Chapter 19: Occasionally teasing is truly amusing

Tang Yuan was lost in her own thoughts when Yao Mei called.

"Are the results out yet? Tang Yuan, don't drag this out. If you really try to hide a pregnancy, you'll be the one stuck with a big belly when it comes time to have an abortion."

Tang Yuan felt disgusted by the remark. Suppressing her anger, she replied, "Mom, I'm heading to the check-up now. But rest assured, I am definitely not pregnant. After all, Shen Zhou is nothing special in bed; perhaps the problem lies with him. You and Dad are still young—you could consider having another son."

"You!!"

Yao Mei was so incensed her scalp tingled. She felt as if this woman had been possessed; how else could she be so insolent?

After hanging up, Tang Yuan felt a twinge of regret. Yao Mei was petty and had never liked her; contradicting her would only make life harder later.

Sure enough, as soon as her car arrived at the hospital, she spotted her mother, Meng Lianzhi.

The hospital received investments from the Shen family. While it wasn't as large as the public hospital where Chen Meng worked, it was a place tied to the unspeakable secrets of the elite. Anyone in their circle requiring a private check-up came here because the staff knew how to keep their mouths shut. She had to come here for the Shen family to feel at ease, though she hadn't expected her mother, Meng Lianzhi, to show up.

After getting out of the car, she stepped forward slowly and said respectfully, "Mother."

Meng Lianzhi wore only a jade bangle on her wrist. She stood with her back straight, looking impeccably elegant and refined.

"Mm. Go get checked. I'll wait in the car. You're coming back home with me afterward."

Tang Yuan lowered her lashes, not daring to ask questions, and went in for the examination.

Half an hour later, the results came back: not pregnant. She didn't need to send the report to Shen Zhou; someone at the hospital would naturally handle that. Clutching the report, she followed Meng Lianzhi to the car, while her own vehicle was driven back by others Meng had brought along.

Throughout the journey, Meng Lianzhi didn't say a word. Tang Yuan sat with her head bowed, gripping the medical report in silence.

The car pulled up to the Tang residence. As she entered the foyer and knelt to change her shoes, a slap landed across her face.

"Smack!"

The force sent her reeling to the side, her forehead nearly clipping a cabinet as her cheek began to swell immediately. The servants in the villa had long grown accustomed to such scenes and silently continued their chores.

After delivering the blow, Meng Lianzhi went to sit on the sofa. A servant quickly placed a cup of tea by her side. She lifted the lid to skim the tea stalks, maintaining her composed and dignified posture.

Tang Yuan feared her most of all; within the Tang family, it was Mother Meng who resorted to physical discipline the most. Having taken the slap, she could only finish changing her shoes and walk to the sofa. Before she could sit, Meng Lianzhi’s sharp gaze snapped toward her. "Kneel."

She knelt, keeping her back straight.

It must have been Yao Mei stirring up trouble. Yao Mei was small-minded; if she faced any inconvenience, she would never let others have peace.

Meng Lianzhi set down her teacup, her voice stern. "Bad-mouthing your husband in front of your mother-in-law—is this what the Tang family taught you?"

Tang Yuan pursed her lips, having nothing to say. Since childhood, she had memorized the various rules Meng Lianzhi imposed. Such defiance toward Yao Mei was enough to earn her three days in the "dark room."

Meng Lianzhi smoothed her hair and sighed. "You've been married into the Shen family for two years. Considering this is your first offense, kneel until tomorrow morning. No food tonight."

Tang Yuan said nothing. If she tried to argue now, she would only be punished more severely. She had been adopted by the Tang family for the sole purpose of a strategic marriage; defying her mother-in-law was considered an act of rebellion.

A sense of stifled frustration welled up inside her, making her chest ache and her eyes sting. She had once followed the Tang family's rules, treating Shen Zhou with genuine care and fulfilling her duties as a full-time wife, only to be rewarded with the humiliation of catching him in an affair, losing all her dignity.

"I hear from the Shen family that you intend to go out and work?"

