Before long, the police arrived. The burly man left the scene with the police while holding back his tears.
The bodyguard who had gone to buy ice cream came back and, upon learning what had just happened, was so shocked that his sunglasses fell off.
He had just gone to buy some ice cream for the young lady, and in that short time, they were attacked. Fortunately, Wang Zhenzhu and Bai Shuijin were unharmed.
The bodyguard stood there sweating profusely, and for a moment, Bai Shuijin couldn’t tell who was more fragile between him and the burly man who refused to just drink Mengniu or Yili milk.
Bai Shuijin looked at his pale face and asked, “What’s wrong with you?”
Wang Zhenzhu also glanced at him. “You lost your chastity too?”
“…”
After shopping all day, Wang Zhenzhu returned home with bags full of purchases. Behind her were the servants helping carry her various shopping bags. Back home, she threw herself onto the big sofa in the living room, her seaweed-like hair cascading down like a waterfall.
Her red-painted fingernails held up her phone as she opened WeChat. But there were no messages from Lu Ming and she was very disappointed.
The whole person lost brightness.
On the other side, Bai Shuijin was eating his spicy strips. After finishing the last batch, he splurged on thirty more packs and left them on the coffee table in the living room. The table had a uniquely shaped tray and once the snacks were placed on it, their value instantly increased tenfold.
Wang Zhenzhu was extremely bored. She opened her red lips and said, “Sister-in-law…”
Bai Shuijin’s round head jerked instantly. He froze for a few seconds, then resumed eating his spicy strips like nothing had happened.
‘Did he not hear?’
Wang Zhenzhu sat up. “Sist…”
“Don’t call me that.”
‘So he did hear.’
Wang Zhenzhu sat down next to him and glanced at the spicy strips in his hands. “What are you eating?”
Bai Shuijin stuffed a pack into her hands. “Latiao, they’re very delicious.”
**Latiao is a brand of spicy strips.
Wang Zhenzhu felt like eating this would definitely give her diarrhea, so she didn’t eat it, but still accepted Bai Shuijin’s kind gesture.
She had never seen this kind of snack before. Watching Bai Shuijin eat it happily, she swallowed hard. It smelled pretty good.
Seeing Bai Shuijin completely absorbed in eating and had no intention of paying any attention to her, Wang Zhenzhu pouted. In this house, no one had ever dared ignore her.
Every time she came home, the family would greet her warmly. Even her big brother was no exception. Although he didn’t talk to her much, he’d still stay in the same space with her.
To attract attention, Wang Zhenzhu sighed next to him.
“Sigh~”
After sighing, she glanced at Bai Shuijin. But Bai Shuijin only had spicy strips in his eyes.
‘I am not even as good as a pack of spicy strips!’
“Sigh~~~”
Bai Shuijin (munch munch munch)
Wang Zhenzhu’s delicate eyebrows twitched. Her hand clenched into a fist, and she finally couldn’t take it anymore. “Sigh!”
Bai Shuijin turned his head instantly. “Love, love, love without end~~”
**It’s a verse from Aaron Kwok’s love song 郭富城. (for more context, the word “love” (ài) kinda sounds like a sigh which matches Wang Zhenzhu’s sighs)
Wang Zhenzhu: “…”
Wang Zhenzhu was unhappy about being ignored. She never hid her emotions or temper and didn’t need to.
“Why don’t you ask me why I’m sighing?”
“Because I’m not Ten Thousand Whys.”
“…”
Wang Zhenzhu puffed up her cheeks. “Ask me, ask me!”
She started acting spoiled.
Bai Shuijin wiped his mouth. The two of them looked like they were playing house. “Why are you sighing?”
Wang Zhenzhu held her phone, pointing at a profile picture with a blue sky avatar. “Lu Ming didn’t send me a message.”
Bai Shuijin looked at the timestamp of the last message, which was yesterday, and frowned. He remembered that in Mary Sue novels, both male and female protagonists were absolute magnets, all females love the male protagonist, and even stray dogs on the street aren’t immune. And all males like the female protagonist, even male peacocks would open their tails for her.
Mary Sue novels are all about being exaggerated, brainless, and satisfying, with male and female protagonists who never know how to talk properly and often have strange operations.
Wang Zhenzhu was the second female lead in this story. Her birthday banquet was already thirty percent into the novel, and at this time, the male and female protagonists had already developed feelings for each other.
So what’s going on with the male protagonist chatting with Wang Zhenzhu?
“Do you talk every day?”
“More or less. On average, we chat once every two days.”
“Does he contact you, or do you contact him?”
Wang Zhenzhu: “Both.”
