Chapter 65

The heated discussions online had no effect on Gu Qinglan and her brother’s lives. Ever since Gu Tingyu moved in, Gu Qinglan had been coming home from work on time every day to cook delicious meals for her younger brother. Shen Lihuan wasn’t jealous, but being cunning and sly, she used this as an excuse to act dejected in front of You Changqing, tricking her into feeling sorry for her.

“Changqing, I’m so sad. Ever since my uncle arrived, I’ve fallen out of favor with my mom. My heart hurts so much.”

She clutched her chest, looking utterly miserable. Sitting on the bed, You Changqing immediately hugged her, stroking her fluffy head while comforting her, “It’s okay, Lihuan. You still have me. I love you.”

“Really?”

Shen Lihuan buried her face in the towering softness, seemingly distressed, but a sly glint flashed in her eyes.

“Really.”

You Changqing hugged her tightly and planted a comforting kiss on her head. Shen Lihuan quickly curled her lips into a smirk, rubbing against that soft and sweet spot before finally looking up.

“Changqing, you’re so good to me. Why are you so good?”

Shen Lihuan hugged her tightly and kissed her fiercely. You Changqing thought her comfort had worked and smiled sweetly at her, completely unaware that she had just been taken advantage of by this little rascal.

Of course, even if she knew, she wouldn’t bear to scold Shen Lihuan anyway.

The lawsuit against Gu Xiujin and Luo Jiangyue would take some time to go to trial, so Gu Qinglan entrusted the legal team to handle everything, though their family would stay involved throughout.

During this period, Qiu Rongxin and little Tianlin also moved out of the alley. Their new home was in a residential area built a few years ago, called Sunshine Lane Community. The security there was excellent, and there were many children in the neighborhood. As soon as Tianlin arrived, he quickly made friends.

Once they finished setting up their new home, Qiu Rongxin sincerely called Shen Lihuan and You Changqing over for a meal. They had agreed beforehand to celebrate the move, so Shen Lihuan and You Changqing didn’t refuse. They brought some fruits and snacks and headed over.

Qiu Rongxin was a great cook, and everyone ate to their heart’s content. Little Tianlin, in particular, ate so much he was stuffed. Embarrassed, he put down his chopsticks and shyly said, “Mom’s cooking is just too delicious.”

Seeing his bashful look, the three adults present all laughed.

“Aunt Qiu, now that you’ve moved out, did that landlady and her skinny husband give you any trouble?”

Shen Lihuan pulled out a tissue and wiped You Changqing’s hands as she asked.

“I’m really glad I moved out early. I could feel that skinny guy looking at me in a way that felt more and more wrong—like he was planning to do something bad. Now that we’ve moved out, I can finally sleep peacefully at night.”

“As for the landlady, she was overjoyed to see us leave. She always thought I was after her husband. Does she even take a good look at what kind of man he is? Not every woman wants to be a homewrecker, okay?”

Qiu Rongxin rolled her eyes for the first time ever. Every time she saw that scrawny man, she wished she could turn invisible—why would she ever seduce him? Only the landlady thought her husband was some hot commodity.

Shen Lihuan shook her head. “Well, it’s good that you’ve moved. This place seems to have a great environment and security, and Tianlin has kids to play with now. He won’t be lonely anymore, right, Tianlin?”

Yang Tianlin nodded with a big smile. “Yeah! There are so many kids to play with here.”

Qiu Rongxin looked at her son with a loving gaze. As long as he was happy, everything she did was worth it.

Since Qiu Rongxin had work in the afternoon, Shen Lihuan and You Changqing didn’t stay too long. Tianlin had plenty of playmates now, so he wouldn’t be bored.

After leaving the community, You Changqing received a call from Liu Yuanqin. The custom-made bracelet, earrings, and pendant were ready. He asked if they preferred delivery or picking them up in person.

“We’ll come get them ourselves. Send me the address, and we’ll head over now.”

“Alright. Liu’s Jewelry flagship store is at 9 Anhe Road. I’ll be waiting for you there.”

Liu Yuanqin warmly reminded them, “Be careful on the road. There might be traffic this time of day.”

“Got it, thanks for the heads-up.”

After hanging up, the two got into the car and headed toward Anhe Road. You Changqing lazily snuggled into Shen Lihuan’s arms, playing with her slender, elegant fingers. “Lihuan, your fingers are so long. So thin and long.”

“Yours are the same.”

