Rebirth: Contract Husband Falls in Love with Me
Chapter 282 - 142: Shi Yumei Goes Shopping

Chapter 282: Chapter 142: Shi Yumei Goes Shopping

Status, status, it’s always about status! But she’ll be damned if she lets her life be confined by such mundanity. It’s merely a stepping stone for her! Gu Fangzi cannot imagine living her entire life cowering under the shadow of the legal wife, like Aunt Shui and Aunt Fang did. Her life was not meant to be like this.

Sang Wan, don’t be too smug too soon! Our scores have yet to be settled!

"Miss, we should head back... It’s getting dark," Lan Xiang, noticing the curious glances from passersby, couldn’t help but gently tug at Gu Fangzi and whispered her advice.

Ready to bear the brunt of her master’s anger, Lan Xiang was taken aback when Gu Fangzi simply turned, gave her a slight smile, and nodded, "Okay, let’s go back."

Lan Xiang let out a huge sigh of relief, quickly assuring her, "Miss, young master still cares for you in his heart! Otherwise, he wouldn’t have gotten so angry."

"Oh? Is that what you think?" Gu Fangzi raised an eyebrow, slightly taken aback.

"Yes," Lan Xiang’s spirits lifted, and she hurriedly continued, "Think about it, miss. The reason young master got so angry is that you wanted Mrs. Wang to speak on your behalf! Young master must feel distanced because you didn’t approach him directly, and that’s why he’s angry! Miss, in the future, it might be better to speak with young master directly. I believe he will definitely be happy."

Her words struck a chord with Gu Fangzi. Her eyes brightened, and she felt somewhat relieved, "You’re not wrong, it seems it really is like that! This time, I indeed didn’t think it through, and it backfired on me!"

"Miss, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future. Don’t be disheartened!"

"Hmm, we’ll talk about it after a while!" Gu Fangzi sank into despondency again, the duck that was almost in her grasp had flown away! She had no idea when the next suitable opportunity would come.

Shi Fengju intended to head back to the study but found himself unconsciously standing at the entrance of Ningyuan. Just as he was about to step in, a sudden jolt of awareness stopped him, and he withdrew his foot, standing at the gate, hesitating.

To enter or not to enter was a particularly difficult decision for him.

The maids did not dare to provoke him or attract trouble, and someone quickly ran off to inform Sang Wan. The rest didn’t dare to stand in the garden and gawk at young master, pretending not to see him and avoiding him one by one.

Where others could avoid, Sang Wan naturally could not. Accompanied by Liu Ya and Xingzhi, she stepped forward to greet him with a respectful nod, "Why doesn’t young master enter?"

Shi Fengju lifted his gaze, meeting a face of gentle compliance, a gaze serene and an expression placid—as seen from the perspective of others, undeniably a model of dignified grace and gentle virtue. Yet in Shi Fengju’s eyes, it was clear as day, the indifference and coldness that refused to dissipate. Between them stretched an invisible chasm, impossible to traverse and reach each other.

Shi Fengju felt an aggravating irritation. He would rather have her blame him, be angry with him, or lash out at him than treat him this way.

Shi Fengju’s expression turned icy in an instant, snorting coldly, "Never mind! Madam, please do as you wish!" With that, he turned around and stalked off.

"Madam, why is young master being so courteous today?" Liu Ya was somewhat puzzled.

Sang Wan replied indifferently, "Young master is a gentleman and is always polite to others! What nonsense are you spouting, girl?"

Liu Ya stuck out her tongue, not daring to speak further.

Shi Fengju went back to the study, seething with indignation. Naturally, he spent the night in the study, mocking himself: The study isn’t so bad, after all. At least it has a bed, and I don’t have to sleep on the floor!

However, this night was destined to be sleepless. He couldn’t help feeling lost; could he and this woman, whom he truly wanted to spend his life with, ever have a future? If she didn’t hold him in her heart and remained as cold as ice, what was the use of keeping her by his side forcefully? Yet the thought of letting her go was something he couldn’t bear. She was his wife, wasn’t she?

Things weren’t easy for Sang Wan either. Upon learning that Shi Fengju had visited and left without entering Ningyuan, and Sang Wan hadn’t tried to detain him, Mrs. Li, though not blaming her, had an endless stream of persuasive words that left Sang Wan almost defenseless.

Adding to the complications, Shi Yumei, for some inexplicable reason, fancied a shopping trip and early next morning, while paying her respects to Mrs. Wang, suggested that Sang Wan accompany her.

"Now that I think about it, I haven’t had the chance to go out and browse since returning to Qingzhou. Surely my sister-in-law won’t refuse such a small request?" Shi Yumei sounded polite, but her demand was domineering.