Chapter 34.3

Just as Mother Xu left, Meng Zhengrong returned home, but he looked unhappy.

The household staff didn’t dare to provoke him, so they stepped aside as he walked to the bedroom. Seeing Xu Yuan reading on the sofa, he felt even more irritable.

On one hand, he was angry at Shen Ming and his wife’s actions. If it weren’t for their family ties, he would have lost his temper long ago. He decided that unless necessary, he wouldn’t interact with Shen Ming and his wife anymore. They wouldn’t get a penny from the company’s dividends, not even the generous pension he had previously considered giving Shen Ming upon his resignation.

On the other hand, he was angry at Xu Yuan. It wasn’t just because of her liking for Chen Hao, but also because of the resentment he felt towards himself.

Xu Yuan saw Meng Zhengrong’s dark expression and knew something had happened. She was glad she hadn’t gone, not knowing what might have happened. “What’s wrong? Why are you home so early?”

Meng Zhengrong glanced at her, wanting to get angry, but seeing her face, he couldn’t bring himself to say anything harsh.

Xu Yuan should be thankful she had such a beautiful face, making it hard for anyone to stay mad at her.

“Nothing.” Meng Zhengrong flopped onto the bed, pulling the blanket over himself, showing no intention of talking.

“Alright then, I’ll leave you to rest. I’ll call you when it’s time for dinner,” Xu Yuan thought he was tired and wanted to be alone, so she left quietly.

After she closed the door, Meng Zhengrong sat up and stared at the door, almost drilling a hole through it with his gaze.

She just left?

Didn’t even ask why he looked upset?

No curiosity or concern at all?

Xu Yuan wasn’t entirely unconcerned. She sat in the living room, wondering what had happened. Meng Zhengrong’s expression was scary, but could Shen Ming and his wife have done something so bad that it made him this angry? Did someone help them pull off a successful scheme?

When Meng Zhengrong came down for dinner in the evening, his expression hadn’t changed.

The usually talkative housekeeper wisely kept a distance, leaving the dining room to them.

Meng Zhengrong, still upset, began to nitpick at Xu Yuan.

Noticing she wasn’t wearing her ring, he got angrier. “Why aren’t you wearing your ring again?”

Xu Yuan glanced at her hand. The housekeepers were busy today, so she washed the fruit herself and had taken off the ring because it was inconvenient. She planned to put it back on tomorrow. She hadn’t expected him to notice. “It was inconvenient while washing fruit today, so I took it off.”

“Heh.” Meng Zhengrong knew he was acting like a scorned lover, but he couldn’t help thinking the worst.

Was it because she hadn’t married Chen Hao that she didn’t even want to wear the symbol of their marriage?

Did she want to pretend to be single?

Xu Yuan thought Meng Zhengrong was being unusually sarcastic today. Normally, she would ignore him, but remembering her mother’s advice, she paused and said, “I’ll put it on after dinner.”

Hearing her say this made Meng Zhengrong feel even worse. He didn’t mean to be harsh on her; she hadn’t done anything wrong. Now, with her being compliant, he felt like he had overstepped and wanted to apologize.

“That’s not what I meant…” Meng Zhengrong struggled to find the right words.

Xu Yuan glanced at him, thinking he was acting strange today.

She hadn’t done anything wrong; she just didn’t like him. That was the truth, but it felt heart-wrenching to admit it even to herself.

Why didn’t she like him?

In terms of appearance, he was far superior to Chen Hao.

In terms of height, he was a few centimeters taller than Chen Hao.

In terms of wealth, he far outclassed Chen Hao.

In terms of character, even at his worst, he wouldn’t cheat on his girlfriend with her best friend!

Chen Hao’s only advantage was his youth, but what did that matter? Meng Zhengrong was mature and responsible!

Meng Zhengrong couldn’t understand why he was so angry. The matter had been resolved: Shen Ming wouldn’t return to the company, and Chen Hao likely wouldn’t dare approach Xu Yuan again. Everything was good, so why couldn’t he calm down?

If he didn’t release this pent-up frustration, he wouldn’t be able to sleep.

Before he became more irritable, he needed to find a solution.

Meng Zhengrong stared at Xu Yuan’s lips, which looked soft and tempting like pomegranate seeds.

He had to be a man, assertive, or he’d forget his own identity.

Suddenly, Meng Zhengrong stood up and walked to Xu Yuan, looking at her intently.

Xu Yuan was startled, not knowing what he was about to do.

As she was about to ask, Meng Zhengrong grabbed her wrist and led her upstairs.

“What are you doing?” Xu Yuan had a bad feeling but tried to remain calm.

Meng Zhengrong didn’t answer, pulling her into the bedroom and shutting the door.

It was already dark, and the bedroom lights were off, making the room dim.

As Xu Yuan stood there confused, Meng Zhengrong pressed her against the wall, looking at her lips, now certain she was wearing lipstick.

Was lipstick poisonous? Kissing her wouldn’t be harmful, right?

Would she hit him?

Probably not.

In a flash, many thoughts crossed Meng Zhengrong’s mind. He held her firmly, whispering, “Just so you know, don’t hit my face.”

“…” Xu Yuan was speechless.

He lowered his head and, before she could react, kissed her. The moment their lips met, all his anger and resentment vanished.

It was soft, sweet, and perfect, and all his pent-up frustration melted away.

**