Chapter 48

At this moment, the driver in the front also sensed that something was off. “Miss, I’ve noticed that three suspicious cars are following Miss Shen’s vehicle.”

You Changqing’s heart clenched instantly. She leaned forward, pressing against the front passenger seat’s backrest, nervously observing the vehicles ahead. Indeed, there were three cars trailing behind Lihuan’s car at a steady distance, neither too close nor too far.

Her anxiety surged. No wonder Lihuan refused to have dinner with her. Had Lihuan already noticed she was being followed? Was that why she deliberately sent her away, not wanting her to get caught up in danger?

Lihuan was such an idiot!

If she had known Lihuan was in danger, would she have just left her behind and run away?

That big fool!

You Changqing hurriedly pulled out her phone and called the police, explaining the situation. As soon as the operator heard that it involved the safety of the Shen family’s eldest daughter, they immediately escalated the report. Before long, a unit of officers sped towards the outskirts in police vehicles.

Meanwhile, Shen Lihuan’s car weaved left and right, quickly reaching the outskirts. The traffic and pedestrians dwindled instantly. The three black sedans rapidly closed in on either side of her silver sedan, attempting to force it to stop.

Shen Lihuan’s car tried to break through, but all routes were blocked, forcing her to a halt.

Seven or eight burly men dressed in black stepped out of the vehicles, each wielding thick iron rods. At the back, You Changqing felt like her heart was about to jump out of her throat. Why weren’t the police here yet?!

Lu Wei tapped his iron rod against the window of the silver sedan, but the window remained shut, and the person inside didn’t step out. Growing impatient, he lifted the rod and slammed it against the glass!

You Changqing let out a nervous scream and instinctively reached for the door handle, ready to rush out. The driver quickly turned back and grabbed her wrist, stopping her. “Miss, don’t be reckless! They have weapons!”

Inside the car, Shen Lihuan’s sharp ears caught the sound of that scream. Her heart clenched, and she immediately turned to look back—only to see a familiar license plate.

Changqing!

Why did she follow me here?!

That idiot! Hadn’t she told her to go home?!

However, the scene You Changqing feared didn’t unfold. Lu Wei had swung the rod with force, but to his surprise, the window didn’t shatter.

Only then did You Changqing’s suspended heart settle a little, though she still felt unbearably anxious.

Lu Wei frowned. Did they really think they could stay inside forever? He sneered coldly, pulling out a gun and aiming it at the driver’s seat. Just as he was about to fire, the driver suddenly turned his head and smiled at him.

Lu Wei’s instincts screamed that something was wrong. He immediately turned his head—only to find himself and his men completely surrounded by a group of people holding guns!

A thought instantly flashed through Lu Wei’s mind: It’s a trap!

How?! Their plan was only known to their own people—did they have a traitor among them? Impossible! His subordinates had all undergone rigorous selection and were fiercely loyal. There was no way they would betray the boss! So where had things gone wrong?!

“Drop your guns and iron rods, and surrender immediately. Otherwise, we can’t guarantee our fingers won’t slip on these triggers.”

The man leading the ambush had his face painted in camouflage, making it difficult for Lu Wei to make out his features. He quickly calculated the odds—could they break through and escape? His men stood tense beside him, waiting for his command.

Without hesitation, he pressed his gun against Shen Lihuan’s seat and shouted sharply, “Stay back! Or I’ll shoot the Shen family’s eldest daughter!”

The camouflaged man paused, then aimed his gun at Lu Wei’s forehead. “Go ahead. Let’s see whose bullet is faster—yours or mine.”

Lu Wei realized that escaping unscathed today was impossible. Their target was still in the car—if he had her as a hostage, he would risk everything to take her. But right now, he had nothing in his grasp. Any plan was futile.

The camouflaged man gave him a cold, piercing look, then fired a warning shot at the ground near his feet. The shattered bullet fragments grazed Lu Wei’s lower leg, leaving several small cuts.

“If you don’t surrender, the next bullet won’t hit the ground—it’ll go straight into your chest.”

Lu Wei’s expression flickered, and after a long moment, he finally lowered his gun and knelt on the ground with his hands over his head. The other black-clad men followed his lead.

The camouflaged man signaled to his men to collect the weapons. Several of them stepped forward, picked up the discarded guns and iron rods, and retreated behind their leader. Seven more men came forward with ropes and tied Lu Wei’s group up, securing their hands behind their backs.

