Chapter 50: With Me

Jiang Huaiyu turned off the photo. There wasn’t anything too special about it—except that others wouldn’t recognize the hand in the picture as Wen Shuyu’s.

He tapped into Lu Yunheng’s Moments (WeChat feed). He hadn’t been blocked.

Zhou Hangyue only saw the caption [Missing the past], followed by a “fish” emoji. He didn’t recognize the ring.

It was clearly taken from a candid angle. The two weren’t sitting at the same table, and even the restaurant couldn’t be identified.

The photo didn’t reveal much.

But that intentional little “fish” symbol—any classmates who knew them well would immediately get what it meant.

It invited speculation.

The part Zhou Hangyue found most unfair on Jiang Huaiyu’s behalf was this:
[We’re all adults. If he really wants to be a third party, just admit it.]

If he wanted to be the third party, didn’t care about status—well, it still depended on whether Fish (Yuyu) wanted him.

As for Lu Yunheng? He didn’t deserve it.

Jiang Huaiyu replied: [Yuyu knows what’s in his heart.]

He trusted Wen Shuyu’s morals. The thing he hated most… was people who cheated.

Zhou Hangyue asked again: [If he hadn’t gone abroad, what would you have done?]

It was the same question Jiang Huaiyu had considered before their marriage. And again after.

If Lu Yunheng hadn’t gone abroad—
then there would’ve only been one path left.

Tried Every Way to Marry Her

He tried every possible way to secure a marriage alliance.

It wasn’t much different from forcefully taking what he wanted—but it didn’t matter, as long as he got the person.

This wasn’t something Jiang Huaiyu could say to Zhou Hangyue, so he chose not to reply.

When he looked up, Wen Shuyu had just stepped out of the bathroom, fully dressed. Though it was still midsummer in Port City, she wore a shoulder-baring crop top and black shorts, revealing a slim waist and soft, fair shoulders.

Ever since waking up, she hadn’t liked wearing pajamas.

She gathered her half-dried curls behind her ear. On the skin behind her ear was a faint red mark—left by Jiang Huaiyu last night, unintentionally.

She picked up her phone from the nightstand. In her close friends’ group chat, they were already discussing Lu Yunheng’s WeChat post.

Meng Man: Yuyu, this guy is seriously… ugh. No words.

Shen Ruoying: Belated affection is cheaper than grass.

Wen Shuyu took a minute to figure out the situation.
[You guys all saw it? He didn’t block anyone?]

Shen Ruoying: Looks like it. Meng Xinhao could see it too.

Fu Qingzi hadn’t replied at all.

She’d never accepted Lu Yunheng’s friend request. Even though he sent one every single day, relentlessly, she treated it like air—never dragging it out, just directly rejecting him.

Wen Shuyu fell into brief thought, then pulled open the heavy curtains, leaving only a sheer white veil. Daylight instantly flooded the room.

With sunlight and the room lights mixing, Jiang Huaiyu’s expression was hard to read—calm, unmoved, exactly the same as before she entered.

She couldn’t tell what the man on the bed was thinking. Did he see the post or not?

Wen Shuyu sat on the edge of the bed and wrapped her arms around his waist.
“Did you see the Moments post?”

She wasn’t Lu Yunheng’s friend—but that didn’t mean Jiang Huaiyu wasn’t.

There was no need for clever tricks between smart people. One question, straight to the point.

Jiang Huaiyu kissed the top of her head. The faint scent of roses drifted up. A slow smile curled on his lips.
“I saw it. He’s still coveting my wife. Yuyu is just too popular—what should I do?”

She glanced at his sharp jawline, reached out to touch the stubble on his chin, and coaxed him softly:
“The fish belongs to you. No one can take her.”

That one line made him smile from the corners of his eyes.

Then Wen Shuyu added,
“I don’t have him on WeChat. Yingying sent me the screenshot.”

“I know.”
He believed her.

She lay half across him, her bare waist resting against his body, soft and teasingly visible. Jiang Huaiyu’s calloused palm slid over her waist, tracing lazy circles—until Wen Shuyu suddenly leaned up and pressed a kiss to his Adam’s apple.

Desire instantly flared.

His throat bobbed. His eyes darkened.
“Do you just not want to go out, or are you really planning to stay in bed all day?”

“I just wanted to kiss you and cheer you up.”
Her lips brushed his throat, voice sweet and soft—like melted cheese.

A shallow breath slipped from his throat.

In the end, reason won over desire. His voice was hoarse as he said,
“Come on, I’ll take you out for a walk.”

