Volume One, Chapter Four: Convinced She Is a Schemer

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Mr. Su knew his daughter was strong-willed and absolutely could not tolerate having a second daughter at home competing for attention. But that daughter was born secretly from his first love, and Mr. Su was curious about how she was doing now—he wanted to find out.

"Xiao Mian, she’s your older sister. I hope you won’t be hostile towards her. Don’t worry, as the eldest lady of the Su family, she won’t compete with you," Mr. Su reassured her.

Su Mian turned her face away and snorted lightly, "That depends on whether she’s aware of that."

The next moment, her eyes darted, and she asked, "Dad, where is she? When are you going to pick her up?"

Mr. Su sighed, "It’s not that simple. All we know is that she went to a small town back then. We haven’t pinpointed the exact location yet."

Su Mian thought to herself, hoping both mother and daughter were no longer alive, so she and her mother wouldn’t have to live in fear.

Jiang Shuwei was dissatisfied with how the scandal over the thesis had been handled.

Making Su Mian lower her noble head and clarify was already the bottom line.

If she continued to stir up trouble, it wouldn’t just anger He Jincheng—it would hurt those who truly cared about her, and she couldn’t bear that.

In the middle of the night, Jiang Shuwei was sound asleep.

Her phone rang; groggy, she reached for it and pressed it to her ear, "Hello, who is this?"

"It’s me. Tingting is sick and wants to see you," came the calm male voice—it was He Jincheng.

Jiang Shuwei was instantly awake, sitting up, "What’s wrong with Tingting?"

"Fever," the man said tersely.

"Send me the address," Jiang Shuwei tossed the phone aside and hurried to change.

An hour later, Jiang Shuwei rushed into the hospital room and saw He Tingting lying in He Jincheng’s arms, her little face flushed red as she slept.

He Jincheng sat on the sofa, holding a small blanket over her, his handsome face weary.

"How did she suddenly get a fever?" Jiang Shuwei whispered.

He Jincheng replied coldly, "The doctor said it’s a bacterial infection. She just took fever medicine and hasn’t started sweating yet."

Jiang Shuwei sat beside her, looking on with a heart full of concern; when a child is sick, the adults worry just as much.

He Tingting had lost her mother when she was just over three. Her father remarried, and all her family were relatives from the He side.

"Mommy..." In the feverish haze, Tingting reached out her small hand, trying to grasp something.

He Jincheng caught her finger, and she gradually slipped back into sleep.

Jiang Shuwei could do nothing but quietly keep her company.

He Jincheng looked exhausted, eyes closed as he leaned back in the chair and dozed off.

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Jiang Shuwei’s gaze fell on the man’s face.

Thinking of how he had accompanied Su Mian to the press conference today, caring for her, a sharp sting pierced her heart.

As his wife, she had never received such treatment.

He Jincheng was cold and indifferent towards her. Regarding anything about her, his attitude was clear: as long as she didn’t cause trouble, it was fine.

If it was just for appearances, he wouldn’t make things difficult for her, but when it came to feelings, there was nothing.

Jiang Shuwei snorted quietly to herself—perhaps she no longer needed to expect anything.

He Tingting began to sweat; her hair was damp, and her back was covered in sweat.

He Jincheng said to Jiang Shuwei, "Help wipe her with a towel."

Jiang Shuwei took a dry towel and gently wiped He Tingting.

The little girl stirred awake, eyes confused as she looked at Jiang Shuwei, then reached out, "Mommy, hold me."

Both Jiang Shuwei and He Jincheng were stunned.

The next second, He Jincheng’s gaze fixed heavily on Jiang Shuwei.

Jiang Shuwei met his angry eyes and silently sighed—he wouldn’t think she had coached Tingting to call her that, would he?

"Give her to me," Jiang Shuwei said, taking Tingting from his arms. She held her gently and wiped her sweat.

The little one seemed to feel the softer touch, sinking back into sleep. Her tiny hands clutched Jiang Shuwei’s sleeve tightly and didn’t let go, even while asleep.

He Jincheng got up and stepped outside the room to smoke.

When he returned, he glanced at Jiang Shuwei with a cold look.

Passing over her, he said in a low voice, "Don’t pursue the Su Mian matter any further."

Jiang Shuwei, already angry, let out a light scoff, "Her apology was insincere."

"No matter what, this is the end of it," He Jincheng insisted. He wouldn’t allow her to stir up trouble anymore. The Su family was cooperating with him, and he couldn’t just ignore it.

Jiang Shuwei lowered her head, silent, unwilling to argue further.

He Jincheng’s favoritism was too obvious.

Jiang Shuwei refrained from making a fuss out of respect for the old man and her mother-in-law, not because of He Jincheng himself.

He thought she had relented and softened, so he eased his tone, "From now on, don’t mention having children in front of Grandpa and my mother."

Jiang Shuwei, head bowed, suddenly looked up at him sharply.

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Seeing her guilty expression, He Jincheng’s displeasure showed, "You should understand that children should be born from love, not as tools to bind a man."

Jiang Shuwei felt a dull ache in her chest. He actually thought she was the one pushing for children behind his back.

"I agree with you," Jiang Shuwei nodded, "Don’t worry. I’ve been afraid of pain since I was little. Having children, something life-threatening, is really not something I’ve ever thought about."

He Jincheng glanced at her, knowing she was just being stubborn and making excuses.

In truth, she probably dreamed of having his child every night.

"When Grandpa and Mom pressure you, do you know what to say?" He Jincheng wanted to make this clear to avoid further trouble.

He didn’t want to be scolded by the old man repeatedly over this matter.

Jiang Shuwei was stunned. Couldn’t she just say no?

"Or, how about you suffer a bit and find a trusted doctor to issue a certificate of infertility for Grandpa and Mom to see? That way, they won’t pressure you anymore." She had always loved brainteasers and was decisive when it came to solving problems.

He Jincheng’s expression darkened.

Jiang Shuwei gave him a fake smile. The man looked away coldly, "Absolutely impossible."

Her smile vanished instantly. She lowered her head and whispered, "Do you want me to get a certificate? But I don’t want to ruin my reputation either."

He Jincheng silently clenched his fist. Jiang Shuwei had always been cunning and scheming, especially skilled at sweet-talking elders to win their favor.

At dawn, after He Tingting’s fever broke, her spirit recovered. She opened her eyes and sweetly coaxed, "Auntie, when did you come? Was it while I was dreaming? I dreamed of you!"

Jiang Shuwei gently hugged her, "Because you were sick, Auntie was very worried about you."

"Thank you, Auntie. You’re so nice. I love you so much," He Tingting hugged Jiang Shuwei’s waist tightly, her little face pressed close.

He Jincheng, watching this scene from the side, looked displeased.

He couldn’t understand why Grandpa and Mom liked her, but why was Tingting so clingy to her as well?

He was even more certain that behind his back, Jiang Shuwei had worked hard to win the niece’s affection. To firmly secure her position as Mrs. He, she really had used every trick.

He Jincheng’s lips tightened. Jiang Shuwei should know that the more schemes she devised, the more he would be annoyed with her.

Sincerity was precious, but she had none.