CHAPTER 186: CHAPTER 188: LOVE AND TRUTH

Su Xingyu couldn’t stop her, and the girl left with high spirits.

After waiting an entire day without any news, Su Xingyu was very worried and tried calling her several times but couldn’t get through. Late at night, Lu Shifeng returned home, dressed impeccably in his suit as always, yet an underlying weariness could be detected in his demeanor.

Su Xingyu stood up from the sofa in the living room.

Mrs. Gui, who was by her side, took two steps forward and exclaimed in a low voice, "Young master, your face...!"

They all saw the scratches on his face, thin and bloody, along with a noticeable bruise at the corner of his right eye.

Did he get into a fight? Or was he mugged?

A flurry of thoughts passed through Su Xingyu’s mind, and she couldn’t help but forget about Xia Ling’s matter, blurting out, "What happened?"

Lu Shifeng glanced at her, his expression as stern as ever under the dim lights, showing no emotion. He didn’t say a word, just opened his arms to signal her to help him take off his coat, a command she had to obey every night when he returned home.

Su Xingyu bit her lip, feeling she must have caught some kind of madness to be concerned about him.

She wanted to ask him if he remembered how she nearly smothered him with a pillow last night. How big must his heart be to nonchalantly order her to help him with his coat today? Wasn’t he afraid she’d strangle him with his tie?

Su Xingyu managed to hold back her anger, keeping Xia Ling’s matter in mind, and obediently helped him change.

"Young master, what happened to you?" Mrs. Gui’s heart ached at the sight and she couldn’t help but speak out, "Please sit here, I’ll get the medical kit to treat your wounds."

"No need." Lu Shifeng said coldly, and with that, he strode towards the bedroom upstairs.

Su Xingyu and Mrs. Gui exchanged glances. After a moment, she hesitated but decided to follow him.

The lights in the bedroom were off. The man stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, bathed in the faint moonlight, outlining a barely discernible silvery sheen, half-illuminated and half-obscured. His high nose and distinct lips were incredibly striking.

But Su Xingyu had no heart to admire it, silently walking into the bedroom and closing the door behind her.

"You..." she hesitated, organizing her words, "did you fight with Xiaoling?"

Lu Shifeng turned to look at her, a sliver of moonlight spilling into his narrow eyes, the rest engulfed in deep darkness. He looked like a mysterious beast, and sneered coldly, "Xia Ling? I never hit women."

Bullshit!

Su Xingyu almost wanted to spit at him, or at the very least, spray him with a saltwater fizz. He doesn’t hit women, then how would he explain her own injuries? Reason got the better of her, stopping her from arguing about this, as there were more pressing matters at hand: "Did Xiaoling come to see you today? Do you know where she went, and what happened with your injuries?"

Lu Shifeng said, "Injuries? Pei Ziheng did it."

"Pei Ziheng?" Hearing that name sent a shock through Su Xingyu. What did it all have to do with Pei Ziheng?

Lu Shifeng pressed around his eye, the bruised area hot and swollen, yet his voice was icy, "His crazy woman came storming to my company, cried and ran away after saying only a few words, and then Pei Ziheng came and we got into a fight."

Finished speaking, he cast a cold look at his young wife, "You’re really good at causing trouble."

Su Xingyu eased a bit hearing what he said. Regardless of her being a troublemaker, at least Xiaoling wasn’t missing, she probably went back to Pei Ziheng. But, did he say, Xiaoling was made to cry by him?

Su Xingyu anxiously asked him, "What did you say to Xiaoling? Why did you make her cry?"

She now thought the family doctor was right, Lu Shifeng really must be ill! How could he make Xiaoling, such a sweet girl, cry!

Lu Shifeng glanced at her, his voice calm, "She questioned why I domestically abused you, saying I don’t deserve to be your husband. I told her not to meddle in other people’s marital affairs, what does she know about marriage? Pei Ziheng would never marry her."

"You...!" It was no wonder Xiaoling was driven to tears; just listening to his recounting, she almost had a heart attack!

"Did you really say that to Xiaoling?" Su Xingyu was unsettled, "Lu Shifeng, you’re too much! How do you know Pei Ziheng won’t marry Xiaoling? Just because your marriage is unhappy doesn’t mean you can’t see others happy!"

"My marriage is unhappy?" His voice suddenly darkened.

She realized she’d said something wrong, and stopped talking.

His eyes were cold under the moonlight, like a mysterious, dangerous beast, scrutinizing her like prey for a long time before saying, "Su Xingyu, you should be grateful you met me, who gave you status and a good life. Pei Ziheng will never marry Xiaoling, I know this very well." So, when Pei Ziheng came to hit him, it was only because he made Xiaoling cry, but he didn’t refute the ’not possible to marry her’ statement. They all knew the rules of marriage among wealthy families, and all of Pei Ziheng’s actions in handling his relationship with Xiaoling pointed to one thing — he couldn’t marry her.

That’s how mistresses were treated.

"Su Xingyu, are you envious of a mistress while you don’t cherish your legitimate status?" Lu Shifeng questioned coldly.

"Xiaoling is not a mistress." Su Xingyu’s face paled a little, instinctively retorting.

Lu Shifeng stared at her and said, "I warn you not to have too much contact with her, lest she fills you with all sorts of nonsense. You are Mrs. Lu, your future social interactions should be with the legitimate wife of Pei Ziheng."

"No." Su Xingyu shook her head again, still very pale, she couldn’t imagine Xiaoling, so innocent and pure, being betrayed. That girl would be heartbroken, heartbreakingly shattered! As a photographer, she could easily read the overwhelming sweetness and total dependence in that girl’s eyes whenever Pei Ziheng was mentioned...

Xiaoling loved Pei Ziheng with all her heart and soul.

"Lu Shifeng," Su Xingyu looked up, gazing at the man by the window, "Xiaoling will become Mrs. Pei, she definitely will."

Lu Shifeng was too lazy to argue with her about this, stepping closer to her, "Now let’s talk about us. Su Xingyu, you wanted to be a photographer, I allowed it, but I want you to be a good Mrs. Lu, and you just can’t seem to do it. Is it that hard to obey my orders obediently? I don’t want to resort to underhanded means to deal with you."

Today, when Pei Ziheng came to him, besides having a fight, he also asked Pei Ziheng how he managed his women.

Mr. Pei, with an air of a life winner, told him not to reason with women, women need to be coaxed. Give them dreams, give them hope, give them all the beautiful things in the world, but never expose them to raw reality like with subordinates.

Lu Shifeng thought he was too straightforward with Su Xingyu.

What can be done, what cannot be done, everything is laid out clearly.

Isn’t this good? At least everything she holds is tangible, as long as she follows the path he laid out, she’ll enjoy prosperity and the respect of many, surrounded by children and grandchildren in this life.

She won’t end up like Xiaoling, invisible, and end up with nothing.

But women are just so strange, why would they prefer to indulge in a dream?

Love? It’s really the world’s most clumsy lie.

Look at how pitifully Xiaoling was deceived.