Bai Shuijin: ‘… Scumbag!’
In recent years, male virtue novels had been booming, but the works Bai Shuijin had read were all older works. Otherwise, the plot where Wang Huanxiu chopped him into pieces to feed the sharks would’ve been taken down instantly.
In old-school Mary Sue stories, the male protagonist is always surrounded by many beautiful girls. Sometimes he would even get close to others on purpose just to make the female protagonist jealous.
But in the end, everything gets whitewashed because he is handsome, rich and powerful. All his actions were somehow “evidence of caring for the female protagonist.”
Other genres were fine and didn’t seem to have major problems. The male protagonist of the entertainment industry novel, Shen He, is focused on acting. The male protagonist of the Business war novel failed in business and has turned to studying magic. But the Mary Sue novel…now that he looked at it, the male protagonist really has issues.
Bai Shuijin: “Stop chatting with him. If he’s not talking to you, it means he’s not thinking about you. Go find something else to do, like studying. Aren’t you taking the college entrance examination next year?”
Wang Zhenzhu: “I don’t have to worry about studying. My grades are excellent. I can easily get into the university Lu Ming wants to apply to.”
Bai Shuijin’s bulging cheeks stiffened. She wanted to apply to the same university as the male protagonist?
“Didn’t you say you want to study design abroad?”
Wang Zhenzhu was stunned by the question and recalled her childhood dream. Yes, didn’t she always say she wanted to study design abroad when she was little?
Her clearest childhood memories were from when she was five or six, because those were her happiest times. Her eldest brother was studying overseas, while she and her second brother stayed in the country. Whenever her eldest brother had a competition, their parents would take them abroad to watch.
She’d always loved beautiful things, such as clothes, jewelry, handbags. No matter where she went, she wanted to shop. And she also loved styling her parents.
Back then, she already dreamed of becoming a designer. After watching her eldest brother’s competitions, her parents would take her to visit top art schools so she could get a feel for campus life and choose what she liked, paving her path for the future.
Wang Zhenzhu sat there, speechless. She didn’t even know when she’d abandoned her dream.
A sudden wave of shame hit her.
If her mother were still alive, she didn’t even know how she’d explain this to her.
“Let’s talk about it later.” She brushed it off lightly, but inside she was struggling. “I haven’t decided yet.”
Bai Shuijin chewed on a spicy strip. “I see.”
Wang Zhenzhu deliberately changed the subject. “Let’s not talk about that. Tell me about you and my big brother.”
“What’s there to say about me and laogong-ge?”
“There’s a lot! Like how you two haven’t even kissed after all this time.”
Bai Shuijin: “…”
It has started again. The young lady’s mind was always in the gutter. It’s not like their lips were glued shut, of course they could kiss if they wanted to.
Besides, wasn’t kissing something you did with someone you liked?
Laogong-ge probably only saw him as a younger sibling, otherwise he wouldn’t have asked him to call him the same way as the other younger siblings did.
Bai Shuijin licked his lips. “Dinner should be ready. I’ll go check with Auntie Li in the kitchen.”
“Hey, don’t go!”
Wang Zhenzhu followed him to the kitchen. The more someone didn’t want to deal with her, the more she loved to cling to them.
Before dinner, Wang Huanxiu also returned home from the company.
After a whole day of shopping, Bai Shuijin felt exhausted. He urgently needed a hot bath, then to lie down on a soft, cloud-like bed to rest.
But that didn’t feel satisfying enough. He wanted something even better.
He walked to the living room where Wang Huanxiu was sitting, looking at his iPad. Bai Shuijin snuggled up beside him.
And dropped a tiger-wolf line: “Laogong-ge, we haven’t slept together in a long time.”
Wang Huanxiu didn’t even lift his eyelids. “Say what you want to say.”
Bai Shuijin twisted bashfully and shamelessly said, “Laogong-ge, let’s sleep together tonight.”
Before Wang Huanxiu could refuse, he jumped up and ran upstairs. “Laogong-ge, I’ll be waiting for you.”
There was nothing more satisfying than taking a bath and then lying on a big bed touching abs.
After Bai Shuijin left, Wang Huanxiu remained in the same posture, continuing to look at the documents and messages. Finally, he had some peace and quiet.
The next second.
Wang Zhenzhu: “Big brother.”
“…”
The moment he returned home, his ears were destined to be restless.
“What is it?”
Wang Zhenzhu sat beside him and glanced at the iPad, then closed her eyes with a dramatic gasp…her eyes were dirty now.
Sure enough, work is something that pollutes the soul.
But she still couldn’t suppress her gossipy heart. “Big Brother, what did he say to you just now?”