With her coaxing complete, Wen Shuyu teased him,
“President Jiang, tsk tsk.”

She wore a top in a bright dragon fruit red—bold and eye-catching. Jiang Huaiyu had nothing so flamboyant, so he picked a plain white shirt.

He stripped off his sleepwear, changing clothes right in front of her without shyness.

There were faint finger marks on his lean shoulders, and several long red scratch marks down his back.

Ambiguous. Intimate.

A vivid reminder of the wild night they had shared.

Even though he was the one who had bullied her, by the next morning, it somehow felt like he was the one who had been thoroughly tormented.

Wen Shuyu averted her gaze.
“Where are we going?”

“Help me with this.”

Jiang Huaiyu took her hand and guided it to his buttons.
“Just a casual stroll. Will you be bored?”

“Nope. Because you’ll be there.”
Her voice was sweet as honey, and it caught him off guard every time.

Wen Shuyu buttoned his shirt from the bottom up—but her hands didn’t behave. She gave his abs a little squeeze, then paused halfway up to tease his chest muscles.

Only the top two buttons remained undone. She tapped his Adam’s apple and grinned,
“Hubby, these little moles of yours are kinda sexy.”

She pulled his shirt open and planted a quick kiss, the warmth lingering on his neck.

A mischievous gleam flickered in her eyes.

Jiang Huaiyu wrapped an arm around her shoulder blades.
“You don’t really want to go out, do you?”

She kept teasing him over and over. He raised his hand and gave her a playful smack on the butt.

Wen Shuyu laughed as she squirmed in his arms.
“I do! I do! Just—don’t mess up my outfit.”

She was totally doing it on purpose, just to rile him up. He was too easy to tease.

And he never stood a chance.

As the sun shifted further south, the days shortened and nights grew longer. By dusk, a cool breeze swept through Port City, washing away the summer heat.

Hand in hand, the two strolled down the street.
Lu Yunheng’s little stunt had no effect on them at all—in fact, it only brought them closer.

Wen Shuyu posted a WeChat Moment:
[A shadow I’ve been stepping on since childhood.]
The picture showed her stepping on Jiang Huaiyu’s shadow.

On the other side, Jiang Huaiyu posted:
[A shadow that’s been stepped on since childhood.]
His photo showed Wen Shuyu stepping on his shadow.

No overly showy public displays of affection—just two sentences and two pictures, and yet the sweetness was overflowing.

In the girl group chat, Shen Ruoying screenshotted both posts and sent them in—one above, one below—feeding everyone a mouthful of “dog food” (public affection).

Meng Man: I left and came back just to confirm… yep, that’s definitely Lawyer Wen.

Shen Ruoying: In this lifetime, seeing Jiang Huaiyu flaunt his love? Unreal. What kind of love potion did you feed him?

Wen Shuyu: […] I didn’t feed him anything. He copied my post.
Didn’t even ask for copyright permission.

While she was busy on her phone, Jiang Huaiyu kept one hand on her arm.
“Watch your step.”

She was walking right along the edge of the sidewalk while texting—same old habit she just couldn’t break.

Wen Shuyu finally put her phone away and muttered,
“It’s fine, you’re here.”

He would walk with her for a lifetime.

She was so sure of it.

“Yeah,” he said.
“I’ll protect you for a lifetime.”

—

The next day, they returned to Nancheng. The sky was overcast, and the plane had to circle several times before landing.

As soon as they touched down, a torrential downpour began.

Their parents called and told them to come home for dinner.

They only found out after returning home that something had happened to Fu Qingzi’s family—no wonder Song Jinnan had rushed back in such a hurry.

No wonder Fu Qingzi had gone silent in the group chat.

When Wen Shuyu messaged her privately, Fu Qingzi just said she had gone abroad. Since she often traveled, Wen Shuyu hadn’t thought much of it.

Downstairs, the two mothers were chatting on the sofa.

Wen’s mother said, “I wonder how the Fu family is doing.”

Jiang’s mother replied, “When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. Help them out if you can.”

Wen’s mother turned to the couple, “Yuyu, Huaiyu, you two should visit the hospital tomorrow.”

Fu Qingzi’s father had collapsed from the shock and was now hospitalized.

Upstairs, Wen Shuyu and Jiang Huaiyu exchanged a silent glance.

Jiang Huaiyu called Song Jinnan. The call connected quickly.
“If you need help, just say the word.”

“I will,” Song Jinnan replied.

