Chapter 57: Madam Shen

The car slid seamlessly into the flow of traffic on the main road. From the rearview mirror, Shen Zhuyun caught a glimpse of Chen Yuyi’s half-smiling, half-mocking gaze directed at her, which made her feel a little uneasy.

“That man is the sales director I hired. He’s quite capable and has secured several major deals for our company.”

Chen Yuyi chuckled softly. “Then why did you refuse his flowers?”

Shen Zhuyun pressed her lips together, silent for a few seconds. She reminded herself that he wasn’t truly her husband—why should she bother explaining? Her voice cooled as she replied, “That has nothing to do with you.”

Chen Yuyi leaned back against the seat, wordless, and closed his eyes to rest. Two sentences from this aloof wife could suffocate a man. When would he ever get to enjoy a moment of her gentleness?

Although Shen Zhuyun focused on driving, she watched Chen Yuyi’s reaction out of the corner of her eye. Seeing him ignore her and lean back in his seat, a faint sense of guilt stirred within her. She couldn’t understand why, but lately, his shadow appeared unbidden in her mind during work hours. Now, dressed differently and looking so handsome, was he sent by fate to torment her?

Shen Zhuyun was a conservative woman when it came to matters of the heart, and her standards were exceptionally high. To this day, only one person occupied a place in her heart. For a single promise from that person, she was willing to wait three years.

But would he truly return after three years? She wasn’t sure, nor did she dare to be sure. She only hoped that, in these three years, she wouldn’t fall in love with another man.

After a moment’s reflection, Shen Zhuyun gently smoothed her hair and her gaze returned to its cool, tranquil composure as she thought silently:

“The man before me is not my type. This marriage is nothing more than a performance, a facade. I will not fall for him.”

…

When they arrived at the Shen residence, Chen Yuyi realized he had “married” into a wealthy family.

Though the furnishings seemed somewhat outdated and old-fashioned, it was clear that each item was valuable. The entire house exuded a strong southern charm, bearing the air of an established clan.

While Chen Yuyi could not be called wealthy, he viewed wealth as something easily attained. But this kind of grace, this family’s bearing, was not something money alone could buy—it came from generations of accumulation.

The Shen family’s ancestors had served as officials and merchants, their business flourishing, and they were once a prominent name along the river. After Old Master Shen passed away, the decline began, caused by an incompetent son. The household started to dwindle, and if it weren’t for Shen Zhuyun’s grandmother, the family would likely have been squandered away by Shen Chengde.

Even so, among the elders, the Shen family was still regarded as a distinguished name, and many hoped for the day it would rise again.

Following Shen Zhuyun into the house, Chen Yuyi felt a flicker of nervousness. Before even stepping through the door, they encountered Shen Youlin.

Shen Youlin was in a hurry to leave, but stopped in her tracks upon seeing Chen Yuyi.

She hadn’t lingered at Longchi Villa the previous day, so she knew nothing of what happened afterward.

With a teasing smile curling her lips, Shen Youlin looked at Chen Yuyi. “You really dare to show up here?”

“Youlin, mind your words,” Shen Zhuyun scolded. For the sake of appearances, she had already linked her arm with Chen Yuyi’s.

At that moment, Chen Yuyi, no matter how you looked at him, seemed perfectly matched to her—a golden couple.

Of course, Shen Youlin wouldn’t mention the embarrassing business of Chen Yuyi buying clothes. She firmly believed the clothes he wore weren’t bought by her, and even suspected, according to Fang Kai’s claim, that they were stolen.

She couldn’t be bothered to say more and waved her hand dismissively. “Enough, I’m not wasting time with you two. I need to get going.”

“Youlin, aren’t you staying for dinner?” Shen Zhuyun called out.

“Dinner? You can eat by yourselves.” With that, Shen Youlin had already walked away.

Shen Zhuyun shook her head. This sister was far too headstrong; it seemed she would have to find time to rein her in.

She led Chen Yuyi into the main hall.

At that moment, Xu Ruizhi sat upright on the sofa, deliberately ignoring Chen Yuyi’s arrival.

“Mom, Yuyi is here!”

Chen Yuyi echoed the greeting, calling her “Mom,” and placed the small gift—a selection of fruit—on the table with a smile.

