“……” Shuai Chang was left speechless. “No, I have no conspiracy.” Qi Sheng’s doubts were reasonable, but Shuai Chang didn’t want to give up on this. “I will prove my regret through my actions. I hope you can give me a chance. If you have already decided not to forgive me, then just treat it as watching a show; there will be no loss anyway.” Shuai Chang’s gaze was intense. “What do you think, Qi Sheng?”
Qi Sheng shifted his body, the loose collar unable to hide his delicate collarbone. “I really have no loss, but what benefit is there for you?”
Shuai Chang forced a smile, his handsome features bearing a hint of despair. “The only benefit I can gain is your forgiveness.”
“I’ve been wondering why you kept entangling with me after the Qi family went bankrupt. It can’t be because of love; you’ve hidden it so deeply that even my parents were deceived by you… Lu Ming Shen, I have no feelings for you whatsoever. I don’t care if you have a few lovers, nor do I care if you continue to fawn over me. Just consider everything that happened before as if it never occurred, and let’s clear the air.”
“No.” Shuai Chang refused without hesitation. “I owe you too much. I just ask you to give me a chance. Regardless of whether you care or not, it is something I must do. If you want to clear things up, it must wait until I’ve compensated you.”
Qi Sheng stared at him for a moment, then lowered his head to continue playing on his phone. “Suit yourself.” He knew how stubborn Lu Ming Shen was; if he didn’t agree, they might be intertwined for life. Now he only had to endure for a year.
Noticing that Qi Sheng didn’t want to engage with him, Shuai Chang fell silent, leaning back on the sofa to rest his eyes.
Aunt Liu arrived at the villa at exactly eleven every day, bringing fresh vegetables. Seeing both male owners present, she exclaimed in surprise, “Mr. Lu and Mr. Qi are both resting today? If there’s something you’d like to eat, just let me know, and I’ll buy it from the supermarket.”
Shuai Chang stood up and said, “Aunt Liu, please make a serving of sweet and sour ribs for lunch. Don’t rush on the cooking; could you help me tidy up the bedroom on the east side of the first floor first?”
Aunt Liu replied loudly, “Sure thing, no problem!”
After putting the vegetables in the kitchen, she turned to clean the eastern bedroom, dusting and changing the bedding. In just half an hour, the whole room was spotless.
Shuai Chang went in to check and felt satisfied. He said softly, “Thank you, Aunt Liu.”
Aunt Liu glanced outside and, seeing that Qi Sheng wasn’t paying attention, asked in a low voice, “Mr. Lu, do you and Mr. Qi have some conflict? Let me tell you, couples often fight but reconcile; even though you’ve been neglecting him these days, Mr. Qi is soft-hearted. Just admit your mistakes to him; you two have just married and can’t afford to be apart.”
Shuai Chang laughed and replied, “Aunt Liu, where are you going with this? I caught a chill last night and had a bit of a fever; I didn’t want to pass it on to Xiao Sheng, so I didn’t sleep in the same room.”
Aunt Liu’s face turned red. “Oh dear, I misunderstood. Mr. Lu, you treat Mr. Qi really well. Since there’s nothing wrong, I will go to the supermarket to buy some ribs and then come back to prepare lunch. Mr. Lu, you should take a break; I will call you when the food is ready.”
Shuai Chang watched Aunt Liu go into the living room and say something to Qi Sheng. Qi Sheng lifted his head, a light smile on his face, and his brows looked gentle—where was the sharpness he had shown earlier?
Shuai Chang felt a painful tug at his heart, as if someone were pulling on a string, the ache coming in waves.
He took off his outer clothes and lay down on the bed, in a daze, unsure if he had fallen asleep.
The sound of Aunt Liu knocking on the door woke him instantly. Although his body still felt deeply fatigued, the pain in his head had eased significantly.
Shuai Chang got up and washed his face in the bathroom. When he looked up, the man in the mirror stared back at him—a strong jawline with deep-set eyes beneath thick eyebrows, a tall nose, and colorless, pale lips. His gaze was despondent, and stubble emerged from his chin, evoking the phrase “bewitching masculinity.”
Shuai Chang ran his fingers over his chin; the short stubble felt prickly. He frowned in discomfort, found his razor, and cleaned up the stubble.
Leaving the bedroom, Shuai Chang was now neatly dressed. His strikingly handsome features were flawless.
Aunt Liu had finished cooking and was already tidying up the house. Qi Sheng was sitting at the dining table, casually picking up a piece of enticing sweet and sour rib. After putting it in his mouth, his eyes squinted slightly.
Like a cat that had just stolen a treat.
When the thought crossed Shuai Chang’s mind, he had already walked over. Qi Sheng noticed the footsteps, looked up, and spit out the bone, replacing it with vegetables.
Shuai Chang knew his taste, which was why he had ordered sweet and sour ribs for him. Seeing him eat happily earlier, then suddenly switch to only eating vegetables, made Shuai Chang realize that Qi Sheng cared—he didn’t want to eat food that he ordered.
During his recovery, Shuai Chang was unable to eat greasy foods, so he placed the sweet and sour ribs in front of Qi Sheng. “This was meant for you anyway; I was afraid you’d feel shy about asking Aunt Liu for what you like. I’ve been vegetarian for a month; if you don’t eat, no one will consume them.”
The sweet and sour ribs emitted an enticing fragrance. Qi Sheng glanced at Shuai Chang with his clear, deep eyes and noticed that Shuai Chang was indeed only picking at vegetables. His posture while eating was unexpectedly elegant, completely different from the rough manner he used to have when pursuing him. Lu Ming Shen seemed to have depth in everything he did. Was he only pretending before, intentionally trying to make Qi Sheng dislike him?
Qi Sheng naturally picked up a piece of rib. While eating, his mind wandered. As an artist, he was very sensitive to people’s emotions, so he could sense Lu Ming Shen’s remorse. However, due to the rough and impolite impression Lu Ming Shen had left him, Qi Sheng struggled to differentiate who he truly was.
Seeing Qi Sheng willing to eat the dish, Shuai Chang sighed in relief. After all, his lover was soft-hearted.
They finished their meal in silence, standing up to go about their own business; Aunt Liu would take care of the table.
Other than jewelry appraisal, Qi Sheng was also very interested in music and painting. When Lu Ming Shen met him at a charity gala, Qi Sheng was playing the piano, lost in his world, his fingers dancing gracefully on the black and white keys, the melodic sound echoing in the hall.
Later, there was a colorful abstract painting up for auction, with Qi Sheng as both the author and donor. Lu Ming Shen became interested and spent a million to buy the painting, using it as an opportunity to become acquainted with Qi Sheng.
Qi Sheng had previously lived a lavish life; the Qi family had a dedicated piano room and an art studio. Lu Ming Shen was a true businessman, ignorant of art, and the villa had nothing of the sort—only a study filled with books, which Qi Sheng often used to pass the time when he wasn’t working.