Four Years Ago, Her Husband Cheated on Her Body - Chapter 36

Jia Qiao realized the truth a beat too late, but his heart couldn’t handle such a massive shock. For a moment, it was hard to accept that Zhu Nanyu was actually… so “scummy.”

There had to be a difference between him and Gao Wenhao!

Jia Qiao struggled through his chaotic thoughts, trying to “whitewash” Zhu Nanyu’s actions.

If he thought about it carefully, Gao Wenhao had forced Lu Min without any emotional foundation…

Oh, wait. There was no difference.

Jia Qiao realized that he, too, had been tricked and coaxed by Zhu Nanyu into a muddled marriage when they had absolutely no emotional foundation.

As it turned out, Zhu Nanyu had been out of line from the very beginning; it was just that Jia Qiao himself had never noticed.

“…” Jia Qiao looked at Zhu Nanyu in silence.

“Hmm?”

Zhu Nanyu sensed his gaze, and his face instantly switched to an expression of pure innocence. His gentle eyes were filled with an affection so deep it seemed capable of drowning someone.

“What’s wrong, Jiaojiao?” Zhu Nanyu leaned in close, nuzzling intimately against his shoulder, his body carrying a faint, lingering fragrance.

“…It’s nothing.” Jia Qiao turned his head away.

Actually, after thinking it over again, he felt he couldn’t entirely blame Zhu Nanyu for that matter; that would be too unfair.

Clearly, at that time, Jia Qiao himself had believed that since he was trading his body for money anyway, there wasn’t much of a difference—he had even taken his clothes off faster than Zhu Nanyu.

Comparing the two situations side-by-side made Jia Qiao’s already socially-stunted brain even more confused, like a ball of yarn played with by a cat.

Seeing Zhu Nanyu leaning beside him and cautiously observing his expression—as if the sky would collapse if Jia Qiao got angry—Jia Qiao decided to… let him off the hook this time.

“Then what about Gao Wenhao?”

Putting Zhu Nanyu aside for now, Gao Wenhao was absolute trash among trash, the lowest of the low.

If Jia Qiao hadn’t known such a person existed, it would have been fine. But now, the man was insisting on making his presence known, pretending to be a devoted, regretful soul who couldn’t forget his past feelings for Lu Min. Jia Qiao was truly disgusted.

“Jiaojiao.” Zhu Nanyu understood Jia Qiao’s thought process all too well. Before Jia Qiao could speak, he directly vetoed the first option in his head: “We can’t kill him.”

“…Oh.” With his only plan rejected, Jia Qiao was completely out of ideas. He waited for Zhu Nanyu to come up with a solution in a fit of self-abandonment.

With his wife being such a “straight shooter,” Zhu Nanyu really didn’t know whether to be happy or worried.

Zhu Nanyu smoothed his hair and said patiently, “Although we can’t kill him in the biological sense, did you know? There is another way to die in this world called ‘social death.'”

“Social death, I know that.” Jia Qiao nodded. Thinking that “death is death either way,” he looked at Zhu Nanyu with eyes full of anticipation. “So, how do we do it?”

Zhu Nanyu pondered for a moment and replied, “There are many ways to make someone socially dead. Just like playing a game, you can choose different modes. It depends on which plan you pick.”

Jia Qiao recalled Lu Min’s past ordeal, and Gao Wenhao’s current repulsive face flashed before his eyes. He said without hesitation, “Of course, I want the hardest difficulty.”

—A certain player was forever young, and forever a “noob” with a huge appetite for challenge.

The corners of Zhu Nanyu’s mouth curled into a smile. “In that case, you might have to suffer a little bit of grievance.”

The events that followed unfolded exactly according to the script Zhu Nanyu had written.

Gao Wenhao refused to give up, persistently seeking out Jia Qiao two more times, hoping to get news of Lu Min from him.

Jia Qiao couldn’t be bothered to talk to him, but following Zhu Nanyu’s instructions, he didn’t drive Gao Wenhao away. He tacitly allowed him to sit in the empty seat next to him.

