After The Sickly O Was Forced Into Marriage Chapter 16
byChapter 16: Why Are My Lies Always Discovered?
The injuries on Wang Shu’s body were too obvious, and the sight of him carefully eating cake in the corner was noticed by many.
The business circle was small, and news traveled fast.
After the banquet ended, they returned to Shen City.
After Wang Shu lay at home for two days, the Gland on the back of his neck finally returned to normal.
[Xiao Shu!! Are you really okay? When can you finally call me!! Ahhh—]
Wang Shu woke up around noon, rubbed his eyes, and lazily looked at the messages on his phone.
Although his eye pressure had decreased and he could finally see clearly, Jiang Xusheng was restricting him, so he had very little screen time lately.
He dialed the number. Shen Xiao had already graduated and was helping out at his brother’s company. The background noise was loud, so he specifically found a quiet place to talk to Wang Shu.
The news of Wang Shu being neglected had spread throughout the circle.
The CEO of Xieshu Pharmaceutical was currently a highly prominent figure, and any slight movement around him would be magnified.
Some people speculated that Wang Shu might be dying soon.
After all, before marrying Jiang Xusheng, Wang Shu had been engaged three times.
Three engagements.
At that time, his uncles were desperate to secure investments and urgently wanted to marry him off.
However, all three engagements ended poorly; the partners either went bankrupt or suffered accidents. Wang Shu himself was left behind and became the laughingstock of Shen City.
Someone secretly took photos of Wang Shu at the recent banquet.
Covered in injuries, with swollen eyelids, sitting pitifully in the corner eating a small cake.
Some said that with the Wang Family bankrupt, the days of this Illegitimate Son were probably numbered.
Everyone assumed the injuries were inflicted by Jiang Xusheng, perhaps even a slap before the banquet, otherwise, there was no explanation for why his mouth was so swollen.
The people at the venue watched coldly, secretly laughing at him, yet they were also eager and flattering, rushing onto the stage to give company introductions, desperate to secure a partnership with Jiang Xusheng.
Listening to Shen Xiao recount the rumors over the phone, Wang Shu’s drowsiness seemed to instantly vanish. He opened his mouth, unsure how to reply.
“Xiao Shu!” Shen Xiao called out from the other end.
“Ah…” Wang Shu’s ears turned red.
He couldn’t possibly tell Shen Xiao that his mouth was swollen because he had eaten too much of something… and his red eyelids were due to physiological tears forced out of him, not because he had actually cried.
“Do you trust me?” He buried his face in the pillow, feeling a bit embarrassed.
“Actually, there’s something else…” Shen Xiao hesitated, “My brother received a cooperation contract, with Xieshu.”
“That’s great.”
“What’s great about it! I told him not to sign the contract yesterday. So many people wanted to sign it but couldn’t! Why did it land on my brother? Did you talk to Jiang Xusheng about it?! Is that why he bullied you?”
Wang Shu chuckled, “How could that be?”
“I don’t understand business matters.”
Shen Xiao was half-skeptical. He was a lively person and would never let a friend suffer for the sake of business.
“Really?” Shen Xiao worried, “I’m just afraid that now that your uncle’s family is gone, he’ll bully you even more. How will you manage later… Why did it have to be Jiang Xusheng?”
That man’s reputation was currently booming in Shen City. Shen Xiao and his brother were ordinary people who started from scratch; they couldn’t fight against the powerful.
If Wang Shu had married an ordinary person, Shen Xiao would have dragged him home with a suitcase long ago.
No matter what Wang Shu said, Shen Xiao refused to believe that Jiang Xusheng could be a good person.
After a moment of silence, Shen Xiao sighed, “No matter what, Xiao Shu, thank you.”
“You know this deal… is really… really important to my brother.”
Wang Shu hadn’t actually done anything.
He truly didn’t understand business. He didn’t know how hard countless companies had worked to secure this deal, sharpening their wits just to enter the banquet and talk to Jiang Xusheng for one minute.
