Second Take On Romance - The A-List Actor Wants Me-Chapter 231 : From Abuse To Gaslighting

By right, there was only one reason why a woman would take a bath at a man’s house.

Shen Jingwei tightened his hands into fists. ƒrēenovelkiss.com

This time, it was not simply an image of Hua Xueying kissing Yan Renzhong.

It was Hua Xueying herself in person, standing in the middle of Yan Renzhong’s apartment, with only a bathrobe on.

"Maybe we should take a seat."

Shang Ruohai, sensing the tension in the air, urged Shen Jingwei toward the living room couch.

But Shen Jingwei’s legs were rooted to the spot, refusing to move.

He didn’t want to go inside and take a seat.

What he wanted was go, far far away, escape this mortifying situation and did not return.

"Senior Shang, I..."

Those three words barely left his lips when the door behind them opened again and Yan Renzhong entered with Lawyer Hui in tow.

"..."

"..."

"..."

Everyone was baffled by each other’s unexpected appearance in the apartment.

"Shang Ruohai? Why are you here?" Yan Renzhong directed the first question as the person he expected least to be there.

Shang Ruohai stared at him in response.

"Why am I here? Why is she here?" He pointed at Hua Xueying.

"I brought her here to escape her violent husband," Yan Renzhong explained. "He ambushed her after work today. She called me to pick her up and bring her to safety."

"..."

Oh.

Now that explained a lot.

Yan Renzhong turned his attention to Shen Jingwei, who had yet to say a word.

Yan Renzhong closed the distance between him and Shen Jingwei in long strides and wrapped the latter in a warm embrace.

"I am sorry, Jingbao," he breathed against Shen Jingwei’s ear. "You must be surprised to find a stranger in our home."

He then furrowed his brows at Hua Xueying, who leaned against the wall in a nonchalant manner as if the people who stood in front of her had nothing to do with her at all.

"Why are you only wearing a bathrobe? Lawyer Hui is here."

"Well..."

Hua Xueying twirled a long strand of curly hair around one of her fingers playfully. "Isn’t it more convenient to show Mr. Hui my wounds and bruises this way?"

Lawyer Hui cleared his throat to dispel his embarrassment.

"Ms. Hua, it is not convenient for me to conduct the medical investigation myself. We should head to the nearest hospital to get a proper report."

"Oh."

Hua Xueying pursed her lips.

"Well, I need new clothes. My old clothes are... tattered and ripped."

Shang Ruohai gave a dry laughter.

"Send me your measurement, I will have my secretary buy you something."

Hua Xueying beamed at him.

"As expected of the future CEO of CNC Studio. Very generous of you. By the way, I only wear the latest trends."

Shang Ruohai beamed at her in return.

"I shall send you the bill in one to two work days."

"..."

Yan Renzhong was too busy with Shen Jingwei to care about their petty conversation. He cupped Shen Jingwei’s face in his hands and spoke to him softly.

"I was in a hurry and I forgot to bring my phone. Did you send me any urgent messages?"

"..."

Shen Jingwei’s eyes turned glassy from tears. These tears were irrelevant now, but his heart was on the brink of shattering just minutes ago. Immense relief too made him want to cry, but at the same time he knew he was not supposed to cry. He wasn’t a crybaby.

"Jingbao?"

"I am fine," Shen Jingwei choked out. "I was just... very, very surprised."

Shang Ruohai, ever helpful, was more than happy to fill in the missing puzzles.

"He sent you a lot of messages. He even called you, but you never answered. And when he returned home, he saw your ex stepping out of the shower. Surprise is the least of what he felt."

"..."

Yan Renzhong sighed. He cuddled the softly sobbing Shen Jingwei in his arms.

"It’s all my fault," he whispered. "I am sorry, Jingbao."

"No..."

"It is, it’s my fault."

"So..."

Hua Xueying spoke up.

"Well, Yan Renzhong, you aren’t being very sensible. Pregnant people are always affected by pregnancy hormones. Shouldn’t you take better care of your partner?"

A deafening silence followed this outrageous statement. And then everyone started speaking at once.

Yan Renzhong, "What are you talking about?"

Shen Jingwei, "I am NOT pregnant!"

Shang Ruohai, "Damn, did I miss anything? Did Shen Jingwei undergo a womb implantation surgery???"

Lawyer Hui, "That’s right. My wife used to torment me like a ghost whenever she’s pregnant. Hormones flooded his brain and made her unbearable!"

Hua Xueying laughed.

"I am kidding! But I saw the huge frame hanging in Yan Renzhong’s bedroom."

The actress winked.

"Very artistic. A real masterpiece. Love it."

"..."

"..."

"..."

Shang Ruohai turned toward Yan Renzhong’s bedroom, intent on admiring said huge frame.

"Wait, Senior Shang! Please don’t!" Shen Jingwei, burning from embarrassment, pulling at his wrist desperately.

"Why not? I too am fond of masterpieces," Shang Ruohai quipped.

"Shang Ruohai, this is breach of privacy," Yan Renzhong growled.

"No one is allowed near my bedroom. And you!" He pointed a finger at Hua Xueying. "How dared you sneak into my bedroom??? I specifically told you to stay away from my bedroom!"

Hua Xueying let out a string of high-pitched laughter while raising a hand to partially cover her lips.

"Well, I was just curious. There has been no official news about you dating anyone new after we broke up. So when you told me not to get near your bedroom, I become curious. In essence, this is all your fault."

A look of admiration crossed Shang Ruohai’s face as he clapped his hands.

"This is gaslighting at its finest. Well done, Ms. Hua."

Hua Xueying beamed at him again.

"Does this mean you are going to pay for my new clothes?"

"No," Shang Ruohai answered without losing his smile. "Our budget is tight."

Shen Jingwei raised his head and glared at Yan Renzhong.

"It’s your fault," he hissed. "It’s all your fault."

"..."

The source of this c𝐨ntent is fre𝒆w(e)bn(o)vel