The Substitute Bride and the Cripple

When she wasn’t paying attention, a young boy grabbed Tang Qiu’s bag and ran away. Reacting on instincts honed from childhood, Tang Qiu chased after him. Seeing that she was about to catch up, the boy slashed a knife at her. Tang Qiu didn’t have time to dodge and his blade opened a gash on her arm. She cried out in pain and wanted to chase after him again, but he was long gone.

She looked at the cut on her arm, which was about five centimeters long, and examined it. Fortunately, she hadn’t broken any bones. She took a tissue from her pocket to use as a temporary bandage. Then she squatted on the ground, her legs weak. It was dark all around. She didn’t dare make a sound, and there was no one to call for help. A cold wind blew, making her shiver. Where is my husband? she wondered. After a moment, she braced herself against a wall and stood up. She couldn’t stay here, or she would freeze to death.

The darkness robbed her of her sense of direction. She didn’t know how long she had been walking, but she was so tired that she curled up in a corner of a garage she stumbled upon and slept.

***

In Y Country, Jiang Shaocheng finally finished dealing with the company’s matters. He opened his phone and saw that Tang Qiu had sent him several texts. His eyes instantly softened. He had left too suddenly last night. He had thought he could rush back home in a day, but he had been occupied until late at night.

Jiang Shaocheng was used to being alone and not reporting his activities or whereabouts to anyone. But he was filled with a sudden sense of reproach. He was a married man now, and his wife was worried about him. In the future, he would communicate more clearly with her so she wouldn’t be concerned for him. He called Tang Qiu, but her phone was switched off. He was puzzled. Was she angry? Feeling a little frustrated, he called Ke Liuyi to inquire after his wife.

“I’ve been trying to reach you,” Ke Liuyi said when she picked up. “Qiu wasn’t in the best mood this morning. She went out and isn’t home yet. It’s so late. Is it safe for a girl like her to be out alone?”

“Did she pick up when you called her?” Jiang Shaocheng looked instantly anxious.

“No.” Ke Liuyi sounded worried, but she was secretly overjoyed. Tang Qiu had gone to N Country, with no address to go to. She must be panicking. Ke Liuyi wondered what would happen to her…

Jiang Shaocheng hung up, his expression troubled. He called He Lei over and ordered him to find out where his wife was.

After asking around Tang Qiu’s school, He Lei found out that Tang Qiu and Xie Qingqing left together after school, and got in contact with a puzzled Xie Qingqing. “She booked a flight to N Country yesterday. She should have reached a long time ago!”

He Lei’s scalp tingled. “Are you sure she went to N Country?”

“What do you mean?” Xie Qingqing felt that something was wrong.

......

He Lei did not explain. He hung up the phone and quickly conveyed the news to Jiang Shaocheng. “Young Master, the young mistress went to N Country. Which… which is also where Ning Mufan was sent by his family last night.”

It was a blow to Jiang Shaocheng’s stomach, knocking the air out of him.

Had his wife had run off with another man?

He Lei saw how terrifying his young master’s expression had become. If Tang Qiu had really eloped with another man while her husband was gone, it was as good as a death sentence for her. “Young Master, where are you going?”

“Where do you think?” Jiang Shaocheng gritted his teeth. She was married to him. If she had eloped with another man, he wouldn’t let her off!

He Lei quickly chased after him. It seemed like the young master was about to catch up to them and their affair. 𝐟𝙧ℯ𝑒𝒘𝐞𝒃𝗻𝒐ѵ𝘦𝑙.com

*** free𝚠𝚎𝚋𝒏𝚘ѵ𝐞l.𝑐oｍ

In N Country, Tang Qiu was sleeping on the street when she was woken up by a gentle female voice. “Little girl? Wake up. Are you okay?”

Tang Qiu opened her eyes and saw a middle-aged couple staring at her curiously. She wanted to stand up, but after squatting all night, her legs were numb and almost buckled beneath her.

“Are you okay?” the middle-aged woman echoed.

They appeared to be natives of her home country. Gratitude flooded Tang Qiu. “I’m fine, but my wallet and phone were stolen. I’m thirsty and hungry.”

They both felt sorry for her, so the middle-aged woman gave her the breakfast she’d bought for herself and asked how she could help Tang Qiu.

Between bites of bread, Tang Qiu explained that she wanted to go to the hospital to look for her husband, who was there for treatment. The only problem was that she didn’t know which hospital it was. She couldn’t contact anyone now, but she was certain the hospital would be an established and well-reputed one.

The middle-aged couple replied that they could help her, since they were on their way to the hospital for a checkup–a big one in the heart of the city. They could go and check if her husband was there.

Tang Qiu nearly broke down into sobbing thanks. She hadn’t thought to meet such kindhearted people while she was out of her country and alone. She got into their car, and the middle-aged man introduced himself as Yang Da, and his wife as Duan Qingman. Coincidentally, they were both migrants from the same country, and had settled down in N Country in their youth.

When they arrived at the hospital, Yang Da and his wife prepared to go for their checkup. Tang Qiu bowed and thanked them after leaving her contact details with them, making a note to extend her gratitude to them after finding her husband. Duan Qingman also told Tang Qiu that she and her husband were welcome as guests anytime. Tang Qiu smiled as they walked into the hospital. She hadn’t expected to bump into a pale-faced Ning Mufan.