Been Waiting for You to Escape Marriage for a Long Time – CH73

Chapter 73: Meow-Meow Fist

Shen Shuyi was so startled that he hung up the video call instantly.

“What are you doing suddenly showing up in front of me like that?”

“It wasn’t sudden,” Zhao Yuheng said. “I’ve been standing here for a long time. You didn’t notice?”

He had gone to the trouble of hiring a stylist today, determined to outshine Zhao Ci in every possible way. But Shen Shuyi, that little blind kitten with his eyes wide open, hadn’t noticed a single difference in him at all.

After competing all morning, he’d gained nothing.

“…No, I didn’t notice.”

Really? Shen Shuyi hadn’t seen anyone near him at all just now.

“Figures,” Zhao Yuheng said coolly. “You were too absorbed in your little video call to notice a living person standing right here.”

His tone was dripping with jealousy so sour that Shen Shuyi almost got cavities from it.

“I was talking to my brother! You’re jealous of that too?”

“Mm.” Zhao Yuheng had already guessed as much. He said slowly, “I know your brother. He’s the one who instigated our breakup.”

Shen Shuyi: “…”

Instigated?? What kind of word choice was that…

Hearing him suddenly bring up what happened two years ago made Shen Shuyi feel oddly guilty.

“My brother… back then, he must’ve had his reasons.”

“Mm.” Zhao Yuheng said, “We’ve been apart for two years.”

Shen Shuyi: “….”

“Two years is 730 days, 17,520 hours, 1,051,200 minutes, and 63,072,000 seconds.”

“Are you a stopwatch reincarnated?! You even counted the seconds?!”

“Every second without Shen Shuyi was hard to endure. Is it that strange that I remember them?”

Shen Shuyi felt even guiltier.

“Are you mad?” he asked softly.

“No.”

No means yes—and yes definitely means yes.

Shen Shuyi, judging from himself, hurried to flatter him with a bright smile: “I think you look really handsome today.”

When Shen Shuyi was angry, compliments usually worked on him, so he tried it on Zhao Yuheng.

Zhao Yuheng gave him a helpless look. “Shen Shuyi, your compliment lacks sincerity and came way too late. A real compliment should’ve come the moment you first saw me this morning.”

Shen Shuyi protested indignantly.

“Shen Shuyi’s compliments are precious. Precious things are supposed to come late. You should feel honored—it’s late, not canceled.”

Faced with his nonsense, Zhao Yuheng couldn’t help finding him adorable. Even his serious face was pleasing to look at; the more he stared, the more his molars itched.

Suddenly, he yanked Shen Shuyi into his arms. Shen Shuyi gasped in surprise.

“Stop it! Are you crazy? What if someone sees us?”

Zhao Yuheng chuckled. “Funny, why do I feel like you’re fitting into this ‘secret affair’ role better than me?”

Shen Shuyi: “…”

His face flushed red. “You’re insane! Who’s role-playing with you?! Let me go!”

“No. Just a little longer.” Zhao Yuheng buried his head against Shen Shuyi’s neck, taking a deep breath. “So fragrant… baby.”

…

Pervert!!

Shen Shuyi grabbed his hair and tried to pull him away—failed after several attempts.

In the end, he gave up struggling and let Zhao Yuheng hold him for a while.

Snow had just fallen in the Highlands. Though the path had been cleared, thick piles of snow still sat not far away. The distant scenery was covered in white; the lake’s ice was nearly half a meter thick. Bundled up in layers, umbrella in hand against the falling flurries, a thick scarf and fuzzy earmuffs on, brown snow boots crunching underfoot— he really was taking care of himself well, just as his brother had told him.

Which earned him endless teasing from Zhao Ci that morning for being an “ignorant southerner.” He’d been so annoyed he didn’t speak to Zhao Ci all day.

Why was carrying an umbrella in the snow such a crime?!

Still, no amount of clothing could match the warmth of Zhao Yuheng’s body.

It wasn’t an exaggeration—his body temperature seemed higher than normal, and being held by him felt like being wrapped by a blazing furnace.

They stayed like that silently for a while before Shen Shuyi suddenly reached up and pinched Zhao Yuheng’s cheek.

