Before coming here, Jiang Yu had already warned herself not to lose her temper, to soften her attitude, to focus on getting the divorce contract signed first.
But the moment she arrived and saw that infuriating scene, her mouth once again ran ahead of her brain.
Hu Youyue and Shen Chengyan were standing by the balcony.
Shen Chengyan was on the phone. Beside him, Hu Youyue stood gently, holding a fruit plate. A fork pierced a small piece of apple, which she was about to feed into his mouth.
Hu Youyue quickly explained, “Little Yu, you misunderstood. I cut too many apples and Aunt couldn’t finish them. Chengyan didn’t have lunch, so I…”
“So you shamelessly feed someone else’s husband fruit with your own hands? How thoughtful of you.”
Jiang Yu interrupted her with a sarcastic tone.
Hu Youyue’s expression stiffened. She turned to look at the man beside her, as if seeking help.
But Shen Chengyan had already finished his call. His gaze landed on Jiang Yu without a word.
Jiang Yu glared at him.
He frowned.
She glared again.
He: “……”
Their small exchange did not escape Hu Youyue’s notice. She lowered her eyes and returned to the bedside with the fruit plate. “Aunt, maybe I should leave first. Little Yu seems to have a misunderstanding about me. My presence might make her uncomfortable.”
“No.” Jiang Yu immediately snapped. “What exactly are you acting so fake and pitiful for? Are you trying so hard to make me look like the villain?”
Hu Youyue said softly, “I didn’t.”
“Then who the hell is playing the victim?”
“Little Yu, watch your language. Can you be more civilized?”
That sentence ignited Jiang Yu completely.
Here it was again—that superior, condescending tone, like she was the only one with manners and education, like she was the refined, cultured piano-playing lady, while Jiang Yu was just an uncivilized country bumpkin.
Just as Jiang Yu felt herself about to lose control again, a wall suddenly blocked her view.
Shen Chengyan stood in front of her, shielding her from Hu Youyue.
Jiang Yu snapped, “Get out of the way.”
He didn’t move.
She rolled up her sleeves and tried to rush forward, but he grabbed her and pulled her back.
Only then did he look at Hu Youyue. “We are husband and wife. Disrespecting her is the same as disrespecting me. That’s not hard to understand, is it?”
Hu Youyue froze.
Jiang Yu shook off his hand.
Damn it.
So now he’s defending her?
Where was he before?
Late affection is worth less than grass.
She didn’t need it.
As if remembering her earlier outburst in the Shen household, Shen Chengyan lowered his voice. “Don’t make this worse. It doesn’t look good in a hospital.”
Jiang Yu raised her voice instead. “Oh, so you still care about face? How impressive.”
Shen Chengyan: “……”
“Who has no shame here?” Tang Yun exploded. “The most shameless one is you!”
Jiang Yu glanced at her. “Auntie, you’re already in the hospital—how are you still so energetic? Are you faking it?”
Tang Yun nearly fainted again. Shen Changyuan quickly stepped in. “The doctor said you can’t get angry. Calm down.”
Tang Yun immediately turned on him. “Shen Changyuan, don’t play peacemaker! I was driven into the hospital by her, and you’re still defending her? Are you trying to kill me?”
To Jiang Yu, Shen Changyuan had always felt like another version of herself.
Gentle, stable, endlessly accommodating.
For years, he endured everything—never striking back, never arguing, even doing housework willingly.
But today, Jiang Yu snapped. “Bullying your daughter-in-law is one thing, but you even bully your own husband? You really are the world’s number one freak. If I were him, I’d divorce you immediately.”
Tang Yun screamed, “You beast! You’re already interfering in your elders’ marriage!”
“Sooner or later, you’ll die horribly!”
Shen Chengyan frowned. “Mom, that’s enough.”
Tang Yun didn’t spare him either. “You ungrateful son! You’ve forgotten your mother now that you have a wife! If you want me to live longer, control her!”
Jiang Yu sneered. “Dad, see that? Your wife is a shrew. Take my advice—divorce her while you’re still young. There are plenty of gentle aunties out there who dance square dances and treat you better than this.”
Tang Yun panted heavily.
Shen Chengyan’s face darkened.
Jiang Yu got more excited. “Perfect timing. I’m also getting a divorce. Dad, we can share a lawyer and get a group discount.”
That was the final straw.
Tang Yun suddenly grabbed a cup and threw it.
Jiang Yu hadn’t even reacted when Shen Chengyan pulled her into his arms.
Her entire body was enveloped in his embrace. She smelled the faint scent of incense on him, and beneath it, his steady heartbeat.
She heard the cup crash heavily against his back.
A dull sound escaped his throat.
Instantly, Jiang Yu’s rage exploded.
“Old hag, you—mmph!”
Shen Chengyan covered her mouth and forcibly dragged her out of the room.
She bit down hard on his hand.
He hissed and let go.
“Jiang Yu, you—”
She nearly lost her balance. “You motherf—”
He shot her a warning look.
She swallowed the rest of the curse.
By the time they reached the parking lot, she was still furious and kicked him hard.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
She tried to hit him again, but he pressed her shoulders and shoved her into the car, slamming the door shut.
“Enough.”
“You can go to hell.”
“Jiang Yu, you’re getting more and more unreasonable.”
“Am I more unreasonable than your mother?!”
“You can’t speak nicely, so of course she gets angry.”
“She started it! She said I deserved to die!”
“She’s in poor health. You humiliated her—was she wrong to be angry?”
Jiang Yu’s voice turned strained. “Right. She’s never wrong. I’m always the one in the wrong. I deserve to be humiliated and looked down on, right?”
“She has looked down on you since day one. The first time you met, she already made that clear. What did you say then?”
His voice was calm, almost cold. “You said you didn’t care. You said most mothers-in-law don’t like daughters-in-law. You said you would try to make her accept you. You said you would be tolerant, generous, and patient for me. Have you forgotten all of that?”
She had said those things.
She clearly remembered the first meeting.
Tang Yun had sat there elegantly, looking down at her from head to toe.
Her first sentence had been:
“Miss Jiang, you are not worthy of my son.”
Back then, Shen Chengyan had defended her. “Mrs. Tang, if you continue being disrespectful, we will leave right now and never return.”
And Tang Yun had exploded.
Because of that, Jiang Yu had gone back and reassured him, even promising to endure it for his sake.
That she would be “dignified,” “tolerant,” and “understanding.”
Just so she could stay in this marriage.
Now—
She finally spoke, voice eerily calm. “In your mother’s eyes, I stole her son. She will never accept me. So tell me, Shen Chengyan—how long am I supposed to endure? Until I die?”
“Why not?” His gaze sharpened. “Were your promises to me just lies to make me happy?”
That broke something.
She snapped. “Yes! I lied to you! I was just fooling you, you idiot! So what?!”
“I’m done pretending. I don’t want to endure anymore. I’m not serving you people anymore!”
His chest rose and fell. “You don’t get to decide that. You will stay my wife for life.”
That was it.
Jiang Yu lunged at him.
In broad daylight, the black Mercedes rocked violently.