Chapter 86: Joke

On the 25th of December, the ambiance at the Zero Mansion was embellished with twinkling fairy lights throughout. The living room was adorned with a Christmas tree and small reindeer ornaments.

Liang Shu took down the half-empty cup of milk and found Qu An and two maids decorating the Christmas tree in the living room. Liang Shu found it quite amusing, standing at a distance and observing them.

Later, she approached and called out to Qu An. Qu An, whether she was distracted or overly focused, was startled by Liang Shu's voice. A round, deep red bauble slipped from her hand and rolled smoothly to the corner of the room.

Before Liang Shu could speak, she saw Qu An turn her head towards her, her hands fidgeting. "Madam, why have you come down?"

Liang Shu raised the cup in her hand. "To place this cup down."

"At first, I heard from Sir that there would be a photographer coming to take pictures at home, but I didn't know when. I was just thinking about how to decorate the house when my mind wandered."

Liang Shu couldn't make the decision on this matter. Since Gu Han Sheng had decided, it was certain she would listen to him.

Liang Shu nodded, touching her neck. "We should wait until Sir has time. There's no hurry now, and there's no need to deliberately decorate the house. It's fine as it is."

That night, Liang Shu said there was no rush for the photoshoot. Because she knew Gu Han Sheng had been busy with work lately, and tonight, he had returned relatively early. But even during dinner, he was bombarded with one call after another.

In the meantime, she felt a bit displeased. When he finished the second call and put down his phone, Liang Shu put down her chopsticks, glanced at the dishes on the table, and muttered softly, "They've all gone cold."

Though not from an aristocratic background, she still knew table manners. If Gu Han Sheng had to leave midway through the meal, Liang Shu naturally couldn't eat comfortably.

Gu Han Sheng glanced at the bottom of her bowl, noticing that the amount of rice left was almost the same as before he took the call. The dishes on the table were hardly touched. He felt relieved.

If he didn't eat, she wouldn't either.

So he called Qu An over, pointing at the now lukewarm dishes. "Take them to reheat and bring them back."

She wasn't someone who was fussy or pampered; she could manage. So, on this late evening, she didn't trouble Qu An.

However, just as Gu Han Sheng was about to pick up his chopsticks, the nearby phone rang again.

He was right; she had been restless lately, prone to agitation. This sound reignited the negative emotions within her.

Liang Shu, rarely so blunt, stared at him with a cold expression. Her pale pink lips formed a straight line as she put down her chopsticks and said, "Can't you let someone eat in peace?"

As soon as this complaint left her lips, Liang Shu regretted it.

She had embarrassed Gu Han Sheng publicly, in front of the servants of the Zero Mansion.

Qu An watched from the side, sweating nervously, silently observing Gu Han Sheng's expression.

Meanwhile, Qi Zhen, waiting from a distance, wore a look of anticipation.

When had Gu Han Sheng ever been treated like this? He was always the one to get angry; no one had ever vented their frustrations at him before.

They knew in their daily lives, Mr. Gu always doted on his wife, but even that had its limits.

With tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of Gu Corporation employees needing to be fed, and with the company's operations to manage, especially during these recent tough times, if he, burdened by work, couldn't share his worries with his wife, and instead, she quarreled with him...

Even an ordinary person wouldn't be able to stand it.

The surrounding servants held their breath, afraid of what might happen next.

But Gu Han Sheng was no ordinary person. Instead of getting angry, he watched his lively wife with amusement, then reached over and simply turned off his phone.

Liang Shu looked at the darkened screen, furrowing her brows.

When she lifted her gaze again, she was surprised to find a faint smile in the deep, dark eyes of the man sitting across from her.

Was this man a masochist?

Suddenly, Gu Han Sheng's mood improved. He pointed to a few dishes on the table, instructing Qu An to have them reheated in the kitchen and brought back out.

When the dishes were brought back, the man served her a half-bowl of soup first, his voice gentle. "Have some soup first to cool down."

This remark embarrassed Liang Shu again. She looked at the bowl of beautifully presented and fragrant lotus root and spare rib soup in front of her, murmuring softly, "I didn't mean to lose my temper. I know you're busy every day, but your health is important. Your stomach isn't very good to begin with, and you need to eat your meals on time."

Across the table, Gu Han Sheng's slender fingers picked up his chopsticks, just as he had said before. "I know."

He was pleasantly surprised. And the reason for his surprise was simply that Liang Shu, unlike before, was now different in every way, her expressions lively, influenced by her emotions, whether joy or anger.

To most people, Gu Han Sheng appeared to be a man who had seen countless women in the world.

Except for Liang Shu, his wife.

And Liang Shu?

