Using Marriage as Bait : Chapter 56
Chapter 56: I Just Like Your Petty Side…
Lin Xiyu felt ticklish and gently pushed his head. “Stop it.”
Lu Junting smiled and stopped teasing her. “I have to go abroad for a business trip in a few days,” he said.
Lu Junting's business trips were nothing new, so Lin Xiyu didn't think much of it. “Okay, I'll take care of the child at home.”
“You should come with me.”
Lin Xiyu looked at him, puzzled. “What about the child?”
“We'll leave him with his grandparents.”
“......”
Lin Xiyu felt a bit guilty about going on a trip while leaving their well-behaved child with his grandparents. However, since Mr. Lu was so eager to bring her along, rejecting him might hurt his feelings. After a moment of thought, she asked, “Do I have a choice?”
“Yes, you have two choices.”
“What are they?”
“The first is to come with me.”
“And the second?”
“Send the child to his grandparents first and then come with me.”
Lin Xiyu rolled her eyes at him. “How is that giving me a choice?”
“So, which one are you picking?”
“Is there a difference?”
“Yes. If you choose to send the child to his grandparents first, we'll leave a little later.”
“......”
When they flew to the East Country, it was on Lu Junting's private jet. Along with them were Lu Junting's assistant, two secretaries, the CEO of Storm Technology, Qin Yue, and Liu Manqing.
After greeting each other, they boarded the plane. Lu Junting began discussing the work arrangements for the trip with Liu Manqing. Before returning to the headquarters, Liu Manqing had been the head of the company's branch in the East Country, so she was also part of the trip.
Since they were talking business, Lin Xiyu didn’t have much to contribute. She sat quietly on the side, sipping juice and nibbling on snacks. Lu Junting, worried she might be bored, occasionally turned to her for a quick word.
“Are you bored?”
“You don’t need to worry about me. You guys focus on your work. I’m fine.”
Though she said this, Lu Junting would still chat with her from time to time.
By the time they arrived in the East Country, it was nighttime. After checking into their hotel, Lin Xiyu took a shower. When she came out, Lu Junting was still sitting on the sofa, organizing files for the next day's meeting.
“Will you be busy for much longer?” Lin Xiyu asked.
“No, I’m done. Let’s get some rest tonight.”
Sensing that she had something to say, Lu Junting gently pulled her onto his lap and asked, “What’s on your mind?”
Lin Xiyu hesitated for a moment before casually saying, “I heard you and Vice President Liu were classmates?”
“Yes, we had the same mentor in university.”
“You seem to work well together.”
Lu Junting immediately picked up on the undertone in her words. He raised an eyebrow and replied, “Yes, we work well together. We've been collaborating for years.”
“Oh,” she responded softly. “During the time we were divorced, it seemed like she attended quite a few press conferences with you?”
“That’s right. She had just joined the headquarters, and I wanted to give her some exposure.”
Lin Xiyu lowered her head and fell silent. Glancing at her, Lu Junting hid a smile and asked, “Why the long face?”
Lin Xiyu was honest with him. “It's nothing, really. I just feel a bit uneasy seeing how well you and Vice President Liu get along and how close you are.”
Indeed, Lu Junting could sense a bit of jealousy.
Not wanting any misunderstandings between them, Lu Junting decided to clear things up. “You’re overthinking it. Liu Manqing and I aren’t each other's type.”
“Well, I didn’t think you were my type at first, either.”
“......”
Lu Junting hadn't expected his usually quiet wife to be this jealous. He recalled how, back when they got married, she never asked about his private affairs. Now, just being a little close to someone else was enough to make her upset.
In any case, he knew she liked him now, and her showing care always made him happy.
Of course, Lu Junting wasn't foolish enough to tell her he found her jealousy amusing. Instead, he tried to remain composed and spoke sincerely, “I’ve told you before that I don’t easily fall for someone, nor do I stop liking someone easily. I’ll add this now: If I like someone, it’s for life.”
Though his tone was soft, his words carried weight. Every time he soothed her with such gentle words, she found it hard to believe. This man didn’t seem like someone who would take the time to comfort others, yet he did—just for her. It was his special way of showing favoritism.
Lin Xiyu felt her heart flutter. She cupped his face in her hands and, in a very serious tone, told him, “Junting, you're mine. You can only love me.”
It surprised him to see this level of possessiveness from her.
Lu Junting could barely contain his amusement, and despite trying to keep a straight face, a smile broke through. He nodded, “Yes, I’m yours.”
Lin Xiyu wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her face against his, declaring, “No one can take you away from me. If anyone dares to, I won’t hold back.”
