Married, but Still Strangers - Chapter 4

“He is my brother’s lover; he almost became my sister-in-law back then,” Zhuang Yan took the initiative to explain. “It’s just that my brother committed suicide. He’s an orphan, so he stayed with my family afterward. I consider him a brother as well.”

He wasn’t exactly lying; after all, that was the story circulating in the outside world.

Zhuang Yan didn’t believe that telling Yue Lu the truth would lead to Yue Lu helping him, so there was no need to take that extra step. He wasn’t like Xianglin’s Wife; he had no desire to recount his suffering over and over again, nor did he want to watch others mock his misfortunes.

His mission was simply to give Yue Lu a child and help him secure his status as the heir. Once Yue Lu truly inherited the Yue family business in the future, Zhuang Yan could make his graceful exit.

“Your brother…”

“Yes, suicide. He jumped into the river. The case is closed. I heard he had depressive tendencies for several years,” Zhuang Yan said with a bitter smile.

“Heard” was the operative word. Previously, there hadn’t been a single sign of it. As soon as the person died, medical records and consultation logs suddenly appeared out of nowhere. There was even a consultation slip showing that Wang Mengmeng had “teleported” from a remote mountain valley while filming to get a check-up, only to teleport back to the set immediately after.

All voices of doubt were suppressed. Truth and falsehood, the so-called evidence rising and falling—within two months, everything had vanished without a trace.

However, Zhuang Yan had heard that there was a segment of video recorded by that group of people just to show off. As long as he had that video, it wouldn’t be hard to find the enemies. Whether it meant mutual destruction or using legal means, Zhuang Yan would not let that person off easily.

But Zhuang Yan had searched for a long time without success, eventually forcing him to utilize the power of the Yue family.

The car interior was very quiet; nothing could be heard except the sound of the two people talking. When they both fell silent, it was quiet enough to hear a heartbeat. Whether it was the other person’s heartbeat or one’s own was unknown, as neither of them placed a hand over their chest to feel it.

“I’m sorry for bringing up your painful memories,” Yue Lu spoke up, breaking the silence in the car.

“It’s okay. Many years have passed. I… I’ve let it go. It’s just that Brother Xiaocheng is still unwilling to accept it.”

Had Zhuang Yan really let it go?

Perhaps. After all, he had been emotionally detached since childhood. It was just a matter of life and death; after all these years, he should have forgotten. Finding the real culprit was perhaps just an obsession of his.

But if it were truly a simple obsession, why would he stake so much on it?

He’d have to find a suitable reason later to explain why Chi Xiaocheng appeared in that private room. It was truly a headache.

“Does he suspect that the person we met today is related to your brother’s death?” Yue Lu guessed.

“Probably. I’m not sure. After my brother died, Brother Xiaocheng helped pay my tuition and has been helping pay off my family’s debts… Sorry, I’m talking too much.”

Selling a tragic story had to be done in moderation; saying too much would make it lose its impact.

“It’s fine. The fact that you’re willing to tell me these things means you treat me as a friend,” Yue Lu said, trusting Zhuang Yan completely without suspicion.

Who is your friend? I’m your legal wife!

So you really don’t want to admit it? Just you wait. One day I’ll beat you until you’re looking for your teeth on the floor, begging me to acknowledge you!

“Also, I’m sorry about what happened just now. I just wanted to scare that person. Did I cause trouble for you?” Zhuang Yan lowered his eyes. He had practiced this angle for a long time it was definitely beautiful and definitely pitiable.

“No. Although the rumors outside say I’m already married…”

“Thank you,” Zhuang Yan interrupted quickly. He didn’t want to hear anything unpleasant from this man’s mouth. What did he mean by “rumors say I’m already married”? Aren’t you actually married? Can you please not express your dissatisfaction right in front of the person involved? If you have complaints, please find someone else in private.

“Since we’re considered friends, how should I address you? President Yue? Junior President Yue? Or Yue Lu? Xiao Lu-lu?”

He couldn’t call him “Xiao Yueyue.” That overlapped with a certain cross-talk comedian. If Zhuang Yan were to shout “Xiao Yueyue” on the street one day and people mistook him for the other one, it would be so embarrassing.

The name “Yue Lu” seemed quite haphazardly chosen, simply combining two surnames. However, Zhuang Yan remembered that Yue Lu’s mother, who came to find him that day, had the surname Gao. But then again, if interpreted as “Lu” for mainland, it would make sense.

But he didn’t dare say it, and he didn’t dare ask. These twists and turns in wealthy families…

“You can call me A-Cong. My uncle used to call me that often, but he hasn’t called me that in a long time,” Yue Lu said with some regret.

He always felt that his uncle wasn’t the same toward him as before, but the explanation his uncle gave was that he had grown up. In fact, Yue Lu didn’t mention that besides the form of address being different, everything else was different too.

“A-Cong? As in ‘Cong-qian’ (the past)?” Zhuang Yan tilted his head and asked.

Yue Lu’s smile carried a hint of bitterness. “Yes.”