Wen Shuyu was looking up news online. Reports were spreading that Fu Qingzi’s family’s food factory had been exposed for quality issues, bribing regulatory officials, and illegally obtaining safety certificates. The scandal caused their stock to plummet and hit the limit-down.

Public backlash surged. The company’s cash flow was on the verge of collapse.

From the outside, the business looked large and stable, but in reality, there wasn’t much liquid capital. Once something went wrong, if cash flow broke down, it would explode like a financial bomb.

“Don’t worry. We’ll ask about the situation tomorrow,” Jiang Huaiyu said, pulling her close.
To others she seemed like a prickly hedgehog, but to the people she cared about, she was gentle.

“Mm-hmm. Let’s sleep.”

—

Early the next morning, Wen Shuyu and Jiang Huaiyu bought some supplements and went to visit the hospital. Fu Qingzi had just woken up from a night of watching over her father. No makeup, no dressing up—completely bare-faced.

After a few pleasantries, Wen Shuyu and Fu Qingzi stepped out into the hallway.

“Xiao Zizi, I’m sorry—I just found out.”

Fu Qingzi waved her off.
“It’s not your fault. I was the one who kept it from you.”

“How’s Uncle Fu?”
Wen Shuyu hadn’t asked earlier while they were in the room.

“He’s okay. Just got overwhelmed and passed out. My mom’s taking care of him,” Fu Qingzi said with hesitation, then suddenly wrapped her arms around Wen Shuyu.
“Xiao Yu, I’m going to enter a marriage alliance.”

She couldn’t think of any other solution. If marrying someone could bring peace and stability to her parents, she was willing.

A marriage alliance was the most effective way to save a failing cash flow.

No second option.

Using marriage—especially a woman’s marriage—to gain benefits had been done for centuries.

When a war was lost or borders needed peace, no matter what happened, a princess would be sent off first to stabilize the situation.

And in the end, they’d still blame the woman, calling her a femme fatale.

Wen Shuyu gently patted her back, her palm soft and slow, as if soothing a baby.
“What about Song Jinnan?”

Leaning on her shoulder, Fu Qingzi mumbled,
“He came to me. Asked to marry me. I turned him down.”

Why drag someone else down with her?

Wen Shuyu understood. Fu Qingzi couldn’t bear to involve Song Jinnan. Strangers or people she wasn’t close to—those were easier. Everyone got what they needed, with less guilt.

Changing the subject, she asked,
“Uncle Fu isn’t the kind of person to do that. Was he framed?”

Fu Qingzi answered angrily,
“It was my cousin, Qi Zihao. That scumbag. But I can’t find any proof. And right now, he holds most of the power in the company.”

They thought they could easily bully her because she was the only daughter, trying to take the company for themselves.

“The law’s net is vast and wide, but nothing escapes it. Just wait and see, Yuyu’s got this.”
Wen Shuyu didn’t believe it. Was there no law left in the world?

Fu Qingzi: “Xiao Yuyu, you’re really great. Why don’t we get married?”

She was grateful for having a friend like her. Many of her so-called “friends” had heard about her family’s situation and had distanced themselves.

“Well… I can’t commit bigamy.” Wen Shuyu scratched her head, glancing at the man behind her.

“Ha ha, Jiang Huaiyu’s eyes are already stabbing me! Alright, alright, I’m fine. You go make money and support me.” Fu Qingzi pushed her away playfully.

Wen Shuyu made a “call me” gesture. “If anything happens, remember to call me.”

“Don’t worry.”

She said don’t worry, but Wen Shuyu wasn’t reassured.

They walked out of the hospital room, their hands still linked.

Jiang Huaiyu: “You can help her, I’ll help too, but you can’t take unnecessary risks, like last time.”

Just thinking about it made him nervous. What if Xie Mo panicked and did something extreme? Or if he figured something out?

He knew her too well, and with one glance, Jiang Huaiyu could tell what she wanted to do. Wen Shuyu swore,
“I’ll do it the proper way.”

She muttered softly, “Unless there’s a special circumstance.”

His sharp ears caught it. “Tell me first, so I can be prepared and go with you.”

Wen Shuyu tilted her head and smiled.
“Oh, I see. Taking President Jiang along to do something bad.”

A pair of eyes had been watching them the entire time, and as soon as they entered the elevator, Lu Yunheng emerged from the corner.

Their relationship was far better than he had imagined—inseparable.

He had seen it so many times with his own eyes, yet he still couldn’t bring himself to give up.

