A Heartless, Cheating Scumbag Woman in a Female-Dominated World (VIII)

That evening.

When Jiang Xuefu held Rong Chao close and leaned in to kiss him, she hadn't expected him to push her away, an uncharacteristic move.

"What's wrong, A Chao?"

Rong Chao said nothing. He merely turned his head aside and wept silently.

By the dim light of the night lamp, Jiang Xuefu finally saw the horrific bruise on his exposed forearm.

It looked so severe even in the dim light that it had to be at least as bad as it appeared, if not worse.

A flash of irritation crossed Jiang Xuefu's mind, but she remembered that her dad really had gone too far today. She nevertheless went over to comfort Rong Chao, keeping her patience.

She turned Rong Zhao's body toward her and kissed the tears from his face, her heart aching for him. "A Chao, you know what my dad is like. Thank you for putting up with him all this time."

"This must hurt, doesn't it? Why didn't you tell me sooner? I'll get some medicine for you."

"I'll talk to my dad tomorrow. He's gone too far."

Jiang Xuefu had a whole repertoire for comforting people, and tender words of love and concern came readily to her. But they were all pretty words, with no action to back them up.

He might have been better off if she'd kept quiet. The moment she spoke, Rong Chao's tears flowed even harder. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, soaking her collar with tears, and his sobs broke up his words.

"It's, it's all right, Fufu. I don't want to put you in a difficult position... As long as you're by my side, that's enough."

"Besides, Mom and Dad are only staying for a while. I'll be fine."

Jiang Xuefu sighed outwardly, though inwardly she was gratified by how understanding he was. "A Chao, thank you. And I love you."

Hearing Jiang Xuefu's declaration, Rong Chao suddenly stiffened. All the hurt in his heart turned instantly to shyness, and he could seemingly no longer feel even the pain in his arm.

The tips of his ears reddened, and his voice was still hoarse from crying. "Why did you suddenly say that?"

"I just felt like saying it." Smiling, she lowered her head and whispered in his ear.

Her voice was soft, with a bewitching hint of seductive charm, a complete contrast to her aloof, fairy-like manner during the day.

Rong Chao couldn't help trembling all over at her touch.

"Fufu..." He panted softly, willing to sink into it even as she toyed with him in the palm of her hand.

"I love you so much too."

Jiang Xuefu went to work during the day, and Rong Chao couldn't be bothered waiting on her parents at home. He simply went back to his own family's home, returning in the evening after Jiang Xuefu got off work. Even if Liu He wanted to get angry at him, he couldn't find him.

That day, after Liu He finished his checkup at the hospital, he pulled Jiang Yinghua along to a restaurant.

"Young man, let me ask you, do you have a waiter here named Chen Yu?"

The young man greeting customers at the restaurant entrance was startled for a moment before he realized that the somewhat dirty-looking man in front of him was speaking to him. "Yes, we do, but who are you?"

"We're his neighbors. His dad asked us to bring him some things."

The young greeter nodded in understanding and went inside to call Chen Yu out.

Chen Yu was tall, and his bronze muscles filled out his standard waiter's uniform, making it bulge slightly. His muscles were well-defined but not exaggerated, just right. His rugged, handsome face still bore a touch of the rustic guilelessness and shyness characteristic of country folk.

"Auntie, Uncle, what brings you here today?"

Liu He and Jiang Yinghua exchanged a glance and nodded in satisfaction.

Big chest, big butt-a glance was enough to tell he was healthy. And with all those firm muscles, he had to be quick and capable at his work too.

Liu He said, "Xiao Yu, your dad has already agreed with us. From now on, you'll be with our Xiao Fu. We came to take you over today."

The story about his dad asking them to bring him things was just an excuse. In truth, Chen Yu was the "second husband" Liu He had found for Jiang Xuefu.

Since Rong Chao kept refusing to go to the hospital for a compatibility test, they would find someone else. They couldn't let the Jiang Family line die out, could they?

Hearing such blunt words, Chen Yu couldn't help lowering his head, his face quietly reddening. "Then I'll go pack my things first."

His dad had spoken to him about this a long time ago. He had agreed and had been looking forward to it for a long time.

Jiang Xuefu... Just thinking of that name filled Chen Yu's heart and eyes with happiness and shyness.

There had been a time when he thought they would never have anything to do with each other again in this lifetime. He hadn't expected happiness to come so suddenly.

It didn't matter that he couldn't marry her openly and honorably. He would take good care of his wife.

By the time they got home, neither Jiang Xuefu nor Rong Chao had returned. Liu He helped Chen Yu put his things in the bedroom closest to the master bedroom.

After putting his things away, Chen Yu started cleaning the house. When mealtime came, he even volunteered to buy groceries and came back to cook a full six dishes.

Liu He was very pleased. This was what a thrifty, hardworking man who knew how to keep house should look like, in his ideal. What did Rong Chao amount to?

After the meal was ready, Jiang Yinghua and Liu He sat on the sofa watching TV, while Chen Yu cut up some fruit in the kitchen and brought it out.

Just as he finished, there was finally a sound at the door. A moment later, Jiang Xuefu and Rong Chao appeared before the three of them.

Seeing an unfamiliar handsome man standing in the living room, Jiang Xuefu paused. "And you are?"

Chen Yu lowered his head shyly. The moment he spoke, both the wife and husband who had just come home froze in shock. "My wife, my name is Chen Yu."

Where had this shameless, cheap man come from?

Rong Chao frowned and cut him off in displeasure. "You've got the wrong person."

"Xiao Yu didn't get it wrong." Liu He snorted from the side, took Chen Yu's hand, and led him over to Jiang Xuefu.

"Sweet girl, he's the Xiao Yu I told you about before, the one you said you remembered very well."

"I already reached an agreement with his dad back home. From now on, Xiao Yu will be with you. All your dad hopes for is that you two give me a granddaughter soon!"

Hearing these outrageous words, Rong Chao was so angry he almost laughed. How could there be such a bizarre father? It was bad enough that he didn't wish his daughter well, but he was actually finding her a mistress himself?

And to think he'd believed Liu He had been reasonably well-behaved these past two days. Who would have thought he'd been holding back something this big?

Anger rose in Rong Chao. "I don't agree. My wife and I are perfectly happy together. Send him back where he came from!"

Liu He said, "You don't agree? Is it your place to disagree? This is a Jiang Family matter. What right does an outsider like you have to interfere?"

"Besides, I paid his dad to marry Xiao Yu to Xiao Fu. If you weren't so useless, would I have spent that money?"

Every word Liu He said made it clear that Rong Chao was an outsider, and each one stabbed at his heart. With the eyesore Chen Yu there as well, Rong Chao was furious and began speaking without thinking. "Fine, I have no right to interfere? Don't forget whose house you're living in! Get out of my house right now!"

The Rong Family had bought both the car and the house, and both were in Rong Chao's name. At first, Rong Chao hadn't wanted that. He had thought that once married, a wife and husband were one, with no divisions between them, and that both their names should be on them.

Unexpectedly, that had now given Rong Chao the confidence to stand his ground.