“Xiao Yu, wake up. Did you have a nightmare?” A familiar yet nauseating voice whispered in her ear.
Yan Songyu opened her eyes to see an enlarged, hypocritical smiling face before her.
“Feifei—is that the name you gave our daughter?” Jiang Chengli asked with a smile.
Yan Songyu raised her hand and slapped him across the face. How dare he mention Feifei? How dare he!
Smack—
The slap landed solidly on Jiang Chengli’s face, echoing loudly through the room. The doctor and nurse who had entered for rounds were stunned by the impact.
He covered his cheek in shock, forcing a smile despite his burning anger, his voice growing even gentler. “Xiao Yu, are you still half-asleep?”
Yan Songyu recoiled as if trying to escape something filthy. “Stay away from me.”
“What’s wrong, Xiao Yu? Did I upset you?” Jiang Chengli appeared flustered.
Yan Songyu had always been gentle and accommodating in their relationship. Today’s slap was completely unexpected.
“Didn’t you hear me? Stay away from me!” Yan Songyu suddenly became agitated. “I suffered through ten months of pregnancy, endured a full day of labor pain, and I’m still in pain after giving birth—it’s all your fault!”
In a frenzy, she threw everything within reach—pillows, cups, the water pitcher, fruit, and even the bouquet of flowers Jiang Chengli had bought early that morning—hurling them all at him. Jiang Chengli ducked and dodged, covering his head as he retreated step by step.
The doctor hurried forward to calm her. “Ms. Yan, you’ve just given birth and your body is still very weak. You mustn’t get too worked up. Please lie down and let me examine you.”
The nurse pushed Jiang Chengli out of the room. “Mr. Jiang, please wait outside for now. Don’t upset Ms. Yan any further.”
Jiang Chengli habitually closed his eyes, suppressing his humiliated anger, then put on a concerned expression again. “Xiao Yu… my wife—what’s wrong with her?”
“Wait for the doctor’s examination. But based on my experience, when a woman’s personality changes so drastically, it’s most likely postpartum depression.”
“Postpartum depression?”
Jiang Chengli’s jaw dropped. He didn’t know how to express his speechless disbelief. What reason did Xiao Yu have to be depressed?
“Regardless, family members need to be understanding. Especially you—cooperate with her treatment, care for her, and spend time with her. Childbirth takes an enormous toll on a woman’s physical and mental health.”
Jiang Chengli waited anxiously outside. When the doctor emerged, Yan Binghua had also arrived. Having lost his wife early in life, he had raised his daughter as his most precious treasure, worrying over every strand of hair she lost. Now, learning that his daughter had developed postpartum depression, he felt like skinning Jiang Chengli alive.
“Doctor, how is my daughter?”
“Mr. Yan, the initial diagnosis confirms that Ms. Yan is indeed suffering from postpartum depression. She’ll need proper treatment going forward.”
Yan Binghua shot Jiang Chengli a sharp glare before rushing in to comfort Yan Songyu. After hesitating for a moment, Jiang Chengli followed.
Yan Songyu buried herself in Yan Binghua’s embrace, crying uncontrollably as if she had suffered some grave injustice.
The nanny, Aunt Liu, quickly tried to soothe her. “Oh, my dear young lady, you mustn’t cry. Crying during confinement will harm your eyes.”
“That’s right, be good now, my darling. Don’t cry anymore.” Yan Binghua wiped her tears. “You were so brave yesterday, my dear. You gave birth to a little treasure—she looks just like you did when you were a baby, absolutely adorable.”
“Miss, I made you crucian carp and tofu soup today. It’s very fresh,” Aunt Liu said with a smile as she opened the thermal container.
“Let me do it, Aunt Liu,” Jiang Chengli volunteered.
Aunt Liu said nothing and moved aside. Jiang Chengli’s performance had always been satisfactory.
Jiang Chengli scooped a spoonful of fish soup, blew on it several times, and brought it to Yan Songyu’s lips. “Song Yu, have a sip.”
Yan Songyu looked at his hypocritical smile, her eyes filled with undisguised disgust. She waved her hand and knocked the scalding fish soup all over his chest. “Get out!”
The fish soup had been freshly cooked and immediately poured into the thermal container before Aunt Liu hurriedly brought it over. Instantly, blisters formed on Jiang Chengli’s chest from the burn.
Yan Songyu glanced at the disheveled Jiang Chengli, showing not a trace of remorse but instead utter disgust. “How revolting!”
Yan Binghua only frowned and waved his hand. “Go see a doctor and get that injury treated,” he said before turning back to fuss over whether his precious daughter had been scalded.
