Chapter 58

Fortunately, Wang Yizhou, probably unable to bear his brother’s comments about being a dog and dragging him down, ignored Xu Shijia’s insistence that Lin Shu choose between them and not leave. He massaged his temples, maintaining what little dignity was left, and handed Xu Shijia over to Lin Shu, finding an excuse to turn and leave.

In the cramped shower room, only Lin Shu and Xu Shijia remained.

“See! My brother’s off the battlefield! He couldn’t compete with me fairly because he knows he can’t win against me.”

“Pan Yu didn’t dare either, Pan Yu didn’t even show up!”

“Didn’t you spend the night with him? Why didn’t he send you home?”

“They don’t love you.”

Xu Shijia’s eyes locked onto Lin Shu’s. “Lin Shu, be honest with yourself. You teamed up with my dad to cut off my card, and then you played the good guy in front of me. Did I expose you? No! I swallowed that bitter pill!”

Xu Shijia’s expression was tearful, and the water on his face made it look like he was genuinely crying.

He lifted the showerhead and shouted, “Because I love you!”

“Because I’m this useless, unilaterally loving you.”

“You scold me, you hit me, you hate me, and I can only love you like this, hopelessly.”

“No matter how you treat me, I still love you, like I’m possessed.”

Xu Shijia’s voice was filled with endless grievance and bitterness. “But why do you only misunderstand me? You listen to rumors and think I got someone pregnant! Why didn’t you let me explain? Why didn’t you give me a chance? Why did you agree to Pan Yu so easily?”

“Why did you fall for him at first sight?”

“Why can’t you look at me?”

He was reluctant to give up. “How could I get someone pregnant? If I ever have children, they can only be from your belly!”

Drunk and completely lacking a sense of boundaries, Xu Shijia stared at Lin Shu’s face. “I only want to sleep with you, I’ll only sleep with you, it’s impossible to sleep with anyone else.”

A confession, at last!

Just now, it was all about pure love! How did it turn into something inappropriate for children in a second?

Fortunately, drunk Xu Shijia didn’t linger on that topic. He began to accuse again:

“But you won’t agree to me! You don’t love me! You’re going after Pan Yu! You’re with Pan Yu! Are you even human?”

“I don’t care where I go, there’s rain everywhere! You don’t answer my calls, so this rain will never stop! I feel like my world is gone, and all I have is this endless storm that won’t stop.”

If you keep holding the showerhead like that, turning on the water, of course, your rain will never end! And who told you to turn the water on to the max?!

Lin Shu was almost at a loss whether to laugh or cry.

You’re talking about a storm that lasted an hour on the phone! And you’re the one who caused that storm!

She walked over to Xu Shijia, turned off the faucet, and took the showerhead out of his hands, stopping the downpour.

When the rain stopped, the surroundings grew quieter, leaving only the sound of water swirling down the drain.

To turn off the faucet, Lin Shu stepped into the shower room. Now, she was squeezed into the cramped space with Xu Shijia. The mist in the air was heavy, the glass foggy, and Xu Shijia stood there like a water ghost, wet and steamy, eyes fixed intently on Lin Shu. It was as if, if his gaze shifted for even a second, she would vanish.

One couldn’t help but admit that, despite his disheveled appearance, even as a water ghost, Xu Shijia was still a handsome and striking figure.

The beautiful water ghost stared at Lin Shu. “Look, as soon as you arrived, the rain stopped.” He fixed his gaze on her. “I hate rain, so I need you. I want you to stay with me, to be by my side, and I never want another rainy day in my life.”

Lin Shu’s heartbeat was so loud that she felt even Wang Yizhou, who had already left, could hear it.

Damn Xu Shijia.

Why did he drink again?

Every time he drank, it was Lin Shu who had to clean up the mess.

And all that nonsense about being a dog, a horse—what kind of absurd confession was that?

Who in their right mind confesses like that?

But, most importantly—

“I’m not with Pan Yu.”

The beautiful water ghost Xu Shijia froze.

He looked at Lin Shu suspiciously. “But I heard my dad on the phone, saying Pan Yu has a girlfriend. The details match up with you…”

“It’s not me.” Lin Shu gave Xu Shijia a look. “Didn’t you say Pan Yu was no good, but you were?”

“Yes, Pan Yu is bad, but I’m good.”

