After Marrying Bigshot Vegetable Boss - Chapter 61

In the following period, Chu Wang’s recovery was quite smooth. Compared to the past when walking two steps would cause unbearable pain, he could now walk for a few minutes without leaning on the railing.

However, going up and down stairs was still somewhat strenuous. Although he claimed with an indifferent expression that it was nothing, Yu Lan couldn’t bear to see him suffer and had a wheelchair brought along to minimize his discomfort.

Aside from that, everything else had returned to normal. Especially in terms of work, everyone expected him to be a bit out of practice after being away for a year. Surprisingly, he seemed as if he had never left the company, even more decisive and meticulous than before, with a sharp grasp of all matters.

He seemed to know even the details of events that occurred during his coma. Xi Jun was somewhat worried, thinking that Chu Wang might have become a workaholic again, working all night to catch up. Occasionally, he would secretly ask Yu Lan if Chu Wang was staying up late again.

It was quite unexpected how quickly Chu Wang was back to his old self.

The discussion about Chu Wang’s new wife, who supposedly married him during his coma for “good luck,” was the most talked-about topic.

Many had speculated about how this situation would develop. Given Chu Wang’s previous temperament, he would likely not accept such a marriage. If he believed in the luck aspect, he might give her a large sum of money to get rid of her. However, more people thought Chu Wang, being so shrewd, would consider the matter embarrassing and might have secretly discarded her without much fuss.

To everyone’s shock, the outcome was entirely different from what they imagined!

Upon waking, Chu Wang immediately brought his wife to the company to assert his claim, even tying a bow tie for her. While some might have thought this was just to quell public gossip, it turned out that Chu Wang seemed to have a new and more important focus.

For instance, he suddenly emphasized the construction project of X University’s laboratory, which was Yu Lan’s specialized field.

Moreover, the Yu family was now entangled in economic lawsuits, with various companies under them being dissolved or sold. Chu Wang seemed to have intentionally lowered the acquisition price, implying that the group and its partners should stay away from the matter.

No one made an offer, so the price continued to drop.

Some were puzzled by this approach. While it did not harm the group, it was not beneficial either.

No one doubted Chu Wang’s intelligence. He never did anything that wasn’t advantageous to him, and his sudden shift in attitude was clearly intentional.

It was evident that Chu Wang was targeting the Yu family, choosing to remain aloof and not offer assistance, perhaps to make them suffer the consequences of their actions.

As a result, strange speculations began to arise.

Chu Wang’s behavior suggested that he was so absorbed in Yu Lan that he ignored the Yu family’s critical situation, leaving them to fend for themselves.

Some believed this indicated Chu Wang despised the Yu family’s treatment of Yu Lan and was punishing them by ignoring their plight, wanting them to face the consequences.

Such contrasting attitudes gave rise to a flurry of rumors.

Some started to believe that Yu Lan was indeed the Yu family’s biological child, and upon Chu Wang waking up and seeing the Yu family’s mistreatment, he decided to give them a lesson while completely cutting ties.

However, others suspected that Yu Ling was the Yu family’s true child and Yu Lan was an imposter, and the Yu family, unable to accept Yu Lan, used his marriage to Chu Wang to incite revenge.

Despite the rumors, the common thread was that “Chu Wang was completely enchanted!”

While some found it understandable, suggesting that Chu Wang might have fallen in love at first sight, given Yu Lan’s exceptional looks, others speculated that Yu Lan might have some real talent, otherwise, how could someone like Chu Wang, known for being a tough nut, be so captivated?

These rumors had no concrete evidence, but people’s nature is to enjoy gossip, so the excitement continued unabated.

In both the company and the school, the buzz was unrelenting.

Yu Ling hadn’t been to school for half a month.

Some said he was on leave, others said he was ill, but the Yu family’s near-bankruptcy was impossible to hide.

When there was no one to support him, the previously hidden whispers finally came to light.

Meanwhile, Yu Lan continued his normal school routine and was occasionally seen being picked up and dropped off by Chu Wang.

When Li Shu saw Yu Ling again, he looked unwell, with a pale complexion and slightly purple lips, lacking any energy.

