Chapter 316: Han Zhenhua's Request
Li Chen knew he was being somewhat selfish.
But a man's possessiveness is often just that unreasonable.
Especially after being with his sister-in-law, he had subconsciously come to regard her as his own woman. Who would be willing to let his woman be touched by another man?
"Li Chen, thanks a lot!" After everyone dispersed, Han Zhenhua came over to Li Chen with a wry smile and said.
"Brother Zhenhua, you... how could you..." Li Chen asked curiously.
"Sigh... that's all in the past now, let's not talk about it. You must never let dad know the real situation; I'm afraid he couldn't take it," Han Zhenhua shook his head without explaining.
Then, his gaze settled on Li Chen, staring for a moment before hesitating to speak.
After a long silence, a firm light began to grow in his eyes, "Li Chen, if I needed your help with something, would you be willing to help me?"
"Brother Zhenhua, you just say it..." Li Chen nodded.
Brother Zhenhua had always treated him quite well. A watch worth several tens of thousands, given as a present without a second thought, clearly regarded him as one of the family.
Despite the surge of possessive impulses over his sister-in-law, he didn't want to betray his heartfelt desires; yet, for other people, he was still willing to offer his help.
"With your word, I can rest assured."
Han Zhenhua looked around and said, "It's not convenient to talk about it at home today. I'll come to see you tomorrow, and we can talk then!"
A sneaking suspicion arose in Li Chen's heart—what could be so secretive?
Could it be related to his sister-in-law?
After much thought, he couldn't wrap his head around it and decided to wait until he got the full story tomorrow.
After dinner, having tidied up, he returned to his bedroom.
Having discussed such matters today, he was unsure of how his sister-in-law felt. He wanted to chat with her, but knowing Brother Zhenhua was there, he forcefully suppressed the urge.
He chatted for a while with Wen Yao and Han Ling, the two young girls, and then exchanged a few words with Su Xiao, inquiring whether Lin Haocheng had been bothering her.
Before he knew it, it was already past ten o'clock, pushing eleven.
Just as he was preparing to sleep, the notification for a message rang out. Picking it up, he saw it was from his sister-in-law.
"Li Chen, have you gone to bed yet?"
"Sister-in-law, not yet, I was also thinking of talking to you. But with Brother Zhenhua around, I'm afraid he'd find out. Are you okay?"
"Dad wants me and Zhenhua to have a child soon. Li Chen, you checked on Zhenhua's health today and even prescribed him medicines. Do you... do you not want your sister-in-law anymore?"
Shen Mengxue seemed to have a lot on her mind, but it appeared she was also worried about something, "Li Chen, do you think I'm a bad woman? But I don't want to have children with him; I can only be with you."
Her words were subtle, but Li Chen understood perfectly.
For a moment, he felt an indescribable thrill and excitement.
His love for his sister-in-law was mutual.
He loved her and didn't want anybody else to touch her. His sister-in-law felt the same, wanting only him.
"Sister-in-law, don't overthink things. In my heart, you will always be the best. How could I not want you?"
"Brother Zhenhua's illness isn't so simple. The prescription I wrote can only help him regulate his body. He doesn't want Uncle Han to know, so I wouldn't speak of it openly."
Li Chen explained briefly, and Shen Mengxue seemed to understand.
The heart troubled by gains and losses found some peace. After chatting for a while longer, they finally went to bed assuredly.
The next day, arriving at the hospital, he joked around with Xu Jia for a while.
Throughout, he kept thinking about Brother Zhenhua's words from yesterday and wondered what kind of help he was looking for.
After finishing work in the morning and just about to go for lunch, his phone rang.
"Li Chen, I'm outside your hospital. Are you available now?"
"Okay!"
He left the hospital and got into Han Zhenhua's car. The two went to a tea house.
"Brother Zhenhua, what's the matter exactly?" Li Chen asked first.
"Li Chen, you already know my physical condition. I won't lie to you—this is all my own doing, only I discovered it too late. Dad only has one son, and I dare not let him find out."
Han Zhenhua took a pause, then slowly began, "Actually, I've already seen many doctors privately, both domestic and international. So, I don't have much hope left."
As he spoke, a self-deprecating wry smile appeared on his face.
Being inadequate in that department was already the most bruising thing to a man's ego, let alone now that it had been exposed.
Li Chen could empathize with Han Zhenhua's feelings but still couldn't figure out what he wanted from him.
"Yesterday, as you saw, dad's attitude makes it clear. If Mengxue and I can't have children, he will definitely become suspicious."
"So, I want you to help me with this: let Mengxue get pregnant."
Han Zhenhua sipped his tea and spoke in a gentle, measured tone.
His voice was calm, devoid of any ripples, yet when it reached Li Chen's ears, it struck like thunder.
His head buzzed, and he was totally flabbergasted.
"Brother Zhenhua, you..."
Li Chen was genuinely shocked; even with all his imagination, he had never anticipated that Brother Zhenhua would ask him for this kind of help.
His eyes wide open, it took him a while to come back to his senses.
...