One must realize that university students are the primary force in spreading gossip, utilizing campus forums, confession walls, and student groups.

Simply because Gao Wenhao sat next to Jia Qiao twice and struck up one-sided conversations, rumors began to swirl around the school, vividly claiming that he intended to pursue Jia Qiao.

At first, the reaction to “pursuing Jia Qiao” was mixed.

The “pro-side” argued: Love is free and shouldn’t have barriers; being attracted to Jia Qiao is as natural as breathing.

The “anti-side,” however, argued: Even if Jia Qiao is a succubus radiating charm everywhere, one should at least weigh their own worth before making a move. Gao Wenhao entered the school through “special channels” in the first place and had even delayed his graduation for two years—what right did he have to dream of laying a finger on the high-and-mighty Chairman of Qianhe?

The two sides argued incessantly, and the flames of war quickly spread to every department.

Just as the public opinion reached a fever pitch, one of Gao Wenhao’s roommates, who had already graduated, suddenly joined the fray.

‘Gao Wenhao is at it again? Does he really think he’s the reincarnation of some great lover?’

‘When we were freshmen in 2020, this guy went around saying he had someone he liked, showing us photos every day. The person was quite cute. At the time, we hadn’t known him long and thought it was just a normal crush, so we egged him on to go for it.’

‘Then the kid actually went to pursue them, but the other party didn’t agree. We were afraid he’d be heartbroken, so we invited him out for drinks. Gao Wenhao didn’t go; he took a long leave of absence and went home that very day.’

‘We only found out later that the boy Gao Wenhao liked was someone who helped out at his family’s place.’

‘Gao Wenhao would constantly diss the guy for having a low education, no future, being a mute… He probably felt he was superior, some big young master, and thought the guy wouldn’t dare refuse him.’

‘Afterward, he kept taking leaves of absence and failed several subjects in his first-semester finals. Those of us in the dorm couldn’t stand it and kindly advised him that feelings can’t be forced and not to hang himself on one tree. He cursed us out, saying we didn’t understand anything, and told us to just wait—he’d definitely get his hands on the guy.’

‘Not long after, before his leave was even over, Gao Wenhao slunk back to school. He locked the dorm door every day and begged us not to tell anyone he was there. We didn’t know what happened; we thought he had finally given up.’

‘It wasn’t until two years later, when we were graduating and having a group dinner, that he got drunk and accidentally let the truth slip.’

‘He wanted to “do it” with the boy he liked, but the boy wasn’t willing. He was pressured so hard he jumped off a building!!!’

As soon as this revelation came out, the students who had previously supported “freedom of love” immediately defected. Public opinion shifted to one-sided loathing.

Some law students dug into the matter through various channels and discovered that the reality was far more shameful than the roommate had described; there were even more disgusting follow-up actions!

After the incident, Gao Wenhao’s family showed no remorse. Instead, they sued the victim, twisting black and white to force him to pay for “mental distress” and “reputation damage.”

Lu Min couldn’t even afford his medical bills at the time and had no means to fight a lawsuit; he could only accept the so-called “mediation.”

【Gag! I almost threw up my dinner from last night. I’ve never seen anyone so shameless.】

【Roommate-bro’s attack power needs work. What do you mean “wanted to do it”? If the other party didn’t agree, that’s RAPE!!!】

【After reading this, I just want to say: Jia Qiao, stay far away. Breathing the same air as this guy is an insult to Jia-jia.】

【Is the school not going to do anything? Learn to be a human before learning academics. Letting a scumbag like Gao Wenhao stay at A-University is a disgrace to our school’s reputation!】

【In that case, can A-University demand compensation for reputation damage from Gao Wenhao?】

Generally speaking, the school authorities do not interfere in students’ romantic lives.

However, because this matter touched upon legal issues and was extremely malicious in nature, the school had to take it seriously. Before the investigation was complete, they suspended Gao Wenhao.

When Jia Qiao heard that Gao Wenhao had been suspended, he thought to himself that Zhu Nanyu was truly a master scriptwriter. Everything was unfolding exactly as he had anticipated, with perfect timing.

