The Substitute Bride and the Cripple

Tang Qiu tried on countless dresses, all of which she thought looked lovely. “The clothes you picked for me are very nice too. Which ones do you think I should get?” she asked, frowning in contemplation.

Jiang Shaocheng handed her a pair of shoes, brushing off her question. “There are many more for you to try. There’s no hurry to decide. In the meantime, see how you like these shoes.”

Everything had been planned to accommodate Tang Qiu, down to the barest detail, and she was clearly taken in by the act. True, it didn’t hurt to try on a few more outfits–especially since she had never in her life worn so many gorgeous dresses in a day before. From the sidelines, the staff member saw Jiang Shaocheng gesture, silently instructing her to wrap up everything Tang Qiu had tried on.

Prior to today, Tang Qiu had never bought shoes more expensive than 5o yuan, but the ones that Jiang Shaocheng presented her with came in all shapes and sizes. Since he had been good enough to bring her out shopping today, she didn’t stand on ceremony, and with a rare flourish, said, “I don’t need to try them. I’ll get them.” She could afford a few pairs of clothes and shoes, with how much money she had obtained from the Fengs.

“There’s a lucky draw ongoing today, Miss, with even more discounts for the top prize,” the staff member said with a smile. “Would you like to participate?”

“Another discount? Is this some kind of trap for the customers?” When it came to money, Tang Qiu always erred on the side of caution.

The corner of the staff member’s lips twitched. She was about to explain herself, but Jiang Shaocheng’s rich, deep voice beat her to it. “Qiu, don’t worry. This is all part of a strategy to promote their business. Haven’t you noticed there’s no one here? The shop must be trying their best to sell off their products.”

The young master was spewing nonsense again. Sure, it was part of a business strategy, He Lei thought sardonically, and not because he had ordered that the store would only be serving Tang Qiu today. Jiang Shaocheng would truly say anything just to keep his wife happy.

“I suppose you’re right.” Tang Qiu, too, had noticed that the shop was conspicuously absent of customers. The staff member brought her a box. She was about to draw her lot when she paused and turned to face Jiang Shaocheng with a mischievous grin. “Do me a favor, dear, and stick out your hand.”

Jiang Shaocheng looked puzzled, but he obliged. Tang Qiu grasped his hand and rubbed it against hers. “My luck has never been the best, so I thought I could borrow some of yours.”

She’s serious about this.?Jiang Shaocheng gripped her hand back. “That’s not how luck works.”

“How does it work, then?” Tang Qiu stared at him curiously, unblinking. 𝗳𝗿𝐞ℯ𝙬𝗲𝗯n𝗼νel.𝒄𝑜𝘮

“Well, when it comes to borrowing luck, you must undergo a special ritual. For example, a kiss.”

A blush spread over Tang Qiu’s face. She lowered her eyes, still kneeling in front of Jiang Shaocheng, too bashful to meet his gaze. This was proof that he was toying with her!

“Do you want to borrow my luck or not, Qiu?” Jiang Shaocheng leaned down so his face was level with her ear. When she didn’t move, he lifted her chin with one hand and kissed her.

“My luck is all yours.”

Tang Qiu stared at him stupidly. He had just kissed her. And she hadn’t hated it, not in the least–in fact, she felt her heart fluttering, her head swimming, like fireworks were going off in her mind.

“Go on,” he encouraged, his voice low, sending pleasure shooting down her spine.

Tang Qiu recovered her senses and got to her feet for the lucky draw. She drew a number card from the lucky draw and opened it, only to find that she had won first prize!

“Congratulations, Miss,” the staff member exclaimed. “In addition to the 10% of all your items today, you also get a buy-one-get-one-free deal!”

“You’re a lucky man indeed, dear!”

“These dual promotions are a rare opportunity. You should make use of it and get a few more things.”

Tang Qiu couldn’t refuse such a tantalizing deal. In the end, her shopping amounted to 50 bags worth… a total of 200 yuan! She had been prepared for her wallet to bleed when she paid; now she stared at the staff member in disbelief as they calculated the price of her items. “Surely there’s some mistake? All this for only 200 yuan?”

“There’s no mistake,” the staff member replied, smiling somewhat derisively. “Not with both the deals from today!”

Tang Qiu had been certain there was an error, but she still couldn’t contain her surprise. Who knew that those clothes, without their price tags, would have ended up being so cheap?

Distaste flooded through the staff member. Each of these branded, luxury goods cost more than 10000 yuan each; even with the twin promotions, there was no way they would be only 200 yuan in total. But after she had calculated the original sum, her boss had claimed it was too much and ordered her to round down the price, again and again, till it amounted to 200 yuan.

Tang Qiu paid for the items happily. She turned around, bags in hand, and knelt down in front of Jiang Shaocheng’s wheelchair. “Since there’s such a good deal today, we should buy a few more things. Why don’t I choose some clothes for you?”

“Couple outfits?” Jiang Shaocheng asked with a raised brow.

Tang Qiu flushed. She had only felt guilty about buying so many items for herself, and none for him. “I meant regular clothes.”

Jiang Shaocheng nodded, patting the top of her head. “Alright, regular couple outfits.” Tang Qiu was speechless.

Standing to one side, He Lei felt his scalp tingle. They had only planned to buy the women’s clothing today, so the price tags on the men’s clothes hadn’t been trimmed off yet. “Young Mistress, you must be tired after trying on so many clothes,” he interjected. “Why don’t you go enjoy a cup of coffee and rest for a bit, before picking out clothes for the young master?”

Tang Qiu wasn’t tired, but then she thought of Jiang Shaocheng’s illness, and agreed. “Let’s go somewhere to rest, dear.”

“Okay.” Jiang Shaocheng glanced at He Lei, who took the hint and went off to deal with the men’s clothing in the store.

As Tang Qiu pushed him to the beverage store, several pairs of eyes turned their way and looked Jiang Shaocheng up and down. She felt a twinge of pain at his cold, detached expression. Being looked at strangely by so many people mustn’t be easy for him.

She reached out, taking his larger hand in hers, determination swelling in her heart. One way or another, she had to find a way to heal him.