bath” scene, but her eyes wouldn’t obey, staring straight at that spot.

Unfortunately, the big boss didn’t think the same way. He followed her gaze to his own belt, a smile playing on his lips as he slowly walked towards her.

By the time Lin Zhiyu came to her senses, she was already trapped between the headboard and the nightstand. Her calves were pressed against the edge of the bed. She held onto the headboard but didn’t sit down, standing precariously with her knees slightly bent. She leaned back, her shoulders straight, and stammered, “Wh-wh-wh-wh-what… what are you doing?”

Shen Yanli didn’t answer. He braced his arm on the headboard above where she was holding on. His cool fingertips took her hand, his thumb caressing the back of it as he guided it towards his belt.

His warm breath teased her heartstrings. The rabbit’s eyes turned red, helplessly falling into the trap.

His bewitching voice whispered in her ear, “Untie it?”

Lin Zhiyu subconsciously swallowed. She couldn’t withstand this kind of temptation at all. Her nerves were unconsciously led by the man, and she collapsed weakly onto the bed.

The man’s thin lips curled up. He played with her limp fingers, counting them one by one, tirelessly.

His eyes were like water as he guided her index finger to hook the tie of the belt. “Do you want to?”

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