The Substitute Bride and the Cripple

Laughter echoed down the corridor, drawing nearer, coupled with the sound of a ball bouncing up and down. Two tall men walked up from behind Tang Qiu.

The one holding a ball slung his free arm around Tang Qiu’s shoulders. “I heard someone threatening my junior,” he said, grinning. “What’s all that about? What is our lawful society coming to? Don’t be afraid, though. I’m here.”

Tang Qiu stood there helplessly with his arm around her for an instant. It was just like Qian Hongwei to be so thoughtlessly casual, so full of ease, no matter the situation. She pushed away from him. “I’m not afraid, Senior.”

Qian Hongwei didn’t look the slightest bit bothered at being shoved away. His height made it easy for him to lean an elbow on her shoulder. “There’s some people here who look like they’re itching to beat up our little junior,” he said cheerfully. “Aren’t you going to give a damn, Mufan?”

Ning Mufan fixed his gaze on Tan Yuqi and Feng Yao. “What happened?”

Feng Yao looked him up and down–his casual style of dressing, his gentle demeanor, his soft, pleasant voice–while thinking of how he rarely ever spoke to her. Her heart gave a small flutter. “It’s nothing,” she said demurely. “We were just having some fun with Tang Qiu.”

Jealousy surged through Tan Yuqi at the sight of Qian Hongwei standing next to Tang Qiu. Her face twisted in savage fury. The nerve of that whore, to try and steal the man she liked.

“Stop doing this injustice to yourself, Feng Yao. We were confronting Tang Qiu about her scheming intentions. She knocked into Feng Yao first without apologizing. She’s an ill-mannered bastard with no parents, and she’s lived off the Fengs for years, but is bullying Feng Yao behind their backs!”

Ning Mufan and Tan Yuqi’s mothers were bosom friends. Naturally, this made them siblings of a sort. Ning Mufan and Qian Hongwei’s foreheads both creased in exasperation at Tan Yuqi’s antics. f𝔯ℯe𝓌ℯ𝐛𝒏𝐨ѵel.c𝚘𝐦

Tang Qiu’s eyes prickled with tears at the mention of her having no parents. She wasn’t a bastard–she?wasn’t; her parents just wouldn’t acknowledge her as their own.

“Like I said, I didn’t knock into Feng Yao. You said I bullied her. What proof do you have?”

“I saw you bang into her with my own two eyes! What other proof do I need?” Tan Yuqi’s glare dripped with loathing. To Ning Mufan, she said, “Brother, Senior Hongwei, this woman is a two-faced liar. Don’t you believe her.”

Ning Mufan’s brows were still pinched together, but he kept his tone mild as he replied, “Don’t speak so freely about things without any evidence, Yuqi. Plus, Feng Yao said you were just having fun earlier. Let’s not make things any worse, shall we?”

Qian Hongwei swept the hair from his eyes and drawled, “Since no one can seem to make up their minds, maybe we should check the CCTV for proof.”

“Yes, let’s do that! I’ll show you all Tang Qiu’s true colors!” Tan Yuqi’s face had turned smug.

Inwardly, Feng Yao began to panic.

Earlier, Tan Yuqi had been occupied with her phone, so she didn’t see that it was actually her who had bumped into Tang Qiu. She had pretended to be aggrieved, knowing that was all it would take for her friend to jump to her defense. Tan Yuqi was like a sister to Ning Mufan; with the Ning family backing her, bullying Tang Qiu in school was as good as child’s play. Only–she hadn’t expected the two men to appear, let alone suggest checking the CCTVs.

“There’s no need for that, Yuqi. The seniors have better things to do. We should go.”

But Tan Yuqi had finally found an opportunity to expose Tang Qiu and let Qian Hongwei see through her lies. How could she let it go?

“You’re too?nice, Feng Yao. If you let her get away with this, who knows what she’ll do to you next time?”

Looking ill, Feng Yao was scrambling for an excuse when Tang Qiu interjected, “Go ahead and check the cameras. Afterwards, I believe you two will owe me an apology. Stay away from me in the future, got it?”

“You shameless thing.” Tan Yuqi’s fist clenched, resisting the urge to tear Tang Qiu’s pretty face to shreds. “I’ll be waiting.”

“Don’t forget, there are two seniors here as witnesses. I hope you don’t regret it,” Tang Qiu said, smiling coldly.

Qian Hongwei raised both his palms, as if in support. “Of course. Don’t tell me I don’t know my junior well enough?”

Ning Mufan glanced at Tan Yuqi and Feng Yao, heaved a resigned sigh, and trailed after Qian Hongwei. Feng Yao was stung by the look in his eyes. She had tried to worm her way out of the conversation, but Tan Yuqi stood in her way every time! Anger unfurled in her silently. Tan Yuqi had tried to help, but the idiot had only ended up stirring more trouble for her.

In the control room, Ning Mufan explained the situation to the workers and requested to see the footage captured in the corner of the library. The video clearly showed that Feng Yao had purposely bumped into Tang Qiu, yet cried out like the other woman had knocked into her first. And Tan Yuqi, whose eyes had been glued to her phone, hadn’t borne witness to the incident at all–unlike what she had claimed.

Tan Yuqi’s eyes flickered to Qian Hongwei in mortification, before resting on Feng Yao in fury. Why hadn’t she?said?something earlier?

Feng Yao plastered on an innocent expression and explained, “Yuqi, you know I’m short-sighted, I couldn’t see clearly, I…” Secretly, she meant:?This is all your fault, you meddling busybody.?

“My?fault?” Tan Yuqi yelled. “Me, a meddling busybody?” She was boiling with rage at having made a fool of herself in front of Qian Hongwei; the words were in her mouth before Feng Yao had even spoken them.

A tear rolled down Feng Yao’s face, as if in terror. “How can you think of me like that, Yuqi? I never said that… I never…”