Addicted after marriage - CHAPTER 13:
The door was already off its hinges. He had said she might as well move out tonight
and move in with him.
Luo Shu froze. His words echoed in her mind, soft but heavy,
like stones dropping into still water.
Something flickered in her chest, an emotion she didn’t want to name.
But before it could grow, she smothered it completely.
Yu Zhan, stop joking. Go home. There are plenty of rich,
elegant women waiting for you. I’m just a small-time employee.
Any one of them is better than me.
She wanted to keep talking, but he cut her off effortlessly.
Not every woman gets the chance to sleep with me.
Oh. My. God.
So the cold, untouchable Mr. Yu was… that innocent?
No wonder he’d asked her on the very first day if she wanted to
try being Mrs. Yu. Turns out he was the old-fashioned kind.
Luo Shu’s face burned so hot it could fry an egg.
She twisted open a water bottle and gulped down half of it in one go.
Be careful tonight. Call me if anything happens.
He stood, towering above the messy apartment, and walked toward the door.
Yu Zhan.
He paused, glancing back as if waiting for something more.
Thank you.
He said nothing, his expression calm as stone, and walked away.
She had no idea how many times she’d called him by his full name.
It rolled off her tongue as naturally as if they’d known each other forever.
Watching him leave, Luo Shu felt that familiar emptiness settle around her again.
Her family was fractured. She had trusted the wrong man.
No wonder the thought of marriage made her feel sick.
If that night had been with anyone else, Yu Zhan probably
would’ve treated that woman the same way
asking the same questions, offering the same concern.
It wasn’t her. It was the circumstance.
She booked a hotel room, called the landlord,
and arranged for someone to fix the broken door.
That evening, she drove out to the garage where Qin Heng used to work
owned by Liao Xian’s uncle. This would be her last gift to them.
She explained politely that the dashcam was broken and needed fixing,
even emphasizing that she was a friend of Qin Heng’s.
The mechanics recognized the car. It was the same one he’d brought in before.
Liao’s uncle inspected the dashcam himself.
Luo Shu pretended to trust them, left the car there, and walked away.
By Wednesday, the engagement ceremony had been officially called off.
Liao’s uncle must have heard what was on that dashcam
and found the hidden camera too.
The Liao family decided that Qin Heng’s lack of affection for Liao Xian was bad enough.
Add to that his insistence on aborting the baby,
and it was clear he had no respect for them. The marriage was canceled on the spot.
The Qin family went into chaos. Their son had fathered a child, lost the marriage,
and the scandal ruined their reputation.
Killing with someone else’s knife, Luo Shu thought. Nothing in the world felt as satisfying.
She rode that satisfaction for days, but reality soon caught up.
She still needed to find a new place quickly before anyone connected the dots.
That afternoon, she left work in high spirits, waiting patiently by the elevator.
A soft ding announced its arrival.
The doors slid open.
Yu Zhan and Shen Yan were inside.
History really did have a sense of humor.
She stepped in, hoping to stay invisible, but when the elevator reached the 18th floor,
a crowd from the PR department flooded in her least favorite group of chatterboxes.
She tried to inch away, putting distance between her and the two men,
but the crowd pushed her closer until she was standing right beside Yu Zhan.
Her breath caught. She could practically hear her heartbeat.
Luo, move up a little, someone said cheerfully, and gave her a shove.
She stumbled, reaching out instinctively for balance
and her hand landed in a large, warm palm.
Her stomach dropped.
Yu Zhan’s hand.
She yanked, but his grip was firm, fingers laced around hers.
If anyone saw this, she thought, she’d never live it down.
Just then, her phone buzzed. The distraction saved her.
She managed to pull her hand free and checked the message.
A text from the elderly tailor she always used.
The suit is finished. Can you come pick it up tonight? [Location attached]
Okay.
Your boyfriend will love it.
Oh no.
Her heart jumped. She quickly locked the screen, but not before Yu Zhan,
standing right beside her, saw everything.
His eyes narrowed. He had seen the sender’s profile picture, the address, and
most damning of all the words “your boyfriend.”
The elevator reached the parking level. Luo Shu darted out,
got into her car, and followed the GPS toward the address.
The route ended at the gates of a sprawling estate.
The security guards stopped her car, saying they had no orders to let her in.
But her map insisted the location was inside.
She was about to text the tailor when a new message arrived.
Wait two minutes at the gate.
She shrugged, stepped out of the car, and took in the view.
The estate was breathtaking a gothic-style castle surrounded
by rolling lawns and cottonwood trees swaying gently in the night breeze.
A car pulled up beside hers. The window rolled down.
Yu Zhan.
Their eyes met, both speechless.
The guard recognized him immediately and opened the gate, but Yu Zhan didn’t drive in.
Then a booming, cheerful voice called out from within.
Granddaughter-in-law! There you are! I’ve been waiting!
Luo Shu froze.
Granddaughter-in-law?
Yu Zhan froze too.
The old man rushed out, smiling from ear to ear.
Why’d you two drive separately? Having a lover’s quarrel already?
Luo Shu shot Yu Zhan a desperate look that screamed help me.
He chuckled under his breath and got out of the car.
Grandpa, go on inside first.
He gently pushed the old man toward the gate.
Grandpa Yu, still curious, lingered just far enough away to eavesdrop.
Yu Zhan turned back to Luo Shu, his expression turning sharp.
What’s going on?
I don’t know! I’m just here to pick up some clothes!
Then why did my grandfather call you granddaughter-in-law?
His voice was low, with a hint of anger beneath the calm part confusion, part jealousy.
I really don’t know.
She hesitated before blurting out the truth. I asked him to make a shirt.
For you. To replace the one I tore.
You know my size?
No… I used your jacket as reference and told him
Her face went scarlet.
Told him what?
I told him it was for my boyfriend. I said to match the suit proportions.
Her voice trailed off, suddenly small and shy.
Yu Zhan laughed softly. Brilliant. You’re dead.
He rubbed his temples, glancing over her shoulder at
his grandfather still pretending not to listen.
Did I mess up? she whispered.
His dark eyes met hers.
All my suits are handmade by my grandfather.
They have my name sewn inside. So when you said it was for your boyfriend…
what do you think he assumed?
He sighed.
No wonder he asked if my shirt got torn last time.
Oh no.
She finally understood how deep in trouble she was.
Do you know what day it is? he asked, voice cool but almost amused.
What day?
My grandfather’s eightieth birthday. Every relative we have is here.
Her knees went weak. She might as well have walked into a royal court full of hungry tigers.
Yu Zhan waited, clearly enjoying her panic.
What should I do? she whispered.
Now she realized why the tailor hadn’t asked for a deposit or measurements
the shirt was free because the birthday boy had made it himself.
The birthday boy who now thought she was his beloved grandson’s future wife.
The old man had come out to welcome her personally. Inside,
everyone was probably waiting to meet the mysterious “granddaughter-in-law.”
Her wide eyes pleaded silently. Save me. Please.
Yu Zhan tilted his head toward the gate.
You can either come in with me or go explain it yourself.
If she turned and ran now, Yu Zhan would be the gossip of the night.
But if she went in… how could she possibly explain?