She turned her head slightly: "I'm fine."
As soon as she spoke, she felt her chin being clamped.
He forced her to lift her face, his long, deep eyes staring at her: "Fine?" Upon hearing from Xie Jian that something happened to her, he rushed over, leaving his clients behind, not to watch her gloss things over!
Su Xingyu shrank back.
The thin anger in his eyes scared her.
How could she be fine? She just didn't want to tell him. Today, she had already suffered so much humiliation, both physically and mentally, and didn't want to rip open those bloody wounds again, exposing them to his scrutiny.
That would make her feel embarrassed.
She looked at him pleadingly: "Lu Shifeng, I'm really fine, it's just a little quarrel with my family."
His gaze deepened: "I don't like being dismissed." He had investigated her background and was very clear about how her family treated her regularly. If that was called 'fine,' then what counted as 'something wrong'? His slender fingers stroked her swollen cheek, applying slight pressure, making her gasp in pain. He demanded, "Speak."
"Lu Shifeng..." She pleaded again, but he remained unmoved.
The private room was very quiet, with a faint scent of tea and medicine floating in the air. Against the light, he shrouded her in shadow, his superior stance like a devil who controls everything.
She gave up. When had this man ever cared about her dignity?
She closed her eyes, forcing back the sobs: "Dad scolded me for being shameless, going around seducing men and disgracing the family. He wants me to quit my job and come home, saying I shouldn't tarnish my sister's reputation. But it was clearly Su Xingqi who stole my fiancé and slandered me everywhere. I just retorted a bit... then he slapped me. Are you satisfied now?"
The man in front of her didn't respond for a long time.
She still kept her eyes closed, her head held high, afraid that if she opened her eyes, the tears would uncontrollably fall.
Beside her cheek, his hand slowly released, and after a moment, it gently touched her cheek again with a bit of coolness. Startled, she opened her eyes and saw him, at some point, holding half of an ointment tube, carefully applying it to her cheek.
"Don't move," he said, "you're clumsy, you haven't even spread the ointment."
"I'm not clumsy!" she retorted.
"Not clumsy?" His hand didn't stop moving, his voice deep, "Not clumsy, yet you took a slap for nothing, just hiding here and crying. Is it such a big deal that you feel so wronged? Just hit back, and I'll have someone handle it."
She stared at him blankly: "You're going to send someone to hit them?"
Then said: "I didn't cry."
His slender fingers brushed over her eyes like a droplet, removing some crystal tears. He retracted his hand, closed the ointment box, seemingly amused by her words, looking at her like a child who doesn't understand: "Hit them? No, I'll make them hit themselves, even kneel in front of you begging to be hit, at your mercy."
He spoke lightly, but waves of chill rose in her heart.
Though grateful he was willing to vent for her, "Lu Shifeng, they are my family."
"Do they treat you as family?"
Her heart felt bitter; she shook her head. She didn't understand why things turned out this way. When she was young, her mother still alive, her father loved her dearly, often holding her little self on his lap, bringing back goodies whenever he went out. But then things gradually changed; her father's eyes looked at her more disdainfully, as if she were a disgrace to the family.
She was about to cry again, reached out to wipe the corner of her eyes.
Her body was embraced into a firm, warm hug, with Lu Shifeng's voice coming from above her head: "It's all in the past now. Your family is now me, and I'll protect you well."
Su Xingqi was slapped three days later.
It was a large fashion show event, gathering top models; somehow, she angered the international supermodel closing the show that evening and was slapped front and back, falling to the ground. Coincidentally, a reporter backstage recorded the entire scene, circulating it quickly to become a laughingstock within and outside the circle.
Su Xingqi found Qin Mu, crying until her makeup was ruined: "Qin Mu, you must get justice for me!"
Unfortunately, Qin Mu was helpless too; the person was an international supermodel, utterly ignoring the existence of domestic second-tier luxury brands. What could Qin Mu do to get justice?
"Hold on," he could only comfort Su Xingqi like that, "your temper should also be restrained."
Su Xingqi cried miserably: "What's wrong with my temper, I didn't do anything wrong? Qin Mu, do you not love me anymore, still thinking about my sister, that fickle woman?"
Qin Mu was annoyed, suddenly realizing why there were fewer problems when he was with Su Xingyu.
Mr. Su's company wasn't going well either.
First, a batch of urgently needed raw materials didn't arrive on time, then the quality inspection bureau found product quality issues, ordering rectification. These comings and goings caused huge losses, making Mr. Su feel very distressed. He sought many connections and backdoors to no avail, with his temper growing volatile day by day, throwing things at home, making the entire family uneasy.
Su Xingyu saw the news on TV.
She asked Lu Shifeng: "Was it you?"
Lu Shifeng didn't deny it: "He should be grateful to be your dad, otherwise he'd already be bankrupt and homeless."
Su Xingyu's feelings were complex. What could she say? Should she thank Lu Shifeng for venting for her or criticize him for going after her father? But somehow, there's a touch of emotion; since her mother's death, almost nobody in the world would go to great lengths for her anymore, except him, who stood up for her.
She said, "So you really will protect me."
He was displeased: "You don't believe me?"
She quickly shook her head: "I believe you. Thank you, Lu Shifeng."
He frowned: "What are you thanking between husband and wife? If you really want to thank, just quit your job on my terms, bring two bodyguards when you go out, driver pickup, assistant accompanying, nobody can touch you."
Last time, would she have been hit if she hadn't gone out for dinner with colleagues and clients?
Lu Shifeng was brooding about it, continually urging her to resign these days.
Su Xingyu's mood turned gloomy; this man was a tyrant at heart, even if he'd stand up for her, it wasn't without conditions. She squeezed out a smile: "We agreed, you promised I could work, don't go back on your word. I promise I'll be careful about safety, this kind of thing won't happen again."
"If it happens again, you just have to resign and come home obediently."
"Okay." Her smile was even more forced; keeping a job was really not easy.
Who knew, before Lu Shifeng could successfully pressure her to resign, she received a dismissal letter from Illusion Dream magazine.