Volume One, Chapter 15: Ji Shu, You Have No Right to Negotiate with Me

Page 1/3

Xu Xingyuan noticed Ji Shu’s unusual expression and followed her gaze to see Lu Jinchuan standing by the door. She hesitated for a moment, suppressing her surprise, then stood up and walked toward him.

“Jinchuan, what are you doing here?”

Silence fell in the hospital room.

Lu Jinchuan’s lips curled into a faint smile, but his eyes held no warmth. “I shouldn’t have come.”

“Jinchuan, don’t say that. Ji Shu was just telling me about you.”

Lu Jinchuan remained indifferent. “Then my coming is just right. I heard all that I shouldn’t have.”

Xu Xingyuan was taken aback slightly, then shifted her gaze to Ji Shu, who remained calm, seemingly unconcerned whether Lu Jinchuan had overheard their conversation.

She affectionately tugged at Lu Jinchuan’s arm. “Jinchuan, what Ji Shu said just now was in anger. Don’t take it to heart.” Then she glanced back at Ji Shu. “I’m leaving now. Aunt Jiang invited me shopping later. You two have a good talk.”

Having said that, Xu Xingyuan turned and headed toward the door, pausing with each step, waiting for Lu Jinchuan to call her back or offer to see her off. Based on past experience, whenever she showed even a hint of wanting to leave, Lu Jinchuan never hesitated to stop her.

But as she neared the door, no voice she longed to hear came from behind her.

Finally, unable to contain her frustration, she slowly turned around.

Lu Jinchuan remained in the same posture, his gaze fixed steadily on the woman lying in bed.

Xu Xingyuan found it hard to believe that after hearing what Ji Shu said, Lu Jinchuan could remain so composed, not even glancing at her once.

She pinched her palm to suppress her resentment and smiled brightly at Ji Shu on the bed. “By the way, Ji Shu, Chuanze said he’ll be returning to the country soon. We should throw him a welcome party. After all, you two were so close during school.”

She deliberately looked at Lu Jinchuan afterward, only to find that his eyes never lingered on her face.

Clenching her fists tightly, Xu Xingyuan finally briskly walked out of the room.

Lu Jinchuan stood like a statue by the door, his gaze on Ji Shu icy and devoid of warmth, exuding a forbidding chill.

He strode directly to the bedside and sat down, radiating an invisible pressure that sent shivers down one’s spine.

Roger followed, carrying two bags, and placed them on the bedside table.

“This is...”

Page 2/3

As Roger spoke, he took items out of the bags and arranged them neatly on the table.

“Madam, these meals were specially prepared by Chef Huang from Yue Garden at Mr. Lu’s request. Rest assured, everything is made strictly according to the doctor’s instructions, so you can eat with confidence.”

Ji Shu’s gaze swept over Lu Jinchuan’s face.

“You can just call me Ji Shu. Thank you, Assistant Luo, for coming all the way to deliver this.”

Roger’s expression shifted slightly as he secretly glanced at Lu Jinchuan.

He moved closer to Ji Shu and whispered, “Madam, Chef Huang from Yue Garden has quite a temper. Mr. Lu went through great trouble to have him personally cook so early this morning.”

Roger’s words were naturally embellished. Yue Garden was one of the enterprises owned by Master Ke Jin, and if Mr. Lu specifically requested Chef Huang’s personal attention, the chef would be more than willing.

“You must pay attention to your diet while you’re ill. All the ingredients at Yue Garden are airlifted fresh early every morning. And this porridge—Mr. Lu specifically instructed...”

“Roger, enough chatter,” Lu Jinchuan interrupted sharply.

Roger immediately took a big step back. “Sorry, Mr. Lu. I spoke out of turn.”

With that, he discreetly exited the room.

The door closed again behind him. Lu Jinchuan turned his head to glance at Ji Shu, who calmly picked up her bowl and sipped the porridge in small, measured mouthfuls, as if unaffected by Roger’s words.

Ji Shu knew that Lu Jinchuan heard everything Roger said, but wasn’t it all the truth?

Lu Jinchuan never loved her, and her love for him had long since faded three years ago.

Now, she was as calm as could be, unwilling to have any further entanglement with him.

Stirring the porridge, Ji Shu looked up at Lu Jinchuan. “Thank you for taking me to the hospital last night. I’ll transfer the medical expenses along with the breakfast to Assistant Luo shortly.”

As she spoke, Lu Jinchuan’s hand clamped firmly onto her wrist, and he leaned in closer.

The table trembled slightly, and some porridge spilled out.

Ji Shu glanced at the spilled patch and furrowed her brows lightly. “Let go.”

Lu Jinchuan’s expression turned colder, his gaze icy. “What did you mean by what you said just now?”

Ji Shu answered frostily, “Nothing more than what you heard.”

Page 3/3

“Pushing me away so urgently—is it because Ji Chuanze is returning to the country?”

“It’s none of your business anymore, whether yes or no.”

“Ji Shu, do you need me to remind you once again that legally, we’re still husband and wife?”

“Soon we won’t be.”

The exchange was tense, like swords drawn and arrows ready to fly.

Lu Jinchuan’s eyes scanned Ji Shu’s face several times, full of displeasure. “Did you forget what Grandfather just said?”

Ji Shu met his gaze steadily. “I haven’t forgotten. Once back at the Lu residence, I’ll arrange to sleep in a separate room. After Grandfather’s mood passes, I’ll move out as soon as possible. Don’t worry, it won’t affect our divorce process.”

Nor will it affect your relationship with Xu Xingyuan.

Lu Jinchuan sneered angrily, “You’ve got it all planned so clearly?”

“Rest assured, after moving back to the Lu residence, I won’t interfere with your private life. You can continue to stay out all night like before. If you’re afraid of being scolded by Grandfather, I can explain it for you—on one condition: you sign the divorce papers as soon as possible.”

With each word Ji Shu spoke, she felt the grip on her wrist tighten.

Her wrist was held like an iron clamp, as if it could crush her bones.

But Lu Jinchuan showed no sign of loosening his hold—in fact, he squeezed harder.

Ji Shu took a deep breath and one by one pried his fingers apart, breaking free from his grasp.

She lifted her head and stared directly into Lu Jinchuan’s eyes.

His face was taut as he looked at her, his eyes full of anger, defiance, and resolute determination.

His eyes were like ice and snow, his words cold as frost: “Ji Shu, what right do you have to make demands of me?”

With that, he threw down the sentence and strode toward the door with long, purposeful steps.

The door slammed shut heavily with a muffled thud, and the hospital room fell once again into suffocating silence.

Ji Shu sat dazed on the bed for a long while before finally exhaling deeply as if awakening from a dream. She gently rubbed her wrist, where the marks left by Lu Jinchuan’s tight grip still lingered.