《The Perfect Hidden Marriage》 Chapter 1 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios At Moon Bay Cafe, Su Jin caught sight of the partner for her blind date as soon as she walked in. He was sitting at table nine facing the sun. He was wearing an ocean blue shirt without a tie. He had a casual hairstyle and proportionate facial features. The faint sunlight shone on his face, making him look grave and stern. At first glance, his aura was full of power, and it actually attracted the attention of several young ladies beside him repeatedly. This person was good-looking indeed. No wonder Granny Wang kept praising him in front of her. ¡°As long as you meet him, I guarantee that you will find him to be a good match. For this type of person, only he would pick others; no one else will nitpick at him.¡± Looking at him, it seemed to make a bit of sense now. There was a tall corridor mirror at the entrance. Su Jin turned her head to look at her outfit. She was wearing a long black chiffon shirt with a pair of white cropped pants underneath. Her white arms were exposed, and her shoulder-length hair¡ªwhich was the most attractive trait to women¡ªwas tied into a ponytail. Her face was like a hibiscus flower in clear water, so without any makeup, she looked clean and delicate. Grandma Wang kept reminding her enthusiastically in advance, ¡°When you go for the date, dress up! That child has high standards!¡± She didn¡¯t dress up and was bare-faced. This was the real her. ¡°Hello, my name is Su Jin! Are you Mr. Jin Hengyuan?¡± Su Jin walked over and spoke gently and gracefully. The man who was watching the stock market on his phone looked up. When he saw her, his eyes flashed while he stood up and smiled as he put his phone away. This smile made his aloof face look more amiable. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Jin Hengyuan! Miss Su, right? Please take a seat!¡± Jin Hengyuan pulled out a chair for her in a gentlemanly manner. His voice was low and magnetic, sounding extremely pleasant. ¡°Thank you!¡± Su Jin sat down and ordered a cup of coffee. After taking a few sips, she finally said, ¡°I¡¯ve more or less heard some of Mr. Jin¡¯s life stories from Granny Wang.¡± The man was currently studying her. She smoothed the hair behind her ear uncomfortably. She couldn¡¯t avoid being scrutinized on a blind date. Fortunately, his gaze did not feel disgusting. ¡°Oh, I wonder how Grandma Wang complimented me?¡± Jin Hengyuan asked in amusement. A smile pulled at the corner of Su Jin¡¯s mouth. Actually, she knew very little. ¡°Mr. Jin, are you 32 years old this year?¡± He was no less than six years older than her, so he could be considered a mature man. However, he looked quite young in person. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°How could a dignified gentleman like Mr. Jin be unmarried to this date?¡± ¡°I was too busy with work and got delayed. By the time I wanted to get married, I realized that there were so many women¡ª about my age¡ª with children running around¡­¡± Jin Hengyuan smiled and took a sip of coffee. ¡°Miss Su, do you have any requirements for your blind date partner?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have high expectations!¡± Su Jin said. ¡°You must have a good character and strong sense of responsibility and be faithful in our marriage.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have any requirements for a car or house?¡± Jin Hengyuan glanced at her rather meaningfully. Chapter 2 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Jin smiled lightly. When women were looking for husbands now, owning a car and a house had become the standard, even in such a small town. Which girl wouldn¡¯t want to marry a man with a good financial background and live comfortably? Otherwise, why would people say that a marriage is a woman¡¯s second reincarnation? No one had the ability to choose for the first reincarnation, so it was necessary to choose very carefully for the second one. If one chose wrongly, they would be ruined for life. However, Su Jin¡¯s heart had long died. The current her only went on a blind date to give her mother a peace of mind. ¡°No demands.¡± She uttered two words clearly. The faint aroma of coffee wafted in the air as the unfamiliar man and woman chatted casually. After a while, Su Jin looked at her watch. ¡°Mr. Jin, we¡¯ve already discussed everything we need to know. If you think we¡¯re suitable, I¡¯d like to register our marriage tomorrow.¡± Jin Hengyuan raised an eyebrow, but he did not smile. ¡°Miss Su, you¡¯re in such a hurry to get married. Aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯m a swindler?¡± Su Jin smiled. ¡°Granny Wang has always been picky. The person she introduced must be pretty good.¡± ¡°Miss Su, do you trust Granny Wang that much?¡± ¡°I do. Also, my mother has late-stage liver cancer. She wants to see me find a good home before she leaves. I can¡¯t afford to waste time.¡± Generally speaking, no one would agree to a marriage so hastily. Su Jin thought that he would reject her. This way, she would be able to take advantage of the current situation and give a proper excuse to Granny Wang. ¡°Not tomorrow. I¡¯m going on a business trip tomorrow. I¡¯ll be out of town for the next few days. Let¡¯s go this afternoon then.¡± Jin Hengyuan looked at the clock on his phone. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll go back now and get my credentials. I¡¯ll meet you at the Civil Affairs Bureau at two-thirty.¡± Su Jin, ¡°¡­¡± Su Jin¡¯s blind date was introduced by a person named Granny Wang. She was a lonely old woman in a nursing home without any children. She was very aloof and did not like to bother with others. She usually liked to read or listen to the radio. Su Jin got to know her when she went to do volunteer work. It had been many years, and the old lady was only close to her. Previously, the old lady had never told her that she wanted to introduce someone to her. Later on, her adoptive mother found out that she had liver cancer and hoped that Su Jin could find someone as soon as possible. She was anxious and looked at a few people, but none of them caught her eye. Who knew where the old lady heard it from and found out that Su Jin was in a hurry to get married. She got someone to call her over and said¡­ ¡°I do have a candidate here. Although he¡¯s a little older than you, he has a good personality. He works in Shanghai and seems to be running errands for some company. He¡¯s a local and is a handsome lad. His character and capability aren¡¯t bad. I think that the two of you are quite compatible. Do you want to take a look?¡± That was last Saturday. She thought about it and realized that it was rare to find someone whom the old lady liked so much, so she agreed. Unexpectedly, with one date, this matter actually turned out to be a success. Chapter 3 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When Su Jin came out, she was still in a bit of a daze. While waiting for her bus, she made a call to her younger cousin Han Tong. ¡°I just finished with my blind date!¡± ¡°How do you feel this time?¡± Han Tong asked with a smile on the other end of the line. ¡°I want to get married!¡± ¡°Huh? You want to get married after seeing the person once? Are you crazy?¡± There was an uproar on the other side. That¡¯s right, this kind of progress was indeed crazy. She smiled forlornly. A marriage without love is the same no matter who you marry. Jin Hengyuan kept sitting there and watched as Su Jin got on the bus. The black chiffon shirt made her look tall and graceful. After the bus left, he made a call. Half an hour later, he paid for the bill and arrived at the place where Su Jin was waiting for the bus not long ago. After a while, an Audi A8 stopped in front of him. Someone alighted from the driver¡¯s seat. He placed an arm on the car door and took off his sunglasses. ¡°Say. Great Attorney Jin, Young Master Jin, why did you come to this small town for no reason? You didn¡¯t even drive here. Haven¡¯t you changed to a new car recently?¡± Jin Hengyuan slid into the front passenger seat. ¡°Changning borrowed it to run errands. There¡¯s a case to handle. Since I had the time, I came to visit my grand-aunt. Previously, the old lady had a fall.¡± ¡°A fall? Is she all right?¡± ¡°She¡¯s recuperating in a hospital. By the way, you¡¯re familiar with this place, so help me find a cleaner house nearby.¡± ¡°Whatever for? Don¡¯t you have a villa in the suburbs?¡± ¡°I need it! Remember not to get one that¡¯s too nice or too big! The kind where the rent should be about two thousand dollars.¡± ¡°Eh, can anyone live there?¡± The man tilted his head and sized him up with a puzzled look. ¡°So mysterious. What are you playing at?¡± Jin Hengyuan laughed. That person did not ask any further either. He only changed the topic. ¡°How about we go to Mass Virtue Teahouse this afternoon? That person from the Zheng family wants to ask you for help on a case. Just treat it as you helping me, okay? Because they can¡¯t find you and keep coming after me every day, isn¡¯t it hard on me?¡± ¡°I refuse. I won¡¯t earn money that goes against my conscience.¡± Jin Hengyuan closed his eyes lightly. ¡°Hey, why do you always have a problem with money? If you can help me successfully with this, the attorney fees alone will be enough to buy two Audi A8s.¡± ¡°Do I look like I lack money to spend?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes. Why would Great Attorney Jin ever lack money? What I want to say is that even if you don¡¯t want to show your face, you can let Changning take over¡­ Don¡¯t be so unwilling to help just because the Zheng family is on good terms with your old man. Do you find it interesting to make the relationship so awkward between yourself and your old man? Do you really want to hand that huge family business over to someone else so easily?¡± ¡°Jiang Tao, why do you have so much nonsense to say? Hurry up and drive me back to Shanghai. I have to go get something. I still have to return here in the afternoon to settle some matters!¡± ¡°Miser. You don¡¯t give me any face and only know how to send me on errands. I¡¯ll remember this.¡± That person cursed. Jin Hengyuan smiled and watched the scenery fly past outside the window. His mind was filled with that delicate and pretty figure. Su Jin went home to get her household registration booklet, but she was still a little hesitant because she recalled Han Tong¡¯s words of advice. Chapter 4 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°You mustn¡¯t let yourself suffer because of your mother. Marriage is not child¡¯s play. You¡¯ve already suffered so much in the past. Don¡¯t marry a man who doesn¡¯t suit your heart and let yourself suffer for the rest of your life.¡± She did agree to think about the marriage again, but that was only to deal with her perfunctorily. She understood what Han Tong meant. Marriage was a lifelong thing. Everyone wished that they could marry someone they liked. After all, marriage was not child¡¯s play. If they married today and divorced tomorrow, it would be disrespectful to their marriage and also a form of irresponsibility to themselves. She also really wanted to have a small, warm family. A man who could be considerate and reliable. He didn¡¯t have to be rich, but they had to be able to keep each other warm. But today, she was going to hand herself over to a complete stranger in a hurry! This wasn¡¯t good. Even if it was for the sake of setting her adoptive mother¡¯s mind at ease. However, she was left with no choice now. While sitting on the sofa, she was exhausted and wore a confused expression on her face. Su Jin came out of the hospital entrance before 2 pm. A handsome figure entered her sight. It was her older brother, Su Mubai. She sucked in her breath, her eyes boring into his face. It had been four years since they last saw each other. He had lost some of his youthfulness and gained some notes of maturity and calmness as a successful man. He was dressed in a light gray suit that was tailored to fit him, showing off his refinement. ¡°Su Jin!¡± Su Mubai called out. ¡°Big Brother, why are you here?¡± She stood still and greeted him calmly. She had dedicated to him the purest feelings of a young girl, but her love had withered away in her most beautiful years. ¡°How¡¯s Auntie doing now?¡± ¡°The doctor said that she has a month at most!¡± Su Mubai frowned. ¡°Is her condition that bad? Should we transfer her to Shanghai to take a look? The best oncologists are there. I know a few specialists. Why don¡¯t we go for another consultation?¡± ¡°No need. It was already too late by the time we discovered it. It doesn¡¯t matter where we go. My mom doesn¡¯t want to go. I want to follow her wishes!¡± She looked down at her wristwatch. Two o¡¯clock. There were another 30 minutes to the scheduled time. It would take 20 minutes to get there if there was no traffic jam. ¡°Big Brother, I still have something to do. I have to go. How about you? It¡¯s better not to go up! My mom hates you. If you visit her, you¡¯ll only get scolded¡­¡± She turned around, unwilling to stay any longer. She tried to escape, but her hand was caught. ¡°Jin, are you avoiding me?¡± The single word ¡®Jin¡¯ made her heart twist excruciatingly. That nickname was what he used to call her. ¡°No!¡± She broke away, not daring to look him in the eye. ¡°I really have something on!