The Substitute Bride and the Cripple

Had she uncovered some thread of the truth? “Strange?” Jiang Shaocheng echoed cautiously. “How so?”

“You’re so strange, it’s incomprehensible.” Tang Qiu smiled at him.

Speechless, Jiang Shaocheng held her face and kissed her again.

***

By the time they returned to the main hall, the liveliness in the atmosphere had reached its peak, complete with singing and dancing.

“You’re finally back. Come try some homemade fruit juice.” Yin Shulai came over to greet them.

Jiang Shaocheng was in a good mood, so he didn’t refuse. Tang Qiu thanked him gratefully and surveyed the crowd, who looked like they were enjoying themselves.

Noticing her curiosity, Yin Shulai pointed to the throng of people and said, “They’re all my friends who have made a name for themselves as artists. This is a good chance to get to know them. If you have any artists you like, I’ll introduce you to them.”

Tang Qiu quickly waved him off. “Thank you, but it’s okay. I know nothing about art.”

Amused, Yin Shulai said, “You’re very blunt, Mrs Jiang.” He glanced at the teacup in her hand.

“Shaocheng, you prefer quiet environments, so I prepared a separate movie theater for you both upstairs. Want to take a look?”

Tang Qiu was curious about the private movie theater. She glanced at Jiang Shaocheng and pushed him upstairs when he nodded.

“The aircon remote is on the table, along with some food. I’ll be off.” As Yin Shulai left, he even patted Jiang Shaocheng on the shoulder. Jiang Shaocheng turned to look at him with narrowed eyes, suspecting some trouble.

When Yin Shulai closed the door, the room suddenly fell into darkness. Shocked, Tang Qiu grabbed Jiang Shaocheng’s hand. “Why is it so dark?”

“We’re watching a movie,” he told her comfortingly. “Of course it’ll be dark. We’ll be fine.” Yin Shulai liked to play games, but he wasn’t malicious–as Jiang Shaocheng well knew.

Tang Qiu sat down and took off her mask as a beautiful romance film began to play. “The atmosphere here is perfectly suited to watching a movie,” she said quietly. “It’s so luxurious, it must be very expensive.”

“Do you like it, Qiu?”

“I do.” Tang Qiu covered her mouth and giggled, helping herself to the snacks as she watched the movie.

Jiang Shaocheng mused that if she liked it, he could build a room just like this in his own mansion.

“Dear, I’m a little warm. How about you?” Tang Qiu tugged at her clothes, sweat beading on her forehead from the heat.

Jiang Shaocheng switched on the aircon. He reached out to touch her cheek and found it burning. “So hot? Is your fever acting up again?”

Tang Qiu smiled and sipped her drink. “No, I just feel warm. By the way, this drink tastes like roses. His homemade fruit juice has such a unique flavor.”

Roses? Jiang Shaocheng immediately picked up the drink and sniffed it. His face darkened. “Qiu, are you feeling unwell?”

“No.” Tang Qiu held his hand. She couldn’t help feeling quizzical as she stared at the screen. It was a beautiful love story, so why were the male and female leads taking each other’s clothes off as they spoke? She was so shocked that she dropped the packet of snacks she was holding. Why were they making such hasty progress? It had only been a few minutes, but the two of them had already stripped naked, and now they were…

Jiang Shaocheng’s attention was fixed on her, but the out-of-place noises made him turn back to the screen. The film’s sound effects were stellar, amplifying the passionate moans of the couple. 𝘧r𝘦𝗲w𝘦𝚋𝐧o𝘷𝘦𝙡.co𝑚

Tang Qiu stole an embarrassed glance at her husband. She cleared her throat, cheeks red. “Maybe we should… watch another movie?”

Jiang Shaocheng agreed, feeling a little warm himself. He tried, and failed to find the aircon remote. Frowning, he turned his wheelchair and tried to open the door, but it was locked.

“Yin Shulai–” He took out his phone to call He Lei, but he realized that there was no internet connection in the room! The movie was still playing, even if he wasn’t watching–and its audio left little to the imagination.

Tang Qiu wanted to cover her ears, but a fire was surging through her body. She took off her coat and felt a little cooler. “Dear…” Her voice filled Jiang Shaocheng’s ears–helpless and uneasy–and with it a numbing sensation.

Jiang Shaocheng quickly returned to her side. Seeing that she had taken off her coat, he looked away. “Qiu, put on your clothes. I’ll get you out of here.” However, his voice was drowned out by a cry of pleasure from the woman on-screen.

Tang Qiu felt even worse and couldn’t help but tremble as she grabbed his hand. “Dear… I… I’m so hot… It feels uncomfortable…”