The horrific accident that paralyzed Song Qingshen in her previous life had been meticulously orchestrated by Song Yichen. After Song Qingshen's tragic downfall, Old Madam Song had been left with no choice but to declare the villainous Song Yichen the legitimate heir, all to ensure the family lineage wasn't completely cut off.
Gu Anran snapped out of her memories and looked directly at Song Qingshen, a sly, knowing smile playing on her lips. "Young Master Song, may I have your contact information? I happen to have some very useful data regarding your stepbrother that you might be highly interested in."
Song Qingshen was completely stunned by the sudden request, but under her intense gaze, he quickly handed over his number.
Beside her, Lu Zhenyu's expression darkened. He was thoroughly annoyed by the way his inner circle of friends was crowding around his wife.
"It's getting late," Lu Zhenyu spoke up, his voice sour and dripping with possessiveness. "My wife and I have to get going now."
"Ah, yes! Sister-in-law must be exhausted, especially since she's pregnant. We shouldn't keep you any longer," the friends chorused, completely oblivious to the jealous storm brewing in Lu Zhenyu's mind.
While Lin Feng stepped closer to Lu Zhenyu to whisper a quick report, the two men moved a few paces away.
Taking advantage of the moment, Ming Lan leaned in and spoke softly to Gu Anran. "Sister-in-law, don't worry too much about the words of that malicious secretary. I've known Lu Zhenyu all my life. I am one hundred percent certain he would never leave you—because you are the one holding his heart."
Gu Anran's hands trembled slightly at his words, a wave of complex emotions washing over her.
"Are you ready to go home?"
Lu Zhenyu's deep voice broke her trance. He was now standing right in front of her, his hand extended.
"Hmmm," she replied softly, placing her hand in his. Lu Zhenyu tightly clasped her fingers and led her out of Sky Bar.
Watching their departing figures, Ming Lan sighed, a hint of envy coloring his tone. "Lu Zhenyu is incredibly lucky to have met someone like Sister-in-law."
Xie Niangli smirked, nudging him. "Don't tell me you're finally ready to settle down and fall in love, too?"
Ming Lan completely ignored him, turning on his heel and walking out of the private room.
Inside the luxury sedan, Lin Feng had already raised the privacy partition, completely isolating the backseat.
Gu Anran immediately pressed herself against the far edge of the car, deliberately creating a wide distance between herself and Lu Zhenyu.
"Darling, you were sitting so close to me in the private room," Lu Zhenyu teased, his voice low as he leaned in. "Why are you distancing yourself from me now?"
He received nothing but cold silence.
Lu Zhenyu's playful expression faded, replaced by earnest vulnerability. "Darling... I know I owe you a full explanation. But I honestly can't stand you being this cold to me."
He reached out, firmly but gently capturing her hands and pressing a soft kiss against the back of them.
Gu Anran finally turned her head to look at him, her eyes guarded. "Then give me the explanation."
"I was on my way home yesterday when Lin Feng informed me that I needed to attend a brief banquet with some crucial foreign investors," Lu Zhenyu explained quickly. "I wanted to wrap up the project discussion as fast as possible because I knew you were waiting for me. But during the meeting, a female colleague from their side accidentally brushed against me."
His grip on her hands tightened. "Due to my special condition, I suffered an immediate psychological reaction. Because the hotel belongs to the Lu Group, I immediately went up to a private suite to take a shower, ordering Lin Feng to bring me a fresh change of clothes."
He took a deep breath. "But Lin Feng reported to me later that he had handed the clothes to Secretary Jin to deliver while he went downstairs to manage the investors.
My phone was sitting right on the lampstand. She must have heard it ring and answered it maliciously when she dropped off the suit."
Seeing the lingering doubt in her eyes, he unlocked his phone and handed it to her. "If you still don't believe me, you can watch the synced surveillance footage from the hallway yourself."
Gu Anran took the phone. As she watched the playback, every single word Lu Zhenyu said was perfectly verified.
A sudden wave of awkwardness and intense guilt hit her. She had completely overreacted, locked him out, and accused him without even getting the facts.
"I'm sorry..." Gu Anran micro-whispered, her voice choking up as tears threatened to spill. "I accused you without finding out the whole truth."
"Darling, don't apologize," Lu Zhenyu immediately pulled her into his arms, wrapping his strong embrace around her securely. "It's my fault for not taking strict precautions. I gave that secretary the perfect loophole to mess with my wife's emotions."
Gu Anran rested her head against his chest, but the lingering ghost of the secretary's words still haunted her. She pulled back slightly, looking straight into his dark eyes.
"But... tell me. What she said about your special condition... is it true?"
"Yes, it's true," Lu Zhenyu replied truthfully, not hiding it from her. "That is the exact reason why Grandma has been so worried about my future all these years."
Gu Anran felt her breath hitch. "Lu Zhenyu, be completely honest with me. Did you marry me solely so I could bear you a child... because your special condition doesn't apply to me?"
Her voice trembled. She suddenly remembered the night they first met—how the Lu Zhenyu who was fiercely resistant and disgusted by women had suddenly become entirely cooperative the moment he touched her.
"Yes. Initially, I was drawn to you because my condition doesn't affect you," Lu Zhenyu answered with brutal honesty.
But the moment he saw the flash of self-mockery in her eyes and the tears spilling over her lashes, he felt a sharp, squeezing pain in his chest. He knew with absolute certainty that if he didn't explain his heart right now, an unbreakable barrier would form between them forever.
"But I never planned on making you a mere child-producing instrument," Lu Zhenyu declared, his voice ringing with utmost seriousness and desperate sincerity.
He cupped her face, forcing her to see the depth of his feelings. "If I only wanted a child to carry the lineage, I could have easily used artificial insemination. Or, I could have kept you as a hidden girlfriend, paid you a massive sum after you gave birth, and sent you away."
His gaze locked onto hers, fierce and unyielding. "But I didn't do any of that. Because aside from the baby... I want you."