Chapter 628 - 219: Your Eldest Brother Is a Man Who Gets Things Done (Part 3)

He had seen Lin Yaru’s beauty and was convinced that if she just pulled herself together and put some effort into her appearance, she would outshine Xu Chunyan. After all, Lin Yaru was younger.

He couldn’t bear the thought of a divorce. It had nothing to do with love; he was well aware that he didn’t love Lin Yaru. In fact, the more she pushed him away, the more it stoked his desire to conquer her.

Jie Jingwei was quite satisfied with his current life. He had a beautiful, legal wife at home and a devoted ex-wife on the side. He was enjoying the best of both worlds.

Jie Jingwei gripped Xu Chunyan’s shoulders, his expression dead serious. "Chunyan, marriage isn’t a game. I just divorced you, and it’s only been a few days since I registered my marriage with Lin Yaru. If I divorce her now, people will think there’s something wrong with my character. It would affect my career."

Listening to Jie Jingwei’s self-righteous excuses, a monstrous rage churned in Xu Chunyan’s heart, but she forced herself to swallow it. Since she couldn’t persuade Jie Jingwei, she would just have to focus her efforts on Lin Yaru instead.

Xu Chunyan forced a bitter, helpless smile. She sniffled, putting on a brave and considerate front as she said in a dejected voice, "I was wrong. I shouldn’t have pressured you."

Jie Jingwei sighed and caressed Xu Chunyan’s cheek, his heart filled with guilt. "Chunyan, I’m the one who has wronged you. You’ve had to endure so much."

’He certainly has wronged me,’ Xu Chunyan sneered inwardly. ’Divorcing me for his own selfish self-preservation.’

’And now he comes crawling back after the divorce, giving me false hope. Jie Jingwei’s selfishness knows no bounds.’

"Jing Er, I love you. I don’t mind the sacrifice," Xu Chunyan said, her eyes overflowing with affection. She did love him, that was true. But right now, she hated him, too. You could say her love had curdled into hate.

"I love you, too," Jie Jingwei said, making no secret of his love for her. They had fallen in love on their own and built a deep, solid foundation for their relationship before marrying and starting a family.

The two embraced for a moment before Xu Chunyan pushed him away. "You must be hungry. I’ll go make you something to eat."

"Okay." Jie Jingwei nodded. He really was starving. Before dawn, Lin Yaru had complained of a stomachache. He’d wanted to call his mother-in-law for help, but Lin Yaru wouldn’t let him, so he’d had no choice but to take her to the hospital on his bicycle.

On his way back from the hospital, he had run into Jie Jingchen and Qin Mei outside the Lin Family’s gate, leading to a whole upsetting ordeal. He hadn’t even eaten breakfast, and his mood had soured further thanks to his mother-in-law’s foul-smelling food. Then, Lin Yaru had scratched the back of his hand, forcing him to get several stitches at the hospital. Unwilling to go back to the Lin residence, he had come running to the Xu residence for comfort from Xu Chunyan.

"Where’s Xiao You?" Jie Jingwei followed Xu Chunyan into the kitchen.

Xu Chunyan answered while washing a pot. "My mom took Xiao You to visit relatives in the countryside."

"Did your brother go too?" Jie Jingwei hadn’t seen Xu Chunwang either.

"Yes," Xu Chunyan nodded.

Xu Chunyan cooked two bowls of noodles and fried two eggs. Jie Jingwei didn’t lift a finger the entire time—he didn’t even hand her a bowl. Jie Jinghun knew how to cook, Jie Jingchen knew how to cook, and even Jie Jingjue knew how to cook. But Jie Jingwei didn’t.

Jie Jingwei was ravenous and wolfed down his food. Xu Chunyan, on the other hand, had little appetite, her eyes occasionally flicking toward him.

「A few days later.」

Qin Mei got her hands on Zhang Haoyuan’s letter of introduction. By now, his injuries had mostly healed. Qin Mei considered her options: should she wait for Ah Bing’s next delivery of herbal medicine, or should she send Zhang Haoyuan to Ah Bing’s home herself?

Qin Mei propped her elbows on the desk, resting her chin in one hand. Her fingers drummed against the tabletop as she sank into thought.

Suddenly, Qin Mei shot to her feet and snapped her fingers. She had made her decision: she would go ask Zhang Haoyuan for his opinion.

Qin Mei got herself ready to go out, then knocked on Jie Jingshan’s door. Pushing it open just a crack, she poked her head inside. "Jing Qi, I’m heading out. You want to come?"

"Fourth Sister-in-law," Jie Jingshan said, hesitating for a moment. "I need to study."

"All right, then. Study hard. Our goal is to be the top scholar in the country. You can do it!" Qin Mei encouraged her, then closed the door.

Thanks to her persistent rehabilitation, Jing Qi’s leg was recovering better than Qin Mei had expected. She felt at ease leaving her home alone.

Qin Mei braved the scorching sun, pedaling her bicycle toward the train station at top speed.

Zhang Haoyuan was staying at the house she had bought near the train station. Jie Jingjue was there looking after him, renovating the house at the same time.

Qin Mei bought three popsicles and walked her bicycle to the house. Instead of calling out for Jie Jingjue, she let herself in with her key. To prevent her bike from being stolen, she carried it inside, then closed and deadbolted the door.

The first floor wasn’t renovated yet, so Qin Mei headed upstairs, popsicles in hand.

"Brother Zhang, help me hold the ladder." Jie Jingjue was busy with some carpentry, calling over to Zhang Haoyuan for a hand.