Mr. Shang, please be passionately in love after marriage.

Cen Xi doesn't drive much. She's been very busy studying medicine, and she only got her driver's license two months ago. She's still a little hesitant to drive alone.

She waited at the hospital entrance, the summer evening breeze causing her skirt to billow.

She pressed her hand down, about to hail a taxi, when the black Maybach parked in front of her beeped. Cen hope subconsciously looked up.

The car window rolled down.

First, Fang Nian's face was revealed, and the smile on Fang Nian's lips was much brighter than when he was in the hospital.

"Madam, get in the car."

Cen hope blinked, almost thinking she was hallucinating.

The rear window rolled down, revealing Shang Hanzhou's sharp and distinct profile—a straight nose and thin lips. He turned his gaze toward her, and their eyes met briefly in mid-air.

Cen hope's heart tightened, and her first reaction was to lower her head and avoid his gaze, her mind slightly in turmoil.

He recognized her?

"Madam, Mr. Shang just called Mr. Shang. You and Mr. Shang can go back together."

Shang Hanzhou had a leg injury and it was inconvenient for him to get out of the car, but Fang Nian was quick and efficient. After getting out of the car, he even opened the back door for Cen Xi.

Having said all that, Cen hope wasn't stupid and naturally understood.

It seems that a phone call from Old Master Shang reminded Shang Hanzhou of her.

"Thanks."

She spoke softly and without any affectation, getting into the car briskly.

Having spent so much time in the hospital, even the faintest scent of disinfectant lingered on her. Combined with the fact that Shang Hanzhou had just finished treating his wounds, the enclosed car interior smelled quite unpleasant.

Shang Hanzhou remained calm and instructed Fang Nian to activate the car's air purification function.

The smell of medicine gradually dissipated.

Instead, one could faintly smell the bergamot scent that belonged only to Shang Hanzhou. Cen hope unconsciously clenched the hem of her pink skirt and looked uncomfortably out the window.

Frames of images flashed by before my eyes.

I thought the two of them would remain silent all the way back to the old Shang family mansion.

A deep voice spoke up from beside him: "Didn't you drive to the hospital?"

Cen hope was surprised; he hadn't expected that he would be the one to speak first.

She slowly hummed in agreement, "My driving skills aren't very good, so I'm not very brave enough to drive."

After he finished speaking, Shang Hanzhou gave a faint "hmm". The two were really not familiar with each other and had nothing more to say.

How embarrassing.

Cen hope couldn't help but want to scratch her palm with her fingernails. It was even more unsettling than when she was applying medicine to him in the clinic earlier.

Just then, her phone rang again. It was Lin Xingyou, her best friend in Beijing, calling.

Cen Xi breathed a sigh of relief and quickly answered the call without thinking, which was a way to distract herself.

"Honey, I saw on the news that your husband has returned to China."

The two had known each other since high school, and Lin Xingyou knew the most about her relationship with Shang Hanzhou.

Cen hope glanced at the tall figure beside her out of the corner of her eye and gave a soft "hmm." Lin Xingyou's gloating voice came over: "I saw a rumor that he was in a car accident, my God! It's a miracle that the old man who abandoned his wife and went to another country after getting the marriage certificate deserved this! He deserved it."

Lin Xingyou didn't hide her voice.

Cen hope could hear this shout clearly even without the hands-free mode on, and it was certain that Shang Hanzhou, who was sitting next to her, could hear it as well.

Cen hope almost choked on her saliva.

She coughed twice, covering the receiver. A miscalculation; she shouldn't have answered the call so quickly.

"Honey, you don't have a cold, do you? You're coughing so badly."

Lin Xingyou didn't understand her meaning and even asked her a question out of concern, then indignantly continued, "Let me tell you, if an old man doesn't cherish you, you should find a young, juicy guy to make him jealous. No, you should find ten! Each one younger and stronger than him!"

"Grapefruit."

Fearing she might say something else incoherent, Cen hope quickly said, "I have something to do, so I'll hang up now."

She hurriedly hung up the phone, and when she looked up, she met Shang Hanzhou's gaze.

It was bottomless, like a whirlpool that drew people down.

Cen hope's face slowly flushed red. It was indeed not good for him to have overheard his good friend's words about him behind his back.

She opened her mouth, about to apologize, but Shang Hanzhou spoke first, saying, "I'm sorry, the group's focus will shift to the domestic market going forward."

Does that mean he'll be spending more time in Beijing from now on?

While Cen hope was still pondering, the Maybach had already come to a steady stop in front of the old house.

"Mr. Shang, Madam, we've arrived."

Fang Nian's voice came from ahead, and Cen hope put aside her thoughts and got out of the car first.

In the past two years, she has visited the old house quite often, at least twice a month.

The old house of the merchant is located in the deepest part of the city center. It is a quiet courtyard house with four courtyards and three entrances. From the outside, it looks antique with white walls and black tiles, but once you enter the round archway, you will see a different scene.

A blend of extremely modern design and rustic charm.

Convenient and pleasing to the eye.

The Maybach drove straight in and stopped inside the yard.

After getting out of the car, Cen hope thought about Shang Hanzhou's leg injury; he probably wouldn't be able to get out of the car easily...

She walked around to his car door.

The man's long, straight, and strong legs stepped onto the bluestone bricks. Cen hope, worried that his legs might be injured, withdrew her outstretched hand.

It seems he doesn't need her help anymore.

Just as her arm pulled back a little, a warm and strong hand firmly grasped her small hand. Cen hope was stunned, and her feet followed the movement of his hand as he took hers.

My vibrant, beating heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Shang Hanzhou's voice was low and magnetic: "Thank you for your help, Mrs. Shang."

It's unclear whether she was referring to her supporting him now, or to the time she applied medicine to him at the hospital earlier.

The man's palm was much hotter than hers.

Cen hope turned her face away somewhat awkwardly, her fingers curling, and replied softly, "You're welcome."

The two held hands and walked across the courtyard into the main hall.

Old Master Shang was waiting when he saw the two of them come in one after the other. He was about to frown when he saw their hands clasped together, and he smiled.

It seems there's still hope; he knows to hold his wife's hand firmly.

Cen hope disliked the damp feeling in his palms, which were being squeezed so tightly. If his memory served him right, Shang Hanzhou was a germaphobe, and a rather severe one at that, so he probably didn't like it either.

A few seconds later, Cen hope released her hand.

The man's straight lips were slightly pursed, and he glanced at her sideways. Suddenly, the words she had said when they first met two years ago flashed through his mind.

"Mr. Shang, please rest assured, I have someone I like. We will only have a marriage alliance, not talk about feelings."