“Hey. Zhao.”

“If you don’t want to call my name, you can call me ‘husband.’”

Say that again and I’ll make sure you howl, believe it or not?!

“Hmm…” Shen Shuyi hesitated. “Do you… not really like my brother?”

“Shen Shuyi, where’s your conscience?” Zhao Yuheng raised an eyebrow. “Shouldn’t that sentence be reversed? It’s your brother who doesn’t like me.”

“Oh, oh.” Shen Shuyi nodded quickly. “Yeah, I can tell. That’s… pretty obvious.”

“…”

Then he said something that might’ve been a bit much.

After a moment’s hesitation, Shen Shuyi suddenly leaned up and kissed Zhao Yuheng on the cheek.

It was the first time since their reunion that he’d taken the initiative to give him a bit of sweetness.

Zhao Yuheng’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You trying to start World War III?”

Shen Shuyi: “…?”

Zhao Yuheng murmured, “If you didn’t make a mistake that huge, why’d you kiss me? No matter what you do, I’ll forgive you, baby. Are you planning to run for U.S. president first? I’ll cast my one precious vote for you.”

Shen Shuyi: Deep breath. Endure.

“Don’t make me hit you while I still feel a bit guilty about you.”

Zhao Yuheng was clearly teasing; he couldn’t stay serious for more than three seconds before burying his face in Shen Shuyi’s neck and laughing.

Heh.

That quiet gourd from two years ago had turned into a shameless flirt!

“I’m serious,” Shen Shuyi said, still flustered. “Even though my brother doesn’t like you, you can’t dislike him either…”

…

Zhao Yuheng said nothing.

Nervous, Shen Shuyi quickly leaned up and pecked his chin.

Was this real life?

Still silent.

Panicking now, Shen Shuyi cupped his face and kissed his left cheek, right cheek, then the tip of his nose—smooch smooch smooch.

Zhao Yuheng wanted to stay quiet to earn a few more kisses, but by now he couldn’t hide his smile anymore. Grinning, he held Shen Shuyi’s chin and pressed a heavy kiss to his lips.

Shen Shuyi’s lips were soft and full, cool to the touch, with the faint sweet scent of skincare cream lingering on his skin.

That’s when Shen Shuyi realized he’d been tricked!

“Hey!” he yelled, furious. “Who said you could kiss me on the mouth?!”

“Couldn’t help it—you’re too cute.” Zhao brushed his nose against his.

Realizing he’d fallen for a trap, Shen Shuyi shoved at him hard. “Go! Go away!”

“Not happening.” Zhao Yuheng didn’t budge, not even when shoved.

Hearing that, Shen Shuyi froze a bit. His waist was trapped tightly by Zhao Yuheng’s arms, so he had to lean back awkwardly, straining his muscles.

To ease the tension, he let himself lean closer again.

“Really?” Shen Shuyi asked, surprised.

Honestly, even he thought his demand was a bit childish—like a kid insisting his best friend like whoever he liked and hate whoever he hated.

“Really.” Zhao Yuheng said calmly, “For a marriage to last, the husband must have a good relationship with the mother-in-law.”

He added with a straight face, “After marriage, I’ll make sure to please your brother properly.”

?

Who the hell is the mother-in-law here?

Scram!!

—

Because of that one stupid joke, Shen Shuyi ignored him all afternoon.

Originally, Zhao Yuheng could’ve won him back in two months. Now, thanks to his own flippant mouth, he had to pay the price—Shen Shuyi posted an “official announcement”:

Breaking news: Zhao Yuheng now needs two months and one day to win me over.

[Reflect deeply.]

He even texted Zhao Yuheng on WeChat: “Repent hard.”

That afternoon, snow in the mountains kept falling harder.

When it got cold, Shen Shuyi’s lazy bones acted up—he didn’t want to go outside.

The villa was warm, the tall living room—nearly nine meters high—had a huge fireplace that burned all day, heating the whole house.

After greeting Zhao Qing, he found a cozy sofa near the fire, had the butler bring a thick blanket, lit a sandalwood sleep aid candle, and listened to the crackling wood in the hearth. Bliss.

