Chapter 80: I Won't Let You Off Easily

Noticing Jiang Yunzhu’s inner turmoil, Shen Ruizhang watched her expression closely with his dark eyes, betraying nothing himself. Especially her eyes—he had observed them for so long that even the slightest shift could not escape him. She was conflicted.

With a bitter smile, Shen Ruizhang said, “It’s getting late and you must be tired. Let me take you home so you can rest.” He reached out, as he used to, to take her hand, but she avoided him without hesitation. She stepped back, her delicate face filled with resistance. “I can go back by myself. You should stay with Grandma at the hospital.”

With that, she gave him no chance to say more, hurrying away. Watching her retreating figure, Shen Ruizhang’s eyes flickered with struggle before they returned to their usual coldness. He silently turned and went back to the ward.

Upon returning home, Jiang Yunzhu instinctively took out her phone and dialed Shen Tingxiao’s number. The call was quickly answered, his hoarse voice coming through the line. “Are you missing me, Yunzhu?”

Hearing his familiar voice, her eyes grew hot with unshed tears. After a long pause, she murmured an assent, leaning against the window, her fingers absentmindedly tracing its frame. “I just wanted to hear your voice. You must be busy right now—am I disturbing your work again?”

Sensing the heaviness in her tone, Shen Tingxiao, who had been looking at documents, paused, set them aside, and walked to his own window. “You’re not disturbing me. I just finished and was about to rest. Today, on the road, I ran into a bird. It kept circling above my head—do you think it wants to build a nest up there?”

A genuine laugh escaped her lips. His little joke swept away the gloom in her heart, and her mood instantly lifted. “Then you’d better be careful. If it really builds a nest on your head, that would be the most beautiful sight in the whole world.”

“If it does, you’ll be the first to see it. Is that all right?”

“All right.”

They chatted about everything and nothing; Jiang Yunzhu’s spirits soared, and Shen Ruizhang was all but forgotten. Before hanging up, Jiang Yunzhu blushed, pleading softly, “When you’re done with work, will you come see me? I want to see you soon.”

“Yunzhu…” Shen Tingxiao’s voice turned hoarse again, the passion he had been suppressing now laid bare. “Wait for me. It won’t be long.”

“All right.”

She hung up and stared at her phone for a long while before rubbing her face, forcing herself to smile again.

But the relief was fleeting.

Just now, she had wanted to tell Shen Tingxiao about Grandma Shen, but seeing how tired he was, she didn’t want to add to his worries. Maybe she should visit Grandma Shen at the hospital again tomorrow?

With that thought, Jiang Yunzhu quickly composed herself and returned to her work.

The next morning, she brought the soup she had made at dawn to the hospital. Just as she arrived at the entrance, Zhou Qingfei blocked her path.

Zhou Qingfei looked haggard, as though she hadn't slept all night. Her clothes were disheveled, giving her the appearance of someone who had fled. “Jiang Yunzhu, you must be satisfied with yourself now, right? The old lady wants you as her daughter-in-law. Your dream is coming true—you must be delighted.”

Jiang Yunzhu frowned in displeasure, staring coldly at Zhou Qingfei. Zhou Qingfei sneered, then caressed her stomach with a triumphant smile. “I’m carrying A-Rui’s child. Only I am the true Mrs. Shen. As for you…” Her gaze grew sharp. “I won’t let you off easily. Go to hell!”

No sooner had she spoken than Zhou Qingfei lunged at Jiang Yunzhu. Acting on instinct, Jiang Yunzhu raised her hand to block her. Before she could push Zhou Qingfei away, the latter was already falling backward—a scene that, from another angle, could appear as though Jiang Yunzhu had pushed her.

Jiang Yunzhu frowned, staring at Zhou Qingfei in disbelief. Was she really willing to use her own child as a pawn just to frame her? How ruthless.

But Zhou Qingfei laughed wildly, confident that she would succeed in driving Jiang Yunzhu away. Yet, before she could fall, a strong hand reached out and caught her—it was Shen Ruizhang.

Once Zhou Qingfei was steady, Shen Ruizhang pushed her away as though she were something vile. “A-Rui…” Zhou Qingfei’s eyes grew misty as she looked at him pitifully. “It was Jiang Yunzhu—she pushed me because she’s jealous I’m having your child.”

“Enough!” Shen Ruizhang’s face darkened as he barked, “I warned you not to cause trouble, especially not for Yunzhu. If you keep ignoring me, don’t blame me for what happens next.” With that, he waved for the bodyguards.

As the bodyguards surrounded her, Zhou Qingfei panicked. “What are you doing, Shen Ruizhang? Don’t forget I’m carrying your child! Jiang Yunzhu, she—”

“Be quiet!” Shen Ruizhang snapped.

He then turned anxiously toward Jiang Yunzhu. “Yunzhu, I didn’t know she’d come to find you. Don’t worry, I’ll have her locked up right now. She won’t trouble you again.”

“There’s no need,” Jiang Yunzhu refused him without hesitation, casting a look of disgust at Zhou Qingfei. If Zhou Qingfei hadn’t come looking for trouble, Jiang Yunzhu could have pretended she didn’t exist.

Meeting Jiang Yunzhu’s cold, frosty gaze, Zhou Qingfei shivered involuntarily, a sense of foreboding creeping over her. Run!

The thought flashed through her mind, and she acted on it, but as soon as she turned, more bodyguards blocked her path. It was obvious they had been arranged by Jiang Yunzhu.

Ignoring Zhou Qingfei, Jiang Yunzhu addressed Shen Ruizhang seriously, “Uncle, I’m sure you don’t want anyone upsetting Grandma again. If you can’t make the decision, then allow me.”

She threw another disdainful glance at Zhou Qingfei. “Miss Zhou, you must pay for what you’ve done. Don’t think you can bully my people at will.”

With a gesture, she signaled the bodyguards to take Zhou Qingfei away.

Seeing that Shen Ruizhang had no intention of helping her—his eyes were fixed tenderly on Jiang Yunzhu, filled with overflowing affection—Zhou Qingfei was nearly driven mad with jealousy. Shen Ruizhang’s love should have belonged to her!

“A-Rui…” she cried.

“Gag her. Don’t let the old lady know about any of this,” Shen Ruizhang ordered.

Soon, Zhou Qingfei was led away, her mouth stuffed.

Shen Ruizhang turned to Jiang Yunzhu with a doting smile. “Yunzhu, I won’t let Zhou Qingfei disturb us again. Will you agree to a fake marriage with me?”

Bringing up the topic once more, Jiang Yunzhu no longer avoided it and refused without hesitation. “I’m sorry, but I can’t agree.”

The words had barely left her lips when a doctor came rushing over. “Something’s wrong—the old lady has suffered a shock and has been taken to surgery. Which of you is her family? Please come upstairs and sign the papers.”

Hearing that the old lady was in surgery, both of them forgot everything else and followed the doctor into the elevator. Jiang Yunzhu’s face turned pale with fright, her whole body stiff and her eyes vacant as she stared ahead.