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

"I disagree!" Shen Zhiyi protested immediately. "He looked away first, so he should drink it!"

"But you were the one who moved first!" Tan Gui argued. "I saw it clearly, Zhizhi, your fingers moved and your eyes darted around. It was only when President Lu saw that you were about to give up that he took the initiative to admit defeat."

"I didn't!" Shen Zhiyi denied, her face flushed, her voice louder than before, but lacking confidence.

Because she knew that what Tan Gui said was true.

At eight seconds, she did indeed move her finger first, and her eyes were already drifting to the side.

Lu Zichuan lowered his eyes first when he saw that she was about to collapse.

But how could she admit it? Admitting that she looked away first would be tantamount to admitting that she was afraid to look at him, which would be tantamount to admitting that she had something to hide.

"Alright, alright, it's just one drink." Shen Haozhi stepped in to smooth things over, pushing the glass in front of Shen Zhiyi toward her. "A bet is a bet. Drink this and the game continues."

Shen Zhiyi looked at the glass of wine and bit her lip.

She doesn't have a high alcohol tolerance; one glass was already a little tipsy, and another one...

She subconsciously looked at Lu Zichuan.

He was still in the same position as when he was drinking, his glass upside down on the coffee table, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly from the few sips of wine.

Noticing her gaze, he turned his head and looked at her.

Eyes facing each other.

Shen Zhiyi saw something indescribable in his eyes—not smugness, not teasing, but a kind of… indulgent tenderness.

It's like no matter what she does, he'll cover for her.

Her heart skipped a beat.

"I..." She reached for the wine glass, and just as her fingertips touched the rim, a slender hand covered hers.

It's Lu Zichuan.

His hand reached across the coffee table and covered the back of her hand; it was warm, dry, and had a few calluses.

He gently held her hand, preventing her from reaching for the glass of wine.

"I'll do it," he said.

The voice wasn't loud, it was even quite calm, but the indulgence hidden in those two words made the air in the entire living room quiet for a moment.

Shen Zhiyi was stunned.

She looked at his hand covering the back of hers; the warmth from his palm made her almost want to pull back, but she didn't.

She just stared blankly at his long, slender fingers, at his slightly protruding knuckles, and at the understated Patek Philippe on his wrist.

"President Lu..." Pei Jin's eyes widened as she looked at Lu Zichuan and then at Shen Zhiyi, her lips curving upwards in a wild smile.

"You drank it for her, what kind of behavior is that?" Tan Gui couldn't help but ask directly, "Is it out of chivalry?"

Lu Zichuan did not answer.

He simply withdrew his hand, picked up a new glass of fruit wine, and downed the glass in front of Shen Zhiyi in one gulp, to everyone's astonishment.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and the wine slid down his long neck, quickly emptying the glass.

He put down his glass and looked calmly at Tan Gui: "She doesn't drink. And she never will."

He spoke the last three words very softly, so softly that they were almost drowned out by the sound of the wind outside the window.

But everyone heard it.

Shen Zhiyi's heart almost pounded out of her chest in that instant.

She looked at him, at his calm profile and slightly pursed lips, her mind blank.

"And always."

......

What does that mean? What does "from now on" mean? Does it mean she won't be allowed to drink anymore? Or...?

She dared not think.

After finishing his drink, Lu Zichuan gently placed the glass back on the coffee table, glanced around casually, and said, "Let's continue the game."

Like a king who judges.

In the following rounds, whenever it was Shen Zhiyi's turn to drink, Lu Zichuan would calmly reach out and take the glass, then drink it all in one gulp.

In the end, Shen Zhiyi looked at him and noticed that his ears were red.

No matter how good his alcohol tolerance was, after drinking several glasses of fruit wine, he couldn't withstand the aftereffects.

"I can do it myself." She reached out and stopped Lu Zichuan. "The previous cup has already been sobered up, it's safe to drink now."

What does it mean to have him help you drink...?

Besides, Pei Jin was right next to him; it wouldn't be good if people misunderstood.

She picked up her glass and drank it all in one gulp.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

The groceries she ordered have arrived.

She stood up and said to everyone, "You guys keep playing, I'm going to cook."

"Okay, then let's look forward to Sister Zhizhi's cooking!" Pei Jin was completely at ease and happily raised her head.

He had drunk quite a bit in the previous rounds, and his cheeks were flushed and his eyes were incredibly bright.

"Zhizhi, do you need any help?" Tan asked.

Shen Zhiyi knew her too well. Tan Gui's cooking skills were really bad. She almost set the kitchen on fire several times. How could Shen Zhiyi dare to let her cook?

She shook her head and refused, saying, "No need, you guys play, I can do it myself."

As she spoke, she got up, went to the door to bring in the groceries, and then went into the kitchen.

The landlord had prepared everything very well, and all the appliances were new.

Shen Zhiyi was worried that there would be no bowls or chopsticks, so she bought new ones. But when she opened the cupboard, she found that all the bowls and chopsticks inside were brand new, with the labels still on.

It seems that it was indeed intended for people to live there.

Without much thought, she took out the vegetables, washed and chopped them, and cut the meat into even strips, her movements skillful and efficient.

The game continued outside, with Pei Jin and Tan Gui's hearty laughter and Shen Haozhi's occasional teasing coming from time to time. The lively atmosphere was heartwarming.

As Shen Zhiyi listened, the corners of her mouth unconsciously curved into a smile. It had been a very, very long time since she had felt this comfortable.

At that moment, the kitchen door was pushed open from the outside.

Lu Zichuan walked in, his suit jacket already off and draped over his arm, the sleeves of his white shirt rolled up to his elbows, revealing a section of his well-defined forearm. He closed the door behind him, his voice low, as if afraid of disturbing her: "Let me help you."

Shen Zhiyi quickly waved her hand: "No need, no need, you go and have fun..."

"They were playing Dou Dizhu (a card game), and I was just sitting there anyway."

Lu Zichuan tilted his head slightly outward.

Shen Zhiyi looked outside and, sure enough, the three people were each holding a hand of cards. The loser would be punished by having their head flicked, and they all looked like no one could possibly flick their heads.

"But......"

Before she could say anything more, Lu Zichuan walked in, expertly took the cleaver from her hand, and started chopping vegetables for her. His knife skills were surprisingly good; he shredded the potatoes finely and evenly.

"Does it mean you don't want to be with me, or that you don't welcome me?"

Lu Zichuan didn't look at her, keeping his head down as he continued chopping vegetables. His voice was calm, but there was a hint of concern in his tone that she could hardly detect.

That's a bit harsh.

Shen Zhiyi was taken aback for a moment, then quickly said, "Of course not, how could I not welcome you... Then help me prepare the dishes."

Lu Zichuan hummed in agreement and said nothing more.

The kitchen quieted down, with only the soft thud of a knife hitting the cutting board and the gentle gurgling of water in a pot.

The two stood on either side of the kitchen counter, one chopping vegetables and the other washing pots, their teamwork surprisingly seamless.

After a few minutes of silence, Shen Zhiyi finally spoke, her voice very soft, as if she were talking to herself: "Um... thank you for helping me drink earlier."

Lu Zichuan paused for a moment, then nodded slightly: "It's alright, I can hold my liquor pretty well."