183: Chapter 183 Lou Dong's True Purpose

Shang Yuya remained silent for a few seconds.

Did she regret it?

She had asked herself this question countless times.

If she had listened to her parents back then and hadn't married him, what would her life be like now?

Perhaps she would be in some small town, working an ordinary job, married to an ordinary man, and living an ordinary life.

No domestic violence, no tears, no despair.

But there wouldn't have been those sweet moments either.

The tenderness when they first married, the occasional thoughtfulness, and this... beautiful moment right now.

"I don't regret it," she heard herself say.

Lou Dong was stunned.

"Really?"

Shang Yuya nodded. "Regret is useless anyway. Besides..."

She looked at him. "You've changed, haven't you?"

Lou Dong looked into her eyes; they were filled with trust, expectation, and love.

His Adam's apple bobbed as he tried to speak, but in the end, he simply held her hand.

"Youyou, I swear, I'll never let you suffer again."

Shang Yuya smiled and leaned against his shoulder.

The lake breeze blew past, carrying the scent of distant places.

She didn't know what this man was hiding in his heart.

She only knew that at this moment, she was very happy.

...

After returning from the Park, Lou Dong didn't go straight home but instead drove to the city center.

"Is there somewhere else we need to go?" Shang Yuya asked.

"Yeah, I have a surprise for you," Lou Dong said with a mysterious smile.

The car stopped in front of an insurance company.

Shang Yuya was taken aback. "An insurance company?"

"You'll know once we get out of the car." Lou Dong pulled her inside.

In the lobby, a salesperson in professional attire approached them. "Mr. Lou, right? This way, please."

The two were led to a small meeting room, where the salesperson brought out several documents.

"Mr. Lou wants to purchase personal accident insurance with a coverage of two million. The annual fee is..." the salesperson began to explain.

The more Shang Yuya listened, the more confused she became. She tugged at Lou Dong's sleeve. "What are you doing?"

Lou Dong held her hand and said to the salesperson, "This one. Two policies, one for me and one for my wife."

The salesperson nodded and began processing the paperwork.

Shang Yuya grew anxious. "Lou Dong, explain this to me. Why are you suddenly buying this?"

Lou Dong looked at her, his gaze tender and serious.

"A couple of days ago, I saw a video," he said. "A family of three went out for a trip and got into a car accident on the highway. They were gone in an instant."

He paused. "I watched it for a long time, thinking: if something ever happened to me, what would you do?"

Shang Yuya was stunned.

"You're alone, you don't have a job, no income, and no one to rely on," Lou Dong continued. "If I'm gone, how will you survive?"

He squeezed her hand. "So I thought I'd buy some insurance. If something really happens to me, at least there will be two million for you to live on."

Shang Yuya's eyes welled up.

"Don't talk nonsense," she said, her voice trembling. "Nothing is going to happen to you."

"Of course not," Lou Dong laughed. "I'm just buying peace of mind. Just in case—I'm saying just in case."

The salesperson handed over the documents. "Mr. Lou, Mrs. Lou, just sign here."

Shang Yuya looked at the documents, a complex surge of emotions rising in her heart.

She didn't know how to describe the feeling.

Touched? Heartache? Or... a faint sense of unease?

But looking at Lou Dong's sincere eyes, she signed the papers anyway.

"The beneficiary is you," Lou Dong said. "If anything happens to me, all the money goes to you."

Shang Yuya's eyes reddened again. "Stop saying things like that."

Lou Dong smiled and rubbed her head. "Alright, I'll stop."

Once the formalities were finished, the two walked out of the insurance company.

The sunlight fell on them, feeling warm and cozy.

Shang Yuya hooked her arm through Lou Dong's and leaned on his shoulder.

"Lou Dong," she whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Thank you... for being so good to me."

Lou Dong didn't speak; he only pulled her closer.

He didn't know that the woman in his arms was silently swearing in her heart that she would love him dearly from now on and never leave him, no matter what happened.

She knew even less that what this man was thinking at this moment was something else entirely.

...

In the car on the way back.

The car drove along the road toward home.

Shang Yuya leaned back in the passenger seat, a satisfied smile on her face.

Today had been so wonderful, as wonderful as a dream.

Lou Dong drove, occasionally glancing at her.

"Tired?"

"A little," Shang Yuya said. "But I'm very happy."

"As long as you're happy," Lou Dong said. "I'll take you out more often in the future."

Shang Yuya smiled, closed her eyes, and took a nap.

She didn't see Lou Dong's knuckles turning white as he gripped the steering wheel.

She didn't see the guilt and struggle that flashed through his eyes.

He just stared straight ahead, focusing on the road.

But inside, his mind was in turmoil, and his thoughts couldn't help but drift back to a week ago.

At that time, Lou Dong had been cornered in an alley by two men.

"Lou Dong, where's the money?" The leader, a bald man with a cigarette in his mouth, had a sinister look in his eyes.

Lou Dong's face was pale. "Give me a few more days, I'll have it soon..."

"A few more days?" The bald man laughed and pressed his cigarette butt into the back of Lou Dong's hand. "You've already had three months. Principal plus interest, it's five hundred and eighty thousand. If you don't pay today, don't blame me for being ruthless."

Lou Dong hissed in pain but didn't dare to cry out.

He knew these people were capable of anything.

"I'll give you one week." The bald man patted his cheek. "In one week, if you don't have the money, I'm taking one of your hands."

Lou Dong slumped on the ground, watching them walk away.

Five hundred and eighty thousand.

Where was he going to find five hundred and eighty thousand?

He had borrowed everything he could, and scammed everyone he could.

He couldn't even get online loans anymore.

His relatives and friends had long since been scared off by his borrowing.

He was finished.

Unless...

That night, he sat in his rented room, scrolling through his phone with a blank mind.

Suddenly, a video popped up.

A car accident scene; an entire family was gone, and their relatives were crying heart-wrenchingly in front of the camera.

Just as he was about to swipe past it, he saw a line of text: "It is reported that the deceased had purchased high-value accident insurance before death..."

High-value accident insurance.

Lou Dong froze.

He slowly put down his phone and stared at the ceiling.

An idea began to take shape in his mind.

...