Chapter 8: Have You Ever Acted Like a Husband?

“Oh, Rou’er! Are you okay?!” Qin Shu exclaimed in alarm, though she also felt a little like laughing. Seeing this, Shen Jingjue quickly stepped forward, bent down, and tried to pull Jin Enrou up from the floor, but she just refused to move. “Wuwu… Brother Jingjue… I fell so hard… it hurts… please carry me…” Jin Enrou whined pitifully, her knees numb from the fall. Tang Qiao’er crossed her arms, glaring coldly at the heap of a woman on the floor. Jin Enrou, that seasoned green tea, always became fragrant the moment she encountered Shen Jingjue, her cup of hot water. “Brother Jingjue… Miss Bai… she pushed me!” Jin Enrou timidly hid in the man’s arms, her eyes darting a venomous glance at Tang Qiao’er. “Rou’er, what did you say?” Shen Jingjue froze. “Are you sure I pushed you?” Tang Qiao’er didn’t get angry; instead, she smiled, watching her performance. “Would I have fallen on the ground by myself?” Jin Enrou’s usually delicate voice rose in anger. “Well, it’s not impossible, you know. You’re so sickly, practically on your deathbed. Maybe a gust of wind just blew you over, who knows?” “You… you’re wishing me dead?!” Jin Enrou’s face flushed with anger. “When I walked past, I distinctly felt your hand push me! Are you going to deny what you did?!” “Miss Jin, this is a society of laws now. There are cameras everywhere, so you can’t just make wild accusations.” Suddenly, Tang Qiao’er’s clear, limpid eyes darkened, her presence becoming intimidating. “If I find evidence, I can absolutely sue you for defamation.” Shen Jingjue’s pupils widened in shock. He felt that the current Bai Xiaoxiao was completely different. She was no longer the quiet, lonely, humble wife who dutifully stayed in an empty room. Jin Enrou was clearly suppressed by Tang Qiao’er’s overwhelming aura and quickly sought help from Qin Shu with her eyes. “Oh, a misunderstanding, it’s all a misunderstanding!” Qin Shu secretly glanced at the camera above her head and laughed, trying to smooth things over. “It must be that you, Rou’er, weren’t steady and accidentally fell, brushing against Xiaoxiao, so you thought she pushed you. It’s all a misunderstanding!” “Rou’er, did you really just lose your balance?” Shen Jingjue looked down at the woman in his arms, his tone slightly cool. “I… I thought she pushed me…” The man’s eyes narrowed. Jin Enrou panicked and simply argued illogically, “If she hadn’t moved away, I wouldn’t have fallen! She clearly did it on purpose! My bracelet is broken too, and it was left to me by my grandmother! It’s a family heirloom of the Jin family, and it wouldn’t have broken if it weren’t for her! Miss Bai, I know you’re upset about divorcing Brother Jingjue, but you shouldn’t take it out on me like this. Is it my fault that you two broke up?” With that, Jin Enrou started crying again. She truly was like a thousand-year-old faucet spirit. “First, I’m not upset. On the contrary, I should thank you for helping me escape from a life of misery, no longer having to be a resentful wife waiting from dusk till dawn.” Tang Qiao’er lifted her chin slightly, retorting. From dusk till dawn? Shen Jingjue’s impossibly handsome face stiffened. “Second, if this bracelet really is a family heirloom, then you should thank me today.” Saying that, Tang Qiao’er walked over, picked up half of the bracelet, and held it up to the light. “Fake.” “What?!” Jin Enrou was utterly stunned, and even Qin Shu was shocked. “This bracelet is filled with glue. Wearing it for a long time is actually bad for your health. Toxic substances can penetrate your skin and affect your blood system.” Tang Qiao’er tossed it, and the broken half of the bracelet landed in the trash can. The green jade bracelet on her own wrist, a gift from her grandfather, was the greatest mockery to Jin Enrou. “Mr. Shen, Miss Jin is practically yours now. You should at least get her some nice jewelry.” “Bai Xiaoxiao.” Shen Jingjue’s brows furrowed with a hint of displeasure. “I still have a jade toad on the dressing table at the Shen family home. If my dear sister doesn’t mind, she can take it and have a pair of bracelets made from it.” Tang Qiao’er brushed off imaginary dust from her hands, as if even touching that bracelet had soiled her. Toad… toad?! Bai Xiaoxiao, that wretch, was clearly calling her names in a roundabout way! Jin Enrou was so furious she felt like her soul was leaving her body. She wanted to retort, but Tang Qiao’er had