Volume 1, Chapter 19: Ji Shu, I Have No Interest in You

Ji Chengye rushed up to her and shouted, "I am your younger brother! Isn't it only natural for you, as my elder sister, to help me?"

Ji Shu’s eyes were cold. "Natural? Which law in this country says a cousin is obligated to buy a house and a car for her male cousin? You have hands and feet; instead of figuring out how to earn money yourself, you’re thinking of leeching off me?"

Ji Chengye no longer restrained his voice, pointing at her nose and cursing, "That’s just because of women like you! You all nag and demand that men must buy houses and cars, and you ask for such high dowries. Ji Shu, you’re that kind of person too, aren't you?"

"Ji Chengye, don't blame others for your own incompetence. Does your fiancée know what kind of person you are? I feel sorry for that girl. What did she do in her past life to end up with a loser like you? Also, if you can't afford the dowry, you could always choose to marry into her family."

As she spoke, Ji Shu stepped forward, looking down at Ji Chengye with undisguised contempt.

"How dare you say that about my son!" Her aunt was furious, her hypocritical mask finally shattered, her tone sharp and spiteful. "Ji Shu, you heartless creature, your parents died because they were cursed by people like you."

Ji Shu clenched her fingers tightly, staring straight at the face twisted with anger, and sneered, "Then Auntie, you had better stay far away from me."

With that, she left the restaurant.

Watching Ji Shu’s figure disappear, Ji Chengye looked frantic. "She refuses to give us money, what do we do? Yuanyuan said if I don't have a house and a car, she won't marry me! Mom, think of something!"

Ji Chengye yelled angrily at the person sitting beside him.

"That ungrateful wretch, we should have taken every cent of her father’s money back then. Don't worry, don't forget we still have a backup plan! We gave Ji Shu a chance, and since she didn't cherish it, don't blame us for using other methods."

"You mean that person?" Ji Chengye seemed to recall someone, his tense shoulders instantly relaxing.

After coming up with a new strategy, the mother and son shared a knowing smile.

Just then, a waiter bowed and stood nearby, saying respectfully, "Sir, your meal has been served in full. Here is the bill; please take a look. You may call me later to settle it."

Ji Chengye took the bill from the waiter, glanced casually at the total, and roared in disbelief, "We have to pay for this? Didn't Ji Shu pay?"

Facing Ji Chengye’s questioning, the waiter maintained a professional smile. "Are you referring to the lady who just left? Before she left, she only paid for her glass of lemonade. As for the rest of the bill, she told us that you would be the one to settle it."

Ji Chengye stood up furiously, wanting to call Ji Shu to confront her, but was stopped. "Son, hold it in." After receiving a signal from his mother’s eyes, he paid the bill through gritted teeth.

Seeing the meager balance left in his bank account, a flash of malice crossed Ji Chengye’s eyes.

...

After leaving the restaurant, Ji Shu ate a bowl of noodles outside and didn't return to the Lu residence until nearly seven in the evening.

There were only a few servants cleaning in the first-floor hall. Ji Shu greeted them and headed straight upstairs to her room.

She had to go back to the studio tomorrow to finish a project, and the events of the day had left her exhausted. She had no energy left and just wanted to wash up and rest.

When Ji Shu opened the door, she didn't expect to find Lu Jinchuan inside.

It wasn't until she saw his teasing gaze that she remembered she would be sleeping in the same bed as him tonight.

Lu Jinchuan loosened his tie methodically and tossed his suit jacket onto a nearby chair, his sturdy physique fully exposed to Ji Shu.

He then reached for the buttons on his shirt, undoing them one by one from the collar down. With each button undone, more skin was revealed, the firm lines of his muscles appearing and disappearing.

Lu Jinchuan’s movements suddenly stopped. He looked up, a mocking glint in his eyes. "Staring so intently?"

Ji Shu looked away. "Carry on with your performance; I’m going to the guest room to sleep."

She turned and was about to leave, but as her hand touched the doorknob, Lu Jinchuan’s voice sounded from behind.

"Aren't you afraid Grandpa will find out?"

"I asked the housekeeper when I got back. She said Grandpa went to Haicheng for a vacation this afternoon and won't be back for a while. By the time he returns, we will already be divorced."

"Ji Shu, Grandpa installed a surveillance camera in the hallway before he left."

Ji Shu turned stiffly, her eyes filled with doubt and confusion.

Lu Jinchuan held out his phone toward her. On it was their chat history, the most prominent item being a screenshot from the hallway surveillance camera.