Shen Lihuan turned her hand over and kissed each finger one by one.

But You Changqing wasn’t satisfied with just that. It had been days since they had properly kissed. However, seeing the driver in front, she had to suppress her growing urges.

Shen Lihuan noticed the mischievous glint in her eyes, reached out to stroke her cheek, and whispered in her ear, “What’s wrong? You want it?”

You Changqing let out a coquettish hum, pinching her waist in protest, as if accusing her of making it sound like she was desperate.

“Don’t worry, I’ll satisfy you tonight.”

Shen Lihuan gazed at her with smoldering eyes, while You Changqing teasingly pursed her lips at her.

She only stayed at the Shen family’s house on weekends. After all, she and Lihuan weren’t married yet. If she constantly slept over, Aunt Gu and Uncle Shen might think she was too clingy and lacked restraint.

So, she had to cherish the weekends and get as close to Lihuan as possible. Otherwise, once Monday arrived, she wouldn’t be able to fall asleep in Lihuan’s arms.

Shen Lihuan loved her lips. They had a natural rosy hue, so soft and tempting that she didn’t even need lipstick. They were as sweet as cotton candy—once tasted, completely addicting.

Shen Lihuan also adored her slender, graceful swan-like neck—fair and fragrant. Every bite left a lingering scent.

Alright, to be honest, there wasn’t a single part of You Changqing that Shen Lihuan didn’t love. If she could, she’d devour her whole. But, well, they were still young. They had the desire but not the guts to act on it.

About twenty minutes later, they arrived at 9 Anhe Road. Liu Yuanqin was already waiting outside the store. As soon as he spotted them getting out of the car, he smiled and walked up to greet them.

“You’re here! Please, come in.”

Shen Lihuan and You Changqing followed behind him into the store. The shop was spacious, filled with display counters, and adorned with dazzling jewelry that sparkled brilliantly.

The jewelry store employees greeted Liu Yuanqin warmly as he entered. Noticing the two young women accompanying their general manager, they weren’t sure about their relationship with him but still put on bright smiles, revealing eight teeth, and said, “Welcome!”

Liu Yuanqin nodded at them before leading Shen Lihuan and You Changqing into the VIP room. He gestured for them to sit. “Have a seat and enjoy some tea. I’ll bring out the jewelry for you.”

“Alright.”

Shen Lihuan pulled You Changqing to sit on the sofa. She picked up a teacup, rinsed it with hot water, and then poured tea for both of them.

Liu Yuanqin unlocked a cabinet and took out an exquisite jewelry box. Smiling, he said, “Here are your bracelets, earrings, and pendants. I hope they suit your tastes.”

He opened the box and displayed the jewelry. You Changqing gave it a quick glance and remarked, “They look great. They’ll definitely complement Lihuan’s skin tone.”

She picked up a bracelet and put it on Shen Lihuan’s wrist. The red hue of the bracelet made her fair skin look even more radiant.

Shen Lihuan raised an eyebrow and slipped another bracelet onto You Changqing’s wrist. “You put one on me, so I’ll put one on you. Doesn’t this feel like we’re exchanging wedding rings?”

You Changqing shot her a playful glare. “Dream on. We’ve still got years before we get married.”

They didn’t bother trying on the rest of the jewelry and simply packed everything up to take with them. As Liu Yuanqin escorted them out, he hesitated for a moment before saying, “Do you have any plans next? You saved Dundun last time, but I never got the chance to properly treat you to a meal. Hui Xin and I always felt bad about that.”

Shen Lihuan and You Changqing exchanged glances. “No need for a meal. We just had lunch. Maybe next time.”

“That’s a shame. Before I left home, Hui Xin reminded me to invite you to dinner at our place.”

Liu Yuanqin pursed his lips in slight disappointment. “Alright, let’s arrange something next time.”

“Oh, by the way, Brother Liu, what happened to Li Dongqiang in the end? Was he sentenced?”

Thinking about Dundun naturally reminded Shen Lihuan of Li Dongqiang.

“Him…”

Liu Yuanqin let out a long sigh. “They say family scandals shouldn’t be aired in public, but you two are our benefactors, so I won’t hide it from you.”

“He was sentenced to death.”

“Death sentence?” Shen Lihuan asked in surprise. “Even though he took Dundun away without permission, that alone wouldn’t warrant the death penalty.”

“That wasn’t his only crime. He also committed murder.”