If there were an IQ test, Lin Shu was sure that Xu Shijia’s score at that moment wouldn’t even exceed that of a sixth grader.

But there was nothing she could do.

She was hopelessly in love with Xu Shijia.

The beautiful water ghost seemed to have finally realized something. His resentment seemed to evaporate in an instant, and his eyes widened as he looked at Lin Shu. “So, you’re not with Pan Yu, so you’re single?”

The rising heat made Lin Shu instinctively look away. She lightly bit her lower lip. “Mm.”

“Since you’re single, and I’m single, I like you. So, out of politeness, can you like me back?”

Xu Shijia, as if fearing Lin Shu might refuse, didn’t even want to give her the chance to answer. He impatiently declared, “If you don’t speak, I’ll take it as you agreeing.”

“Close your eyes.” Xu Shijia’s voice was low. “If you don’t agree, then push me away.”

“What?”

Before Lin Shu could react, Xu Shijia had already pulled her into an embrace, his hands strong and unyielding. The warmth and wetness of his palm transmitted through their clothes to Lin Shu’s body.

Lin Shu felt as though she was in a tropical rainforest, like a tree, while Xu Shijia was the vine wrapping around her, full of life and determined to tangle with her until the end.

Xu Shijia didn’t give her any chance to react. He pressed her against the glass of the shower.

“Because I’m going to kiss you.”

The moment the words left his mouth, he lowered his head, disregarding the water and wetness on his body, holding Lin Shu’s face and beginning to kiss her.

Xu Shijia’s kiss was delicate and deep, with a hint of alcohol, making Lin Shu feel like she was being affected by his intoxicated state, trapped in his drunken snare.

She was in his hands, completely powerless to resist, helplessly and nervously kissed by the man in front of her.

In the cramped shower room, with steam and dampness rising in the air, Xu Shijia pressed himself against Lin Shu, kissing her intensely and passionately.

Lin Shu felt as if she were a tree targeted by a crafty vine. The vine twisted and wound around her body, completely without pattern, running wild.

Xu Shijia was like a meticulous surveyor, stepping into an unmapped forest to probe the terrain, taking risks to enter forbidden lands and explore every curve of the uncharted hills.

Xu Shijia wrapped his arms around Lin Shu’s waist, kissing her fervently.

Softly, sensually.

But then Xu Shijia’s kisses began to change in intensity.

The drunk man had lost all social restraint, becoming greedy and wild.

But this wasn’t a hotel room—it was the shower room at Xu Shijia’s house!

Xu Shijia was reckless, but Lin Shu couldn’t be.

Just earlier, he’d said he would be her dog, but now, it seemed Xu Shijia clearly wanted to be a wolf.

Lin Shu almost pushed him away with all her strength, slapping away his wandering hands.

Her face flushed, and although she tried to sound serious, her voice came out soft and with a subtle breathiness.

“Don’t touch me.”

But this only made Xu Shijia feel wronged.

“I stood in the rain all night calling you. Didn’t you promise me? Why can’t I hug you, hold you?”

Was it just hugging and holding?

Did he have any shame?

And…

“Who promised you anything? What did I promise you?”

“To be my girlfriend,” Xu Shijia said, his tone becoming a little mischievous. “You’re not with Pan Yu, right?”

He leaned closer to Lin Shu and quickly kissed her on the cheek when she wasn’t prepared. Then, in a whisper close to her ear, he pushed further, “It’s because of me, right?”

“It’s because of me that you don’t want him.”

“Because I’m better, he’s nothing compared to me.”

“You wouldn’t want my brother either.”

“Because my brother’s no good.”

“You won’t want any other man.”

“Because no one’s better than me.”

Xu Shijia, no longer acting like a pitiful, discarded dog, spoke with a bit of pride. He asked and answered several questions in one breath.

“Anyway, I’m the best man on this planet.”

At this point, he paused, looking at Lin Shu. Although he still had traces of drunkenness, his tone became unusually serious.

“Lin Shu, can you give me a chance? Let me stay in your team, stay by your side, be your boyfriend, be the father of your future children?”

“Boyfriend, fine. But future children’s father? Are you thinking too far ahead?”

Lin Shu couldn’t help but feel nervous and flustered—what was going on here? How could this man let his thoughts spiral so far? Could he please not switch from the pure love channel to the adult channel in just one second?

