CHAPTER 552: CHAPTER 283: TAKING A BEATING

Like her? Shi Fengming’s lips curved into a mocking smile. There was once a woman who shyly confessed her love for him, declaring she would stay with him for life. Yet, her so-called lifetime was shockingly brief, not even amounting to a thousand days and nights. Later on, he learned that her proclamation of love was for Qingzhou’s wealthiest Shi family’s second young master, not for Shi Fengming himself!

Now, another person has expressed their love for him! Who knows what she likes this time!

Shi Fengming took a deep breath, trying to ignore the pair of tearful eyes fluttering before him, and tiredly closed his eyes.

She must have given up this time, right? That would be for the best!

Shi Fengming had thought that Zhou Jingyi, hurt and angry, would leave and not return, but come evening, when it was time for dinner and medicine, she came back. Her face was still covered with gauze, revealing only a pair of faintly gleaming eyes.

"Let’s eat, the medicine is ready as well, I’ll bring it over for you later," Zhou Jingyi said, carrying the food box as Xiaocui quickly pulled the table next to the bed.

Shi Fengming moved his lips but made no sound, suddenly feeling somewhat scared of her, not daring to talk back. It wasn’t exactly fear, he just didn’t dare to provoke her.

Zhou Jingyi laid out the meal, Shi Fengming glanced at her and obediently started eating with his bowl and chopsticks. The meal was bountiful and steaming hot, emitting a delicious aroma, yet it tasted bland in his mouth. He glanced uneasily towards Zhou Jingyi, who sat beside him on a chair, her eyes lowered as if lost in thought, paying him no mind.

The atmosphere in the room felt a bit oppressive.

"Ahem, that," Shi Fengming struggled to swallow half a bowl before he couldn’t eat anymore, setting down his utensils and asking, "Is the injury on your face severe? There should be effective ointment at my elder brother’s place, have someone fetch some later!"

Zhou Jingyi remained silent.

With no response from her, Shi Fengming suddenly felt an indescribable taste in his heart, he wouldn’t admit to feeling somewhat disappointed, and couldn’t help but mock himself inwardly: Women, indeed, all alike! Can’t treat them too well! When you treat them nicely, they begin acting all high and mighty!

"I’m finished eating, you can clear up," Shi Fengming said in a dispirited tone.

Zhou Jingyi stood up, tidied the meal, and carried the food box as she turned to leave, suddenly saying, "My elder brother didn’t mean to, it’s nothing!" and then she walked out.

Shi Fengming was stunned, the corners of his mouth unwittingly rising into a slight smile.

Right after taking medicine, Shi Fengju came over, Zhou Jingyi greeted him and then left, leaving the two brothers to talk.

"What’s with you today, looking so distracted? What happened?" Shi Fengju laughingly inquired, noticing Shi Fengming looking somewhat deflated. Seeing him suddenly behaving, Shi Fengju guessed it might be related to Zhou Jingyi. He thought, maybe my sister-in-law really took my advice seriously and acted accordingly so quickly?

When asked, Shi Fengming hesitated slightly before saying sullenly, "Young Master Zhou came today!"

"Young Master Zhou? Your uncle!" Shi Fengju laughed: "No wonder you look like this. What, did he give you a hard time? I’d say just endure it a bit, they only have one sister, and it’s inevitable to hold some resentment if you mistreat her, let it out, and it will be fine. Even if you separate, our two families cannot become enemies. No, wait a minute!" Shi Fengju took a breath, looking puzzled at him and said, "Since when did you ever take reprimand? Being scolded by your uncle and ending up like a defeated rooster doesn’t seem like you at all! Even if our aunt and uncle scold you, I don’t see you caring much, let alone outsiders!"

"Big brother!" Shi Fengming felt a touch of annoyed embarrassment, reluctantly saying, "He raised his hand!"

Shi Fengju’s expression changed, he quickly looked him over and said, "What? He hit you! Did he hurt you?"

Even if the Shi family owed the Zhou family, it still couldn’t allow a member of the Zhou family to come over and assault someone, especially since Shi Fengming was still "sick," Young Master Zhou’s actions were truly excessive.

"No, no!" Shi Fengming hadn’t expected Shi Fengju’s reaction to be so strong, feeling warmth in his heart yet even more embarrassed to speak.

"That’s good!" Shi Fengju breathed a sigh of relief, yet frowned again, "Even if he didn’t hurt you, their family’s behavior is really excessive, we’ll settle this when Master Zhou and Mrs. Zhou arrive! Don’t worry, we naturally won’t deny our debts, but we will not tolerate their insolence."

"It’s not necessary!" Shi Fengming suddenly became anxious upon hearing this, seeing he couldn’t hide it anymore, he hesitantly narrated the incident, omitting how Zhou Jingyi took the beating for him and her few words of affection. If he didn’t speak now, and when Shi Fengju inquired about it with Master Zhou’s couple, wouldn’t Young Master Zhou tell his parents the whole story? Wouldn’t the truth embarrass Shi Fengju?

Shi Fengju listened silently for a while, then looked at him and smiled, saying, "I was wondering why you seemed much more honest today, so that’s why!"

