After a Flash Marriage with a Professor - Chapter 52

Chapter 52: Honesty

Old Liu shouted as he fled. He didn’t know why he was running; several bodyguards in black were already chasing him, moving swiftly, and he subconsciously ran.

“Ouch!” Old Liu accidentally fell, his phone slipping from his hand. He scrambled forward two steps and, with a strong grab, managed to retrieve his phone just before a bodyguard in black could reach it.

“Old Liu, are you alright?”

“I’m fine, Professor Shen. Miss Xixi brought a lot of bodyguards.” Old Liu said, breathing heavily. He wasn’t young; he was 47 this year. Professor Shen kept him out of old sentiment, giving him this easy job with generous pay, and he was very grateful.

Ming Shu listened, her heart pounding. Unsure if the content was something she shouldn’t hear, she quietly asked, “Professor Shen, do I need to step away?”

“No need.” Shen Junlan grabbed Ming Shu’s arm. “Wife, stay. I have nothing to hide, but listening might cause you more trouble. Are you willing to listen?”

Ming Shu nodded, and only then did Shen Junlan release Ming Shu’s arm, turning on the speakerphone and raising the volume.

“Old Liu, you don’t have to run. Give the phone to Qiao Qian.”

“…Yes.” Old Liu protected his phone, keeping it from the bodyguards, and shouted, “Miss Xixi, Professor Shen wants to talk to you.”

Qiao Qian was originally scolding and mocking Aunt Zhang at the gate. Hearing that Shen Junlan wanted to talk to her, she immediately ran over. She was wearing high heels, and the slender heel got stuck in a small patch of mud in the garden, causing her ankle to twist to the right.

A female bodyguard came to support her, “Miss Xixi, be careful.”

Qiao Qian angrily looked back at the small pit that almost made her fall into the mud, and told the bodyguard behind her, “Fill the pit up now.”

“No! This is Professor Shen’s garden, Miss Xixi, you can’t mess around.”

“Old and ugly, so annoying, get her out of here.” Qiao Qian said impatiently. The bodyguards immediately responded and began to lift Aunt Zhang off the ground together.

Old Liu exclaimed, “Miss Xixi, you can’t do this! Aunt Zhang is hired by Professor Shen, you… you…” Old Liu knew he had no status and dared not say anything too offensive to Miss Xixi. He had long experienced this lady’s bad temper.

Though displeased, Qiao Qian restrained herself a little upon hearing his words.

“Stop, don’t worry about her for now. Let’s see if she has the decency to keep lingering here.”

The bodyguards immediately set Aunt Zhang down gently, their eyes behind their sunglasses filled with guilt. They also felt that what Miss Xixi was doing was unethical, but obeying Miss Xixi was an unavoidable part of their job.

Old Liu handed the phone to Miss Xixi. Miss Xixi frowned and didn’t take it; the female bodyguard next to her took it instead. Old Liu didn’t dare to show his displeasure, only smiling sheepishly, but inwardly he was complaining about this Miss Xixi endlessly.

What Miss Xixi? Did she think by imitating the name of Princess Sissi, she would have the same rich destiny?

Could wealth acquired through disgraceful means last forever?

Man proposes, God disposes. No wonder Professor Shen didn’t like her!

“Junlan.” Qiao Qian unconsciously softened her voice when answering the call, greeting her softly.

Shen Junlan’s temple twitched, and she felt uncomfortable all over. “Qiao Qian, speak normally.”

“Junlan, don’t call me by my full name. It’s so unfamiliar. We’re going to get married. Call me Xixi.”

Shen Junlan was annoyed and turned her head to look at Ming Shu’s face.

Ming Shu forced a smile at her.

Sure enough, Professor Shen had someone she was supposed to marry. She was nobody.

Stung by Ming Shu’s smile, Shen Junlan continued to speak to the person on the other end of the phone: “Qiao Qian, is it interesting for you to perform a solo act alone? I’m already married to the person I love. I advise you to stop embarrassing yourself.”

“Junlan…”

“Don’t call me that!”

Qiao Qian bit her lip, feeling wronged.

“Sister Junlan, I know you don’t like Uncle Shen’s arrangements, but Uncle Shen is doing this for your own good, for our good. Don’t just randomly marry someone who is unworthy of you just because you’re unhappy with Uncle Shen’s arrangement.”

“For my good?” Shen Junlan’s anger flared up. “You and your mother are truly greedy. Stealing Shen Muhua wasn’t enough, and now you covet me, trying to manipulate my life. I will never be controlled. Don’t be so presumptuous. I don’t need to treat my marriage as a joke just to appease you and your mother and Shen Muhua. I married the person I love. Also, this villa is the property my mother left me. Qiao Qian, you are trespassing, and you also assaulted Aunt Zhang and Old Liu, didn’t you? Get ready to see the police.”

