Chapter Eighty-Three: No sooner has one wave subsided than another rises

Shen Tingxiao had taken time off to accompany Jiang Yunzhu, and though it had only been a few days since they last saw each other, they were already inseparable. First, he took her to see the musical she had longed to watch, and then to the Japanese restaurant she had been craving for ages—a place that required reservations far in advance. Even Jiang Yunzhu was surprised; the date had been planned with such precision that it hardly seemed spontaneous.

What’s more, these were all the places she had once mentioned in passing, saying she’d like to go someday—yet Shen Tingxiao had remembered every word. And now, he was making each wish come true.

After dinner, Shen Tingxiao personally drove Jiang Yunzhu home. Realizing she had kept him away from his work the entire day, Jiang Yunzhu belatedly felt a pang of guilt.

“Was it too much of an interruption for you to spend the whole day with me?” she asked, biting her lip, gazing at the passing scenery outside the car window.

“It was,” Shen Tingxiao answered bluntly, the corners of his mouth lifting in a smirk.

Seeing the guilt flash across Jiang Yunzhu’s face, he reached out to hold her hand. “But taking care of my wife’s affairs is my business, too.”

Immediately, Jiang Yunzhu’s cheeks flushed crimson. She mumbled, “There’s still a year to go! Who’s your wife?”

At that moment, the car came to a stop at a red light. Shen Tingxiao pressed the brake and turned to look at her. After a moment, he sighed. “Does it really have to be a year? I’m not sure I can wait that long.”

He truly couldn’t wait—and, more than that, he no longer wanted a certain someone to reappear.

Jiang Yunzhu grew even more embarrassed, but just then, her phone rang from inside her bag, disrupting the tender atmosphere.

Seeing it was a work call, Shen Tingxiao relaxed and gave her some space. He couldn’t tolerate anyone with ulterior motives appearing in her life now.

As soon as she answered, Sang Bai's shrill voice burst through the line. “Yunzhou! Something terrible has happened!”

Startled, Jiang Yunzhu steadied her nerves. “What is it, Sang Bai? Calm down and tell me.”

“I thought you were engaged to Mr. Shen, but how come—”

In a flash, Jiang Yunzhu’s heart sank; she had a bad feeling about what was coming.

Sang Bai hesitated, stammering for a long while before finally blurting it out: “Shen Group just released an announcement that the president is about to marry, and the bride is... Miss Jiang Yunzhu, the eldest daughter of the Jiang family!”

The news reached Shen Tingxiao’s ears, and his expression instantly turned icy.

Jiang Yunzhu massaged her aching temples and spoke weakly. “I know. I’ll handle it. It’s not what it looks like.”

“Of course I believe you!” Sang Bai rushed to declare her allegiance. “Besides, Mr. Shen is so good to you, you two are a perfect match. As for Shen Ruizhang—if you didn’t call him uncle, I wouldn’t give him the time of day!”

Sang Bai’s relentless flattery drifted to Shen Tingxiao’s ears. Jiang Yunzhu discreetly shifted, making sure the compliments about her and Shen Tingxiao being a good match reached the man beside her.

For some reason, Shen Tingxiao actually felt comforted by these little tricks.

“All right, that’s enough,” Jiang Yunzhu cut in, noticing his mood had lightened. “I’m really busy right now!”

Sang Bai caught on instantly and switched to a teasing tone. “Oh, so that’s why you’re not in a panic—you’re too busy being sweet together! Are you on a date?”

She even started humming a love song, growing bolder by the minute.

After a few more playful exchanges, Jiang Yunzhu hung up.

“Why didn’t you admit it? Weren’t we on a date?” Shen Tingxiao seized the moment, glancing sideways at her with a teasing smile. “Or, was Miss Jiang not satisfied with my performance today?”

At that precise moment, the car stopped in front of the Jiang house. Calmly, Shen Tingxiao set the handbrake and turned to gaze into Jiang Yunzhu’s beautiful eyes—waiting for her answer.

Jiang Yunzhu felt a ripple of emotion in her heart. The next second, she leaned in, brushing a gentle kiss against his lips.

The butterfly-light touch clearly left Shen Tingxiao wanting more. “Yunzhou, what was that?”

He was feigning ignorance.

Jiang Yunzhu’s smile only deepened; she stuck out her tongue playfully. “That was a five-star review!”

Shen Tingxiao gave a low laugh, thoroughly appeased.

He got out, walked around to open her door, and gave her a parting kiss.

“Do you need my help handling this?” he asked with concern.

This time, it was no trivial matter; neither of them had anticipated Shen Ruizhang’s swift actions.

Jiang Yunzhu considered for a moment. It truly was a thorny issue.

Seeing her slight frown, Shen Tingxiao chuckled. “Yunzhou, you can always ask your real husband for help.”

He deliberately emphasized the words “real husband,” his tone possessive enough to make Jiang Yunzhu’s heart flutter.

“Then I’ll trouble my real husband with this little favor.”

Finally satisfied, Shen Tingxiao took her hand and saw her to the door. After they parted, he returned to his car and dialed Ge Xingjing’s number.

...

Night fell, and the stars blanketed the world.

In a cramped rented room, Zhou Qingfei curled up on the floor. At the door stood bodyguards sent by Jiang Yunzhu; until the lawsuit was resolved, she would go nowhere.

She kept refreshing her phone, desperate to see whether her scandal of slander and libel had made it to the trending topics. Instead, her eyes landed on a shocking headline:

[Shen Group to Marry the Eldest Miss Jiang]

With just one line, Zhou Qingfei nearly suffocated.

Impossible!

She was carrying Shen Ruizhang’s child—how could he be so heartless?

She remembered her last meeting with Shen Ruizhang in the hospital—his gaze no longer lingered on her; it was filled only with Jiang Yunzhu.

“Jiang Yunzhu! You wretched woman! I’ll see you ruined!” Zhou Qingfei hurled her phone across the room, the screen shattering and falling dark.

No! She couldn’t just sit and wait for her doom. If she was going to die, she’d take Jiang Yunzhu down with her.

A plan formed instantly in Zhou Qingfei’s mind.

She rose slowly and tiptoed toward the bathroom. This apartment was on the ground floor, and the bathroom window was just big enough.

Years in the entertainment industry had kept her slim; even after losing the child, her frame was still slender.

Climbing onto the toilet, she managed with effort to crawl out the window.

“Think you can keep me locked up, Jiang Yunzhu? You’re not nearly clever enough for that!” With a cold laugh, Zhou Qingfei vanished into the night, swallowed by darkness.