Chapter 158 - 64: No Blood Relationship, Gift Money
Just as Shen Yanzhi opened the door, he happened to hear that last sentence. He paused, his hand clutching the food tray tighter.
’So, for her, liking someone isn’t important?’
A mix of emotions churned within him—sourness one moment, bitterness the next.
But the feeling lasted only a moment. He took five seconds to compose himself, then carried the tray into the room. "I saw you barely ate anything just now, so I ordered you some scallion oil noodles."
Jiang Li sat up and clasped her hands in a fist-and-palm salute, taking the tray from Shen Yanzhi. "A lifetime of peace to a good man like you!"
They had discussed the menu in advance. The pregnancy had been so sudden that her diet was now full of restrictions.
Zhong Mufeng yawned. "Since you’re here, I’ll head back to my room."
Once Zhong Mufeng was gone, Jiang Li said excitedly, "Go on, count how much gift money we got."
Shen Yugang had paid for the wedding, but he and Jiang Manshu had previously stated that all the gift money they received would be theirs to keep. The same arrangement had been made for Shen Yuchu and Zhou Jiawen’s wedding.
Shen Yanzhi sat down and asked tentatively, "Why don’t we wait until you’re done eating and count it together?"
Jiang Li shook her head. "It’s okay, you go ahead and start."
Shen Yanzhi was a picturesque sight just sitting there, let alone while counting money.
His fingers—long, slender, with well-defined knuckles—were, for anyone with a hand fetish, the definition of a walking hormone.
Seeing this, Shen Yanzhi grabbed the bag Zhong Mufeng had left on the sofa and emptied all the red envelopes inside onto the bed.
Jiang Li ate while she watched Shen Yanzhi count the money. She had to admit, the sight was surprisingly appetizing.
She hadn’t had much of an appetite before, but now she finished her food in just a few bites.
They spent nearly an hour counting. The final tally was 16.918 million, with over 600,000 of it in cash.
Jiang Li, clutching a stack of cash, exclaimed, "Oh my god, we got over 16 million! I thought a hundred thousand would be the highest gift."
Shen Yanzhi explained, "Lu Zhi’an alone gave eight million."
Jiang Li pressed her index finger to Shen Yanzhi’s lips. "Alright, that’s enough. Saying any more would be just plain rude."
She’d been thrilled about receiving over ten million in gifts, but Shen Yanzhi’s comment completely killed her good mood.
Shen Yanzhi put the money back in the bag and quickly changed the subject. "Want to take a nap?"
At his words, Jiang Li yawned and shot him a playful glare. "I was fine until you said something. Now that you mention it, I am getting sleepy."
Shen Yanzhi placed the bag back on the sofa. "Then go to sleep if you’re tired. Mom and Dad are downstairs, so we don’t have to worry about a thing."
Jiang Li didn’t hesitate. She threw back the covers and lay down. "Aren’t you going to sleep?"
Shen Yanzhi said, "I’ll help you take off your makeup first."
Jiang Li was skeptical. "You know how to remove makeup?"
’After all this time being married to Shen Yanzhi, the man couldn’t even remember her lipstick shades. He’d never used cosmetics himself, so how could he possibly know how to take them off?’
Shen Yanzhi didn’t answer her question. "You’ll find out in a moment."
He went to the bathroom to get a basin of warm water. He started by helping Jiang Li wash her face, then spread cleansing balm evenly across it, gently massaging with the pads of his fingers. "Tell me if this is uncomfortable."
Jiang Li gave him an OK sign, closed her eyes, and enjoyed his pampering.
She was so comfortable that she ended up drifting off to sleep. When she opened her eyes again, Shen Yanzhi was nowhere to be seen in the room.
She grabbed her phone from the nightstand and checked the time. It was almost 6:00 p.m.
She quickly sat up and sent Shen Yanzhi a complaining text: *Why didn’t you wake me up?*
A second later, Shen Yanzhi called her. "I’m coming up to get you now."
Jiang Li yawned and stretched. "I’m not a three-year-old. It’s not like I need you to come get me."
Shen Yanzhi chuckled. "You might not be a three-year-old, but the one in your belly is!"
Suddenly, Jiang Manshu’s voice came through from the other end of the line. "Ah Yan, what did you just say? Is Xiao Li pregnant?"
Hearing Jiang Manshu’s voice, Jiang Li immediately hung up.
’If my line is busy, I can just pretend I didn’t hear anything.’
’And Shen Yanzhi! He should have known better than to talk about this without finding a private spot. This is so awkward.’
’She felt a surge of panic, completely unsure of what to do.’
When Shen Yanzhi arrived, he saw Jiang Li with her head hanging low. He cleared his throat. "Let’s go. Mom and the others are waiting downstairs."
Jiang Li’s face paled. "Do you think... do you think Mom heard?"
Shen Yanzhi shrugged helplessly. "Unless something very unexpected happened, I’m pretty sure she heard."
’Who could have known Jiang Manshu would suddenly show up right then?’