Maybe it was because we had lived together for so many years — even though he knew I was Jiang Wanwan and not Su Wan, he could always find something familiar in me.
So when he saw me with another man, it stirred his pride as a man.
How ironic. Back then, he and Su Ning'an would cling to each other right in front of me. He would always claim they were just "close like siblings." If I so much as showed a hint of jealousy, they'd say I was narrow-minded, filthy-minded even — every fault was pushed onto me.
But now, I was legally married to Lu Yanchen, his own uncle.Compared to them, we were far more justified — both legally and morally.
So I wanted to use this face, one that looked so much like Su Wan's, to flirt shamelessly with his uncle, just so he could finally taste the pain I once endured.
Lu Yanchen wasn't stupid. His body stiffened under my touch, but he didn't push me away. Deep down, he must have sensed that something wasn't quite right.
But the fact that he didn't reject me was already enough to make me grateful.
Lu Shiyan suppressed the sadness in his eyes and said with a faint tone of mockery,"I didn't realize my uncle and aunt were this close. If I remember correctly, my uncle already had someone in his heart, didn't he? Seems he's moved on pretty fast."
His words made my skin crawl. The audacity of this man — after everything he'd done, what right did he have to judge anyone?
Seeing him try to humiliate Lu Yanchen ignited something fiery inside me.My combat mode was fully activated.
I plopped myself right down on Lu Yanchen's lap, wrapped my arms around his neck, and nestled my head against the curve of his shoulder. My lips curled into a teasing, sultry smile.
The instant I pressed closer, I could feel Lu Yanchen's whole body go rigid like an ice sculpture — his back taut, his breath caught in his throat.
Honestly, I was nervous too. I'd spent enough time with him to know he was a cold man with a warm heart, but being this bold? I wasn't sure if he'd throw me off his lap. If he did, I'd die of embarrassment.
Thankfully, though he was as stiff as stone, he didn't shove me away.That only made me bolder.
"Brother Yanchen isn't a child anymore," I said sweetly. "It's normal for a man to like someone. Since he chose to marry me, that means he's already moved on from the past. I'll make sure we live well from now on. I'm not the type to hold grudges about old flames."
Lu Shiyan's words were clearly meant to provoke me. His own marriage was a disaster, so he wanted to drag others into his misery too.
Disgusting.
I leaned in even closer, my voice laced with mockery. "What's wrong, Little Lu? Want to stay and watch us live-stream our married life?"
He clearly hadn't expected me to react this way — not angry, not jealous — but rather more brazen and shameless.
When he finally slammed the door and left, my mood soared.
Compared to what I'd suffered before, this was nothing. Barely one percent of the pain I'd endured.
"Have you finished your little performance?"
A cold voice brushed against my ear. I froze, realizing I was still sitting in Lu Yanchen's lap.
"Sorry, Mr. Lu!" I jumped up immediately, standing straight with both hands by my sides like a child caught misbehaving.
His dark eyes studied me with a trace of curiosity. Then, calmly, he asked,"You seem to really hate Lu Shiyan, don't you?"
That wasn't even something I had to fake. I nodded firmly."Yes. I hate men like him — ones who abandon their brides on their wedding day. He probably already had a woman waiting outside. A shameless scumbag like that deserves to be cursed every time I see him."
Then I flashed him a sheepish grin. "I only acted that way to piss him off. I hope you don't mind, Mr. Lu."
"It's fine," he said, waving a hand dismissively.
But the way his ears turned bright red told a very different story.I couldn't help wondering — had he really never been with a woman before?
Surely not. He was a grown man. Just hugging him shouldn't make him that flustered, right?Didn't he have someone he loved?
As I was staring at him, lost in thought, he frowned. "Something else?"
That jolted my memory — the medical kit I was holding."Oh, right. Acupuncture."
He blinked. "You actually know how to do that?"
"Of course. Everyone I've treated said it worked wonders."
"Everyone?" His eyes narrowed slightly. "Who else have you done this for?"
I forced a laugh. "No one special. Just practice. You'll see how good it is once you try."
Under my persistent persuasion, he finally lay down on the bed and let me insert the needles.
Watching his breathing slow and steady, I suspected it wasn't my acupuncture at all — he was probably just exhausted.
After turning off the bedside lamp, I tiptoed toward the door.
But as soon as the room went dark, a hand shot out from the bed and grabbed mine — hard.
The grip was so tight it almost hurt. Thank goodness it wasn't my injured hand.
With just one arm, he pulled me into his embrace, his body strong and unyielding. His breath was hot against my ear as he murmured, half-asleep,"Don't leave me."
His voice was low, hoarse, laced with confusion — clearly not fully conscious.
I froze. Tried to wiggle free.But his arms locked around my waist like iron bands, leaving me no escape.
Fine. It was our wedding night, after all.
Besides, with his legs injured for so many years, I doubted he'd… react.
So I gave up struggling, closed my eyes, and stayed still, afraid of waking him.
By dawn, the arm around my waist stirred.
I blinked awake, only to find myself tangled up with him in a way far too intimate.
I was wearing only a thin nightdress, the neckline low enough to expose far too much.He wasn't much better — his gray sleep shirt gaped open, revealing smooth, pale skin beneath.
My bare leg was draped across his waist. My face rested right over his chest, feeling the steady thump of his heartbeat.
We looked every bit the picture of a real husband and wife.
Worse yet — his hand was still on my waist, his palm hot enough to burn.
"Mr. Lu, last night…"
My voice trailed off.
Because I could clearly feel… that Lu Yanchen was very much awake — and very much not unaffected.