Once they were certain the situation was under control, Shen Jiashu rolled down the car window and looked coldly at Lu Wei’s group. “Send them to the Security Bureau.”

Only by making a public spectacle of this arrest would the world know about Hu Zhiyuan’s hostility toward their family. Under public scrutiny, Hu Zhiyuan wouldn’t dare to act recklessly in the short term—and that would give Shen Jiashu enough time to find a reason to put him behind bars.

Seeing that the men had been subdued, Shen Lihuan immediately opened her car door. She hadn’t forgotten that certain disobedient someone waiting behind her!

You Changqing saw Shen Lihuan get out of the car and quickly opened her own door to follow. As soon as they stood face to face, before she could say anything, Shen Lihuan spoke in a heavy tone,

“Didn’t I tell you to go home? Why did you follow me?”

You Changqing had been worrying about her all along, and now, hearing Lihuan use such a serious tone on her, her eyes turned red.

“You’re scolding me? You said you had something urgent at home, so why did you come all the way to the outskirts? I was so worried about you, and now you’re yelling at me!”

Seeing her red-rimmed eyes, Shen Lihuan felt a deep ache in her heart. She immediately cupped Changqing’s face gently.

“I’m not scolding you. I was worried about you. They had weapons, and yet you still followed me here. What if you got hurt?”

“Even if I did, I wouldn’t care! How could I run away while you were still here? Whatever happens, we should face it together. But you—you actually tried to send me away!”

The more You Changqing spoke, the more aggrieved she felt. Even her nose turned a soft shade of pink.

Shen Lihuan smiled helplessly. “And now you’re acting all wronged. I told you to go home first because I didn’t want you to be in danger, and yet you’re blaming me?”

“I am blaming you! You don’t know how scared I was when I saw that person pointing a gun at you. If something happened to you, what would I do?”

You Changqing burrowed into her arms, sniffling as she weakly pounded her back. The force was so light that Shen Lihuan barely felt it.

“Silly girl.” Shen Lihuan hugged her affectionately and kissed the top of her head several times. “I promise I’ll be fine. We still have a whole lifetime ahead of us—I wouldn’t bear to make you worry.”

You Changqing lifted her teary eyes to look at her, the remnants of fear still lingering within. Shen Lihuan couldn’t resist leaning down to kiss those starry eyes.

You Changqing instinctively closed her eyes, her ears turning red.

Shen Jiashu watched his daughter get out of the car and hug her fiancée—who had appeared out of nowhere. And now, his daughter was kissing her fiancée on the forehead, then on the eyes… He couldn’t help but cough. Control yourself! You’re still outside!

The man in camouflage and the group of bodyguards all tactfully averted their gazes. Their expressions remained neutral, but inwardly, they were thinking—Oh wow. Who would’ve thought that the usually composed young miss could have such an emotional moment? Ah, youth…

Hearing her father’s cough, Shen Lihuan suddenly remembered where they were. She forced herself to stop, reluctantly releasing You Changqing. “Ahem, there are too many people here. Let’s, uh, talk more tonight.”

When Shen Lihuan’s soft lips had touched her eyes, You Changqing felt like her entire world had burst into fireworks. She gripped Shen Lihuan’s clothes tightly just to keep herself standing.

Lihuan had kissed her! Even if it was only on the eyes, it was already a huge step forward. Rounding up… Lihuan had basically kissed her on the lips.

A kiss…

They kissed…

Suddenly, You Changqing beamed foolishly at Shen Lihuan, her expression dreamy. “Lihuan, you kissed me. I’m so happy.”

A dark gleam flickered in Shen Lihuan’s eyes, her heart burning hot. How could Changqing be so incredibly adorable?

Her gaze landed on You Changqing’s rosy lips, scorching with intensity. Just as she was about to lean in—

Police sirens wailed in the distance.

Well, there went that plan.

Shen Jiashu took care of negotiating with the police, while Shen Lihuan was in charge of sending You Changqing home. But You Changqing clung tightly to her arm. “No, I’m not going home tonight. I’m going to your place.”

Lihuan’s dense block of a brain had finally kissed her. She had to strike while the iron was hot and make Lihuan take responsibility—turn her into her girlfriend for good.

“You already kissed me, and now you want me to go home? Are you trying to shirk responsibility, you heartless woman?!”

“Alright, alright. You’re coming to my place. Don’t regret it later.”