Meng Lianzhi’s tone remained authoritative, as if to crush the last shred of Tang Yuan's pride.

"Mother, I..."

Before she could finish, Meng Lianzhi hurled her teacup, striking Tang Yuan on the forehead and leaving a red welt.

"When you married Shen Zhou, I told you your task was to take care of him. Did you not know that he nearly fainted from hypoglycemia at the office this morning?"

Tang Yuan’s lashes fluttered. She truly hadn't known. She had slept in a separate room from Shen Zhou last night, and after seeing Yao Mei this morning, she had gone straight to sign contracts with Fu Yansheng. No wonder Yao Mei had been so insufferable today—her dear son was suffering from low blood sugar.

Whenever Shen Zhou had an issue, both the Shen and Tang families would blame her for poor care. Tang Yuan found it laughable; Shen Zhou had been well-cared for and exercised regularly—how could he possibly suffer from hypoglycemia? It was nothing more than a show of power, a reminder that even without him lifting a finger, the elders of both families could force her to her knees. She lived only by relying on this husband.

This was Shen Zhou's method: bloodless, indirect, yet enough to leave her utterly defeated.

Meng Lianzhi was about to scold her further when the living room door opened. It was Tang Shangxu. He was twenty-seven, dressed in a dark suit, and was the new rising star of the Imperial Capital.

Meng Lianzhi’s expression softened instantly. She said gently, "Go kneel in the courtyard. Don't be an eyesore here."

Tang Shangxu handed his coat to a servant. He glanced up, catching sight of the slap mark on Tang Yuan’s cheek, and his brow furrowed slightly.

Meng Lianzhi smiled. "Why are you home so early today?"

Tang Shangxu was a composed man who had inherited Meng Lianzhi’s strict approach to life; he was rarely seen smiling. Tang Yuan didn't dare speak much in front of this older brother. Tang Shangxu was well-known now, and everyone feared his ruthless methods.

He was a different breed from Shen Zhou. One was steady and decisive, like a sharp blade hidden in a sheath. The other was lighthearted, hiding a knife behind his smile, killing without shedding blood.

He ignored Meng Lianzhi’s question and started up the stairs, leaving behind a single sentence: "She is a human being and deserves dignity. Stop laying hands on her."

Meng Lianzhi treated Tang Yuan like livestock; as long as no outsiders were around, she never bothered with restraint.

Meng Lianzhi chuckled and looked toward the person kneeling in the courtyard. "One must be punished for making mistakes. She needs to know that the only thing she can rely on is Shen Zhou. You have close ties with the Shen family, and we cannot afford any issues at this critical juncture. Shangxu, we were willing to raise her specifically to be a pawn for marriage."

Kneeling in the courtyard, Tang Yuan could not hear what they were saying. Her brother, Tang Shangxu, seemed to glance at her, but without another word, he walked upstairs.

Tang Yuan knelt for five hours until the doorbell rang. It was Shen Zhou.

Shen Zhou walked calmly into the Tang residence, pushed open the floor-to-ceiling glass door, and stood before her.

"You're not back yet, so I guessed you had come to the Tangs'."

He held out his hand, offering to help her up. In the past, Tang Yuan would have been moved to tears. Now that her mind was clear, how could she not see this as just another one of his tactics? He could have come earlier, but he chose to let her kneel for five hours.

She didn't take his hand, instead forcing herself to stand up on her own.

Shen Zhou raised an eyebrow slightly and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Feeling wronged? Angry?"

Tang Yuan said nothing, limping toward the living room. Her ankle hadn't fully recovered, and after kneeling for hours, her legs were numb; she was pushing herself to the limit.

Shen Zhou stood where he was, watching the resilience in her retreating figure—like a blade of grass growing through a crack in a stone, uncrushable by the wind. It was the same way she had been when she used to cry while doing practice exams late into the night, vowing to reclaim the top spot. She had to compete for excellence in everything, or she couldn't sleep.

He chuckled and stepped forward to support her waist again.

This little kitten—teasing her occasionally was truly amusing.