Her tone was quite fierce. Lu Junting thought they were acting like a mafia boss and his little wife, with the boss threatening anyone who tried to take him away.
Yes, in this scenario, Lin Xiyu was the boss, and he was the little wife.
Although this image was somewhat humiliating for someone of his stature, Lu Junting found her possessiveness endearing, so he didn’t mind.
He gently patted her head and reassured her, “No one can take me away. I’m all yours.”
The next morning, Lu Junting got up early. Half-awake, Lin Xiyu asked, “Are you leaving?”
Lu Junting walked over and kissed her forehead. “I’m heading to the factory for an inspection. It’s outside the city, so I have to leave early.”
“When will you be back?”
“Around noon.”
“Should I wait for you for lunch?”
“No need.”
Lu Junting placed a phone on the pillow beside her. “I’m leaving you this phone with a tracker installed by Storm Technology. Take it with you if you go out, and be sure to have someone accompany you if you leave the hotel.”
Better safe than sorry, especially in a foreign country. Lin Xiyu agreed, “Okay, I will.”
After giving her another kiss on the forehead, Lu Junting left.
At noon, Lin Xiyu went to the rooftop restaurant for lunch. The hotel offered a wide variety of dishes, including Chinese cuisine. While she was getting soup from the Chinese food section, someone approached her.
“Miss Lin.”
Hearing the voice, Lin Xiyu turned around and was surprised to see Shen Jimei.
“Miss Shen? What brings you here?”
“Just on vacation. What a coincidence to run into you here.”
Lin Xiyu found it odd. The East Country wasn’t a particularly famous tourist destination, and most people wouldn’t choose it for their first trip abroad. Was she really here on vacation? It seemed too coincidental that she showed up just as Lu Junting was on a business trip. Could Shen Jimei have come here specifically because of him?
Feeling annoyed by Shen Jimei, Lin Xiyu grabbed her food and left without saying more. Shen Jimei didn’t follow her.
After lunch, Lin Xiyu left the restaurant. While waiting for the elevator, Shen Jimei walked up to her again.
“Did you come here with Lu Junting?”
Lin Xiyu didn’t feel like being polite. “Who I came with is none of your business.”
Shen Jimei looked her up and down and mocked, “You still dare to come on a business trip with him? It seems you didn’t take what I said last time seriously.”
“My relationship with my husband is none of your concern.”
Lu Junting returned to the hotel but didn’t see Lin Xiyu in their room. Checking the tracker, he saw that she was in the hotel restaurant, so he decided to head there without calling her first.
The hotel had several elevators, and Lu Junting was taking the one for the guest rooms, which required him to walk down a corridor and around a corner to reach the restaurant. As he turned the corner, he saw Lin Xiyu and Shen Jimei standing outside the restaurant. Just then, he overheard Shen Jimei mention his medication.
Neither woman had seen him, so Lu Junting instinctively stepped back, retreating behind the corner.
“I warned you before. By now, you must have noticed the medication Lu Junting is taking, right?”
Annoyed by Shen Jimei, Lin Xiyu retorted, “Whatever medication my husband takes is none of your business. Can you stop bothering me?”
But Shen Jimei wasn’t giving up. “Haven’t you noticed he’s taking olanzapine? It’s used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Lu Junting has a violent tendency. Shouldn’t you be worried about staying with him, for your sake and the child's?"
Lu Junting stood behind the corner, his back pressed against the wall, cold fury building up within him.
Lin Xiyu’s anger flared up. “Whether or not I stay with my husband is my decision, and none of your concern.”
“Are you out of your mind? Aren’t you afraid Lu Junting will lose it and beat you and the child? You know about his mother’s situation, right? How she used to abuse him. Aren’t you worried he’ll do the same to his own child? He’s a madman!”
Smack!
The sharp sound echoed in the air as Lin Xiyu slapped Shen Jimei across the face.
Shen Jimei stood there, stunned, her hand covering her cheek. Lu Junting, sensing something was wrong, peeked around the corner just in time to see Shen Jimei's shocked expression.
“You dare hit me?”
It was that fragile-looking girl who had actually slapped someone. Lu Junting was genuinely surprised. He never expected this seemingly timid woman to hit someone.
Lin Xiyu said coldly, “What if I did? Say one more word about my husband being a madman, and I’ll slap you again. I’ll keep hitting you until you shut up.”
Lin Xiyu was generally a gentle person, but even the most patient people have their limits.
