The Wife Who Defended Him

Soon Ji Lingling sent another message.

The moment Wen Xi read the sentence, she immediately jumped to her feet.

Her mind was filled with only those words.

“Sister-in-law… actually my brother didn’t go to handle business.”

“He was punished to kneel in the ancestral hall last night, right?”

“When we went to Aunt Ya’s grave today, Grandma made him continue kneeling there.”

“She won’t let him come back.”

“The rain is getting heavier.”

“You should go ask Aunt Yun and Grandma to show mercy.”

Wen Xi ran downstairs with her phone clutched tightly in her hand.

Her mind was filled with Ji Lingling’s message.

“My brother didn’t go out to handle business…

He’s still kneeling at the cemetery. Grandma won’t let him come back.”

She rushed to Zou Jiayun’s door and knocked again.

Before Zou Jiayun even answered, she had already pushed the door open.

Zou Jiayun was sitting on the sofa watching the rain outside.

Wen Xi frowned and asked directly,

“How can you allow Grandma to treat Jiang Jibai like this?”

“Kneeling in the ancestral hall is already bad enough.”

“But now he’s kneeling at the cemetery in the rain!”

“As his mother, you’re just going to watch and not plead for him?”

Zou Jiayun was silent for a moment.

Then she said quietly,

“Xixi, you don’t understand the situation.”

“Just let the old lady have her way.”

“She’s already very old and doesn’t have many years left.”

“Why should Jiang Jibai suffer just to satisfy her?” Wen Xi demanded.

“If you really consider Jiang Jibai your son—”

“Instead of just thinking he’s an adopted child who only needs to eat well and stay healthy—”

“Then you should tell Grandma to send someone to bring him back!”

Zou Jiayun sighed.

“Xixi, don’t interfere.”

“If you won’t go,” Wen Xi said angrily, “then I’ll go ask Grandma myself!”

She turned and ran out.

She forgot to take an umbrella.

She rushed straight into the pouring rain.

Zou Jiayun didn’t stop her.

She simply watched silently.

It wasn’t that she didn’t care about Jiang Gu.

But Chen Zhangyu’s hatred toward Shen Yi was too deep.

And the Shen family was too powerful.

She was old now and had no ability to confront Shen Yi.

Unfortunately, Jiang Gu’s face resembled Shen Yi by five parts.

That alone was enough for Chen Zhangyu to pour all her hatred onto him.

If Jiang Gu had looked more like her or like her sister, Chen Zhangyu would never have treated him this way.

In a public cemetery in the northern suburbs, the surroundings were filled with lush green trees darkened by the rain.

A black Maybach stopped steadily at the entrance.

A well-dressed assistant stepped out from the passenger seat and quickly opened a black umbrella.

He walked to the back door and opened it.

A pair of spotless handmade leather shoes stepped onto the wet pavement.

“Mr. Shen,” the assistant said respectfully.

“The Zou family’s car has already left.”

“I’ve also dealt with the bodyguards nearby.”

The man said nothing.

He stood beneath the umbrella with one hand in his trouser pocket.

Then he looked toward the upper left area of the cemetery.

Someone was kneeling there.

He took the umbrella from his assistant and walked up the steps.

“Mr. Shen, should I accompany you?” the assistant asked.

The man didn’t answer.

The assistant immediately stopped speaking.

—

Jiang Jibai was kneeling in front of Zou Jiaya’s grave.

The black suit he had worn during the memorial ceremony was completely soaked.

But his back remained straight.

He stared silently at the photograph on the gravestone.

Suddenly the rain above his head stopped.

An umbrella appeared over him.

Footsteps stopped beside him.

“Gu… I’m sorry.”

“It’s my fault you’ve been treated like this by Chen Zhangyu.”

“If you didn’t want the share transfer agreement yesterday, that’s fine.”

“You can take it whenever you want in the future.”

“You are my son.”

“The Shen family will belong to you one day.”

“No matter whether you accept it or not.”

“If you don’t want to endure the Zou family anymore…”

“I can negotiate with them and bring you back.”

Shen Yi stood beside him holding the umbrella.

Jiang Jibai didn’t look at him.

He didn’t respond.

Two hours later, the assistant approached quietly.

He noticed Shen Yi’s right shoulder had already been soaked by rain.

Because the umbrella had been tilted toward Jiang Jibai the entire time.

The assistant leaned over and whispered something.

Shen Yi waved his hand dismissively.

The assistant stepped back.

“Chen Zhangyu wants you to kneel until dark,” Shen Yi said slowly.

“But if you don’t go back soon…”

“The girl beside you will cause a huge scene at the Zou house.”

For the first time, Jiang Jibai’s gaze shifted.

He had deliberately prevented Wen Xi from coming today.

He knew she would argue if she saw this.

He took his phone out of his pocket.

He intended to call Ji Lingling.

But a WeChat message from Ji Lingling arrived first.

Ji Lingling:
“Brother! Come back quickly!”

“Grandma and sister-in-law are arguing!”

“Mom can barely control the situation!”

Jiang Jibai paused.

Then he placed his hand on the ground and stood up.

His legs had gone numb from kneeling too long.

He staggered forward.

Shen Yi instinctively reached out to support him.

