Chapter 9: He Drives a Taxi

The servant stationed at the door hurried off to inform Shen Xuejun, “Sir, she went in and hasn’t come out!”
Shen Xuejun nodded, indicating he understood.
Liu Shuhua was elated—now that the rice was cooked, Shen Chutang would have no choice but to marry, and the Shen family’s business would be secure!
Before long, Shen Xuejun led Liu Shuhua and a crowd of spectators to the guest room, unlocking the door with a key.
Inside, it was pitch black, save for the sound of a man’s labored breathing.
Shen Tingting flicked on the light. “Just moments ago, she said she wasn’t feeling well and came in to rest, but who’d have thought she was fooling around with another man!”
As the lights came on, everyone was stunned.
Jiang Han was tied up, mouth gagged, his face battered and bruised, utterly unable to speak.
Shen Chutang, meanwhile, sat calmly on the bed, looking at them with serene indifference.
“You scoundrel, who told you to do this?”
Frightened, Shen Xuejun rushed to untie Jiang Han, “Young Master Jiang, are you alright?”
Jiang Han’s clothing was disheveled, and worst of all, he’d been beaten by a woman. If word got out, where would his dignity be?

“Shen Xuejun, you’re really something!”
With that, Jiang Han stormed off in a fury. Shen Xuejun hurried after him, but Jiang Han had no intention of staying.
Fuming, Shen Xuejun strode up to Shen Chutang, raising a hand to strike, but she seized his arm with a firm grip.
Shen Chutang swiftly embraced his arm, her face full of aggrieved accusation. “Dad, you said there was an important guest in the room who needed special care. As soon as I entered, he rushed at me, so I could only defend myself... Dad, you’re not going to blame me, are you?”
Shen Tingting scolded coldly, “Shen Chutang, have you lost your mind? He’s your fiancé and Dad’s key business partner, and you dared to hit him! How have I taught you? You have no manners at all!”
Feigning confusion, Shen Chutang replied, “Just now you were outside saying I was marrying hastily and insulting my husband, and now you claim Jiang Han is my fiancé? Aren’t you afraid people will laugh at us? They’ll say the Shen family forced their married daughter to wed a playboy for the sake of business with the Jiang family.”
As Shen Chutang spoke, the crowd instantly caught on.
“They’d sell their own daughter for a deal—shameless!”
“The younger daughter is raised lavishly abroad, while the elder is kept hidden away in the mountains. Anyone with eyes can see the difference.”
“If Miss Shen hadn’t been able to protect herself today, who knows what might have happened.”
“Such a father—he’s truly a sinner!”
Voices rose from the crowd, and both Shen Xuejun and Shen Tingting’s faces darkened, though they couldn’t show it outright.

At last, a servant approached quietly, “Sir, there’s a man at the door claiming to be the eldest miss’s husband, but he doesn’t have an invitation. I didn’t let him in.”
Shen Tingting’s eyes lit up; the wretched girl’s husband had finally appeared.
“What kind of car did he arrive in?”
“Well... a taxi. I suspect he’s a fraud.”
“Hahaha, Shen Chutang, you gave up being the young mistress of the Jiang family just to marry a man who doesn’t even own a car. You must be out of your mind!”
Shen Chutang was unfazed. “He works as a ride-share driver. What’s wrong with taking a taxi?”
“Heh, I’ll have to see what he looks like!”
With swagger and arrogance, Shen Tingting led her entourage to the entrance, determined to trample that man underfoot and strip Shen Chutang of any last shred of pride.