It was true that she was genuinely annoyed by being interrupted during the meal and genuinely concerned about Gu Han Sheng. The day before, when she was chatting with Wen Mingting at the old Gu mansion, what else could they talk about? Daily life, family matters, and... Gu Han Sheng.

Although the old lady genuinely liked her, ultimately, it was because of her love for Gu Han Sheng.

Gu Han Sheng was usually busy, and Liang Shu hoped that as his wife, she wouldn't necessarily help him in his career, but at least she could take care of him in his daily life.

Obviously, on these occasions when they went to the old mansion for dinner or when Wen Mingting came to the Zero Mansion, it was mostly Gu Han Sheng taking care of her.

Although Wen Mingting didn't show it on the surface, she probably had some resentment deep down.

That's why yesterday morning, she advised Liang Shu, saying, "Han Sheng is usually busy. He has been independent since he was young and doesn't live with us. His journey hasn't been as smooth as it seems on the surface. His stomach was damaged a few years ago. Now there's a barrier between us, and no matter how much I advise him, he may not listen."

"But, Ah Shu, you're different. You have to help me look after him more. He cares about you, and he'll definitely listen to you."

Liang Shu could only nod one by one.

But she understood in her heart.

With Wen Mingting's current temperament, what didn't she know?

Although the Gu mansion and the Zero Mansion were a bit far apart, it wasn't difficult for her to know some details about their daily lives.

Perhaps Gu Han Sheng had once returned from a late-night social event, drunk heavily, and had caused his stomach trouble.

He definitely wouldn't actively tell Wen Mingting, but he couldn't guarantee that others wouldn't tell her either.

At this moment, Liang Shu felt that being a wealthy wife was not easy.

Just like these wedding photos.

She guessed that Gu Han Sheng hadn't had time recently, so he told Qu An that there was no rush.

But little did she know, the photography team had arrived on the third morning.

She was caught off guard.

Usually, when Gu Han Sheng slept with her, he held her close, and he wore very little clothing.

But this morning, Liang Shu had just opened her eyes when a shadow fell over her.

She raised her hand to rub her eyes, but Gu Han Sheng had already half-supported her into a sitting position, putting on her usual home jacket, a long knitted sweater.

Liang Shu was puzzled. She allowed him to fiddle with her while asking, "What's going on?"

The man just smiled without speaking, his face unusually calm and handsome.

When she raised her eyes, she was unexpectedly captivated by the look in his eyes.

She couldn't help but marvel at how charming he was.

Then, the bedroom door was pushed open, and someone barged in. Liang Shu turned her head at the sound, while Gu Han Sheng seemed to have expected it. He just lowered his head to look at her.

"A click."

This scene was recorded like this.

The first set of their daily wedding photos was very successful.

The woman sitting on the bed still had her fingers clutching the man's arm. Her petite body was mostly blocked by his broad figure, revealing only the area below her head and neck.

She turned her head to look at the camera. Because the photographer reacted quickly, Liang Shu's face still maintained the expression of being captivated by the man's gaze.

And Gu Han Sheng, lowered his head, looked at her calmly, his profile exceptionally perfect, like a masterpiece of God.

It was more like a painting, with the slightly messy and fluffy long hair of the hostess and the faint curve at the corner of the host's mouth, just right.

Then the photographer and Qu An and the others left.

Liang Shu finally reacted from the mess. She ran her hand through her hair, her fingers pulling on his soft home clothes. "Are we shooting today?"

As he straightened her clothes and tidied her hair, he noticed the very obvious scratches on her neck.

Furrowing his brows, he ran his fingertips over the scabbed wound on her fair neck, thinking to himself that he would have to watch her apply scar removal cream every day after the scars fell off.

Today's shoot would probably have to cover them up with accessories.

"I happen to have some time today, so let's take the photos first. If we feel it's not good, we can adjust later," Gu Han Sheng said in a soft tone.

Liang Shu sighed. "Then why didn't you tell me last night?"

He lifted her up from the bed and fetched her slippers from the other side of the bed, placing them at her feet. "It was a last-minute notification this morning. No need to be too deliberate; just be natural."

Putting on her slippers, Liang Shu walked towards the bathroom. After a few steps, she turned back to look at him. "Was I natural just now?"

The man still sitting on the edge of the bed gazed at her below the collarbone, his Adam's apple rolling. "You were quite natural when we took our wedding photos, weren't you?"

Ironically, Liang Shu had laughed then, while he hadn't.

Now, thinking back, it was a regrettable incident.

Gu Han Sheng approached her, reaching out to adjust her jacket, his gaze meaningful as he smiled. "Go wash up first, then come downstairs for breakfast and put on your clothes."

