Jiang Shuchen was just half a beat too slow in responding when Xia Jingshu began hitting him like a madwoman.
Every punch was thrown with force.
They landed either on Jiang Shuchen’s chest or his refined, handsome face.
But Jiang Shuchen didn’t even raise a hand, let alone fight back. He endured all of his wife’s emotional outburst.
When Xia Jingshu finally stopped, his neck and face were scratched by her. Enduring the stinging pain, he calmly said:
“I have never once thought about divorcing you.”
“Today, my way of communicating was poor. I’m sorry, but we both need to calm down.”
“I’ll sleep in the guest room.”
After venting her anger, Xia Jingshu watched Jiang Shuchen leave and wailed in anguish, “Jiang Shuchen, you just want to divorce me. What kind of bewitching spell did that bitch Lin Ting use on you? You’ve lost your soul to her. You’ve never slept in a separate room from me before. Jiang Shuchen, you are not allowed to sleep in the guest room. Jiang Shuchen, make it clear to me. Did you sleep with her or not?”
Chasing him to the guest room, Xia Jingshu saw Jiang Shuchen close the door and lock it from the inside.
She stood outside the door, crying and shouting, “Jiang Shuchen, come out and make this clear. If you want a divorce, then let’s divorce. Who’s afraid of whom? Since you like that Lin Ting so much, go live with her.”
Jiang Shuchen knew he was the one who came later.
Xia Jingshu had always carried her first love in her heart. If that first love hadn’t abandoned her and gone abroad, he wouldn’t have had the chance to be the substitute.
For six years, he had loved Xia Jingshu with cautious and immense care, pampering her, believing that as long as he was good enough, he could make Xia Jingshu cherish him too.
But the word “divorce,” which he would never bring up, she had uttered so lightly.
He opened the door and looked at Xia Jingshu standing there, crying uncontrollably.
His heart couldn’t bear it!
He stepped forward, wanting to embrace Xia Jingshu and comfort her.
But Xia Jingshu pushed away his hand before it could even touch her. “Don’t touch me. I find you disgusting. Since you like sleeping with Lin Ting so much, then get out. Go to that bitch Lin Ting.”
Enduring the dull ache in his heart, a shadow of sorrow covered Jiang Shuchen’s face:
“If you don’t like me interacting with Lin Ting, I can reduce contact with her. But every person, good or bad, deserves respect. I hope you can be more rational. When calling someone else a bitch, also consider whether you have the right to insult others?”
He wasn’t speaking up for Lin Ting.
He was merely speaking from an objective standpoint, believing everyone deserves respect.
After saying this, he closed the door. “Let’s both calm down for a while.”
Unable to contain her anger, Xia Jingshu returned to the master bedroom and called Jiang Yu.
Hearing Xia Jingshu’s tearful account, Jiang Yu comforted her with a few words, “Jing Shu, you should trust Shu Chen. He loves and cherishes you so much. He’s silently protected you since childhood. Now that he’s married you, he treasures you beyond measure. How could he possibly betray you?”
Jiang Yu still understood and trusted his buddy.
Xia Jingshu, unable to swallow her anger, poured out a lot of grievances to Jiang Yu.
At this time, Jiang Yu was accompanying Lin Weiwei at a quaint, antique-style private kitchen for a late-night snack.
The specialty of this private kitchen, fish and eel congee, was Lin Weiwei’s favorite.
While talking to Xia Jingshu, Jiang Yu also served congee for Lin Weiwei. The sound of Xia Jingshu’s weeping on the other end of the phone was truly a headache.
By the time he hung up, Lin Weiwei had already finished her bowl of congee.
Lin Weiwei asked, “What did Jing Shu tell you? Did she cry on the phone? Did she argue with Shu Chen? That shouldn’t be the case. Shu Chen is famously devoted to his wife; how could he bear to make Jing Shu cry?”
Jiang Yu, who had just put down his phone, wore a dark expression. “Since Lin Ting can’t get her way with me, she’s now trying to seduce Jiang Shuchen. Her methods are truly endless. It seems she won’t give up until she gets the confidential research on the targeted anticancer drug.”
