Chapter 41: Shield

Xu Dian saw the entire chat screen, and his expression darkened for a few seconds. Then, he suddenly let out a cold laugh and leaned in close to Meng Ying’s ear, whispering, “Then you’d better use me as a shield for the rest of your life. I’d be more than happy to oblige.”

Meng Ying’s fingers paused briefly on her phone’s keyboard, hesitating for a moment.

A few seconds later, she continued typing openly, chatting with Xu Qing as if nothing had happened.

If Xu Dian wanted to look, she’d let him.

Xu Dian didn’t hold back either. While chatting with Meng Yulin, he kept glancing at Meng Ying’s phone, watching her text Xu Qing and scroll through Weibo.

Meanwhile, the front door was wide open.

Passersby couldn’t help but sneak glances inside, clearly catching sight of the tall, handsome man with his arm around Meng Ying’s waist, occasionally leaning in to whisper something to her. The man wore silver-rimmed glasses, his long legs crossed, exuding an air of sophistication.

“It’s true! That really is Meng Ying’s boyfriend.”

“He’s so handsome. How can someone look that good?”

“Li Ping had the nerve to say her son-in-law was the best. I think Meng Ying’s boyfriend is miles ahead.”

“Li Manyu must be crying. She’s not as pretty as Meng Ying, and now her husband isn’t as handsome either.”

“I heard Li Manyu’s husband has a house in Beijing and drives a Mercedes.”

“A Mercedes? Don’t make me laugh. That’s an old model. Do you know what Meng Ying’s boyfriend drives? I looked it up—it’s a Maybach, worth nearly 6 million yuan. Crazy, right?”

“No way! Is that true?”

“Of course! Go check the car emblem…”

“What are you all doing standing at their door?” Li Manyu stormed out of her house, her face dark with anger. The four gossiping neighbors in the alley turned around abruptly, forcing awkward smiles before scattering in different directions. Li Manyu was fuming. The two houses were too close, and these people didn’t even bother to lower their voices. She couldn’t pretend not to hear them. She refused to believe that Meng Ying’s boyfriend was that… handsome.

Her gaze drifted toward Meng Ying’s house.

Just then, the man looked up, his peach-blossom eyes glancing casually in her direction.

Li Manyu stared at the strikingly handsome man, completely stunned.

She couldn’t snap out of it for a long time.

A while later, Chen Jiao finished cooking, and everyone moved to the dining room. Chen Jiao had gone all out, preparing seven dishes and one soup, making a total of eight dishes—a lucky number for hosting guests.

Meng Yulin wanted to share a drink with Xu Dian, but given his poor health, he didn’t dare.

Meng Ying showed no interest in drinking, so it was left to Meng Xiao to drink with Xu Dian. Meng Xiao couldn’t contain his excitement, calling Xu Dian “brother-in-law” over and over.

Xu Dian’s peach-blossom eyes were filled with warmth, not a trace of coldness in sight.

His charming demeanor, combined with that smile, was both elegant and flirtatious—utterly deceptive. Meng Ying stuffed a large bite of enoki mushrooms into her mouth, glancing at him a few times.

He twirled his wine glass, tilting his head slightly as he listened to Meng Xiao, his jawline sharp and his smile faint.

He was truly a master of deception.

Meng Ying lowered her gaze, focusing on the food in her bowl as she continued eating.

In the past, she had believed that love was just love.

Falling for Xu Dian had been because he was exceptionally talented, exceptionally handsome, and she had thrown herself into it without a second thought.

But later, after everything she’d been through, she realized that love didn’t have to be the ultimate goal. She could live for herself, follow her own heart.

However.

Once you’ve been with a man as exceptional as Xu Dian, every other man seems… ordinary.

She took another bite of chicken and sipped her juice.

Chen Jiao was the kind of person who needed a stronger force to keep her in check. Since Xu Dian’s arrival, Chen Jiao had become surprisingly subdued. She barely spoke all evening, obediently following Meng Yulin’s lead and quietly serving fatty meat to her son and Xu Dian.

