The Substitute Bride and the Cripple

After dinner, Jiang Shaocheng was looking over some documents in the study when a knock on the door interrupted him. It was He Lei.

“Young Master, your father is asking when you will bring the young mistress back to your old house.”

Jiang Shaocheng didn’t look up, opening another file, like He Lei didn’t exist.

Cold sweat beaded across He Lei’s brow. “Young Master?” he mustered the courage to ask again.

“Just say my condition worsened, that I coughed up blood and couldn’t leave home.”

Uncomfortably, He Lei said, “But Sir didn’t seem happy when he spoke about the young mistress. He said he didn’t know what Jiang Ming was thinking.”

At the mention of Tang Qiu, Jiang Shaocheng raised his head. His dark gaze was piercing. “We’ll go during the weekend.” The trip was inevitable, and there were some scores that needed to be settled.

He Lei heaved a sigh of relief. If the young master had refused to bring Tang Qiu home, he didn’t know what kind of slander his younger brother would stir up.

Recalling the task he had been assigned this afternoon, he passed Jiang Shaocheng a file of information. “Here is the information on the Hua family. After Huamei’s aunt, Chen Man, married Fang Guo’an, Huamei’s parents went to work in the Fengs’ company. Huamei is a second year student in university, and she has a boyfriend, a young man of unkind and conceited character.” In high school, Huamei and Feng Lu were in the same class as the young mistress. According to his investigations, they often bullied her, and once, the young mistress was even forced to miss her examination because of them…

“Understood. See that she gets a taste of her own medicine, for what she did to Qiu.”

He didn’t so much as raise his voice, but his cool tone sent an icy shiver rolling over He Lei. “Right away, Young Master.”

When He Lei had gone, Jiang Shaocheng stared at the computer screen, pondering for a while, before typing in the search bar:?100 Ways to Make a Girl Fall in Love With Me

The next morning, Tang Qiu woke up once again in Jiang Shaocheng’s arms. She smacked a palm to her forehead in frustration, and made to extricate herself carefully. Only, even that slight movement from her made Jiang Shaocheng shift and drape his arm over her waist, trapping her in his embrace.

His pajamas were loose, giving her a glimpse of his toned chest. She studied it, momentarily transfixed. Lying in his arms, listening to his heartbeat, and inhaling his musky, masculine scent, Tang Qiu felt a warm flush rising in her cheeks, the pitter-patter of her heart like the galloping of an antelope.

He still hadn’t awoken, so she said softly, “Wake up, dear. Let’s go for a walk and get some exercise.” His legs might be injured, but he could still work his arms, and it would strengthen his heart, too.

Jiang Shaocheng frowned faintly, only half-awake, and hugged her even tighter, drifting back into the muzzy cocoon of sleep.

Feeling his warm breath, Tang Qiu blushed even deeper. A strange feeling was stirring in her core, like an itch yearning to be scratched, sending fire pooling through her body. Her breath hitched and she squirmed. “Dear, if you don’t get up, I will.” She might just combust, if he didn’t move soon!

Her squirming must have awoken him, because he slowly opened his eyes. “Good morning, Qiu.”

Tang Qiu’s face was bright red. She looked away from him shyly, unable to meet his gaze. “Good… good morning.”

“While I was half-asleep, I heard you say you wanted to go out for some exercise?”

She nodded in a fluster. “Yes, I wanted to bring you for a walk. It’s good to get some fresh air.”

He caressed her cheek, planting a light kiss on her cheek. “Oh? I find the air here quite fresh, actually,” he teased. “I’ve lent you my luck, Qiu, now it’s your turn to give me some of your air.”

“How can I possibly do that…?” She felt foolish, like her mind wasn’t comprehending something.

“I’ll show you.”

Jiang Shaocheng forcibly covered her mouth, robbing her of air. His frenzied actions almost shocked all coherent thought from her. But he had woken up to her squirming in his arms, only for her to suggest going for a walk, of all things. He was bound to be… a little annoyed. ƒ𝔯𝗲𝗲𝙬𝒆𝚋𝐧oѵℯl.𝒄𝑜m

Later, as they were eating breakfast, the warmth still hadn’t left Tang Qiu’s face. She was red as an apple. She stole a glance at Jiang Shaocheng, and nearly buried her face in her bowl out of nervousness when she felt the weight of his stare on her.

“Are you angry, Qiu?”

Stupidly, she shook her head. She wasn’t angry–only confused at herself, at how being kissed by a man she had only known for a few days made her body go weak. But she had never had a boyfriend before, and she didn’t know how to get along with men, let alone her husband. But whatever they were doing now–waking up together, being able to greet him good morning–she couldn’t find it in her heart to reject.

“No.”

Her head was still bowed, Jiang Shaocheng observed. Come to think of it, his little wife had all but fled the bed earlier. He must have scared her.

“Qiu,” he began, “I can sometimes be in a bad mood when I wake up or when I’m disturbed, due to my health. Did I hurt you, with how thoughtlessly I acted?”

Hearing him use his health as a justification caused all thoughts to vanish from Tang Qiu’s mind. “I was the thoughtless one,” she apologized, the words spilling from her mouth. “Your body should only exert itself in moderation, I was too hasty…”