Marry by Relying on Favor: Chapter 93 - The Man Who Existed Only in the He Family’s Words
Chapter 93: The Man Who Existed Only in the He Family’s Words
Wen Shuchen’s attention, however, was caught entirely by the way she had called him “Shuchen.”
He knew that He Qingchi only ever dropped the formalities and didn’t call him by his full name when she was in a good mood.
And right now, clearly, she was. Her expression was soft, her eyes warm with laughter — even that gentle “Shuchen” had been spoken tenderly, almost affectionately.
Wen Shuchen said nothing about what had happened at the hospital. His voice was low and calm as he said, “I remembered you still have a grandmother living in the countryside outside Jiangcheng, so I went to pay her a visit.”
Pay a visit was hardly the right word — He Qingchi was sincerely grateful that he’d taken time, on New Year’s Eve of all days, to keep her grandmother company.
It was as if every little thing she had wanted to do, Wen Shuchen had done for her.
“In the future, we’ll bring Grandma to our home every year for New Year’s,” he said gently.
The sound of his voice made He Qingchi’s heart flutter.
Yes —
She was married into Jiangcheng now.
From now on, she could celebrate the New Year in the villa she shared with Wen Shuchen and have her grandmother there too.
Wen Shuchen’s thin lips curved faintly as he went on, “Remember to pass along my New Year’s greetings to your father.”
He Qingchi nodded. Everyone else was in the living room, and she couldn’t stay out on the balcony much longer.
She saw her grandmother carrying out a steaming plate of fried rice for Wen Shuchen’s midnight snack, so she said softly, “Then I’ll hang up now. Happy New Year.”
“Happy New Year—”
His deep, smooth voice was abruptly cut off as the video call ended, and his image disappeared from her phone screen.
He Qingchi lowered her gaze to his contact on WeChat, her lips curving in an involuntary smile.
Taking a quiet breath, she steadied the ripples of emotion in her chest and turned to go back inside—only to bump, without warning, into a dark figure lurking beside a flower vase.
She nearly jumped out of her skin.
Father He’s expression was full of wounded grievance. He scolded first: “Standing out here in the cold wind on a snowy night—aren’t you afraid of freezing?”
After reprimanding her for being twenty-four already, too old to be acting like a little girl who didn’t know better — old enough to have children, even — he started grumbling again.
“My wonderful son-in-law, heh…”
He even gave a cold, theatrical laugh: “Knows how to show filial piety to your grandmother, but not to his father-in-law.”
The bitterness in his tone was impossible to miss.
He Qingchi spoke up for Wen Shuchen. “He’ll come by in a few days to pay you a proper visit. The Wen family’s been in chaos — some rebelling, some in the ICU. He’s been dealing with those scheming relatives nonstop. It’s been hard on him.”
Father He puffed himself up, trying to act the part of a dignified father-in-law, but his precious daughter wasn’t giving him an inch.
He was furious!
“And didn’t you say you didn’t even approve of Wen Shuchen as a son-in-law?” He Qingchi shot him a sidelong glance, teasing lightly.
Father He’s own words came back to slap him in the face.
But He Qingchi was a master of giving with one hand and taking with the other — after teasing, she sweetly looped her arm through his and said, “Alright, alright. He’ll come visit you himself during the New Year, don’t worry.”
Still sulking, Father He insisted on asserting his authority. “You called him Shuchen!”
He Qingchi glared back. “So what if I did? I call you Dad, don’t I?”
“……”
Upstairs, the house was full of noise and warmth. Her grandmother, too frail to stay up late, had already gone to bed.
Her father and uncles were playing cards, her cousins either watching or chatting in the living room.
Having long since graduated, He Qingchi didn’t have much to talk about with her still-school-aged sisters.
She went upstairs to her own room.
The soft light glowed gently as she shut the door behind her, bent down to slip off her high heels, her bare feet sinking into the plush carpet. Then she reached up to unzip her dress.
After a hot shower, she changed into a cotton cheongsam-style nightgown.
Moving slowly, she had barely stepped back into the room when she heard two soft knocks at the door —
So light it was as if someone had only brushed it with their fingertips.
When she opened it, she saw her cousin He Li standing in the hallway.
“He Li?” she asked mildly. “What is it?”
“Cousin, I made you some egg soup myself.” He Li’s fair, delicate face glowed with a smile, her bright eyes full of admiration.
She had always looked up to her older cousin — even her long cyan dress tonight echoed He Qingchi’s style. When you like someone, you tend to unconsciously imitate them, and though He Li’s temperament was softer, the two still bore a faint resemblance.
She liked what He Qingchi liked, and wanted to be close to her.
