This He Jiarong might be a good-for-nothing, but at least he was honest and had been raised by her own hands. So Li Suqin still had some affection for him.

  Although marrying him was a bit of an injustice to her daughter, what was done was done. Now, she just hoped her daughter and him would quickly have a child so she and her husband could hold their grandchild.

  "Mom, let’s talk about this later," Jiang Yan said coldly, lowering her head.

  "Later? You’ve been married for almost two years now!" Li Suqin was getting impatient.

  Jiang Yan didn’t respond further. After changing her shoes, she turned and went into the bedroom.

  In the bathroom, Lin Yu scrubbed his shoes while wiping the blood from his nose. Thinking of Jiang Yan’s exquisite face and devilish figure, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement.

  Any man would find it hard to resist such a stunning woman, so he was torn—should he sleep with her or not?

  If he did, she was technically someone else’s wife. If he didn’t, he was now her husband in name, and if he didn’t step in to help, she and He Jiarong might never have a child.

  Recalling that he had been an outstanding youth in Qinghai City in his past life, known for his bravery and righteousness, he ultimately decided to do a good deed!

  After finishing up, he freshened up and entered the bedroom with a nervous heart.

  Jiang Yan was already lying on the bed in her pajamas, while a makeshift bed was laid out on the floor.

  Lin Yu was slightly taken aback. He glanced at Jiang Yan, who was engrossed in her phone, and seeing that she had no intention of explaining, he couldn’t help but smile bitterly. No wonder they hadn’t had a child after nearly two years of marriage—He Jiarong had been sleeping on the floor all this time.

  No wonder Jiang Yan had seemed uncomfortable when he held her hand earlier. They probably rarely even held hands.

  This He Jiarong was truly hopeless!

  Lin Yu sighed regretfully. It seemed he wouldn’t be able to do this good deed after all. He walked over and lay down on the floor bed.

  "Lights out," Jiang Yan said coldly.

  "Go ahead."

  Lin Yu suddenly felt like he was back in his college dorm.

  Over the next few days, Lin Yu visited his mother while subtly probing the people around He Jiarong to piece together more information about the guy.

  It turned out He Jiarong was an orphan, adopted by Li Suqin when he was three years old. Later, he married Jiang Yan, though why Jiang Yan agreed to it remained a mystery.

  After going through He Jiarong’s phone, Lin Yu found his social circle was incredibly simple—aside from two porn DVD dealers he was in close contact with, he had almost no friends.

  He had been in a coma for two months, and even those two dealers had lost touch. But Lin Yu thought a simple social circle wasn’t necessarily a bad thing—it saved him a lot of trouble.

  Perhaps blood ties were truly something special. After meeting Lin Yu, who now wore He Jiarong’s skin, his mother felt an inexplicable closeness to him and gave up her thoughts of suicide, accepting him as her godson.

  Seeing his mother’s emotions stabilize, Lin Yu felt more at ease. Now, he needed to figure out how to repay the debt to Huang Mao, but raising that much money in a short time was a real challenge.

  When Lin Yu returned from his mother’s place in the afternoon, Jiang Yan was already home, touching up her makeup in front of the mirror.

  His father-in-law and mother-in-law were also home, dressed in formal attire.

  "You’re back so late? Hurry up and change. Your uncle’s new son-in-law got a promotion, and they’ve invited us to dinner," his mother-in-law urged.

  By the time Lin Yu entered the room, Jiang Yan was already ready—a black lace off-shoulder dress, her dark hair cascading over one shoulder, exuding both sexiness and elegance.

  Lin Yu was momentarily stunned. A peerless beauty—that’s what she was.

  "If you don’t want to go, you can stay home," Jiang Yan said coldly.

  "What, afraid I’ll embarrass you?" Lin Yu smiled self-deprecatingly.

  "No." Jiang Yan’s expression flickered slightly before she quickly walked out.

  Lin Yu wasn’t oblivious. Since Jiang Yan didn’t want him to go, he decided to stay home. But Li Suqin wouldn’t hear of it, worried Jiang Yan’s uncle would take offense.

  So Lin Yu had no choice but to tag along, though it was clear Jiang Yan wasn’t happy about it.

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  Fenghua Lou was a high-end restaurant in Qinghai City with a distinctive flair. Being able to host a dinner here showed that Jiang Yan’s uncle’s son-in-law had some clout.

  When Lin Yu and the others arrived, they were led to a large private room with two round tables. Most of the relatives were already there. Whatever name Jiang Yan called out, Lin Yu promptly followed suit, playing the role of a henpecked husband perfectly.

  The relatives exchanged mocking glances, treating Lin Yu with indifference.

  At their table, the seats of honor were occupied by Jiang Yan’s uncle and aunt, flanked by their son-in-law and daughter. The new son-in-law, Zhang Xun, was fair-skinned with a square face, thick lips, and glasses—his speech and demeanor unmistakably marked him as a government official.

  "Thank you all, family and friends, for gracing us with your presence. I’ll drink first as a sign of respect!"

  Once everyone was seated, Zhang Xun raised his glass with a few polite words and downed it in one go.

  "Xiao Zhang, no need for formalities. As your elder cousin, I’ll be counting on your care as the new Health Bureau section chief," a tall man said, standing up to down his own glass.

  "Reaching deputy section level at such a young age—Xiao Zhang is truly exceptional."

  "With promotions coming this fast, it’s only a matter of time before you become a leader."

  "Don’t forget us poor relatives when that happens."

  Amid the laughter, the relatives took turns heaping praise on him.

  "Uncles, aunts, elders—you flatter me. No matter how far I go, I’ll always be your junior. If you ever need anything, just say the word, and I’ll never refuse."

