Marry by Relying on Favor: Chapter 86 - The Woman He Had Kept For Over a Decade was Sold Off Just Like That
Chapter 86: The Woman He Had Kept For Over a Decade was Sold Off Just Like That
He Qingchi’s stern face cracked in an instant because of his words. She couldn’t help but smile, resting her forehead lightly against the man’s shoulder. With a graceful curve tugging at her lips, she said: “I don’t want his money anyway…”
Seeing her smile, Wen Shuchen couldn’t help but laugh too. His mood wasn’t affected in the slightest by Wen Yue’s high-profile stunt to steal the spotlight.
He Qingchi’s fair fingertips reached out, tracing the contours of his features. She noticed how thin he looked after being so busy these days, and her heart inevitably ached for her man. “Wen Shuchen, let this be a lesson. In the future, you must remember—your children had better all come from the same woman. Otherwise, your family’s fortune will be fought over until blood is spilled.”
Wen Shuchen caught her fingers and slowly rubbed them with a light touch. “You’re right,” he said.
He even nodded in agreement.
He Qingchi rolled her eyes, annoyed, and muttered: “If you let another woman bear your child, I’ll get sterilized and won’t give you one.”
“What did you say?” Wen Shuchen repeated, as if he hadn’t heard clearly—
Or perhaps just pretending.
He Qingchi refused to say it again. She turned her head toward the car window and happened to see two tall figures in suits leaving the auction hall.
At just the right distance, she saw Wen Yue and Shen Fu chatting happily before getting into a car together.
He Qingchi glanced for a moment, then looked back at Wen Shuchen.
But she didn’t ask anything. Some things were better left unknown.
After Wen Yue’s car left first, Wen Shuchen ordered the driver to go. Along the way, he absentmindedly played with He Qingchi’s fingers as though deeply focused, unwilling to think about anything else.
The two were heading home, but on the way, the bodyguard received a call from the hospital—Wen Jingchun had been rushed into the ICU again.
As his son, Wen Shuchen naturally had to go.
Without hesitation, He Qingchi said, “I’ll go with you.”
The man’s expression was unreadable; after a moment of thought, he agreed.
At the hospital, they stepped off the elevator on the third floor and immediately saw several black-clad bodyguards in the corridor. Qiu Jin stood anxiously outside the emergency room, handkerchief in hand, occasionally wiping away tears at the corners of her eyes.
Another elder of the Wen family came forward to update Wen Shuchen, while He Qingchi stood quietly to the side. Qiu Jin’s reddened eyes shifted toward her, as though she wanted to say something but hesitated.
He Qingchi intended to ignore it, but Qiu Jin approached on her own, taking her hand while Wen Shuchen was speaking with the attending physician. With red-rimmed eyes, she said: “Qingchi, come with Auntie.”
She pulled He Qingchi toward the elevator. The bodyguards started to block them, but He Qingchi gave them a look, and they had no choice but to follow at a distance.
They didn’t go far—just took the elevator down to the hospital lobby and sat.
“Auntie has something to tell you—”
Qiu Jin clutched her hand tightly, as if it were something important.
He Qingchi sat and listened quietly.
“Yue’er is getting engaged. Did you know?”
Every word was correct, yet the question was clearly asked to the wrong person.
He Qingchi curled her lips slightly in a faint smile. “Mrs. Qiu, why should I know about Wen Yue’s engagement? Don’t tell me, in order to defeat Wen Shuchen, he’s throwing himself into a marriage alliance with some heiress of a financial conglomerate?”
Qiu Jin, embarrassed by her dismissive tone, awkwardly asked: “Don’t you remember you and Yue’er were good friends?”
“That was in childhood,” He Qingchi said lightly, brushing it aside.
She didn’t say whether she remembered or not; her expression gave nothing away.
At last, Qiu Jin said, “You know the girl he’s engaged to.”
He Qingchi thought for a moment. Other than Qu Bixin, which socialite from Jiangcheng’s high society did she actually know?
She hadn’t contacted the “little green tea” still waiting in Japan for her eyes to recover. Curling her lips, she said: “I know a thousand, maybe hundreds of girls. I can’t imagine which one would catch Wen Yue’s eye.”
That was exactly the opening Qiu Jin was waiting for. She hadn’t intended to keep it secret. “Shen Tingji—Shen Fu’s younger sister.”
That took He Qingchi by surprise. She wondered if she’d misheard. “Shen Tingji?”
“Yes, the very one Wen Shuchen and Shen Fu fought over last month. To be honest with you, Auntie doesn’t like a girl like her at all.”
Qiu Jin’s words made her dissatisfaction with her son’s fiancée plain.
The one she admired most was someone like He Qingchi—a well-bred socialite of flawless reputation. Taking her out would bring prestige, never pettiness.
After hearing this, He Qingchi felt there had to be more to it.
And indeed, Qiu Jin lowered her voice, adding: “Besides, Shen Tingji’s relationship with Shuchen is murky. Auntie had someone investigate—Shuchen secretly kept her in a private villa for over a year, right here in Jiangcheng, and no one knew.”
