Chapter 131: Not Keeping Score

Chapter 131: Chapter 131: Not Keeping Score

"Alright, go ahead and explain." Su Wan lay down on her side on the bed and gestured to Lu Zhengchuan. "Rub my lower back for me."

Lu Zhengchuan saw that she was still willing to let him get close and felt a small sense of relief. His large hands began massaging her lower back with just the right amount of pressure.

"...How is it? Is the pressure okay?" Lu Zhengchuan knelt by the bed, his voice exceptionally gentle, with an unconscious hint of trying to curry favor.

Su Wan was actually a little unused to this. It was the first time she had ever seen Lu Zhengchuan act this way.

It made her wonder what the real story was behind his entanglement with Xu Rongrong.

"Mhm, it’s just right."

"So what’s the deal with you and Xu Rongrong?" Su Wan asked curiously.

Lu Zhengchuan’s fingers paused for a moment. He pursed his lips and said, "I did go on a blind date with her. Back at the military academy, I was good friends with Qi Hao. He told me his elders wanted him to meet Xu Rongrong from the compound, and if they were a good match, they’d get married right away and have kids early. For the younger generation like us, that was considered the most filial thing to do."

"Qi Hao wasn’t happy about it, so he pawned her off on me, asking me to go deal with Xu Rongrong in his place."

"He said Xu Rongrong had high standards and definitely wouldn’t be interested in a guy from the countryside like me. He also looked out for me a lot at the academy, so I thought it made sense and agreed."

Su Wan had already guessed what happened next. "So you went, and who would’ve thought, Xu Rongrong actually took a liking to you."

"...That’s right." Lu Zhengchuan couldn’t deny it. He had never told Su Wan about this before, partly because he’d always felt it might affect his relationship with Wanwan.

"And then what?" Su Wan pressed, pursing her lips.

"Then we went out for a few more meals, but I really didn’t have any romantic feelings for her, so I told her straight up that we weren’t a good match."

"But Xu Rongrong was quite persistent and wanted to give it a try with me."

For a moment, Su Wan didn’t know what to say. This was all in Lu Zhengchuan’s past. ’Could she really hold his past against him?’

"I trust that you had already made up your mind when you married me." Su Wan took a deep breath and turned her head to look at him.

From this angle, Lu Zhengchuan could see her clear, bright eyes.

"Whatever feelings there were in the past are in the past. I don’t mind." Su Wan reached out and patted his arm. "Just interact with her normally from now on."

"...Wanwan, you don’t mind at all?" A sour feeling crept into Lu Zhengchuan’s heart. Just moments ago, he had been nervous that Wanwan would be angry because of what Xu Rongrong said. But now, seeing her not angry at all, he felt a bit unsettled instead.

’If she wasn’t angry, what other reason could there be?’

Lu Zhengchuan looked a bit like a sullen husband.

Su Wan was baffled. "Do you want me to mind?"

Lu Zhengchuan choked, unable to answer for a moment.

Seeing his somewhat gloomy face, Su Wan smiled. "I’m not holding it against you because I’m sure you don’t actually like her. Whatever your past entanglement was, you’re my husband now, and the father of our children. If you look at it that way, I’m the one who won. I’m too busy being happy to be upset."

Lu Zhengchuan was still a little glum. He wrapped an arm around her neck, leaned in, and said.

"Wanwan, if you’re not angry, does that mean I don’t have to explain this anymore?"

"You could choose not to explain." Su Wan reached out and pinched his ear. "But if you don’t, are you just going to let her bully your wife—me?"

"She bullied you?" Lu Zhengchuan instantly sat bolt upright, displeasure and anxiety written all over his face.

Su Wan watched as he reached out to check her over, enjoying his concern.

’Men,’ she thought, ’are meant to be enjoyed.’

"I ran into her when school started. She said a lot of things about you."

Lu Zhengchuan shot to his feet and started to walk out.

"Where are you going?" Su Wan called out to him, unhurried.

Lu Zhengchuan turned back, his brows tightly furrowed. "I’m going to find her. What gives her the right to hurt you and the baby in your belly because of her own obsession?"

"You believe what I said that easily?" Su Wan shot back, raising an eyebrow.

"Why wouldn’t I? Wanwan, you’re my wife, and Xu Rongrong is just an outsider. Besides, from what I know of you, you’re not the type to stir up trouble. But Xu Rongrong is pushy by nature."

"She seems nice to people, but she’s always demanding something in return. She also subconsciously makes people around her do things her way. If you don’t cooperate, she gets angry."

Su Wan snorted lightly. "Sounds like you know her very well."

"...I was a victim of it, so I know a little too well." Lu Zhengchuan crouched back down, looking wronged.

"Wanwan, since you don’t want me to go, I won’t."

"I’m telling you not to go *now*. We haven’t had lunch yet." Su Wan, of course, had no intention of dealing with Xu Rongrong herself. This was between Lu Zhengchuan and her. Only when Lu Zhengchuan made his stance unequivocally clear would Xu Rongrong face reality.

No matter what she said, Xu Rongrong would just overthink it and assume she had selfish motives.

Since the outcome would be the same regardless, why should she waste her breath?

"Okay, I’ll take care of it." Lu Zhengchuan lowered his gaze and nodded, his steady eyes meeting hers, showing his resolve.

Su Wan pushed herself up from the bed, and Lu Zhengchuan easily scooped her up and sat her down on the stool in front of the desk.

He opened the lunchbox and sat down next to Su Wan. It was a rare occasion for them to eat together; these past few months, they had spent more time apart than together.

Su Wan savored the warm atmosphere of the moment.

"Have some tofu. We’ll have the fish soup after the meal."

"Okay," Su Wan nodded.

"Eat more of the wood ear mushrooms and asparagus. They’re good for pregnant women."

"The auntie’s cooking is getting better and better." Su Wan’s appetite had been growing recently. Now that she was past the morning sickness phase, the lower back pain and swollen legs were more noticeable.

"After we finish eating, I’ll go get some hot water for you to soak your feet. I’ll massage your legs, and then you can rest and take a nap."

As he spoke, Lu Zhengchuan shoveled rice into his mouth at an incredible speed.

Su Wan was only halfway through her meal when he had already finished his.

"We’re at home, so eat a little slower. Eating too fast is bad for your digestion," Su Wan couldn’t help but remind him.

Lu Zhengchuan explained, "It’s a habit I picked up in the army. It’s hard to break. Besides, we soldiers have iron stomachs. It’s fine."

Su Wan looked like she wanted to say something but held her tongue. In the end, she didn’t say anything more.

"Wanwan, um, there’s something I want to ask you." Lu Zhengchuan hesitated again and again, but as he looked at her belly, he decided to just ask it now.

"What is it?" Su Wan was still wrestling with a piece of potato.

Lu Zhengchuan pursed his lips. "Mom said it’s twins? But that one of the babies is in some danger, and if things go wrong, it could easily endanger the mother’s life as well. Is that true?"

Su Wan’s chopsticks, which were gripping a piece of potato, froze. She turned her head toward Lu Zhengchuan with the slow creak of an old iron gate.

"Zhengchuan, you don’t approve of keeping that baby?"

"...Yeah. But let’s wait until I take you to the hospital and we see the check-up report before we say any more." Noticing the change in her expression, Lu Zhengchuan chose a more cautious response.

Su Wan frowned. Even though his words weren’t forceful, she still felt uneasy and subconsciously stroked her belly.