“Who told you to bring gifts? Who knows if you just picked them up somewhere. Take them away!” Xu Ruizhi rebuked, not even lifting her head.

Chen Yuyi shook his head inwardly. What grudge did she bear against him?

Shen Zhuyun’s expression changed slightly.

Just then, Shen Chengde emerged from the kitchen—he was cooking himself.

Chen Yuyi was surprised; his father-in-law could actually cook?

Upon seeing Chen Yuyi, Shen Chengde broke into a broad smile. “Son-in-law, you’re finally here! Come, come, sit!”

He warmly took the fruit from Chen Yuyi’s hands and pulled him toward the sofa.

“Oh, you scoundrel, you really accepted someone else’s son-in-law! Are you out of your mind? So, after all this, you’re cooking today for this bargain son-in-law?” Xu Ruizhi erupted.

Shen Chengde shielded Chen Yuyi. “How can you say that? ‘Bargain son-in-law’? Do you even know how talented our son-in-law is?”

Xu Ruizhi seemed about to grab Shen Chengde by the ear.

Shen Zhuyun quickly stepped in to mediate. “Mom, can’t you two settle down for a moment?”

“Blind fool,” Shen Chengde muttered under his breath, hastily dodging away.

Originally, Xu Ruizhi seemed to be calming down, but now her eyebrows shot up. “So now you’re cursing me over this bargain son-in-law? I won’t let this go!”

She shoved past Shen Zhuyun and rushed at Shen Chengde.

Witnessing this scene, Chen Yuyi could only smile helplessly. Shen Zhuyun, though cold, was dignified and poised—how could her family be so unruly?

…

“Have you had enough?” Suddenly, a stern voice rang out.

Xu Ruizhi and Shen Chengde instantly fell silent.

Chen Yuyi saw an elderly lady, her hair silver-white, enter the hall, supported by a middle-aged woman.

Shen Zhuyun hurriedly called out, “Grandmother!” She gently nudged Chen Yuyi.

Chen Yuyi immediately echoed, “Grandmother.”

The old lady fixed her gaze on Chen Yuyi for a long moment before finally speaking. “Are you the one Zhuyun chose?”

Chen Yuyi felt that only this grandmother’s presence truly embodied the family’s bearing. He bowed his head and replied, “Yes, Grandmother. Zhuyun and I are deeply in love. We did not seek your permission before coming together, but I hope you can give us your blessing.”

He said this as he and Shen Zhuyun had previously agreed.

“Grandmother, we truly love each other. We’ve even registered our marriage.” Shen Zhuyun spoke up, displaying their marriage certificate. She and Chen Yuyi had obtained it precisely for this day—the preparations were flawless, leaving no trace of deception.

“What? You’ve registered?” Xu Ruizhi could not help but grow furious. She’d always thought her daughter was just being impulsive, picking a man to spite her, but never imagined they had actually registered the marriage. How could she not be angry?

She had always hoped for Shen Zhuyun to marry well. The grandmother had even promised an engagement with an established family, with the date already set. But Zhuyun refused and left home, prompting endless scolding from her mother.

Shen Chengde also stiffened. He’d thought his daughter was merely amusing herself by choosing a man. Though he called Chen Yuyi his excellent son-in-law, he was never quite convinced. Today, he cooked personally only because Chen Yuyi had promptly given him two million yuan—he was hoping for more, so he seized the opportunity to make a good impression.

But his reaction was not as extreme as Xu Ruizhi’s. In his mind, as long as his daughter was happy, registering the marriage was fine. Besides, this son-in-law showed some ability, which he was happy to accept.

Grandmother Shen continued to gaze at Chen Yuyi.

Her sharp eyes made Chen Yuyi feel uneasy. She hardly resembled an octogenarian, yet her gaze held a kind, intimate warmth. Was it possible she had met him before?

“Since you are now husband and wife, you shall return to the Shen family,” the grandmother suddenly declared.

“What? Mother, you truly accept this marriage?” Xu Ruizhi asked in disbelief. The grandmother had once insisted Zhuyun marry into that distinguished family—how could her stance suddenly change? Though the certificate existed, she was convinced this marriage was not genuine.

The grandmother ignored her, her voice resolute.

“From this day forward, we will announce to the world that he is the son-in-law of the Shen family.”