Ji Shu frowned.

"I have no interest in you."

Lu Jinchuan’s words echoed from above, and Ji Shu met his eyes.

Right.

His heart and eyes were filled with Xu Xingyuan. Even his return to the Lu residence was due to pressure from Grandpa Lu.

Ji Shu took a deep breath and replied, "Likewise."

Without another word, she picked up her change of clothes and headed straight for the bathroom.

When she came out after her shower, Lu Jinchuan was nowhere to be seen.

Ji Shu understood; he probably didn't want to share a bed with her either.

That was for the best.

Ji Shu felt a sense of relief and picked up her phone to see that Gao Xia had messaged her to report her safe arrival in Ireland a few minutes ago. She replied wishing her a good trip, and just as she was about to put the phone down and turn off the lights, the door opened.

Lu Jinchuan had changed into loungewear, clearly having showered in the next room.

He hadn't left?

While she was lost in thought, the mattress sank as Lu Jinchuan pulled back the quilt and lay down.

Because he had just showered, he radiated a faint warmth that enveloped the air around him like a thin mist.

Ji Shu caught a subtle, lingering scent of roses—the smell of his body wash—slowly diffusing through the room.

His rose scent mingled with the citrus scent she had just used, the two fragrances intertwining and drifting before finally fading into the air.

Sensing Lu Jinchuan’s proximity, Ji Shu’s body instantly went rigid. She instinctively shifted to the side, trying to put as much distance between them as possible.

It felt as though there was an insurmountable chasm between them, a line drawn in the sand.

Ji Shu recalled the last time she had lain in the same bed as Lu Jinchuan; it had been three years ago, on the night they registered their marriage.

That night, she had transitioned from a girl to a woman, her mind filled with expectations for a beautiful future. But today, her state of mind had undergone a radical change.

She now felt an intense resistance to Lu Jinchuan’s touch. She couldn't bear the thought of him touching her with the same hands that had held other women. The mere thought made her feel an indescribable sense of nausea.

While she was distracted, Lu Jinchuan reached out and turned off the light on his side. In an instant, half the room was swallowed by darkness, leaving only a faint glow on her side. Ji Shu stared silently at his silhouette; because it was so dim, she could only see his outline, unable to discern the expression on his face.

"Not sleeping yet? Are you waiting for me to do something?"

Lu Jinchuan’s cold voice broke the silence, carrying a hint of imperceptible mockery.

Ji Shu froze for a moment before reaching out to turn off her own light and lying down.

Perhaps due to the emotional toll of the day, she fell asleep almost immediately.

The next morning, Ji Shu was awakened by the sound of running water in the bathroom. Before her brain had fully cleared, her phone began to ring incessantly.

Half-asleep, she reached to the other side of the bed and answered.

"Hello?"

There was a silence on the other end for a few seconds. Ji Shu repeated, "Hello? Who is this?"

"Who are you?"

"I am Ji Shu."

"Ji Shu? Why are you with Jinchuan?"

It was a familiar female voice. Only then did Ji Shu realize the phone didn't seem to be hers.

Ji Shu’s eyes snapped open, all traces of drowsiness vanished. It was Lu Jinchuan’s phone, and the person on the other end was Xu Xingyuan.

Just then, Lu Jinchuan emerged from the bathroom. Seeing the phone in her hand, he furrowed his brows slightly, a trace of displeasure flashing in his eyes.

Ji Shu tossed the still-connected phone in front of Lu Jinchuan, got up, walked into the bathroom, and shut the door.

Outside, she could hear the rustle of Lu Jinchuan getting dressed and the muffled, intermittent sound of him speaking in a lowered voice.

He must be explaining things to Xu Xingyuan.

After all, in Xu Xingyuan’s eyes, they were already divorced. She was now an ex-wife, and what current partner would allow their lover to remain entangled with an ex?

The call lasted for nearly ten minutes. Lu Jinchuan seemed to be explaining with great patience. Ji Shu had no idea what they were saying.

But even though she tried not to listen, a few fragmented words inevitably reached her ears. Those broken sentences were like needles, pricking at her nerves.

Ji Shu simply turned on the faucet, and the sound of rushing water filled the entire bathroom.

Only when the water drowned out the voices outside did her restless heart calm down a little.

Not long after, she heard the sound of the door opening and closing.

Ji Shu looked at herself in the mirror and sneered. Was he in such a hurry to go find Xu Xingyuan and explain things in person?