Speaking of this, Liu Yuanqin’s anger flared. He still remembered the fear he felt upon learning that Li Dongqiang was a murderer. The man had lived in his house for so long—what if he had turned on his family? He and Hui Xin had even argued with Li Dongqiang a few times. Thinking about it still made him break out in a cold sweat.

“Murder? Don’t tell me he killed his wife?”

Shen Lihuan suddenly recalled how Li Dongqiang’s wife had supposedly run away with another man.

Even if she had left, she wouldn’t have completely ignored Sister Hui Xin’s calls. Hui Xin had helped her so much, and she had always been grateful.

Liu Yuanqin gave her a surprised look, not expecting her to figure it out. “That’s right. Li Dongqiang was addicted to domestic violence and couldn’t quit. No matter how many times Hui Xin warned him, he never changed. One night, after getting drunk, he started beating his wife again. This time, he didn’t hold back, and she…”

“She died.”

“When he sobered up, he panicked. To avoid going to prison, he secretly buried her body and staged the whole ‘she ran off with another man’ act. Since he had a history of abusing her, the villagers actually felt relieved when they heard she had ‘escaped.’ No one urged him to bring her back, so he managed to fool everyone.”

Liu Yuanqin exhaled deeply. “I’m just grateful that he didn’t harm my family after coming to my house. Otherwise, who knows if Hui Xin and I would even be alive right now?”

“It’s all in the past now. Li Dongqiang has been sentenced to death, and from now on, you and Sister Hui Xin will be safe.” Shen Lihuan reassured him.

Liu Yuanqin smiled and nodded. “I’ll take your kind words to heart.” But then, his expression darkened. “It’s just such a pity about my sister-in-law. She never had a good life after marrying Li Dongqiang, and in the end…”

Shen Lihuan and You Changqing sighed in unison. Life was unpredictable. You never knew when tragedy would strike, so it was important to cherish the people around you.

“Listen to me, going on about such things and ruining the mood.”

Liu Yuanqin forced a bitter smile. “Alright, if you two have things to do, I won’t keep you any longer. But next time, you must come to our house. Hui Xin and I will always welcome you.”

“Alright. Goodbye, Brother Liu, we’re heading home now.”

Shen Lihuan and You Changqing waved at him before getting into their car and driving home.

“That Li Dongqiang was truly ruthless—killing the wife who had been with him for over ten years. He was absolutely inhumane.”

Back home, You Changqing was still shaken. Even though she had never met Sister Hui Xin’s sister-in-law, hearing about such a brutal event firsthand was deeply unsettling.

“This is the devastating result of domestic violence. Once it happens once, it will happen a thousand times. If a woman’s husband abuses her, she must use the law to protect herself. If she can’t bear to see him go to jail, then she should at least divorce him. Don’t hold on to false hope. Domestic violence is like drug addiction—once it starts, it never stops. Unless the abuser is you and the victim is your husband.”

Shen Lihuan grabbed a damp towel and gently wiped You Changqing’s face and hands. You Changqing obediently lifted her head, letting her do as she pleased.

“But not every woman has the strength to get a divorce. If they have children, many choose to endure it for the sake of giving their kids a complete family.”

Even though same-sex marriage was now legal, most households still followed traditional gender roles—women marrying men. And biologically, men were naturally stronger. Unless a woman was exceptionally strong or had martial arts training, how could she possibly fight back?

Moreover, women are naturally soft-hearted. If a man begs for forgiveness a few times, they often waver and can’t bring themselves to divorce. And for those who have children, even if they call the police, they usually end up forgiving their husbands for the sake of their kids.

But tolerating domestic violence once only leads to more severe abuse. These husbands know their wives won’t leave them, so they believe they can get away with anything. That’s why they act without restraint!

“That’s why it’s a case of pitying them for their misfortune but also resenting them for not fighting back.” Shen Lihuan set the towel aside and said, “If they’re really thinking about their children, how do they know that growing up in a distorted family won’t lead their kids astray? In most abusive households, there’s a high chance the next generation will also become abusers because they grew up watching their fathers abuse their mothers—it becomes normalized for them. And then there’s another group of children who, after growing up in such an environment, become timid, cowardly, self-abasing, and overly sensitive. Is that what they call ‘for the sake of the children’?”

“How do they know that life after divorce will be miserable? Maybe it’ll be even better! If they never take that first step, how will they ever know how vast and beautiful the world outside truly is?”