Marry by Relying on Favor: Chapter 156 - This Ungrateful Bastard has Latched onto Our Family and Won’t Let Go!
Qu Bixin hadn’t expected that one burst of anger would land her father in the hospital on New Year’s Eve. Fortunately, it was just a sudden spike in blood pressure—nothing serious. He only needed to stay overnight for observation before going home.
When Father Qu finally caught his breath and opened his aging eyes, he saw Qu Bixin sitting at the bedside, wiping her tears with her head lowered.
On such an important holiday—spending it in a hospital and crying—was hardly auspicious.
Looking at his delicate, beautiful daughter and thinking of how she’d been taken advantage of by that ungrateful wretch, Father Qu felt his breathing turn uneven again. “Xinxin!”
“Dad, you’re awake? Do you still feel uncomfortable anywhere?”
Seeing him regain consciousness, a faint smile finally appeared on Qu Bixin’s small face.
But Father Qu’s heart felt worse seeing her smile. “Tell me honestly… when did that ungrateful bastard start pestering you again?”
He couldn’t even bear to say Shen Fu’s name, replacing it entirely with “that ungrateful bastard.”
Qu Bixin slowly lowered her head.
Father Qu watched his carefully raised daughter about to fall into the same trap again and felt like he might need to be rushed into emergency care once more.
An awkward silence settled between father and daughter.
Afraid of angering him to death on New Year’s Eve, Qu Bixin softened her voice. “Dad, I don’t want to get married. I’m not back together with Shen Fu either.”
“The He family’s daughter is already having a second child, and you still don’t want to marry?”
Father Qu wanted to be a grandfather too. Every time he saw Old Master He bragging about his grandson, he was so jealous his eyes nearly turned red.
Qu Bixin kept her head lowered, her fingers absently tracing the hem of her red dress.
Father Qu said earnestly, “What about the one your brother introduced—the hotel guy? Isn’t he good?”
“Kang Yaoduo is just a pretentious show-off.” Qu Bixin wrinkled her delicate nose in obvious disdain.
Father Qu shot back, “And you have the nerve to call him pretentious?”
“Dad, are you implying I’m vain too?” Qu Bixin’s round eyes widened as she looked at him seriously.
That made Father Qu a little guilty. He coughed lightly. “Old Master He next door goes around bragging about his son-in-law—top-notch, brings him face! My precious daughter, how many years has that ungrateful bastard made our family lose face?”
Qu Bixin had no response. Just as Father Qu was about to persuade her to marry Kang Yaoduo, a nurse pushed open the ward door. “Mr. Qu, there’s someone outside claiming to be your former son-in-law who wants to visit. Would you like to see him?”
Shen Fu had found them that quickly?
Father Qu barked for him to get lost, then looked at his daughter.
Qu Bixin looked confused too. “I didn’t contact him.”
Shen Fu, who had a firm grasp on the Qu family’s situation, had come in perfect time—only to be turned away before even showing his face.
Father Qu’s mood was complicated. “That ungrateful bastard has latched onto our family and won’t let go!”
When Qu Yanming returned to the ward and heard that Shen Fu had tried to visit, he glanced at his good sister and said sarcastically, “Dad, weren’t you jealous last month when Uncle He was hospitalized for a week and his excellent son-in-law personally took care of him at the bedside for six or seven days? Now you can enjoy the same treatment—someone’s rushing over to curry favor with you.”
Father Qu didn’t like hearing that. A former son-in-law didn’t count as a son-in-law.
Qu Yanming took out his phone. “If you don’t want the former one taking care of you, should I call your future son-in-law instead?”
He looked as if he were about to contact Kang Yaoduo.
Qu Bixin had been quietly watching. Only when he was about to dial did she speak up. “Qu Yanming, if you ever break your leg, I’ll notify both your big and little mothers-in-law to come take care of you, too.”
He nearly jumped up, having his sore spot stepped on. “What big and little mothers-in-law? Qu Bixin! Watch what you’re saying!”
She smiled demurely and, before leaving the ward, whispered very softly, “If you dare swap out my man, I’ll swap out your wife.”
With that, she left without bothering to look at his furious expression.
She didn’t go far—just found a seating area in the lobby and sat down.
On New Year’s Eve, the hospital was nearly empty. Only a few doctors were on duty. The surroundings were quiet.
Qu Bixin took out her phone and called Shen Fu.
Her voice carried a trace of schadenfreude as she teased him, “Who told you to come visit? Serves you right for being turned away, huh?”
There was no background noise on his end. After a short silence, he asked, “How is your father?”
She paused, not expecting his first concern to be her father’s condition. Clearing her throat lightly, she said, “He’s old. A little stimulation and he faints easily.”
Shen Fu listened quietly, not responding for a long while.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?” she asked.
“I want to hear you talk.”
Shen Fu admitted. “I don’t want to miss a single second of you.”
Even through the phone, his voice was deep and sincere. Her ears reddened, but she stubbornly replied, “I don’t have that problem. You should adjust your mindset.”
