Chapter 2 — After Marrying Beijing's Young Master

My father-in-law grew even angrier. “Look at Giajia! She's so considerate. Then look at yourself!”

Xu Xingzhi was stubborn, all right.

He must have seen the news about Bai Shuangshuang being hospitalized.

And yet he was still glued to that useless phone.

Ha ha.

Unlike me. The moment I arrived at the old family home, I handed over my phone.

I made a show of not liking to use it at all.

He was just too honest.

Everything showed on his face.

While my in-laws were talking, he not only ignored them but looked so gloomy he was frightening.

My mother-in-law gave him a hard slap. “Your father and I are talking to you! Are you deaf?”

My father-in-law said furiously, “I told you, raising a son is worse than raising a dog. At least a dog wags its tail at me!”

Then he turned to me. “Giajia is the good one. Ever since she became our daughter-in-law, I feel like I've gained a daughter of my own!”

I smiled shyly, then hurried to make excuses for my husband. “Mom, Dad, don't be angry. Xingzhi must have something important to take care of.”

My mother-in-law snapped, “I don't think even his father was this busy when he was alive!”

He had a mistress on the side, of course he was busy.

Unlike me. I didn't have to work, so I had plenty of time to keep my little lover.

I wanted my in-laws to scold Xu Xingzhi some more, so I said I was going to the kitchen to get some fruit.

Then, thanks to my sharp ears, I heard my mother-in-law interrogating him. “You're not fooling around outside, are you? Your father and I have seen the news.”

Oh my God.

The whole world knew I had a green hat on!

But my husband ignored her completely, staring at his phone and scrolling through messages like a man possessed.

By the time I came back out, my eyes were red.

My father-in-law was still furious. “Tell me, what have you been doing outside? How can you be so inconsiderate?”

My mother-in-law glanced at me and hurried to comfort me. “Don't worry. Your father and I will deal with him for you.”

I curled my lip in contempt. Xu Xingzhi couldn't even handle one old flame? Pathetic.

Nothing like my little boy toy, who stayed home obediently waiting for me every day.

So I let my eyes redden and put on my most patient, resilient expression. “Mom, Dad, I'm fine. As long as Xingzhi is happy, it doesn't matter what happens to me. I believe that once a man gets tired of fooling around, he'll come home sooner or later.”

Then I added, “It's all my fault. I must not have cared for Xingzhi enough, so he—sniff—”

I couldn't help wanting to cover my face and sob, but I forced myself to hold back. “I'm really fine. What can I do when I love him so much?”

“Mom, Dad, harmony in the family brings prosperity.”

My in-laws looked both pleased and heartbroken, and became even more dissatisfied with their son.

My father-in-law shouted, “Bring me my willow switch!”

It looked as if he intended to beat Xu Xingzhi.

I got excited and rushed in front of my husband, brave but weak. “Dad, don't hit him! If you have to hit someone, hit me instead. I must not have done enough to win my husband's heart!”

At last, the husband who'd been acting deaf and dumb finally reacted. “Honey, you're stepping on my foot.”

A miracle of the world.

I turned to him, crying as I said, “Honey, say something. Explain yourself.”

At last, Xu Xingzhi looked up from his phone and fixed his eyes on me.

I gave him a timid glance, then shrank behind my mother-in-law.

I sobbed softly. “I'm sorry, honey. It's all my fault. I got you scolded. When we get home, I'll go kneel on the laundry board in the study for three hours.”

This time, my mother-in-law slapped him right across the face. “You abuse Giajia at home, too?”

My father-in-law bellowed, “You unfilial brat!”

Xu Xingzhi kept staring at me.

Then—

He laughed, handed me his phone, and said gently, “Honey, I picked up the wrong phone just now. This one is yours.”

!!!

My hand trembled as I reached to take it.

But he changed direction, smiling as he said, “Or should I hold on to it for you? I'm about to go on a business trip anyway.”

His deep-set eyes glinted with a knowing smile as he looked at me. “Be sure to visit me.”