¡± ¡°I¡¯m here mainly to talk to you¡­¡± ¡°Maybe next time. I¡¯m in a hurry¡­¡± She shook him off and strode away. He chased a few steps after her but eventually stopped. At this moment, he didn¡¯t know that because he didn¡¯t go after her, it caused the plan he¡¯d meticulously laid out for many years to fall apart in the end. As a result, he lost the woman he loved the most forever. Chapter 5 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios As for Su Jin, she couldn¡¯t help but turn back to sneak a peek at him when she arrived at a deserted area. She really wanted to give up on the idea of going to the Civil Affairs Bureau. Unfortunately, fate played a joke on them. When she turned back, she saw a tall and beautiful woman appear beside him. There was even a small child following them. She naturally recognized them as his wife and son. The small child held onto his mother with one hand and his father with the other. It was a beautiful picture. Su Jin felt her eyes hurt. She gritted her teeth and turned around. She called for a taxi and threw this harmonious scene to the back of her mind. With this trip, she was going to end up as a married woman too. From then on, both of them would be married. They would each have their own homes to return to. That would be pretty good. It really wasn¡¯t half-bad. Su Jin was an orphan. When she was eight years old, because a car wasn¡¯t able to brake in time and was about to run over a tottering toddler at the orphanage, she went to block it. The toddler was saved while she was sent to the hospital due to her injuries. After she was discharged from the hospital, the child¡¯s mother persuaded her husband to adopt her, so she had a new name: Su Jin. Su Mubai was the child of her adoptive father and his ex-wife. He was four years older than her. On the first day Su Jin was brought into the Su family, this youth with a warm smile ran down the stairs and welcomed her with a kind smile, giving her a warm hug. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Su Mubai. I¡¯ll be your big brother from now on!¡± After she grew up, there was a period of time when she changed the way she addressed him and called him ¡®Mubai¡¯ in private. At that time, she was his lover. He said that he liked it when she called him ¡®Mubai¡¯. He said that when she said those two words, it sounded especially pleasant to hear. However, she lost the right to call him that later. She could only continue to call him ¡®Big Brother¡¯. Sitting in the taxi, Su Jin propped her head up with her hand and sighed faintly. Her chest felt as if it was being pressed down by a large rock that weighed a thousand catties. It was so heavy that she could hardly breathe, and her face was still filled with sorrow. Soon, the taxi stopped at the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau. Su Jin paid and got out of the car. She shook off the gloominess on her face to make herself appear calm. Inwardly, she wasn¡¯t sure if that man would come as promised. She actually hoped that he would stand her up. This would then give her an excuse to back out. ¡°Over here!¡± She had just stepped through the door when that man¡¯s pleasant voice rang out. Jin Hengyuan was still dressed in the same clothes he had worn in the morning. When he saw her, he stood up. His tall and handsome figure was exceptionally eye-catching in the quiet resting area. Many people looked over. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m late!¡± She went forward to greet him, feeling a little awkward inside. Sigh, this would be her husband from now on. Sadly, they were both so unfamiliar with each other. ¡°I was the one who came early!¡± A dried leaf was stuck in her hair. He reached out and plucked it gently with a warm gaze. ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome!¡± He paused and looked at her seriously. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Chapter 6 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios She lowered her head, her heart suddenly beating erratically. It was probably because this man was too tall, giving her an indescribable sense of oppression. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°The marriage certificate can be done in a few minutes. However, this marriage agreement will be for a lifetime. Don¡¯t act rashly because you got hot-headed in a moment. At that time, even if you want to divorce, I won¡¯t agree!¡± His gaze gradually turned deep and his words carried a warning. Su Jin did harbor thoughts of escaping indeed. But as soon as she thought of her mother, she gritted her teeth and spat out, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± She led the way to the reception counter. A glint flashed across Jin Hengyuan¡¯s eyes as he followed her slowly. At this moment, a staff member stood up and smiled. ¡°Do the two of you want to register your marriage? Please take out your documents!¡± Getting the marriage certificate really didn¡¯t take much time. After taking the oaths and their wedding photo, all that was needed was a steel stamp. Finally, Su Jin became Jin Hengyuan¡¯s wife. When she received the marriage certificate and saw her own quiet smile in it, her heart throbbed with pain once. Her life had been handed over just like that. She must be a fool! She walked out of the Civil Affairs Bureau and looked at her watch again. It was only 2:45. She stared at the busy road and was suddenly at a loss for a moment. Behind her, the man was on the phone and walking a little slowly. He had one hand in his pocket and his leather wallet clasped between his elbow and his body. Holding his phone with one hand, he was speaking in a very steady tone. There was an irrefutable note in his voice and his stance for negotiation was very firm. The way he walked made one think of a word¡ªdomineering. She stopped in her tracks, thinking, ¡®I should have taken him to see Mom. Mom would have been very pleased.¡¯ He talked for a long time, so she waited. She stood in the cool breeze, as still as a painting, the wind rustling her clothes. A little later, he hung up and stood there looking at her. ¡°Xiao Su1!¡± No longer addressing her politely as ¡®Miss Su¡¯, Jin Hengyuan directly gave her a nickname instead. She came back to her senses and agreed quietly, feeling a little repulsed. However, it was undeniable that these two words sounded a little sweet coming from him. ¡°I have something on, so I¡¯ll have to rush to Shanghai immediately. I¡¯m going on a business trip tomorrow and will be back this weekend. I¡¯ll look for you then!¡± Right after registration, were they going their separate ways? ¡°Yes!¡± She didn¡¯t complain or object. She nodded calmly. Jin Hengyuan stared at her intently, seemingly deep in thought. After a while, he asked, ¡°Why are you so quiet?¡± She didn¡¯t say anything. Because she really didn¡¯t know how to answer that. She was a woman of few words in the first place. ¡°Give me your phone!¡± He spoke again. She had no choice but to retrieve her phone from her bag. He took it and saved a number in it. Then, he made a call with her phone. Following that, his phone rang. ¡°I¡¯ve saved my number for you. If you need anything, you can call me!¡± Chapter 7 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Sure!¡± At this moment, her phone rang again. Jin Hengyuan took a glance at it and saw the caller ID: ¡®Little Brother¡¯. ¡°Your younger brother is calling!¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Su Jin took the phone but did not pick up the call immediately. ¡°I¡¯ll get going first then!¡± ¡°Goodbye!¡± Jin Hengyuan turned around and hailed a taxi before stepping into the backseat. ¡°To Shanghai Bund!¡± The car made a u-turn and merged into the traffic which was growing heavier, disappearing quickly. Su Jin had thought of countless happy scenarios for her marriage registration, but never this kind of situation. Stepping into the Civil Affairs Bureau with a stranger. Stepping out of the Civil Affairs Bureau with a stranger still. She didn¡¯t have time to reflect on the bitterness in her heart. She took a deep breath, gathered her senses, smiled, and answered the call. ¡°Hello, Musheng. What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Sis, can you come to the police station?¡± Su Jin stopped smiling. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I¡­ injured someone¡­¡± Su Jin pinched the center of her eyebrows. Sigh! At the police station. After Su Jin saw Su Musheng, she understood the situation. The police officer pointed at the ironclad evidence of Musheng injuring someone. ¡°Young people these days have a hot temper. If they don¡¯t agree with a few words, it can turn into a murder case¡­ Look. Look at how badly you¡¯ve hurt him¡­¡± There were a dozen photos of the injured victim. There were colorful bruises and even areas that needed stitches. The injuries did look serious. ¡°Why did you hit him?¡± Su Jin asked with a straight face, looking like an older sister. Musheng was the child she had saved when she was young. He was not her adoptive father¡¯s biological son, but her adoptive father loved him very much and had spoiled him from young. Five years ago, her adoptive father and his ex-wife reconciled. Her adoptive mother signed the divorce agreement and left the Su family then with her younger brother. A year later, Mubai had married someone else and Su Jin left the family to find her adoptive mother. Two years later, her adoptive father passed away unexpectedly. In other words, Su Mubai¡¯s mother was the head of the current Su family. Musheng had originally been an obedient child. After his parents got divorced, his personality changed drastically, and he often got into fights with others. ¡°That person is an *sshole. He harassed a female classmate in our class! I couldn¡¯t stand it so I beat him up.¡± Su Musheng, who had his head lowered, pursed his lips and explained. ¡°But the problem is that he is from the Zheng family. Don¡¯t you know what kind of family the Zheng family is? Why did you provoke them for no reason? Do you think that your life is too peaceful? Just wait, they are going to sue you¡­¡± The policeman was familiar with Su Jin and could not help but scold Su Musheng. Su Musheng shrank back. After paying the bail, Su Jin brought him out of the station, feeling extremely annoyed. ¡°Sis, I didn¡¯t mean to hit him. He¡¯s blackmailing me!¡± Su Musheng muttered softly as he followed behind. ¡°What did he blackmail you about?¡± ¡°He pulled a game of jumping cactus [1. Chinese version of the badger game, which is an extortion scheme where the victim is tricked into a compromising situation and blackmailed for money with it.] on me. He got my friend to get me drunk, and put a woman in my bed. Not only did he take photos, but he also got that girl to sue me for rape. I knew that he was the one who set this up, so I hit him out of anger. That¡¯s the main reason. That woman is his person. They colluded to mess with me¡­ Sis, there¡¯s nothing between me and that woman. I slept like the dead¡­ How could I do her¡­¡± Chapter 8 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios His face flushed red. Su Jin was confused and frowned. ¡°What does he want?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± He shook his head and whispered an apology. ¡°Sister, I¡¯m sorry! It¡¯s all my fault. I was careless with my friends and caused trouble.¡± Su Jin let out a long sigh and rubbed her younger brother¡¯s head. How did the little sweetheart of the past become so unruly now? The most puzzling thing was that she could not understand Zheng Kai¡¯s intentions. Forget it. If I can¡¯t figure it out, I won¡¯t think about it anymore. ¡°Let¡¯s go¡­ back to the hospital. I¡¯ll get a doctor to prescribe some medicine for you. Mom will be heartbroken to see you hurt like this¡­¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°And¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t let Mom know about this. If she asks you about the injury on your face, you can say that it was because of a fight, but not a word about anything else. Otherwise, Mom will die from anger¡­ She won¡¯t be able to live for much longer. You should spend more time with Mom when you¡¯re free so that she can leave happily. Don¡¯t make her worry about you even before she leaves¡­¡± Her eyes were red and she felt terrible. Su Musheng lowered his head and kept quiet with his hands in his pockets. At night, Su Jin stayed at the hospital to accompany her mother. When her adoptive mother found out that her son had fought with someone, she only sighed. Su Jin and Su Musheng did not mention other matters. The next day, on Tuesday, Su Jin went to the office. Because she¡¯d taken the day off yesterday, she was swamped with work all day. On the third day, she rushed out another design layout. She was so tired that she almost collapsed. But if this deal was successful, she would be able to get a lot of bonuses, so she was working especially hard. Han Tong asked her out for lunch on Thursday afternoon. During the meal, Su Jin did not mention that she had already registered her marriage with someone. She only mentioned the trouble Musheng had created. After Han Tong heard this, she smacked the table and scolded, ¡°Why is that brat such a troublemaker? He keeps causing trouble every other day. He really needs to be taught a lesson¡­¡± After cursing for a while, she asked again, ¡°How are you going to deal with these two matters now? They¡¯re going to sue him for rape, and even premeditated assault. If he is punished for these two crimes, I¡¯m afraid that he¡¯ll be sentenced to three to five years¡­¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± Su Jin exhaled and frowned deeply. Her temples were throbbing painfully and she was extremely frustrated. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go find Grandpa Su? Maybe Grandpa Su will be willing to help you out on account of your past relationship with them. The Zheng and Su families are long-time friends. If Grandpa Su steps in personally, Zheng Kai might let Musheng off¡­¡± ¡°No! Because of Musheng, Grandpa lost his son. If he knew that Musheng¡¯s behavior was so disappointing, I¡¯m afraid that he would have a heart attack.¡± She shook her head. Her grandfather¡¯s health was deteriorating year by year. How could she bring up such a problem and shorten his lifespan even more? ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t you go find Mubai? He knows a lot of people. He will definitely be able to help Musheng. No matter what, Musheng has addressed him as his elder brother for more than 10 years now. He has such a high status around the country now. Once he steps forward, Zheng Kai will definitely have to give him face¡­¡± Chapter 9 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Although she said that, Han Tong knew very well that this person was Su Jin¡¯s taboo. Asking her to make a request to him would not work either. As expected, Su Jin¡¯s expression stiffened. After a long while, she finally said, ¡°My mom won¡¯t let us meet again. If she finds out, she¡¯ll break my legs for sure¡­¡± That¡¯s true! Back then, when Mubai married Qin Xue instead, he had indeed angered her aunt badly. Han Tong thought about it and decided not to force her. She had another idea. ¡°Then, let¡¯s find your new partner. Didn¡¯t you say that he was running errands at a law firm? He definitely knows a lawyer. Let¡¯s find one and ask him about this. Perhaps there might be another way¡­¡± Su Jin remained silent. ¡°What¡¯s wrong this time? Did you blow it? Hasn¡¯t he contacted you for the past few days?¡± Han Tong asked carefully. ¡°Mhm, there was no contact.¡± That person went to Shanghai and disappeared without a trace, like a rock sinking into the deep sea. ¡°Looks like there¡¯s no chance for your relationship to develop,¡± Han Tong pursed her lips. ¡°If a man likes a woman, how can he possibly not chase after her? But that doesn¡¯t matter. My older sister is so capable, she will definitely marry well in the future!¡± Su Jin did not reply and lowered her head, eating without tasting the food. Ever since her adoptive mother had been diagnosed with liver cancer, she had been living in an abyss of suffering. It had been two months, and she had not had a single day of comfort. Even the toughest person would feel tired. And now, this had to happen too. There was no one to discuss this with! Could she count on the man she should call her husband? She pinched the space between her eyebrows and felt a splitting headache. After an inconclusive discussion, Su Jin got on the bus back to the office. Sitting in front of her was a couple. The man gently held the woman in his arms while the woman leaned against his shoulder. The two of them were whispering to each other intimately. Once upon a time, she used to lean on the man she loved like this too, take the bus, go on an outing, or kiss him slowly when there was no one around¡­ It was just that those scenes had all become a mockery to her now. Sigh! She sighed! She closed her eyes and refused to think about anything. However, Jin Hengyuan¡¯s blurry face appeared in her mind. Then, she realized that she actually could not remember what he looked like now. What a pitiful love! What a ridiculous marriage! She sighed again. When she opened her eyes, she took out her phone and found Jin Hengyuan¡¯s number. He said that he would be back this weekend. Tomorrow would be Friday already. Would he be back tomorrow night or the day after? Would he come and look for her then? She did not know that, in her daze, she accidentally dialed his number. Looking at this sudden situation, her face actually burned up. She wanted to cut the call off, but before she could react, a man¡¯s voice came through the phone. ¡°Hello!¡± Su Jin¡¯s hands stiffened. Unwillingly, she placed the phone to her ear. ¡°Xiao Su.¡± Sigh, why did this person¡¯s voice sound so nice on the phone? Chapter 10 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Mhm!¡± She quietly acknowledged him, not wanting him to realize her peculiar state of mind. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Oh! Don¡¯t tell me you miss me!¡± He gave a short laugh, like he was very happy. ¡°¡­¡± Su Jin was speechless. The feeling of being teased by her own husband was really weird. At this moment, it seemed like nothing she said would be right. Miss? How could she have missed him? She was not a retard. How could she possibly miss a male stranger for no reason, even if he was her husband? But she didn¡¯t want to say that. It would be too rude and hurtful. Even if a couple can¡¯t act lovingly, they should treat each other with respect. ¡°Did you want to remind me that tomorrow is Friday?¡± ¡°¡­¡± She had no such thoughts whatsoever. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I remember. I¡¯m still outside the city today. I¡¯ll return to Shanghai tomorrow morning. I¡¯ll call you again then.¡± ¡°Mhm!¡± There were some faint voices on the other end, but she couldn¡¯t hear them clearly. It seemed like he was busy. ¡°Xiao Su, I have something to settle here! I¡¯ll contact you again later¡­¡± ¡°Wait¡­¡± She called out anxiously. ¡°What is it? Tell me?¡± ¡°I wanted to ask you¡­¡± There seemed to be someone rushing him on that side. It looked like the person was very anxious. ¡°Forget it! Go do your work! We¡¯ll talk when you get back.¡± ¡°All right, I¡¯ll hang up then!¡± Putting away her phone, she leaned against the window and looked out. Her worries had not lessened at all. What should she do with her brother¡¯s two problems¡­ Sigh¡­ At the same time, Jin Hengyuan had just left the courtroom and hung up the phone when a call came in. It was another major case. He had to arrange a time to meet the client later. At this moment, an acquaintance came up to him and patted his shoulder with a smile. ¡°Great Attorney Jin, congratulations on winning another case. I just saw your opponent look so angry that his nose turned crooked. I truly felt great¡­¡± Jin Hengyuan smiled lightly. In official terms, he was socializing. On Friday afternoon, Jin Hengyuan headed out to discuss a case. He brought Changning along with him and drove onto the Shanghai Hangzhou Expressway. Their destination was the Zheng Corporation. They had a case they wanted to entrust to him. It wasn¡¯t the case that Jiang Tao had mentioned previously, but another land transfer dispute. The case was relatively simple. Initially, there was no need for him to step in. However, since his mother called and asked him to help, he would give her face. He was aware that the other party was just using this case to get closer to him. Sitting in the back seat, he was dozing off while thinking to himself that he would get to see Su Jin by tomorrow. That bit of unhappiness faded from him. After that, he pulled out his phone and sent a text. Looking at the time again, it was 1:30 pm. He reckoned that she should be busy at this time. Su Jin was indeed busy. Suddenly, she heard an incoming message on her phone. She picked it up and saw that it was actually a message from Jin Hengyuan. ¡°I¡¯m back. I have something to take care of in Jia City. I also have to visit my grandparents later. I might not be returning to Shan County today. I¡¯ll head out tomorrow morning.¡± Chapter 11 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Sure!¡± She replied with a single word. She put down her phone and felt inexplicably nervous! He was coming. Her intuition was telling her that her disciplined life would be disrupted because of this man¡¯s appearance. That kind of disruption was something she couldn¡¯t predict. On the other hand, she liked to do things according to her plans. Once she encountered something that she wasn¡¯t confident about, she would become flustered. At two o¡¯clock, Su Jin received a call from Han Tong. ¡°Hey, Sis, didn¡¯t you say that you were looking for Zheng Kai?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± ¡°He seems to have returned from outside the city today. He¡¯s in the company now. He just came down from upstairs to welcome two men. If you go over to confront him now, you should be able to catch him. I happened to see him when I was passing by.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go right away!¡± ¡°Hey, wait a moment. Are you going alone? Do you want to go together with Musheng?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. No matter how unreasonable he is, he can¡¯t possibly swallow me in one bite.¡± After hanging up the phone, Su Jin went to apply for leave from her boss and rushed out of the company to get a cab before heading to Jia City. She had no choice but to meet Zheng Kai immediately because she had already received a lawyer¡¯s letter today. Zheng Kai was going to file a formal lawsuit against Musheng. If this matter was really brought all the way to court, Musheng would probably be sentenced to jail time. Once he was sentenced, his reputation would be tarnished for the rest of his life. She could not let that person ruin her mother¡¯s life just like that. Without an appointment, no one could enter the top level of the Zheng Corporation building. Fortunately, Su Jin¡¯s current company, Jin Hui Company, had worked with the Zheng Corporation before, so she had the number of a supervisor in the corresponding department. ¡°I¡¯m here on behalf of Jin Hui to discuss a business deal with Zheng Corporation. I¡¯ve been stopped outside. Sister Yang, please help me call your general manager. Tell him that I¡¯m waiting downstairs.¡± That supervisor did not suspect anything and called the higher-ups to ask for their permission. Hence, she soon had the authority to go upstairs. She hurriedly went up to the seventh floor. Facing a passageway that led in all directions, for a minute, she did not know where to go. After going round and round a few times, she arrived at an office area. Through a floor-to-ceiling window, she suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure walking into a large conference room from the opposite office. Was she seeing things? Why did that back view resemble her husband, Jin Hengyuan, whom she had only met once? Su Jin wanted to follow him to see what was going on. She suspected that she was very much mistaken. An employee of the Zheng Corporation came forward. ¡°Miss Su Jin?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Our General Manager Zheng is waiting for you in his office!¡± She could only dispel her curiosity and follow the employee. A few well-dressed young men walked towards them. As they walked, they were discussing something in a very curious tone. ¡°It¡¯s really surprising that the second young master is actually willing to take on this case today.¡± ¡°Yeah. That person has pretty high standards nowadays. He simply picks the cases he wants to take on. Even if you have money, you might not be able to hire him.¡± ¡°Yep, he was willing to come today only because Old Master Zheng called his mother. He only came because his mother ordered him to do so.¡± Chapter 12 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°I heard that his mother is doing pretty well in Beijing. So now, other than Shanghai, he only runs to Beijing. He doesn¡¯t hang out with us even if he comes here. When he¡¯s free, he only spends time with his precious daughter¡­¡± ¡°Hey, have you seen his daughter before?¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen her before. She¡¯s super pretty¡­ She¡¯ll definitely be a little beauty in the future. I wonder who will be able to marry her and become relatives with him at that time.¡± ¡°Sigh, I¡¯m perplexed. Why isn¡¯t Second Young Master marrying anyone? I heard that so many young misses of various families declared that they would only marry him. But so many years have passed, why hasn¡¯t there been any news?¡± ¡°Hah, that also depends on whether the other party wants to marry or not¡­ He has the ability to charm a bunch of girls with just a wave of his hand¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re getting sidetracked. Let¡¯s make a guess first. Will we be able to invite Second Young Master to dinner at Dynasty Restaurant tonight?!¡± ¡°It will probably be difficult!¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s hard to get close to him!¡± ¡°We¡¯re not from the same circle.¡± Sigh¡­ Their tone was full of regret. Su Jin took a glance at them. From the way those people were dressed, they should be well-respected within their own circles. Why were they so reverential about the person in their conversation? Could it be that an extraordinary big shot had come to this town? With that thought in mind, she passed them by. One of them glanced at her and whispered, ¡°Isn¡¯t this person Jin Hui¡¯s moneymaker?¡± ¡°Oh right, the one from the Su family!¡± ¡°Ha, looks like there¡¯s a chance?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°It couldn¡¯t be that Zheng Kai has taken a fancy to her!?¡± ¡°No, no. Listen to me¡­¡± Their voices trailed off. Su Jin couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying clearly, but her forehead wrinkled. Before long, Su Jin was brought into a magnificent office. ¡°General Manager, Miss Su is here!¡± Zheng Kai, who had a bruised face and was wearing a red shirt, was sitting at his desk. He was listening to a bespectacled man explain something as the latter flipped through some documents. ¡°Mr. Zheng!¡± She called out calmly. That person had already turned around. When he saw her, something flashed in his eyes before he smiled. ¡°Aiyo, a rare guest. What a rare guest. Sister Jin actually came here today¡­¡± How sweet he sounded. She frowned. Zheng Kai was famous for being a playboy in the city. He was 23 years old, but he hadn¡¯t even gotten a college degree and entered his family¡¯s company at 18. He was quite good at doing business, but his private life was a terrible mess. ¡°Mr. Zheng, you guys continue chatting. I¡¯ll go look for Brother Jin.¡± The man in glasses got up to leave tactfully. The strange thing was that when the man left, he took a long look at her. She didn¡¯t know that it was because Changning had recognized her. Tranquil as water. He had seen her photo in Brother Jin¡¯s briefcase before. Su Jin, so her name was Su Jin! ¡°Sister Jin, sit, have some tea.¡± In the office, Zheng Kai asked his secretary to serve tea. His mouth was as sweet as honey. Chapter 13 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Jin remained standing. ¡°No need. I don¡¯t want to disturb Mr. Zheng for too long.¡± ¡°Aiya, you can just call me Xiao Kai. It¡¯s not like we don¡¯t know each other. Didn¡¯t you used to call me that when we were young?