Novel Bin Chapter 185 - You Cannot Have Him (1)
Li Chuntao didn\'t make her guest wait for too long as she came back properly dressed. She inwardly smirked at the woman\'s obvious displeasure. Who told her to come here unannounced? Shen Zichen probably didn\'t know that she was dropping by for a visit.
"Is there something I can get you? I\'m not sure what time Zichen would come back but he should be on his way home right now." She said, like a host reassuring her guest.
Chen Yili flinched at Li Chuntao\'s words, the latter was really acting like a woman who owned this place. There was something amiss in the way Lady Li smiled at her but she couldn\'t pinpoint what it was. She felt trapped and pressured at the same time.
"Anything is fine, Lady Li," she forced herself to say something, as each passing second being watched by Li Chuntao felt like she was in detention.
Li Chuntao went to the kitchen and lazily brewed tea in the tea kettle and came back with a tray and served her unwanted guest like a proper hostess, while Chen Yili was forced to watch the witch\'s every move.
Of course, she\'d heard the rumors that Young Master Shen and Lady Li were a couple, but she wasn\'t expecting to see that they were already living together. Looking at Li Chuntao\'s face, she realized then that neither one of the two was confirming or denying the rumors.
The silence within the household was broken when they heard the door opened and shut.
Shen Zichen unlocked the door and pushed it open with his elbow and placed the bags he was holding earlier. He was relieved that he was back, in the comfort of his home, as the low temperature outside still seeped through his thick clothes and coat. This year\'s winter was a lot harsher compared to the previous ones.
Li Chuntao helped him remove his coat and removed the snow on top of his head.
"You should have woken me up before going to Imperial Residences." She pouted cutely, aware that their guest was watching them.
"I didn\'t have the heart to disturb your sleep." His eyes then caught Chen Yili who stood up from her seat when she saw Shen Zichen arrive.
"Why did you come here? Didn\'t I say I will see the director tomorrow?" He asked her, a little annoyed from her sudden visit. Shen Zichen rarely accepted guests, especially if they\'re not a relative of his.
"Doctor Shen, the director wanted me to deliver these to you." The woman lifted the bag she brought with her and smiled awkwardly.
Shen Zichen\'s frown deepened. He and Chuntao just came back from their two-week vacation and although he was expecting a pile of work waiting at him at the hospital, he didn\'t think that the hospital director would allow someone to bring it personally to him.
Also, he didn\'t want Li Chuntao to misunderstand. It was hard enough to mend their relationship without any flies pestering them. Although they were already married, Shen Zichen knew that there were still things he needed to prove to his wife and this woman\'s presence wasn\'t helping him at all.
What if his wife misunderstood Chen Yili\'s visit? He didn\'t want Li Chuntao to think he\'d been allowing women to come and visit his place as they please.
Chen Yili\'s face blanched as she was at a loss. This was the first time Doctor Shen disregarded her openly. Was it because of Lady Li? She wondered.
Li Chuntao watched the scene with interest. She hung her husband\'s coat on the rack and helped him with the bags he brought with him. She cleared the table and took the bags he left in the hallway.
"Now, dear, please don\'t turn your annoyance to Miss Chen. She was kind enough to bring it here. And you know how bad the weather is today," she told Shen Zichen. "What are these?" She asked as she took a peek inside one of the bags she placed on the table.
"Mom made extra pastries and told me to take it home. She also gave us some tea that may help with your persistent migraine." Shen Zichen replied, ignoring the fact that there was another person in his house.
"Is that so? Dear, I\'m hungry, can I have some now?" Li Chuntao hummed, liking the way Chen Yili fidgeted in her place. When she saw her husband smile in approval, she picked one up, took a bite and turned to their guest, smiling brightly. "Miss Chen, why don\'t you join us for lunch?"
"O-okay," Chen Yili naturally couldn\'t refuse Li Chuntao\'s invitation.
Shen Zichen knitted his brows, not sure what his wife was up to. He could tell she wasn\'t comfortable with Chen Yili being here but didn\'t want to let the woman go just yet. However, he decided to leave her be. If she really couldn\'t take Chen Yili\'s presence, Li Chuntao would have chased her away earlier.
"Then you can accompany Miss Chen while I prepare lunch," he told his wife and turned around, instantly busying himself in the kitchen.
Except for the sounds he was making at the kitchen, the house felt eerily quiet. Chen Yili was left flabbergasted as she watched the aloof doctor wearing an apron instead of his usual scrub suit. She didn\'t think that there was another side of Shen Zichen that she would witness today.
Li Chuntao casually took a sip from her mug while flipping the pages of the entertainment magazine she was holding. It amused her how people easily forget one issue after another.
It felt like it was only yesterday when Lin Meirong\'s scandal filled the news, and now another one emerged and was the talk of the town. On the bright side though, with one less competitor, it seemed that Lan Jinyao\'s career was flourishing recently.
At this rate, Lin Meirong could only blame herself for losing her chance to beat her rival. The rival who was actually multiple times better than her, Lan Jinyao.
Half an hour later, the dishes were served on the table and they looked delicious. Li Chuntao started to eat heartily while Shen Zichen was being an attentive husband to her. Even though the food was indeed delicious, in front of this couple, Chen Yili felt it was bland and tasteless.
Was this how it feels like to become an unwilling third wheel?
Li Chuntao couldn\'t stop the evil grin that surfaced on her lips. If Chen Yili wasn\'t shameless enough to covet after her husband, she wouldn\'t suffer such humiliation and be ignored today.
After their meal, Chen Yili tried to help Shen Zichen to clear the table, but he declined her gesture. Li Chuntao went back to the living area and slumped on the couch taking the remote control of the TV with her.
"Miss Chen, your phone kept ringing. Do you still need to go back to the hospital or do you have another appointment?" Li Chuntao suddenly said, surprising Chen Yili.
The woman wanted to argue that she wasn\'t in a hurry, but the way Li Chuntao looked at her sent shivers down her spine. Was this really the same kind and gentle Li Xiuying that everyone adored?
No words could describe how Chen Yili felt at that moment. The woman who\'d been praised by everyone was looking at her with contempt. Even before she could say a word, Lady Li had already sent her to the front door.
Li Chuntao didn\'t give her a chance to retort as her chilling smile was rather threatening at that moment.
"Miss Chen, I was nice enough to let you go the first time. Today, treat this as a warning.. There are things and people you cannot have no matter how hard you chase after them and that includes my husband."