Shadow and Light: The Bride Who Clicks Her Way to Love-Chapter 114 - 115: The Demeanor of a Matriarch

The family doctor arrived quickly and checked on Lu Shifeng.

After setting down the medical instruments, he said, "Young master, you know your stomach isn’t good, why drink so much strong alcohol? This stomach problem has been a chronic condition; you need to avoid spicy and stimulating foods. Haven’t I been reminding you of this since day one?"

It truly is a stomach problem.

Su Xingyu stood by the bed, looking at Lu Shifeng’s slightly gaunt profile, a faintly unhealthy hue hovering over his features in the dim light. Somewhere deep in her heart twisted inexplicably, recalling how she had taken him out for crayfish last night—perhaps he was already feeling unwell then? Maybe that’s why Mrs. Gui made millet porridge for him this morning.

But he didn’t tell her anything.

Her heart felt heavy as she saw the family doctor off.

She watched over him as he drank his medicine, yet he took the medicine bowl from her hand with pale, distinctly jointed fingers.

His tone was somewhat weak, yet left no room for dispute: "Go out, sleep in the guest room tonight."

She was slightly startled, then angry: "At a time like this, you’re still showing off!"

"Leave." His voice was as cold as ice shards.

She glared at him, in the dark light of the bedroom, he on the deep black satin bed looked like a wounded beast, clearly extremely weak yet unwilling to relax even a bit of vigilance, stubbornly guarding his territory.

The night wind carried the fragrance of white roses from the yard, also cooling the medicine in his hand.

"Fine, I’ll go." Su Xingyu gave up squabbling with him, telling herself repeatedly not to argue with a sick person, not to argue with a sick person... She knew many people become irritable when ill, especially Lu Shifeng, this abnormal beastly tyrant. It’s normal for him to become unreasonable.

She turned to close the window for him before leaving.

She went straight downstairs, found Mrs. Gui in the kitchen: "He didn’t feel well in his stomach yesterday, did he? Why didn’t you tell me?"

It was the first time she had shown such a mildly angry expression, Mrs. Gui hurriedly wiped her hands on her apron, lowered her head and replied: "Young master didn’t allow us to say. You know his temper, once he gives an order, we don’t dare to disobey."

"Don’t dare to disobey?" Su Xingyu unconsciously raised her voice, "If he were to die outside today, would you still not dare to disobey?" It wasn’t without reason she was upset, today’s situation was indeed dangerous, if she had known he had a stomach condition she would have stopped him from the alcohol at any cost, there haven’t been fewer news stories of deaths from alcohol in recent years, have there?

Mrs. Gui shuddered at her rebuke, lowered her head even more, dared not speak.

Su Xingyu took a breath, coldly looking at Mrs. Gui: "He said it himself, men take charge outside, women take charge inside. These matters of daily life are my responsibility, from now on, regardless of what he eats, what he wears, any minor changes, everything must be reported to me daily! If there’s another incident like today, you won’t need to stay in this house anymore."

The summer night’s chill, the sound of insects calling one after another.

In the silent kitchen, Mrs. Gui responded respectfully: "Yes."

This was the first time she treated Su Xingyu with such solemn respect, from her heart.

Even though since the first day Su Xingyu married into the house, Mrs. Gui treated her well solely because she was the young lady. It didn’t matter who — even if it were a stray cat or dog as the young lady, as servants, they’d serve well.

But now it was different, she showed the demeanor a true young lady should have, calm and composed in dealing with matters, asking for accountability when necessary, giving orders when necessary, absolutely unwavering with a cold face when required...

Only such a woman can hold her ground in a deeply influential mansion.

Mrs. Gui grew up serving in affluent households, had seen too many heiresses and ladies, initially when Lu Shifeng brought Su Xingyu home she worried because this girl seemed too fragile, how would she survive in the turbulent Lu Family. But now she was reassured, she realized this young lady wasn’t as weak as she appeared, the young master truly married a capable helper.

Mrs. Gui steadied herself, looked into Su Xingyu’s eyes: "Actually, the young master is too strong-willed."

Su Xingyu’s eyebrows moved slightly: "Too strong-willed?"

Mrs. Gui nodded, sighed: "The young master, since childhood, has been strong-willed. Many outsiders see his superficial glory, but don’t know how he suffered through these years. He lost his parents at a very young age, the old master said he had to inherit Blade Group in the future, couldn’t be raised by a woman, so he took him from the lady’s side and raised him personally.

"The old master was strict, demanding excellence in everything, while other young masters of the family played, our young master was always studying, in the dead of winter if he answered a problem wrong he’d be punished to run in the snow.

"One year the snow was particularly heavy, the young master couldn’t take the cold, he ran to the lady’s courtyard door wanting to rest a bit, but she drove him out. The lady said she counted on him to make something of himself, how could he be lazy?...

"Later that day, the young master had a high fever, almost didn’t make it.

"The lady came to visit, uttered no comforting words, only prodded him to recover quickly, repeatedly saying she was counting on him for the rest of her life, he mustn’t collapse, wouldn’t let those side-branch young masters seize the opportunity...

"The old master didn’t even come to visit.

"Just sent someone with a message, saying if the young master survived he’d remain the Lu Family’s eldest legitimate grandson, but couldn’t weather this small sickness, died, he’d just be wrapped in a straw mat and burned, unworthy of being a Lu Family member, wouldn’t even enter the ancestral graves."

Mrs. Gui’s voice echoed softly in the villa kitchen.

The kitchen everywhere exquisite, everywhere luxurious, from decor to appliances, all displayed the opulence of a wealthy family.

But standing amidst, Su Xingyu only felt a chill in her heart: "Good heavens, is this what family is?"

Mrs. Gui chuckled bitterly: "Indeed, even many servants privately say the young master’s life is worse than the poorest orphan’s. ...After that heavy snow, the young master became even more taciturn, worked even harder, drove himself day and night to become stronger, it even wore out his stomach, alas, even we servants watching felt heartache. And from then on, he never sought help from anyone again, never made any friends. Perhaps the young master finds those things shameful."

Long silence.

Su Xingyu didn’t know what to say, she couldn’t imagine what kind of dark hellish childhood that must have been.

She thought she had been unfortunate enough, but she at least once had a mother who loved her deeply, her mother’s warmth and smile lit the rest of her life. But Lu Shifeng? What kept him walking forward?

Suddenly, Su Xingyu somewhat understood him, understood why he drove her out of the bedroom—

Not wanting her to see his vulnerable side, right?

And perhaps that foolish behavior of drinking, there might be a cause behind it.