¡± Zheng Kai beamed. Su Jin really didn¡¯t want to beat around the bush with him. She spoke openly and did not change how she addressed him. ¡°Mr. Zheng, I don¡¯t wish to beat around the bush either. I have already received the lawyer¡¯s letter on behalf of Musheng. Now, I¡¯m here because I have something to ask you. Is there really no room for negotiation for these two matters? Do you really have to force my Musheng into a corner?¡± Zheng Kai blinked innocently. ¡°Since you¡¯ve already put it that way, then let¡¯s talk about it openly. Let¡¯s talk about Xiao Li first. Xiao Li is an employee of my company. Musheng was feeling lustful and used the excuse of being drunk to pull her into a room at the KTV to rape her. Sister Jin, you¡¯re a woman too. Do you really think a woman should bear with it after suffering a loss? As her boss, shouldn¡¯t I help her defend her rights?¡± Tsk, he really sounded like a human. Su Jin really wanted to slap him. ¡°Also, about me¡­¡± Zheng Kai was neither red in the face nor breathless as he pointed at his own face. ¡°Take a look. It¡¯s been five days and it still looks like this. I even had two stitches on my back. With such injuries, Sister Jin, do you think I can take this lying down?¡± His face was indeed injured. But Su Jin wanted to say, ¡®You deserved to be hit.¡¯ If she really spoke her mind, there would be no need to discuss this matter anymore. ¡°What do we have to do for you to not pursue legal responsibility?¡± ¡°I know you have the means to settle these things!¡± She only insisted on the main point. Zheng Kai revealed a troubled look. ¡°Sister Jin, it¡¯s not that I want to make things difficult for Musheng, but this matter is really difficult to resolve¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Zheng, I know that my Musheng is reckless. Today, as long as you are willing to help me with these two matters, as long as you are willing to let him off, I will get him to come and apologize to you later¡­ Besides that, if you have any conditions, just tell me. As long as I can do it, I will definitely do it¡­¡± As soon as she said this, Zheng Kai¡¯s tone immediately changed. He clapped his hands and said, ¡°Oh! You said this yourself, Sister Jin!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°All right, I only have one condition: As long as Sister Jin is willing to jump ship to my side, I will write off the matter of me being beaten up by Musheng. As for Xiao Li¡­¡± He frowned, then patted his chest and said, ¡°Leave it to me. I¡¯ll use money to clean up his mess. I guarantee that this matter will be resolved.¡± Su Jin wanted to sneer. As expected, she had guessed correctly: Zheng Kai was really the one who set a trap for Musheng this time because he wanted to poach her. ¡°How is it? This shouldn¡¯t be difficult for Sister Jin, right!¡± Su Jin was angry inwardly, but her expression did not change. She only said, ¡°I signed a five-year contract with Jin Hui.¡± Chapter 14 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Just terminate the contract! I¡¯ll pay the penalty fees!¡± How wealthy he is! Hmph! ¡°This is not about the penalty fees, Mr. Zheng. One can¡¯t accomplish anything without credibility.¡± Su Jin¡¯s words were clear and powerful. Zheng Kai immediately stopped smiling. ¡°Sister Jin, your words are pleasant to hear, but you want to keep your promise and protect your younger brother at the same time, and you don¡¯t want to make the slightest sacrifice for that. Do you think there¡¯s such an easy thing in this world?¡± Su Jin was about to speak when the door was slammed open. She turned her head and saw a furious Musheng running in. He grabbed her and dragged her out while shouting fiercely. ¡°Sis, let¡¯s not lower our heads and beg others. At most, I¡¯ll go to jail. Let¡¯s go! Follow me home!¡± When Jin Hengyuan came out after tidying up the documents, he saw a man and a woman pulling and pushing as they exited Zheng Kai¡¯s office. The man¡¯s back view was tall and thin, while the woman¡¯s back view was slender and delicate, like Su Jin¡¯s. He stood still for a moment. Behind him, Changning asked, ¡°What are you looking at? It¡¯s like you¡¯ve lost your soul.¡± He smiled lightly, only to see Zheng Kai chasing after them with a gloomy expression. ¡°What¡¯s this all about?¡± Changning asked with a smile. ¡°The fish on the hook slipped away!¡± Zheng Kai pursed his lips and immediately put on a smile when he saw Jin Hengyuan. ¡°How about¡­ Why don¡¯t you help me think of a way to get that person into my company, Second Brother? I intentionally hurt myself to win her over this time because it¡¯s her. Who knew¡­ Sigh.¡± ¡°A trick to win some sympathy? Did Mr. Zheng get beaten up because of that Miss Su just now?¡± Changning asked with a smile. Jin Hengyuan¡¯s gaze darkened and his eyes spun around. Changning saw that and immediately followed up with another question. ¡°Then what does Miss Su Jin do? She¡¯s quite pretty. Oh, did you take a fancy to her talent or that person herself¡­¡± ¡°Talent! I¡¯m definitely eyeing her talent!¡± Zheng Kai invited them in to sit in his office as he said, ¡°This Su Jin will definitely be able to make a name for herself in the interior design industry in the future. Second Brother, you might not know this, but in the past few bids, the projects that I had my eyes on were all snatched away by the company she¡¯s with. Most of the design drafts that were chosen came from her. This Su Jin is with Old Qiao now, and she can be considered their moneymaker. I heard that there were quite a few companies that wanted to poach her and offered high prices, but she didn¡¯t agree to them. This time, I set a trap for her because I wanted to poach her, but she got dragged away by that worthless brother of hers¡­¡± The corner of Jin Hengyuan¡¯s lips lifted into a shadow of a smile and asked calmly, ¡°After getting her talent, would you want her next?¡± ¡°Oh no, I don¡¯t dare to lust after her.¡± ¡°Really? There¡¯s actually something that you don¡¯t dare to get?¡± Changning asked like it was a rarity. ¡°I can take others by force, but not her. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Changning asked again. Zheng Kai replied, ¡°Firstly, she has a younger brother who always stirs up trouble. That kid¡¯s fists are very hard, and he¡¯s simply a madman. Whoever dares to get close to his sister, he can bite them like a mad dog. This injury on my face was because I deliberately told him that I wanted to become his brother-in-law, so I was beaten up.¡± Chapter 15 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Jin Hengyuan¡¯s gaze turned ice-cold instantly when he heard this, but unfortunately, Zheng Kai did not see it. ¡°Secondly, she¡¯s the woman under Su Mubai¡¯s protection. Four years ago, if it weren¡¯t for the chaos in the Su family, Su Jin would have definitely taken the throne as Madam Su.¡± ¡°Now, Su Jin is already 26 years old and still hasn¡¯t found a boyfriend. I¡¯m afraid that she probably can¡¯t let go of that person. I¡¯m guessing that if Su Mubai can get a divorce, these two might still be able to get together. Back then, when Su Mubai got married, Su Jin even attempted to commit suicide¡­¡± Jin Hengyuan curved his lips and said calmly, ¡°Oh? How infatuated!¡± He thought about how quiet she had been at the Civil Affairs Bureau that day. Only those whose hearts were dead would feel that marrying anyone no longer mattered. Well, that¡¯s fine. With him around, her heart would definitely come back to life. ¡°Musheng, let go. Let go¡­¡± Su Jin was pulled out of the building by her brother. This little child who once needed her protection was now taller and stronger than her. She had no way of breaking free from him. ¡°I won¡¯t let go.¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t beg him, he will sue you!¡± ¡°Then let him sue me. Sis, that b*stard is a jerk¡­ I only found out afterwards that he set a trap for me because of you too. And you actually went right up to him.¡± He pulled her into the elevator and pressed a button furiously. Su Jin saw that Musheng was glaring fiercely like he wanted to eat people up. If strangers saw him, they would definitely be scared. Fortunately, there were only the two of them in the elevator. ¡°He just wanted to poach me.¡± After a pause, she added, ¡°Let go. You¡¯re hurting me.¡± He refused to let go. ¡°Yeah right! He even dares to think of getting you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± Musheng almost took an oath. ¡°That day, I hit him not only because he plotted against me and harassed my classmate, but also because he spoke disrespectfully about you. F*ck, he said that one day, he will do you and make me call him brother-in-law. Pah! Son of a b*tch, don¡¯t even think about it!¡± He was fuming with rage. Su Jin was stunned. Her heart warmed. So there was a reason why Musheng caused trouble this time. He wanted to protect her. Sigh, this silly boy had always liked to protect her since she was young. Later on, when they left the Su family, they went through thick and thin together. Naturally, their relationship as siblings grew increasingly deep. However, this time, he had likely fallen into a trap. Zheng Kai must have calculated his reaction accurately, which was why he uttered slurs to provoke Musheng. He used a trick of self-injury to get a chance to control her. ¡°Musheng¡­¡± she called softly, wanting to express her gratitude. However, he interrupted her with a serious expression. ¡°Sis, don¡¯t say anything. Anyway, this time, I¡¯d rather be locked up for three to five years than implicate you again or force you to lower yourself and beg others for help. Also, if anyone dares to touch you shamelessly, I¡¯ll kill them. I don¡¯t regret hitting him.¡± What a barbarian. Su Jin opened her mouth, then closed it again and resigned herself to fate. A brat in a fit of anger wouldn¡¯t listen to reason. Chapter 16 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The elevator reached the ground floor very quickly. While pulling on Su Jin, Musheng rushed out with a fierce expression. Then, they got on a bus that stopped in front of them. Along the way, no one dared to stop them. After getting onto the bus, Su Jin sighed as she watched the Zheng Corporation building pass by outside the window. It seemed like she could only seek help from Mubai now. Jin Hengyuan did not agree to the dinner invitation and left Zheng Corporation. At around five o¡¯clock, his phone rang. He answered the call and placed the phone to his ear. His daughter¡¯s soft and delicate voice entered his ears. ¡°Daddy, when are you coming home?¡± He smiled. ¡°In half an hour!¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s great, I¡¯ll be waiting for you!¡± the little girl giggled. Before she hung up, she shouted over the phone, ¡°Great-grandma, Daddy will be back soon. Quick, quick, quick. I want to braid my hair. I want to dress up beautifully¡­¡± Her childish voice made Jin Hengyuan burst into laughter. That girl was still so young. Why was she so vain? With that thought, the delicate features of a particular face naturally flashed across his mind. Su Jin did not like dressing up. It was often said that a woman will doll herself up for her lover, but that person was too lazy to take care of her looks because she no longer had her beloved. Although she still looked attractive, he had to change this habit. Wives also needed to be trained, so that their beauty would blossom for their husbands. He chuckled lightly and stepped into the car. ¡°Changning, return to the family residence!¡± At the family residence, a beautifully-dressed little girl stood guard at the entrance. When she saw the familiar car drive into the garden, her face lit up with joy. After Jin Hengyuan alighted from the car and opened his arms to her suavely, she flew into the man¡¯s broad chest like a butterfly. ¡°Oh my, Daddy¡¯s bones are about to break¡­¡± Jin Hengyuan let out an exaggerated cry and kissed his giggling daughter. Carrying her, he called Changning over and walked towards the ancestral house together with him. His grandparents were standing under the eaves, beaming while watching them. Dinner was already prepared, and the five of them sat at the table to eat. Throughout the night, the little girl was the one who kept talking to Jin Hengyuan the entire time. When she got sleepy, she cuddled in her Daddy¡¯s arms and fell asleep sweetly. The gray-haired old man looked at this father-daughter duo and sighed softly, ¡°Xiao Yuan, you¡¯re already 32 years old. It¡¯s time to find a mother for Xiao Ya. In the end, there should be a woman to take care of you and Xiao Ya. Because Xiao Ya doesn¡¯t have a mother, her childhood will always feel like it lacks something. That¡¯s not good!¡± Jin Hengyuan remained silent and simply smiled. Every time he came back, his grandfather would try to brainwash him. The old lady agreed immediately. ¡°Your grandfather is right. Don¡¯t just focus on your work all the time. Regardless of your personal issues, even if your mother is not rushing you, we are anxious. We still want to carry a great-grandson! Look at how old we are. How much longer can we live? Grandma thinks that the girl from that Jian family is really not bad. Both our families are quite compatible in social rank too. If you agree¡­¡± Upon hearing this, Jin Hengyuan immediately stopped her. ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m tired. I¡¯ll carry Xiao Ya to bed. You and Grandpa should sleep early too.¡± Chapter 17 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios He ran upstairs with his daughter. The old lady stared with wide eyes. ¡°This¡­ Whose brat is this? He slipped away faster than mud as soon as I mentioned marriage. I¡¯m really dying of anxiety!¡± Changning burst out laughing. After settling his daughter into bed, Jin Hengyuan went to take a shower. Then, he sat in front of the computer in the study room and got busy. Changning knocked on the door and entered. ¡°Why are you still busy?¡± ¡°I need to settle the land dispute in the Zheng family. You can take care of the rest later.