  Zhang Xun delivered his lines like a seasoned bureaucrat, leaving the relatives thoroughly pleased and nodding in approval.

  "Jiarong, now that you’re better, you should learn more from your brother-in-law. Be more ambitious, stop fooling around all day."

  Suddenly, an elder redirected the conversation to Lin Yu.

  Jiang Yan’s expression turned frostier, while Li Suqin and Jiang Jingren’s faces darkened with embarrassment.

  Both were sons-in-law, yet the gap between theirs and the other was staggering.

  "Right, Jiarong, you still don’t have a job, do you? Maybe your brother-in-law can find you some odd jobs at the Health Bureau," Jiang Yan’s aunt said with a hint of condescension.

  She had never liked this niece or her husband, especially since her late father-in-law had doted on Jiang Yan.

  "Mom, I’m afraid I don’t have that kind of pull. Even janitors at the Health Bureau need at least a college diploma," Zhang Xun said with a smile. "Sorry, Jiarong. I really can’t help."

  Lin Yu nodded with a smile, thinking to himself how effortlessly this bureaucrat could draw blood without a knife.

  "But you can’t just stay idle at home. You can’t keep living off your wife forever. Actually, I know a foreman who needs laborers at a construction site—180 yuan a day. I can put in a word for you."

  "Or there’s a gatekeeper job at our factory. Easy work, just low pay."

  "No education, no skills—this is the kind of work you’re stuck with. Don’t be picky."

  The relatives chimed in one after another, their words dripping with faux concern but laced with mockery.

  Jiang Yan’s face was icy, her anger barely contained. Every word felt like a slap to her face. This loser had humiliated her completely.

  "Eat, eat! Let’s eat first!"

  Seeing Li Suqin and her husband’s expressions grow increasingly strained, Jiang Yan’s uncle quickly intervened, urging everyone to start the meal.

  Though the remarks were harsh, Lin Yu was unfazed. He ate and drank heartily—after all, they were insulting He Jiarong, not him.

  "Useless trash is still useless trash. All he knows how to do is eat."

  "Maybe he really did get stupider after that fall."

  "Jiarong? More like Jiaruined."

  "Hahaha!"

  A few of the younger cousins and siblings whispered and laughed among themselves.

  Lin Yu was annoyed. The elders’ jabs were one thing, but what gave these juniors the right to act so high and mighty?

  "Old Li, what’s going on? I thought I reserved this private room!"

  An irritated voice sounded from outside the door.

  "Ah, Captain Liu, my apologies! It was an oversight on my part. How about I move you to another room?"

  "Move? To where? Do the other rooms compare to this one? Do you know who’s coming to dinner tonight? Go talk to the people inside and tell them to switch."

  "Captain Liu, to be honest, there’s someone from the Health Bureau in there. I can’t afford to offend them."

  The restaurant owner’s "someone" referred to Zhang Xun. Though his rank wasn’t high, the restaurant fell under his jurisdiction, and a little bureaucratic meddling could make life difficult.

  Hearing this, Zhang Xun puffed up with confidence. "Who dares disturb my meal?" he barked toward the door.

  His outburst made the relatives at the table sit a little taller, their chests swelling with pride.

  "Me. Liu Changming, captain of the Criminal Police Brigade."

  With that, a man in his thirties pushed open the door, scanned the room, and said, "Sorry, everyone, but this room was originally reserved for me. The staff made a mistake. I have some important guests arriving shortly. I’d appreciate it if you could switch to another room."

  "What right do you have to make us move when we’re halfway through our meal?"

  "Yeah, what’s so special about a police captain?"

  "What authority do you have to do this?"

  Jiang Yan’s cousins, young and hot-headed, immediately protested, unfazed by the title of "Criminal Police Captain."

  Zhang Xun had initially been intimidated by the title and was ready to back down, but their words left him no room to retreat. He adopted a tough stance. "Captain Liu, we’re in the middle of our meal. Asking us to leave now isn’t appropriate, is it?"

  "Sorry, buddy. Do me this favor," Liu Changming said, aware he was in the wrong.

  "Sorry, no favors today. If you want this room, you’ll have to wait until we’re done."

  Seeing no room for negotiation, Zhang Xun decided to lay his cards on the table. After all, the Criminal Police Captain had no authority over the Health Bureau.

  "Yeah, if you want this room, wait till we’re finished!"

  Emboldened, the cousins echoed Zhang Xun’s words, their admiration for him growing.

  "Old Liu, what’s taking so long? The leaders will be here soon."

  Another voice sounded from outside before Deng Chengbin himself strode into the room.

  "Director Deng, perfect timing. I was just trying to get these folks to switch rooms, but this big shot from your Health Bureau won’t budge. Says we have to wait till they’re done eating," Liu Changming said, shooting Zhang Xun a cold glance.

  "D-Director Deng?!"

  Zhang Xun’s face turned ghostly pale. He shot to his feet so abruptly that his bowl and chopsticks clattered to the floor.

  "You’re from the Health Bureau? Which department?"

  Deng Chengbin clearly didn’t recognize Zhang Xun. He gave him a once-over, displeased.

  "D-Director, I’m Zhang Xun from the Disease Control Department," Zhang Xun stammered, sweat beading on his forehead. Offending a superior would crush any hopes of promotion.

  "Tonight, I’m hosting Director Wei. Would you mind doing me the favor of vacating this room?" Deng Chengbin asked sternly.

  "O-Of course, of course!"

  Zhang Xun nodded frantically, then signaled the relatives to gather their things and move to another room.

  The relatives, realizing this was Zhang Xun’s superior, swallowed their anger and began collecting their dishes to leave.

  "Director Deng, isn’t this a bit too much?"

  Lin Yu’s voice rang out, calm and unhurried.