Since Yu Lan stood up for him, he even got glasses with the help of Zhong Jiale, and a few days later, his father, who had been dismissed, found a new job.

Li Shu had heard the rumors circulating around the school.

Those identities seemed distant and like a barrier he could never cross, but they were real enough to make him feel somewhat bewildered.

Li Shu even encountered a few classmates from Yu Ling’s group at a university event. When they saw Li Shu, they seemed startled and avoided eye contact, as if they were afraid he might cause trouble.

Now, Yu Ling looked like a completely different person from the gentle, kind-hearted senior he used to be.

Li Shu tightened his grip on his backpack and nervously took a step back, “You…”

This was Li Shu’s usual route home, but he wasn’t sure how Yu Ling had found it.

However, if he could run a few more steps, he would be on the main road, and right now, Yu Ling didn’t seem capable of doing much to him.

With a hint of hesitation in his voice, he asked, “What do you need?”

Yu Ling opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, he broke into a harsh cough.

His voice was weak and hoarse as he looked at Li Shu with bloodshot eyes, “C-can you help me?”

“I know I was wrong before, but I really didn’t order it. They insisted on helping me, and I only found out later!” He was somewhat incoherent. “I didn’t make the decision about the layoffs; I’m not an executive. How could I make such a decision?”

“But I can still help you. Once my father gets through this, I will definitely rehire your family at a high salary.”

Li Shu clenched his fists and asked, “What are you trying to say?”

Yu Ling looked up, “You know there are some small issues at home, but that’s not the key. The key is that someone reported the previous incidents to the school, and a decision about my punishment will be made tomorrow. I-I can accept a demerit or even suspension for a year, but if I get expelled—”

His voice choked, “So please help me. You’re the person involved. As long as you come forward and explain that this has nothing to do with me, my punishment won’t be so severe!”

Li Shu stood there, silent, after hearing Yu Ling speak rapidly.

Seeing Li Shu hesitate, Yu Ling thought he hadn’t explained well enough: “Or, or does your family need any relatives to work? As long as I finish my studies, I can go back and help. I can’t just—”

He tried to grab Li Shu’s hand, but Li Shu pulled away in fright, and Yu Ling nearly fell.

He awkwardly asked, “Why aren’t you speaking? Say something!”

“Last time, you didn’t get hurt, did you?”

“It’s just a small favor. Why can’t you help me?”

Li Shu looked at Yu Ling’s expression, which shifted from panic to nervousness, then gradually to calmness, even revealing a touch of pity.

Yu Ling had never expected to be looked at this way.

He instinctively tried to explain, “I know I’m not as good as before, but maybe I can still manage. Just name your price, okay? I also have some limited edition luxury gifts that I haven’t sold. They could be worth a lot—”

This time, Li Shu firmly shook his head, “I’m sorry.”

He even started with an apology, then said, “But I can’t agree.”

Yu Ling wanted to pull out his hair in frustration, “Isn’t your family short on money? Can’t you manage a bit better?”

“It’s not about needing money,” Li Shu said honestly, honestly enough that it left no room for argument. “Even if we were short on money, I still can’t agree.”

“My father earned every penny through hard work and always told me not to betray those who helped us,” Li Shu’s grip on his backpack loosened slightly as he said, “If I agreed to you for money, it would be like betraying those who extended a helping hand to me.”

“I wasn’t injured because others helped me.”

Li Shu’s look even carried a hint of confusion: “How could I agree to that?”

“I, I have other matters to attend to,” Li Shu felt a bit more strength after speaking, and he looked at Yu Ling again, “So I’ll leave now.”

“You—”

He wasn’t sure how to talk to Yu Ling.

Saying “be well” or “good luck” didn’t suit him; he couldn’t forget the harm done and couldn’t say it.

But saying something worse didn’t seem to fit his character either.

So, Yu Ling waited another minute.

In the end, he could only watch as Li Shu sighed and walked away slowly.

—

I’m currently transitioning to an every-other-day update schedule, so there will be a pause between updates!

Yesterday, while writing halfway, I discovered my cat was missing. I cried while searching floor by floor in the stairwell, only to find the cat had hidden on the 29th floor by itself (…).

I’m still shaken and exhausted, so I’ll take a break tomorrow.