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you would deal with it?¡± Changning observed. ¡°I want to take a few days off. I might not be returning to the law firm for the next few days.¡± Changning immediately laughed. ¡°Oh, do you actually think about taking a break sometimes? For whom? Su Jin?¡± The last two words made Jin Hengyuan raise his head, his eyes filled with contemplation. ¡°When did you know about Su Jin?¡± ¡°I accidentally saw a photo in your briefcase the last time.¡± No wonder. ¡°Coupled with your attitude at Zheng Corporation earlier, I understand now. Love is knocking on your door!¡± A little toy panda was thrown at him. It was Xiao Ya¡¯s. ¡°Scram. You¡¯re a grown man and yet you¡¯re acting poetic,¡± Jin Hengyuan teased him mockingly. Changning caught it steadily, his face full of curiosity, seeking the truth. ¡°How do you plan to save the damsel in distress and win the heart of your prospective brother-in-law, who¡¯s been set up?¡± That boy was already his brother-in-law, all right? He didn¡¯t mention the truth. ¡°Leave it for now.¡± Usually, when the wives of married couples got into trouble, the first thing they would do was ask their husbands for help. He wanted to see if his own wife had the awareness of being someone else¡¯s wife. Early in the morning of the next day, Jin Hengyuan returned from his morning exercise. After taking a shower, he opened his wardrobe and noticed that there were a few extra sets of affordable clothes inside. They were bought by the housekeeper he had instructed earlier. He put them on and glanced at the Omega wristwatch on the bedside table. He did not wear it. He went downstairs, and after breakfast, he told his grandparents that he needed to leave because he had something to do. After kissing his daughter, he drove away. In the car, Changning looked at his attire. ¡°A date? With Su Jin? You aren¡¯t even wearing a watch and you¡¯re dressed up like you¡¯re so poor. Are you scamming her into marrying you?¡± ¡°Do I need to lie to get married?¡± He scoffed. There was no need to scam that girl. She was the one who proposed first! Hmm, if this matter was told to others, it would be extremely shocking ¡ª once someone mentioned marriage, he obediently agreed to it. Sigh. It was a little regretful. A man¡¯s right to propose had been mercilessly stripped away, so it was inevitable that his self-esteem would be a little hurt. Therefore, he also retaliated by swiftly changing the registration time from ¡®tomorrow¡¯ to ¡®this afternoon¡¯. He married her very decisively. Now that he had the marriage certificate, he had the opportunity to wield his rights as the husband. It was impossible for others to set their sights on her again. He was secretly congratulating himself. Suddenly, he remembered something. He raised his head and reminded Changning, ¡°If you see me in Shan County in the future, pretend that you don¡¯t know me.¡± Chapter 18 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Changning, ¡°¡­¡± He really wanted to ask: ¡®Brother, if this isn¡¯t a marriage scam, what is it?¡¯ At 8:30 am, Jin Hengyuan appeared in the lobby of First Hospital¡¯s Inpatient Department. He did not go up immediately but called his newlywed wife first. Very quickly, she picked it up and answered in a quiet voice, ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± ¡°Mhm!¡± ¡°I¡¯m downstairs. Which ward are you at? Should I come up directly?¡± He probably couldn¡¯t. As expected, she immediately said anxiously, ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ I¡¯ll come down to find you immediately¡­¡± ¡°Sure!¡± He hung up. He didn¡¯t have to wait long before she came down. She was wearing a light pink lacy blouse that was very slim-fitting. Her bottom was a pair of light-colored denim cropped pants. She must have come out in a hurry because her hair wasn¡¯t tied up and was all scattered. When the wind blew, her hair would fly around. Her whole image looked very ethereal. She looked around in all directions. When she caught sight of him, she looked a little uncomfortable. He smiled and leaned against the pillar without moving, watching her walk over gracefully. Even without makeup, she looked like a spring flower. His wife was very beautiful. When their eyes met, her heartbeat accelerated strangely. Su Jin was 26 years old this year, and she was not that kind of innocent student who would blush and have her heart race just because she exchanged a few words with the opposite sex. She was still quite easy-going when it came to socializing and wasn¡¯t surprised by anything. Only Su Mubai could make her blush and her heart race. However, upon meeting Jin Hengyuan today for the second time, her nervousness was like a huge net that covered the whole sky. In front of a pillar in the lobby, he was leaning lazily against it. He was wearing a white shirt with the hem tucked into a pair of black suit trousers. He was tall, had a handsome face, narrow hips and long legs. There was also a flower bed behind him, with flowers in full bloom. He had become part of the scenery, carrying an expression that didn¡¯t allow strangers to approach him, but he smiled lightly when he saw her. She didn¡¯t know what he was smiling about, but it was a very attractive smile. She walked closer to him and tidied her flyaway hair nervously. Without even thinking, she called out, ¡°Mr. Jin¡­¡± Jin Hengyuan was stunned. ¡°What? What did you call me?¡± Su Jin was also stunned, ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Do people call their husbands in such a formal way?¡± Err, I guess not, Su Jin thought. Traces of embarrassment jumped onto her face. He smiled again, but this time it was a little playful. ¡°Although I have never been married, I do know a thing or two. Just like how people who¡¯ve never eaten pork before have surely seen pigs run. According to what I know, under normal circumstances, wives usually call their husbands ¡®hubby¡¯, while their husbands call their wives ¡®wifey¡¯!¡± Huh? What did he mean? Was he telling her to call him ¡®hubby¡¯? The next moment¡­ ¡°Come on, we¡¯re already married. Hurry up and let me hear you call me ¡®hubby¡¯¡­¡± He demanded with a smile. That tone had a strange hooligan-like ¡®come, smile for me¡¯ feel. She widened her eyes and felt sweat ooze out of her pores. Worse, her mouth seemed to be glued shut. Oh, no no no. Even if she was being beaten to death now, she wouldn¡¯t be able to call him that. If they weren¡¯t familiar with each other down to the bone, and if she wasn¡¯t genuinely immersed in the role of his wife, how could she possibly utter that word? Chapter 19 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Jin¡­ cough, cough, cough, Hengyuan. From now on, I¡¯ll call you Hengyuan.¡± If she called him by his full name, he would definitely feel that she was being too distant with him. He could call her Xiao Su, but she could not possibly call him Old Jin. It was fine if she made him sound younger, but if she caused him to sound old, there would be another complaint. It was still better to call him Hengyuan. Although the address felt a bit intimate and made her feel awkward, it was necessary for her to call him that. ¡°Compared to calling me Hengyuan, I prefer you calling me hubby. That¡¯s more like a couple!¡± He flashed his white teeth, and his gaze was a little mischievous. The sunlight made his black eyes sparkle, accentuating some of that wickedness in him. ¡°¡­¡± She felt that he was deliberately teasing her. She blushed uncomfortably. His smile deepened as though he had discovered a new continent. He even leaned his head forward deliberately to check her out. ¡°Aiyo, you¡¯re being shy. Your face is as red as an apple¡­¡± Tsk, he was really good at pushing his luck! She did not want to talk to him anymore and turned to leave¡ªthere were already people looking at them. How embarrassing¡­ He had long legs and was very fast. He stopped in front of her and withdrew his smiling face. However, he could not hide his happiness. ¡°You¡¯re angry from just that?¡± He paused for a while and said again, ¡°All right, all right, I won¡¯t make fun of you anymore.¡± He was indeed messing with her. She felt a little helpless. ¡°I just thought that you were a little nervous to see me¡­ Relax. I¡¯m not hard to get along with.¡± So, he had been trying to lighten the mood on purpose? She was stunned for a moment and surprised by his attentiveness. She unconsciously glanced at him again. When she saw his stern face break into a smile, it actually looked so charming. ¡°But, one day, you¡¯ll change the way you call me.¡± He made a solemn vow once more. Her heart skipped a beat inexplicably. She couldn¡¯t imagine that scene. She couldn¡¯t. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Accompany me to the mall now to buy some gifts. This is the first time the new son-in-law is meeting his mother-in-law. If I go there empty-handed, I¡¯m afraid that our mother will kick me out. At that time, our mother will probably complain to Grandma Wang: ¡®What kind of impoverished son-in-law did you introduce? What a waste, marrying off my precious daughter¡­''¡± Speaking blithely, he walked up to her, then dragged her along as he headed outside. Her heart, which had just calmed down, started beating wildly again. Because he had taken her hand without warning. Yes, a very large and sturdy hand gripped her firmly. The palm was moist, and the force of it was so strong that she couldn¡¯t ignore its presence. Holding hands was supposed to be a very normal act, but she was very against it. It was almost a kind of instinct for her to shake his hand off. However, he held her hand tightly. After sensing her intentions, he even turned his head around and said with a faint smile, ¡°Mrs. Jin, I¡¯m your husband now. It¡¯s legal for me to hold your hand. Relax, okay? I won¡¯t eat you up. More importantly, you have to learn to get used to me bit by bit¡­ This is really important.¡± Chapter 20 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The look in his eyes was sharp and the reminder was powerful. Her heart skipped a beat. ¡°My mom isn¡¯t that kind of a snob. You don¡¯t have to intentionally buy gifts for your first meeting¡­¡± She understood that he was right and finally stopped resisting. Upon seeing this, Jin Hengyuan immediately put on a pleasant front. ¡°That¡¯s not how you should put it. Us Chinese people are most particular about etiquette. The etiquette that should be present cannot be abandoned. This isn¡¯t about being pedantic or conservative. It reflects a sense of respect.¡± ¡°Of course, I definitely believe that Mom is not snobbish, but there will be others around¡­¡± ¡°What if people ask Mom later on: Who is this person?¡± ¡°Mom would answer: This is my new son-in-law.¡± ¡°Then, people would say: Aiya, this is the first time this new son-in-law is visiting his mother-in-law. Why didn¡¯t he bring anything? Your family has such a good daughter. Why did she marry such a cheapskate?¡± ¡°No matter how much Mom says that she doesn¡¯t care, if she hears too many of such words, it¡¯s inevitable that she¡¯ll bear resentment in her heart towards me, her new son-in-law. At that time, I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯ll also start thinking about stuff that will eventually affect our relationship as a married couple. ¡°I, Jin Hengyuan, have been single for 32 years. Now that I¡¯ve finally managed to marry someone after much difficulty, if I really lose my wife over such a small matter, who am I going to look for as compensation? Even a lawyer won¡¯t be able to win this case¡­¡± ¡°So, I think that I must spend the money that I should spend on my wife. Although I don¡¯t have any experience in this matter, my friends are all married. I¡¯ve seen plenty of such incidents, so I still know a little.¡± ¡°So, Wife, you have to listen to me on this matter. As a probational son-in-law visiting his mother-in-law, I can¡¯t miss out on showering you with any of the dignity that you deserve¡­¡± Su Jin was at a loss for words. How could this person be so eloquent? She had only said one sentence and he responded with a whole paragraph. And throughout the entire story, he called ¡®Mom¡¯ so smoothly and even sounded so pleasant calling her ¡®Wife¡¯. She felt incredibly uncomfortable listening to it, but she had no words to refute him. In the end, she was cajoled into taking a taxi to the mall. After she entered the mall, she secretly made a call to the caretaker to look after her adoptive mother, saying that she would only be able to go back after settling some work outside. When they were shopping, this man had indeed asked her about what he should and should not buy. She had also given her opinion, but in the end, he did not leave out anything that he believed needed to be bought and paid for them all. Furthermore, he insisted on buying the expensive options like a fool. He spent a lot of money for nothing and could not be persuaded by her otherwise at all¡­ As for Su Jin, what was she thinking as she watched this scene? ¡°He¡¯s a Mr. Goody-goody. He¡¯ll definitely listen to his wife in the future and become a henpecked husband¡­¡± This was Granny Wang¡¯s evaluation of him. However, in her opinion, this man was terrifyingly controlling. Look, he was able to suppress her objections without batting an eyelid. This didn¡¯t seem to be a good sign! Chapter 21 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When they came out of the mall, Jin Hengyuan was carrying a lot of bags. Su Jin wanted to help him carry some, but he refused and said, ¡°No need. It¡¯s a man¡¯s job to do the physical work.¡± Yes, he was very considerate. However, right now, she could not be sure if this considerate behavior was a deliberate display because they were newly-weds or if it was just his usual conduct. Human nature was definitely complex. Although she did not have much dating experience, Su Jin had been working for a period of time already. She knew very well that a man who was solicitous to women during the beginning stages of dating only did it for their reputation. Once he got what he wanted, all kinds of bad habits would be exposed over time. Whether or not Jin Hengyuan¡¯s true personality was as he appeared on the surface remained to be seen. ¡°Hengyuan!