Four Years Ago, Her Husband Cheated on Her Body - Chapter 38

Today, the sprawling Zhu family ancestral estate belonged entirely to Ji Fuling.

Despite sitting on an inheritance worth tens of millions, she still lived in her small corner house. The interior furnishings remained largely unchanged—simple, clean, and modest from the inside out.

Jia Qiao finally understood where Zhu Nanyu’s habit of “seeking out hardship” came from.

After lunch, Jia Qiao accompanied the old lady back to her small courtyard to rest.

Upon pushing open the door, the small room was as clean as ever, with the familiar scent of sandalwood drifting in the air. However, as Jia Qiao’sgaze swept over the Buddhist niche, he saw that only the Buddha was enshrined there. The photographs of Zhu Nanyu and his father were gone.

“Where are the photos that used to be here?” Jia Qiao pointed to the empty spaces on either side.

In the past, every time he visited, Ji Fuling would flip Zhu Nanyu’s “memorial photo” face down in advance, fearing it would trigger his grief. But now, not only was Zhu Nanyu’s photo gone, but the other funeral portrait had vanished as well.

Was she afraid Chi Jinran would be sad seeing them?

Ji Fuling brought him tea and glanced over, explaining calmly, “Nanyu’s photo has been put away. As for his father… he has been moved to the ancestral hall.”

The Zhu family was steeped in a feudal atmosphere with ancient customs, including a dedicated ancestral hall for sacrifices. However, even though Zhu Nanyu’s father had been dead for years, his photo had never been placed there. This was because the old Patriarch Zhu had once offhandedly remarked, “There is no reason for a father to bow to a son,” and refused to let him enter the hall prematurely.

The moment Ji Fuling gained ownership of the estate, she immediately placed her son’s portrait in the central position of the hall, ensuring the long-life candles burned brightly every night.

“Xiao Ran just went to offer incense this morning. If you and Nanyu want to go, let her take you.”

Jia Qiao nodded. After finishing his tea, he prepared to take his leave so as not to disturb Ji Fuling’s rest. Just as he stood up, Ji Fuling called out to him softly.

“About you and Nanyu…” She paused mid-sentence, her voice dropping lower. “In truth, I know I shouldn’t interfere too much in the feelings of young people. But…”

Ji Fuling seemed to have something difficult to say. She hesitated several times, her eyes filled with a flicker of worry. Jia Qiao stood beside her, patient, quiet, and soft.

“It’s alright,” Jia Qiao said calmly. “Go ahead.”

In the years they had known each other, Ji Fuling had been very good to him. But she was, after all, Zhu Nanyu’s grandmother; it was natural for her to favor her own grandson. Her kindness to him was also because Zhu Nanyu had chosen him.

Jia Qiao understood this bit of human nature well enough. However, if Ji Fuling intended to use her favoritism to demand that Jia Qiao stop being angry with Zhu Nanyu…

Jia Qiao would definitely get even angrier! He finally understood why elementary schoolers hated classmates who tattled to elders.

Seeing Jia Qiao give her the opening, Ji Fuling took his hand and sighed. “Nanyu is a child with many thoughts, full of twists and turns. Even at my age, I can’t see through him, let alone you. Being with him, you will indeed suffer losses.”

“Mm-hmm.” Jia Qiao nodded, the grievance he had tucked away suddenly resurfacing.

More than just losses? He’s losing big time! From his body to his emotions, everything had been calculated down to the last detail by that man.

“I’ll give him a talking-to for you later,” Ji Fuling patted Jia Qiao’shand, then slowly changed her tone. “But there is one thing I can see. His feelings for you are absolutely sincere.”

Ji Fuling was, after all, a woman who had seen many storms. She could see at a glance that Jia Qiao and Zhu Nanyu were in a delicate state. She did want to speak up for her grandson to help them reconcile quickly, but Jia Qiao was a good boy; she couldn’t just ask him to endure and accommodate until he was full of resentment.

“I know,” Jia Qiao nodded again.

If Zhu Nanyu had even a shred of insincerity toward him, that man would no longer be in this world. Jia Qiao had thought about it for a long time and still hadn’t figured out how to handle Zhu Nanyu. However, he remembered a message Zoa had sent him before.

If the ending becomes blurred, try tracing back to the beginning.

According to Jia Qiao’sold way of thinking, he and Zhu Nanyu were like a video on pause. He only needed to click play again after four years to continue the facade of peace. But after spending these days together, he realized that four years was a long time—too many plot points were disconnected, and too many foreshadowed details had been forgotten.