My father-in-law snorted. “That's more like it. Treat your wife better.”

My mother-in-law patted my hand. “If he bullies you, tell us.”

I shot Xu Xingzhi a frightened glance.

He was looking at me, too.

His lips still curved in a smile.

But his dark eyes were icy.

Terrifying.

I tried to remember what had happened.

When we got out of the car, I'd turned off my phone in a hurry.

I'd been busy maintaining my image as a gentle, virtuous wife.

So I hadn't logged out of my alternate account in time.

…

The chat history between Chen Jinyan and me…

Now that I'd been caught cheating, would I still get a share of the money?

I couldn't help thinking about it.

But then I reconsidered. If Xu Xingzhi had the nerve, let him divorce me.

Once we were divorced, I'd go right on living my own life.

I'd start a whole entertainment company like my sister and sleep with whoever I liked!

After thinking it through, I felt a lot calmer. No matter how Xu Xingzhi looked at me, I kept my head bowed and put on the look of a victim.

I figured that if I knew he was cheating and got caught, I'd be angry, too. So he probably wouldn't tell anyone about this.

It would be embarrassing, after all.

Sure enough.

He told his parents, “What are you talking about? How could I mistreat a good wife like Giajia?”

Just then, the housekeeper brought in the food and said it was time to eat.

At the table, I was as attentive to him as ever.

I kept putting food in his bowl.

Watching him eat made me happier than eating myself.

I played the part of a gentle, capable wife to perfection.

I took care of my in-laws, too.

I served them soup and picked food for them.

Even a busy little bee couldn't have worked harder.

My in-laws praised me nonstop, saying I was so considerate and that raising a daughter-in-law was better than raising a son.

They even told me that from now on, I could collect the rent from a certain building as my spending money.

I panicked and refused. “Mom, Dad, there's no need. You've already given me more than enough. I can't even spend it all.”

I looked at Xu Xingzhi and smiled brightly. “Besides, Xingzhi makes all the decisions in our household. What would a woman like me do with so much money?”

My mother-in-law exclaimed, then gave me an affectionate, reproachful look. “Silly girl. If we give it to you, just take it. Do you think men are reliable? The most reliable thing is your own money.”

My father-in-law said, “Don't give in to Xingzhi in everything. That boy is getting more unreasonable by the day. When your elders give you something, you don't refuse. After you have a child, I'll have the building transferred into your name.”

I was so moved my eyes filled with tears. “Mom, Dad, you're so good to me!”

I wiped away a few grateful tears.

My mother-in-law immediately swatted Xu Xingzhi and looked at me lovingly. “Look at Giajia! You should learn from her.”

He glanced at me without changing expression and went back to eating. “I can't learn from her act.”

He'd caught me red-handed.

He'd figured it out.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have said something so sarcastic.

Before, whenever I put on this kind of show, he'd just say expressionlessly, “As long as everyone is happy.”

We stayed at my in-laws' house chatting until the afternoon. Then Xu Xingzhi said he had something to do and needed to leave.

I stood up gently and said, “Honey, go charge ahead on the front lines. I'll take good care of your parents and keep the home front secure.”

He patted my head. “Come back with me. We'll visit them again next week.”

I looked into his terrifying eyes and firmly shook my head. “I'll stay and take care of your parents. You're going on a business trip Monday, so I'll move into the old family home, too. It's what a daughter-in-law should do.”

See? I might be keeping a lover behind your back, but your Bai Shuangshuang definitely won't be stepping through your front door. Why don't we all play our parts and save face for each other?

You do your thing, I'll do mine.

Sounds fine to me.

My in-laws were so moved they nearly cried.

In the past, Xu Xingzhi would certainly have agreed.

But now he said, “Honey, you should come on the business trip with me. I won't be used to being away from home without you looking after me.”

My mother-in-law snapped, “Do you usually make Giajia do a lot of things for you? I married you off so you'd cherish your wife—not so you could bring home a maid!”