¡± Just as they were about to enter the hospital, Su Jin suddenly turned around and called out to him with a troubled expression¡ªthere was something she had to say. ¡°Hmm?¡± He was following behind her and bearing a warm smile the whole time. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I have a favor to ask of you!¡± Her words were so serious that he could not help but raise his eyebrows. ¡°If you have something to say, just say it. Do you have to be so formal between the two of us, a married couple?¡± Heh, this person always took the opportunity to cement the fact that they were already husband and wife. All right. In that case, she would not be so formal with him and spoke straightforwardly, ¡°It¡¯s like this. Yesterday evening, I mentioned to Mom about having registered my marriage with you¡­ She was a little unhappy.¡± In actual fact, after her adoptive mother confirmed that this was not a joke, she was so furious that she gave her a real tongue-lashing. ¡°You registered your marriage on your first meeting? Ridiculous! What nonsense¡­ That¡¯s a matter of a lifetime! How can you act so rashly?¡± Because of this, her adoptive mother had ignored her the whole night and was still showing her attitude in the morning! This was precisely the reason why she had asked him to wait downstairs when Jin Hengyuan called. After that, he wanted to buy a gift for their first meeting, and she did not go all out to stop him. It was more or less because of this reason too. Of course, she mentioned none of this. She only said¡­ ¡°My mom is usually a really nice person. She¡¯s angry this time probably because she¡¯s afraid that I¡¯ll ruin the rest of my life by marrying someone in a hurry. So, when we enter her ward later, if she makes things difficult for you, please bear with it¡­¡± If her adoptive mother was truly in a horrible temper, she would also speak without consideration. Su Jin was afraid that at that time, Jin Hengyuan would lose his temper and fall out with her on the spot. If things really became that ugly, she was afraid that her adoptive mother would probably die from anger. Jin Hengyuan stroked Su Jin¡¯s hair with a smile. ¡°Heh, I was wondering what happened. So this was the problem¡­ Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m used to coaxing my elders. Nothing will go wrong. Relax, it¡¯ll be fine, okay?¡± His actions were very intimate and his tone was very light-hearted. More miraculously, that pair of confident eyes comforted her unsettled heart. Su Jin¡¯s adoptive mother stayed in Ward 1215. There were three beds in the room. All the patients were receiving fluid transfusions and had family members accompanying them. Chapter 22 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When these people saw Su Jin bringing a handsome man for a visit, they all looked over. ¡°Mom, I brought Hengyuan here.¡± As Su Jin led him to the window beside the bed, her adoptive mother, who was talking to the caretaker, turned her head around. As for Jin Hengyuan, his gaze landed on his mother-in-law as soon as he entered the room. Her sickly face was no longer as round as pearls and smooth as jade like it used to be back then. Upon seeing him, her initially dull pupils lit up and traces of suspicion flashed past her eyes before her eyebrows furrowed lightly. Jin Hengyuan saw it clearly and understood that his mother-in-law had recognized him. ¡°Hello, Mother. I¡¯m Jin Hengyuan.¡± Jin Hengyuan transferred the items he was carrying onto the table and smiled warmly as he introduced himself respectfully. Su Jin¡¯s adoptive mother was called Yao Mei. The adoptive mother that Su Jin recognized was someone who was really gentle when she was being gentle. Since Su Jin was young, Yao Mei rarely lost her temper. However, this time, Yao Mei was truly angry that Su Jin had gotten married in such a hurry. ¡°Have a seat!¡± Fortunately, Yao Mei did not tell Su Jin to chase Jin Hengyuan away. Instead, she pointed at the stool beside the bed and even gestured for her to make them tea. She also had her pull the curtains close between the bed and the rest of the ward, isolating herself from the eyes of others. Her foster mother then began to ask after Jin Hengyuan¡¯s family situation softly. Jin Hengyuan¡¯s answer was similar to what he had told Su Jin previously during the blind date. Su Jin had also heard Granny Wang mention these things before. His parents were divorced, had married other people, and lived in the suburbs, leaving only his grandparents in their old house in Jia City. He was running errands at a certain law firm in Shanghai. The remuneration was pretty good; there was accommodation, social insurance, and a monthly salary¡­ Yao Mei was listening calmly the whole time. After he was done speaking, she nodded and said, ¡°I only found out about your marriage yesterday. I was initially angry. Firstly, it¡¯s because Xiao Jin was too reckless this time. Secondly, you placed more importance on business than personal matters. Right after registering your marriage, you left my Xiao Jin behind. You don¡¯t take my Xiao Jin seriously¡­¡± Jin Hengyuan immediately did a self-reflection. ¡°It¡¯s indeed my fault for handling matters so thoughtlessly. It¡¯s just that the date for that business trip was set long ago. I¡¯m just a subordinate so I can¡¯t reject it.¡± The court date really wasn¡¯t something he could change just because he wanted to. ¡°However, Mom, don¡¯t worry. From now on, I¡¯ll prioritize my family. I won¡¯t let Xiao Jin suffer anymore. If you don¡¯t believe me, I¡¯ll give my payroll card to Xiao Su for safekeeping today!¡± After saying this, he really grabbed his wallet, took out a bank card, and slapped it onto Su Jin¡¯s hand. ¡°My monthly salary, full attendance bonus, quarterly bonus, and year-end bonus are all on this card. In the future, in our family, Xiao Jin will be in charge of the finances.¡± Su Jin did not expect him to do this and was stunned for a moment. She had wanted to return it at first, but when she turned around and saw Yao Mei staring at her with a dark expression, she smiled instead and took the opportunity to put it into her bag. ¡°Mom, I¡¯ve said before that Hengyuan is really a good person. Don¡¯t worry!¡± Chapter 23 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios However, Yao Mei¡¯s expression did not relax because of this. When she saw that the saline drip was done, she pressed the bell and asked the nurse to remove the needle. Then, she said, ¡°I want to go down and take a breather¡­ Hengyuan, push me downstairs. I still have something to ask you.¡± Su Jin could tell that her adoptive mother was still immensely worried about Jin Hengyuan. ¡°Sure!¡± Jin Hengyuan agreed without hesitation. He wasn¡¯t upset just because his mother-in-law did not look happy. Before he left, he even whispered into Su Jin¡¯s ear, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can handle it!¡± Sigh! Hopefully so! The main reason why she got married in such a hurry was because of her adoptive mother. If he could not be acknowledged by her, she would feel very aggrieved. There was a healing garden downstairs in the sanatorium. As the sun was shining brightly and spring was in the air, there were quite a number of patients taking a stroll in the shade of the trees. Jin Hengyuan pushed Yao Mei along. After a while, the person sitting in the wheelchair said softly¡­ ¡°Hengyuan, I recognize you. 10 years ago, you climbed over the Su family¡¯s wall!¡± Jin Hengyuan stopped in his tracks and remained silent. Yao Mei turned her wheelchair around and studied him again. She seemed to be comparing him, the person in front of her eyes, to the person in her memory. Her expression was indifferent. ¡°At that time, you were even younger. You should have been in your early twenties, and your body was thinner than it is now¡­¡± ¡°That day, you secretly jumped down from the wall and walked around the garden. I discovered this scene upstairs and came down to stop you.¡± ¡°At that time, you smiled a little awkwardly. You shushed me with your index finger and said, ¡®I¡¯m not here to steal stuff. Don¡¯t call for help.''¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think you looked like a bad person, so I asked you why you were there.¡± ¡°Do you remember how you answered?¡± She asked softly as her thoughts were pulled back from the past. She stared at him intently, as if she wanted to see through him. ¡°I said, ¡®I¡¯m here to steal a person¡­''¡± Jin Hengyuan chuckled lightly and closed his eyes. The past had been sealed for many years, but when he recalled it again, he realized that it had already been deeply engraved in his soul, so profound that it was as if it had just happened. Yes, Yao Mei was still a beautiful woman at that time. She wore a long dress and was very elegant. ¡°You have a wonderful memory,¡± he sighed. However, Yao Mei frowned because of his admission. There were too many doubts in her heart. ¡°That day, I was stunned by your words¡­ because you said that you were going to steal someone. Before I could ask clearly, you jumped onto the wall and ran away. Today, I have to ask, who were you trying to steal?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Xiao Jin?¡± Jin Hengyuan smiled as a form of agreement. ¡°You already knew Xiao Jin 10 years ago?¡± This amazed Yao Mei. ¡°Yes!¡± He nodded. ¡°Unfortunately, I found her too late.¡± He remembered that the day he climbed over the Su family¡¯s high wall, the sky was as blue as today. He was originally in a very good mood, but later, he saw a scene that he shouldn¡¯t have seen. He immediately felt terrible. Su Jin and Su Mubai were kissing under the pear blossom tree¡­ Chapter 24 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Yao Mei thought for a while and seemed to understand what Jin Hengyuan was referring to. ¡°At that time, Xiao Jin and Mubai were already secretly in love¡­¡± That¡¯s right! They grew up together and naturally fell in love with each other. In the time that he arrived late, they had already decided that the other was their life partner. ¡°Like how a waterfront pavilion gets the first moonlight, Su Mubai and Su Jin had the advantage of being close to each other, but their relationship was undeniable.¡± Jin Hengyuan sighed helplessly. It was a long sigh. ¡°To be honest, I lost a little unjustly in this matter. However, I couldn¡¯t snatch her away from him by force. I also knew that doing so might not achieve the result I wanted. Perhaps, it would even backfire.¡± ¡°That year, I was 22 years old. I was no longer as willful and reckless as I was when I was young. I weighed the pros and cons for a long time and observed her for a long period of time too. After confirming that she was doing well in the Su family and that Su Mubai treated her well, I resigned myself to fate, gave up on those unrealistic thoughts and went to Shanghai.¡± Yao Mei listened quietly. Initially, she didn¡¯t have a good impression of him. Gradually, she realized that his character truly wasn¡¯t bad. Jin Hengyuan continued, ¡°All these years, I¡¯ve been focusing on my work outside of this city. I always came and left Jia City hastily.¡± ¡°This spring festival, I heard from my mother that her distant aunt had gotten rheumatoid arthritis and asked me to bring some medicine for her. It was Grandma Wang.¡± ¡°When I was young, Granny Wang taught me how to read. I¡¯m a sentimental person, so I came to visit twice when I was free.¡± ¡°On my third visit, she insisted on introducing a partner to me and even showed me a photo. I only agreed to go on the blind date after seeing that it was Su Jin.¡± ¡°It was not part of my plan to register our marriage after the blind date. However, it happened. This is an unexpected reward for me.¡± As he said this, a deep smile appeared in his eyes. ¡°When I received the marriage certificate, I was secretly happy and felt that God was still kind to me. Mom, don¡¯t you think so?¡± Yao Mei didn¡¯t reply. Her eyes were filled with mingled hope and sorrow. She was happy that this child was sincere about Su Jin, but she was sorrowful that Su Jin had long lost her heart. ¡°Does Xiao Jin know about these things?¡± she asked softly. ¡°I¡¯ll let her know in the future.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you mind that she has loved someone else before?¡± ¡°Who doesn¡¯t have a first love?¡± Jin Hengyuan smiled faintly. ¡°But what if she still loves that person? Will you forgive her?¡± She was very worried about this problem. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t care about the past. From now on, I¡¯ll make her fall in love with me.¡± ¡°But what if she can¡¯t?¡± This question was a little aggressive. For a moment, he didn¡¯t know how to respond. Seeing this, Yao Mei became even more worried. ¡°Hengyuan, can I make a request?¡± ¡°Go ahead!¡± His attitude had been respectful from start to finish. Chapter 25 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Yao Mei deliberated over her words before saying, ¡°I understand now that you have feelings for her, but she might not have. This time, she got married in a rush mostly for me.¡± ¡°Speaking of marriage, I¡¯ve been through it before. It¡¯s a blessing to be able to live together as a couple, but if she regrets it and doesn¡¯t want to live with you anymore, I beg you not to make things difficult for her and be straightforward about the relationship, all right?¡± ¡°I know that this request is a little too much, but my heart really aches for Xiao Jin. This child has suffered a lot since she was young. Later on, in order to repay my kindness, she gave in to me for everything¡­ Actually, it¡¯s all my fault¡­¡± Up to this point, she suddenly stopped talking, her face full of sorrow. When Jin Hengyuan heard this, his smile gradually disappeared. His brows furrowed slightly, and his entire face gradually turned grave and stern. He thought for a long time before saying, ¡°This request is indeed a little too much. However, I am still willing to provide you with a promise.