The Substitute Bride and the Cripple

Tang Qiu couldn’t restrain herself from smiling at the thought of her husband. “Strange or not, I like him. He’s my husband. I know you think he’s nothing more than an ugly cripple, but I couldn’t ask for a better man. It’s not true that appearance doesn’t matter to me, just that other things are more important. He makes me happy. It’s as simple as that.”

Growing up in the Feng household, she had lacked love and friendship, and been perpetually mistreated. She had never dared to assert her own needs; her husband was more than enough for her–especially since she was still hopeful about his recovery.

“Then I guess you’re just easy to please,” Qian Hongwei said snidely. She nodded blithely, and he glimpsed what it was like to be in Ning Mufan’s shoes.

***

When Qian Hongwei met up with Ning Mufan later, he saw that his face was red.

“What happened?”

Ning Mufan raised a self-conscious hand to his face. “I was scratched by a cat.”

A likely story. Tang Qiu must have slapped him–which, to be fair, was shocking coming from a delicate girl like her.

Qian Hongwei arched a brow. “Are you going to go on chasing the kitten in question, then?” he asked knowingly.

Ning Mufan should have known he couldn’t hide the truth from Qian Hongwei; there was no point denying it. He frowned wordlessly.

His hesitation sparked a flicker of contempt from Qian Hongwei. “If I recall…” he said, “… you were the one who refused to ask her out like a man from the start. That girl is dense as a block, but it’s not like you don’t have competition. You really want to give up and risk someone snatching her up?”

“No.” Ning Mufan wasn’t about to admit defeat so readily. “I was just… thinking. She’s a married woman; is there even a point in fighting for her?”

“You’ll only know once you try,” Qian Hongwei replied smoothly. He was urging Ning Mufan to pursue Tang Qiu because he wasn’t in a position to risk angering the Jiang family. But Ning Mufan was the favored grandson of the head of the Ning family–just the right tool to force Tang Qiu to divorce her husband.

......

“I’m not giving up.” Nor would Ning Mufan relinquish his feelings for her.

Relieved, Qian Hongwei patted him on the shoulder and assured Ning Mufan that he would help him.

***

After school, Xie Qingqing couldn’t help eying Tang Qiu’s new, beautiful clothes. “Your outfit didn’t come cheap, did it?”

“It did, actually,” Tang Qiu declared. “My husband bought it for me. By the way, I asked He Lei about the cup you wanted. He said they just picked it up from a random store; I doubt they have any left in stock.”

Xie Qingqing didn’t mind; her remark had been a passing one. When they reached the school gate, He Lei waved to them. “Let him give you a lift,” Tang Qiu said to her friend.

“There’s no need.” Xie Qingqing brushed off the offer, bashful. “My house isn’t on the way.” f𝒓𝑒e𝙬𝒆𝚋𝘯૦𝘷𝐞𝑙.c𝑜𝐦

He Lei overheard Tang Qiu’s words as he walked over. With a gracious smile, he said, “It’s no trouble, Ms Xie. Do allow me.”

When he put it that way, there was no point standing on ceremony. Xie Qingqing followed Tang Qiu into the car. As they drove, He Lei kept up a steady stream of conversation with Xie Qingqing, hoping to set her at ease.

After dropping Xie Qingqing off, Tang Qiu received a text from her friend:?Your husband’s chauffeur is quite handsome.

Tang Qiu stole a glance at He Lei and replied,?Yes, he is. He’s an all-rounder. He helps us with the housework too. We’re lucky, it helps us to save money.?

Xie Qingqing responded,?Are you going to keep hyping him up, or do you have plans to set us up?

I’m just proving my husband has great taste in aides, Tang Qiu texted back.?One of his many good qualities.?

Shut up, came her friend’s reply.

When they arrived at the mansion, Tang Qiu took a closer look at He Lei. He really was rather attractive.

“Is something wrong, Young Mistress?”

With a laugh, Tang Qiu replied, “Someone told me that they think you’re handsome. I must say, they’re right.” f𝔯ee𝘸𝘦𝚋𝒏oѵ𝐞l.c𝒐𝓂

He Lei lifted his head and saw his young master sitting at the doorstep with a brooding expression. The young mistress must be trying to get him killed. Instead of replying, he greeted, “Young Master.”

Tang Qiu ran up to her husband with a smile. Jiang Shaocheng eyed He Lei coldly, a warning lurking in his gaze. His eyes turned warm as he turned to Tang Qiu. “Come on in,” he said, patting her head. He shut the door as she pushed him in.

He Lei stared at the closed door blankly. All that, because the young mistress had complimented him? His young master was too petty.