Chapter 43: Assistant Qiao was exhausted last night.

Outside the police station, Shen Zhiwei was still wearing the same clothes from seven days ago. The exquisite makeup and former pride had long since vanished from her face.

Her pale complexion and reddened, aggrieved eyes wrung Xu Shiran's heart.

He took off his suit jacket, draped it over her shoulders, and pulled her into his arms.

"I'm sorry."

Shen Zhiwei buried her face against his chest, clutching his neck tightly.

Her tears wet Xu Shiran's white shirt.

In her bloodshot eyes, a flash of utter resentment and unwillingness flickered by.

"Weiwei, let's go home first."

Perhaps having been locked up alone for seven days, Shen Zhiwei seemed intensely dependent on Xu Shiran, her lawful husband.

She kept her arms tightly wrapped around his neck, and Xu Shiran thoroughly relished his wife's reliance on him.

"Are you hungry? I'll have someone prepare something for you, hmm?"

Shen Zhiwei shook her head. "Not hungry. I want to sleep."

The driver took them back to the villa where Xu Shiran and Shen Zhiwei lived after their marriage.

Xu Shiran's phone rang incessantly, but Shen Zhiwei refused to let him leave.

From taking a bath in the bathroom to lying on the bed in the bedroom, Shen Zhiwei clung to him relentlessly.

With tears shimmering in her eyes, she said, "Shiran, let's have a child."

Shen Zhiwei looked up, well aware of how to make this man completely yield.

Let's have a child.

When the crucial moment arrived, this child would serve as her ultimate lifeline.

Only after Shen Zhiwei fell asleep did Xu Shiran leave the house and head to the company.

Early in the morning, members of the Shen family went to the Xu family's old estate, where Fang Yiqiu was interrogated by her in-laws.

The evidence Xu Shiran had posted online was submitted under a real-name report.

Fang Yiqiu was eating breakfast when she received the news. "Hah! He's not even my biological son; I can't control him."

"Back when we arranged the business marriage, you married off a daughter who had already been thoroughly used by others to my son, and I haven't even sought justice from you yet."

Upon hearing her speak of her daughter in such a manner, Mrs. Shen flew into a rage and smashed the dining table.

"And what kind of good thing is your son? Isn't he just a bastard too?"

"When we agreed that my daughter was marrying Xu Shiran, why did it end up being Xu Shiran instead? Don't you know in your heart?"

Xu Shiran was Fang Yiqiu's bottom line; she would never allow anyone to speak ill of her son.

Just as Xu Shiran was overwhelmed with stress, he received a call informing him that the mothers of both families were engaged in a violent brawl at home.

Leaving an entire boardroom full of people hanging, he rushed back to the Xu family's old villa.

"Mom, enough."

"Haven't you two made enough of a scene?"

Xu Shiran slammed his phone onto the floor, shattering it into pieces.

Both Fang Yiqiu and Mrs. Shen were startled by his sudden outburst.

Xu Shiran's temper had always been gentle.

He had never once raised his voice or lost his temper.

"Mom, can you please stop adding to my chaos?" Xu Shiran was overcome with a sense of utter powerlessness.

He turned to Mrs. Shen and said, "Mom, I've already had my lawyers working on bail for Dad. You can see the company's current situation—the evidence is undeniable. We either fix it or pay up, but no matter which it is, the Shen Corporation is facing the risk of bankruptcy."

Mrs. Shen grabbed Xu Shiran's arm. "Shiran, the Shen family cannot go bankrupt! If the Shen family goes bankrupt, what will happen to Weiwei?"

"Weiwei is my wife. The Shen family's downfall will not affect her."

"Xu Shiran has no intention of letting the Shen family off easily. I must prepare for all eventualities."

Mrs. Shen quickly agreed, "I'll have Xiaozhao return to the company to take charge."

Hearing that name only made Xu Shiran even more irritated.

"Mom, Shen Zhao is a doctor. I'll have someone else handle company matters."

Thinking Xu Shiran was right, Mrs. Shen replied, "Alright, I'll listen to you. Mom will listen to you in everything."