At this point, Lin Weiwei fell silent.
She frowned thoughtfully for a moment.
When Jiang Yu tried to serve her more porridge, she stopped him. “Let’s go back to the lab. I want to work overtime with the professors for a while longer. Don’t you want the targeted anticancer drug to be developed sooner?”
Jiang Yu replied, “You haven’t eaten properly or rested well for days. No overtime today.”
Lin Weiwei insisted, “I’m fine. I’m still young. If we can succeed before our wedding, maybe we can save your mentor’s life. Let’s go, hurry back to the lab and work until midnight.”
There were still two months left until Jiang Yu and Lin Weiwei’s wedding day.
…
Early the next morning, Jiang Yu inexplicably appeared at Xiao Youzi’s kindergarten.
Cars came and went at the kindergarten entrance.
Among so many parents and children, Jiang Yu instantly recognized Lin Ting and her daughter on a pink electric scooter.
That was the woman he had loved since childhood; he couldn’t possibly fail to recognize her.
Even from just her back, he could identify her in a second.
He hated this familiarity etched into his mind, even into his blood.
He hated it intensely.
So much so that when he saw Lin Ting and her daughter get off the electric scooter, and Lin Ting holding Xiao Youzi’s hand as they walked toward the school gate, his eyes were filled with hatred.
When his gaze fell on Xiao Youzi, Jiang Yu recalled that day in the hospital when Youzi refused to drink the warm water he offered, her small eyes cold and distant.
Jiang Yu still felt somewhat hurt by it.
Such a lovely, well-behaved, and polite Xiao Youzi was actually Zhou Ziheng’s daughter.
The shame and hatred in his eyes deepened even further.
Some words were inconvenient to say in front of Youzi. After Youzi went inside, Jiang Yu stopped Lin Ting as she was about to get back on the electric scooter.
Lin Ting was even more surprised than when Jiang Yu had proactively called her last time.
Wasn’t this man utterly disgusted with her?
What did he want with her?
“Didn’t Mr. Jiang say we shouldn’t meet again? What are you doing here?”
Jiang Yu said coldly, “I truly don’t want to see you again. If it weren’t for Shu Chen, who would want to meet you?”
Shu Chen?
As Lin Ting vaguely guessed the purpose of his visit, Jiang Yu began to slander her without any justification:
“How many more despicable tricks do you have up your sleeve?”
“When I didn’t fall for your schemes, you even tried to seduce Jiang Shuchen, who has always treated you like a little sister?”
“Shu Chen and Jing Shu’s six years of loving and harmonious marriage have been thrown into turmoil because of you. Lin Ting, you truly have remarkable methods.”
“To achieve your goals, would you even climb into Jiang Shuchen’s bed if necessary?”
Zhou Ziheng remained a thorn in Jiang Yu’s heart, the greatest shame of his life.
Once, he had adored Lin Ting, been devoted and deeply affectionate to her, allowing no one else to come close.
If Lin Ting hadn’t slept with Zhou Ziheng and gotten pregnant with his child, he would never have accepted Lin Weiwei.
Now, Lin Ting was seducing Jiang Shuchen.
“Lin Ting, you are utterly despicable!” Jiang Yu looked at her with disgust and hatred, his entire body wracked with pain.
Lin Ting had told herself many times not to suffer because of this man.
It wasn’t worth it!
She needed to maintain a good mood, living one more day at a time.
Even if it was just one more hour, one more minute, she could spend more time with Youzi.
But every time this man appeared before her, he always managed to infuriate her to the point where her heart, liver, and lungs all twisted in agony.
Enduring the pain, she accused, “It doesn’t matter if you don’t believe me, but you can’t not believe Shu Chen.”
Jiang Yu: “Of course I have complete faith in my good friend, but I can’t trust a despicable and vile person like you. Lin Ting, stay away from Jiang Shuchen. Don’t take advantage of his soft-heartedness and kindness, or I’ll make sure you can’t stay in Pengcheng.”