Initially puzzled by his words, Liang Shu suddenly understood while brushing her teeth in the bathroom and looking at herself in the mirror. She wasn't wearing a bra, and under the thin sleep gown, the marks were particularly prominent and easily noticeable.

But this man clearly knew, so during the photo shoot, he deliberately blocked her body.

This man...

Liang Shu pondered for a moment but couldn't find any suitable adjectives.

Downstairs, in the dining room.

Liang Shu was having breakfast alone in the dining room. She stretched her neck to look into the living room, where Gu Han Sheng was sitting on the sofa discussing details with the photographer.

She was deliberately taking her time, so she ate exceptionally slowly.

Coincidentally, Gu Han Sheng was calm today. In the past few days, he had been busy, almost receiving a phone call every other moment. Today, however, everything was unexpectedly quiet.

Little did Liang Shu know that yesterday afternoon at the company, Gu Han Sheng had summoned Shi Qing midway through his break.

The man sitting behind the large desk held a cup of coffee in his hand, took a sip to moisten his throat, then asked, "What's my schedule for tomorrow?"

Shi Qing pulled up his schedule. "There's a morning meeting at nine, a video conference call at eleven, department heads' year-end performance reviews start at two in the afternoon, and you have a dinner appointment in the evening."

Tapping his fingers rhythmically on the table, the man with half-closed eyes said, "Cancel the morning meeting, postpone the dinner appointment, reschedule the video conference call for the day after tomorrow, or send me the relevant documents to my email before noon tomorrow. Postpone the performance reviews; the timing is pending."

Tomorrow, he would be at home with Liang Shu. They could probably spare an hour for a video conference during lunchtime. As for the rest, if it could be canceled, it would be canceled.

But Liang Shu was naturally unaware of this.

She was lingering in the dining room, and finally, Gu Han Sheng walked in, slightly bending down, with one hand resting on the back of her chair.

"Are you still eating? Let me ask Qu An to bring you some more congee and appetizers," he said, close enough for his warm breath to brush against her earlobe. Liang Shu, showing her determination today, usually couldn't finish more than half of her breakfast. But today, she had finished everything on her plate. Gu Han Sheng couldn't ignore her intentions. Instead of exposing her, he deliberately indulged her.

And Liang Shu, now feeling quite full, wiped her mouth with a napkin and waved her hand. "I'm done, I'm done."

"I thought you were planning to eat for the whole day with this breakfast," he teased, running his fingers through her long hair.

"I'm going out to discuss something with them. Come out when you're done eating," he said, then the next scene was captured by the photographer.

In the brightly lit, modern-style dining room, the man walked out with his tall figure, while the woman sitting at the table, one meter behind him, watched his back.

Another scene fit for a painting.

After tidying up, Liang Shu came out. In the living room, the two photographers followed the servants around the ground floor, checking angles and lighting.

It was probably not even nine thirty yet.

Gu Han Sheng sat on the sofa, waving to Liang Shu. She walked over and sat down, and he leaned in, causing Liang Shu to glance around before lightly pushing his hand away. "What are you doing?"

Her tone carried a hint of urgency, making Gu Han Sheng chuckle. He held her hand and used his other hand to tuck her hair behind her ear, looking focused.

Furrowing his brows, he murmured, "This scar still affects it a bit, but nothing in this world is perfect. These photos have some minor flaws. Let's strive for better ones in the next set."

With that, Gu Han Sheng released her hair and looked down at Liang Shu. "I remember we had some necklaces with us at the time. Let me get them for you, hmm?"

"They were put away by Qu An," Liang Shu replied.

So Gu Han Sheng called for Qu An, who responded with a soft "yes" before heading towards the stairs.

Half a minute later, a maid hurriedly approached them. "Sir, Madam, Qu An fell down the stairs."

Both of them stood up in shock. Gu Han Sheng embraced Liang Shu and looked at the photographers approaching from a distance. He said to Liang Shu, "I'll go check on her. The photographers have something to discuss with you. Wait here for me."

Qu An had already been helped up. She stood on the stairs, apologizing, "Sir, I..."

Gu Han Sheng interrupted her gently, "Be careful. Did you hurt yourself?"

"I don't think so." Saying so, Qu An tried to walk up the stairs while holding onto the railing. "Please go and accompany Madam, I'll get what you need."

Feeling quite good today, Gu Han Sheng said to Qu An, "Where are the things? I'll go."

Qu An looked at him, then lowered her head and quietly replied, "On the bedside table on Madam's side."

In the bedroom.

As expected.