already walked away with a flourish. … Outside the hospital. Tang Qiao’er couldn’t stop laughing like a goose, thinking of Jin Enrou’s foolish, defeated expression. “Bai Xiaoxiao.” Hearing Shen Jingjue’s magnetic voice close to her ear, she turned back indifferently. A gentle breeze blew, lifting a few strands of her dark hair, adding a touch of pure, alluring beauty to her. Shen Jingjue narrowed his eyes and walked up to her. “Any more instructions, Mr. Shen?” Tang Qiao’er’s expression was coldly devoid of emotion. “If Miss Jin is still upset about her bracelet, tell her I’ll buy a carload of them from the antique market tomorrow and send them to her.” “Just now in the ward, you told Grandpa…” “Oh, that? Don’t overthink it. I just didn’t want to make Grandpa angry.” Only when she mentioned her grandfather did her gaze soften. “Consider us even.” Tang Qiao’er looked confused. “?” “The matter of you faking your identity and deceiving everyone to marry me, consider us even. I won’t tell Grandpa, or anyone else in the Shen family.” Shen Jingjue’s expression was somber, his starry eyes holding a sharp glint. Tang Qiao’er’s eyes widened. Good heavens! Was he serious? “But you must tell me, why did you use a fake identity when you married me? No, I should ask this way.” Shen Jingjue’s handsome figure slowly approached her. “What was your purpose in using a fake identity to approach Grandpa back then?” Tang Qiao’er’s heart suddenly tightened, and she secretly tried to step back. But she forgot there were steps behind her. Her foot missed, and she gasped, falling backward! The next second, however, she felt a warm embrace around her waist. Shen Jingjue had steadily caught her. Their eyes met. Tang Qiao’er’s face subtly flushed, and the man’s breathing also became uneven. Even now, she still found Shen Jingjue’s appearance breathtaking, perfectly matching her aesthetic. Thirteen years ago, Tang Qiao’er was only eleven. In the terrifying darkness and pouring rain, she would forever remember those eyes, as bright as stars. Shen Jingjue had saved her life. Without him, Tang Qiao’er wouldn’t be alive today. But the current Shen Jingjue had also hurt her so much that it felt like she had walked through the gates of hell again. The man’s arm tightened, steadying Tang Qiao’er. “Thanks.” “Answer my question from earlier.” Shen Jingjue persisted. “I’m no longer your wife. I have the right not to tell you.” Tang Qiao’er sneered, turning away. “Since you said we owe each other nothing, why are you still clinging to me? Even if I used a fake identity, I didn’t do anything to harm you in these three years, did I?” Suddenly, Shen Jingjue grabbed her arm, his expression extremely grim. “We haven’t officially divorced yet. Technically, you’re still my wife. So you have an obligation to let me know your identity!” “No comment!” Tang Qiao’er’s breathing was rapid, her eyes reddening. “Mr. Shen, you keep talking about obligations. Don’t you think that’s ridiculous? You haven’t fulfilled your husbandly duties for three years, so why are you demanding wifely duties from me?!” “Bai Xiaoxiao, don’t think I can’t do anything if you don’t tell me!” Shen Jingjue abruptly pulled her into his arms, their breaths mingling. He wasn’t easily angered, but ever since this woman left him, she had been constantly hitting his trigger points. What nerve! “Then go investigate, what’s the point of asking?” Tang Qiao’er forcefully pulled her hand free and left without looking back. Shen Jingjue watched the woman’s cool, graceful retreating figure, remembering her fiery red lips and those sharp, weapon-like black high heels. A strange tightness filled his chest. Why had she changed to this style? Was she trying to cater to Tang Yue’s taste? Scheming and fickle, he truly didn’t know what Grandpa saw in her! “Mr. Shen, Miss Jin says she twisted her ankle and is crying, asking you to come up and see her.” Han Xian panted as he caught up. Suddenly, the roar of a sports car engine shook the ground. “Ah! It’s… it’s Young Madam!” Shen Jingjue was stunned, seeing his ex-wife, driving a sports car, wearing oversized black sunglasses that covered half her face, arrogantly flash past him! She was driving a top-tier, limited-edition supercar, a Bugatti La Voiture Noire. “Young Madam… she’s a hidden rich woman, holy cow!” Han Xian’s eyes were wide with disbelief. Shen Jingjue’s dark eyes deepened, and his hand at his side slowly clenched into a fist. “Follow her!”