Kicked Out of Bed

With that, Luo Shixun produced another bank card. Handing it to Shang Wende, he said, "There is one hundred million in here. This is the bride price we agreed upon. I came here today specifically to give this to you."

"Don't even think about using money to settle this matter!" Shang Wende pushed the card back.

Luo Shixun explained, "Father-in-law, that is not what I mean. I am only sending this because I don't want Shang Qi to feel wronged. Besides, Mother-in-law's condition is quite serious. The future medical expenses will likely be a substantial sum. This bride price can help you through your urgent difficulties."

Thinking of Yu Xiufen's illness, Shang Wende wailed inwardly and grew somewhat hesitant.

Luo Shixun forcefully shoved the card into his hand, saying, "I will have Yichen contact specialists in the United States. Medical technology domestically is limited and it will be very difficult to cure Mother-in-law's illness here."

"Can American specialists cure her?"

"No one can guarantee that. However, the Luo family will mobilize all resources to do our utmost."

Holding the bank card, Shang Wende found himself caught in a difficult dilemma.

Finally, Luo Shixun said, "There are still some matters regarding the wedding to attend to, so I must head back and make preparations. Father-in-law, see you tomorrow."

With those words, he stood up and left. Shang Wende desperately wanted to return the card in his hand. Yet, in the end, he could not bring himself to do it. After all, this money represented his wife's life! Furthermore, his daughter was already living with Luo Yichen. Even if he opposed this to the bitter end, it would change nothing.

Inside the hospital corridor, Yao Minzhi asked in a low voice, "Are you certain that Shang Qi has already dropped the lawsuit?"

Luo Yichen replied, "Yes. I watched her sign the papers with my own eyes."

"One must always be guarded against others. We cannot drop our own lawsuit before the wedding," Yao Minzhi muttered to herself.

Luo Yichen looked at her in utter astonishment and asked, "Didn't Li Chen drop his lawsuit long ago?"

Realizing she could no longer keep it a secret, Yao Minzhi sneered, "That was merely a smokescreen released to put the Shang family at ease. Rest assured, the moment the wedding is successfully held, Li Chen will immediately have someone process the withdrawal of the lawsuit."

"Mother, Shang Qi has already registered our marriage and is now my wife. How do you expect me to face her after doing this?"

Yao Minzhi rebuked him harshly, "Have you lost your mind over a woman? Shang Qi could easily claim that you forced her to register the marriage and overturn everything. Until everyone bears witness to your marriage, you cannot lower your guard."

Luo Yichen knew that everything his mother did was the optimal approach to minimize risk. Yet, deep down, he felt a bitter taste in his mouth. Marriage was supposed to be one of life's great celebrations, but his own wedding was merely the result of a power struggle among various interests. If tomorrow's bride were not Shang Qi, Luo Yichen truly would not want to take part in it at all.

After Yao Minzhi left, Shang Wende returned. Seeing Luo Yichen lingering in the corridor, he said nothing more. Stepping into the hospital room, he said to Shang Qi, "Go back with Luo Yichen! We will attend tomorrow's wedding."

At that exact moment, Luo Yichen walked into the room and heard every word. Shang Qi saw that her father's eyes were bloodshot and his spirit utterly broken, as if he had aged immensely overnight. Reluctant to leave her parents, she felt tears welling up in her eyes.

Luo Yichen said, "Father, Mother, thank you both."

Yu Xiufen felt that Shang Wende's decision was an act of helpless resignation, yet there was no better solution at hand. She said, "I hope you keep your word."

Luo Yichen nodded and left with Shang Qi. Shang Wende let out a deep sigh and murmured, "This must be fate!"

Yu Xiufen took his hand and comforted him, "This is still much better than driving our daughter to a dead end."

Upon leaving the hospital, Shang Qi felt utterly exhausted, yet she could not fall asleep at all, terrified of the man by her side. Luo Yichen suggested, "Let's grab some dinner before we head back."

"I don't want to be subjected to any more sneers and mockery. Let's just go straight back."

Seeing Shang Qi's listless and lifeless appearance, Luo Yichen felt a sharp pang of heartache. However, he could not force the issue, so he simply drove them back to the apartment. Once inside, Shang Qi locked herself in her bedroom. Fearing that Luo Yichen might enter again, she forced herself to stay awake, terrified of falling asleep.

Shang Qi dialed Liu Yuxin's number and said, "Yuxin, I'm getting married tomorrow."

"Are you really marrying Luo Yichen? After the incident happened, I tried calling you many times, but I couldn't get through."

"Fearing too much harassment, I changed my phone number."

Liu Yuxin tried to dissuade her, "How could you possibly marry Luo Yichen?"

"I will tell you the details later. Will you be able to attend tomorrow's wedding?"

"Yes! No matter what, I will definitely come back for your wedding." Liu Yuxin wanted to offer a few more words of persuasion, but ultimately bit her tongue.

"Alright, see you tomorrow then!"

Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door, and Luo Yichen walked in carrying a sandwich. Though called a sandwich, it was actually just a piece of bread with a fried egg and a few cucumber slices tucked inside. Luo Yichen had never stepped foot in a kitchen before; he had simply looked up a recipe online just now and stumbled through making it.

He said, "Eat something."

Shang Qi's wary gaze kept him from approaching any further, so he simply placed the food on the study desk and backed away. Shang Qi looked at it, but made no move to eat. Half an hour later, Luo Yichen returned, carrying a glass of milk.

Frowning, he asked, "Why haven't you eaten?"