After stewing for a long time, she finally nudged Meng Yulin. Meng Yulin coughed, his face flushed from the rare attention Chen Jiao was giving him. He looked up and asked, “Xu Dian, do you have any plans for when you two might get married?”

Xu Dian paused mid-bite.

His profile was sharp, his jawline tense.

Meng Ying set down her chopsticks, wiped her lips with a napkin, and stared at Xu Dian with a smirk.

Xu Dian glanced at Meng Ying, their eyes meeting. She pressed her lips together, her eyes filled with amusement, clearly enjoying the show.

He placed the meat in his bowl, still staring at Meng Ying, but answered Meng Yulin’s question, his voice slightly hoarse: “That depends on Meng Ying. It’s up to her when she’s willing to marry me.”

He tossed the ball right back, hitting Meng Ying square in the face.

Meng Ying let out a cold laugh, set down her napkin, and asked, “Xu Dian, how about we go get our marriage certificate tomorrow?”

This dog probably hadn’t even thought about marriage, yet he dared to ask her. Ridiculous.

“Meng Ying, how can you be so casual about this? No, that’s not how it’s done. Xu Dian, don’t listen to her. Give me your birth date, and I’ll have someone calculate an auspicious date for you two. By the way, has Meng Ying met your parents yet?” Chen Jiao, who had been holding back all evening, finally found her chance to speak.

Xu Dian took a slow bite of vegetables and said, “Not yet.”

“Not yet? That’s fine. Meeting us first is just as good.” Chen Jiao spoke quickly, but then she paused, realizing something was off. If Meng Ying had been dating Xu Dian in Licheng, and Xu Dian was a local, why hadn’t Meng Ying met his parents yet? The thought made her glare at Meng Ying.

Could she really be that useless?

She hadn’t even met his parents.

But with Xu Dian present, Chen Jiao held her tongue.

The atmosphere grew quiet as everyone focused on their meals. After dinner, when Meng Ying went to wash the dishes, Chen Jiao followed her, muttering under her breath about how useless she was.

“How come you haven’t met his parents yet? Has he even introduced you to any of his relatives or friends?”

In their hometown, knowing the family background was crucial, and status mattered more than anything. Chen Jiao continued to scold, but Meng Ying remained silent, refusing to engage.

If she was using Xu Dian as a shield, she’d have to deal with the consequences.

Chen Jiao was furious.

After a few more insults, she snatched the dishcloth from Meng Ying’s hands, annoyed by her slow pace. “You’re so sluggish!”

Meng Ying’s hands were now free.

She was happy to step aside.

After drying her hands, she left the kitchen.

In the living room, only Meng Yulin remained. Meng Ying transferred some money to him. She was flying back to Licheng the next day and wanted to make sure he had some funds.

“I don’t need this,” Meng Yulin said, looking at his phone in surprise. “Keep it for yourself. I don’t spend much at home, but you’re out there, and it’s different.”

Meng Ying smiled. “Take it. Use it if you need to. I’m heading upstairs.”

After a few steps, she turned back and added, “Save it. Don’t tell Mom.”

During this trip back home, Meng Ying noticed that Meng Yulin barely had any cigarettes left, which told her just how strictly Chen Jiao controlled things.

After saying that, she pulled open the mosquito net door and headed upstairs. At the end of the hallway near the staircase, there was a window. Xu Dian was standing there, a cigarette in his mouth, holding his phone as he took a call. His gaze flicked over to her as their eyes met briefly. Meng Ying looked away and walked to her room to grab her pajamas before heading to the bathroom to shower.

When she came out, Xu Dian was in the living room, scrolling through his tablet and checking emails.

Meng Ying walked in, drying her hair with a towel. She picked up the remote and turned on the TV.

The two of them occupied opposite sides of the room. Xu Dian glanced up at her, then bent down to put out his cigarette. He stood up, walked over to her, and took the towel from her hands.

Meng Ying was startled and looked up.

Xu Dian gently pushed her head down, making her lower it.

