There was a quiet shift on the line, not silence, but attention sharpening, like sothing dangerous being very deliberately restrained. When he spoke again, his voice was low, even, controlled to the point of severity.
"Careful, Shuyin," he said. "You don’t barter what already belongs under my na."
She smiled at that, not bright, not playful, but cool and knowing. "Then it isn’t bartering," she replied softly. "It’s reminding you of your assets."
There was a slow and asured breath.
"You misunderstand sothing," Lu Yuze said. "If I wanted your body as repaynt, the tiline would be irrelevant." There was no heat in his words, only possession stated as fact. "You’re my wife. That isn’t a currency. It’s a condition."
Shuyin’s fingers tightened slightly around her phone. That flutter in her chest returned, sharper this ti. "So strict," she murmured. "And here I thought you’d appreciate efficiency."
"I appreciate discipline," he corrected. "And results." Then, after a beat, deliberately: "Desire complicates neither."
Her lips curved. "You’re very confident for a man refusing an attractive offer."
"I’m confident," he replied calmly, "because you’ll deliver what I asked for." A pause, intentional, weighted. "And because anything else between us doesn’t require negotiation."
For a mont, neither of them spoke.
Then Shuyin laughed softly, a sound like water slipping over stone. "Six months, then," she said. "I’ll make the Chen company thrive. And afterward....."
Relief and determination warred in Shuyin’s chest. "Six months. I can do that."
"I know you can," Lu Yuze said, and the confidence in his voice was oddly reassuring. "If you couldn’t, I wouldn’t have transferred the money."
Shuyin found herself smiling genuinely, sothing warm and complicated settling in her chest.
"You asked what was happening at the Group," she said, shifting topics. "Is there a reason? Are you concerned about the southern branch situation?"
"I’m monitoring," he replied. "My brother will likely initiate so kind of investigation, into you, into the circumstances of your appointnt, possibly into your relationship with Yuyan. I want to know if it becos a problem that needs handling."
"Will you interfere?" Shuyin asked, and she genuinely wasn’t sure if she wanted him to or not.
"Not unless you ask to," Lu Yuze replied. "This is your territory now. Your power base. I won’t undermine that by swooping in to solve your problems. But if sothing escalates beyond your capacity to handle, or if the family tries sothing that threatens our arrangent..." He paused significantly. "Then yes. I’ll interfere. Comprehensively."
The promise wrapped in threat was oddly comforting.
"Thank you," Shuyin said quietly. "For trusting to handle this. And for being willing to back up if needed."
"You’re my wife," Lu Yuze stated simply, as if this explained everything. "Contract or not, that ans you have my full support. My resources. My protection. Use them as needed."
Shuyin’s throat felt oddly tight.
"Even though I’m expensive?" she managed, trying to inject lightness back into the conversation. "Seven hundred million yuan expensive?"
"Even then," he confird, and she could hear the hint of amusent returning. "Though I reserve the right to complain about your spending habits."
"Fair enough." Shuyin glanced at the ti, nearly 2: 20 PM, and made a decision. "Speaking of spending habits, I’m thinking of taking Yuyan and the others shopping this afternoon. She needs more clothes, Chen Xiao needs everything, and I could use so items that aren’t borrowed from your who-knows-wardrobe."
"Take Ting Fei," Lu Yuze instructed imdiately. "And the security detail. No wandering around the city unprotected."
"I know, I know." Shuyin waved her hand even though he couldn’t see it. "Ting Fei is very responsible and would never let do anything dangerously foolish. Speaking of which..." She paused significantly. "He has a card. Your card, presumably. For expenses."
"He does," Lu Yuze confird warily, clearly sensing where this was going.
"So I was thinking," Shuyin continued with deliberate sweetness, "perhaps I could have a card as well? For convenience? So I don’t have to route all purchases through Ting Fei like I’m so kind of supervised teenager?"
"No."
The response was imdiate and absolute.
"No?" Shuyin repeated, sounding genuinely shocked. "What do you an, no? I’m your wife. Taking the children shopping. This is normal family behavior that requires financial support."
"You spent over a billion yuan last night at the clubhouse," Lu Yuze pointed out dryly. "Buying out contracts, purchasing drinks for the entire establishnt, and whatever else you deed necessary. I think your access to unlimited funds needs so... supervision."
There was a beat of silence, then Shuyin’s voice ca back slightly defensive. "That was a business expense! I was protecting your interests!"
"You bought seventeen models and their contracts."
"Very talented models who will definitely be assets," Shuyin argued. "And I needed to make a statent. You can’t put a price on the kind of reputation managent I was doing."
"Over a billion yuan is exactly the price, apparently."
"You’re being unreasonable," Shuyin declared, but he could hear the smile in her voice. "And stingy. What kind of husband denies his beautiful wife money for shopping with their children?"
"The kind who doesn’t want to find out she’s purchased an entire fashion house because she thought it would be more efficient," Lu Yuze replied.
Shuyin gasped dramatically. "That’s actually a brilliant idea! Why didn’t I think of that? Just buy the whole company, then everything in it is automatically ours....."
"Shuyin."
"Fine, fine," she relented, though her tone remained playful. "I’ll use my own money. Which I totally have. Sowhere. Probably."
"You don’t have any money," Lu Yuze stated flatly.
"I have assets!" Shuyin protested. "I have... well, I have seventeen models under contract now. That’s worth sothing. And I have my stunning looks and devastating charm, which are priceless."
"Neither of those things will pay for children’s clothing."
"You’re really going to make beg?" Shuyin asked, and her voice dropped to sothing lower, more sultry. "Because I can beg very prettily when properly motivated. I could make it very... persuasive."
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