Chapter 4: Bringing Home a Freeloader

Man? Song Jiajia is so bold; in this day and age, she can’t get close to a man like that. She actually brought a man home? Does that mean she no longer wants Lu Hao?

Sang Yu pushed her way through the crowd watching the drama, staring at the tightly shut door, hesitating whether to knock.

“小Yu, why aren’t you going in?” Auntie, who lived upstairs and usually didn’t get along with Chen Jinlan, was standing at the door. Now she was the first to watch the spectacle, her gaze on Sang Yu filled with an eagerness that had never been there before.

Sang Yu blinked innocently and said, “Auntie, isn’t this a bit inappropriate? It seems Aunt Chen is very angry.”

“What’s inappropriate? It’s because she’s angry that we need to open the door quickly. What if your aunt hits someone when she’s furious?”

At the mention of hitting, Sang Yu looked a little scared and took a few steps back. “Auntie, it’s no good. If I open the door now, Aunt Chen will hit me.”

“We can’t let that happen, we’ll stop her!” The woman’s voice was impatient.

Sang Yu hesitated, but the woman urged her, “Don’t worry, little Yu, Auntie promises your aunt won’t hit you.”

Others behind her also promised to help hold Aunt Chen back.

Only then did Sang Yu slowly take the key out of her bag.

Under the eager gazes of the crowd, she opened the door.

As soon as it opened, Chen Jinlan’s overwhelming scolding poured out: “Do you have any shame? How am I supposed to explain this to others?”

“I don’t care, I’m going to marry Brother Lu no matter what.”

Brother Lu—Sang Yu caught the way Song Jiajia addressed him.

So the man beside Song Jiajia must be Lu Hao.

But was Song Jiajia being a bit too impatient, already with Lu Hao at this moment?

As the door opened, the crowd outside pressed closer, disturbing those inside.

Chen Jinlan and the others turned to the doorway.

Sang Yu looked innocent. “Aunt Chen, are you alright?”

Seeing so many people behind Sang Yu, the anger inside Chen Jinlan couldn’t fully burst out.

She suppressed her fury and said, “I’m fine. Little Yu is back? Come in quickly.”

Sang Yu stepped inside a couple of paces. “Aunties outside said you were very angry today, so I wanted to come see.”

“It’s nothing. Little Yu, close the door.”

“Close what? Jinlan, if Jiajia wants to marry, then let her. What’s the point of stopping her? Look, she even brought him home.”

The first aunt squeezed inside, grinning.

Chen Jinlan clenched her anger. “Li Rumei, this is none of your business.”

Li Rumei wasn’t angry, instead smiling sweetly. “We’re just concerned. We’re neighbors, aren’t we?”

No one outside dared to answer, but their eyes watching the drama were blatant.

Chen Jinlan’s face turned green with anger.

Song Jiajia’s eyes flickered. “Mom, Aunt Li is right. Why close the door? It’s not like it’s something shameful.”

Then she shouted to the neighbors outside, “When I get married, I’ll give everyone candy!”

Chen Jinlan nearly fainted at Song Jiajia’s words.

Sang Yu shook her head at Song Jiajia’s triumphant expression.

It would have been better if she kept it quiet; now everyone knew.

Chen Jinlan was likely to die of anger.

After all, years ago, Chen Jinlan had already boasted to the neighbors that her daughter was going to marry a soldier. A few years back, after he left the military, he became the captain of a police squad.

Then Chen Jinlan proudly said that although he retired from the army, he was still a squad captain in the police.

She had been so proud.

Now Song Jiajia was shouting so loudly that everyone knew. How long before they found out about her switching fiancés?

“Jiajia, is this your fiancé? The one from the police? He’s not bad looking.”

Aunt Li joked.

Song Jiajia’s face stiffened, forgetting about that.

Lu Hao, standing beside her, flickered with displeasure in his eyes. “My name is Lu Hao. Hello, aunties.”

“Lu Hao? Didn’t you say his name was Jiang Jingming?” Aunt Li was the first to notice something was off.

Chen Jinlan wished she could tear Song Jiajia’s mouth apart!

Suddenly, Song Jiajia looked at Sang Yu with a wronged expression. “Actually, Brother Lu is my cousin’s fiancé. My cousin didn’t want to marry him. She wanted to marry Jiang Jingming instead, so she swapped with me. My cousin lost her parents years ago, and I felt sorry for her, so I agreed.”

From the moment Sang Yu entered, Lu Hao’s gaze remained fixed on her.

Because of malnutrition, Sang Yu was small and thin, but even so, her delicate features were undeniable.

At first, Lu Hao regretted listening to his grandmother and agreeing to the marriage swap.

Although Song Jiajia was pretty, she couldn’t compare to Sang Yu.

But now, hearing Song Jiajia’s words and recalling what she said at home yesterday, he thought: Sang Yu was just a vain woman. How could such a woman deserve him?

Lu Hao looked at Sang Yu with a mix of disappointment and disgust.

Sang Yu was about to smile—who gave him the right to look at her like that?

After all, didn’t her eyes have more charm than his?

And Song Jiajia, reborn yet so foolish.

She began to suspect the author of this story was actually Song Jiajia herself. How could such a person be the protagonist?

No wonder she couldn’t stand reading it before—it was because she had brains and moral values.

Originally, only the two families knew about Sang Yu and Lu Hao’s engagement, but now the entire tenement block knew.

Sang Yu glanced at Chen Jinlan. Yes, she looked about to be driven mad with anger.

For a moment, the crowd’s strange gazes fell on Sang Yu.

She sneered inwardly—what a joke. Who could outdo her in playing the victim and acting sweet?

Lowering her head, she softly said, “Yes, cousin, what you say is all true.”

She looked like someone falsely accused, too timid to argue, utterly pitiful.

Even without seeing her face, her frail figure alone showed how wronged she was.

“No way, little Yu isn’t like that,” Aunt Li was the first to speak up.

Regardless of whether Lu Hao was Sang Yu’s fiancé or not, she wouldn’t do such a thing.

“Yeah, little Yu wouldn’t do that.”

The neighbors all knew Sang Yu was a well-behaved and sensible child who greeted everyone politely.

Everyone liked Sang Yu.

In contrast, Song Jiajia was arrogant, constantly looking down her nose at others.

If you didn’t know better, you’d think her eyes were growing out of her nose.

“Aunties, I’m fine. Please stop talking,” Sang Yu whispered.

She sounded even more pitiful.

The crowd’s gaze grew more sympathetic, while their looks toward Song Jiajia and her group turned scornful.

Song Jiajia hurriedly said, “You don’t understand, it’s because Sang Yu wanted to swap!”

Chen Jinlan’s head was about to explode. She grabbed Sang Yu close and pushed Aunt Li and the others out.