For money, they had splurged tens of millions on gifts for Jiang Xusheng in the entertainment-obsessed Jing City, just hoping he would extend an olive branch of cooperation.
How the contract was finally settled, even Secretary Chen, Jiang Xusheng’s closest aide, didn’t know.
The night the banquet ended, the little story Jiang Xusheng told Wang Shu wasn’t a fairy tale, but the founding history of six companies.
Finally, Jiang Xusheng asked him in a joking tone which little story he liked best.
The sixth company, Hua’an Logistics, was run by a general manager who came from an orphanage, dropped out of school for four years to work and support his wife’s education, and was still a small enterprise struggling in Shen City, completely incomparable to the other large, multi-million dollar corporations.
Wang Shu liked the sixth story.
Jiang Xusheng asked him why.
Wang Shu said, “Even though the company is small, they must be very happy, right? A person who strives for his wife shouldn’t be too bad?”
Jiang Xusheng rubbed his head. The next day, he sent the multi-billion contract to Hua’an Logistics.
Wang Shu’s bedtime story decided the fate of a company.
Hua’an Logistics was already on the brink of bankruptcy. The deal with Xieshu Pharmaceutical was not just a helping hand in the snow, but a lifeline. Their former partner had run off with the money, and Shen Xiao and his brother were recently discussing selling their house.
Shen Xiao called to confirm. If the deal was truly related to Wang Shu, they wouldn’t sign the contract with Xieshu, even if it meant selling the house.
Wang Shu said, “It really has nothing to do with me.”
Shen Xiao breathed a sigh of relief, “Okay, then I’ll tell my brother to prepare to sign the contract.”
Wang Shu was happy for him. He got up and moved his feet, suddenly realizing they were slightly swollen.
The back-and-forth trip to Jing City had taken nearly a month, and the baby in his belly was almost five months old.
They say the belly grows quickly after the baby passes four months.
Wang Shu usually didn’t go out, and at home, he had switched to wearing nightgowns so they wouldn’t constrict his little belly and would be more comfortable.
He stood up and looked down. He could barely see his toes now. If his belly got any bigger, he definitely wouldn’t be able to see them.
He had a prenatal checkup scheduled in a few days. The doctor implied that surgery might be performed as early as seven months. His body was still thin, and his weight was below the standard.
Below standard?
Wang Shu thought for a moment, pinching his own cheek, feeling that the texture was quite good.
He opened the door. Mr. Jiang wasn’t in the living room. He sneaked over to the scale to check his weight.
112.
Wang Shu frowned slightly. Why was he one pound lighter than yesterday?
After thinking it over, it must be because he wasn’t wearing slippers or pants. He ran back to the bedroom, awkwardly put on his thermal pants, and then stepped onto the scale wearing thick cotton slippers.
114.
Wang Shu picked up his phone, took a picture of the exciting weight, and immediately sent it to Jiang Xusheng.
If possible, he still hoped the baby could stay in his belly until eight months for a normal surgery.
Shen Xiao’s baby was premature and had heart problems since childhood, which was heartbreaking to see.
This was his own baby, and he hoped the little one would be healthy.
Wang Shu saw the porridge on the dining table. The house was very close to Jiang Xusheng’s company, only a ten-minute drive.
He thought Mr. Jiang had gone to the company.
These days, Jiang Xusheng often went to the company to handle official business when Wang Shu overslept in the morning, returning early around noon or in the afternoon, sometimes accompanying him to read the prenatal education manual.
Wang Shu naturally assumed Jiang Xusheng had gone to the company again.
He took the photo and sent it.
[Mr. Jiang! I’ve gained weight! It looks like I can reach a normal weight if I try hard for a few more days. The baby is very healthy. /SpinningJPG]
Wang Shu stood foolishly on the scale, casually stuffing the keys from the nearby cabinet into his pocket, and also putting an orange into his pocket. This deliberate act of cheating made him weigh one more pound.
[I gained another pound after eating breakfast!]
Jiang Xusheng’s message box showed input and deletion.
Finally, he sent five words.
[….Turn around. I’m home.]