If they clicked play now, the TV show starring their lives would surely end in a messy, rushed conclusion.

“I will settle the score with him,” Jia Qiao curled his fingers, holding Ji Fuling’s rough, warm hand in return. “And then… I’ll consider starting over.”

Because of Ji Fuling’s age, she needed plenty of rest. In the afternoon, Chi Jinran accompanied them. There were no specific plans—just chatting and eating snacks.

Who could have predicted that such a simple arrangement would turn into a total disaster?

The main reason was that Zhu Nanyu had been forced to separate from his mother shortly after turning ten. From then on, Chi Jinran was completely absent from his growth. Although they re-established contact in his adulthood, it was limited to gifts and greetings during holidays; the number of times they actually met could be counted on one hand.

Even when they did meet, it was usually because Zhu Nanyu was passing through on business. Busy with work, he could only offer a few superficial greetings. Now, with the mother and son suddenly having ample time to chat face-to-face, the atmosphere was… in-des-crib-ably awkward.

Even someone as socially dense as Jia Qiao could feel the undeniable stranger-ness and tension.

“Mom.” Zhu Nanyu was peeling an orange for Jia Qiao while trying to initiate a conversation. “Why did you come back to the country?”

Chi Jinran sat upright across from him, still seemingly scrutinizing Zhu Nanyu’s vital signs. She answered honestly, “I came back to attend your funeral.”

“…” Silence filled the air.

Jia Qiao looked down, watching Zhu Nanyu peel the orange skin, remove the white pith, and then even peel the transparent membrane off each individual segment. He was one step away from shredding the poor orange into fibers.

Truly, when people are awkward, they pretend to be very busy.

“Sorry to have made you come for nothing,” Zhu Nanyu said with a politeness that was nearly alien, continuing with formalities. “Do you have any plans for your stay? I can introduce you to the tourist areas in A City.”

“No need to trouble yourself; I am originally from A City,” Chi Jinran picked up her teacup and drank very slowly, looking like she intended to keep drinking for a lifetime.

If things continued this way, it would be impossible for this mother and son to break the ice in this lifetime. They both seem normal when they’re with me, though, Jia Qiao thought.

Wait, they’re normal with me!

“Um,” Jia Qiao spoke up slowly, instantly shattering the awkwardness. “If you’re free sometime, let’s all go out together.”

“I’d love to,” Chi Jinran set down her teacup, her tone instantly brightening.

Compared to the steady, powerful, and incredibly calculating Zhu Nanyu, she clearly felt more comfortable with Gia Qiao. From just now until then, she hadn’t even dared to meet Zhu Nanyu’s eyes.

Even though Chi Jinran was technically a victim of the events back then, the fact remained that she had abandoned her young son to save herself. If it were just that, it might have been okay. What made her most ashamed was that while Ji Fuling and Jia Qiao both believed Zhu Nanyu might be alive, she—his own mother—thought her son was dead and hadn’t even recognized him when he stood right in front of her.

Chi Jinran didn’t even dare to ask if Zhu Nanyu had ever hated her.

Zhu Nanyu immediately looked at Gia Qiao, his eyes smiling. “Where do you want to go?”

“Wherever.” Jia Qiao took the tortured orange from his hand and popped it into his mouth, chewing as he swallowed the urge to complain.

Zhu Nanyu, aren’t you tired of living like this!

As he gradually understood Zhu Nanyu, Jia Qiao realized his personality was purely a product of a twisted environment. He found it hard to be frank with anyone and insisted on being suspicious and roundabout. In truth, he understood Chi Jinran; the bond of blood between mother and son hadn’t faded despite time and distance. It was just that both parties were so cautious and guarded that they made the relationship stiff.

“I’ve already made an opportunity for you,” Jia Qiao leaned in and whispered. “Put in some effort yourself.”

Zhu Nanyu looked at Gia Qiao, a flash of surprise in his eyes. Though he had guessed his “wife’s” intention, he hadn’t been sure if Jia Qiao would actually consider his feelings like this.

“Okay.”

In the blink of an eye, it was late autumn, and the sky grew dark earlier.

Because Jia Qiao lived in a remote area and the path back was pitch black, Ji Fuling insisted he stay the night, arranging for him to sleep in Zhu Nanyu’s old room.

On the first night they reunited, Jia Qiao had naturally climbed into his bed to sleep together. But he had been so angered by Zhu Nanyu’s subsequent actions that they had been “separated” until now.

“Grandma, is there another room?” Jia Qiao asked.

