Chapter Eighty-Eight: Words Between Lovers

Jiang Yunzhu seized the upraised hand and slapped it down hard.

Her tone was cool as she said, “Don’t mistake my patience for indulgence. I’m not your uncle—I won’t keep tolerating you.”

Zhou Qingfei clutched her stinging cheek, staring at Jiang Yunzhu in disbelief. Her eyes quickly reddened as she turned to Shen Ruizhang.

“A’Rui! She actually hit me!”

Shen Ruizhang’s face was full of irritation. “Can you stop making a scene here? If you keep this up, I’ll have no choice but to have you thrown out!”

Zhou Qingfei was dumbfounded by Shen Ruizhang’s ruthlessness. He used to cherish her, agreeing to her every whim—yet now he could coldly watch another woman strike her without a word in her defense.

Clenching her fists tightly, she fixed a desperate gaze on Shen Ruizhang.

“A’Rui! Are you really going to marry this wretch? Don’t forget the relationship between you two! Can you really go through with it? Can your conscience bear it?”

She couldn’t believe Shen Ruizhang could ever accept marrying his own niece. This was perverse—an affront to decency!

Shen Ruizhang’s expression grew even more unsightly at her words, his tone turning glacial.

“Leave now. Don’t make me repeat myself.”

Zhou Qingfei wanted to beg further, but when she met his cold, predatory gaze, she found herself unable to utter a word.

“Why leave?” Jiang Yunzhu interjected. “Since she’s here, let her stay.”

Shen Ruizhang looked at Jiang Yunzhu in confusion. “Yunzhu, didn’t you just say you didn’t want her here? Don’t worry, I promise she won’t appear at our wedding.”

Jiang Yunzhu let out a short, derisive laugh. “A promise? Uncle, how many times have your promises been worth anything? Besides, I didn’t want her here for Grandma Shen’s health! But no matter how many precautions we take, it always seems she finds her way in. Better to keep her under our eyes than let her jump out like a cockroach, sickening everyone and disturbing Grandma Shen.”

Shen Ruizhang’s mouth twitched as if he wanted to explain.

Shen Tingxiao, of course, wouldn’t pass up the chance to mock him.

“Yunzhu, after all, Miss Zhou is carrying Uncle’s child. How could a father not show some tolerance? He’ll at least wait until the child is born before dealing with the mother.”

Shen Ruizhang’s face darkened like a wintry sky, sending chills down Zhou Qingfei’s spine.

“Shen Tingxiao, this is my affair. It’s none of your business.”

Shen Tingxiao raised his brows, looking thoroughly innocent. “Uncle, how can you say that? After what you’ve done, shouldn’t I help Yunzhu see things clearly? You bully her for her kindness—that’s why you act so brazenly.”

Shen Ruizhang clenched his teeth, letting out a cold laugh. “Don’t push your luck, Shen Tingxiao!”

“Am I out of line? I don’t think I’ve said anything excessive. But Uncle, you really should handle Miss Zhou’s situation first.”

Jiang Yunzhu, watching the man shielding her, felt a faint warmth stir in her chest. But when her gaze fell again on Zhou Qingfei, her expression instantly darkened.

She clapped her hands, and a few bodyguards emerged from the shadows.

Shen Ruizhang was startled. “What are you doing?”

Jiang Yunzhu’s face was impassive. “Since your people can’t keep her in check, I’ll find someone who can. Don’t worry—I won’t let her upset Grandma Shen!”

When Zhou Qingfei saw the men in black suits striding toward her, she shrieked.

“A’Rui! This woman wants to kidnap me! You can’t let her people take me away! She’ll hurt me, and the child I’m carrying!”

A flash of terror crossed her eyes.

Shen Ruizhang pressed his lips together, glanced at her face, then at her belly, and said softly, “She won’t go too far.”

Jiang Yunzhu let out a cold laugh. “Uncle, what makes you so sure she won’t? Hasn’t she done enough already? Grandma Shen is here today too—she always gets ill when she sees Zhou Qingfei. Don’t you care about your mother anymore?”

Even now, with things as they were, Shen Ruizhang still chose to shield Zhou Qingfei.

Jiang Yunzhu’s disappointment in him deepened—she truly couldn’t understand what he saw in Zhou Qingfei.

Grandma Shen was his mother. Did he not realize the effect Zhou Qingfei had on her? Grandma Shen had only just been discharged from the hospital—did he want to send her back so soon?

“I haven’t! Yunzhu, I—”

“Yunzhu, I suppose Uncle just doesn’t trust you,” Shen Tingxiao said, stoking the flames.

Shen Ruizhang rounded on him angrily. “Shen Tingxiao! Stop sowing discord!”

Jiang Yunzhu pressed her lips together, her eyes cold as ice as she fixed them on Shen Ruizhang. “Is he wrong? If you trusted me, you’d let my bodyguards handle her. If not, then you must believe Zhou Qingfei—do you really think I’d hurt her child?”

“Don’t forget how you got our wedding in the first place! Do you think I care?”

Shen Ruizhang opened his mouth, a sudden ache in his heart, and his grip on Zhou Qingfei loosened.

Seeing this, a glint of malice flashed in Zhou Qingfei’s eyes.

“A’Rui! I really didn’t come here to disrupt your wedding. I only wanted to see you get married. I love you so much, and now we have a child together. Even if we can’t be husband and wife, I still hope…”

She seemed unable to continue, covering her mouth as she sobbed.

Shen Ruizhang’s attention was drawn back to her.

“Yunzhu, she’s pregnant—no matter what, she can’t possibly ruin the wedding. I won’t let my mother see her, either.”

Jiang Yunzhu couldn’t be bothered to argue further. “Take her away and keep a close watch!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

Two of the bodyguards immediately moved toward Zhou Qingfei, bypassing Shen Ruizhang and lifting her up to carry her out.

Shen Ruizhang had not expected Jiang Yunzhu to be so forceful, showing not a shred of mercy.

“Yunzhu!”

“Uncle, aren’t you supposed to marry me? Shouldn’t you be getting ready?”

Shen Ruizhang’s face darkened, but he nodded, glancing at Shen Tingxiao.

“Let’s go.”

Shen Tingxiao raised his brows and sneered. “I’m not the groom—I have nothing to prepare.”

Shen Ruizhang replied darkly, “Even so, you can’t stay here.”

“I still have things to discuss with Yunzhu. If you’re busy, go ahead.”

Paying no heed to Shen Ruizhang’s mood, Shen Tingxiao pulled Jiang Yunzhu back to the lounge, shutting the door with a bang.

Shen Ruizhang stared at the tightly shut door in disbelief. When he realized what had happened, he hurriedly tried to open it, but the door was locked from inside.