Shang Qi continued to eye him with acute vigilance.

Overcome by a bitter sorrow, Luo Yichen picked up the sandwich and took a bite. Then, he said, "Can you rest easy now? This is the first time I've ever made food for a woman, so don't doubt my sincerity."

Having eaten practically nothing all day, Shang Qi's stomach was indeed rumbling with hunger. Seeing her expression soften, Luo Yichen handed the sandwich over once more. Shang Qi quickly finished it. Luo Yichen then pushed the glass of milk toward her hand, saying, "Drink this, it will help you calm your nerves and sleep."

Without another word, Shang Qi picked it up and drank it down. Luo Yichen sat on the opposite sofa and said with deep emotion, "I hope that tomorrow you will be my most beautiful bride. I love you! So, please, let's live our lives well together."

Shang Qi began to feel somewhat dizzy and lightheaded, her mind growing groggy. Gradually, her eyelids grew heavier and heavier until she could no longer keep them open. Finally, she slumped against the headboard and fell into a deep sleep. Luo Yichen had slipped a sleeping pill into the milk. When they were at the hospital, he had briefly described Shang Qi's condition to the doctor, who had suggested temporary use of a sedative to alleviate her severe anxiety.

Luo Yichen sat by the bedside. Gazing at Shang Qi for a long time, he said with sorrow, "When will we ever be able to live together in such peace again?"

Suddenly, Shang Qi began having a nightmare. Seeing her tormented expression, Luo Yichen tried to wake her up, but the sedative's effects had not worn off, and she remained unresponsive. He gathered Shang Qi into his arms, hoping to give her enough strength to stop fearing her past. Gradually, Shang Qi quieted down, curling up in Luo Yichen's embrace like a child.

The night was profoundly still. At that moment, Luo Yichen's heart was exceptionally heavy. He had once longed eagerly to walk down the aisle with Shang Qi. Yet, with the wedding imminent, he felt not a shred of excitement, only growing apprehension. Luo Yichen worried that after the marriage Shang Qi would find it difficult to adapt to the Luo family, and he feared she might actually do something drastic. Thus, consumed by endless worry, he forced himself to endure until dawn.

Early in the morning, as a ray of sunlight pierced through the bedroom window, Shang Qi woke up. Thanks to the sleeping pill, she had not been startled awake during the night. Feeling a heavy weight across her body, she was shocked to discover a man's arm draped over her waist, with that large hand resting squarely across her chest.

Startled, Shang Qi shoved the "groper's hand" away and sat up abruptly. Seeing Luo Yichen sleeping beside her fully clothed, she instinctively looked down at her own body. Fortunately, she was still wearing last night's pajamas. Gasping in indignation, she cried out, "Why are you here again? Get out of here!"

Luo Yichen had only fallen asleep near dawn and was dead to the world with exhaustion. Keeping his eyes closed, he muttered, "Stop making a racket!" and rolled over to continue sleeping.

Infuriated, Shang Qi aimed a fierce kick directly at his lower back. Consequently, under the force of gravity, Luo Yichen tumbled straight off the bed and landed hard on his backside. The solid impact shocked him wide awake with a sharp ache. Crawling up from the floor, he saw Shang Qi glaring down at him from the bed.

Furious, he yelled, "Are you trying to murder your own husband? Throwing me off the bed like that could kill someone!"

"You're still alive and well, aren't you? And I didn't just push you, I kicked you off."

Provoked beyond endurance, Luo Yichen scrambled back up and pinned Shang Qi down onto the bed, staring straight into her eyes. His gaze burned with a mix of irritation and raw desire—a heat so intense it felt as though it could melt Shang Qi away.

Cowering in fear, she stammered, "What are you trying to do? The wedding is today, don't you dare pull anything. Otherwise, I won't marry you at all."

Luo Yichen remained silent. Because they were positioned so close together, his warm breath washed over Shang Qi's face, tickling her nose. Caught off guard, she let out a sudden sneeze, instantly spraying her saliva all over Luo Yichen's face.

He shouted, "Shang Qi, did you do that on purpose?"

"I did no such thing!"

With that, she wrenched herself free from Luo Yichen's restraint and sat up. He made another move to grab her, but grasped empty air instead, his hand catching only the fabric of her pajamas. With a sharp tug, half of Shang Qi's fragrant shoulder was bared, and the scenery of her chest was exposed to view.

Terrified out of her wits, she scrambled and tumbled off the far side of the bed. Fearing that Luo Yichen would not let her go, she bolted toward the window and shouted, "If you take another step closer, I will jump right out!"

Luo Yichen's complexion shifted dramatically. If the bride were to commit suicide by jumping from a building right before the wedding, the Luo family's stock price would plummet to rock bottom. He did not advance any further, but instead put on a bitter expression and pleaded, "Qiqi, do you really fear my closeness that much? I deeply regret what happened back then as well. I am marrying you not just for the sake of the Luo family, but also because I want to help you escape those vicious rumors."

"I don't believe a word of you. Luo Yichen, from the very beginning you've only ever thought of yourself, never considering anyone else, and you always find countless excuses to justify it."

"Was all the care I showed you over the years completely fake?" Luo Yichen asked, his heart aching.

"Care?" Shang Qi laughed a hollow, miserable laugh. "All those despicable things you did have completely erased any good. Luo Yichen, the fate of the Luo family rests in my hands right now. The moment I jump, you will lose everything in the blink of an eye. I am not afraid of death—if you've got the guts, just go ahead and test me!"