My Husband's Eyes Have Been Looking Different Lately After Our Marriage of Convenience - Chapter 32

Chapter 32: The Next Second, He Fell Into a Firm…

Old Man Shen hadn’t been deeply involved with Song Ai’s father; after the latter left his hometown to travel, the two only maintained contact through letters and phone calls. Consequently, there weren’t many past stories to tell.

After a brief chat, Old Man Shen suggested taking them to see the vegetable garden. Neither had any objections. Shen Yin mentioned she had things to do and didn’t follow.

Stepping out of the reception hall, Song Ai had gradually calmed down. Through these fragmented memories, he gained a bit more understanding of the father who had become a blur in his mind.

That was enough.

His grandmother had once accidentally mentioned it. At that time, his father had been gone for over two years. Considering they were a widow and orphan with no one to rely on, Grandma hoped Ms. Song would remarry. But Ms. Song refused no matter what. Grandma had lamented that she was a stubborn mule—proud in her youth, looking down on everyone, and when she finally picked one, he turned out to be short-lived, leaving her to figure out her own life.

Grandma said that when Ms. Song was young, her heart was set entirely on starting a business. Then she met Song Ai’s father and, miraculously, was willing to marry. Not long after, they had Song Ai. Ms. Song remained devoted to her career, so the responsibility of caring for Song Ai fell to his father. The mother provided for the family while the father raised the child; life was plain but happy and full—until an accident took him away…

Lu Tingyun followed behind Song Ai, keeping his lips pressed thin and remaining silent.

It wasn’t until they reached Old Man Shen’s vegetable plot that Song Ai looked up again. The plot wasn’t large, occupying only a quarter of the backyard, but it was visibly diverse, vibrant, and growing well.

“I’m getting old,” Old Man Shen said. “I don’t have the energy for company matters anymore, and I can’t keep up with the pace of young people. Coming here to water the plants and loosen the soil is quite relaxing.”

Song Ai didn’t quite understand this hobby, but he didn’t want to dampen the mood. He squatted down, pulled a couple of weeds, and pointed to a plant with spreading leaves nearby. “What’s this?”

Lu Tingyun, watching his every move, explained quickly: “It should be lettuce (Celtuce).”

Song Ai’s eyes widened. He thought of the lettuce he often ordered for hotpot—thin, translucent slices. He couldn’t associate it with the dense leaves in front of him. “Huh? Isn’t lettuce something you slice? Shouldn’t it grow like a potato?”

Lu Tingyun thought for a moment before turning into a teacher again. “The things on the surface are the leaves. The part you slice is actually the stem buried near the soil… it’s club-shaped and very thick, which is why it can be sliced.”

He spoke softly. Because they were outdoors, his voice was only loud enough for Song Ai to hear.

Song Ai let out an “Oh, oh” of understanding and didn’t ask more. Conversely, Lu Tingyun fell into a strange silence, his breathing gradually becoming heavier in a corner where no one was paying attention.

Old Man Shen, completely oblivious, bent down to tidy some tangled vines and gave a short laugh. “Young man, you’ve certainly done your homework.”

Song Ai didn’t understand and looked up, whispering, “What does he mean you did your homework?”

Lu Tingyun looked down at his lips as they opened and closed. After a beat, he replied, “He probably saw through my intentions. Before coming here, I studied some basic gardening knowledge.”

Song Ai: “…” He couldn’t help but comment: “You two are really masters at playing the game.”

Lu Tingyun had learned to be thick-skinned from a certain someone and no longer feigned modesty. “You flatter me.”

Old Man Shen pulled apart a cluster of vegetables and muttered to himself, “In a while, this water spinach will be ready to eat. Yin-yin hasn’t had much of an appetite lately; fresh, crisp greens are perfect for her.”

At the mention of Shen Yin, Song Ai’s expression became unnatural.

Wang Ruijing had said Zhong Shaoxuan used to have male partners, and that day he had “suspectedly” seen him hugging a man. But that was only “in the past” and “suspected.” If he spoke up lightly, he wasn’t sure if the Shens would believe him, and he wasn’t 100% sure himself.

But to be a complete bystander… Forget it. He’d see how things developed before deciding.

