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

Xu Zhesheng staggered back two steps after being hit by those casual words, his back slamming heavily against the shelf beside him, causing several cans of tea to shake and make a dull thud.

After so many years of marriage, they had an unwritten agreement: don't say thank you easily.

The word "thank you" feels too formal, like there's an invisible membrane separating two people.

But Shen Zhiyi spoke so earnestly just now; those two words were like a knife, decisively drawing a chasm between them and clearly defining all boundaries.

Her eyes were as sincere as two grape crystals, so clear you could see right to the bottom, but they only contained aloofness, without a trace of Shen Zhiyi's warmth.

On the other hand, when she looked at Lu Zichuan, her gaze was gentle and tender, like water, exactly the same as how she used to look at him.

After saying those words, Shen Zhiyi took Lu Zichuan's arm and turned to leave.

Even after the two figures completely disappeared from the store entrance, Xu Zhesheng remained frozen in place, like a statue whose soul had been emptied.

Seeing his dejected appearance, Su Manman felt a surge of irritation.

Men are all like that.

They don't cherish what they have, and then regret it when they lose it.

idiot!

She stepped forward and tugged hard at Xu Zhesheng's sleeve: "Stop looking, they're all gone."

Xu Zhesheng seemed not to hear, his gaze still fixed on the direction of the door.

Su Manman sneered, leaned close to his ear, and said in a low, menacing voice, "Xu Zhesheng, let me tell you, if you dare to back out during the divorce cooling-off period, I'll immediately report you to your mother. Not only will you be in deep trouble, but I'll make sure your whole family never has a moment's peace!"

"You can give up everything, and so can I!" She stared at his profile, a desperate glint in her eyes. "But I have no way out now. Who in the industry doesn't know I had a child out of wedlock? If I break up with you, my life is over! So you have to be tied to me!"

As Xu Zhesheng listened to her words, the last glimmer of light in his eyes went out.

He lowered his head helplessly.

His earlier attempts to persuade him to stay were merely an instinctive reaction born of his unwillingness to give up.

His lifelong dream has been to make a name for himself. Now that he has finally established himself in the directing industry and his future looks bright, how could he possibly give up everything for Shen Zhiyi?

He just didn't expect that even after he said those words, she still didn't turn around.

He gritted his teeth, a twisted resentment welling up inside him.

Fine, she looks down on me just because she's hooked up with Lu Zichuan? Then he'll definitely make something of himself and make her regret it!

The Lu family is a place where the waters run deep and the wealthy are not so easy to enter.

He was waiting to see her make a fool of herself.

When he looked up again, the distraught Xu Zhesheng was gone.

He glanced at Su Manman expressionlessly, his voice hoarse: "Weren't we going to buy something for your mother? Let's go."

Su Manman paid no attention to his emotional changes, and her eyes lit up instantly when she heard the words "buy things".

She immediately composed herself, and strode towards the sales clerk in her high heels: "Bring out all your most expensive items!"

On the other side, Shen Zhiyi followed Lu Zichuan out of the store, and after a few steps, she suddenly slapped her forehead: "Oh no! I forgot my things!"

She had just turned around to run back when Lu Zichuan pulled her back.

"I've already had someone put it in the car." He said casually, as if he were talking about something perfectly ordinary.

Oh, right.

Shen Zhiyi gave an awkward laugh.

She almost forgot that President Lu would never carry his own things when he goes out.

She's used to being an ordinary citizen, and she always subconsciously overlooks just how precious the person next to her really is.

When the two arrived at the parking lot, Shen Zhiyi discovered that someone had already loaded all the gift boxes onto the back seat of the car.

She suddenly realized that even though she was the one visiting his parents, the money was transferred from his account.

He immediately took out his phone and opened the transfer interface: "How much?"

Lu Zichuan raised an eyebrow: "What do you mean?"

"Although I know you're not short of money, this is still my visit to your elders, and I shouldn't spend your money."

Shen Zhiyi held her phone screen up to him, her tone serious as if she were negotiating, "This is my principle. I must transfer the money to you."

Looking at her righteous and indignant demeanor, a dark glint flashed in Lu Zichuan's eyes.

He didn't argue, but simply said, "If you really want to pay me back, treat me to a meal."

When Shen Zhiyi heard that he was going to dodge the question again, she became a little anxious: "Lu Zichuan! I'm serious!"

"You've already helped me so much. Besides, I was the one visiting your parents, and you picked out all the things. I didn't do anything. If you don't even let me pay, I'll feel guilty."

She paused, then lowered her voice, "Eating is eating, and that's a completely different matter."

This was the first time she had called him by his full name since they had known each other for so long.

Lu Zichuan should have been angry.

He was angry that she separated herself from him so clearly, angry that she didn't understand his intentions at all, and even didn't doubt his words in the slightest.

But when the name "Lu Zichuan" entered his ears, accompanied by her angry tone, the pent-up frustration in his heart suddenly dissipated.

He stared at her for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled and said, "I understand. The bill will be deducted from your card. I'll have Assistant Wang send you the bill later, and you can transfer it to me."

Hearing him relent, Shen Zhiyi breathed a long sigh of relief, her tense shoulders finally relaxing.

Lu Zichuan opened the passenger door for her.

Shen Zhiyi had just sat down when her phone vibrated. It was a message from Tan Gui: "What are we having for dinner?"

She replied quickly, "Sorry, Sisi, I have something to do tonight, you'll have to eat by yourself."

The reply came instantly: "What is it?"

Shen Zhiyi was hesitating whether to tell her when she suddenly felt the car dip slightly, and Lu Zichuan had already gotten into the driver's seat.

Before she could fasten her seatbelt, Lu Zichuan turned to the side, his right hand reaching across her face, his fingertips almost brushing her collarbone, and grabbed the seatbelt beside him, fastening it for her.

He was too close.

Warm breath sprayed on the side of her neck, tickling her.

His hair brushed against the tip of her nose, carrying the scent of his usual shampoo—a refreshing blend of cedar and citrus, pleasant yet unsettling.

Shen Zhiyi held her breath, not daring to move, her eyes wide as she watched his slender fingers deftly fasten the seatbelt.

She felt her heart pounding so hard it was about to jump out of her throat.

But Lu Zichuan seemed to notice her unusual behavior and turned to look at her: "What's wrong?"

Their faces were very close, only a few centimeters apart.

Shen Zhiyi could clearly see every inch of his skin. His eyelashes were long and straight, casting a small shadow under his eyes. His phoenix eyes were filled with her reflection. The whole world seemed to have quieted down, leaving only the two of them.

Her gaze involuntarily fell on his lips.

His lips were thin, but not in a harsh way. The color was a rosy red, as if he had applied a light layer of lipstick. He must have used lip balm regularly; the surface was so smooth that there wasn't a single dead skin, and it even had a slightly moist sheen. If you were to kiss him...

"Gurgle"

Shen Zhiyi unconsciously swallowed, the sound particularly clear in the quiet carriage.

Her face flushed bright red. Her head was already pressed against the very end of the headrest, with nowhere left to retreat, yet she still subconsciously wanted to shrink back a few more inches.