Shen Jimei, spoiled and pampered her whole life, had never been treated like this. She gritted her teeth and raised her hand to retaliate, but Lin Xiyu was ready. The moment Shen Jimei's hand swung toward her, Lin Xiyu grabbed her wrist.
Lin Xiyu had practiced calligraphy since she was young, and the strength required for it had given her a firm grip. Shen Jimei found herself unable to move.
At that moment, a cold voice came from around the corner.
“Stop!”
Both women turned to see Lu Junting standing in the corner, his eyes cold, his face tense, exuding a heavy aura of impending doom.
Lin Xiyu released Shen Jimei’s hand and asked, “When did you get here?”
She had no idea how much of her conversation with Shen Jimei he had overheard.
“Just now.”
If he had just arrived, then he probably hadn’t heard everything. Lin Xiyu breathed a sigh of relief and asked him, “Have you eaten?”
“Yes, I came to find you. Let’s go.”
Without saying another word to Shen Jimei, the two left together.
It wasn’t until they had gone that Shen Jimei collapsed to the ground. She had timed her arrival, thinking Lu Junting had left, but he had returned sooner than expected. He must have heard everything, yet he said nothing—not even a warning.
But Shen Jimei wasn’t foolish. The cold, murderous look in Lu Junting’s eyes had said everything. She knew she was finished. Lu Junting’s methods were ruthless once he decided to deal with someone.
On the elevator ride up, Lin Xiyu couldn’t decide how much Lu Junting had overheard. She stole glances at him, but his expression had returned to normal, showing no signs of unusual emotion.
Back in their room, with the door closed, Lin Xiyu was debating whether to probe how much he had heard, when Lu Junting suddenly asked, “You know about my mother, don’t you?”
Lin Xiyu's heart skipped a beat. He had heard.
Standing behind her, Lu Junting’s voice was calm, his deep eyes betraying no emotion. She couldn’t tell how he felt about this.
But she knew that his childhood experiences were likely something he never wanted to revisit.
She understood this man's pride and self-respect. She didn’t want to appear as though she pitied him, so she suppressed the wave of sadness rising within her, nodded, and said, “I know.”
“Why didn’t you ask me about it?”
“Because it’s not important.”
Not important? Did she really think those things weren’t important? Lu Junting had planned to talk about it in a calm, casual way. He wasn’t one to play the victim. He thought if he downplayed it, it would make it easier to brush off. But her response hit him harder than he expected. He stared at her for a long time before finally asking, “You… aren’t afraid of me? Aren’t you afraid I might actually go mad one day and… hurt you and the child?”
Lin Xiyu could hear the slight tremble in his voice, a rare crack in his usual authoritative tone. That subtle change tugged at her heart even more, and she couldn’t control herself. She ran over and threw her arms around him, stopping him from saying anything else.
“Junting, it’s okay. The child and I will always be by your side. It’s okay. Everything will get better. I know exactly who you are. There’s nothing wrong with you. You’ve always been good to me and the child. Even when we were divorced, you took great care of the baby. You’re a wonderful husband and father. You’re doing just fine, Junting.”
She hugged him despite knowing that he might actually have schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Lu Junting wasn’t the type to wallow in self-pity; his upbringing had taught him resilience. He had learned to hide his pain behind confidence and politeness.
But in that moment, as she hugged him tightly, he realized that maybe he wasn’t as invincible as he thought. Why else would her words stir up such a whirlwind of emotions within him, as though a bottle of mixed spices had been knocked over, leaving him overwhelmed and unable to control his feelings?
All he could do was instinctively hug her back, squeezing her tight, tighter still, as if afraid to let go.
Lin Xiyu felt his arms tense around her, gripping her waist so tightly it began to hurt. But she didn’t care. She hugged his shoulders and said, “Junting, we have the child. Our family will stay together. There’s nothing we can’t get through. Don’t worry. No matter what happens, the child and I won’t leave you.”
“Alright.”
His voice trembled slightly, but there was a smile in it.
They stayed like that, hugging for who knows how long, until Lu Junting finally loosened his grip. He lifted her in his arms and carried her to the sofa. His eyes were slightly red, his lips darker, and he looked, at that moment, irresistibly attractive.
Lin Xiyu cupped his face, her thumb gently caressing his skin, and praised him without reservation. “Junting, you’re so handsome.”
Whether or not he cared about looks didn’t matter. Since his wife said he was handsome, he responded, “No matter how handsome, I’m still yours.”
Lin Xiyu couldn’t help but laugh.
Little did she know, it was her who was truly beautiful—especially when she smiled. Beautiful enough that he couldn’t resist pulling her close and kissing her hard.
