Slap!
A slap landed on Shen Huaming's face, followed by the furious voice of the middle-aged woman.
“Coming home so late, where have you put your responsibilities as a wife?”
“Mother, haven't I come home?” Shen Huaming wasn't angry, nor did she have any intention of explaining.
She quietly placed a hand on her cheek, which was already starting to swell and redden.
“Did you do something to wrong my son, and now you're afraid I'll find out?” Mrs. Huo raised an eyebrow, her voice high-pitched and increasingly overbearing.
Shen Huaming gave a cold laugh. She no longer had the energy to explain anything to her.
But Mrs. Huo thought she was being disrespectful, and immediately swung her hand, slapping her smooth, fair cheek hard.
“I'm talking to you, and you dare to ignore me?”
“Auntie, I'm tired. I want to go back to my room to rest.” Her cheek stung with pain, but she still tried to endure it, lowering her voice.
Her long legs quickly carried her towards her room, right before the eyes of the difficult woman.
She didn't have a fixed profession, always working part-time.
But ever since she married into a wealthy family, her time had always been restricted.
Most of it was spent taking care of her husband.
Huo Yuancheng, the aloof and renowned businessman, was her husband.
A few years ago, he was in a car accident.
The car plunged into a ravine and exploded, but he was lucky to escape death because he had jumped out of the car and was stopped by a tree trunk.
However, he wasn't discovered until several days later.
By then, his injuries had caused him to lose too much blood, plunging him into a deep coma.
At that time, the Huo family and the Shen family already had a pre-existing engagement, and they wanted to use this opportunity for the Shen family's young lady to demonstrate the responsibilities of a fiancée.
Her paternal half-sister, Shen Manyu, was the one engaged to him, but upon hearing that her fiancé was in a deep coma, she immediately kidnapped Shen Huaming's daughter and threatened her, forcing her to marry in her place.
She knew that with a comatose husband, her future would be buried in her in-laws' home along with loneliness.
When she kidnapped Shen Huaming's daughter, she presented a long-term contract.
As long as Huo Yuancheng fully recovered, the contract would terminate.
Initially, she intended to report it to the police, but for her daughter's safety, she ultimately had no choice but to go alone.
What followed were tiring days of caring for her husband's family.
Constraint, coercion, and resentment were what she had to endure.
Until she realized that it wasn't so bad here, except for her mother-in-law's attitude and behavior towards her brother-in-law.
She no longer resisted and simply endured in silence, waiting for the day she would be reunited with her daughter.
Her tired footsteps carried her towards the bedroom.
She opened the door.
But before she could rest, she was faced with another person; his eyes were fixed on the clear window, and an aloof aura emanated from him.
Hearing the door open, his dark pupils immediately turned in that direction.
His thin lips curved slightly, and his deep, hoarse, icy voice spoke.
“Oh? Having so much fun outside, and you still came back?”
“I came back precisely to take care of you.” She said, setting her bag aside, taking off her outer coat, and hanging it on a hanger.
Huo Yuancheng smiled. If it weren't for her, how could he have ended up in this state?
Four years ago, she and her friends caused the accident and then fled the scene, causing him severe injuries and a deep coma.
He woke up much later but became a vegetative person.
Only now was he almost fully recovered.
The incident that year was investigated by his mother, and everything had come to light, making Huo Yuancheng hate her even more.
“Do you, of all people, understand the meaning of responsibility?”
“Why not?” She raised an eyebrow, but didn’t meet his gaze.
Sensing his eyes burning with furious anger, Shen Huaming remained calm.
She walked into the bathroom, preparing to get things ready to bathe him.
This was her daily routine; at first, she felt embarrassed, but over time, she grew more proficient.
She had also gotten used to it, so looking at parts of his body no longer made her tremble or feel shy like before.
This inadvertently made him think that she had seen the bodies of many other men before.
His contempt intensified, and his eyes held not a single trace of affection for her.
The last rays of sunset finally vanished, giving way to the gloomy darkness of night.
The city lights gradually faded, and the entire city sank into slumber.
Only Shen Huaming was still awake.
The keyboard continued to clatter under her slender yet nimble fingers.
Only when her work was done did she return to bed.
Looking at the man sleeping soundly, she felt that heaven had been too kind to him, bestowing upon this man such a devilishly handsome face.
Even in his sleep, he was beautiful.
The moonlight illuminated his captivating and alluring features. She sighed, then sensed something unusual.
Huo Yuan-cheng was trembling, and was also covered in cold sweat.
Shen Huaming quickly placed a hand on his forehead, and was immediately startled by the heat.
He had a very high fever. She immediately went to get a cloth soaked in cold water.
She placed the cloth on his forehead, then helped him wipe away the sweat and change his shirt.
Once that was done, she called for a private doctor to come examine him.
Her mother-in-law also learned the news when the private doctor arrived at their home.
She and the doctor proceeded to his room.
As soon as she saw her, she immediately slapped her smooth, pale cheek hard, then shouted loudly.
“What kind of care are you giving Yuan-cheng?”
She said nothing, only speaking to the doctor.
“I’ll step out first.”
“Both of you, please step outside,” the doctor said, and only began examining him after the door closed.
Inside the room was quiet, a stark contrast to outside.
“My allowing you to marry into this family doesn’t mean you’re allowed to mistreat my son. And this time, you let him get such a high fever. Are you taking care of him, or are you trying to harm him?”
“I… I’m sorry.” She pressed her lips together and lowered her head.
Indeed, his illness was partly her fault; if she had noticed earlier, it wouldn’t have come to this.
A moment later, the doctor came out. Her mother-in-law stopped scolding her and approached the doctor, asking anxiously.
“Doctor, how is my son?”
“Young Master Huo is temporarily stable. Due to the changing weather, an old injury has flared up, which is why he has such a high fever.”
“What do you mean? Didn’t all his injuries heal?”
“However, severe injuries can still affect the patient even after they have fully healed. During this time, special attention should be paid. If there are any changes in his condition, you must call me.”
“May I go in and see him?”
“Yes, please take care of him.” The doctor nodded, stepping aside to let her enter.
A moment later, her mother-in-law also entered, sitting on the bed and stroking her son’s head.
“Little Xin will be back tomorrow; she will definitely take good care of Yuan-cheng.” She turned to Shen Huaming, her eyes filled with malice. “Certainly not like you.”
She pressed her lips together, remaining silent, only quietly standing at the foot of the bed, looking at his pale face.