But Jiang Jibai immediately shook his hand off.

Shen Yi slipped his hands back into his pockets.

“You can’t drive in this condition,” he said calmly.

“I’ll drive you back.”

Jiang Jibai didn’t respond.

He simply walked away.

—

Back at the Zou residence, chaos filled the main hall.

“Stop her!” Chen Zhangyu shouted angrily, slamming the table.

Outside, rain poured down violently.

Zou Jiayun moved slowly with her injured leg.

By the time she arrived, she saw Wen Xi trying to run outside.

Ji Ruhua was holding her tightly to stop her from leaving.

Wen Xi struggled furiously.

“Auntie, let go of me!”

“If you won’t send a car to pick Jiang Jibai up, fine!”

“But you can’t stop me from going!”

Ji Ruhua was much stronger than her.

Wen Xi couldn’t break free.

She finally stopped struggling and looked toward Chen Zhangyu.

“I really don’t understand why you all treat Jiang Jibai like this!”

“His mother died.”

“He lost his mother as a child.”

“His so-called father wasn’t even around.”

“He’s the biggest victim in this entire situation!”

“I don’t know what hatred exists between you and his father.”

“But what I see is that you’re treating Jiang Jibai like your enemy!”

“You’re taking out your hatred for his father on him!”

“What did he do wrong?”

“You can’t choose the family you’re born into!”

“Is his greatest mistake simply being Aunt Ya’s child?!”

“You isolate him.”

“You punish him.”

“You treat him like an outsider.”

“When he was six, seven, eight years old—”

“You all sat together happily as a family while he ate alone in his room!”

“You made him kneel in the ancestral hall!”

“You isolated and tortured him!”

“What did he do to deserve that?!”

“And now you’re making him kneel at the cemetery in the rain!”

“Are you all really that cold-hearted?!”

Chen Zhangyu trembled with rage.

“You outsider!”

“What do you know?!”

“Shut up!”

At the same time, another voice spoke.

“Wen Xi. Stop.”

But Wen Xi was too angry to notice who said it.

“If you hate his father, then go settle your score with his father!”

“You don’t dare confront him, so you bully someone younger instead!”

“That’s cowardly!”

“I know how painful it is to be isolated by everyone!”

“If any of you had lived Jiang Jibai’s life—”

“You would’ve become mentally twisted long ago!”

“The only reason he still stays here is because he still treats you as family!”

“But none of you treat him as family at all!”

“You’re heartless—”

“Wen Xi.”

“Enough.”

Before she could finish speaking, someone suddenly pulled her into an embrace.

She froze.

Then she looked up.

Jiang Jibai was standing there.

Completely soaked from the rain.

“You yelled at me?” she said in disbelief.

“I was defending you!”

“Jiang Jibai, I hate you!”

Her eyes instantly turned red.

She pushed him away and ran out of the house.

Jiang Jibai reached out to grab her wrist.

But he caught nothing but air.

He turned to chase her.

But Ji Ruhua suddenly shouted behind him.

“Jiayun! Call an ambulance!”

“Mom fainted!”

Jiang Jibai stopped.

He looked at the old woman collapsed in the armchair.

His lips pressed tightly together.

—

Twenty minutes later, outside the hospital emergency room.

Ji Lingling approached Jiang Jibai quietly.

“Brother… go change your clothes first.”

“Where is she?” Jiang Jibai asked calmly.

“Is she still crying?”

Ji Lingling hesitated.

“I… can’t find sister-in-law.”

“She’s not in the bedroom.”

“I don’t know where she went.”

Jiang Jibai remained silent.

Then he said,

“Go find her.”

“If you see her, send me a message immediately.”

—

By the time the doctor announced that Chen Zhangyu’s life was not in danger…

Wen Xi was already on a high-speed train back to Ning City.

She was extremely aggrieved.

“Stupid Jiang Jibai!”

“I’m never speaking to you again!”

Her phone kept lighting up with his calls.

She turned it off.

But before doing so, she sent one final message.

Niangao Gao:
“When you return to Ning City, meet me at the Civil Affairs Bureau.”

“I want a divorce.”

—

Later, Jiang Jibai found Wen Xi sick with fever in her university dorm.

He carried her away.

When Wen Xi woke up again, she was in his apartment bedroom.

Her phone was filled with messages.

Jiang Jibai:
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled at you.”

Jiang Jibai:
“My grandmother has a serious heart condition.”

“I couldn’t let you keep arguing with her.”

Jiang Jibai:
“You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Wen Xi sighed.

She still felt wronged.

Just then the bedroom door opened.

Jiang Jibai walked in holding a cup of fever medicine.

“Forgive me,” he said quietly.

“I don’t accept your apology!” Wen Xi replied angrily.

“Then do whatever you want,” Jiang Jibai said.

“Anything.”

Wen Xi blinked slowly.

“Anything?”

“Anything.”

She pointed at him.

“Then hold me while I nap.”

Jiang Jibai paused.

Then he said calmly,

“Drink the medicine first.”

After she finished the medicine, he lay down beside her.

She leaned into his arms.

After a long silence, he asked quietly,

“Do you forgive me now?”

Wen Xi bit her lip.

“No.”

Then she whispered softly,

“I want to play one more time.”