Even after the kiss, he didn’t want to let go. He hooked a finger under her chin and gently rubbed her lips with his thumb. She stayed still, letting him do as he pleased. He suddenly recalled the scene he’d just witnessed. This obedient little girl had actually hit someone. That fierce side of her was oddly amusing.
“Didn’t expect you’d hit someone.”
Lin Xiyu quickly said, “Ah, no, forget about that. I’m a proper lady.”
Lu Junting chuckled. He took the hand she had used to slap Shen Jimei and gently kneaded it. “A proper lady who knows how to hit people, huh?”
“I couldn’t stand the way she talked about you.”
This girl was timid and well-behaved. She had lived with the Lu family for so many years without causing any trouble. If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn’t have believed she’d hit someone.
She had done it for him, to defend him. His heart softened. He kissed her hand and smiled, asking softly, “You care about me that much?”
Lin Xiyu touched Lu Junting's face. For some reason, this normally strong and dominant man seemed so vulnerable in that moment, stirring up maternal feelings within her. She simply wanted to take care of him and said, “Yes, I care about you.”
Lu Junting never imagined he’d be having such a sweet, sentimental conversation with anyone, but he didn’t find it strange. Instead, he thoroughly enjoyed it.
He held her close, squeezing her hand. “Next time, if someone needs to be hit, just tell someone else to do it. Plenty of people would be happy to help. No need for you to dirty your hands. Got it?”
Lin Xiyu nodded.
“My condition isn’t as bad as Shen Jimei made it out to be.”
“I know.”
“You know?” Lu Junting asked playfully. “So, is that why you said you wouldn’t leave? Because you know it’s not that serious? What if I really did have schizophrenia or bipolar disorder…”
Before he could finish, Lin Xiyu interrupted, “I still wouldn’t leave you.”
Lu Junting smiled and nuzzled his forehead against hers, asking, “You really wouldn’t leave me?”
“No.”
“No matter what happens, you won’t leave?”
“Mm-hmm.” Lin Xiyu emphasized, “I really wouldn’t.”
Lu Junting fell silent. Lin Xiyu suddenly remembered the time she had asked for a divorce, and how resolute she had been. She couldn’t imagine how heartbroken he must have been back then. Feeling guilty, she hugged him tightly and said, “Junting, I love you now. I can’t live without you. I won’t ask for a divorce again.”
Lu Junting hugged her back and said, “It’s actually kind of nice.”
“What’s nice?”
“At least now you care about me more.”
So, being hurt by you once wasn’t all bad.
Lin Xiyu didn’t quite understand, but she didn’t want to think too much about it. She tightened her embrace around him and replied, “Mm, I’ll always care about you.”
After Lu Junting handled everything, he took Lin Xiyu out for a fun day. Lin Xiyu didn’t encounter Shen Jimei again, but she vaguely heard that the police had come to arrest someone for illegal entry and that a Chinese person had been caught. She didn’t inquire further about who it was and simply enjoyed herself, eating and drinking happily with Lu Junting until they returned in the evening.
On their way back, they took Lu Junting’s private jet, but Lin Xiyu didn’t see Liu Manqing or Qin Yue.
“Where are President Qin and Vice President Liu?” she asked.
“I had them take a commercial flight.”
“Huh? Why? Isn’t it better to go back together?”
Lu Junting looked at her with a meaningful expression. “Who was it that said she felt uncomfortable seeing me with Liu Manqing?”
“......”
So, Lu Junting arranged for Liu Manqing to take the flight back out of consideration for her, but since it was difficult to say that directly, he also had Qin Yue take the same flight?
At this moment, the plane had taken off. Lin Xiyu sat beside Lu Junting, and the more she thought about it, the more she felt a bit guilty towards Vice President Liu. What if she really didn’t have any feelings for Lu Junting?
Noticing her pensive expression, Lu Junting asked, “What’s wrong? What are you thinking about?”
Lin Xiyu said, “I feel like I’m being a bit petty. Why do I keep making baseless suspicions? Am I being too narrow-minded?”
Lu Junting didn’t answer, making Lin Xiyu think that perhaps he also felt she was being petty but didn’t know how to say it.
She reflected on herself for a moment and quickly stated her position, “I think I shouldn’t be so petty. Don’t worry, I’ll change. I won’t say anything when you work with Vice President Liu in the future.”
“Don’t change.”
“Huh? Why not?”
The man looked at her as if it were only natural. “I actually like you being petty.”
“......”
“So don't change. You're not allowed to change, got it?”
“......”
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