“The past is dark and cannot be pursued; the path ahead is bright and magnificent. Don’t always think about the past; people must always look forward,” Zhuang Yan skillfully combined lines from Empresses in the Palace with reality.

Sorry, Fatty Orange (Emperor Yongzheng), I’m borrowing your lines for a bit.

“Thank you.”

“It’s nothing. I just heard it from someone else.” They’re just Fatty Orange’s lines. If you like them, take them. Fatty Orange was killed by the Dragon-Slaying War God anyway; he’s just a skeleton now and can’t object.

“Then what should I call you? I’ll call you ‘Beibei’ (Baby),” Yue Lu said, as if afraid Zhuang Yan would suggest some other title that he wouldn’t be allowed to use.

“Why?” Did his name have anything to do with “Bei”? It couldn’t be that seeing him reminded Yue Lu of some little vixen named Beibei, could it?

Or perhaps Yue Lu had a “White Moonlight” (first love) named Beibei, and unfortunately, the two were forced apart due to a disparity in family status. Later, with a fleeting glance in a dessert shop, Yue Lu discovered that Zhuang Yan looked thirty percent like his Beibei, so he immediately ordered his assistant to gather all of Zhuang Yan’s information within one minute.

(At this point, Zhuang Yan’s mind had already brainstormed a million-word melodramatic novel.)

Yue Lu played coy. “It’s a secret.”

“Alright then…” You’re the gold provider, you have the final say. As long as I can complete the mission.

Oh, wait. You’re the gold provider’s son. No matter, it’s about the same.

While talking, the car had already stopped at the hospital entrance.

The doctor re-bandaged Chi Xiaocheng’s wound and then gave him a 200cc blood transfusion.

The hospital room was a piercing, clinical white. Chi Xiaocheng lay pale on one of the beds.

“Don’t worry anymore. The doctor said as long as we wait for Brother Xiaocheng to wake up, he’ll be fine,” Yue Lu sat beside Zhuang Yan at the bedside, comforting him in a low voice.

“Thank you, A-Cong. If it weren’t for you today, I really wouldn’t know what to do,” Zhuang Yan looked down at the tips of his shoes, intentionally putting on a very bashful appearance.

While the action was calculated, the words were sincere. If it weren’t for Yue Lu today, Zhuang Yan would be lying on a hospital bed right alongside Chi Xiaocheng. Zhuang Yan was confident he could get himself and Chi Xiaocheng out of those people’s hands, but whether they could get out in one piece was another story.

“How many times have you thanked me? Since you want to thank me so much, how do you plan to repay me?”

Zhuang Yan turned his head and met Yue Lu’s expectant gaze.

Actually, Yue Lu’s physical appearance wasn’t bad; among the wealthy elite, he could even be considered one of the best. The Yue family had a heritage of being lustful and hedonistic, but one had to have a good skin to make people willing to throw themselves at them. If it were some ugly, provincial rich man, one would have to be desperately short of money to be willing to be with him.

“Who asks that directly? With a background like yours, you already lack nothing. If there’s no sense of surprise, wouldn’t my thank-you gift seem even more ordinary?”

Zhuang Yan didn’t intend to give a gift or do something to show his gratitude immediately. This would be his excuse to seek out Yue Lu in the future; how could he just use it up now?

“I do have something I’d like your help with,” Yue Lu said tentatively. “I’ve had some conflict with my family recently, and it’s not convenient for me to go home. I wanted to ask if you have a place I could stay? Or I could just sleep in the living room.”

The heir apparent of the Yue family wouldn’t have a place to stay?

Even if the illegitimate sons outside were making a fuss, the face of the legitimate line should still be maintained. As long as Young Master Yue opened his mouth, wouldn’t everyone be rushing to arrange accommodation for him?

No place to stay? Sleep in the living room? Heh, Alphas are truly full of schemes; not a word of truth in their mouths.

“It just so happens my place has two bedrooms. If you don’t mind, you can stay with me.” This apartment was bought for Zhuang Yan back when Wang Mengmeng was alive, saying it would be convenient for Zhuang Yan to attend school here.

Wang Mengmeng also said the guest bedroom would be for him and Chi Xiaocheng to stay in the future, while the master bedroom would be for Zhuang Yan and his future Alpha. Later, even when the family owed so much money, he couldn’t bear to sell this apartment.

As they spoke, Chi Xiaocheng on the bed slowly woke up.

He had actually been awake for a while, but hearing Zhuang Yan talking to Yue Lu, he felt it wasn’t the right time to wake up, so he continued to feign unconsciousness. He wasn’t entirely comfortable with Zhuang Yan and Yue Lu living together, so he pretended to have just woken up right before Yue Lu could agree.

“Brother Xiaocheng, how do you feel?” Although the doctor said there was no life-threatening danger, seeing a loved one lying on a hospital bed at death’s door, how could one remain completely rational?

Seeing that Zhuang Yan’s attention was entirely drawn away by the newly awakened Chi Xiaocheng, Yue Lu subconsciously put his arm around Zhuang Yan’s shoulder. “Let’s call the doctor to take a look.”