After saying that, she watched He Qingchi’s expression closely.
Qiu Jin couldn’t believe any woman could hear something like this and not care.
Finally, she added, “If you don’t believe me, you can investigate yourself.”
He Qingchi lowered her lashes, hiding her real emotions.
After a long pause, she asked another question instead: “Shen Fu spent ten billion to regain his freedom, and it was even in the papers—all for Shen Tingji. So how could he allow his unrelated sister to get engaged to Wen Yue?”
Qiu Jin was briefly stunned, then explained: “Actually, Yue’er doesn’t have feelings for Shen Tingji.”
He Qingchi’s dark eyes stayed fixed on her, quietly waiting for what came next.
By this point, Qiu Jin knew that holding anything back wouldn’t work—He Qingchi wouldn’t be persuaded otherwise. She said: “Shen Fu divorced and went bankrupt all for Shen Tingji, and it’s well known he’s fallen out with Shuchen… This woman is very important to him. Auntie isn’t wrong, right?”
“He’s certainly affectionate,” He Qingchi replied, her smile faint and without warmth.
Qiu Jin’s carefully maintained expression twisted into a mocking smirk. “Shen Fu is completely cornered by Shuchen now, like a beaten dog. If he wants to turn things around using my son, he has to offer his own chips to convince the old family.”
She meant that putting the woman he’d kept for over ten years into Wen Yue’s hands was the only way to cement the rigid balance of interests between them.
Qiu Jin seemed to be genuinely revealing a bit of insight to He Qingchi, subtly guiding her: “Yue’er won’t touch Shen Tingji—he’s only using her to control Shen Fu. Besides, Shuchen kept her for over a year before; why would Yue’er want her?”
Qiu Jin repeatedly emphasized that Shen Tingji had been kept by Wen Shuchen for over a year, clearly making sure He Qingchi wouldn’t forget.
He Qingchi looked at her for a long moment, her expression shifting slightly, her voice quiet but heavy: “Mrs. Qiu, the way you explain this only confuses me more. Does Shen Tingji like Wen Shuchen?”
Qiu Jin’s smile deepened, inwardly thinking that, of course, women cared about such matters of the heart.
She herself had been meticulous about these things when she was young, and with some insight said: “Auntie doesn’t know Shen Tingji’s thoughts, but Shuchen’s feelings might not have faded. Look at how he ruined Shen Fu’s company over Shen Tingji.”
He Qingchi nodded, controlling her expression. “I understand.”
Qiu Jin narrowed her eyes, studying her for a long moment before suddenly asking: “Do you want Auntie to deal with Shen Tingji for you?”
He Qingchi lifted her head, her expression calm and unreadable, neither rejecting nor accepting the offer immediately.
Qiu Jin’s question was half serious, half probing—likely testing her reaction.
Finally, He Qingchi slowly smiled and said aloud, “If Wen Shuchen found out, would he blame you?”
“Auntie is already this old… afraid he’d blame you?”
Patting her smooth, fair hand, Qiu Jin hinted: “Besides, we’re family. Auntie isn’t afraid of offending anyone for you.”
He Qingchi smiled faintly and withdrew her hand, not blinking. “Thank you for your intentions, Mrs. Qiu.”
After their whispered conversation in the hospital lobby, Qiu Jin didn’t linger; having said all she needed, she returned upstairs to continue guarding outside the ICU.
He Qingchi remained on the sofa, casually taking out her phone and sending a WeChat message to Qu Bixin, who was still in Japan: [You should thank Shen Fu for divorcing.]
Qu Bixin, already bored nearly to death, quickly replied: [What do you mean?]
[Your ex-husband just pushed Shen Tingji—the woman he had kept for over ten years—onto Wen Yue as a fiancée…] He Qingchi summarized the news from Qiu Jin in a simple, clear way.
She added hypothetically: [If you hadn’t divorced Shen Fu, would he have pushed you to Wen Yue too?]
[He dares!] Qu Bixin sent a voice message immediately, enunciating each word sharply.
He Qingchi replied: [That’s hard to say. He even pushed away a woman he’d kept for over ten years. You were with him only four years… Now that your eyes have recovered, can you drink? I suggest having a drink to celebrate divorcing him early.]
The last time, Qu Bixin had flown back to Jiangcheng overnight because Shen Fu received a call from Shen Tingji late at night—almost driving her to depression. Now, hearing He Qingchi’s words, she didn’t know what to feel.
How blind had she been to end up with such a heartless man?
After a long while, Qu Bixin sent a voice message: [He’s done all this, is there still a chance with that mute girl?]
He Qingchi answered honestly: [It depends on what Shen Tingji wants.]
Qu Bixin was furious: [Then what does he want her for? She’s been used by my ex, and he sold her for his own gain!]
[Then why do you still want him?] He Qingchi replied slowly in text.
Immediately, Qu Bixin went silent—perhaps no response came to mind.
After four years of obsession, she had gotten him, only to realize she wanted him even more…
He Qingchi didn’t press further. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Wen Shuchen slowly exiting the elevator, so she put away her phone, letting her skirt fall naturally as she sat on the sofa, waiting for him.
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