Chapter 169: Punishment

Translator: Lordbluefire 

Chu Xiaomeng blinked her big peach blossom eyes and said, “This is a secret between daddy and me. I can’t tell you.”

The main reason was because the basement looked like it would be sealed up forever, and their mommy didn’t allow them to go in to play.

However, when Chu Xiaomeng was three years old, there was one time when she was too bored and wanted to look for a book, so she climbed in through the window. But she mustn’t tell her mommy that!

“Alright, we’ll make it the day after tomorrow then. I’ll bring you back for a bit.”

Shen Ruojing didn’t ask too much. Since they were young, she was relaxed with the way she educated the children, allowing them to grow up freely. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have allowed Chu Xiaomeng to not go to school just because she didn’t want to go.

After blow-drying Chu Xiaomeng and Chu Xiaoqi’s hair and then placing them on the soft bed, Shen Ruojing stood up, wanting to head out.

However, at this moment, Chu Xiaoqi grabbed onto a corner of her clothes.

The child asked, “Auntie, will my daddy be alright?”

Although Chu Xiaoqi kept saying that she detested her daddy, she was still concerned about him.

Hearing this, Shen Ruojing patted her head and said in an affirmative tone, “Don’t worry, your daddy will be able to come home in another two days.”

The next day.

Shen Ruojing woke up early. After having her breakfast, she went back to her room to change her clothes before setting off to Dugu Xiao’s place to perform acupuncture treatment on him.

She had just stepped out of the door when she saw Chu Cichen, who was supposed to have gone to the Chu Corporation to take care of work matters, standing outside her door and was on a call. When Chu Cichen heard the sound of the door opening, he said something in French to the person on the other end of the line, hung up, and then walked over. “I’ll send you over.”

“Worried?”

Shen Ruojing’s peach blossom eyes narrowed slightly as she beamed.

Chu Cichen quickly retracted his gaze. “After all, you’re…”

“Your children’s mother,” Shen Ruojing continued his sentence. “You’ve said this too many times!”

She shook her head helplessly and walked to the very front.

Chu Cichen paused slightly then followed after him.

In a bit, the two of them got into the car. On the way to Dugu Xiao’s villa, the woman’s eyes, which looked like they could speak, were on Chu Cichen’s mind the entire journey. Hence, he coughed and suddenly took out his laptop, trying to turn his attention away to his work.

Very soon, they arrived in front of Dugu Xiao’s villa.

When Shen Ruojing got out of the car, Chu Cichen suddenly grabbed onto her wrist. Looking back, she saw the man frowning and asked, “Where’s your assistant? Aren’t you going with her?”

“…” Shen Ruojing lowered her head and looked at his big hand that was holding hers.

His big hand felt very hot, and the calluses on it rubbed against her skin. This caused her eyes to gleam slightly.

The woman didn’t say anything but just stared at a certain spot…

Chu Cichen followed Shen Ruojing’s gaze only to see his hand. His ears started to turn hot again, but his face remained calm. He then slowly let go of his hand and brought it to his lips to make an unnatural cough.

He didn’t understand either why his heart would always palpitate when she looked at him like this.

It was like how 518 looked at him in the past.

However, Shen Ruojing’s gaze and the gaze behind that mask were clearly different.

One was as passionate as fire, while the other was as cold as ice.

Even so, both of them made him feel a little at a loss.

The moment he let go of his hand, a wave of disappointment rose in Shen Ruojing’s heart. She then lowered her gaze and said calmly, “Hmmm, she has something on today.”

“Then let Lu Cheng go in with you.”

With Chu Cichen’s order, Lu Cheng, who was driving, immediately replied, “Bro Chen is right. Lord Jing, I’ll go with you.”

Lord… Jing?

Chu Cichen’s brows trembled ever so slightly.

What kind of bullshit was this?

He was referred to as ‘Bro’, but she was referred to as ‘Lord’?

Chu Cichen let his imagination run wild when Lu Cheng got out of the car and followed Shen Ruojing. The man, who usually acted very sloppily, had a flowery shirt on and said something that made Shen Ruojing smile.

That smile made Chu Cichen suddenly feel that his eyes just got pricked.

Was Lu Cheng too free recently?

“Ah choo!”

