Xu Chengyi continued staring with wide, innocent eyes. “Little uncle, I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
Come to think of it, she had actually met that bastard Song Zhiyu before.
She’d gone to university in City A, majoring in English at a prestigious 985 university.
In a bustling, high-consumption metropolis like City A, there were temptations of every kind. Luxury cars parked outside the school every day, bottles of water placed on their hoods, waiting for boys and girls who couldn’t resist temptation to take a drink.
One day, she was coming back from a part-time job when a flashy sports car pulled up beside her. The window rolled down, and the man tossed her a wad of cash, telling her to buy a box of baby-making pills and make sure her roommate swallowed them.
Before leaving, he added one more instruction: “If your roommate refuses to take them, I won’t let her have an easy time either.”
With that, the sports car sped off, leaving exhaust fumes in her face.
Money in hand, she did the job—spent two hours persuading her roommate and watched her take the pills.
It wasn’t exactly moral, but who would turn down two thousand yuan?
Song Zhiyu didn’t press the matter, instead asking with interest, “I heard you studied English at A University?”
Xu Chengyi: “That’s right.”
“What are your plans after graduation?”
Xu Chengyi linked her arm through Song Wenzhou’s and said nonsense with a straight face: “I don’t have any grand ambitions. College was just a decoration for me. My dream is to be a good housewife at home, bear children for my dear husband, and raise the kids.”
Back in university, she’d worked her ass off getting certificates—TEM-4, TEM-8, IELTS, TOEFL—pouring money and energy into them, all to rely on herself.
But these days, the job market was brutally competitive. Civil service exams were like thousands of troops crossing a single-plank bridge, and she didn’t even have the means to prepare properly.
So she’d gone with the flow, sent out resumes, and landed a job in foreign trade. But less than three months in, the company announced a team-building trip to Thailand.
A company that didn’t even pay social insurance was suddenly willing to cover flights and hotels for a Thailand trip? She packed her bags and fled that very night.
And then it rained on her parade—on the day she ran, she got news that her grandmother back home was gravely ill. She packed up again overnight and returned to the small county town.
She’d planned to just take the teacher certification exam in the county and live a simple life, but then the Xu family showed up at her door, and she was married off without even understanding what was happening.
Now, she’d truly given up. As long as she got food, shelter, and a place to stay, being a rich housewife didn’t seem so bad after all.
Song Zhiyu burst out laughing. “Niece-in-law, chatting with you is really entertaining.”
Xu Chengyi laughed along, insincerely. “Chatting with little uncle is entertaining too.”
The two of them smiled at each other, then suddenly felt two pairs of eyes boring into them, making them jolt.
Xu Chengyi turned to look at Song Wenzhou and handed him her uncut steak. “Hubby, cut this for me~”
Song Zhiyu, meanwhile, lifted his gaze toward Elder Song’s direction, curled his lips in a smile, and said, “I’m done eating. Enjoy your meal, everyone.”
He rose, leaving the table with a carefree stride.
After breakfast, the full table of people dispersed.
They didn’t usually stay at the old residence—they’d only come back because of Song Wenzhou’s wedding.
The Song family didn’t keep idle people. Meng Aoshuang and Song Zhishan both had proper jobs and didn’t stay long at the old residence either.
Before leaving, Meng Aoshuang arranged to meet Xu Chengyi in the side hall.
Aunt Wu came over with two cups of coffee, setting one before each of them.
Meng Aoshuang picked up her coffee, took an elegant sip, then set it down and said coolly, “From now on, you’ll live with Wenzhou in the old residence. If there’s anything you don’t understand, just ask Aunt Wu.”
Xu Chengyi pointed at Aunt Wu. “Replace her. I don’t want to see her.”
Meng Aoshuang let out a sudden laugh. “You don’t have a say here yet. Aunt Wu has been with the Song family long enough to count as two of you.”
Xu Chengyi felt a surge of irritation and said bluntly, “If you’ve already decided everything, then why bother talking to me?”
Meng Aoshuang actually had a bit of respect for her fearless, new-sprout spirit, but she was still too green. In the Song family, the biggest taboo was wearing your emotions on your face.
She looked at her and said flatly, “Have a child.”
Xu Chengyi’s face grew warm, and she lowered her gaze without responding.
Meng Aoshuang continued, “If you make us unhappy, we won’t do anything to you directly. But I hear you have a gravely ill grandmother. The Xu family might not let you off so easily.”
“You should know how to choose.”
With that, she stood and left, the sound of her high heels clicking against the marble floor especially grating.
Xu Chengyi’s tears, which she’d been holding back, fell uncontrollably.
Aunt Wu glanced at her, sneered inwardly, picked up both cups of coffee, and left.
Xu Chengyi wiped her tears alone for a good while. When she stood up to leave, she ran into a young woman walking toward her.
It was Ling Zhu, the most beloved concubine of the old master.
Ling Zhu lived up to her name—plump and radiant, dripping in jewels and finery.
They bumped into each other, but Xu Chengyi didn’t know what to call her.
Ling Zhu lazily lifted her perfectly separated lashes and asked, “You’re Xu Chengyi?”
Xu Chengyi sniffled. “Mm.”
Ling Zhu stared at her young, pretty face, reached out to wipe her tear-stained cheeks, and asked, “Why are you crying?”
Xu Chengyi felt a bit uncomfortable with such contact and moved aside slightly. “Just crying for no reason—detoxifying and beautifying.”
Ling Zhu let out a “pfft” laugh. “You’re pretty amusing.”
Xu Chengyi tugged at the corner of her mouth.
Ling Zhu said, “I’m heading to Mrs. Sun’s place to play mahjong. Want to come?”
Xu Chengyi shook her head. “I don’t know how to play, so I’ll pass.”
“Alright then.”
Xu Chengyi went upstairs to her room but didn’t find Song Wenzhou.
Just as she was about to head back down, Aunt Wu brought up the confiscated electronic devices.
“Second Young Madam, your things.”
Xu Chengyi took the bag and opened the phone she’d been longing for.
God knows, she hadn’t touched her phone for three whole days and nights.
Opening WeChat, messages from her best friend Lin Rui kept popping up nonstop.
She immediately replied: 【I’m still alive.】
Lin Rui responded almost instantly: “You finally replied to me. Is the signal bad in your rich family’s mansion or something?”
Xu Chengyi: “The signal’s fine. It’s just that… I got married.”
The next second, a call came in.
As she picked up, Lin Rui’s shriek came through the receiver, “What! So the one who got married off is really you?”
Xu Chengyi flopped onto the bed. “Yeah, sold off by my cheap father.”
Then, she spent a whole hour pouring out her grievances to Lin Rui, summing it up in one sentence: “The Song family are all lunatics.”
After hearing the rant, Lin Rui was utterly stunned. “Holy crap, so what are you planning to do?”
Xu Chengyi let out a long, long sigh. “Accept my fate.”
Lin Rui suddenly shifted the topic and asked, “I heard Song Wenzhou is really handsome. Is that true?”
At that, Xu Chengyi’s mood improved slightly. “Handsome in a very objective way.”
Lin Rui: “Then you’re not at a loss.”
Xu Chengyi: “…”
After hanging up, she lay on the bed, scrolling through her phone.