Shen Junlan finished speaking in one breath, then hung up the phone, her anger still not subsiding.

After listening to the call, Ming Shu was still only half-understanding. Some questions remained unclear, but she didn’t dare to ask. She just stayed quietly by Professor Shen’s side, slowly trying to figure things out herself.

Miss Xixi, Qiao Qian, Qiao Qian’s mother, Shen Muhua, Professor Shen.

Were Miss Xixi and Qiao Qian the same person? Was Shen Muhua Professor Shen’s father? How could Qiao Qian’s mother and daughter steal Shen Muhua and still arrange a marriage between Professor Shen and Qiao Qian?

It was too confusing. Ming Shu realized she couldn’t sort it out at all.

After a long time, Shen Junlan calmed down. She tentatively took Ming Shu’s hand, looked into her eyes, and said, “Wife, I’m sorry. I concealed my family situation from you.”

Ming Shu looked down at her hand being enveloped by Professor Shen’s. Professor Shen’s hand was trembling. She didn’t resist and replied with a smile, “It’s okay. Professor Shen knows my family situation and didn’t look down on me.”

Hearing this, Shen Junlan felt very distressed.

“Wife, you don’t have to put on a brave face at a time like this.”

The arc of Ming Shu’s smile was very stiff, and it took a while to relax. “Professor Shen, I genuinely don’t mind. You don’t need to feel sorry for me.”

“I…” Shen Junlan felt a lump in her chest.

Ming Shu asked, “Should we call the police now? What about Aunt Zhang and Old Liu?”

“We need to call the police.” Shen Junlan calmed down, activated the home alarm system to call the police, and then called Old Liu again. Qiao Qian answered the phone.

“Sister Junlan, did you change your mind? I knew you wouldn’t be so heartless to me.”

“Why do you still have Old Liu’s phone?”

“Because I haven’t given it back to him yet. Sister Junlan, you haven’t been answering my calls and have blocked me for the past few years. I was going crazy missing you when I was abroad.”

“You’re a lunatic.”

“My mother also says I’m a lunatic. I think there’s nothing wrong with it. Only a lunatic is daring enough to get what they want.”

“Haven’t you and your mother already taken enough?”

“Of course. I haven’t gotten the thing I want most yet.”

“Disgusting.”

“Only a lunatic like me can accept and satisfy Sister’s illness, right?” Qiao Qian whispered with a laugh.

“Lunatics should go where lunatics belong.”

After Shen Junlan said this, she heard the wail of police sirens, which meant that the nearby police had quickly arrived after receiving the alarm call.

“Sister Junlan, you are so cruel! You really called the police.”

Shen Junlan didn’t want to hear Qiao Qian’s voice anymore. She hung up the phone and left the aftermath for the police to handle.

Ming Shu didn’t dare to breathe. Professor Shen’s family was much more complicated than she had imagined.

“Wife, can you hug me?”

Shen Junlan felt exceptionally exhausted and sought comfort from Ming Shu.

Ming Shu hesitated for a moment but still opened her arms to embrace Professor Shen. Besides doing what Professor Shen asked, Ming Shu didn’t know what else she could do.

“Wife, don’t you have anything you want to ask me?” Shen Junlan naturally snuggled into Ming Shu’s embrace, inhaling deeply.

“Can I ask questions?”

“Of course, you can.”

“Can I ask anything?” Ming Shu cautiously probed.

“Mhm.”

Ming Shu took a deep breath. “Qiao Qian and Miss Xixi…” Ming Shu didn’t dare to finish the question. Even though she had permission, Ming Shu was still afraid of accidentally crossing Professor Shen’s forbidden zone.

“They are the same person. Her given name is Qiao Qian, and her nickname is Xixi, taken from the movie Sissi.”

“Is Miss Xixi your sister?”

“…” Shen Junlan pondered for a while before replying, “Not really. Her mother is just my father’s mistress.”

“Ah… then she… then she…”

“She is not my father’s biological daughter. Her mother already had Qiao Qian when she met my father.”

“Oh.” Ming Shu responded in surprise, not daring to ask further. Even if she wasn’t his biological daughter, the bizarre situation where both parents had an ambiguous relationship and still wanted to pair their daughters together was truly strange.

Shen Junlan gave a self-deprecating laugh.

“Wife, do you find it quite warped and disgusting?”

