Jiang Shiyu had barely landed when she stumbled and fell into the man's arms again.
"In such a hurry, my wife? It's not appropriate on the street. Let's do it when we get home..."
The man steadied her, leaning close to her fair, tender ear, his voice deep and husky.
"You..."
Jiang Shiyu's face flushed. She bit her lower lip, shook off his hand, and went to help Che Che into the car.
That night, after coaxing Che Che to sleep, Jiang Shiyu suddenly remembered something. She warmed a cup of milk and placed it by Murong Cheng's hand.
"Ling Sheng is cooperating with the Murong family?"
"Yes."
Murong Cheng stopped his work, took the warm milk, and cradled it in his hands. His long, distinct fingers were even more beautiful than the milky white liquid. "Why?"
"It's compensation for the ruckus you caused last time you were home, to settle things down."
Jiang Shiyu deflated.
She hadn't expected it to be because of her.
Under the warm lamplight, the man glanced down at the little woman's dejected expression and said lightly:
"You know Rong Xue's personality; she won't stop until she achieves her goal. This is just going with the flow and doing them a favor; it's not because of you."
Even so, Jiang Shiyu knew the man was trying to comfort her. Thinking of Murong Ruofeng, she felt an overwhelming sense of irony.
The next day at work, Jiang Shiyu was surprised by Murong Ruofeng's audacity in stopping her in the hallway.
"Did you receive the wedding invitation?"
Murong Ruofeng stared intently at Jiang Shiyu, his gaze unusually fervent.
Jiang Shiyu felt uncomfortable all over. "Yes, I received it. I don't have time to go. Goodbye!"
Murong Ruofeng blocked Jiang Shiyu's path. "Shiyu, can't you stop acting like this? Can't we just talk properly?"
"Talk about what? I have nothing to talk about with you!"
Jiang Shiyu tried to leave, but Murong Ruofeng grabbed her arm. "Shiyu, you know I still have feelings for you!"
She felt disgusted, almost to the point of vomiting.
"Murong Ruofeng, please have some self-respect! You're getting married to Rong Xue, and you're about to become a father. Talking to me like this, don't you find it disgusting?"
"As for Rong Xue... the Murong family needs this money to get through this difficult time. I really have no choice!"
Jiang Shiyu sneered. "So, that's not an excuse for you to cheat on me!"
The Murong family only faced a financial crisis this month. How could Murong Ruofeng have foreseen it five months ago?
Jiang Shiyu flung Murong Ruofeng's hand away and walked forward without looking back.
Back in her office, as soon as she sat down, a text message popped up.
It was a photo.
A photo of Murong Ruofeng grabbing her arm in the hallway.
From that angle, it looked exactly like they were struggling and embracing.
"You're already the CEO's wife, yet you're still entangled with your ex. What would Murong Cheng do if he found out?"
Another text message followed.
Jiang Shiyu only glanced at it to know who it was from.
A boring trick!
She deleted the message and got busy with her work.
She took leave in the afternoon and rushed to the laboratory center.
Her grandfather's autopsy report was supposed to be out today.
When Jiang Shiyu arrived by taxi, she coincidentally received a call from a staff member at the laboratory center.
"The deceased tested positive for traces of chronic poison. Although the dosage was small, it accumulated over time, causing problems with the spleen. If it weren't for the in-depth examination, it wouldn't have been detected..."
Jiang Shiyu could no longer hear what the staff member was saying. She felt a wave of dizziness.
No wonder Jiang Dehai insisted on cremating her grandfather's body in the first few days after his death.
If her mother hadn't insisted on stopping the cremation, the last piece of evidence might have been destroyed.
On a bright August afternoon, with the sun shining high, Jiang Shiyu's hands and feet turned icy cold.
Her phone vibrated. Jiang Dehai's call came through.
Jiang Shiyu stared intently at the caller ID on her phone screen. It took all her strength to suppress the surging hatred.
"You went to your grandfather's cemetery? You unfilial daughter! You're causing trouble even after your grandfather's death! Are you ever going to let the Gu family live in peace?!"
As soon as the call was connected, Jiang Dehai started yelling, spewing all sorts of unpleasant words.
Jiang Shiyu listened quietly to Jiang Dehai's voice on the phone. Layers of hatred surged within her, almost breaking through her throat.
She forced herself to endure.
"A fortune teller said the burial site of my grandfather's grave had poor feng shui, so I moved him to a different location."
Murong Cheng had already made arrangements for all of this before she acted.
The body buried now was not her grandfather's.
Her grandfather's body was being kept in cold storage at the laboratory center.
There was no evidence yet to prove that Jiang Dehai had killed her grandfather.
She couldn't alert the enemy.
"Is that true?!" Jiang Dehai clearly didn't believe her, his voice full of suspicion.
Jiang Shiyu calmly replied, "Yes, I moved him to a location with excellent feng shui that will bless the Gu family's prosperity. If you don't believe me, you can find a feng shui master to consult."
Jiang Dehai's suspicion slightly eased. He then said fiercely, "You'd better not play any tricks! If I find out you're doing anything behind my back, I'll kill you!"
After hanging up, Jiang Shiyu curled her lips sarcastically.
Calling him her biological father felt more like calling him her enemy. Perhaps even an enemy would treat her more kindly than Jiang Dehai.
It was strange, she looked nothing like Jiang Yurou. Logically, even if they were half-sisters, there should be some resemblance. For example, Murong Cheng and Rong Xue had slight similarities upon closer inspection, but she and Jiang Yurou looked nothing alike.
Jiang Shiyu returned home early, bought some groceries from the supermarket, and then went to pick up Che Che from kindergarten at the appointed time. However, Murong Cheng seemed to be busy tonight; his calls went unanswered, and he didn't reply to her WeChat messages.
"Mommy, where did Daddy go?" Che Che asked vaguely at dinner, his mouth full of rice, remembering Murong Cheng.
"He's probably very busy with work," Jiang Shiyu said, putting some vegetables into Che Che's bowl.
Che Che obediently ate the bok choy in his bowl. "It's best if Daddy doesn't come back. Then Mommy will be all mine, and I can have Mommy all to myself!"
This personality was exactly like Murong Cheng's – domineering and possessive.
It was past eleven o'clock at night, and Murong Cheng still hadn't appeared. His phone remained unreachable, constantly going to voicemail. Fearing she would disturb Che Che, Jiang Shiyu went to the balcony to make a call. Both her first and second calls went unanswered.
As Jiang Shiyu was about to make a third call, she heard the door open behind her with a click.
Jiang Shiyu turned around and saw the man walking in, leaning against the wall, and closing the door with his foot, making quite a bit of noise.
"You..."
Jiang Shiyu walked towards Murong Cheng. The man was leaning against the wall, his head bowed, so she couldn't see his face. But as she got closer, a strong smell of alcohol hit her. Jiang Shiyu was startled; he had been drinking?
It must be for a business engagement!
Thinking this, Jiang Shiyu reached out to help Murong Cheng, but he slapped her hand away.
Hiss...
Jiang Shiyu gasped softly.