Furthermore, Jia Qiao gained a new perception of “school.”

If this were the business world, even if someone did something heinous, people around them might not take a stand easily due to interests and connections; they might even help the villain and distort the truth.

No wonder people called school an “ivory tower.”

“Next…” Jia Qiao scrolled through his previous chat logs with Zhu Nanyu and nodded knowingly. “He should be getting desperate enough to jump over the wall and come find me directly.”

Sure enough, Gao Wenhao acted like a free actor hired by Zhu Nanyu.

Not only did he come to find Jia Qiao as predicted, but even the things he said were almost identical—rambling on about “regret” and “wanting to see Xiao Lu.”

“At that time… I was just too impulsive. I shouldn’t have pushed him so hard. Actually, I… I felt so regretful later, I’ve been looking for Xiao Lu all this time.” Gao Wenhao spoke with tears and snot flowing. People who didn’t know better would think he was truly a sentimental soul, deeply in love with his ex.

But Zhu Nanyu had already corrected that.

He and Lu Min weren’t in an “ex” relationship; they were victim and perpetrator.

Waving the banner of “love” was nothing more than a way to beautify his own crimes.

It’s like “domestic violence”—if it happens between strangers, it’s called intentional assault, but if it happens between a couple, it’s often dismissed as an emotional dispute, glossed over with a promise to “not do it again next time.”

If time were turned back, they would still commit the same atrocities.

People like this will never repent unless they pay a price.

“I beg you, please help me… I just want to apologize to Xiao Lu in person and ask for his forgiveness, otherwise my conscience will never be at peace for the rest of my life.”

—Who cares about you?

An apology isn’t something that can be done just by talking, and forgiveness isn’t something that can be granted with a simple “it’s okay.”

Just like Zhu Nanyu, who had been home for several days and still hadn’t formally asked for his forgiveness.

Because in that man’s perspective, obtaining forgiveness also had a process.

Like a lawsuit, one must first clearly state their crimes, then atone for them. Only after a thorough settling of accounts is one qualified to talk about “forgiveness.”

“…I promise you, I won’t do anything to make Xiao Lu hate me again. If he’s willing to accept me, I’ll compensate him well!” Gao Wenhao spoke emotionally, his face covered in tears.

Jia Qiao felt the time was right. Pretending to be annoyed by his pestering, he relented and said, “I’ll only help you arrange a meeting once.”

Gao Wenhao was overjoyed, his eyes lighting up. He nodded repeatedly and thanked Jia Qiao profusely, “Thank you! Once is enough!”

Little did he know, as soon as Jia Qiao turned around, he sent a message to Zhu Nanyu.

Jia Qiao: Your turn on your end.

After breakfast in the morning, Lu Min prepared to take Qi’ao out for a walk as usual.

Passing through the living room, however, he found Jia Qiao and Zhu Nanyu sitting there neatly, appearing quite free.

“Lu Min, come here.” Jia Qiao called Lu Min over, gesturing for him to sit next to him.

Lu Min led the dog over but didn’t sit. He reported as if performing an official duty:

『Master, I need to walk Qi’ao first.』

Huskies have moderate-to-high intelligence, roughly equivalent to a human child of a few years.

Since Qi’ao had arrived at the house a few days ago, he had already developed a regular biological clock, needing a thirty-minute walk every morning and evening.

Otherwise, he would jump around and tear the house apart, or even pee in Lu Min’s room.

Dogs have their own hierarchy.

He didn’t dare pee in Zhu Nanyu’s room, and he wouldn’t even step into Jia Qiao’s room for fear of angering the two big bosses and losing his doggy life.

If he wasn’t taken out for a walk, he would bully Lu Min relentlessly, taking advantage of the fact that Lu Min couldn’t scold him.

Besides, a dog can’t read!

No matter how many exclamation points Lu Min drew, it was useless.

“I’ve spoken to the driver; he’s responsible for walking Qi’ao today.” Jia Qiao insisted on Lu Min sitting next to him.

