Chapter 2: Never Let You Be Hurt Again

“By the way, there are a lot of gifts in the Mercedes at the back. Second Aunt, could you ask the servants to help carry them in?” Lin Shufeng walked a few steps ahead, suddenly cooing sweetly.

After she spoke, she exchanged a quick, knowing glance with her husband, Zhao Minghui.

What are you pretending for? I watched you grow up—do you think I don’t know who you really are? Who are you trying to impress with that delicate act? Second Aunt grumbled inwardly, but her actions betrayed her eagerness. She quickly responded, then turned her head and shouted, “Hong Yu! What are you standing there for? Didn’t you hear what Xiaofeng just said?”

Me? Why are you calling me?

Hong Yu was momentarily stunned. Lin Shuqing, quick-tempered as always, snapped, “Idiot! Hurry up and help my sister carry the gifts inside. Be careful—if you break anything, I’ll kill you!”

No sooner had Lin Shuqing finished than Lin Shuyu gripped Hong Yu’s hand even tighter.

They were all members of the Lin family, but the difference in how they were treated was like night and day. Even if Hong Yu was considered useless, he was still Lin Shuyu’s husband. It wasn’t as if this was the old days—who would talk to even a servant like that now?

“I’ll be right back,” Hong Yu said quietly, then walked toward the Mercedes.

He didn’t want to make things harder for Lin Shuyu, and with so many eyes watching, the longer he hesitated, the more awkward things would become.

Seeing Hong Yu actually go to move the gifts, Lin Shuyu’s parents looked even more humiliated.

Both were sons-in-law of the Lin family. Yet one was treated like a star, surrounded by flattery, while the other was openly ordered around, forced to do menial work. The contrast was almost unbearable for them.

But there was nothing they could do now except curse Hong Yu in their hearts for being a worthless embarrassment—they dared not step in to stop this spectacle.

“Careful! Handle those gently!” Lin Shufeng and Zhao Minghui, who had been about to enter the house, paused to watch Hong Yu, taking perverse pleasure in bossing him around.

Hong Yu was infamous in the Lin family—by far the most useless of the sons-in-law and, worse, a live-in husband. With the banquet not yet begun, making sport of Hong Yu was one of their little amusements.

“Sis, brother-in-law, why not let the servants do it? Everyone knows what Hong Yu’s like. He loses weight just handling a chicken—I’m really afraid he’ll covet these treasures,” Lin Shuqing chimed in, feigning concern.

Even Lin Jiahua, Hong Yu’s mild-mannered father-in-law, was infuriated now.

Saying Hong Yu was useless was one thing—after all, it was the truth. But to call him a thief? That was an attack on the whole family by implication.

A son-in-law is still family. Yet as Lin Jiahua was about to speak up in protest, Chen Lan grabbed his arm tightly.

“What are you doing? You want to defend that good-for-nothing?” she whispered urgently.

“Do you think I want to? But now the second branch is calling Hong Yu a thief. As his father-in-law, am I supposed to just stand here and be humiliated?” Lin Jiahua replied impatiently.

“What’s the point of playing the hero?” Chen Lan hissed. “They’re not even insulting you! Let it go. Don’t forget—you just lost millions last time, and Father is already unhappy with you.”

Remembering that, Lin Jiahua fell silent.

Chen Lan added, “The second branch has always been tactless. Leave it—let Hong Yu keep carrying things. He can’t just eat for free.”

That was how the mother-in-law thought, and the others clearly agreed. Even the servants stood by, amused, making no move to help.

Unable to bear it, Lin Shuyu tried to help, but Hong Yu quietly refused her assistance.

He didn’t mind being ridiculed himself, but he wouldn’t let Lin Shuyu suffer with him.

There were many gifts, but he finished carrying them in a few minutes.

With the entertainment over, Lin Shufeng and Zhao Minghui, now surrounded by enthusiastic relatives, were ushered into the Lin family mansion.

“Where should we sit?” Zhao Minghui asked as soon as they entered the main hall, frowning.

“Anywhere you like, Minghui—it’s your own home after all,” Second Aunt replied with a broad smile. “There’s still room on the sofa, isn’t there?”

“Room? It’s already full, isn’t it?” Lin Shufeng complained. “Are you really going to make us stand when we’ve come all this way?”

“Don’t joke, Xiaofeng. Of course we wouldn’t make you and Minghui stand,” Second Aunt said, her face stretched with a forced smile. She then turned to look at the people on the sofa.

Soon, her gaze fell on Lin Shuyu’s family.

Just as Hong Yu, sweating from his exertion, was about to sit next to Lin Shuyu, Second Aunt said, her words sweet but her eyes cold, “Shuyu, you and your family are here all the time, but Xiaofeng and her husband only visit occasionally. Why don’t you give up your seats just this once?”