Shi Fengming felt slightly disappointed in his heart. He thought Shi Fengju would be upset and scold him a few times—it would have made him feel better—but unexpectedly, he received such a response! It made him feel like his expectations were dashed, and he felt somewhat stifled without reason.

"Big brother," Shi Fengming said with an awkward smile, "do you have any ointment for reducing swelling and bruises? Later, have someone send a bottle to her! After all, she took that punch for me, and I don’t want to owe her anything!"

"Alright, when I get back, I’ll look for it and have your sister-in-law send someone to deliver it!" Shi Fengju nodded.

Shi Fengming was relieved that Shi Fengju did not take the opportunity to mock or tease him, and the awkward feeling in his heart dissipated. He quickly smiled again, "When your sister-in-law sends the ointment, don’t mention that I requested it. I don’t want her to get the wrong idea!"

"Okay!" Shi Fengju nodded again.

"Then thank you, big brother!" Shi Fengming quickly smiled again.

Shi Fengju also smiled, thinking to himself why are you still so awkward, making such a fuss over a small matter! If you weren’t my brother, I wouldn’t bother playing this tedious game with you.

After sitting for a while longer, Shi Fengju got up to leave, and when he returned to Ningyuan that evening, he indeed told Sang Wan, found a bottle of ointment, and had Sang Wan instruct someone to deliver it. Sang Wan then called Xingzhi to send it to Suxin Pavilion.

Shi Fengju thought about this matter and couldn’t help but laugh, then he told Sang Wan about it.

After listening, Sang Wan sighed, her eyes half filled with a resentful look of dissatisfaction as she stared at him, saying, "Are you and your brother playing too hard? It’s really pitiful for your sister-in-law, if she finds out the truth one day, who knows how angry she might get! What did she do wrong? Her only fault is liking the Second Master! She truly is honest at heart!" So, it’s you guys playing around!

Shi Fengju lightly laughed and asked, "Oh? If you were her, what would you do?"

Sang Wan immediately responded, "What would I do? Naturally, I would go home! The Second Master clearly doesn’t care about her, why linger and be detested by others? It’s better to go back home straightforwardly! She has parents who love her, and a brother who is compassionate and protective, no matter whether or not she gets married in the future, she could still live well! Why bother entangling like this!" Lingering only brings pain to oneself!

Shi Fengju dragged out his tone and leaned back on the couch, his voice somewhat wistful, "So Miss Wan thinks this way!"

Sang Wan, not noticing the emotion in his words, continued, "Is there something wrong with thinking this way? Staying only leads to being humiliated for no reason!"

Feeling frustrated without reason, Shi Fengju objected, "But when we were in Hangzhou earlier, didn’t you diligently try to persuade me to keep sister-in-law? How come now you’re utterly eager for the sister-in-law to leave quickly! Miss Wan, you’ve changed your stance too quickly!"

"These are clearly two different things!" Sang Wan said, "I get along well with sister-in-law, and I can see she genuinely likes the Second Master. If the two of them reconcile, wouldn’t everyone be happy? It’s good fortune for the Second Master to have such a wife! Yet the Second Master feigned illness, and sister-in-law remained unwavering by his side, according to what was said before, he should have trusted sister-in-law by now, shouldn’t he? But he did not! This only shows he never intended to keep sister-in-law, so why should she keep sticking around! It’s more straightforward to go home!"

"If she leaves so easily, then she was not truly devoted to the Second Master. If she truly loved the Second Master, how could she just leave like that?" Shi Fengju countered.

Sang Wan replied, "Then what do you consider true devotion? Does it have to be a desperate, incessant pursuit until death to be genuine? True feelings can’t withstand constant trials and harm, anyone would eventually feel exhausted! Instead of losing heart later, it’s better to let go now. This way, they can at least maintain good memories and impressions of each other, at least they won’t feel disgust when thinking about each other! The Second Master really doesn’t like sister-in-law deep down, even if she stays willingly by his side, it only provokes his further disgust! Besides, there was Su Qing’er before, who knows who it might be in the future, seeing how much the Second Master dislikes her to this extent, it will only be her who suffers in the end!"

Suddenly sitting up, Shi Fengju placed his hands on Sang Wan’s shoulders, "Are these words truly what’s in Miss Wan’s heart? Is this really how you feel?"

Sang Wan was momentarily stunned and slightly recovered, frustrated, she forced a smile, "I was just speaking my mind! I can only speak without reservations in front of you, please don’t share this with others, if people find out, I, as your sister-in-law, would have no face to show!"

"Speaking one’s mind!" Shi Fengju sighed, lowered his head to touch her forehead, gently rubbing, and smiled, "Miss Wan, I would never treat you that way, do you understand? You can’t leave me."

Sang Wan least wanted to mention the current mess with Gu Fangzi and Mrs. Wang, hearing him hinting at bringing it up again, she smiled, "What are you talking about, of course I won’t!"

"Good!" Shi Fengju embraced her tightly in his arms, leaned down and softly kissed her lips, gently saying, "Miss Wan, I will not do anything you dislike. Ultimately, she is my mother, and it’s up to me to make my own decisions!"

With a forced smile, Sang Wan gently nodded in his arms and responded with a soft "Mm."