Even though he was drunk and a bit unclear, Xu Shijia clearly understood Lin Shu well, and her reaction already spoke volumes.

Xu Shijia stared at her for a long time, and then, as if he finally realized something, flashed a toothy smile. “You agreed,” he said with a grin.

“Lin Shu agreed!”

He seemed like he wanted to announce it to the world: “I have a girlfriend now!”

Then, he lifted Lin Shu into his arms and spun her around in the small shower room.

Lin Shu, held tightly by Xu Shijia in the cramped, wet shower room, could only be grateful that no one was around, or she’d probably be kicked out by Xu Shijia’s spinning. She would be the only innocent bystander casualty in this confession.

Xu Shijia was so childish—he was like a little kid.

The problem was, this childish boy wasn’t quite sober and was clearly tipsy.

Soon, Lin Shu realized that sometimes, a childish person could also be dangerous.

Before she could react, Xu Shijia picked her up and carried her out of the bathroom, straight to his bedroom.

Lin Shu was pressed into the soft bedding, with Xu Shijia’s scent in the air.

This was Xu Shijia’s room, his bed.

“Xu Shijia!” Lin Shu panicked and tried to sit up, but Xu Shijia pressed her back down, leaned in, and started kissing her as if he couldn’t control himself.

This kiss was like a wildfire, and as it deepened, it crossed boundaries.

Lin Shu nearly blushed and had her heart race as she pushed Xu Shijia away, clutching her clothes tightly. “No.”

Originally, she thought that a drunk Xu Shijia wouldn’t listen, but to her surprise, he just looked at her and didn’t let his drunken instincts take over. Instead, he obediently pulled away and helped Lin Shu sit properly on the bed.

Xu Shijia got off the bed and half-knelt in front of her.

He was tall, and even kneeling, his eyes were nearly level with Lin Shu’s.

Lin Shu’s heart was pounding, and she didn’t know how to respond. All she could feel were Xu Shijia’s intense, burning eyes as he lightly tugged at his tie, then brought it to her hand, guiding her to his chest as he offered it to her.

“I’ll listen to everything you say.”

“I’d be your dog if you asked me to.”

His voice was husky and sexy, as if he was trying to suppress his instincts, but his gaze was intense. “I will do what I said.”

“If you say no, it’s no.”

Lin Shu’s heart sped up, and she felt like running away.

Her hand held his tie, feeling like she was holding his very lifeline.

Xu Shijia looked at her with his handsome face, desire in his eyes, and a rebellious expression, but there was absolute obedience.

The man smiled, then raised his head and kissed Lin Shu’s lips, despite her holding onto his tie. It was a brief kiss, but afterward, he whispered into her ear, his voice still low and sensual, but slightly unsteady from his breath:

“I’ll wait until you say yes.”

—

Xu Shijia didn’t push further, but he still wouldn’t let go of Lin Shu.

In the end, Lin Shu had to push him away twice before he released her.

Still trying to calm her racing heart, Lin Shu straightened herself, putting on the cold, composed demeanor of a business partner. “I’m leaving. You’d better take a shower quickly and show up for work on time tomorrow.”

Any other matters could wait until he sobered up.

Luckily, Xu Shijia listened. He nodded but insisted on walking her to the door.

Lin Shu had planned to sneak out, but as she reached the stairs, she ran into Wang Yizhou, who had just come out of the kitchen with a glass of water.

Their eyes met, and Wang Yizhou had already regained the composed demeanor of a successful businessman. Lin Shu, on the other hand, felt a bit guilty. Thankfully, they both silently understood each other, and Wang Yizhou maintained a polite, professional distance.

“Lawyer Lin, thank you for coming over tonight,” Wang Yizhou smiled and casually said, “I’ll leave my younger brother to you from now on.”

Wasn’t this Lin Shu’s cue to play along?

She immediately tossed her hair back, cleared her throat, and was about to say a few polite words.

Unfortunately, Xu Shijia, completely drunk, had no sense of the situation.

He clearly let the alcohol completely take over, and before Lin Shu could speak, he yelled, “Brother!”

Then, Lin Shu watched as he walked up to Wang Yizhou, wrapped an arm around his neck casually, and asked with a grin, “Bro, are you single?”

