Chapter 30: If You Do Wrong, You Must Take the Beating

Pei Min looked at Jiang Runlang with indifference and said, "If you hadn't brought that disgraceful thing to the auction, would Shen Suining have been so angry that she went incommunicado? Jiang Runlang, you were the one who lost all face first!"

Jiang Runlang stared at Pei Min in disbelief. After a long moment, he asked, "Mom! Are you still my mother? Are you actually siding with Shen Suining and picking out my faults?"

Pei Min replied, "I am merely speaking based on the facts."

Jiang Runlang’s gaze toward Pei Min was filled with incredulity. He had always believed that Pei Min detested Shen Suining. If it hadn't been for the child, Jiangjiang, Pei Min never would have agreed to his marriage with her. Over the past five years, he had seen Pei Min’s attitude toward Shen Suining; she had looked down on her from the bottom of her heart. But at this very moment, Jiang Runlang began to doubt his long-held perception.

He watched Pei Min intently, trying to discern something from her expression, but her demeanor remained cold, revealing nothing of her thoughts.

Jiang Runlang said with irritation, "If you hadn't forced her to go out and work, she wouldn't have been able to make contact with some wild man!" The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became: it was all because of the madness Pei Min displayed a year ago, forcing Shen Suining to work, which made her so disobedient.

Pei Min scoffed upon hearing this. "Jiang Runlang, you cheated and refuse to repent, and now you are spreading rumors about your own victimized wife. You truly are just like your father—trash who can't keep his lower half in check!"

"What kind of nonsense are you spouting!" Jiang Zan roared, his dark eyes glaring at Pei Min.

Pei Min met Jiang Zan’s gaze without fear. "Jiang Zan, the times have changed. When you do wrong, you have to face the consequences. Jiang Runlang deserves this, and I advise you not to be aggressive."

"What do you mean by that?" Jiang Zan sprang up from the sofa, his eyes filled with fury. How dare she speak to him like that!

Pei Min stood up as well. She adjusted her robe, ignored Jiang Zan’s questioning, and looked at Jiang Runlang. "If you don't want to live with Shen Suining anymore, then have the decency to divorce her. Don't let this escalate to an irreparable state; I cannot afford to lose face like that!"

With that, Pei Min headed upstairs without looking back. It was nearly dawn, and she had no intention of wasting her precious sleep on this pair of deranged father and son.

As Pei Min’s figure vanished around the corner of the stairs, Jiang Runlang withdrew his gaze and looked at Jiang Zan. "What did Mom mean by that? Is she supporting Shen Suining in divorcing me?" Although he knew clearly that Pei Min hated Shen Suining and had wished for their divorce from the start, her current attitude made him doubt for the first time whether she truly despised her.

Jiang Zan remained silent with a dark expression. Jiang Runlang was seething with resentment, already harboring deep animosity toward Shen Suining and that "wild man," and Pei Min’s attitude only added fuel to the fire. He stood up and headed upstairs, planning to find someone to drag that man out.

He couldn't get past this hurdle in his heart until he vented his rage.

***

Shen Suining was unaware of Jiang Runlang’s thoughts. She had slept soundly all night and woke up in the morning in Jiang Ji’s arms. It was warm, making her feel a bit parched.

When she first opened her eyes, Shen Suining didn't immediately register the situation; she only felt her entire body tightly restrained, making her feel quite uncomfortable. She squirmed, trying to break free from Jiang Ji’s embrace, but failed, forcing her to look up.

What came into view was the superior line of Jiang Ji’s jaw. He seemed to be in a deep sleep, with a layer of dark stubble on his chin. His red lips were thin, yet the cupid’s bow was remarkably full. This immediately reminded Shen Suining of how it felt when he kissed her. His lips were truly wonderful to kiss.

Higher up was his high-bridged nose, which cast its own shadow. His eyelashes were long, and as his eyes were shut tight, they left a fan-shaped shadow on his face. His brows were dark and thick, sharp and bold. No matter how one looked at it, Jiang Ji’s face was simply too perfect.

Waking up in the arms of such a handsome man early in the morning—who wouldn't be dazed by that? Shen Suining was merely an ordinary person, and it was no surprise that she was captivated by Jiang Ji’s beauty.

After an unknown amount of time, Shen Suining suddenly heard a soft chuckle. Her wandering attention was pulled back.

She saw that Jiang Ji’s eyes were still closed, but his lips parted as he spoke to her: "Suisui, am I really that good-looking? Have I made you fall for me?"

Shen Suining was embarrassed and immediately tried to pull out of his arms, but he held her far too tightly. Jiang Ji raised a hand to the back of her head, pressed her closer to him, and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. Shen Suining felt the room grow even hotter.

She pushed against his waist and said, "Jiang Ji, let me go, please. I want a drink of water."

Jiang Ji hummed in response and finally opened his eyes, though he did not immediately release her. His gaze landed on Shen Suining’s face, staring at her intently as if he wanted to carve her image firmly into his mind.

After a long while, Jiang Ji sighed with satisfaction. "Being able to see Suisui the moment I open my eyes—this is truly happiness."

This was the scene he had dreamt of. Over the past five years, he had spent countless nights imagining this very moment just to fall into a peaceful sleep. He had missed her so much.

Shen Suining did not understand his feelings; she only felt uncomfortable being stared at, so she repeated, "Jiang Ji, let me go."

Jiang Ji remembered they were in the Bai family's private hospital, in a patient room. Even though he truly wanted to do something with Shen Suining, he had to restrain himself out of consideration for her thin-skinned nature.

He patted her back lightly and said, "Suisui, why don't you go check on Grandmother? I'll have someone bring over some toiletries."

Shen Suining agreed and was finally able to slip out of his arms. She immediately climbed out of bed, moving with such brisk efficiency and without a hint of hesitation. This left Jiang Ji feeling incredibly frustrated. She was so unwilling to stay in his arms a moment longer.

As soon as Shen Suining had finished putting on her shoes, she turned back and met Jiang Ji’s resentful gaze. She felt a bit bewildered, not knowing where she had offended him this time. However, she didn't ask; she knew that whatever answer Jiang Ji gave would surely be something she couldn't handle.

Shen Suining said, "I'm going to see Grandmother."

Before Jiang Ji could respond, she hurried out of the lounge. Jiang Ji leaned back against the headboard, helpless, forced to keep telling himself: *Don't be impatient, don't be impatient.*

Heaven knows how anxious he really was!