He Qingchi, always indulgent with her cousins, let her in.
The room was filled with a faint scent of sandalwood — He Li had gone around that morning burning incense in every room, and the fragrance lingered still.
She set the bowl of egg soup on the table and said softly, “I added sugar.”
He Qingchi gestured for her to sit, then lifted the silver spoon and took a sip of the soup.
He Li smiled faintly, then turned and sat down at the vanity chair, watching as He Qingchi lowered her head to drink. After a moment, she started chatting on her own. “Cousin, I heard from Uncle that your husband will be coming over during the Spring Festival?”
Wen Shuchen had come to the He family home twice before, but both times her younger cousins happened to be away at school.
He Qingchi hadn’t yet formally introduced him, so she only hummed in acknowledgment. “When he comes, I’ll have him give all of you big red envelopes.”
He Li smiled lightly. “Brother-in-law must be a very nice person.”
“Oh? You can tell?”
“Of course — how else could he have married someone as wonderful as you?”
He Qingchi couldn’t help but laugh. Her cousin had a sweet tongue. She stirred the porcelain bowl absently with her spoon and asked, “Do you like any boys at school?”
He Li blinked, momentarily dazed, her delicate face showing a trace of confusion.
“Why should I like a boy?”
If someone had asked He Qingchi the same question a few years ago, she wouldn’t have been able to answer either.
Back then, she had no interest in boys — except perhaps Qin Chuan.
Maybe it was because she herself had finally found love, but even her usually cool temperament had softened; now, she could genuinely care about others’ feelings. “Well,” she said gently, “haven’t you ever thought about what kind of man you’d want to marry after you graduate?”
He Li shook her head.
“Grandmother will arrange that.”
Her parents had died young, and she had been raised entirely by their grandmother. She trusted the old lady completely.
Whoever Grandmother chose for her, He Li would marry without hesitation.
She believed that after all the years the He family had raised and cared for her, they would never do her harm.
He Qingchi thought wryly that if she’d shared that same mindset, she probably never would’ve run off to Jiangcheng — and Wen Shuchen might not have entered her life at all.
He Li blinked, her gentle manner turning playfully curious. “Cousin, tell me — how did Brother-in-law manage to win you over?”
She really wanted to know what kind of man had been capable of capturing her heart.
After falling seriously ill as a child, He Qingchi had recovered slowly and never liked socializing much.
Aside from the persistent, warm-hearted Qin Chuan, who had pestered her into friendship.
She had rarely let any boy into her world.
And since Qin Chuan had no romantic interest in her, their friendship had stayed pure.
Other boys, though, were different.
Some began with friendship, but over time, their intentions changed.
Eventually, He Qingchi had grown not only aloof, but also deeply wary of any connection to the sons of wealthy families.
He Li knew her cousin well — she could count all of He Qingchi’s close friends, male or female, on one hand.
So it was no surprise that, after graduation, her uncle had been so eager to push her toward marriage through an arranged match.
When He Li heard her cousin was married, she had been stunned for days.
What kind of man could possibly have won the famously untouchable Miss He in just a few short months?
Faced with that question—
He Qingchi thought for a long moment before finally replying, “Maybe I was tricked into it…”
He Li looked puzzled, clearly not understanding.
He Qingchi couldn’t explain the whole story in a few words — and the truth was, it had been her own moment of impulsiveness, agreeing to something as big as marriage without thinking it through.
A little embarrassed, she glossed over the details.
Fortunately, He Li was a well-behaved, considerate girl who knew when to stop asking.
Before ending their talk that night, He Qingchi, speaking from experience, offered a bit of heartfelt advice: “When you choose a man someday, don’t just look at how gentle or rich he is. You have to see whether you can accept the darker side he hides inside. Otherwise, once you marry him — if he decides not to let you go — you won’t escape easily.”
The next morning, on the first day of the Lunar New Year.
The He family began making their rounds to visit relatives and friends. It was lively but exhausting.
He Qingchi stayed close to her grandmother throughout, and this year was different from before — she wasn’t just a He family socialite anymore, but also the daughter-in-law of the powerful Wen family. The elders mentioned her name far more often than usual.
For days, every time someone asked, ‘You married into Jiangcheng?’
She could answer automatically, without even opening her eyes: “Yes — the Wen family of Jiangcheng. My husband is Wen Shuchen.”
Wen Shuchen’s reputation as the foremost name in Jiangcheng society was impeccable; everyone envied her, eager to grow closer.
No one said that a He family daughter wasn’t good enough for him — they only said it was a perfect match.
By the morning of the sixth day of the New Year, after countless conversations about him, the man who had existed only in the He family’s words finally appeared in person — carrying gifts as he arrived at their door.
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