With this in mind, Song Ai followed the topic. “Has Miss Shen’s appetite been poor lately?”

Old Man Shen nodded, full of worry. “Though she’s never been a big eater, even when she screams about dieting, she’s never eaten this little.”

Song Ai pretended to guess, “Could it be the heat?”

Old Man Shen sighed and shook his head. “Perhaps.”

Song Ai stiffly rubbed his neck, feeling frustrated. Damn, I’m terrible at small talk. It’s getting awkward.

Lu Tingyun stepped in to assist. “I’ve heard that appetite is often related to mood. When Shen Yin left earlier, I noticed her complexion didn’t look very good?”

Old Man Shen snorted, his face darkening. “Most likely because of that brat again!”

Lu Tingyun pressed, “Are you referring to her fiancé?”

Old Man Shen glanced at the two of them, hesitant, but couldn’t help venting: “Yes! Even though I’m not satisfied with him, Yin-yin insisted, so I never said a word against it. Yet he has the nerve to claim I look down on him and pick fights with her all day. At my age, I’ve never seen such an affectated creature!”

As he spoke, he was so angry he almost threw the hoe he had just picked up. Fortunately, his reason returned. He steadied his mind and looked at Lu Tingyun. “I heard from Yin-yin that you two knew each other before. I’m not good with words; as soon as I talk to her about this, we argue… You are both young people; you probably get along better. If it’s ever convenient, help me talk to her. I don’t care who she marries anymore, just as long as she doesn’t do something foolish.”

…

After finishing their business talk, Lu Tingyun decided to check on Shen Yin before leaving. Song Ai had no objections. They followed the butler to the wing where Shen Yin usually stayed.

Before they even reached the door, they heard a rowdy argument. Song Ai instinctively picked up his pace.

Just as he reached the doorframe, his back collar was suddenly yanked. Song Ai’s leading leg was left dangling in the air, and his whole body tumbled backward by inertia.

The next second, he fell into a firm embrace.

While his head was spinning, Song Ai saw a piece of porcelain fly past his eyes and shatter on the ground in a perfect arc, emitting a piercing, vibrating sound.

At the same time, Lu Tingyun’s voice came from above. “Careful.”

The man’s unique, elegant cologne scent filled his nose, mixed with that strange camellia fragrance and even a faint hint of tobacco… The moment he identified the smoke, Song Ai was stunned.

Lu Tingyun had been with him almost the entire day. Except for those ten minutes when he went upstairs to change, when did he smoke? Although he knew Lu Tingyun could smoke, he rarely saw him do it. He couldn’t be so addicted that he needed a cigarette in the brief gap of changing clothes, could he?

As his mind wandered, Shen Yin’s voice suddenly rang out.

“…My father doesn’t look down on you, Shaoxuan. Can you stop acting like this?”

Immediately after, another man’s voice rose, his tone even more intense and angry: “If he really didn’t look down on me, why did I face so many obstacles the moment I joined the company? Wasn’t that his private instruction?! No matter what I do or say, no one supports me! Everyone is watching me like a joke! You have no idea how embarrassed I was today!!”

Shen Yin sobbed quietly. “I’m sorry… I didn’t expect so many problems, but this definitely isn’t my father’s doing. I’m sorry…”

“Enough, Shen Yin! I’m not blaming you. I just want to ask, how important am I to you? I gave up everything for you—my studies, family, friends… they all told me not to be with you, said we’d face obstacles, but I endured it all alone. So what about you? What about your attitude? Your father treats me like this; can’t you do something for me? Even just a little!”

“I know, I know you sacrificed a lot for me back then. It’s my fault for not doing enough, I’m sorry, but I—”

“But you what?! In your heart, your father is still the most important, isn’t he? Isn’t he?!”

When Lu Tingyun and Song Ai appeared at the door, Zhong Shaoxuan was gripping Shen Yin’s arm, questioning her with eyes wide with rage.

“Holy shit?” Song Ai couldn’t help but curse.

The two inside looked over simultaneously. The anger in Zhong Shaoxuan’s eyes instantly dissipated, replaced by confusion. “Who are you?”

The Shen family butler stepped forward, introducing them with a deep frown: “These two are honored guests visiting the Old Master, and they are also friends of our young lady.”