Then he draped the towel over her head and began drying her hair. Meng Ying didn’t resist. She sat cross-legged on the sofa, her eyes fixed on the TV.

Life in her hometown was like this.

There wasn’t much to do at night. Going to bars or karaoke required driving far out, so most people either visited neighbors or stayed home to watch TV. But with kids playing outside and cars honking, the noise was constant.

Meng Ying flipped through a few channels.

She paused when she saw a flash of bright red.

Sure enough.

It was a rerun of *Nine Heavens*.

Suddenly, the towel covered her face, plunging her into darkness. She reached up to grab it, but Xu Dian leaned down, his breath carrying a faint scent of alcohol as he whispered coldly in her ear, “Did Gu Yan ever pursue you?”

Meng Ying smiled. “He did.”

Xu Dian’s expression turned icy.

“Did he?”

With that, he reached over and changed the channel.

Then he took the towel away. Meng Ying looked up.

It was a drama starring Yang Tong.

She raised an eyebrow.

Xu Dian instinctively reached for the remote again.

This time, Meng Ying didn’t let him. She tucked the remote into her lap and looked up at him. “If you’re going to dry my hair, do it properly. Stop messing with the remote.”

Xu Dian looked down at her.

His gaze lingered on the remote in her lap. A few seconds later, his hand slipped under her collar.

Caught off guard, Meng Ying gasped. Xu Dian bent down, his lips brushing her ear as he murmured, “Don’t move. Your heart’s beating pretty fast…”

“Xu Dian!”

“Since you’re using me to fend off your suitors, why not make use of my other functions too? You seemed to enjoy it before.” With that, he withdrew his hand, then scooped her up and carried her to her room. Once inside, he kicked the door shut with his foot, pressed her against the wall, and kissed her deeply.

She was wearing a dress, which made things all too easy.

After they were done.

Xu Dian paused for a moment, his peach-blossom eyes filled with amusement as he kissed her and said, “Your house is too noisy. If I don’t get some exercise, I’m afraid I won’t be able to sleep.”

Meng Ying’s hair was disheveled, and she narrowed her eyes as she met his gaze. Then she dug her nails into the back of his neck.

He chuckled.

And then he put in more effort.

Meng Ying bit her lower lip.

The walls in the house were thin, and the buildings were close together. The alley outside was only wide enough for a motorcycle to pass through.

Xu Dian leaned down, letting her claw at his neck as he kissed her, his breath carrying a faint hint of alcohol. There was a hint of competition in his actions, and he showed no signs of stopping anytime soon.

“Sis?”

There was a knock at the door.

“Meng Ying, where’s Xu Dian? He’s not in his room.”

It was Meng Yulin’s voice.

Meng Ying closed her eyes, unable to respond.

“Meng Ying?”

There was some rustling outside, and after a while, it quieted down. But soon after, the sound of the TV and car horns drifted in.

The room was dim.

The faint scent of alcohol mingled with a subtle fragrance.

Finally, Meng Ying opened her mouth and bit down hard on Xu Dian’s shoulder.

Xu Dian winced.

And let out a soft “oh.”

Thankfully, they had already showered. Meng Ying lay sprawled on the bed, completely drained. Xu Dian got dressed and opened the door to leave. Meng Ying didn’t bother to stop him, only half-listening as he explained things to Meng Yulin.

“We were just chatting in her room and dozed off for a bit.”

“No, no need for midnight snacks. Thank you, Uncle.”

“Ah, yes, I haven’t showered yet.” The man chuckled softly. “She’s a bit tired and fell asleep.”

“Being an actress is tough. She has to endure all kinds of weather and deal with public scrutiny.”

“I hope you can understand her better, Uncle.”

Meng Ying buried her face in the pillow and let out a soft “tsk.”

“Be nicer to your sister,” Xu Dian added.

From outside, Meng Xiao’s faint voice could be heard, a quiet “mm,” barely audible.

Meng Ying drifted off to sleep, her mind hazy.

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