"Remember this," he said, "you’re not allowed to do this kind of thing anymore. Otherwise, I really need to seriously consider whether I should terminate our cooperation ahead of schedule."
Lu Yi made his threats quite clear.
Chen Wenzhou only chuckled lightly upon hearing this, clearly unafraid of Lu Yi’s bluster.
"You’re considering this too late now. We’re already in the same boat. If you jump ship now, aren’t you afraid I’ll expose our dealings to Shen Heyu?"
"Once Shen Heyu finds out you’ve betrayed him to cooperate with me, he’ll definitely despise you, and at that point, you and he are finished."
Chen Wenzhou threatened Lu Yi subtly, but Lu Yi wasn’t someone easily manipulated; his hands did tremble from nervousness, yet he managed to feign calm.
"I guess you wouldn’t want to ruin my relationship with Shen Heyu. Once Shen Heyu and I are completely done, no one will continue to restrain Pei Yansi. Aren’t you afraid your plan will completely fall through?"
Chen Wenzhou just smiled meaningfully. It seemed Lu Yi wasn’t entirely foolish and understood the stakes involved.
"So, we’re grasshoppers on the same rope, neither of us can leave the other. You want to get Shen Heyu, and I only want to help my sister win over Pei Yansi."
"Even without your help, I would have gotten the person I wanted, so please, before you act next time, give me a heads up. I don’t want to see a repeat of today’s impulsiveness," Lu Yi reminded Chen Wenzhou coldly.
"Don’t worry, today was just an exception; it won’t happen again."
"If there’s nothing else, then I’m going to hang up now. Thanks to you, I was in a car accident and am now hospitalized, needing good rest." Lu Yi sarcastically mocked Chen Wenzhou before preparing to hang up the call.
"Wait! I called you today because there is something very important I want to discuss with you." Chen Wenzhou stopped him. Lu Yi was currently surrounded by Shen Heyu and Pei Yansi, making it inconvenient to meet in person.
Moreover, since Chen Wenzhou had arranged the car accident without notifying him, Lu Yi didn’t want to see him, so it was better to clear things up over the phone.
"What do you want to discuss?"
"I want to point you towards a clear path. You and Shen Heyu have already gotten registered, even if it’s a sham marriage, it’s still legally recognized. You know what spouses can do together, right? I shouldn’t need to remind you."
If it weren’t for Chen Wenzhou’s words, Lu Yi wouldn’t have thought of this aspect; his heart stirred upon hearing it.
"What exactly do you mean?"
Although Chen Wenzhou didn’t clarify his meaning, Lu Yi had understood. As his heart stirred, he also felt a wave of anger at himself for considering the suggestion as viable.
Chen Wenzhou didn’t believe Lu Yi could be so foolish as to miss the implication.
"My point is, you could turn a grain of rice into a cooked rice with Shen Heyu sooner, then he can completely depend on you and naturally let go of his thoughts about Pei Yansi."
"What kind of terrible idea is this? If I really did that, Shen Heyu would hate me for life, and I’m warning you not to throw around such ideas."
After warning Chen Wenzhou, Lu Yi stopped listening and hung up the phone.
However, after hanging up, his mind began to waver, devilishly recalling what Chen Wenzhou had just suggested.
Even if it was a fake marriage, their marriage certificate was real, and they were a couple truly protected by law.
If he and Shen Heyu took the final step and consummated their marriage, would Shen Heyu then wholeheartedly follow him?
After this thought popped into his mind, his head buzzed loudly.
The door to the hospital room creaked open.
The sudden noise startled Lu Yi, visibly shaking him; he quickly looked up to see who it was.
When he saw it was Shen Heyu, he guiltily sighed in relief, but Shen Heyu didn’t understand why pushing the door would scare him so much.
"What’s wrong? You look pale. Should I call a doctor to check on you?" Shen Heyu reached out to touch Lu Yi’s forehead.
She realized Lu Yi’s forehead was covered in a cold sweat and felt cool to the touch.
Shen Heyu frowned slightly, pulling out a tissue to wipe the sweat from Lu Yi’s forehead; Lu Yi foolishly lifted his head, gazing at Shen Heyu’s stunning face, feeling a turbulent rush in his throat.
Just now, when Shen Heyu had touched his forehead, Lu Yi grew so nervous that he clenched his fists. He felt Shen Heyu’s hand was soft and tender, extraordinarily pleasing to touch.
Thinking of this made Lu Yi’s mouth go dry; he quickly poured himself a glass of water and gulped it down.
"Something seems off with you. I’ll call a doctor to check on you," Shen Heyu worried that Lu Yi might have lingering effects from the car accident. As she turned to leave, Lu Yi suddenly grabbed her wrist.
Her wrist was slender and delicate, smooth like frozen milk, and Lu Yi’s grip involuntarily tightened.
"No need, I know my own condition best. Just let me rest well, and I’ll be fine."
Shen Heyu hadn’t noticed Lu Yi’s abnormal behavior yet, but she smoothly pulled her hand away and asked with concern, "Are you sure you’re okay? You seem very strange today."
Of course, Lu Yi knew what was strange about him, feeling a bit guilty as he glanced at Shen Heyu, then forced a smile.
"I’m really fine, just need some good rest. Can you stay by my side while I rest?"
Lu Yi worried that if he accidentally fell asleep, Shen Heyu might go to the next room to see Pei Yansi. Having the rooms so close was frustrating.
"Of course, then rest well."
His request wasn’t unreasonable; after all, he had just been in a car accident, and it was still the observation period in the hospital. It was necessary to have someone by his side in case something happened.
Pei Yansi nodded twice, then lay down and obediently closed his eyes. However, it was as if he was possessed; once he closed his eyes, images of Shen Heyu flooded his mind.
What was even more irritating was that as soon as he thought of Shen Heyu, he remembered the feel of her hand on his forehead, and his throat felt unbearably hot once again.
"I can’t sleep. I’ll go out for some fresh air. You stay here and rest; you’ve been running around since the accident this morning."
Lu Yi lifted the blanket and got out of bed.