“Okay.” Zhuang Yan pressed the bell to call the doctor. The doctor gave Chi Xiaocheng another brief examination and, after confirming he was fine, allowed him to be discharged.

“Sorry to trouble you, Junior President Yue.” After such a long night of tossing and turning, both Yue Lu and Zhuang Yan were likely exhausted.

“It’s no trouble. Brother Xiaocheng should be more careful in the future and avoid things like this happening again.”

“Thank you for your concern, Junior President Yue,” Chi Xiaocheng nodded appropriately. “Xiao Yan, do you want me to take you home?”

“No need. I’ll go back with A-Cong.” Zhuang Yan clearly sensed Yue Lu’s poor mood.

It was said that Alphas are very possessive, especially toward their own Omegas. Although the two of them were only married and hadn’t taken the next step yet, he was still considered Yue Lu’s Omega. It was understandable that Yue Lu wouldn’t want him to interact with other Alphas.

“Let’s call a driver. Fatigue driving is very dangerous,” Zhuang Yan stopped Yue Lu, who was heading for the driver’s seat.

It was also his oversight; he had thought a driver was standard equipment for someone like Yue Lu. Who would have thought the young master would drive himself?

Zhuang Yan lived on the top floor of an old residential compound. The stairs were dilapidated and in disrepair. Previously, Zhuang Yan had accidentally missed a step and cracked his tailbone, leaving him lying in bed for several days. However, the location was excellent. Stepping inside, the furnishings were clean and tidy, giving a very warm feeling.

If one day Yue Lu could have a sudden whim and repair the stairs of this entire old building, that would be great.

“You stay in the master bedroom for now. I haven’t cleaned the guest room yet. We’ll go to the supermarket downstairs in a bit to buy daily necessities.”

Zhuang Yan had lived in this apartment alone for all these years. The dust in the guest room could probably cause severe air pollution.

Yue Lu followed Zhuang Yan into the master bedroom. There was only one set of blankets and pillows, and there was only one pair of slippers at the door. He finally felt relieved.

“No need. I’ll just stay in the guest room.” Yue Lu pushed open the guest room door, and the dormant dust immediately became active, making him cough.

“I’m sorry. This room hasn’t been occupied, so I never cleaned it.”

Sinful, sinful. How could I let Young Master Yue inhale a mouthful of dust particles?

“It’s okay. I’ll clean it in a bit.” It seemed the guest room had never been occupied, which made him even more relieved.

Wait, there’s still the bathroom.

“Do you have any spare or disposable toiletries here? No need to go buy them just for me.”

Zhuang Yan: Do you think this is your house? Spares and disposables… why would I prepare those for no reason? So picky.

“Sorry, I don’t. If you’re not used to the ones from the supermarket, you can bring the ones you usually use over here.” If you’re not used to it, what can I do? Might as well pull out all your teeth and put you on a liquid diet that saves you from brushing altogether.

“Let’s go to the supermarket and buy some groceries too. I don’t really want to go home. At home…”

“Then let’s go.” Shut up.

What? You don’t like what’s at home, you just like “stealing” outside?

The hobbies of the rich are truly strange.

You don’t go home~ I don’t go home~ None of us go home~ You live here~ I live there~ In the end, we still live together~

Zhuang Yan began singing in his head. After singing it once, he was very satisfied, feeling that if he hadn’t taken the “wrong path” of art, he would definitely have been a very excellent musician.

The supermarket downstairs wasn’t small, having two floors. Zhuang Yan first took Yue Lu to buy toothpaste, toothbrushes, cups, slippers, and towels, then pushed a small cart to buy groceries. There was nothing in the fridge at home, and they hadn’t eaten breakfast yet; they couldn’t go hungry.

It wasn’t a holiday and it was a workday, so there were basically no people in the supermarket at this time.

“I’ll let you taste my secret-recipe instant noodles in a bit.” Zhuang Yan put a bag of eggs and a few tomatoes into the shopping cart, then found several bags of shrimp paste in the nearby freezer and prepared to check out.

“Aren’t we buying anything else? Should we buy some dishes for lunch?” Yue Lu asked.

Actually, buying groceries for lunch later wouldn’t be a problem either; that way he could wander through the supermarket with Zhuang Yan again.

“Hmm… that works too, but I haven’t decided what to eat.” Zhuang Yan firmly believed that once you’re hungry, you’ll know what you want to eat. If you still don’t know, it means you’re not hungry enough.

“How about Scallion Oil Chicken?” Yue Lu took four fresh chicken legs and put them in a bag.

It doesn’t matter; one trip is fine.

Zhuang Yan refused. “No, I don’t like onions/scallions.”

“Then I’ll make an additional Cumin Chicken Breast. If you still can’t accept the Scallion Oil Chicken after trying it, you can eat the Cumin Chicken Breast,” Yue Lu suggested.

“It’s all chicken. Won’t we become weasels?” A little bit of “acting up” adds interest; an occasional display of coquettishness helps enhance the husband-and-husband relationship.

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