Shen Lihuan gave her a meaningful look. You Changqing only felt her gaze was so fiery that it seemed like she was about to devour her whole. She could barely contain her excitement—why would she regret it? She hoped Lihuan would do this and that to her! All those dreams she’d had about playing with Lihuan wouldn’t be in vain.

After instructing the driver to head home on his own and informing her parents that she’d be staying at Lihuan’s place for the night, You Changqing got into the car with Shen Lihuan.

On the way, Shen Lihuan looked completely serious, her gaze as gentle as always. It was as if all that earlier heat had been nothing more than You Changqing’s own imagination. The restlessness in her heart gradually settled. Could it be that Lihuan still hasn’t figured it out? That she still doesn’t realize the feelings between them?

When they arrived at the Shen residence, Shen Lihuan greeted Gu Qinglan and led You Changqing to her room under the pretense of changing into loungewear.

It was still early in the evening, but the curtains were drawn, making the room dim. You Changqing lowered her head as she stepped inside. After closing the door, Shen Lihuan didn’t turn on the lights.

Feeling puzzled, You Changqing looked up.

The next second, Shen Lihuan grabbed her wrist and pressed her against the door. Their bodies were tightly pressed together, Shen Lihuan’s scorching breath fanning against her face.

A strange sense of danger surged through her, but she didn’t feel fear—on the contrary, she was trembling with excitement. “Lihuan, you—ah!”

Shen Lihuan gripped her slender waist and lifted her up. Instinctively, You Changqing wrapped her legs around Shen Lihuan’s waist. The next moment, she was placed onto the soft bed.

Shen Lihuan hovered above her, supporting herself with both hands. Breathing heavily, she gazed down at You Changqing, whose eyes shimmered like rippling spring water.

“Lihuan~”

Shen Lihuan lowered her head. “I’m right here.” Then, she firmly sealed her lips over You Changqing’s, stealing her breath away.

Her tongue, swift as a serpent, slipped inside, wrapping around You Changqing’s soft tongue and leading it into a heated dance.

You Changqing’s vision blurred, her soul seemingly sucked away by that skillful tongue. Her hands roamed unconsciously over Shen Lihuan’s back, eventually slipping under her shirt, fingers tracing the firm, sculpted abs she had long coveted.

The moment You Changqing’s soft hands touched her, Shen Lihuan sucked in a sharp breath. Her hands, which had been braced beside You Changqing’s ears, gradually moved downward, pushing up the already-rolled shirt and slipping under her back. With some effort, she unhooked the clasp.

Freed from its confines, the soft curves beneath her fingertips made You Changqing’s toes curl.

She wanted to moan, but Shen Lihuan’s lips muffled her sounds. Only when she was nearly out of breath did Shen Lihuan finally let her go.

By then, You Changqing had melted into a puddle.

Shen Lihuan gazed at her hazy, alluring eyes and slightly swollen lips, heat flaring up all over again. She coaxed her into another dance before finally letting her go.

During that oxygen-deprived haze, a long-lost memory surfaced in You Changqing’s mind—

She had been drunk. She had acted foolishly.

And she had given away her first kiss…

No wonder she had felt like she had already kissed Lihuan before—turns out they really had! It was just that this heartless, tongue-stealing scoundrel had hidden the truth from her. And to top it off, she had even lied, saying that Yuchangqing had called herself the most beautiful person in the world, making her blush for so long…

After the deep kiss ended, Shen Lihuan gazed at You Changqing with bright, expectant eyes, thinking she had just earned herself a freshly minted girlfriend. But to her surprise, You Changqing was glaring at her fiercely.

“Changqing, what’s wrong?”

You Changqing grabbed her collar and growled viciously, “Now it’s time to settle the score from last time! You stole my first kiss and then pretended nothing ever happened. You heartless scumbag!”

Cold sweat immediately broke out on Shen Lihuan’s forehead.

…

Hu Zhiyuan had never imagined that one day Luo Yanrong would ask him for a divorce.

He knew Luo Yanrong liked him; otherwise, she wouldn’t have stayed by his side even after learning that he only saw her as a stand-in for Qingrong.

He knew Luo Yanrong was a good woman. But his heart already belonged to Qingrong. Once he had loved deeply, no one else could compare—he would never fall for another woman.

But then why, when he heard Luo Yanrong’s cold voice saying, “Let’s get a divorce,” did he instinctively want to refuse?