Besides retrieving the necklace, Gu Han Sheng also saw a box of birth control pills. The thin ribbon in his palm was crumpled up, and he stood there tall and straight, looking down at the box of long-acting contraceptives in the drawer, his emotions unclear.

For a long time.

He tossed the ribbon onto the ground, his demeanor calm, his face inscrutable. Although he didn't smoke frequently in the bedroom, there was a pack of cigarettes here.

At this moment, he walked to the other bedside table, picked up a cigarette and lighter, lit it, but didn't rush to take a puff. The blue smoke rose, blurring his handsome facial features.

After taking a deep drag, he extinguished the cigarette and threw it into the trash can. Then he took out the box from the drawer, his eyes shrouded in mist, layers of shadows visible.

A box of birth control pills, more than half empty.

Very well.

Very well.

Very well.

He then tucked the box into his casual pants pocket, turned around, and walked out.

As he stepped out, he coincidentally encountered a maid coming up. She glanced at Gu Han Sheng, about to speak, but he walked straight to the study, leaving behind a faint instruction: "Go ask Madam to come to the study."

...

Liang Shu didn't know what was going on as she pushed open the study door.

At this moment, the first thing that greeted her was the cold wind blowing in through the window, carrying with it the smell of smoke.

And where was Gu Han Sheng?

He was wearing a casual black shirt with dark gray loungewear pants, emphasizing his tall figure. He stood by the wide-open study window, cigarette between his fingers, the wind dispersing the smoke in wisps.

Liang Shu closed the study door and looked at him. "What's wrong?"

Suddenly, Gu Han Sheng turned around, his face dimly lit by the light, the wind causing his shirt to billow slightly. In the distance was the snowy landscape of the No. 0 mansion villa area.

The white glare of the snow reflected into her eyes, making it hard for Liang Shu to discern any expression on his face.

Taking a few steps forward, she rested her left hand on the desk, asking again, "What's wrong? They're all waiting downstairs."

Gu Han Sheng, holding a cigarette in one hand, the other hand in his pocket, held something sharp-edged within.

Standing just a few meters in front of him was his wife, Liang Shu. At this moment, she appeared calm, her beautiful eyes gazing at him. Her long hair was loosely braided and fell to the side, revealing her fair neck.

As the cold wind blew in, he partially blocked it, but some of it reached her, causing her disheveled hair to flutter.

This elegant and composed woman seemed so innocent.

Like a deer suddenly seeing a hunter with a gun in the depths of the forest.

As the wind swept past him and then her, Gu Han Sheng distinctly saw her body flinch.

Was she cold?

She knew what cold was.

In this vast silence and gaze, Liang Shu's crimson lips pressed tightly together. Her fingers, previously at her side, slowly clenched, then she surreptitiously tightened them.

Gu Han Sheng naturally didn't miss her movement, a hint of scorn crossing his lips.

With his long legs encased in loose loungewear, he walked towards her, stopping just in front of her.

The next moment, he directly placed something from his pocket onto the desk beside her with a faint sound: "Take a look."

Liang Shu followed the sound and looked over. On the clean and tidy dark wooden desk lay a box of birth control pills.

Her tightly clenched fingers slowly tightened further, nails digging into her palm, causing a pang of pain.

Gu Han Sheng stared at her expression, not missing any change on her face. However, Liang Shu didn't react much, she just lowered her gaze.

With a cigarette between his lips, Gu Han Sheng almost let it burn to the end before throwing it into the ashtray. The smoke rose, but Liang Shu calmly looked over, exhibiting a restrained anger, much like his current subdued fury.

Her fingers pinched her palm, and she looked up at him. She saw the mocking curve at the corner of his mouth, his eyebrows and eyes filled with derision. "Do you want to explain?"

Although he spoke in a seemingly calm tone, Liang Shu's eyelashes fluttered incessantly, her face and lips losing color.

Taking another drag of the cigarette, he ignored her slight shivering and continued disdainfully, "There's nothing to explain, is there? Playing with a man named Gu Han Sheng makes you feel accomplished, hmm?"

He took another drag, and most of the smoke entered Liang Shu's breath, but she didn't react. Her eyes just stared at him with an anger that didn't show on her face.

"Do you think the birth control pills taste good?"

Liang Shu bit her lip tightly, trying to shake her head, trying to say she didn't think anything.

No, she did think, but it had nothing to do with him.

After a long time, Liang Shu struggled to speak, "I didn't... consider you a joke."

In the next instant, Gu Han Sheng's fingers directly gripped her chin. Even the cigarette was still between his fingers, dangerously close to burning her hair or scorching her face if he wasn't careful.

But his expression was indifferent. Through the drifting smoke, Gu Han Sheng suddenly laughed, "Then did you consider 'children' a joke?"