Lu Shiyu coaxed her into drinking a bowl of soup and eating a few bites of food.
Before bed, he applied ointment to her lips again.
Ming Shu felt she had sacrificed a great deal, resting her calf on the man’s body, acting spoiled and arrogant, behaving unreasonably.
Lu Shiyu merely let out a soft “hmm,” lifting her calf into his palm and stroking it gently. Having stayed indoors for so long without sunlight and being pampered like a precious treasure by him, her skin was as tender as goose fat, smooth to the touch and utterly endearing.
Ming Shu felt she was bullying him, unaware that Lu Shiyu was secretly overjoyed.
He wouldn’t mind a bit more of this kind of “bullying.”
In her drowsy state, Ming Shu heard Lu Shiyu say something. She mumbled a few words in response, not even knowing what she said herself, before tilting her head and falling asleep.
Lu Shiyu tucked her in, then took his phone and went to the balcony.
He dialed a number.
Pei Sen: “Young Master Lu, what instructions do you have for me so late?”
Lu Shiyu: “Go and inform the producer of Phoenix Journey that Ming Shu isn’t suitable for the female lead role in that web series. The supporting female role in Heavenly Sword’s Fate is quite good—Ming Shu can audition for it. However, the actress playing the third female lead has character issues.”
Pei Sen: “Understood, Young Master Lu. Rest assured, I’ll handle it right away.”
He was Lu Shiyu’s agent and also his subordinate. Conversations like this had happened many times before. Every time Young Master Lu wielded his power and connections, it wasn’t for his own future but to stifle Ming Shu’s career.
Was Ming Shu really unsuitable for the web series female lead?
No, it was Young Master Lu who deemed her unsuitable.
Did the actress playing the third female lead in the TV series truly have character issues?
No, it was Young Master Lu who found her obstructive and wanted her replaced.
Pei Sen sighed. This was the taste of accompanying a devil. No wonder Ming Shu wanted to escape—what seemed like affection was actually imprisonment.
But where could she possibly escape to? The power of the Lu family was far more terrifying than they imagined.
…
During the days of recuperating from her sprained ankle, Ming Shu behaved very obediently.
She had no choice but to be obedient.
Every time she was unwilling to cooperate, Lu Shiyu would look at her with his handsome, refined face, his eyes moist and pleading. Who could resist that?
Certainly not Ming Shu.
In contrast to Ming Shu, Lu Shiyu had been living quite contentedly these past few days. He coaxed Ming Shu into wearing a sexy yet cute little nightgown, allowing him to hold and kiss her while he reviewed documents and scripts in the study, and even cuddle with her during meals. If this were heaven or a dream, he would gladly never wake up.
But dreams always come to an end.
Lu Shiyu opened his eyes and instinctively reached to the side… empty, no one there.
He immediately sat up, his eyes wide with fury, bloodshot and crimson.
“Baby?”
“Ming Shu?”
“Don’t play hide-and-seek, good girl, come out quickly.”
His voice was hoarse and low, calling Ming Shu’s name with painful obsession, his handsome features twisted in anguish.
See, beautiful dreams always come to an end.
From the moment they met, it had been his one-sided affection. No matter how he groveled or cared for her, Ming Shu had never been moved.
Yes, a devil like him, the madman she spoke of, was born to dwell in dark corners. No sunlight would ever favor him; decay was his best destiny. How dare he yearn for love? How dare he hope for Ming Shu to love him?
Lu Shiyu searched barefoot through the villa but couldn’t find Ming Shu anywhere.
He lowered his head and let out a soft laugh.
Pressing a palm against his forehead, where veins bulged ominously, a dark, icy voice escaped his lips.
A sweet taste surged up his throat, only to be pushed back by his tongue. His face was pale, his lips blood-red, his entire being shrouded in gloomy darkness. His black, intimidating eyes held not a trace of light.
“Lu Shiyu, Lu Shiyu…” A cheerful, sweet female voice called out.
Along with a ray of sunlight that fell upon Lu Shiyu.
Ming Shu descended the stairs from the rooftop, took Lu Shiyu’s hand, and pulled him upward.
“I discovered it a couple of days ago—the sunrise looks beautiful from the rooftop.” Sensing Lu Shiyu’s body stiffen slightly, making him hard to pull, she turned to look at him and asked timidly, “Don’t you like watching the sunrise?”
Only then did Ming Shu realize that Lu Shiyu’s aura was unusually gloomy. His usually gentle, smiling eyes now appeared terrifyingly cold and somber.
She felt inexplicably chilled and wanted to let go of his hand.
Lu Shiyu covered her eyes, embracing her from behind, no longer allowing her to witness his uncontrolled, disheveled state.
“Baby, don’t tremble, don’t be afraid of me. I just have a bit of morning grumpiness. I’ll change, don’t be afraid.”