“Nothing.”
Wang Zhenzhu thought about it and believed him. The two of them didn’t have a good relationship.
But then, if the relationship wasn’t good, why did they get married in the first place?
“Big Brother, why don’t you kiss him?”
Wang Huanxiu’s hand holding the iPad paused. If Wang Zhenzhu hadn’t just come home yesterday, he would’ve thought she’d been hanging out with Bai Shuijin too much and started talking the same… unfiltered nonsense.
The man set the iPad aside calmly. “Why should I kiss him?”
A cold rhetorical question.
Wang Zhenzhu didn’t understand. “Big Brother, don’t you like Bai Shuijin?”
With Bai Shuijin’s appearance, there’s no way her brother didn’t like him. If it hadn’t been for that clown makeup in the wedding photos, she would’ve suspected her brother fell in love with him at first sight and brought him home.
Wang Huanxiu stayed silent.
Wang Zhenzhu: “Do you like him?”
“Don’t like.”
“Oh.”
So he really didn’t like him. But she wasn’t even surprised. After all, Bai Shuijin hadn’t been loved fiercely yet.
Sure enough, Wang Huanxiu was a man of principles. If he didn’t like someone, then he just didn’t like them, even if the appearance was his ideal type.
What a pity.
She actually liked Bai Shuijin very much. She wondered if they’d get divorced in the future.
Wang Zhenzhu wanted to ask more, but when she turned her head, the seat next to her was already empty.
Wang Zhenzhu: “…”
‘Hmph!!!!!!’
Wang Huanxiu went up to the third floor, intending to head to the study to work, but his steps turned midway. Before he realized it, he was standing in front of the master bedroom door.
He hadn’t returned to “his” room to sleep in a while. Ever since Bai Shuijin took over his room, he had been sleeping in the study.
At this time, Bai Shuijin had just finished his bath and was sprawled on the bed in a bathrobe, eyes narrowed in happiness. When he heard the door open, he immediately lifted his head.
‘Laogong-ge is here!’
He scrambled off the bed, rolled to the floor and ran over to Wang Huanxiu, never taking his eyes off him.
“Laogong-ge!”
His eyes were bright and watery, and having just taken a shower, his skin was a light pink from the heat, and his black hair was sleek.
Bai Shuijin gave him a shy smile.
Wang Huanxiu raised an eyebrow. “What are you smiling about?”
Just the thought of touching and kissing those abs made Bai Shuijin smile like he’d eaten honey.
He shook his head. He just wanted Wang Huanxiu to go take a bath as soon as possible.
“Laogong-ge, go take a bath.”
He wanted to push Wang Huanxiu toward the bathroom, but when raised his hand, he noticed something on Wang Huanxiu’s head.
“Laogong-ge.”
Wang Huanxiu looked down. The next second, Bai Shuijin tiptoed closer, and the tall man immediately stiffened.
—Big Brother, have you ever kissed him?
Wang Zhenzhu’s question flashed through his mind.
His gaze unconsciously dropped to Bai Shuijin’s soft, plump lips.
They had never kissed.
The man’s Adam’s apple rolled, and the two figures in the room were getting closer and closer. Bai Shuijin was unsteady on his feet and swayed slightly, and Wang Huanxiu subconsciously raised his hand but didn’t touch him directly, as if forming a protective circle around him.
Just as Bai Shuijin tilted his head up and was about to lean in…
Knock knock!!!
It was Wang Zhenzhu outside, coming to ask Bai Shuijin for his WeChat. She has been back for two days and just realized they hadn’t added each other. And he hadn’t mentioned it to her.
No one answered, so Wang Zhenzhu knocked again. She’d asked already, and the servant said her big brother gave his room to Bai Shuijin, so he should be staying here and there was no mistake.
The next second, the door opened…and it was Wang Huanxiu who came out.
Wang Zhenzhu blinked. “Big Brother, why are you in there?”
Wang Huanxiu’s expression was cold. “Don’t you have anything to do tonight?”
“…”
Why did it sound like he didn’t welcome her?
Wang Zhenzhu raised her chin. Of course she did. She pushed past Wang Huanxiu. “I want to add Bai Shuijin on WeChat. Big Brother, you go work.”
With an extreme one-for-one swap, Wang Huanxiu was booted out just like that.
The man didn’t linger at the door and went directly to the study. It wasn’t until midnight that he rubbed his temples and decided to rest.
When he returned to the master bedroom, Bai Shuijin was already asleep on the big bed with arms and legs stretched out, and his bathrobe riding up to his thighs.