Before Wang Yizhou could answer, Xu Shijia answered himself, “Oh right, you’re single.”

Then, he suddenly laughed, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret: “I’ll tell you a secret: I’m not.”

Xu Shijia proudly said, “You’re single and unwanted, but I’ve got someone. I’m a man with a family now.”

Lin Shu was speechless… could he stop opening his mouth to say things like this?

Wang Yizhou clenched his lips tightly, but the vein on his forehead visibly pulsed, clearly showing how hard he was trying to hold back.

His gaze flickered briefly toward Lin Shu, and although he didn’t say anything, the unspoken message of “you’d better deal with him” was obvious.

At that moment, Lin Shu didn’t have the time to wonder why it was up to her to manage this.

She was just too embarrassed to think clearly.

In order to prevent things from spiraling further, Lin Shu walked forward and grabbed Xu Shijia’s shirt, attempting to pull him away. However, as she did so, it seemed to remind Xu Shijia of something. He turned, pulling Lin Shu into his embrace.

“Brother! Look! I have a boss!”

Lin Shu was held in Xu Shijia’s arms, feeling a mix of embarrassment and anger.

Did this man have no shame at all? Did he not realize that what he was doing was insubordination? And doing it in front of his own brother?

And what’s so impressive about having a boss?! Having a boss means you’re just a worker!

As expected, Wang Yizhou was immune to this tactic. He simply said “Oh” and calmly responded, clearly taking control of the situation: “I don’t have a boss because I am the boss of the company.”

Lin Shu thought this would finally be over, but Xu Shijia, undeterred, boldly added, “So, you don’t have a wife either.”

He kissed Lin Shu again, smugly bragging, “See? My boss is my wife.”

Lin Shu heard Xu Shijia, making up excuses, “So if you have a boss, you get a wife. No boss, no wife. Of course, a wife should be looking for a boss. Brother, you’re so pitiful, being your own boss means you’ll never have a wife, you’ll just end up alone forever, spending your life with yourself.”

Lin Shu: “…”

Enough already!

Lin Shu desperately tried to step on Xu Shijia’s foot, but the guy had no self-awareness at all and just grinned at Wang Yizhou provocatively.

Lin Shu stole a glance at Wang Yizhou and could tell that, although he maintained his composure and calm, he was on the verge of exploding.

Lin Shu didn’t dare stay any longer; she was already too embarrassed to continue.

She had just stolen a moment with her subordinate and was now caught by his brother, who could potentially be her future client.

What kind of mess was this?!

Lin Shu could no longer think about anything else, deciding to put off any future concerns. She yanked herself away from Xu Shijia and, head down, bolted out of the room as quickly as she could.

—

Xu Shijia slept soundly and had beautiful dreams all night.

In his dream, he was holding Lin Shu, kissing her recklessly, as if he had said everything he wanted to say.

Who cared about boss and subordinate? Just do what you want.

The feeling of kissing and touching was so real that when Xu Shijia woke up, he had to take a cold shower to shake off the lingering effects of the dream.

The happiness from the dream stayed with him for a while, but the overwhelming sense of helplessness soon followed, making Xu Shijia want to retreat back to bed and avoid facing reality.

He struggled for a while before finally getting up, dragging himself downstairs to breakfast with a tired face.

At the table, his brother Wang Yizhou was already sitting with his usual confident, elite demeanor, which irritated Xu Shijia just by looking at him.

Pan Yu was the same type.

Lin Shu obviously liked men like that.

Feeling bitter, Xu Shijia looked at Wang Yizhou with a sense of hostility.

Then, Wang Yizhou spoke a sentence that almost made Xu Shijia spill his coffee.

“You’re so slow. Aren’t you in a hurry to meet Lin Shu at the law firm?”

Xu Shijia stared blankly at his brother.

How did Wang Yizhou know that Xu Shijia had feelings for Lin Shu?!

Xu Shijia was shocked, “How did you know?! Was I that obvious? Does everyone see it?”

Wang Yizhou replied coldly, “Didn’t you brag about it yesterday? Saying you had a boss, and your boss is your wife? That you don’t have a boss, so you’ll never have a wife? You’re worried about people noticing? Isn’t it obvious that you want the whole world to know you’re making a move on your boss?”

He raised an eyebrow at Xu Shijia. “Did you forget already?”