Lu Min sat on the edge of the sofa, looking restless and uneasy. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do sitting there and tried to stand up several times.

Zhu Nanyu noticed this. He took a pomegranate from the fruit bowl and tossed it over, along with a custom-made tool used for deseeding.

“You’ve watched for so long, you should have learned by now, right?”

Lu Min immediately puffed out his chest with pride: Who are you looking down on!

He just hadn’t found the right method before. He could definitely, definitely, definitely handle a small thing like this…

Once he actually started, he realized that deseeding a pomegranate was harder than he imagined.

Even with the right tool, one still had to pay attention to strength and technique.

Lu Min suffered repeated defeats and was consumed by a strange competitive streak!

How could he lose to that annoying male ghost!

He held the pomegranate, engrossed in digging out the seeds. He was completely mesmerized, lost in the task, forgetting what year it was.

Zhu Nanyu looked up at Jia Qiao and gave him a look, mouthing: Are you relieved now?

As long as they kept Lu Min here, it was impossible for anyone in the world to find him. Next, they just needed to wait and see.

At the same time, at a popular chain coffee shop in the city center.

The seating here was outdoors, and there was a long queue at the ordering counter; the surroundings were very noisy.

Gao Wenhao looked up. Directly in front of him was a landmark building of A-City, where many tourists were taking photos and a few influencers were finding angles for their live streams.

Gao Wenhao didn’t quite understand. He had suggested several times that they could go to a higher-end hotel or cafe, but Jia Qiao had insisted on this cheap place.

It was probably because Jia Qiao was afraid he’d get horny—if they were in a place with better privacy, he might do something out of line.

“So many rules. Who does he think he is to Lu Min? Sticking his nose in so deep!”

Gao Wenhao lowered his head to straighten his tie and picked up a large bouquet of red roses sitting next to him. He secretly made up his mind: Once he got Lu Min back, he would make him quit his job with Jia Qiao.

After the incident a few years ago, Gao Wenhao had asked his “fair-weather friends” and figured out the reason he was rejected.

Wooing someone is like fishing—you have to cast bait for the fish to bite.

Especially when dealing with someone like Lu Min, who had a poor family background and a physical disability; give him a little benefit, and he’ll sleep with you obediently.

His most experienced friend even gave an example: “You know Jia Qiao? I heard Zhu Nanyu just threw money at him, and he took off his own clothes.”

Heh, isn’t it just money?

Gao Wenhao thought contemptuously. Although he wasn’t as rich as Zhu Nanyu, he had more than enough to keep Lu Min for a few years.

Once he got him into bed, he’d just record a few videos of that nature to prove it was consensual. The school naturally wouldn’t be affected then.

Gao Wenhao was calculating his plans perfectly. Seeing that the appointed time was near, he searched the crowd for Lu Min’s figure.

Instead of Lu Min, however, he saw a middle-aged woman dressed somewhat flamboyantly, rushing toward him with an expression of disbelief.

“Gao Wenhao, why aren’t you at school?” The middle-aged woman scanned him sharply and questioned, “Who are you waiting for here?”

“Mom…?” Gao Wenhao’s aura instantly withered. His voice became timid; he didn’t dare reveal the real reason and replied guiltily, “School is closed today, I… I’m waiting for a friend…”

Just as he finished speaking, the large screen next to the coffee shop suddenly lit up, showing a campus interview.

The background was clearly A-University. A campus reporter stopped several passing students and asked the same question: “What do you think about the matter regarding Gao Wenhao from the School of Management?”

“What else is there to think? He’s pure trash!”

“This guy is so foul. He even had the nerve to argue that the other party didn’t personally refuse him. Please, the victim is a mute!”

“After reading the gossip about Gao Wenhao, I realized how much family background affects growth. Their precious son forced a disabled person, and the family actually blamed the victim for making it public and affecting their reputation. Like father, like son—the parents of a scumbag are scumbags too!”

“I think the school’s handling isn’t enough. This family should be boycotted by the entire society!”