Lu Cheng, who had followed Shen Ruojing into the villa, let out a sneeze. He then rubbed his nose and said, “Lord Jing, Ye Lu must be thinking about me! She must like me. Please put in a good word for me more often.”

“Hmm.”

Shen Ruojing gave a short reply.

The two of them continued walking when they suddenly heard the sound of a whip. “Pak!”

Shen Ruojing. “?”

Why was there always the sound of a whip every time she came? Had Dugu Xiao’s mind become so perverse?

Shen Ruojing was just thinking about this when she heard a female voice saying angrily, “Miss Leng, you must be jealous that he likes me and that’s why you’re treating me like this. I’m going to tell 517 and have him avenge me!”

“Pak!”

Another whipping sound cracked down hard, followed by Leng Ling’s icy voice. “Don’t imitate the way she speaks! You aren’t worthy!”

After saying this, Leng Ling walked over from the corner in her black tightly fitted clothes. When she saw Shen Ruojing and Lu Cheng, she paused slightly.

From afar, she nodded at Shen Ruojing coldly and then led the way for them.

Lu Cheng looked at Leng Ling and shuddered. “Lord Jing, this Miss Leng is too cold. I suspect that she has never smiled before.”

Shen Ruojing’s gaze was fixed on Leng Ling’s back view, her lowered gaze concealing her complicated emotions. “She had.”

“What?” Lu Cheng didn’t hear Shen Ruojing’s mumbles clearly.

Shen Ruojing looked at him. “It’s nothing. Why are you so talkative?”

Lu Cheng, who was despised, immediately put his hand out and did a gesture of zipping up his lips.

Shen Ruojing then followed Leng Ling to Dugu Xiao’s reception room.

Dugu Xiao didn’t have a headache today and had never felt as refreshed as he did today. The clear feeling gave him a great mood boost.

The man smiled and greeted her, “Miss Shen is even more beautiful today…”

Shen Ruojing looked at him coldly. “Get onto the bed. Lie down.”

“…”

The lips of the butler, who was at the side, twitched. Why did her words sound so much like what a patron would say to a male pr*stitute?

Dugu Xiao also narrowed his eyes but eventually still walked over to the bed. He then took off his clothes to reveal his firm and toned muscles. After lying down on the bed, he said, “Miss Shen, I like the way you…”

Before he could finish his words, a big and thick needle was slammed down on the very center of the top of his head, causing the intense pain he felt yesterday to surge again, shutting Dugu Xiao up.

Only then did Shen Ruojing perform the subsequent step of the acupuncture on him.

After all the needles were inserted, Shen Ruojing let out an exhale.

Only then did she notice that Leng Ling was looking at her.

Shen Ruojing smiled at Leng Ling.

Seeing this, Leng Ling’s gaze quickly moved away as if she was scorched.

(Tsk, why is it that Leng Ling still has no tolerance for teasing, just like it was a few years ago?)

Shen Ruojing lowered her gaze.

Half an hour later, Shen Ruojing removed the needles. She didn’t even wish to waste her time on a single word with Dugu Xiao and turned to leave directly. “After one more treatment, you can be guaranteed to be free from headaches for half a year.”

The hidden meaning behind her words was that he had to receive treatment again after half a year.

“Miss Shen.”

Shen Ruojing had just stepped out when Leng Ling called out to stop her. “Can I have a few words with you?”

Shen Ruojing raised her brows.

Leng Ling had taken the initiative to talk to her. Could it be that she had managed to recognize her?

Shen Ruojing nodded.

Leng Ling then brought Shen Ruojing to a corner. After they were out of everyone’s sight, Shen Ruojing was about to say something when a cold dagger was suddenly placed right next to her throat.

Leng Ling got close. Her tone was cold like the coldest day of winter. “Do you know what kind of people I hate the most?”

Shen Ruojing looked at her and asked, “What kind?”

Leng Ling’s gaze was sharp. “People who imitate her. Chu Cichen did a good job in nurturing you. Amongst everyone I’ve seen, you’re the one who resembles her the most. Therefore…

“I won’t let you leave this place alive! I won’t allow you to cure his headaches either! He should be in pain after having killed 518! Living a life worse than death is the punishment Heaven gave him!”

Shen Ruojing’s eyes turned slightly red when she heard this.

She didn’t expect Leng Ling to be so attached to her.