He didn’t want to just casually sleep with Zhu Nanyu again. It would make him look like he had no principles—like he’d take the first bridge offered to him.

“There are others, but…” Ji Fuling said hesitantly. “The only guest room is occupied by Xiao Ran. The other rooms are empty now. The East Wing has Zhu Fulu’s old room, the West Wing is where Zhu Xingwang and Zhu Ke lived, and the center belonged to that person. Qiaoqiao, where do you want to stay?”

Gia Qiao: “…”

Do I even have a choice? Even if he didn’t have a germaphobia, he didn’t want to stay in a room those people had slept in. Who knew if he’d break out in a rash?

At that moment, Jia Qiao realized that Ji Fuling living in her small courtyard wasn’t about “seeking hardship”—it was about keeping herself clean and untainted.

“Jiao jiao.” Zhu Nanyu leaned in from behind, his gaze soft and his tone slightly pleading for peace. “Just for tonight, okay?”

“Then… only tonight.”

Although Jia Qiao had a vague feeling he was walking into a trap, he ended up returning to Zhu Nanyu’s old room with him. This was the room Zhu Nanyu had lived in from the time his father died until he left home to be independent. The beasts of the Zhu family might not have been human, but since they needed to use Zhu Nanyu to fight for the inheritance, they at least kept up appearances.

The room was large and spacious but lacked any signs of having been lived in. It felt even less personal than the “nursery” they saw before. Because the house was old and the heating hadn’t started yet, the long-unused air conditioner performed poorly. The room, having been vacant for so long, felt bone-chillingly cold.

Jia Qiao took off his coat and shivered. There were no blankets like the ones he usually used. Zhu Nanyu found a sheet and wrapped him up tightly, soothing him gently, “Bear with it for a moment. I’ll go run the hot water.”

Fortunately, the hot water supply was normal. Zhu Nanyu adjusted the temperature a bit higher than usual before letting Jia Qiao get in to warm his body. Since they hadn’t planned to stay overnight, there were no well-fitting pajamas. Zhu Nanyu dug out a pair of loose athletic clothes he had worn before he reached adulthood.

“How old were you when you wore this?” Jia Qiao pulled at the clothes, noticing the shoulders were about a finger’s width too wide.

Zhu Nanyu thought for a moment. “Sixteen?”

“What did you eat to grow like that?” Jia Qiao’s eyes were full of curiosity.

Zhu Nanyu smiled and leaned into his ear, whispering a single word: “You.” Before Jia Qiao could get angry, he quickly pulled away and grabbed a large towel to dry Jia Qiao’shair.

Jia Qiao’shair looked smooth, but the texture wasn’t actually soft; when it was short, it would stick up wildly after he woke up. Now that it was long, it was actually easier to manage and could be combed straight effortlessly.

Zhu Nanyu stood behind him, his fingertips gently brushing through the long hair. As if just remembering, he spoke casually, “Why did you decide to grow your hair long?”

“You’re testing me again.” Jia Qiao was getting used to Zhu Nanyu’s wicked personality and reacted quickly. “You’ve been holding that in for so long; you’ve wanted to ask, haven’t you?”

“Indeed.” Zhu Nanyu lowered his head, breathing in the faint scent of Jia Qiao’shair, his voice deep. “I wanted to ask if you grew it long for me.”

“No,” Jia Qiao denied flatly.

The answer wasn’t what Zhu Nanyu wanted to hear, yet he wasn’t too disappointed. If Jia Qiao really had grown his hair to his waist as a sign of mourning, Zhu Nanyu’s sins would be even heavier.

“I thought about cutting it, but I can’t stand people waving sharp objects behind my head.” Jia Qiao raised his hand, making a scissor gesture, and gave his reason seriously. “I’ll instinctively fight back.”

Before Zhu Nanyu’s disappearance, Jia Qiao’shair had always been handled by him alone, because he didn’t want to give anyone else the chance to touch it.

“And now? Do you plan to cut it?” Zhu Nanyu finished drying his hair, lingering as he held a few strands, watching them slowly slide through his fingers. “Of course, you look beautiful with long hair too.”

Jia Qiao was already sleepy and didn’t really take in what Zhu Nanyu said. He murmured vaguely, “We’ll see…”

Long hair or short hair made no difference to him. He’d even shave it all off.

Seeing that his eyes were closed and he looked soft and obedient, Zhu Nanyu couldn’t help but lean down. He pressed a light kiss on his brow, his voice so soft it seemed to melt into the air.

“I heard everything you said to Grandma today.”

“If there is a chance to start over, I hope…”

“That this time, you are the one who chooses me.”