Meanwhile, Xu Shiran—the man who had just turned everything upside down—was propping his head with one hand, watching the person sleeping soundly beside him.

When Qiao Xu opened her eyes, she was so startled she nearly suffered cardiac arrest.

"Are you out of your mind?"

Xu Shiran kissed her eyes. "Good morning, wife."

"What time is it? Why are you still here?"

Xu Shiran got out of bed, went to the walk-in closet to grab her pajamas, and helped her put them on. "Baby, I knelt until dawn before I went to sleep. Since I put in the effort and took the punishment, missing work for a morning isn't too much to ask, right?"

Qiao Xu put on her bathrobe and got out of bed.

Before her feet even touched the floor, he scooped her up and carried her into the bathroom.

Xu Shiran poured water for her, brushed her teeth, and washed her face.

Their dynamic felt as though they had traveled back to their college days.

Except—

One had to ignore the dense cluster of red "peach blossoms" blooming all over Qiao Xu's neck.

"What about me? Am I supposed to skip work with you?"

"Of course not. You're on paid leave."

"Assistant Qiao was exhausted from serving her boss last night, so you get double-pay leave."

Starving and in no mood to bicker with him, Qiao Xu changed her clothes and went downstairs.

Aunt Wang had already prepared lunch.

As Qiao Xu scrolled through the news on her phone, she spotted the reports online.

Xu Shiran was wearing a dark blue suit paired with a misty blue shirt, unusually without a tie.

"The Shen Corporation—did you do this?"

Xu Shiran pulled out a chair, sat down, and ladled a bowl of soup for her. "What did I do?"

"They brought all these things upon themselves."

"I didn't hold a knife to their throats and force them to commit such heinous acts."

Speechless, Qiao Xu retorted, "Even so, there was no need for a real-name report. You practically made sure the whole world knew you did it."

Xu Shiran fed her a bite. "I actually wanted to make sure they knew."

"I'm a petty person who holds grudges and returns every blow."

"One by one."

"There's no rush."

After the meal, Qiao Xu searched the walk-in closet for her professional attire, only to find nothing, leaving her with no choice but to put on one of his high-end custom shirts and a midi skirt.

As for her neck......

She had applied two layers of concealer.

With his sharp eyes, Xu Shiran could still spot a faint trace. The color difference made it rather obvious, like trying to hide a bell by plugging one's ears.

Still!

She was wearing his black shirt; how he wanted to tear it right off.

"What are you staring at? Drive already, we're going to be late for the afternoon meeting."

Xu Shiran chuckled softly, silently sending a text message to Song Jia before starting the car.

"Qiaoqiao, try to go out with me during this period."

"Why?"

Qiao Xu didn't want to go anywhere with him.

It was far too conspicuous.

"The Shen family can't touch me, but there's no guarantee they won't make a move against you. If you're with me, they'll think twice."

Hearing him put it that way, Qiao Xu's heart leaped into her throat.

"Xu Shiran, is it too late for me to pretend I don't know you?"

Xu Shiran grabbed her hand resting on her lap. "Too late. No regrets allowed. If you run away again, I'll lock you up."

"Eight times every night."

Qiao Xu yanked her hand out of his grasp. "Watch out for sudden death."

Xu Shiran raised an eyebrow with a light laugh. "Die in your arms? That wouldn't be so bad. It should be a happy death."

"Aren't you even afraid I'll be scared to death?"

When they arrived at the company, Xu Shiran led Qiao Xu straight into his office.

"What are you doing? The meeting is about to start."

A box sat on Xu Shiran's desk. She opened it to find a light blue patterned silk scarf.

He picked it up, tied it delicately around her neck, and fashioned it into a very structured butterfly bow.

Many of Qiao Xu's clothes and dresses back in the day required bows.

To make them look good, she had specifically made Xu Shiran learn how to tie them.

"So pretty. Wife, I want a reward."

Qiao Xu stepped hard on his leather shoe. "Didn't you cause this mess yourself?"

"Time for the meeting, President Xu."