Curled up with his phone, he drowsily chatted with Zhao Yuheng, who had gone hunting with Zhao Qing.

Whenever Zhao Yuheng saw something interesting in the mountains, he’d take a photo and send it. Shen Shuyi scrolled through them, sleepy, and soon drifted off.

Half-asleep, he thought:

Zhao Yuheng is just like a guy walking his dog—picking up random things and showing them off to me.

He wouldn’t even be surprised if the next photo was of a heart-shaped rock.

At first, he slept comfortably. Then, awkward sleeping positions led to fragmented dreams—dreams of their breakup two years ago.

When he first returned to America, he’d often dream like this. Sometimes he’d wake in the middle of the night, weak-willed enough to search for Zhao Yuheng’s WeChat, refreshing flight pages to China, tossing and turning restlessly.

The dreams lessened over time, and after reuniting, they’d nearly vanished—until now.

He always dreamed of Zhao Yuheng suffering. Maybe it was his subconscious thinking Zhao Yuheng was too poor, imagining that after graduation, he’d be left on the streets begging for food.

It took Shen Shuyi a long time to realize: when you truly love someone, the sharpest form of love is fear—the terror of losing them. It’s the kind of fear usually found between parent and child. He hadn’t expected that between two unrelated people, pure chemistry could create the same instinctive devotion.

In his dream, Zhao Yuheng had left Shuiwan One, gone home sick with a fever, with no one to care for him. That was fine—until Shen Shuyi’s subconscious got creative:

When Zhao Yuheng returned to work, his company had gone bankrupt! All because Shen Lu had secretly sabotaged him!

Homeless and penniless, Zhao Yuheng could only move back into his old apartment—complete with cockroaches.

Long time no see, Cockroach Apartment!

Shen Shuyi dreamed of Zhao Yuheng lying sick on that shabby bed, no one to help him, while several spoiled rich heirs sneered at him from the doorway.

“So this is the guy who tried to climb the Shen family tree, huh?”

Shen Shuyi panicked. “He didn’t—!”

“Yeah, the fake phoenix act didn’t last long. Look at him now, back to a chicken! Hahaha!”

“Shut up! You’re the chicken!”

“I heard he really thought Shen Shuyi loved him? Please, that third young master only used him as a stand-in for his comatose crush!”

Shen Shuyi threw a punch—only to feel it land on cotton.

Then he woke up.

When he opened his eyes, the sound of crackling fire still filled the air. Snow fell beyond the vast floor-to-ceiling windows.

Blinking in confusion, he snapped his eyes shut again—

No! He had to continue that dream!

Too infuriating! He needed to go back and beat them all up!

But after two seconds, real voices reached his ears.

“Can’t blame him—he’s just unlucky. Shame he’s not the Zhao family’s real young master, haha!”

That name—Zhao Yuheng—instantly made Shen’s ears twitch.

Opening his eyes, he saw a few men at a nearby table brewing tea, laughing loudly, unaware he was lying there.

He didn’t recognize them, except one—the illegitimate son of Zhao Zheng, Zhao Qing’s younger brother.

As for why that bastard was here today—that was a long story.

The Zhao family, one of Beijing’s great houses, had its share of scheming and scandals, even a few that cost lives. Zhao Qing, though ruthless in action, wasn’t a bad man—how else could he have raised someone like the pure-hearted Zhao Ci? But his brother Zhao Zheng was rotten to the core. In his early years, fighting over inheritance, he’d even staged car “accidents.”

Zhao Qing tolerated him only for blood’s sake—until one of those “accidents” turned deadly, and he exiled Zhao Zheng to Australia.

There, Zhao Zheng continued his crooked ways, fathering several vicious children.

Now, decades later, his legitimate heirs were gone—and he’d just returned to China to find a single illegitimate son left: Zhao Hui.

Shen Shuyi instinctively disliked that entire branch of the family—ungrateful, scheming, rotten to the core.

Freshly recognized into the family, Zhao Hui was still riding his wave of excitement. He’d brought along a bunch of minor celebrities and rich-kid hangers-on, turning the villa’s lounge into a smoky, noisy mess.