Wang Huanxiu stared for a few seconds, then wrapped him in the quilt and rolled him to the side before lying down to sleep.
.
Wang Zhenzhu’s birthday came quickly, and the entire Wang family was busy preparing birthday wishes for the young miss. From the moment she stepped out of her room, one surprise after another awaited her.
Having seen everything since childhood, Wang Zhenzhu didn’t care for material gifts. So every surprise prepared by the butler and others was the result of deep brainstorming, each one unique and creative.
Her birthday banquet started at 8 p.m., held at the Rose Pavilion. Flowers, ribbons, balloons, and beautiful, expensive satin covered every corner of the venue.
The family even invited internationally renowned orchestras and conductors to perform live music for the night.
Bai Shuijin entered the Rose Pavilion with his mouth wide open. Not far away was a mountain of gifts for Wang Zhenzhu, an actual mountain of gifts. It was so high he had to go to the second floor to see the top.
The word “luxury” once again refreshed Bai Shuijin’s worldview. Wang Zhenzhu was deeply surrounded by love.
He heard this place had been prepped by Wang Huanxiu starting half a month ago and had gone through many revisions.
Bai Shuijin couldn’t help but feel a little envious. The birthday gifts and wishes Wang Zhenzhu received were too many to count.
Soon after, he saw a chef pushing a beautifully decorated and mouthwatering nine-layer birthday cake inside.
Bai Shuijin swallowed his saliva and walked over with Wang Zhenzhu to look at the cake.
“Can all this really be eaten?”
Wang Zhenzhu: “I’m not eating. I’m on a diet. Too many sweets make me fat. Do you like sweets?”
Bai Shuijin nodded.
“I’ll just do the ceremony and cut it later for formality. After that, the whole cake is yours.”
Bai Shuijin clasped his hands together in front of his chest. “Young lady, you are so beautiful and kindhearted.”
.
“Young master, which clothes do you want to wear?”
A young man wearing a trendy hoodie and sky-blue jeans was slumped on the sofa playing a game. He had just lost the match and looked up to see the servant holding up set after set of formal wear.
“Whatever, you decide.”
Lu Ming had no interest in choosing suits. He just wanted the next round to start quickly.
And to see if He Xiaoxiao had sent him a message.
He Xiaoxiao’s family was middle class. Her father had just made some money in investment banking, so they were doing better.
But the other party was still reluctant to buy something as expensive as an evening gown.
Just thinking about how the girl he liked couldn’t wear a beautiful dress to the banquet made Lu Ming uncomfortable. He swiped his own card to buy her a dazzling princess gown, and even a diamond tiara.
“Have the items been delivered?”
Servant: “They were just sent out. They should be arriving at Miss He’s door by now.”
‘That’s good.’
Sure enough, the next second a WeChat message popped up.
[Lu Ming, what did you send me again? I’m telling you, I won’t take any of your stuff, and I definitely won’t fall in love with you.]
Lu Ming looked at the message and curled his lips. [I just have too much money and nowhere to spend it. I saw you lacked clothes, so I sent you some. If you don’t like them, just toss them in the trash.]
Just as he was about to keep playing his game, the front door was pulled open from the outside. Lu Zhengfeng strode in and, seeing Lu Ming still playing games on the couch, his face turned dark. “Why are you still playing games?”
Lu Ming was nonchalant. “What else would I be doing? Wang Zhenzhu’s birthday banquet starts at eight. What’s the rush? Or do you want to go in my place?”
Lu Ming didn’t feel anything special for Wang Zhenzhu. If he had to say he felt something, it would be the indifference of a classmate. It’s just that she always liked to talk to him, and when He Xiaoxiao got angry at him, he’d deliberately chat with Wang Zhenzhu in front of her.
Lately, he had been in frequent contact with Wang Zhenzhu on WeChat, not because of anything else, but because her older brother had killed off their amusement park project.
His father, Lu Zhengfeng, begged him to build a good relationship with Wang Zhenzhu, so he had no choice but to chat with her on WeChat from time to time.
Lu Zhengfeng; “Hurry up and change your clothes. The banquet starts at eight. Are you really planning to arrive at eight?”
No way, he still needed to pick up He Xiaoxiao.
“I’ll go early.”
Going to pick up He Xiaoxiao counted as going out early anyway.
“Don’t forget to build a good relationship with Miss Zhenzhu. The Wang family only has this one precious daughter and everyone loves her dearly. Old Master Wang doesn’t even like Wang Huanxiu, but he smiles ear to ear when it comes to this granddaughter.”
“Not to mention her elder brother is still holding several of our other projects in his hands.”