“…” Ming Shu stopped trembling, pulled his hand down, and bit it.
How annoying!
If you have morning grumpiness, why didn’t you say so earlier!
With that world-destroying expression just now, she thought Lu Shiyu had some hidden, perverse, and violent side.
“You… you scared me just now!”
“I’m sorry, don’t be afraid of me, okay? I’ve been playing a lot of repressed, dark roles lately, and sometimes I can’t shake off the movements and expressions.”
“I’m not afraid of you. You’re my husband—why should I be afraid of you?”
“Baby…”
Lu Shiyu felt comforted by her words, grinning as he laughed softly. He strode forward on his long legs to catch up with her shorter ones, coaxing her into a blush-inducing kiss on the stairs. The sunlight warmed their bodies, but it couldn’t compare to the comfort of the soft, fragrant warmth in his arms.
Ming Shu returned to the bedroom for a nap. Her foot had mostly healed, and she could walk on her own. Lu Shiyu glanced at her fair ankle, his eyes tinged with regret.
The atmosphere grew somewhat strange.
She spoke up, “Husband, don’t keep looking. My foot is already better—I can walk just fine.”
Lu Shiyu: “Be more careful next time. No matter what happens, don’t panic. What if you really ended up crippled?”
Even if she were truly crippled, it wouldn’t matter. He would take care of her. In fact… that might even be better. She would have no choice but to depend on him.
Lu Shiyu rubbed his temples, ashamed of the dark, twisted thoughts that surfaced. What was even more terrifying was the excitement he felt, the urge to act on them.
Of course, he had the means to orchestrate a perfect accident or disaster, but doing so would mean never winning her heart. He was greedy—he wanted Ming Shu to belong to him, body and soul.
“I’m sorry, baby. I’m greedy, but I love you deeply. Do you love me? You don’t have to say it—I already know…”
Before losing her memory, Ming Shu had wanted a divorce, but Lu Shiyu refused. Even if she regained her memories and despised him, he wouldn’t let go. Born with a dark, filthy madness flowing in his bones, incapable of loving or caring for others—yet why did he have to meet her? She planted a seed of affection in his heart. Without her care and nourishment, he would wither and die.
After waking up, Ming Shu continued reading the script on her tablet. Although she preferred Heavenly Sword’s Fate, that production had Su Jin’er, so she definitely wouldn’t go.
She dialed Li Xiaole’s phone.
“I think the script for Phoenix Journey is good. My foot is healed now, so we can contact the director for an audition.”
“Well…” Li Xiaole sighed. “Because we didn’t respond in time, Phoenix Journey has already finalized its male and female leads.”
“What?!”
“Don’t worry, I have good news here. The third female lead in Heavenly Sword’s Fate has been replaced—Su Jin’er is out! Er Shu, you can try for the third or fourth female lead!”
“Great, great. Help me arrange it. As long as Su Jin’er isn’t there, I’m fine with either the third or fourth female lead. Both roles are good.”
“No problem, it’s just… sigh.”
“Why are you sighing? Did something difficult happen?”
Ming Shu was putting on her socks. Although the house had carpeting, Lu Shiyu still insisted she wear socks. She was only allowed to go barefoot in the bedroom. She had protested, but after she once boldly walked barefoot around the living room and Lu Shiyu caught her and kissed the top of her foot, she developed the habit of wearing socks.
There was no choice—if she didn’t wear socks, a certain film emperor would get mischievous.
Li Xiaole: “What difficulty could I have? I’m just lamenting how big the gap is between you and Lu Shiyu, even though you’re married. So many famous directors beg Lu Shiyu to play the male lead in their movies, and the scripts he turns down are fought over by big stars. Meanwhile, on our side, we’re fighting for the third or fourth female lead in a TV drama.”
“I just feel like I’m a failure. If my professional skills were stronger, I could have pushed you to become a top-tier actress. It’s strange, though. Every time high-quality film offers or gigs come to me, within three days, these resources get snatched away, leaving only the dregs. Er Shu, who do you think is targeting you? Your husband is Lu Shiyu—can you ask him to help investigate? If we don’t uncover the mastermind behind this, you’ll keep suffering in silence and never get popular.”
Ming Shu frowned. “You mean someone is sabotaging me behind the scenes, preventing me from becoming popular? Who has the nerve to mess with this queen!”
Just then, Lu Shiyu walked in. “Baby, are you done with the call? I made seafood porridge. Have a bowl.”
The elegant and refined man stood at the door, wearing a black shirt that exuded an air of restraint, paired with a cute apron. He looked both handsome and domestic, radiating an irresistible gentle and mature charm.
Ming Shu decided to have a bowl of seafood porridge before getting angry.
She didn’t know whether she couldn’t resist the seafood porridge or Lu Shiyu.
As an adult, she wanted both!