The Substitute Bride and the Cripple

Ning Mufan stared at the foolish, foolish woman in front of him.?How did I ever fall for her??He had been full of heartache after finding out she was married, unwilling to relinquish her so easily. But he had been deluding himself–that cripple was the only one who mattered to her.

“I respect your decision,” he managed to say. “But we’re still friends, right?”

Tang Qiu nodded, smiling. “Weren’t we always?” Then she added, “As for what you said earlier, I’ll take it as a prank. Don’t bring it up again, okay?”

A prank? Ning Mufan clamped down on the fury that rolled within him. However, he could only nod back, with her bright-eyed and beaming at him.

Not far off, a few onlookers were watching the scene play out with intensity. They whipped out their phones to take pictures and record the interaction.

***

Jiang Hanchen looked through the photos of Tang Qiu with Ning Mufan and said without a trace of emotion, “We can’t let him keep this woman around.”

The butler nodded. Jiang Hanchen was grateful for his silence. He didn’t want to let Tang Qiu’s name pass his lips–that bastard-born lowlife. She wasn’t worthy of his time. 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝒆𝘸𝚎𝙗𝒏oν𝙚𝘭.𝐜𝒐m

*** f𝓇𝘦𝒆𝘄𝑒𝗯𝑛𝗼ѵ𝙚l.𝒄𝘰𝓶

After school, Tang Qiu found Jiang Shaocheng waiting for her in the car and perked up. “Why aren’t you undergoing your rehab at home, dear?”

“Why?” He arched a brow at her. “Were you hoping I wouldn’t show up?”

“Never!” She always looked forward to when she could see him again after school.

Look at her, smiling so thoughtlessly. The photo He Lei had shown him dangled before his eyes. He took his hand in hers, as if it would fend off the imprint of another man’s hands on his wife. After all, beasts hated nothing more than when other creatures encroached upon their territory.

“Did anything unusual happen in school today?”

“No… What about you? Did the rehab tire you out?”

“Not at all.” It had only been a few hours of exercise, what was there to be tired about? It was the mental image of her in another man’s arms that weighed down on him. She was still so young. If he wasn’t careful, someone would snatch her from him.

“Are you sure there isn’t anything you want to tell me, Qiu?”

Tang Qiu recalled Ning Mufan’s words about Jiang Shaocheng’s family cutting him off financially, and felt a pinch of sorrow. “I’m sorry, dear,” she said.

Jiang Shaocheng’s heart sank.?Why is she apologizing??he wondered, his expression turning feral. Was it because of her lingering feelings for Ning Mufan?

“For what?”

His voice was so cold that it made Tang Qiu flinch. In the driver’s seat, ice crawled down He Lei’s neck.?Looks like the young master is angry again…

“I didn’t know I had caused such trouble for you. If only I hadn’t gotten myself into a mess, you wouldn’t have fallen out with your father, and he wouldn’t have cut off your financial resources.” With her head bowed, Tang Qiu passed him an envelope from her bag. “This is the money that the Fengs gave me. It’s all yours. You need it for your treatment and living expenses. Just wait–soon, I’ll graduate and find a job to support us both.”

Jiang Shaocheng stared at her. “Silly girl. I don’t need your money. I have my own.”

“We’re married. There’s no need to feel ashamed. What’s mine is yours.”

The storm cloud hanging over Jiang Shaocheng’s features cleared, and he repressed a faint smile. Money, money, money… That was what it always was with her. It was a pity she wasn’t so unreserved in offering other parts of herself to him.

“I don’t want your money. I want your kisses.”

“What?” It was such an abrupt change of subject.

“Didn’t you say what’s yours is mine?” Jiang Shaocheng deliberately skirted over the issue of money, but for once, Tang Qiu surprised him by kissing him before he could continue. A smile broke out over his face.

The tension in the car had dissipated. The young mistress’ effect on Jiang Shaocheng couldn’t be understated, He Lei thought, even if she wasn’t too bright about other matters. One day, the girl would drive her husband over the edge…

Jiang Shaocheng had cheered up so swiftly that it puzzled Tang Qiu.?All that from a kiss??Not that she was complaining. “I’ll keep the money, then, but I’ll also take care of you.”

“Yes. You do that.”

He Lei frowned slightly. Wasn’t the young master worried? Tang Qiu went on to say that they should exercise prudence in their spending now that they had no one to rely on but themselves, and Jiang Shaocheng nodded along with her.?If she asked for his life now, He Lei mused,?he might not even have the heart to refuse.?