¡± ¡°In this marriage, not only do I want her to bear children for me, but I also want her heart and for her to walk with me to the end.¡± ¡°If I¡¯m unable to make her forget her past and follow me wholeheartedly, or fall in love with me, don¡¯t worry. When the time comes, I¡¯ll let her go and let her find the path she wants to take¡­¡± ¡°Marriage is a gamble after all. Winning would be a blessing for both of us. However¡­ If we lose, we can let go and make another gamble¡­ I won¡¯t foolishly use marriage to trap myself and her to death.¡± Under the sunlight, Jin Hengyuan¡¯s face was filled with a forceful air of arrogance that was shining brightly. Yao Mei looked at him and suddenly felt that he was definitely a man who could be entrusted with one¡¯s hopes. Other than his family background, he wasn¡¯t the slightest bit worse than Mubai. In the ward, Su Jin received a call from Su Musheng, asking her to go to the hospital entrance. She went there and the child asked for 500 yuan from her. He shouted noisily that he had something urgent to attend to and disappeared on his classmate¡¯s motorcycle. As she watched, she felt her eyelids twitching. She hurriedly made a call and warned, ¡°Don¡¯t cause any more trouble outside!¡± At 11 o¡¯clock, Jin Hengyuan brought his mother-in-law back to the ward. This man was truly capable. In less than half an hour, he had made Su Jin¡¯s adoptive mother ¡®change¡¯ her face. The smile added a touch of life to her lifeless face. In the afternoon, Yao Mei ate the hospital¡¯s nutritious meals. Due to the pain in her liver area, she was eating less and less. After eating a little, Yao Mei urged Jin Hengyuan to bring Su Jin out to eat¡ªFirst Hospital was not in charge of providing guests with any of the three meals in a day. Su Jin did not want to go. She thought that it would be fine to just call for two delivery orders. Yao Mei didn¡¯t allow it and reminded her, ¡°Even if you¡¯re married, you have to go on dates when it¡¯s time to go on dates. This way, the marriage will stay fresh for a long time. You two have only just met, so you have to interact and get along with each other more¡­¡± Su Jin could only obey her. After leaving the hospital, Jin Hengyuan brought Su Jin to the Notting Steakhouse. Chapter 26 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios This steakhouse was considered the best in Shan County, so it was more than twice as expensive as other places. Su Jin had never been here before because she could not bear to spend the money. However, Han Tong, that prodigal woman, had been here twice and kept complimenting the food. ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with Shan County. I¡¯ve only been here to eat once. The taste¡­ Hmm, I can give them 60 points!¡± That was Jin Hengyuan¡¯s evaluation of the place. Su Jin tasted it and felt that it was really not bad. It was much better than the other restaurants. She just did not know how he defined that ¡¯60 points¡¯. During the meal, they chatted casually for a while. He was always the one asking about her preferences. This person seemed to be interested in everything about her. He could always find some topics to talk about and draw her into a conversation. The atmosphere was set up very well by him. When they were almost done eating, the phone that Jin Hengyuan had set aside on the table rang. Su Jin took a glance. It was a local phone number. Jin Hengyuan glanced at her meaningfully after picking up his phone. A trace of puzzlement flashed past his eyes. It was none other than Su Mubai¡¯s private number. Strangely, she did not react at all when she saw this number! They used to be so close to each other, but why could they not even recognize each other¡¯s numbers now? ¡°Hello¡­ Who is this?¡± Hence, he pretended not to know this person too. ¡°Su Mubai!¡± The voice was steady. ¡°Sorry, I forgot to save your number,¡± Jin Hengyuan said smilingly as he admired his wife¡¯s elegant table manners. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I called to ask if Attorney Jin is free tomorrow¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± He did not reply, which made the other party think that he was putting on airs. ¡°Attorney Jin, as long as you help me to win this divorce case, I can pay you several times over for the legal fees¡­¡± Jin Hengyuan smiled faintly. How was this an issue of legal fees? The crux of this matter was¡­ He couldn¡¯t help his love rival regain his freedom for a few measly bucks and then come to snatch his own wife, okay! ¡°This isn¡¯t about the money,¡± he spoke lowly. ¡°It¡¯s mainly because I¡¯ll be a little busy in the near future. If you¡¯re in a hurry, I definitely won¡¯t be able to help you right away. If you¡¯re not in a hurry, let¡¯s meet next Thursday. We¡¯ll discuss it in detail then. If I can help you, I¡¯ll do my best¡­ After all, you were introduced to me by my teacher¡­¡± The underlying meaning of this sentence was: It was difficult for him to refuse to repay his teacher¡¯s kindness. The reason behind his tactful rejection was obscure. Then, he hung up. On the other end of the phone, Su Mubai was sitting in front of his desk with a frown. They were all smart people, so how could he not understand what Jin Hengyuan meant? Because it was on speaker mode, his childhood friend, Sheng Lou, heard it by the side too. ¡°D*mn it, this Jin guy sure knows how to put on airs. You¡¯ve already said that you would double the legal fees, yet he still¡­¡± He slammed the table and shouted angrily. Sitting opposite him was Su Mubai¡¯s assistant, Ah Hu. ¡°Before we found him, I had already heard that he was this willful when it came to taking on cases.¡± After a pause, he continued, ¡°Speaking of which, when he first entered this industry, he took on all sorts of cases and most of them were divorce cases. Later on, as he got more and more successful in this industry, his appetite kept growing. He rarely takes on ordinary civil cases personally now. He only takes on high-end business lawsuits such as financial, foreign affairs, international trade, intellectual property rights, and even a few criminal cases. Sigh. Since he got famous, his arrogance grew too. After all, he has never been defeated. That is his ability.¡± Chapter 27 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Hearing that, Sheng Lou curled his lips. ¡°I don¡¯t believe that we won¡¯t be able to get a divorce if we don¡¯t look for him!¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be very troublesome. There¡¯s no way to end this quickly,¡± Ah Hu said. ¡°But didn¡¯t he say that he would be busy in the near future?!¡± Sheng Lou got angry just thinking about it. ¡°As far as I know, he goes back to his grandparents¡¯ house in Jia City almost every weekend. Other than accompanying that illegitimate daughter of his, he doesn¡¯t do anything else. If he¡¯s sincere, he can arrange a meeting immediately, but he insists on delaying it until next Thursday? This attitude clearly shows that he doesn¡¯t want to take on the case.¡± ¡°No matter what his intentions are, our only choice of a divorce lawyer is Jin Hengyuan.¡± Ah Hu looked towards Su Mubai, who was deep in thought. ¡°This person has a strong background and can solve some problems that we might not be able to solve.¡± Sheng Lou thought about it carefully and remained silent in the end. As for Su Mubai, he sat there without moving from start to finish. He had a nagging feeling that Jin Hengyuan might have other reasons for rejecting the case¡­ On the other side, Jin Hengyuan was watching his wife drink her fruit juice. Of course, she could not possibly have heard who he was talking to on the phone. Otherwise, her expression would not be so calm either. Regarding Su Mubai, Jin Hengyuan had never interacted with him before. The focus of his work revolved around these three areas: Shanghai, Tianjin, and Beijing. Su Mubai was based in City H, so they would not have met. A few days ago, at a cocktail party, a mentor from his college days introduced him to Su Mubai. Whilst chatting, this person revealed his intention to entrust him with a lawsuit. At that time, Su Mubai had been in a hurry so he did not go into detail. Today, Jin Hengyuan finally realized that he was in a hurry to find him because he wanted a divorce. Based on what he knew, Su Mubai and Qin Xueyu had a son and their relationship as husband and wife seemed to be pretty good all this while. Recently, the Su family hadn¡¯t shown any signs of wanting a divorce. So why was this person secretly trying to hire an attorney? What made Su Mubai think that it would be difficult to get a divorce, thereby causing him to invite Jin Hengyuan directly? This matter was a little strange! In the eyes of many, when in courtship, a boyfriend should pay for his girlfriend; after marriage, a husband should pay for his wife: how much a man spends on a woman will show how much he loves her. Su Jin felt that this was ridiculous. Hence, when they were footing the bill, she called out to Jin Hengyuan. ¡°We¡¯ll each pay for our own expenses. In the future, I¡¯ll split the costs of all the expenses incurred in our marriage with you equally.¡± He was taken aback on the spot. Su Jin smiled faintly and said, ¡°Actually, we already went Dutch on our first meeting!¡± That time, when she left, she had paid for her own coffee. She didn¡¯t pay for his. He should know that. ¡°But I think that after marriage, it¡¯s only right for a man to provide for a woman!¡± Jin Hengyuan came back to his senses and slowly expressed his contrasting opinion. ¡°But I think that only when a woman achieves economic independence in her marriage will she have a say in the relationship. Relying on her husband to support her¡­ Firstly, it¡¯s easy to grow disconnected from society; secondly, she¡¯ll be looked down upon.¡± Chapter 28 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Jin insisted on her own viewpoint and retrieved the money for her lunch and handed it to the waiter. Jin Hengyuan smiled helplessly when he saw that. He sighed and pointed out, ¡°Granny Wang is right. You¡¯re really stubborn.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve never been the kind of woman who relies on others.¡± She liked to be self-sufficient. ¡°Coincidentally, that¡¯s not the type I like either¡­ Going Dutch? I¡¯ll do whatever you want¡­ I¡¯ll definitely listen to my wife.¡± He emphasized on the word ¡®wife¡¯ and made it sound especially pleasant. After that, he smiled as he took out two hundred yuan notes and handed them to the waiter for change. When he encountered differences in opinions, he chose to yield gently. This was a sign of respect. And this sort of behavior was most definitely likable. Su Jin could not deny that this man was leaving a good impression on her bit by bit. ¡°Also, I will return this card to you now!¡± She glanced at it, took out that bank card, and pushed it over. ¡°In the future, we will not meddle with each other¡¯s finances!¡± Many women wanted to control the financial power of a man after marriage, but she did not have such thoughts. ¡°I¡¯m not against going Dutch, but I¡¯m afraid that you can¡¯t return this card to me in a hurry.¡± He only smiled and did not take it. His expression did not seem surprised that she would return the card either. His gaze was even filled with the foresight that he had long seen through her. ¡°If you return it to me now¡­ In the future, what if Mom remembers it one day and says, Xiao Jin, take Hengyuan¡¯s card out and let me have a look? If you¡¯re unable to do that then, Mom will definitely think that I was putting on a show when I handed in my payroll card today. It¡¯ll cause Mom to feel a permanent discomfort in her heart. Do you really think that¡¯s good?¡± The plan was definitely well thought out. However, she frowned. While she felt that he was nice, she also felt that he was difficult to deal with. Look, he could give in to you, but he could also find an ample reason to render you speechless and do it flawlessly. He was much harder to deal with than her usual clients. ¡°But if you put the card with me, what if you need money?¡± ¡°I have another card. If I need money, you can help me transfer some over. The password is 102124.¡± Su Jin, ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked, laughing. ¡°You¡­ you trust me so much?¡± She asked bewilderedly. She had just thought that he was difficult to deal with, but he gave her the password unguardedly. This person was so hard to understand¡­ ¡°Why would I be worried? If I don¡¯t hand over my assets and heart to my wife, why would I marry her?¡± He held that card and walked over. He placed it on her palm again and smoothly pinched her nose. Then, he spoke cheerfully and his gaze grew more lingering, ¡°Be good. Keep it well. It¡¯s only right for my wife to manage the money.¡± She did not know if it was because he spoke too warmly, but her dead heart strangely trembled for a moment. Chapter 29 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When they came out from the steakhouse, Jin Hengyuan did not call for a taxi. This place was not far from the hospital. He suggested walking. Su Jin felt a little stuffed from the meal, so she agreed. After walking for a while, he received a call. Vaguely, she heard a man crying on the other end. He frowned as he listened, his gentleness fading bit by bit. Following that, a layer of terrifying chill covered his hardened face, and his entire body turned awfully cold in a second. This side of him was so unfamiliar. As she watched, she had mixed feelings. How many faces did this person have? ¡°My university classmate got into a car accident and passed away. I have to rush over to see if I can help¡­ Can you go back by yourself?