Then she told me, “Don't treat him too well, or he won't appreciate you.”

My father-in-law said, “Giajia, go on the trip with him and keep an eye on him. If he dares to do anything to betray you, I'll make sure he leaves with nothing.”

My eyes filled with tears. “Mom, Dad, I'm fine. Even if Miss Bai gets pregnant, I can take care of her during her confinement.”

My father-in-law flew into a rage. He grabbed his feather duster and started whipping Xu Xingzhi.

I quietly edged farther away, crying as I sneaked glances at him.

He was staring at me.

I immediately hid behind my mother-in-law.

My father-in-law gave him a thorough beating.

Only then did he say, “That news was fake. I happened to be in town for a business meeting that day.”

“I've already had someone send over the full video of me going in there.”

We were all stunned.

He really was slow on the uptake.

He'd waited until after getting beaten before saying anything.

My mother-in-law and I hurried to check his phone.

Mm.

Sure enough, maybe because of the camera angle, it looked as if Bai Shuangshuang was holding his hand.

But in reality, they were a whole meter apart.

And one of them had gone to the reception area while the other was going upstairs to check in.

But only an idiot would believe that.

Flies don't gather around a cracked egg.

Xu Xingzhi and Bai Shuangshuang had been at the center of dating rumors again and again. It had caused a huge commotion.

If nothing was going on between them, then pigs could fly!

Besides, Bai Shuangshuang had no backing. She'd become famous in show business for her image as a pure, forthright woman who refused to rely on rich men.

Then how had she become famous?

But after watching the video, I immediately let my eyes redden and looked at Xu Xingzhi with deep emotion. “I knew it. Sniff. Honey, I'm the one you love most.”

His parents looked a little embarrassed.

My mother-in-law said, “Don't let them publish rumors like that again. You're married now! How do you think Giajia feels when she sees them?”

I was just about to speak.

But Xu Xingzhi said, “This was my fault. Mom, Dad, I'll take Giajia home first. I'll apologize to her.”

With that, he hauled me to my feet and started to leave.

Me: ???

Outside, the driver opened the rear passenger door.

I was just about to get in.

He slammed it shut.

I jumped in fright and looked at him in confusion, head bowed as I stood beside him, tears dripping down my face.

The driver and housekeeper both looked at me sympathetically.

Everyone lowered their eyes, not daring to look at us.

Xu Xingzhi was so cold he could have dropped ice chips. “Give me the car keys.”

The driver hurriedly handed them over.

Xu Xingzhi dragged me straight to the front passenger seat.

He opened the door, pushed me inside, then got into the driver's seat himself.

The car shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow.

Just like my husband, who was about to lose control.

When we got home, I slowly unfastened my seat belt.

He got out, then opened the passenger door a few seconds later and roughly dragged me out.

I put on a wounded, patient expression.

The housekeeper nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw us.

Everyone lowered their heads and didn't dare look at us.

I apologized softly. “I'm sorry, honey. It's all my fault. Don't be angry. If you get so mad you make yourself sick, I'll be heartbroken~”

He glanced at me expressionlessly, then pulled me upstairs.

Once we were in the bedroom, he threw me onto the sofa and grabbed my throat, demanding, “When did this start?”

His anger was completely unmasked.

I jumped in fright, afraid he was going to choke me to death.

But surely he wouldn't go that far.

I looked into his eyes calmly. “Honey, what are you talking about?”

“What am I talking about? Are you going to tell me yourself, or do I have to lay out all the evidence first?”

I looked bewildered. “What are you even talking about? If you like Miss Bai, I won't object. I'm begging you…”

I lowered my eyes and put on a pitiful expression. “Just don't abandon me. I'll accept anything.”

He gave a cold laugh. “Zhou Giajia, you haven't learned your lesson. I guess I need to show you the evidence.”

Suddenly, someone knocked at the door.

He let go of me for the moment.

I tried to make a run for the window.

But he caught me as soon as I got there.

Then he bound my hands.

!!!