Lu Tingyun was tall and imposing, and while Song Ai was beautiful, his face was set in a “deadly” scowl; neither looked like someone to be trifled with.

Zhong Shaoxuan loosened his grip and put an arm around Shen Yin’s shoulders from behind, acting as if nothing had happened. He smiled and said, “Ah, so you’re Yin-yin’s friends. Sorry, Yin-yin and I just… had a bit of a disagreement. My emotions got the better of me, and I was a bit sharp. Please excuse us.”

Song Ai rolled his eyes. “Just ‘a bit’?”

Lu Tingyun, who usually preferred to stay out of trouble, said coldly: “I hope Mr. Zhong can distinguish between a disagreement and domestic violence. Do not cross the line. At the very least, throwing things no longer falls under the category of a disagreement.”

Seeing both of them siding with Shen Yin, the butler’s frown smoothed slightly.

Out of guilt, Zhong Shaoxuan let go completely and swallowed hard. “Of course not… how could I commit domestic violence against Yin-yin? I just didn’t control my temper well. It’s my fault. Rest assured, it won’t happen again.”

Song Ai and Lu Tingyun exchanged a look and walked in. The butler remained outside.

Shen Yin sniffled, holding back her tears. “Shaoxuan didn’t do anything; he’s just upset about work. Please don’t misunderstand…”

Hearing this, Zhong Shaoxuan’s back seemed to straighten a bit.

Song Ai gritted his teeth in anger.

Lu Tingyun’s face also darkened. He took a step closer. “Shen Yin, your father said your appetite has been poor lately and thought it might be your mood. He asked us to talk to you on his behalf, so we followed the butler here.”

At the mention of Old Man Shen, Zhong Shaoxuan immediately became vigilant. He gave a mocking laugh and argued, “Yin-yin has always eaten little. For him to tell you this, I’m afraid he just wants to make you think my being with Yin-yin is a mistake.”

Shen Yin didn’t want her fiancé to start another fight and quickly tried to smooth things over. “There’s really nothing wrong with my appetite lately. Don’t worry. I’ll explain to my father later. Please, don’t worry.” Her expression was troubled; she clearly didn’t want outsiders involved.

Lu Tingyun saw through everything but still felt the need to say one more thing. “Shen Yin, back when the club organized activities, I remember you were always the clearest-headed and made the fewest mistakes. Although we haven’t been in touch much since graduation, I still hope you can be as sharp-eyed as you were before.”

“We’ve overstayed our welcome.”

With that, Lu Tingyun grabbed Song Ai’s wrist and led him out.

Song Ai didn’t understand why they were leaving so soon. At the exit of the room, he couldn’t help but plant his feet. “We’re leaving just like that?”

Lu Tingyun looked back. “We have to. With Zhong Shaoxuan present, nothing can be said properly. Besides, making things difficult for him is the same as making things difficult for Shen Yin.”

Song Ai’s lips moved as if to protest, but he couldn’t find an argument. Finally, he stomped off in a huff.

He wasn’t the type to stick his nose into other people’s business. If he only knew a tiny bit, like Lu Tingyun did now, he would definitely be too lazy to care. But he happened to know the truth behind this matter—he knew that if Zhong Shaoxuan were allowed to keep up the deception, Shen Yin would only head toward a dead end.

Watching someone walk toward ruin out of ignorance or helplessness is one thing, but knowing the truth and not intervening is quite another.

As soon as they got into the car, Song Ai irritably rolled down the window.

Lu Tingyun sensed it acutely and turned his head. “Do you know something?”

Song Ai slumped in his seat in his usual lazy manner, his whole body like soft mud, making it hard to believe he could support anything. Only those bright, clear eyes gave a completely opposite impression.

After hesitating for a long time, Song Ai finally spoke: “Zhong Shaoxuan is likely a gay man entering a sham marriage.”

Having one more smart person know the truth might lead to a better ending for this affair.

Lu Tingyun paused. “Gay?”

Song Ai thought he didn’t understand the term. “Yes, his orientation is towards men… it means men being with men.”

Just as he finished, Song Ai felt Lu Tingyun’s gaze on him grow a bit more intense.

After a long silence, he heard a low “Mhm” come from the man’s throat.