“Mom, do you really need to explain?” Lin Shuqing interrupted before Second Aunt could finish. She strode over, grabbed Hong Yu by the arm, and barked, “What do you think you’re doing? Do you think you deserve to sit on the sofa? Get up right now!”

Chen Lan gritted her teeth in rage.

Lin Shuqing might have singled out Hong Yu, but her actions shamed the entire family.

Just as Chen Lan was about to throw caution to the wind and argue, the old patriarch rolled into the hall in his wheelchair.

Everyone stood up at once. After asking what was going on, the old man said, “Jiahua, your family has been sitting here long enough. Let someone else have the seats for now.”

With the patriarch’s word, Lin Jiahua and Chen Lan, furious as they were, had no choice but to obey. Lin Shufeng and Zhao Minghui then took the seats on the sofa.

Now, in the lively Lin family hall, only Lin Shuyu’s family was left standing. The other two branches, along with their guests, sat comfortably, chatting and laughing—the contrast was painfully obvious.

Chen Lan, unable to stand the humiliation, stormed out of the hall.

“Damn it! Is selling your daughter so impressive? Even the guests have seats, but we’re left standing like fools!”

“The eldest branch looks down on us, and the second branch is nothing but a pack of dogs. They’ll be the death of me!” In the side hall, Chen Lan cursed furiously, unable to hold back any longer.

Lin Jiahua, equally mortified, sat in silence, his face dark.

Hong Yu, of course, had no say in the matter. He hung his head, lost in thought.

“Why are you hanging your head? Are you even a man?”

“I’ve never seen anyone as useless as you. If it weren’t for you, would we be so humiliated?”

“Back then, Zhao Minghui liked Shuyu. All this glory should have been ours. Why did you have to drag her down? So many people die every day—why couldn’t you be one of them?” Chen Lan vented all her grievances on Hong Yu, her insults growing harsher with each word.

“Enough!” Lin Shuyu suddenly exploded. “Are you not already embarrassed enough?”

“Yes, Hong Yu is useless, but are any of us any better?”

“If any one of us had any ability at all, would they dare treat us like that? Stop blaming everything on Hong Yu!”

Lin Shuyu’s voice was hoarse with suppressed tears. Hearing the tremor in her words, Hong Yu knew how deeply she was hurt. This woman, always so strong, was finally at her breaking point.

Unable to take any more, Lin Shuyu turned and ran out of the house, leaving the Lin family behind.

“See? Look at that!” Chen Lan snapped at Lin Jiahua. “Your precious daughter! She could have married a rich young man like Zhao Minghui, but she chose this good-for-nothing instead. Not only did she disgrace us, now she dares shout at us too!”

“If she had married Zhao Minghui, we’d be the ones basking in flattery right now!” Chen Lan raged on, not noticing that Hong Yu had slipped out as well.

In the small park in front of the Lin family mansion, Hong Yu caught up to Lin Shuyu, who was squatting under a tree, racked with sobs.

Clenching his jaw, Hong Yu knelt beside her and gently patted her back.

“Shuyu, this is all my fault. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have to endure all this,” he sighed. “I’m not worthy of you. Let’s… get a divorce.”

Smack—

Lin Shuyu suddenly looked up and slapped Hong Yu across the face.

Her eyes were red and brimming with tears as she shouted, “Why? Are you even a man?”

“You want to give up over something like this? We’ve been married all this time and I told you not to touch me, so you never did!”

“My parents treat you like a servant, my relatives humiliate you in every way, and you never fight back! How can you be so spineless? So useless?”

“Can’t you be the man you were when you saved me, standing tall and proud?”

“Sometimes I wonder—if you hadn’t been there when that thief tried to hurt me, if I’d never met you, maybe things would have been better…”

Her words cut deep, wounding Hong Yu to his core.

Seeing her on the verge of collapse, he pulled her into his arms. “Please, don’t be like this. I… I can’t stand to see you suffering.”

“I want to hold my head high. I want to make them regret it. I don’t want to be looked down on anymore, I don’t want to be humiliated…” Lin Shuyu murmured, then suddenly pushed Hong Yu away.

“Husband, can we stop living like this?” she pleaded, her makeup smudged, looking as small and helpless as a child.

Hong Yu stood there, stunned.

In all their married years, this was the first time she had called him husband like that.

He had always thought she saw him as a burden, someone she reluctantly repaid for saving her life. But in that moment of raw honesty, hearing her call him husband, Hong Yu realized she had always regarded him as her man, someone she wished she could depend on.

“My love… I was wrong,” he said softly. “I promise you, from this day forward, I won’t let anyone make you suffer again…”

Holding Lin Shuyu tightly, Hong Yu made his vow. Then, he took out his phone and sent a message to the old man.

“Make the arrangements. I’m willing to meet with Hong Gang.”