After sending Wen Shuyu downstairs, Jiang Huaiyu gave her one last warning,
“Don’t make decisions on your own. You’re married. Think about your husband.”

Wen Shuyu raised four fingers.
“I know, I won’t leave you a widower.”

Holding a cup of coffee in her hand, Wen Shuyu knocked on the door of another office.
“Lawyer Cheng, I need a favor.”

This was not her area of expertise, especially dealing with economic and financial cases.

She came to ask how to investigate such matters or how to turn the situation around effectively.

Cheng Xianzhi listened and then gave her some advice.
“Why not try thinking from a different angle? This kind of thing—changing the company’s direction or making fake accounts—takes time, but if it involves relatives, it depends on how ruthless you’re willing to be.”

He could only offer this much advice.

His words woke Wen Shuyu from her reverie.
“I understand now. Thank you, Lawyer Cheng.”

Cheng Xianzhi typed on the keyboard.
“Another favor, huh?”

“Yes, I’m leaving now.”

She stepped out and immediately called Fu Qingzi.
“Xiao Zizi, does your lousy cousin have any weaknesses?”

His name wasn’t even worth mentioning.

Fu Qingzi: “He’s greedy and lecherous. Money is more important than women. Xiao Yuyu, don’t tell me you’re planning to seduce him. It’s not worth it.”

Friends were more important than herself.

Wen Shuyu thought of Jiang Huaiyu and replied,
“No, I have my husband.”

Fu Qingzi: “There’s nothing else, let me ask my dad.”

After hanging up, Fu Qingzi hadn’t had a chance to speak to her father yet when Qi Zihao sent her a voice message.
“Hey, cousin, I’ve found you several good marriage prospects.”

All the photos were of middle-aged men—balding, big bellies, or divorced with kids.

Fu Qingzi was so angry that she turned off her phone and threw it in her bag.

She lay on the bed, sulking.

In the afternoon, Wen Shuyu came to the hospital to discuss strategies with Fu Qingzi, not avoiding Fu’s father.

At first, Wen Shuyu didn’t mention the plan. She stole a glance at the person on the bed, feeling a little embarrassed before speaking.
“Have you really not considered Song Jinnan for the marriage alliance? He’s probably better than the 40-year-old with two kids your cousin found for you, and at least he’s not as old as Uncle Fu.”

She dropped the bombshell about the marriage prospects, delivering a strong blow to Fu’s father.

“Ahem.” Fu’s father cleared his throat twice.
“What marriage, what prospects?”

Wen Shuyu acted surprised.
“Ah, Uncle Fu, you didn’t know?”

She closed her mouth and fell silent, refusing to say anything more.

Changing the subject, she added,
“Your cousin is a pervert. I’ll go see him and get some information, just the usual way.”

She also observed Fu’s father with the corner of her eye. His expression slightly changed, and he opened his mouth but didn’t say anything.

“Let’s go out and plan it slowly.” Wen Shuyu pulled Fu Qingzi out of the room.

Fu Qingzi sighed,
“Do you think my dad will soften? Qi Zihao is the successor he’s been grooming. It’s my fault, I’m useless.”

Before this, the two of them had discussed the plan. The seductive approach wouldn’t work—it would be hard to gain trust in a short amount of time.

Wen Shuyu comforted her,
“It’s not your fault. He wants too much, too soon. Uncle Fu is about to retire; it’ll eventually be his anyway. As for you, you’re already a rich second generation. You don’t pose a threat to him.”

The truth was clear to everyone—greed would lead to overreach.

Leaving the hospital building, Jiang Huaiyu had a stern look on his face.
“I won’t agree to you using seduction.”

What a fool.

Wen Shuyu glanced around, then teased him,
“If something like this happened to my family, you wouldn’t want me to marry some old man, would you?”

Jiang Huaiyu reassured her,
“No, everything will be fine. I’m here.”

“What if our relationship wasn’t good before?” Wen Shuyu reminded him.

Jiang Huaiyu held her hand, rubbing it gently in his palm.
“Then I still wouldn’t leave you. I’ve always been your backup.”

“Even before we were married?”

“Yes.” He didn’t hesitate for a second.

Scenes of their past played out in her mind—discussions about marriage, the life they would share afterward—over and over again. Wen Shuyu had a feeling.

The sycamore trees swayed in the breeze, and a leaf fluttered to her feet. She looked down at the long, slanted shadows of the two of them on the ground.

Wen Shuyu looked up and met his peach blossom eyes,
“Jiang Huaiyu, when did you start liking me?”

Her intuition told her it wasn’t recently.