When Jiang Chengli stepped out with a dark expression, he ran into Feng Yu. Feng Yu looked at his disheveled state and the stained clothes, the corner of his mouth twitching imperceptibly. “Mr. Jiang.”
“Feng Yu, you’re here to see Dad, right? He’s in the ward with Song Yu.”
“Mr. Jiang, you should go see a doctor quickly,” Feng Yu kindly reminded him.
During her hospital observation period, Yan Songyu’s “postpartum depression” grew increasingly severe, and similar incidents occurred several more times.
The moment Jiang Chengli left, Yan Songyu would weep and complain that he wasn’t staying with her. When he returned, she would hit and curse at him, only to apologize when she regained clarity—then resume the abuse right after. The slap marks on Jiang Chengli’s face never had time to fade. Even when he went to the restroom, he could overhear others gossiping.
“That man in the VIP room—clearly a live-in son-in-law. His wife hits and curses at him, and he doesn’t even dare talk back.”
“Hah~ You laugh at him for being spineless, but do you know who he is?”
“The VIP room houses Yan Binghua’s daughter—the leading figure in Haishi’s economy. If she so much as stamps her foot, the whole city trembles. If I could latch onto Yan Binghua’s daughter, I wouldn’t mind if she pissed and shit on my head.”
“Really? I’d do it too. We just don’t have the looks for it.”
“That’s why we can’t get a taste of that soft rice.”
“But… how do you know that live-in son-in-law doesn’t already have piss and shit on his head?”
…
Jiang Chengli clenched his fists inside the stall. After a long while, when the voices outside faded into the distance, he emerged and straightened his clothes in the mirror, though the gloom in the corners of his eyes was impossible to conceal.
It had snowed for three days. Even though the sky had cleared, the bitter wind continued to howl.
From the hospital entrance to the car was barely three meters, yet Yan Binghua insisted on wrapping Yan Songyu in layer upon layer before carrying her out.
Yan Songyu nestled securely in her father’s arms. As they passed Zhou Yue, she glanced at the shabby basket at Zhou Yue’s feet—a tiny baby, wrapped only in old clothes, lay in the snow in the depths of winter, its small face purple from the cold, wailing loudly. Zhou Yue paid no attention, her gaze fixed solely on the swaddled baby in Aunt Liu’s arms.
In the car, Yan Songyu looked through the window at Zhou Yue, who was staring tearfully at the car with a dazed expression. A sarcastic, cold smile curled at the corner of Yan Songyu’s lips.
Back at the Yan Family home, Yan Songyu was still carried to her room by Yan Binghua.
The nursery had long been prepared. Yan Songyu personally inspected every detail once more before feeling at ease. The infant care specialists were the same two from her previous life—they were very responsible.
However… the good mood ended as soon as Yan Songyu returned to her room, because Jiang Chengli was leaning against the bed.
As soon as he saw Yan Songyu, he quickly called out gently, “Xiao Yu, come lie down and rest. Aunt Liu says standing too long during the postpartum period will cause back pain.”
Yan Songyu smiled mockingly—what a gentle and devoted model husband he was!
Ever since she became pregnant, Jiang Chengli had kept a thick notebook of pregnancy notes, meticulously recording all sorts of precautions. He never complained about waking up in the middle of the night to fetch her water or give her massages. Even Yan Binghua, who had never quite approved of him, had taken notice and grown increasingly accepting of him.
In her past life, she had foolishly believed in his “sincerity.” Unfortunately, her sincerity had been fed to the dogs!
Jiang Chengli never missed an opportunity to uphold his image as a good husband. He walked over to support Yan Songyu. “Be good, listen to me. Go lie down on the bed. Once the postpartum period is over, you can do whatever you want…”
Smack—
Yan Songyu grabbed the vase on the cabinet and smashed it down on his head.
She had to go mad, or she would go mad herself!
A gash opened on Jiang Chengli’s forehead. Blood flowed over his brow bone and slid down to the corner of his eye, like a tear of blood. He immediately closed his eyes, afraid he wouldn’t have time to hide the malice and hatred in them.
“Oh my goodness!” Aunt Liu, hearing the commotion, rushed over and quickly pulled Jiang Chengli away. “Mr. Jiang, come with me quickly to tend to your wound.”
Jiang Chengli allowed Aunt Liu to lead him away, because this was the Yan Family, and he was Mr. Jiang.
Hah~
Hatred?
Yan Songyu sneered coldly. What right did he have to hate her, to hate the Yan Family?
Since he was born with the heart of a wolf and the guts of a dog, in this lifetime, she would teach him well how to be a good dog!