Seeing that Lu Ming was letting it all go in one ear and out the other, Lu Zhengfeng twisted his ear. “You little brat, are you even listening?!”
Lu Ming winced in pain. “I’m listening, I’m listening.”
So rough with the hands.
“Make sure you build a good relationship and make friends with her. Put the mouth you usually use to talk back to good use.”
“I know, I know.”
Lu Ming was perfunctory. Even if he wasn’t serious, his relationship with Wang Zhenzhu wouldn’t be bad. He realized from a young age that most girls liked him. Whenever he showed up, they would glance at him more, and when it came to choosing someone, they’d choose him too.
After changing clothes, Lu Ming went to pick up He Xiaoxiao at 6 p.m.
Although she complained, He Xiaoxiao eventually changed into the dress. After all, it was Lu Ming’s good intentions.
She didn’t think much of it at first. It was only after her friends said something that she reluctantly changed. She and Lu Ming were well-known enemies at school and neither liked the other. Who would’ve thought he’d give her a dress and a diamond tiara?
According to her friends, the tiara was custom-made, and the gemstone embedded into it was one of the Lu family’s own, a sparkling, priceless yellow diamond.
Lu Ming suddenly showing up to pick her up made He Xiaoxiao blush a little, but once they got in the car, the two enemies didn’t exchange many words before starting another argument.
“Even if all the men in the world died, I still wouldn’t like you!”
“Perfect! You’re not my type either!”
They shouted in unison, “Hmph!!!”
When they arrived at the Rose Pavilion, He Xiaoxiao got out of the car first, leaving Lu Ming far behind and walking in alone.
Lu Ming was very angry. He didn’t chase after He Xiaoxiao and walked into the Rose Pavilion with a gloomy face. After cooling off for half an hour, he decided to go look for He Xiaoxiao, but Wang Zhenzhu lifted her dress at this moment and walked over.
“Lu Ming!” she waved happily, her face beaming with joy.
Lu Ming originally didn’t want to pay attention to her, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw He Xiaoxiao watching from a distance with her friends, so he suddenly changed his mind.
He smiled. “Hi.”
Wang Zhenzhu blushed seeing him dressed like a prince.
Chatting with Wang Zhenzhu could on the one hand, irritate He Xiaoxiao, and on the other, complete the task his father gave him.
Lu Ming: “Happy birthday. You look beautiful today.”
Bai Shuijin behind Wang Zhenzhu: “…”
Looking at this typical Mary Sue novel male protagonist, Bai Shuijin’s first impression was that he was a smooth talker.
Maybe it was because he already had a biased impression of Lu Mind from his chats with Wang Zhenzhu on WeChat, but he didn’t think much of him.
When Lu Ming saw the tiara on Wang Zhenzhu’s head, his expression changed slightly. The design was the same as He Xiaoxiao’s, but the gemstone was different. He Xiaoxiao’s was a yellow diamond his family had saved for a daughter-in-law, while Wang Zhenzhu’s had a red ruby.
Lu Ming chatted and laughed with Wang Zhenzhu, making her laugh so hard her whole body trembled with joy.
Wang Muguang, who saw this scene from the second floor, couldn’t sit still anymore.
‘You little brat, making Zhenzhu think you’re the most handsome guy in the world…’
Wang Muguang stormed downstairs and stood beside Bai Shuijin, glaring at Lu Ming.
He glared for a long time before Lu Ming finally walked away.
Wang Muguang: It’s good that you know your place.
But now Wang Zhenzhu was upset. She gave Wang Muguang a fierce glare, lifted her dress, and went off to find her friends.
Wang Muguang felt bitter inside. He was only trying to keep his little sister from being toyed with by Lu Ming, and she glared at him.
He felt sad.
He desperately needed comfort, so he turned to Bai Shuijin. “What do you think of Lu Ming?”
‘It has to be something bad!’
Bai Shuijin: “Not much?”
Just now, while chatting with Wang Zhenzhu, Lu Ming had been glancing around, seemingly distracted and perfunctory.
“Right? I told you Lu Ming’s not that good.”
Bai Shuijin: “He just doesn’t seem very sincere.”
“Exactly!” Wang Muguang patted his head. “Little Shorty, you are really good at judging people.”
Bai Shuijin: “…”
Wang Muguang kept chatting with him. “Then take a look at me. What do you think of me?”
“You look honest and kind.”
‘What a modest review, he must be holding back the praise…’
Wang Muguang: “You don’t have to lie. Just say what you think.”
Bai Shuijin looked up. “Really?”
“Of course.”
The next second, Bai Shuijin leaned over and whispered in his ear, “You’re very pretentious.”