And she really didn’t. She could go out partying for days without once thinking to contact him.
Shen Fu, on the other hand, changed tactics daily—actively or subtly trying to lure her back, just as she once had done to him.
Heaven’s justice. Karma.
She skipped the topic and asked, “Where are you?”
“I’ve gone back,” he said.
“Oh.” Her red lips parted. She wanted to say “Happy New Year,” but stopped herself. Shen Fu was alone now. Even the little mute girl had been sent abroad to settle. She didn’t know where he was spending New Year’s Eve.
She hadn’t asked during the day, afraid she might soften if she heard the answer.
He beat her to it. “Happy New Year.”
“Oh. Happy New Year.” She hurriedly hung up, as if staying on the line one second longer would make him say something she feared to hear.
After sitting in the lobby for a while, she saw Qu Yanming came downstairs to complete the procedures for being discharged form the hospital. “Dad wants to go home. He said it’s unlucky to be hospitalized during the New Year.”
After discharge paperwork was handled, she and her brother accompanied their father out of the hospital. The night was pitch-black, lit only by streetlamps. There were hardly any cars.
As the driver pulled up and Qu Yanming helped their father into the car, Qu Bixin bent to get in as well—only to inadvertently notice a still, dark figure standing beneath a streetlamp near the hospital.
Familiar. She froze. “What are you looking at?” Qu Yanming asked impatiently.
In those brief seconds, she made a decision before even thinking it through. “I think I left my bracelet in the hospital restroom. Brother, take Dad home. I’ll stay at my villa tonight. I’ll come back tomorrow.”
She shut the car door before he could object.
Qu Yanming: “…”
She stood by the roadside, smiling as she watched the car disappear. Only after it was out of sight did she turn and walk straight toward the streetlamp.
The closer she got, the clearer she saw the man who had been standing there for quite some time.
She wore a knitted red dress to match the festive mood. Shen Fu, by contrast, was dressed simply—black shirt, black suit jacket, no tie, collar undone by two buttons, looking faintly languid.
One hand was in his pocket. At his feet sat a bag of fresh fruit—likely meant as a gift for his former father-in-law.
“You said you’d gone back,” she said coldly.
He showed no embarrassment at being discovered. “I wanted to make sure you got home safely. That’s why I said that.”
If she hadn’t seen him, she might never have known he would have quietly escorted her all the way.
Her emotions twisted into something hard to name. She wanted to be angry but didn’t know where to start. Finally, she snapped, “Even if you’re alone tonight, you could celebrate with friends. What’s the point of guarding my family like an orphan?”
Shen Fu smiled, picked up the fruit, and extended his other hand to her. “Let me take you home.”
Reluctantly, she let him lead her away from the hospital.
He didn’t take her to the Qu family home, but to her long-term villa nearby. By the time they arrived, it was around ten at night. Every household was brightly lit, windows decorated festively.
All along the way, she watched his tall yet lonely figure. The emotions in her chest grew more complicated. When he handed her the fruit and prepared to leave for his own apartment, she finally couldn’t help herself. Stiffly, she said, “I barely ate today because Qu Yanming pissed me off. I’m hungry.”
He paused. Without her needing to say more, he replied, “I’ll make dumplings for you.”
She nodded reluctantly. “Pork filling.”
……
On New Year’s Eve, the kitchen on the first floor of her villa was brightly lit.
Shen Fu took off his jacket, rolled up his shirt sleeves, tied on an apron, and busied himself making dumplings. Qu Bixin stood nearby, holding a bowl of fruit he’d washed and cut, watching him with cool detachment.
But her mouth didn’t stay idle. “Qu Yanming exposed our situation. He wants to force me to marry Kang Yaoduo. Dad got so mad he ended up in the hospital.”
Without changing expression, Shen Fu dropped the dumplings into the pot. As he turned back, he gently flicked her delicate nose. “I’ll handle it.”
She quieted, stuffing another piece of fruit into her mouth.
Soon, steaming dumplings were plated beautifully.
She eagerly carried them to the living room and turned on the TV, instantly brightening the atmosphere.
Shen Fu followed slowly, wiping his hands with a white towel.
“Chopsticks for you.”
She didn’t eat alone—she even brought out a bottle of red wine and two glasses.
He sat on the carpet beside her. Only a floor lamp lit the room. They occasionally clinked glasses, eating the hot dumplings. His gaze rested mostly on her rather than on the televised Spring Festival Gala.
Half-full and satisfied, she sipped her wine. “Tonight’s perfect.”
The unconscious remark caused something to flicker in Shen Fu’s eyes. After a quiet moment, just as she realized what she’d said, he calmly took a small box from his pocket and asked, “What New Year’s gift do you want?”
Her pale fingers held the wine glass as she leaned back—only then noticing his arm had long been resting along the back of the sofa. The posture was almost like an embrace. Possessive, without saying a word.
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