Xu Shijia was stunned.

He felt like his brain had been eaten by zombies.

It was no wonder that whenever he drank, he would black out.

So… So, Lin Shu really did come last night… and he really did everything he wanted to say and do?

So, Lin Shu wasn’t with Pan Yu?!

She…

“Did she really agree to be with me?”

Happiness came so suddenly, it felt like the world had changed.

Xu Shijia now looked at his brother with a newfound appreciation, feeling like Wang Yizhou seemed not only tolerable but also oddly endearing.

His eyes sparkled as he gazed at his brother, a rush of joy sweeping over him, dispelling the self-doubt and troubles that had weighed him down. In their place was a sense of pride and satisfaction, like he had been waiting for this moment for a long time.

“Brother! I told you! My charm is still working! I knew Lin Shu wouldn’t resist my pull! I was so mad last night that I got drunk, and if I remember correctly, I wasn’t very clear-headed either. But in the end, Lin Shu still agreed to be with me!”

Xu Shijia was both proud and frustrated. “But I originally planned to confess tonight, and unexpectedly, I ended up single already.”

Though he couldn’t remember exactly what he said in his confession, Xu Shijia was confident about himself: “Ah! It must have been my unique, sincere confession that moved Lin Shu!”

As expected, Wang Yizhou nodded in agreement, “Yes, your confession was quite unique.”

Just as Xu Shijia was about to continue boasting, Wang Yizhou calmly said, “You said you’d be her dog.”

He looked at Xu Shijia with a raised eyebrow. “I’ve never heard of anyone confessing by saying they’d be a dog.”

Xu Shijia: “…”

Wang Yizhou, uninterested in further conversation, picked up his phone. “Before I call Lin Shu over, I’ve got a video of you shouting at the sky in the shower last night, questioning heaven itself. Watch it, and you’ll see how thoroughly you went mad last night.”

Xu Shijia grabbed the phone, clicked on the video, and nearly lost his balance, embarrassed to the point where he wished he could dig a hole and hide. He glared at Wang Yizhou, “Brother! I’m already like this! Why would you call Lin Shu over?”

Xu Shijia: “…”

The video was truly embarrassing. Even with Xu Shijia’s usual composure, watching it made his face alternately turn pale and red with shame. What had he done in front of Lin Shu?

Although Wang Yizhou didn’t take any more videos, Xu Shijia wasn’t completely clueless about the previous night. He still vaguely remembered that after Lin Shu showed up, things didn’t get better—he’d only gone more crazy…

In front of the girl he liked, Xu Shijia felt a bit numb as he looked at Wang Yizhou: “Brother, is there an extra surname at home? Can I change mine?”

Perhaps he should just change it overnight. After all, it was a matter of practice—one time it’s awkward, the second time it’s easier, and by the third time, it’s a skill.

Wang Yizhou: “…”

Xu Shijia was feeling frustrated: “Brother, how could you call Lin Shu here?!”

“If I hadn’t called her, who could have handled you? You would’ve probably spent the whole night in the shower, crying and dramatically shouting that the rain in your life will never stop.” Wang Yizhou said flatly, “You should be thankful I called Lin Shu in time to save the situation, so you wouldn’t embarrass yourself in front of Mom and Dad. By the time they came back, you were already lying on the bed, grinning like a fool.”

It was only last night that Wang Yizhou belatedly realized the significance of Xu Shijia’s past behavior toward Lin Shu. Now he understood the little details and subtle hints.

Although Xu Shijia’s expression was embarrassed and awkward, it also showed a sense of pride and victory, as if he had been scheming all along. Despite the crazed confession, Lin Shu had not rejected him. His expression shifted rapidly from triumphant to awkward, reminiscent of how he had acted in the shower last night: one moment cursing at Lin Shu, the next moment full of love, eyes obsessive and possessive, a mixture of love and hate.

Wang Yizhou had seen this expression once years ago.

A realization dawned on him: “Last time, you changed your name for her, didn’t you?”

Xu Shijia didn’t hide it anymore. He glanced at Wang Yizhou: “Mm.”

“You’ve always liked her?”

“Mm.”

Well, Wang Yizhou understood now. No wonder his brother, who had been obedient and serious, still had to go to work despite being scolded—he wasn’t mature and focused on building a career, he was simply lovesick, a hopeless romantic.

