Chapter 47 Give Him a Chance

"Then I can take you out for a stroll," Lu Chengfeng said, walking over to Shu Yan.

He glanced at the nightgown she was wearing. "It's chilly out. Hurry inside. I'll come out to hang the laundry once it's done washing."

Shu Yan glanced at the clock in the living room. It was only nine o'clock, and she wasn't sleepy yet.

Lu Chengfeng seemed to read her mind once more.

"Want to watch TV together in the living room for a bit?" he asked. "We can go back to rest after the laundry is done."

Shu Yan pursed her lips and thought for a moment. She didn't say anything, but walked over toward the sofa, sat down, and picked up the remote to turn on the television.

She randomly selected a channel broadcasting a TV series.

It was a costume drama about imperial harem intrigues.

Lu Chengfeng closed the sliding door leading to the balcony.

Then, he went back to the bedroom, brought out a blanket, and draped it over Shu Yan. "It's cold at night. Make sure you don't catch a cold."

With that, he sat down beside her to watch TV together.

Lu Chengfeng's body was very warm. Even though a blanket separated them, Shu Yan could still feel his warm breath.

Consequently, she found it impossible to focus her attention on the television.

Just as she finally managed to grow accustomed to Lu Chengfeng's presence, the atmosphere in the TV drama suddenly turned ambiguous.

The emperor had chosen the newly entered female protagonist's tally to summon her for the night...

Shu Yan had no idea whether Lu Chengfeng found it awkward, but watching the male and female leads kiss made her genuinely awkward.

Then again, she reconsidered: they already had a child together, so if she kept acting so prudish, it would just seem a bit affected.

Fortunately, romantic scenes in television dramas were always brief, like a dragonfly skimming the water. With a sudden change of camera angle, the scene shifted to the next morning.

The male lead left to attend the early morning court session, specifically instructing the serving maids not to disturb the female protagonist's rest.

Upon hearing this, the maids all blushed and lowered their heads shyly as they acknowledged the order.

In truth, the female protagonist was already awake. Lying beneath the covers, she tightly clutched the quilt with both hands, her flushed face radiating happiness.

She was filled with anticipation for her future life.

Shu Yan suddenly felt a sense of sorrow. Times were developing and progressing, yet most women today still placed marriage above all else.

They entered marriage brimming with longing for a wonderful marital life, only to discover after the wedding that the attitude of their husbands had drastically changed.

"Why is it that men stop cherishing women once they've won them over?" Shu Yan abruptly threw a question at Lu Chengfeng.

Lu Chengfeng turned his head to look at her, startled at first, and then replied with a smile:

"I don't know what other men think, but as for the person I like, no matter when it is, I will always cherish her. That won't change just because we get married."

Shu Yan averted her gaze from Lu Chengfeng's burning stare, turned her head back to continue watching the TV series, and said no more.

Lu Chengfeng quietly stayed by her side. When the laundry was finished, he stood up to hang it out to dry.

As soon as he finished hanging the clothes, Shu Yan turned off the television, stood up, and said, "Let's go to sleep."

"Alright." Lu Chengfeng picked up the blanket. "You go inside first, I'll check the doors and windows."

Shu Yan nodded slightly, returned to the bedroom to use the restroom, and Lu Chengfeng came in as well, closing the bedroom door behind him.

After Shu Yan lay down, he turned off the main overhead light in the room and also made a trip to the bathroom.

Then he returned to the bedside and lay down.

Seeing that Lu Chengfeng had lain down, Shu Yan reached out and turned off the bedside lamp. "Leaving the light on hurts my eyes. I prefer sleeping in the dark."

"Mm," Lu Chengfeng acknowledged.

In the darkness, Shu Yan lay flat on the bed, listening to Lu Chengfeng's steady breathing. Her heartbeat inexplicably sped up.

Neither of them felt sleepy.

After a moment, Lu Chengfeng suddenly asked, "Are you cold?"

Shu Yan paused and replied, "Not cold."

The words were out of her mouth before she suddenly realized: was Lu Chengfeng's question implying something?

Two minutes later, Lu Chengfeng spoke again. "Shu Yan, I'm serious. I want to marry you, to spend my life with you, and not just for the sake of the child. Please give it careful consideration, will you?"

Shu Yan's throat suddenly tightened with emotion. "Why me?"

Lu Chengfeng was stunned for a moment, then turned on his side to look at her, saying softly:

"I don't know. The very first moment I saw you, I had this feeling that I wanted to be with you. The first time I came to your home, I felt so comfortable, and I really wanted to live here."

Shu Yan curved her lips in a bitter smile. "Then you should go visit other women's homes and see. Who knows, you might get the same feeling."

Lu Chengfeng abruptly reached out and cupped her face in his hands.

"I know your heart is full of doubts and worries right now, and that's a completely normal phenomenon. We haven't known each other long enough, and this child arrived too hastily."

"However, don't people often say that when things happen, you should make the best of them? Please put aside your anxiety and doubts, and give me a chance to prove that you haven't misjudged me. I will strive to be a good husband, a good father, and a good son-in-law."

No matter how hardened Shu Yan's heart was, hearing such words caused it to waver.

"Do you really not mind the complicated situation of my family?"

"I don't mind," Lu Chengfeng said with conviction. "Every family has its own difficult scriptures to chant. Regarding your family's situation, it only makes my heart ache for you, and makes me want to share my life with you and take care of you."

Shu Yan's eyes grew hot. She took a deep breath and replied, "I will think about it carefully."

Lu Chengfeng smiled, tucked the quilt around Shu Yan, and said, "Don't catch a cold."

Shu Yan turned over with her back to Lu Chengfeng, secretly wiping away the tears spilling from the corners of her eyes.

Behind her, Lu Chengfeng pressed close and embraced her.

Shu Yan's body stiffened, and her mouth grew drier than ever.

In her heart, she secretly despised herself for failing to resist a man's seductive temptation.

Her mind kept drifting to his eight-pack abs.

"How am I supposed to sleep when you're like this?" She turned around, intending to push Lu Chengfeng away, but her lips were captured by his.

In the quiet room, both of their breaths grew ragged.

Everything that followed fell naturally into place.

Shu Yan stopped being coy; she surrendered to her body's desire for Lu Chengfeng.

However, Lu Chengfeng was exceptionally gentle tonight. Fearing that too much roughness might harm the child, he didn't drag it out excessively either.

When it was over, he carried Shu Yan into the bathroom to wash her off, dried her body, and then carried her back to the bed in the bedroom.

After the exertion, Shu Yan quickly curled up in Lu Chengfeng's embrace and fell asleep.

Lu Chengfeng, however, couldn't bear to sleep. He just kept gazing at the person in his arms, wishing time could stand still.

The next morning, Shu Yan was awakened by her alarm clock.

Lu Chengfeng was no longer by her side. She sat in a daze for a