“No.” Ming Shu quietly hugged Professor Shen a little tighter. She suddenly felt very sorry for Professor Shen. Her own family wasn’t good either. Her father was a gambler. The only thing better than Professor Shen’s father was probably that he didn’t have an affair.

Ming Shu comforted her, “I think Professor Shen is very amazing. Growing up in a family like that, you still grew into such a remarkable adult. I envy you and I also admire you.”

“Just admire?” Shen Junlan asked.

There was also liking and adoration, but Ming Shu didn’t dare to express it. She nodded, and the lie made her blush slightly.

Shen Junlan wanted to kiss Ming Shu again, but she held back.

“Wife, aren’t you curious about what illness I have?”

“I am curious, but is Professor Shen willing to tell me?”

Shen Junlan sighed, unable to resist raising her hand to pinch Ming Shu’s face. “At a time like this, you should be accusing me of not telling you before we got married, not caring about whether I’m willing to tell you.”

“So innocent, only thinking of others. What if you had met someone else during our blind date?”

“But, I met Professor Shen.” Ming Shu looked down shyly. “I believe Professor Shen is a good person. Even if we might separate in the future, Professor Shen won’t harm me.”

“We won’t separate. I said I only gave you two chances to leave me. You didn’t use either of them. There won’t be a third time.”

“But…”

“No buts.”

Shen Junlan reached out and tightly wrapped her arms around Ming Shu, like a snake tightly coiling around its prey, regaining a sense of control.

Ming Shu softened in Professor Shen’s warm yet suffocating embrace. She admitted she was genuinely a little dizzy. “Professor Shen, can you tell me what illness you have?”

“It’s a bit embarrassing to say.”

“Ah?” Ming Shu had a bad guess.

“Wife, lean in closer, and I’ll tell you.”

Ming Shu didn’t know how she could get any closer, freezing in place. Shen Junlan moved closer herself, pressing her lips close to Ming Shu’s ear, and whispered, “Sexual addiction.”

Ming Shu’s face flushed crimson. The literal meaning was easy to understand, but did such an illness even exist in the world?

“Wife, you can simply understand it as me being a purely lustful glutton.”

“Professor Shen, don’t talk about yourself like that!”

“Wife, your face is red again.”

Ming Shu lowered her head. Shen Junlan wanted to tease Ming Shu more, but her phone rang. It was Old Liu calling.

“Professor Shen, the police have taken Miss Xixi and her people into custody. What about Aunt Zhang?”

“First, take Aunt Zhang to the hospital for a check-up. You should also get checked. Don’t worry about the medical expenses. I’ll cover them. Both of you go get examined and see how things are.”

“Okay, thank you, Professor Shen. I’ll contact you after the results come out.”

“Good.”

The call ended, and another one came in. It was Jiajia.

“Sister Junlan, I was just waking up. What did you call me for?”

“Qiao Qian came back and went to the villa. Aunt Zhang fell. Go to the hospital and check on Aunt Zhang after you get up.”

“Ah? My Aunt… I’m going right now!”

Jiajia quickly hung up the phone. Shen Junlan put her phone aside and continued to hold Ming Shu, taking deep breaths.

Ming Shu found it a bit strange and asked her what she was doing.

“Absorbing a little energy from my Wife.”

Ming Shu asked, “Is the matter considered resolved like this?”

“It’s not that simple. Qiao Qian and her mother won’t let go easily. After all these years, they still haven’t given up. Wife, are you willing to face them with me?”

Ming Shu felt a little panicked. She wasn’t sure if she had the ability to cope.

“Will they offer me 5 million to leave you?”

Shen Junlan laughed a little, “Very likely, Wife. Would you be tempted?”

Ming Shu shook her head. “Will they harm my family?”

“Why do you worry about those things?”

“That’s how it always was in the soap operas I watched with my mother when I was little.”

“They probably won’t. Your mother has already disowned you.” Shen Junlan said.

Ming Shu’s worried expression stiffened and immediately became one of hurt.

“I’m sorry, Wife. I said the wrong thing.” Shen Junlan apologized.

“It’s okay.” Ming Shu sniffled. “You’re right. My mother doesn’t want me anymore. I don’t have a mother.”

“You still have me, your husband.”

“Husband?”

“Yes, your husband. You won’t have to force yourself to learn in the future. Leave everything to me.”

“Then the night class?”

“Just show up. Just enjoy it. You can even fall asleep.”

Ming Shu: “That sounds like I get all the benefits.”

“I’m willing to let my wife have the benefits. When you’re happy, I’m happy too. Happier than self-gratification.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Is there really nothing you need me to do, Professor Shen?”

“There is one thing.”

“What is it?” Ming Shu asked seriously.

“Never leave me.”

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