After Divorce: Pursued by Cohabiting Boss

Chapter 45

"I heard you say that you were having afternoon tea together, so I specially brought Sheng over. But when we arrived, I saw you two like that," Zhou Chaowen said as he drove his Land Rover. When the traffic light turned red, he glanced at Dong Wanwan in the passenger seat. "Was that a tea party you were having, or a martial arts contest?"

Dong Wanwan spoke softly, "Dear, it wasn't my fault. It was Yisui who was rude today, right Li Zhen?"

Li Zhen and Yu Sheng sat in the back seat. The space was large but she still felt cramped. She didn't want to talk more about what had just happened, so she ignored Dong Wanwan's words.

Yu Sheng had a strong presence. His suit was crisp and his brows stern. "What did she say?"

Dong Wanwan pretended to hem and haw. "She just...just mentioned Li Zhen's nude photos..."

Before Dong Wanwan could finish speaking, Zhou Chaowen said in a low voice, "How could you call those nude photos!"

"I didn't say it, everyone calls them that," Dong Wanwan glanced at the back through the rearview mirror.

But Li Zhen looked completely natural, without any hint of embarrassment or shame.

Dong Wanwan sneered inwardly. Li Zhen was still shameless like she had been in college. With those kinds of photos spread everywhere, she acted like nothing had happened.

Yu Sheng's gaze was heavy, but he didn't say anything more.

Zhou Chaowen had picked up Yu Sheng from Jinlu Garden, and was also dropping them off there.

After Yu Sheng and Li Zhen got out of the car, Dong Wanwan asked in a low voice, "Dear, does Sheng live in this compound?"

"I don't know. Today he just told me to pick him up here. What's the matter?"

"Oh, nothing. I was just asking," Dong Wanwan didn't continue questioning. How could they possibly live here? She had heard Li Zhen say with her own mouth that they lived in Sunshine Garden.

At the entrance to the compound, Yu Sheng said to Li Zhen, "Wait for me. I'll go get my car from the garage and then take you home."

Li Zhen opened her ride-hailing app. "No need. I'll just take a taxi home."

Yu Sheng paused in his steps and turned back to look at her.

Li Zhen kept her head lowered as she smoothly slid her phone screen, her gaze calm, as if she hadn't been affected at all by what Dong Wanwan had said earlier.

But he knew she was upset.

Yu Sheng walked over to her. "It's all in the past now."

Li Zhen's fingers stiffened slightly and curled in unconsciously. A teardrop landed on her phone screen with a "plop."

Yu Sheng felt a sudden tightness in his chest. Tender feelings gripped his heart. He lifted a hand and lightly rested Li Zhen's head on his shoulder.

But Li Zhen pushed him away. "I'm fine."

The rideshare car arrived and Li Zhen got in and left.

Yu Sheng watched her leave.

He had vivid memories of that day seven years ago.

There was a sizable lake at University A that was fed by a small river from the mountains behind campus.

The day before freshman orientation, when new students were registering, after Yu Sheng had finished all the procedures, he returned to his dorm to meet his new roommate. Before they could get acquainted, Zhou Chaowen and the others suddenly excitedly pulled him to the back hills, saying someone was going to jump into the river there.

When Yu Sheng arrived at the riverbank in the back hills, there was already a sea of people there.

On the high bridge stood a petite girl. The people around her chatted noisily, saying she had been dumped by her boyfriend and was going to jump into the river.

"If you're gonna jump, then jump. Don't waste everyone's time."

"Just putting on a show to tease us."

"It's obviously just an act. Let it go, everyone."

Many people thought the girl was putting on a show for her boyfriend to win him back. They whistled and jeered.

The girl glanced over the crowd, her eyes red and swollen, tears long dried up. "Fine, I see he's not coming. Help me tell him, I wish that worthless couple a childless, impoverished, miserable life. When I'm dead, my ghost will haunt them!"

The onlooking crowd couldn't help but shudder at the girl's chilling words.

Right after she finished speaking, she jumped with a "splash" and huge splashes rose from the river.

"She jumped, she really jumped!"

"Quick, save her!"

"The current is too strong, jumping in is certain death. Who would dare rescue her?"

The river wasn't wide, but the water rushed down powerfully from high up in the mountains, extremely turbulent. And after years of erosion, the riverbed was deep and murky.

Jumping in was practically suicidal. Even strong swimmers would have to think twice.

Let alone these inexperienced college students.

Faced with life and death, everyone was afraid.

Amidst the panicked shouts, a white figure suddenly leapt from the riverside, immediately followed by a splash into the water.

"Someone jumped in to rescue her!"

"It's a girl, still wearing a white dress!"

"My god, she has a death wish?"

Everyone's hearts jumped to their throats. In the turbulent river they instantly lost sight of the two people.

Just as everyone thought the two were doomed, the white dress surfaced in the water. Right after, the girl who had jumped in held the suicidal girl with one arm as she struggled toward shore.

The crowd quickly stretched their hands to the bank to grab the suicidal girl.

When they thought of the other girl, she had lost all her strength and was swept away downstream by the current in an instant.

It was over.

She wouldn't make it.

Everyone thought so.

In that moment, Yu Sheng's heart leapt to his throat. For an instant, he had the urge to jump in and save her.

But the river was too rapid. And he still had the massive Yu family behind him. He couldn't risk it all for a stranger.

So he watched helplessly as another tall man jumped into the water.

They were too far downstream for anyone to clearly see who the man was. They could only see he moved nimbly. After jumping in, he swiftly swam toward Li Zhen and grabbed her. The two were carried downstream together.

Later when people searched downstream, they only found Li Zhen on the bank. She was covered in a university jacket, hiding her bare body.

The news that Li Zhen had rescued someone spread through the school forums that day, and hundreds of people discussed it.

But when the photos of her in underwear were posted to the forums, tens of thousands of people downloaded and commented.

The 18 and 19 year old students were all bundled up in their heavy uniforms, hiding their bodies. Li Zhen's photos looked simply indecent at the time, practically no different from nudes.

Yu Sheng thought this girl probably wouldn't be able to hold her head high for her entire college career. She would likely spend her youth in self-loathing.

But he didn't expect this girl to stop him at the freshman convocation the next day, in front of all the new students, smiling brightly. "School prince, I'm Li Zhen. Nice to meet you."

At the time, he thought that someone could actually live life with such passion and fortitude.