Five years without pregnancy means you're too weak; I remarried a powerful man and had triplets

"Mother-in-law, that's going too far!"

While Xu Zhesheng was making a scene, Shen Ji kept his temper in check and remained silent.

But when Zhang Feng rushed in, even he, who was usually good-tempered, couldn't hold back anymore. He stood up abruptly, his voice as deep as if he were pressing down on a piece of iron.

"What do you mean by 'reaping what you sow'? Back then, it was Xu Zhesheng who knelt and begged to take responsibility for Zhizhi, which means he wanted to marry her! Now it's like our Zhizhi is chasing after us? Even if our Shen family isn't the best, we're still a scholarly family. Do you really think we have to force our daughter into your family?"

He grew increasingly angry as he spoke, his fingers trembling slightly: "When we got married, our family didn't ask for a single penny of dowry; we even gave her a dowry in return, hoping you would treat her well. And what did we get? Not only did you condone your son's infidelity, but you also transferred marital assets! If this gets out, people will truly laugh their heads off!"

"Pah!" Zhang Feng said, hands on her hips, spitting as she spoke.

"No wonder you gave such a large dowry back then. You probably knew all along that this girl couldn't have children, and you were just trying to shut us up with money! In the long run, our Zhe can't be childless, can he? How is this cheating? It's your daughter's own fault for being so useless, she can't even hold onto a man. Whose fault is that!"

As she cursed, her eyes darted around, and when she caught sight of Xu Jing, pale-faced on the hospital bed, she immediately seemed to have found some leverage, and her voice rose another notch:

"See, see? What did I tell you? You got what you deserved for your wrongdoing! You were challenging me last time, and now you're in the hospital!"

She took two steps forward, slurring her words, "Let me see, what's wrong? If you ask me, your family should stop doing such wicked things, or you won't live long..."

"Bang!"

With a crisp sound, porcelain shards scattered everywhere.

Shen Zhiyi grabbed the vase from the bedside table and smashed it hard on the ground.

Fragments were scattered everywhere, with a few shards grazing Zhang Feng's trouser leg, startling her so much that she jumped back.

Shen Zhiyi's face was cold, and her almond-shaped eyes were churning with a long-suppressed anger: "I can tolerate you talking about me. But it's not your place to talk about my mother."

She approached step by step, her voice low but chilling: "Take your childless son and get out of my mother's hospital room. Otherwise, I'll post everything about your marital infidelity and asset transfers online right now. Let everyone see what kind of people your Xu family really is."

A sharp shard of porcelain struck Zhang Feng's calf. She cried out in pain, clutching her leg and pointing at Shen Zhiyi, screaming, "You little bitch! You've caused my son to be childless for five years, and now you dare to lay a hand on me! A-Zhe! Call the police! Call the police now! Your wife is trying to kill someone!"

She screamed her heart out, but the next second, her shrill voice seemed to be choked by an invisible hand, and stopped abruptly.

Lu Zichuan leaned against the door, one hand in his trouser pocket, his posture languid, as if the farce before him had nothing to do with him.

But the moment Zhang Feng uttered the word "call the police," a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

He didn't even look up, only tilted his head slightly.

Assistant Wang understood immediately, stepped forward, and like lifting a restless hen, grabbed Zhang Feng by the back of her collar with one hand and lifted her up lightly.

Zhang Feng flailed her arms and legs, but before she could even utter a curse, Assistant Wang expressionlessly lifted her out of the ward and tossed her aside.

"Bang!"

Zhang Feng fell heavily onto the corridor floor, her face contorted in pain, and she couldn't get up for a long time.

"Mom!" Xu Zhesheng was startled and hurriedly tried to go forward to help her.

But as soon as he took a step, a hand with distinct knuckles blocked his way.

Lu Zichuan had already walked up to his side without him noticing.

He was a head taller than Xu Zhesheng, looking down at him with eyes that were extremely calm, showing no anger or even emotional fluctuation.

Just watching it so calmly makes one feel as if they've fallen into an ice cave.

"Director Xu," Lu Zichuan's voice was very soft, as if he were talking about a trivial matter, "Shen Zhiyi said she only wants 80%, it seems you're not planning to give it to her."

He paused, a faint smile curving his lips, a smile devoid of warmth, only a chilling pronouncement: "Since you're going to renege on your promise, then don't blame me for helping you to the end. Leave with nothing, plus five million. Not a penny less."

"If you can't produce these things after the cooling-off period for divorce..."

He leaned down slightly, his breath low, yet each word struck Xu Zhesheng's eardrums: "I will show you what the Lu family's methods are."

Xu Zhesheng felt a chill run down his spine from being stared at; the fear of being completely seen through sent shivers down his spine.

He gritted his teeth and forced out, "This is our family matter! What right do you, an outsider, have to interfere time and time again?!"

He stared at Lu Zichuan, a desperate glint in his eyes: "Do you believe that if I push you too far, I'll sue you for having an extramarital affair with Shen Zhiyi? Then, neither of us will save face!"

After he finished speaking, the ward fell silent for a moment.

Lu Zichuan finally raised his eyes. There wasn't a ripple in his eyes, as if he were talking about something utterly ridiculous.

"Shen Zhiyi and I are completely innocent." He spoke calmly, as if stating a simple fact. "If you try to sue me for this, you'll only get a charge of defamation."

"Completely innocent?" Xu Zhesheng sneered as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world, pointing his finger at Lu Zichuan. "If you were completely innocent, why would you repeatedly defend her? If you were completely innocent, why would you oppose me for her sake? Lu Zichuan, you're kidding me!"

Shen Zhiyi stood aside, listening to Xu Zhesheng's words, and felt a sudden tightness in her heart.

She instinctively wanted to step forward and explain for Lu Zichuan. He had helped her so much, and she couldn't let him bear this kind of reputation because of her.

But she had only taken half a step when she heard Lu Zichuan's voice.

The voice was deep and steady, as if it came from the depths of the chest, carrying an unquestionable seriousness.

He didn't look at Xu Zhesheng, but turned his head slightly and his gaze fell on Shen Zhiyi.

In that instant, a crack appeared in the ice layer in his eyes, revealing a glimmer of extremely deep and gentle light.

Then, he turned back to look at Xu Zhesheng, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

"Because I have a crush on her."

"I've liked her since college, and now that she's finally gone, I naturally want to do my best."

He paused, his tone carrying an almost frank composure, as if he were saying that the weather was nice today:

"Any objections?"

These three words, seemingly light and airy, were like a pebble that struck Xu Zhesheng's heart, stirring up countless waves.

The ward was deathly silent.

Shen Zhiyi stood there stunned, her ears burning up at a visible speed.

Looking at Lu Zichuan's profile, his sharply defined jawline, and his frank, almost arrogant demeanor, her heart skipped a beat.

Xu Zhesheng, on the other hand, looked as if he had been punched in the face, his mouth agape, unable to utter a single word for a long time.