The butler stood aside, looking helpless.

After another drag of his cigarette, Zhao Hui sneered, “Yeah, that damn beggar just got lucky. You’re right—why couldn’t I have his luck?”

They were talking about Zhao Yuheng.

The “Zhao family heir returns” news had caused a storm in Beijing society, with gossip swirling nonstop. Shen Shuyi, who’d stayed out of those circles, had never realized how cruelly people talked about Zhao Yuheng behind his back.

One of the influencers giggled. “Prince? Please, he was just a nouveau riche brat! When his dad first took him home, he acted like he’d never seen money. I swear, he probably fought the maids for chores!”

“Hahaha, what—cleaning toilets? Fits him. No matter how rich he gets, he still reeks of poverty.”

Zhao Hui snorted. “Pretending to be all pure, doesn’t touch men or women—bet he’s secretly gay.”

“C’mon, Brother Hui,” one guy said, smirking. “How lucky is he really? He killed his mom at birth! He’s living off her life, not luck. You wouldn’t want that kind of fortune either, huh?”

Before he finished the sentence, everything went black—then thud! his head hit the floor.

Before anyone could react, Shen Shuyi had kicked over a second man. Pain spread slowly through the first one’s skull, and he screamed.

“Wow, your screams sound better than your words,” Shen Shuyi said coldly from above. “Come on, keep screaming—I like it.”

Zhao Hui looked up and recognized him instantly—the sharp, striking face could belong to no one else.

Zhao Ci’s fiancé!

“Are you insane?!” Zhao Hui shouted.

“Oh,” Shen Shuyi said flatly. “I almost forgot about you, idiot.”

Before Zhao Hui could react, Shen Shuyi’s foot connected with his knee—crack!—and Zhao Hui collapsed onto the marble floor, eyes wide in horror.

How could that delicate pretty boy hit so hard?!

Before he could scream again, Shen Shuyi grabbed him by the hair and dragged him out the door, his cries echoing through the hall.

With a loud splash, Zhao Hui was thrown into the hot spring outside. The thin ice shattered instantly, icy water soaking him through. He scrambled to climb out—only for Shen to stomp him back down.

“Who said you could get up?”

Shen Shuyi looked down, his beautiful face cold as ice.

“Shen Shuyi! Are you out of your damn mind?! I didn’t offend you—or Zhao Ci!”

Why was he standing up for Zhao Yuheng?! Zhao Hui was furious.

They hadn’t even insulted Zhao Ci! If anything, shouldn’t Shen Shuyi be on their side? The real heir had stolen Zhao Ci’s place, after all!

“What, I can’t just dislike you for existing?” Shen Shuyi said softly, his tone cold but smiling, the chill in his eyes sharper than the water below. “What did that mouth of yours just say about Zhao Yuheng, huh?”

He pressed his bent knee down—forcing Zhao Hui’s shoulders under the freezing water. “Apologize. You hear me?”

“You think you’re somebody? You think you can talk about my man?”

—

The butler rushed from the villa, jumped into a car, and drove into the woods to find Zhao Qing’s hunting party.

The men were checking their prey when he arrived.

Meanwhile, Zhao Yuheng kept glancing at his phone—so often that even Zhao Qing noticed.

“What’s got you checking that thing every minute?”

Zhao Yuheng slipped it into his pocket. “Nothing.”

Zhao Qing leaned on his rifle like a cane, teasing, “That constant checking—don’t tell me you’re in love?”

Dangerous topic.

Nearby, Zhao Ci, who’d been gnawing on a leaf, immediately perked up like a radar pinging—beep beep beep!

“In love? Who’s in love?! My brother would never fall in love! And if he did, it’d definitely be someone I don’t know! Definitely not Shen—”

Before he could spill everything, Zhao Yuheng gave him a sharp look that made him instantly shut up.

“Mm.”

Zhao Qing had only been joking—but that one word told him it was true.

And then, he caught Zhao Ci’s slip. “Shen who?”

“Shen… not easy to handle!” Zhao Ci blurted, panicked. “Yeah, that’s right! Not easy to handle! Anyone who’s got my brother this hooked must be a total knockout!”

---

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