Chapter 30 : Selfishness

Jiang Yu was shocked, she never expected a thief would dare to steal a wallet!

“There’s a thief! Catch him!”

Jiang Yu shouted loudly, and just as she was about to rush forward, she saw He Tingyue sweep his long legs, effortlessly kicking the little thief away with a single move.

She stood there in stunned silence.

In just a few breaths, the thief was pinned beneath him.

He Tingyue turned his head to look at her and tossed the wallet to her.

“Here you go.”

He returned the wallet to Jiang Yu, said nothing more, and took the thief to the police station.

Jiang Yu secured her wallet and turned to follow him.

After handing the thief over to the police, He Tingyue didn’t linger to take credit, he simply walked away.

Jiang Yu followed closely, thinking she should be more proactive as her aunt had suggested, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

“Comrade He, thank you for what you did earlier.”

He Tingyue merely hummed in response, his demeanor cold.

Jiang Yu felt a bit disheartened at first but then gathered her courage to say, “I really appreciate it today. I… I’ll treat you to a meal.”

“No need,” he replied curtly.

Jiang Yu puffed up her cheeks, feeling cold and hard, like stone.

“Just give me a chance to thank you otherwise, I’ll feel guilty.”

He Tingyue finally stopped and turned to look at her.

Jiang Yu’s eyes sparkled with hope as she awaited his reply.

If he hadn’t seen her before and knew what she had done, her appearance could have easily been deceptive like a rabbit, pure, soft, and obedient.

But He Tingyue understood, she was no rabbit but a cunning fox, capable of deception.

“Didn’t Matchmaker Yao explain this clearly to you?”

His words made his rejection plain and simple.

He was not a man to beat around the bush.

Jiang Yu was momentarily taken aback, watching him walk away without following.

Once home, her mood sank to an all-time low, leaving her feeling dejected.

Yao Xiangling noticed and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Jiang Yu pouted and recounted the incident with He Tingyue.

Yao Xiangling, unfazed, said, “If he were easy to please, he would have been married long ago. Good things take time. You did well today, keep it up next time. Even a stone can be moved if you try hard enough.”

Jiang Yu forced a smile, not holding much hope.

Then Yao Xiangling added, “Jiang Ting came to see you today, but she didn’t say much. You can decide whether to meet her or not.”

The two sisters hadn’t seen each other since Jiang Ting tricked her into meeting Du Juan’s uncle.

Now, seeing Jiang Ting made Jiang Yu feel she must be up to something mischievous.

“I’ll go find her at the courtyard tomorrow.”

He Tingyue’s matter was enough to upset her, and just thinking about her family made her feel worse.

The next day, she made her way to the compound.

She didn’t really want to go, but the thought of possibly running into He Tingyue made her use Jiang Ting as an excuse.

Upon arriving, she spotted Jiang Ting hiding at the door, washing clothes and working diligently without complaint.

Jiang Yu stood in front of her, looking down.

“It seems your life here is no different from in the countryside.”

In the countryside, while Jiang Yu would slack off, she still helped with some of the chores.

Jiang Ting sneered, “I don’t mind!”

In her previous life, Jiang Yu had married Fu Xiangyang and lived well, she couldn’t believe she was worse off than Jiang Yu!

Jiang Yu lowered her gaze, still puzzled by Jiang Ting’s hostility towards her.

“I heard you came to see me yesterday. What’s going on?”

Jiang Ting paused, wiped her hands, and stood up.

“Let’s talk inside.”

At that moment, Fu Xiangyang was at work, leaving only Fu Xiangyun at home.

The courtyard was crowded, and as soon as Jiang Yu stepped in, she felt countless pairs of eyes on her.

Jiang Ting led her to a room and shut the door.

“Jiang Hao and Du Juan are about to break up, did you know that?”

Jiang Yu wasn’t interested in this and simply replied with a nonchalant “oh.”

“Breaking up might be good for Jiang Hao.”

Jiang Ting was furious. “How can you say that! I’d rather destroy ten temples than break up a marriage, especially if it’s your own brother!”

Jiang Yu glanced at her. “If he breaks up with Du Juan, that’s a problem for her family, not mine.”

“How can it not concern you! If it weren’t for you, Jiang Hao would be married by now! You’ve always been selfish, never considering others! He’s your own brother, can’t you act like a sister and make some sacrifices for him?” Jiang Ting scolded Jiang Yu with righteous indignation.

If Jiang Yu hadn’t known better, she might have thought Jiang Ting was giving a lecture.

“If you want to be such a good sister, why don’t you divorce Fu Xiangyang and marry Du Juan’s uncle? You seem quite dedicated. Otherwise, why not have Fu Xiangyang give his job to Jiang Hao?”

Jiang Ting was so angry that her face twisted, and she clenched her teeth.

“How could Xiangyang’s job be given to Jiang Hao? What nonsense are you talking about!”

Jiang Yu frowned, giving her a disapproving look. “So you’ve always been like this, selfish.”

“Am I as selfish as you? It’s obvious that marrying Uncle Du Juan would bring peace and prosperity to the family, yet you insist on making everyone unhappy! What’s wrong with Uncle Du Juan? Sure, he’s a bit older, but he’s more caring. When Jiang Hao and Du Juan get married, they’ll definitely remember your kindness, and the Du family will treat you well!”

Jiang Ting had plenty of twisted ideas like this.

Jiang Yu stared at her in disbelief. “Jiang Ting, you’re already married, how can you still have feelings for other men?”

Jiang Ting was momentarily stunned. “What did you say…?”

Jiang Yu, distressed, lectured her with conviction.

“You think Du Juan’s uncle is a good person, so why did you marry Fu Xiangyang? Oh, I get it. You must have married him because he’s from the city. But since you married him, you should be loyal! Even if you like Du Juan’s uncle, you can’t keep bringing him up! How do you think Fu Xiangyang feels about this?”

Jiang Ting laughed bitterly, “When did I…”

“You don’t need to explain!” Jiang Yu cut her off sharply. “I hope this is the last time I hear about Uncle Du Juan from you. From now on, forget your feelings for him, live a good life with Fu Xiangyang, and stop dwelling on the past. That’s all I wanted to say. I’m leaving now.”

Jiang Yu turned and walked out, ignoring Jiang Ting’s furious expression.

As soon as she opened the door, she saw Fu Xiangyun looking enraged, as if he had caught Jiang Ting in a compromising situation.

Jiang Yu bit her lip in frustration. “Comrade Fu Xiangyun, don’t get me wrong, I was just talking nonsense.”

Fu Xiangyun pushed her away and ran into Jiang Ting’s room angrily.

After a while, Jiang Ting’s cries of pain were heard from inside.

“Bitch! Bitch! You’ve married my brother, and you still dare to talk about that wild man outside! From the beginning I knew you weren’t someone who would live a peaceful life, and I finally got the upper hand over you!”