Chapter 61: Parents-in-Law

Rong Shen, dressed in a crisp white shirt, walked over to the sofa and sat down. As he unfastened his cufflinks, he spoke in a deep voice, “Everyone, go about your business.”

Butler Li glanced at Ling Qi beside him. Wearing a benevolent smile, he stepped forward and quietly advised, “Master Shen, no matter what happened, it’s good that Madam returned safely. Please calm your anger, and don’t quarrel—it’s bad for your relationship.”

The man raised his thick brows, half amused, not yet speaking when Ling Qi chimed in, nodding earnestly, “Yes, yes, quarrels hurt feelings. Madam caught a chill today; even after resting, her hands are still cold.”

As she finished, she discreetly winked at An Tong, as if to say, “Don’t worry, Madam, we’ve got your back.”

Rong Shen remained silent for a moment, his gaze sweeping over Butler Li and the others. He pressed his fingers to his brow, a faint smile flickering.

He hadn’t said a word, yet the whole room was already defending An Tong, as if fearing he might bully her.

Collecting himself, Rong Shen waved his left arm, dismissing them. “Alright, you may go.”

Butler Li responded quickly, and after he left with Ling Qi, the atmosphere in the living room grew subtly tense.

Mostly, it was An Tong herself who felt the tension.

She set down her chopsticks and straightened her posture. “Dr. Rong, I’ve finished eating.”

The man glanced at her; somehow, a tea cigarette had appeared in his hand, unlit.

An Tong stared at him, her dark red eyes filled with earnest anticipation.

“You’ve eaten so little? At least finish your rice.” Rong Shen tossed the cigarette onto the table and, catching her gaze, shook his head and stood up.

He didn’t leave but instead strode over to sit opposite her at the dining table.

An Tong, like a statue waiting for her husband, kept her eyes fixed on him.

Her deep sense of guilt made it hard to eat in peace.

Rong Shen rested his arm on the table, crossing his legs as he studied the stubborn expression on the young woman’s face. “Eat properly; don’t overthink. No one blames you for what happened today.”

“There really was no signal on Bei South Mountain…” An Tong curled her fingers, leaning forward toward the table, eager to explain.

His brow relaxed as he looked at her earnest expression, lips curving in gentle teasing. “What were you doing on Bei South Mountain? Climbing in the snow?”

“Not climbing,” An Tong mumbled, casting her gaze aside. “I visited Da Rui Temple, to pray.”

Da Rui Temple.

Rong Shen narrowed his eyes, thinking for a few seconds before recalling that there was indeed an obscure temple on Bei South Mountain.

“You spent the whole day praying?”

An Tong nodded, then shook her head. “Travel took some time. I left at four in the afternoon.”

He watched the redness at the corners of her eyes, his Adam’s apple shifting. When he spoke again, his voice was strangely hoarse. “If you want to pray in the future, it’s best to ask Cheng Feng or Ling Qi to go with you. Bei South Mountain is remote—if something happened, it wouldn’t be worth it.”

An Tong didn’t answer, only nodded faintly.

She seemed to have listened, but Rong Shen knew well enough that such gestures often meant… perfunctory agreement.

Next time, she was likely to defy him again, going up the mountain alone.

There was a secret she didn’t want to share about Bei South Mountain.

This realization flickered through his mind, and his gaze darkened.

Da Rui Temple on Bei South Mountain was hardly a good place for worship.

She had glossed over it lightly, clearly unwilling to speak the truth.

Rong Shen looked down, rubbing his fingertips, his thick brows furrowing slightly.

Being a psychotherapist was sometimes the perfect cover. Whatever he said, he could often achieve twice the effect with half the effort.

But, as with all things, there were advantages and disadvantages; it could also become a kind of invisible constraint.

For example, if An Tong had secrets, as her ‘therapist,’ he couldn’t press her too hard. Asking too much would not only compromise his role but also provoke her resistance.

Thus, even his guiding words had to be subtle, imperceptible.

…

Ten minutes later.

An Tong finished half a bowl of rice, her cheeks regaining a trace of color. “Dr. Rong, what time do we leave tomorrow morning?”

They were going to Zhanzhou, but today’s minor mishap had dampened her anticipation.

“Nine o’clock.” Rong Shen stood by the window, hands behind his back. Hearing her question, his voice was low and gentle. “An Tong, come here.”

Bewildered, An Tong walked over, glancing up at his handsome face. “What is it?”

They stood side by side, very close.

The clean scent on him, tinged with wine, drifted to her nose. He shifted slightly, his arm brushing her shoulder. “When we reach Zhanzhou, would you mind sharing a house with someone for a while?”

An Tong’s eyes widened in surprise. “Someone…?”

“My parents.”

Rong Shen’s answer caught her off guard.

She stared at him, momentarily speechless, forgetting to reply.

“If you have any thoughts, feel free to say so.”

An Tong hesitated, lowering her head. The words of refusal were on her lips but she couldn’t utter them.

She thought of many things—about herself, and about Dr. Rong.

After a moment, An Tong looked up and asked, “Is it temporary, or will we always live with them?”

“Just temporary,” his voice was very low, his gaze subtly shifting. “We’ve been married for some time; it's only right to visit. Besides, the apartment needs to air out for a bit.”

An Tong heard the underlying meaning in his words and blurted out, “If I don’t go, you won’t be able to explain to your parents, will you?”

She hadn’t known before that Dr. Rong’s parents were in Zhanzhou. Now that he mentioned it, and thinking back over recent events, she quickly pieced things together.

If Dr. Rong went alone to see his parents, the marriage certificate they received would lose all meaning.

“It’s not that I can’t explain.” Rong Shen turned to meet her gaze, his once calm eyes now softening. “If you don’t want to meet them, you can stay at Yun Dian or settle somewhere else in Zhanzhou. Whether you want to go is entirely up to you.”

An Tong picked at her fingers. The explanation sounded flawless, but she felt something was missing.

Perhaps she trusted him too much and was used to going along with whatever he said, so she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

She turned to look at her reflection in the glass, no longer troubled. “Let’s go together, then. It’s only temporary, after all.”

As a nominal wife, meeting her in-laws was inevitable—she knew she couldn’t avoid it.

“Relax, we won’t stay long.” Rong Shen’s deep eyes were like the sea as he smiled gently, leading her, “They’re more open-minded than you imagine.”

Those three words, ‘more open-minded,’ were spoken with great emphasis, but An Tong was distracted and didn’t notice.

That night, when quiet fell and she returned to the villa, An Tong finally realized.

Since she was to live with the Rong family for a while, why hadn’t Dr. Rong told her earlier?

Now that everything was prepared, even if she wanted to back out, her heart wouldn’t let her.

An Tong pondered for a long time, her thoughts muddled, but in the end, she was left in confusion.

Perhaps his parents had pressured him.

…

The next day, at nine o’clock.

The Mercedes van left Yun Dian right on time, carrying Rong Shen, An Tong, and An An to Zhanzhou.

An Tong looked out the window at the familiar scenery, her heart filled with countless feelings.

Despite all her reluctance, she chose to take a leap of faith and believe in Dr. Rong…

(End of Chapter)