She turned her head. "I'm fine."
As soon as she finished speaking, she felt his hand on her chin.
He forced her to look up and stared at her with his deep and narrow eyes. "You're fine?" When he heard Xie Yan say that something happened to her, he left his client behind and rushed over. He did not come here to see her disguise!
Su Xingyu shuddered.
The anger in his eyes scared her.
How could she be fine? She just didn't want to tell him. She had already suffered so much humiliation today, both physically and mentally. She didn't want to tear open those bloody wounds and expose them under his scrutiny.
That would make her feel pathetic.
She looked at him pleadingly. "Lu Shifeng, I'm really fine. I just had a small quarrel with my family."
His eyes darkened. "I don't like people to brush me off." He had investigated her background and knew very well how her family usually treated her. If that was nothing, then what was something? His slender fingers caressed the red and swollen side of her cheek. He then exerted a little force, causing her to gasp in pain. He forced her to speak. "Tell me."
"Lu Shifeng…" She pleaded again, but he remained unmoved.
The room was silent, and the faint fragrance of tea mixed with medicine filled the air. He was facing the light and shrouded her in the shadows. He was looking at her from atop like a demon who controlled everything.
She gave up. When had this man ever cared about her pride?
She closed her eyes and tried to hold back her sobs. "Father called me shameless, saying that I went around seducing men to embarrass my family. He wanted me to quit my job and go home, and told me not to bring down my sister's reputation. However, it was Su Xingqi who stole my fiancé and even went around slandering my reputation. I only replied with a sentence… and he slapped me. Are you satisfied?"
The man in front of her did not respond for a long time.
Her eyes were still closed as she looked up, afraid that she would burst into tears the moment she opened her eyes.
His hand slowly loosened, and after a moment, it touched her cheek with some coolness. She opened her eyes in shock and saw that he had taken the ointment and was applying it on her carefully.
"Don't move," he said. "You're clumsy. You didn't even apply the ointment well."
"I'm not stupid!" she retorted.
"You're not stupid?" He did not stop what he was doing and said in a deep voice, "If you're not stupid, why do you only know to hide here and cry when you got slapped for nothing? It couldn't be compared to how much you've suffered. Can't you just hit him back? I'll send someone to handle it."
She looked at him blankly. "You want to send someone to beat them up?"
Then she said, "I'm not crying."
His slender fingers brushed past her eyes like water, bringing away some of her tears. He retracted his hand and closed the medicine box. He seemed to find her words funny as he looked at her like she was an insensible child. "Beat them? No, I'll let them beat themselves up. I'll even make them kneel in front of you and beg you to beat them up, allowing them to be slaughtered."
He said it casually, but she felt a chill in her heart.
Although she was grateful that he could stand up for her, she still said, "Lu Shifeng, that's my family."
"Did they consider you as family?"
Her heart ached as she shook her head. She did not know why things turned out like this. When her mother was still alive when she was young, her father loved her so much. He would often carry her on his lap and play with her. When he was out on business, he would always bring good things back for her. However, that gradually changed. Her father looked at her with more disdain, as if she was the shame of this family.
She was about to cry again as she reached out to wipe the corners of her eyes.
She was pulled into a warm embrace. Lu Shifeng's voice came from above her head. "It's all in the past. I'm your family now. I'll protect you well."
Su Xingqi was slapped three days later.
It was a large-scale fashion show event where famous models gathered. No one knew how she had managed to anger the international supermodel, who was the finale of the night, but she was slapped twice and fell to the ground. Coincidentally, the reporters went backstage to visit and took a complete picture of this scene. It spread, and she soon became a laughing stock in the industry.
Su Xingqi found Qin Mu and cried until her makeup was smudged. "Brother Qin Mu, you must help me seek justice!"
It was a pity that Qin Mu couldn't do anything about it. She was an international supermodel and didn't even care about a second-tier luxury brand in the country. She only endorsed brands on the level of LV and Chanel. How was he going to seek justice?
"Bear with it." He could only comfort Su Xingqi like this. "It's time for you to control your temper."
Su Xingqi cried pitifully. "What's wrong with my temper? I didn't do anything wrong. Brother Qin Mu, do you not love me anymore? Are you still thinking about that promiscuous woman I call sister?"
Qin Mu was vexed. He suddenly realized that there weren't so many incidents when he was with Su Xingyu in the past.
….
Father Su's company was not doing well either.
First, a batch of urgently needed raw materials did not arrive on time. Then, the Bureau of Quality Supervision found out about some product quality problems and ordered them to change them. This loss was huge, and it made Father Su distressed. He used many connections and tried to find many backdoors but to no avail. His temper was getting worse day by day, and he smashed cups and things at home, causing the whole family not to lead a peaceful life.
Su Xingyu saw the news on television.
She asked Lu Shifeng, "Did you do this?"
Lu Shifeng did not deny it. "He should be glad that he's your father. Otherwise, he would have been bankrupt and living on the streets."
Su Xingyu's emotions were a little complicated. What could she say? Should she thank Lu Shifeng for standing up for her, or should she blame him for really laying his hands on her father? However, she felt a little touched at the same time. Ever since her mother died, no one in this world would go to war for her. Only he would stand up for her.
She said, "So you really will protect me."
He was displeased. "You don't believe me?"
She quickly shook her head. "I believe you. Thank you, Lu Shifeng."
He frowned. "There's no need for thanks between husband and wife. If you really want to thank me, just yield according to my wishes. Bring two bodyguards with you when you go out. The chauffeur will pick you up and the assistant will follow you. No one can touch you."
If she hadn't gone to have dinner with her colleagues then, would she have been beaten up?
Lu Shifeng was still brooding over this. These days, he had been talking about asking her to resign.
Su Xingyu was in low spirits. This man was a tyrant in his bones. Even if he were to stand up for her, it was not without conditions. She forced out a smile. "We've already agreed on this. Since you've promised me that I can go out to work, don't go back on your word. I promise that I'll take good care of myself. This won't happen again."
"If it happens again, you will resign and go home."
"Okay." Her smile was even more forced. It was not easy to keep a job.
Unexpectedly, before Lu Shifeng could successfully force her to resign, Dream magazine agency had already sent her a dismissal letter.