Wang Yizhou couldn’t help but rub his forehead. He never expected that Xu Shijia and Lin Shu had such a past. Xu Shijia was the type to always fall into the same trap, like a broken record—some would call it loyalty and devotion, but others would say he just couldn’t get enough of Lin Shu’s cruelty. He’d take it once, then again, and possibly for the rest of his life.

Looking back at the interactions between the three of them, Wang Yizhou suddenly understood. Xu Shijia had been secretly scheming all along, hiding his intentions while pretending not to care, even showing disdain for Lin Shu. He was the epitome of a divided self.

His view on love was so twisted.

Wang Yizhou remembered Xu Shijia’s earlier words and couldn’t help but look at him: “Didn’t you say Lin Shu was the kind of person who makes anyone around her suffer? You advised me not to get involved with her, but now here you are, rushing to get close?”

To this, Xu Shijia responded with all seriousness: “Brother, you don’t understand. This is what I call *feeding the wolf*. Don’t you know what kind of person Lin Shu is? Whoever is with her has to work hard. She’s bound to find a man to torment. I’m the kind of person with a soft heart and empathy, so I just couldn’t stand seeing any of us men suffer, so I had to step in and make the sacrifice.”

Oh, how noble.

Wang Yizhou sneered: “So, who would marry such a capable female lawyer like her, only to have half of their assets taken away in a divorce? How do you explain that?”

“Brother, that’s you. But if it were me and Lin Shu getting married, we wouldn’t get divorced. We’d use our combined expertise to protect the legal business. No assets would be taken away.” Xu Shijia argued.

Wang Yizhou nearly rolled his eyes so hard. He really didn’t expect his brother to be so shameless.

At that moment, Xu Shijia, the shameless one, was looking at a video from last night’s shower with a shy, sweet, and anxious expression. Though the video was embarrassing, it didn’t matter compared to the joy of being with Lin Shu.

If Xu Shijia knew that losing face just once would allow him to be with Lin Shu, he would have already given up his dignity long ago.

But… he still wanted to maintain some semblance of a good image.

Xu Shijia cleared his throat: “Brother, do you know why I can be so unguarded in front of you when I’m drunk? It’s because I trust you. I really appreciate you; I feel like you’re reliable and can accept the real me.”

With deep affection, Xu Shijia continued: “Brother, there’s something I’ve always wanted to say to you, I…”

Before he could finish, Wang Yizhou stuffed a piece of baguette into his mouth.

“Cut it out.” Wang Yizhou frowned. “I’m getting goosebumps.”

He gave Xu Shijia a disgusted look: “Don’t worry. I’ll keep your secret. I won’t tell Mom and Dad. You tell them yourself.”

Xu Shijia, no longer annoyed with Wang Yizhou, expressed his genuine feelings: “Brother! Have I ever told you that you’re actually quite handsome? You might be a little worse than me, but for someone your age, you’re the most handsome!”

Wang Yizhou: “…”

He looked at Xu Shijia, speechless: “Stop with the flattery. So, are you not introducing Lin Shu to Mom and Dad yet because you haven’t decided for sure?”

“Mm.” Xu Shijia nodded.

Wang Yizhou was puzzled as to why Xu Shijia would go through all this trouble to confess yet still hadn’t made up his mind. Just then, Xu Shijia awkwardly added:

“I’m afraid if I introduce Lin Shu to Mom and Dad too soon, she might dump me, and that would be too embarrassing. I usually keep a low profile and make big moves, so I want to be more confident before introducing her.”

He added enthusiastically, “Then we’ll get married! Have a child before you! Then, the tables will turn, and I’ll be calling you brother while your kid will be my kid’s younger brother!”

Wang Yizhou, clearly no longer wanting to deal with this brother of his, just wanted to tell him to stop talking and hurry up and eat. But before he could say anything, Xu Shijia randomly grabbed two pieces of bread and dashed out.

“Aren’t you going to sit down and eat breakfast? Why are you in such a hurry this early?”

The response was Xu Shijia’s bright, radiant smile as he turned around—

Wang Yizhou heard him shamelessly sweetly say, “Of course, I’m in a hurry to go be Lin Shu’s dog.”

“…”

This guy really has no sense of decency or shame at all!