At this moment, Shen Ximan was so nervous that she felt like she could dig out a three - bedroom apartment with her toes. Her ten toes were constantly clutching her slippers without a moment's relaxation. She couldn't tell whether she was happy or excited.
The only thing she was sure of was that she had been elated ever since Bo Jingyu said, "We're not divorced!" Did it mean that he actually had feelings for her too?
Just as she was thinking this, the door was pulled open.
"Why aren't you eating?" he asked calmly.
"… It doesn't feel right for me to eat alone."
Shen Ximan put on a reserved look, but her lips kept curling up.
"What? Are you so used to feasts in the mansion that these light dishes don't suit your taste?"
She quickly waved her hands. "No, no, no. I just want to eat with you."
Right after she said that, she regretted it. Why did she just blurt out what was in her mind!
Looking at Shen Ximan's extremely tangled expression, Bo Jingyu smiled and served her a bowl of soup, gently placing it in front of her.
"Come and stay at my place tonight."
She paused for a moment and asked mischievously, "Why?"
Bo Jingyu could tell at a glance what was going on in her mind.
"You're my wife. It's inappropriate for you to live with my elder brother."
Shen Ximan loved to hear this. It was as sweet as if she had drunk honey.
The calm before the storm is always short - lived.
"Shen Ximan! Get out here, you bitch!"
"Sir, you're being too out of line. This is my house. Stop shouting!" Village Head Zhong couldn't stop him.
Shen Yuliang was extremely aggressive, as if he had finally found a place to vent his anger. He kept shouting over and over again.
"Look what you've done to your sister. How dare you hide?"
Fortunately, the village head's house was far from the others. Otherwise, Shen Yuliang's shouts would have attracted a lot of onlookers.
"You shameless jinx. I'm so unlucky to have a daughter like you! You're the biggest stain on my life!"
Only then did Village Head Zhong realize what kind of a scumbag the man in front of him was. He rushed over with a broom in his hand, his face flushed with anger.
"How dare you show your face here? It was you who killed Zhao Xiangyue!"
As soon as he said that, Shen Ximan and Bo Jingyu came out.
"What… What?" Shen Yuliang's anger subsided by half instantly.
If it weren't for his wife holding him back, Village Head Zhong would have fought with him.
"Zhao Xiangyue brought Ximan to Huazhi Village. You didn't fulfill your responsibilities as a father and a husband at all, and you still have the nerve to come here and cause trouble?"
"Ximan having a father as incompetent as you is the biggest stain on her life!" He was huffing and puffing with anger.
Tears welled up in Shen Ximan's eyes.
"Jingyu, please take the village head inside."
"No, what if he…"
She interrupted him, her voice trembling. "I'll handle it."
Bo Jingyu saw her determination and didn't stop her anymore.
"You and Xiang…"
Shen Yuliang stopped halfway. Suddenly, he felt that he had no right to call her so affectionately. He quickly changed his words.
"You and your mother used to live in Huazhi Village?"
"Yes." Shen Ximan's gloomy mood was like the dark clouds on a rainy day.
It lingered in her heart and refused to disperse.
When it came to this matter, he felt nothing but guilt.
Zhao Xiangyue was a typical wife who had shared hardships with her husband. She accompanied Shen Yuliang as he gradually expanded the Shen Group and moved into a big villa. But the appearance of Yang Wan completely disrupted their peaceful life.
He admired Yang Wan's boldness and straightforwardness, and he especially liked her devilish figure and her charm. Men are all driven by their lower - halves. After a long time, it was natural for him to be unable to resist the temptation.
Looking back at Zhao Xiangyue, he had no interest at all.
Back then, when Yang Wan drove them mother and daughter out of the Shen family, Shen Yuliang had also acquiesced. After all, they hadn't brought him any business or benefits.
They were "virtuous assistants" without any value.
"Did you ask the second young master to do something about Yu'er?"
Shen Ximan was still sad about their poor father - daughter relationship. She never expected that Shen Yuliang would choose to evade the issue and instead question her about something else.
She really felt that her mother had been so unworthy to have followed such a scumbag who only cared about interests and status from head to toe.
"I didn't push her into the water."
"Whether you did or not, you have to apologize to her in person!"
Shen Ximan sneered. "Why should I?"
Shen Yuliang stared at her in anger at her uncharacteristic attitude.
"Because I'm your father, and she's your sister!"
"If you use this cheap kind of family bond to force me, then there's no need. I'll never give in."
She wiped away the tears that had welled up at the corners of her eyes. This kind of father wasn't worth her tears.
"Then you'll never be able to leave this small village," Shen Yuliang said menacingly, narrowing his eyes. "Yu'er is currently being imprisoned in the hospital and no one is allowed to visit. I know it's your idea.
"If you don't listen to me, this news will immediately hit the headlines. You'll never be able to turn things around in your life."
Shen Ximan looked at him in disbelief.
Was this still the father who had loved her since childhood?
Why had he become like this, like a demon trapped in a nightmare, ready to strike at his own daughter?
He even wanted to push her into the abyss and never let her rise again.
"Try if you dare."
Bo Jingyu appeared at this moment. Just one sentence hit Shen Yuliang right in the spine, leaving him speechless and unable to refute.
"Ximan is mine and a member of the Bo family. If you touch her, you're going against the entire Bo family. You can forget about participating in this project."
He forced out a dry laugh in desperation. "Aren't you suspended by your grandfather? It's Siming who's in charge now!"
Bo Jingyu's cold gaze shot over, making him shiver.
"He can't even handle the demolition properly. Do you still expect him to take care of your family's mess?"
Shen Ximan looked at his handsome side - profile and suddenly felt like crying.
"You… You wait for me!"
Having lost his leverage, Shen Yuliang took a few panicked steps back and quickly fled the scene with his tail between his legs.
"Looking so pitiful. Wanna cry?"
The voice that came from above sounded cold, but in Shen Ximan's ears, it somehow became the only concern.
"Of course not."
He smiled and intertwined his fingers with hers.
"Come on, let's go home."
Shen Ximan sniffed her nose. "These are all the villagers' houses. Where's home?"
"As long as there's you and me and a place to live, it's home."
Bo Jingyu said this softly.
After saying it, he felt a bit too sentimental and quickly tried to cover it up. "My head hurts. Go back and give me a massage."
"There are no acupuncture needles in the village. There's a small clinic though. I'll go back and write you some prescriptions. You must take the medicine on time!"
Shen Ximan accompanied him, chattering away.
"Okay, I know."
How he wished this moment could be frozen forever.
Village Head Zhong and his wife came out of the house, wiping their tears with relief.
"My poor Ximan finally has someone to love her."