¡± After hanging up the phone, he asked her. His expression had softened a lot, but it was still very heavy. A few traces of sadness flashed past in his eyes. It looked like that person, who had gotten into an accident, had a very good relationship with him. ¡°Go on. You don¡¯t have to attend to me,¡± she replied softly. She originally wanted to comfort him, but she was too ¡®rusty¡¯ after all and couldn¡¯t find the right words. The atmosphere turned silent for a moment. He looked at her meaningfully and seemed to be thinking about something. After a long while, he reached out to stroke her hair and said gently, ¡°I initially wanted to spend more time with you this weekend, but¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right!¡± She really wasn¡¯t used to his intimacy. If he wasn¡¯t around, she would feel much more at ease. ¡°Hey, why do I feel like you¡¯re eager to push me away¡­? Do you feel that after using me to get a marriage certificate and appease Mom, I have become dispensable?¡± He suddenly joked, dispelling that solemn atmosphere just now. She went blank for a short while and felt extremely wronged. ¡°No!¡± ¡°Okay, since you don¡¯t think so, I¡¯m leaving. Shouldn¡¯t you express something¡­?¡± His eyes showed a hint of mischief again. ¡°¡­¡± She looked at him a little warily, unsure of what he was up to. ¡°How do you want me to express myself? ¡°Hug me!¡± ¡°Ah¡­ A hug¡­¡± She widened her eyes and looked around their surroundings. Her face grew hot unconsciously. There were so many people around¡­ He must have gone crazy to ask for a hug¡­ ¡°You¡­ Don¡¯t make things difficult for me!¡± She would not do anything embarrassing. She had never kissed or hugged anyone in public before. Even when she was with Mubai previously, they had never acted so crazily. No hugging! Definitely no hugging! ¡°Ah¡­¡± Regardless, he did not care. With a low chuckle, he spread his arms open and pulled her into his embrace. Then, a kiss landed on the top of her head. Ahhh! Crazy! He had truly gone crazy! This person was already 32 years old. Why was he still so immature¡­ Her face instantly burned up, and her heart started racing. Even though she wanted to, she couldn¡¯t push him away or hide from him. She felt as if the blood in her veins was about to explode; it was bubbling like crazy. Chapter 30 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The strength exerted on her waist was finally gone. She thought that after he had hugged her, he would finally know when to stop. The next moment, it was her head that couldn¡¯t move. This was t-too¡­ impulsive! The worst thing was that after the kiss, he even smiled wickedly and pinched her cheek. ¡°I¡¯m leaving. Remember to miss me!¡± Who would miss him! She was so angry then that she wanted to kick him. It was impossible not to be angry. The question was, should she be angry? That was her husband. It was only natural for a husband to kiss his wife! Wait! That¡¯s not right! They were still just strangers. He was taking advantage of her like this. Aiyaya, anyway, she felt so conflicted! The most important thing was that the kiss had given her an extremely shocking feeling. The power coming from his lips was extremely wild and overbearing. It was extremely invasive, and it made her hair stand on end for no reason. After returning to the hospital, Su Jin calmed herself down for a while in the lobby before heading upstairs. When she arrived at the ward, her adoptive mother did not see Jin Hengyuan and immediately asked for his whereabouts. After Su Jin mentioned it, not only did her adoptive mother not blame him, but she even praised him, ¡°This child, Hengyuan, is truly loyal.¡± Su Jin could not help but ask curiously, ¡°Mom, what did he say to you? How did he tame you so easily and make you change your attitude towards him completely?¡± Her adoptive mother smiled mysteriously. ¡°I won¡¯t tell you. You¡¯ll find out eventually when the time comes.¡± She was extremely puzzled. Exactly what tricks did Jin Hengyuan play in front of Mom? In the evening, when Su Jin went to get some water, she received a call from Jin Hengyuan. She glared at the number for a long time before picking it up. Then, she remained silent. ¡°Why isn¡¯t there any sound?¡± ¡°Are you still angry?¡± ¡°Say something, are you really angry?¡± The man chuckled. ¡°Just say what you want to say!¡± In the end, she still answered. His smile deepened. ¡°I was worried that I might have angered my wife, so I specially made a call to coax her¡­¡± Hey! This person must have gotten addicted to calling her his wife! ¡°I¡¯m not that petty!¡± ¡°Oh, so are you saying that I can kiss and hug you whenever I want in future?¡± Aiya, how could he twist others¡¯ intentions like this! ¡°Jin Hengyuan, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯m hanging up!¡± She felt a little bashful and angry. ¡°I do have something to say!¡± He was trying to hold back his laughter. ¡°Tell me quickly!¡± ¡°Why did you call me that day? You were talking halfway but then you pulled back. I forgot to ask you today!¡± Oh, so he had remembered this. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. You should focus on your own matters first. It¡¯s not urgent on my side!¡± She had already thought about it. She probably couldn¡¯t count on him to help with Musheng¡¯s matter. ¡°I may be gone for a few days! Are you sure nothing¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I¡¯m really fine¡­ By the way, where is your classmate from?¡± ¡°Hong Kong!¡± ¡°¡­¡± After hanging up, she suddenly thought, what did he study? He actually had a classmate from Hong Kong¡­ Chapter 31 - Su Family, Her Heart Hurts (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios That night, Su Jin had a chaotic dream. In her dream, Musheng had gotten into trouble outside again and killed someone. He called her to ask for help. She was so anxious that she was sweating profusely. She grabbed the phone and called Jin Hengyuan. Then, he came and the matter was settled smoothly. She woke up after that. When she opened her eyes, she was lying on the accompanying guest bed. It was already daybreak, and some of the guests had already gotten out of bed and were heading to the bathroom to wash up. It was still early so she did not get up immediately. Listening to the familiar sounds around her and thinking about Jin Hengyuan again, she suddenly felt that this visualization had become incomparably distant all of a sudden. It was as if she had been dreaming about all those things that she had experienced. After waking up from her dream though, her life had not changed because of her marriage. For example, she still had to worry about Musheng¡¯s problems. Furthermore, she knew very well that it was useless to look for Jin Hengyuan for those matters. In her dream, she had only strengthened his capability in handling matters. She needed to look for Mubai and planned to make a trip to the Su family after breakfast. The Su family was in the Pu Xiu District of Jia City. An hour later, Su Jin stood in front of the Su family¡¯s villa. She had lived in this house for 14 years. From the age of eight and when she left at the age of twenty-two, it had given her too much warmth, but now, it was broken. Ever since her adoptive parents had divorced, the family had ceased to exist. ¡°Who are you?¡± It was when the security guard called and informed Grandpa that she was allowed in. When she ascended the steps of the villa, a fair-faced young child ran out and asked curiously while tilting his head up. Behind him, Qin Xue chased after him. ¡°Be careful not to fall. Slow down!¡± Lifting her head, she revealed a smile with a trace of surprise when she caught sight of Su Jin. ¡°Ah Jin, why are you here?¡± ¡°Elder Sister-in-law!¡± Su Jin acknowledged softly. She watched Qin Xue pick up the little child and walk over. ¡°Xiao Peng, quick, call her Auntie!¡± ¡°Auntie!¡± The little child called out very loudly. However, Su Jin¡¯s heart was in pain. In this child¡¯s body flowed the blood of her most beloved man and the blood of another woman¡­ At one time, he had said, ¡°In this life, I, Su Mubai, will only marry you.¡± In the past, he even said, ¡°In the future, we will have many little Su Jins and many little Mubais.¡± In the end though, he married a prestigious daughter of the Qin family who was of equal social status to him and that person became her sister-in-law. They even gave birth to such a delicate-looking child. She smiled bitterly. Even after four years, when she met these people again, she still couldn¡¯t act as if nothing had happened. The wound that she thought had healed still had blood dripping out. It was just that the wound had been hidden very deeply and was forcefully ignored by her. ¡°How cute!¡± She touched the little child¡¯s face, whose brilliant smile reminded her of Mubai in his childhood. ¡°Why do you have the time to come today?¡± Qin Xue asked with a smile after sending the little child to the nanny and pulled Su Jin into the living room. Just as Su Jin was about to answer, the sound of high heels traveled from a spiral staircase. An affluent woman with hair piled on top of her head walked down. When her steady and capable gaze landed on her, it immediately exuded an icy aura. Chapter 32 - Su Family, Her Heart Hurts (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Su Jin, how shameless can you be? Mubai is already married and has a child. Why won¡¯t you give up? Do you still want to come pester him shamelessly?¡± Su Jin¡¯s entire body stiffened, and her face paled instantly. This woman who hated her to the bone was none other than Mubai¡¯s mother, Zhou Wen. On the 10th step, Zhou Wen stood there, looking down from above in a domineering manner. ¡°Leave! Please leave immediately! Of course, if you hope that Old Master and Old Madam will hear me arguing with you and get a heart attack from anger, you are welcome to continue staying here.¡± In her silence, Zhou Wen had quickly walked in front of her and ordered her to leave while pointing at the door. At the same time, she threw out a threat. Su Jin bit her lips and turned to leave without saying a word. This was definitely a formidable woman. When she spoke, her words were often unforgiving. She had infuriated Grandpa so much that he nearly collapsed several times before and even beaten Mubai. In the past, Su Jin was a little afraid of her, but now, she was even more so. Therefore, she could only give up on meeting Mubai. She naturally felt bitter inside. It was most pitiable to have to struggle to see the person that one wished to meet. She recalled how she and Mubai used to be inseparable lovers in the past. Yet, they had now fallen to such an extent¡­ They did not even have the most common way of contacting each other¡ªby phone. The reason why she came here today was because she knew that he had returned to Jia City yesterday. She had asked a classmate who lived in a nearby villa district and knew that Zhou Wen was not here. If she had known that Zhou Wen would be here too, she definitely wouldn¡¯t have come. Now, although she had run out, her heart hurt so badly like it had been ripped apart. If she couldn¡¯t see Mubai, what should she do about Musheng? She really had no options left. Su Jin took the public bus home first. She needed to calm down before she could face her sickly adoptive mother with a smile. Yu Cai Community was on the seventh floor of the third building. She walked upstairs in a daze. ¡°Jin, where have you been? Why are you only back now?¡± A familiar voice sounded at her doorstep. She was stunned. When she raised her head, she saw that handsome man¡ªwho had broken her heart several times before¡ªleaning against the door, frowning while looking at her quietly. His black striped shirt was wrapped around his thick and broad body. That stance was one she was most familiar with. A single glance that felt like tens of thousands of years had passed. Yet, there were countless grievances that made the tip of her nose sting. ¡°Your eyes are red. What¡¯s wrong? Did Auntie¡¯s condition worsen?¡± He strode towards her with a concerned tone. While suppressing the turbulent emotions in her heart, Su Jin stood still and asked lightly, as if she was dreaming, ¡°You¡­ Why are you here?¡± ¡°I went to the hospital to look for you early in the morning and bumped into Han Tong, who had gone to visit Auntie. She said that you weren¡¯t there because you went home to get your things, so I came straight here.¡± It turned out that he had not been home because they had taken another fork in the road again. ¡°Did you come to find me for something?¡± Su Jin did not plan to mention that she had gone to the Su family. That would only add to the conflict. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to invite me in for a seat? I¡¯ve waited for you for a long time, and I¡¯m a little thirsty.¡± He did not answer and asked another question instead. His expression was cautious. They were already strangers after all. When had he ever acted like this in the past? She remained silent and opened the door. ¡°Come on in. I only have purified water here!¡± This water was specially prepared for Musheng. Whenever that child was thirsty, he could not wait for the water to cool down. Therefore, she always prepared small bottles of purified water for him at home. She took a bottle and handed it to him. Su Mubai opened it and drank a few mouthfuls. He looked around the small apartment. Although it was small, it was filled with the warmth of home. Soon, his gaze was attracted to the photos on the wall in the living room. They were all photos of Auntie, Su Jin and Mubai. They all loved taking photos. Back then, he used to be one of them too, but for the past four years, he had gone missing from their lives. However, he had never planned to give up on the position that originally belonged to him. He slowly unscrewed the cap of the bottle and turned around. His deep eyes focused on Su Jin, who was tidying up the sofa. For a moment, he could not control his emotions. He went forward and hugged her tightly from behind. ¡°Jin, shall we start anew?¡±