Chapter 10: Once Humble  

Wen Li turned around in surprise to see Shen An emerging from around the corner.  

A fierce aura burned in Shen An’s eyes as he strode over to Wen Li, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close.  

Leaning against him, Wen Li was enveloped by the clean, refreshing scent of his body.  

Their intimate gesture stung Song Xingzhou’s eyes, and he gritted his teeth as he demanded, “Who is he?”  

Before Shen An could respond, Wen Li quickly answered, “My husband.”  

The fury in Shen An’s eyes vanished in an instant, smoothed away.  

“You’re really married?!” Song Xingzhou couldn’t believe it—he had thought Cheng Yu’s earlier words were just meant to provoke him.  

Shen An pulled out his phone, tapped a few times, and turned the screen toward Song Xingzhou. “Legally so.”  

Wen Li had seen him scrolling through his phone but hadn’t expected him to have a photo of their marriage certificate saved.  

Song Xingzhou seemed genuinely shaken, his expression wounded as he stared at Wen Li. “Do you hate me that much?”  

Wen Li gave a helpless, faint smile. “Song Xingzhou, you don’t actually think I got married just to spite you, do you?”  

They had indeed dated for two years in college, and she had taken that relationship seriously. But when he left, she hadn’t resented him—she had even thought his choice to prioritize his future was the right one.  

In the end, she had initiated the breakup with a clear, rational mindset, so there was no hatred involved.  

“Then what? Don’t tell me you love him!” Song Xingzhou roared, his voice bordering on hysterical.  

Shen An, who had remained relatively composed until now, suddenly swung his arm and punched Song Xingzhou square in the face, swearing under his breath, “Damn it, who the hell are you yelling at?”  

Song Xingzhou took the full force of the punch and moved to retaliate, but Wen Li shoved him back. “Try laying a finger on him!”  

Wen Li was terrified—Shen An couldn’t withstand a single heavy blow.  

Seeing Wen Li fiercely defending Shen An, Song Xingzhou looked utterly devastated. He gave a bitter laugh and nodded. “Fine, fine. Consider this punch payback for what I owe you. I won’t fight back. Wen Li, I’ve been accepted at Second Hospital—I start officially next Monday. We’ll be colleagues from now on. There’s plenty of time ahead.”  

Shen An’s heart lurched in sudden panic. Colleagues? Plenty of time ahead?  

Dr. Zhang, who had pursued Wen Li for three months, hadn’t fazed him—but this Song Xingzhou was someone he couldn’t ignore.  

Song Xingzhou and Wen Li had genuinely dated in college. For those two years, stacks of photos had been delivered to Shen An, and he had tortured himself studying every smile and expression of hers in those images—watching them attend classes together, eat together, stroll through every corner of the campus.  

Zhou Zhuan had once told him that his love was too pitiful, advising him to stop lurking in the shadows. If he couldn’t go to her, he should at least free himself. But Shen An refused. He was afraid his little girl might be deceived or hurt, so he endured the torment day after day.  

After two years of secret observation, he had found no evidence that Song Xingzhou had ever harmed Wen Li. He had assumed they would marry after graduation—until Song Xingzhou abruptly left the country just before their college years ended.  

How could he possibly feel at ease about someone who had truly been with her?  

The more Shen An thought about it, the more unsettled he became. His heart pounded erratically, and he pressed a hand to his chest in discomfort, alarming both Wen Li and Cheng Yu.  

“Are you feeling unwell?” Wen Li worried that throwing that punch might have been too strenuous for him.  

“Uncle, do you need to go to the hospital? Or should I call Ye Shen to come take a look?” Cheng Yu was equally anxious. Though both she and Wen Li were doctors, neither was as authoritative as Ye Shen, the cardiology specialist.

Moreover, over the past few years, Ye Shen had been Shen An’s attending physician. No one understood his condition better than him.

Shen An waved his hand, paused for a moment, and then said faintly, “A good ex should disappear from your life as if they were dead, right?”

The broken look in Shen An’s eyes made Wen Li’s heart soften involuntarily. She said firmly, “Yes, that’s right.”

The gloom in her heart slowly dissipated. “I’m fine now. Are we really going to stand at the bathroom door forever?”

“Are you really okay?” Wen Li was still worried.

Shen An gave a gentle smile. She had just stood up for him, and now she was concerned about him. It steadied his uneasy heart a little.

He ruffled her hair reassuringly. “I’m really fine now.”

He had just been scared, panicked, that’s all. What if the girl he had worked so hard to win was really taken away?

As the three of them turned to leave, Wen Li suddenly stopped in her tracks, belatedly looking at Shen An and Cheng Yu.

The other two halted with her. Shen An asked, “What’s wrong?”

Wen Li scrutinized their appearances. They weren’t exactly alike, but there was indeed some resemblance in their features.

“Cheng Yu, what did you just call Shen An?”

Cheng Yu covered her mouth in shock. Had she slipped up in her haste earlier?

“I… called him what?” Cheng Yu felt she could still salvage the situation.

“You called him ‘Uncle’!” Wen Li declared emphatically.

“You’re her uncle?” Wen Li pointed at Cheng Yu as she asked Shen An.

Shen An nodded. “By blood.”

Wen Li glared at Cheng Yu. “You hid this well!”

“No, wait, let me explain!” Cheng Yu quickly grabbed Wen Li’s arm. “I wanted to keep a low profile at school, so I never mentioned my background. Besides, you never asked!”

“So it’s my fault now?” Wen Li laughed in exasperation.

“I even married your uncle, and you still didn’t tell me you’re his niece!” Wen Li truly thought Cheng Yu was adaptable—carrying the identity of Shen An’s niece while secretly complaining with her about her Sickly person husband who disappeared after marriage.

Cheng Yu sneakily glanced at her uncle and whispered in Wen Li’s ear, “You married my uncle for the Luck-bringing marriage, right? As his niece, I found it embarrassing! I thought if my uncle really kicked the bucket, you wouldn’t know my identity, and we could still be sisters without any awkwardness!”

“I heard that!” Shen An tugged Cheng Yu’s ponytail, both annoyed and amused. “You two really are best friends—one hoping for my funeral, the other wishing I’d die quickly.”

“Don’t change the subject. Did you two conspire to deceive me?” Wen Li couldn’t tell if she was more upset about being fooled by her closest friend for years or shocked by their relationship.

What was even more shocking—her best friend had now become her niece.

Shen An immediately raised his hands in surrender to prove his innocence. “I knew nothing about this.”

He tugged Cheng Yu’s ponytail again and ordered, “Make it up to her.”

Cheng Yu felt miserable—unloved by her uncle and uncherished by her aunt.

“Li-Li…”

As soon as Cheng Yu uttered the name, Shen An clicked his tongue in distaste and said irritably, “Change the nickname.”

Now, hearing “Li-Li” grated on his nerves. After hearing it from her ex-boyfriend, the name felt tainted.

“Auntie, are you really mad at me? Now we’re doubly related—isn’t that something to celebrate?” Cheng Yu coaxed.

Wen Li burst out laughing. “Hearing you call me ‘Auntie’ is surreal. Do I have to give you red envelopes during New Year too?!”

“As long as you’re not mad at me, I’ll give you anything,” Cheng Yu said with a silly grin.

“Get lost! Who do you think you’re fooling around with?” Shen An gave him a scrutinizing look.