Chapter 9: The Cannon Fodder Fiancée (9)

Aunt Li had originally intended to win over Yun Zhongshan by serving him, hoping to eventually become the mistress of the Yun household.

For years, she had climbed into his bed countless times, whispering sweet nothings in his ear, but Yun Zhongshan remained unmoved. His heart was always tethered to the girl left behind by his late wife. Aunt Li was furious, yet she found herself unable to turn the tables.

After conspiring with her daughter, they set their sights on undermining Yun Jin. Her daughter, Su Murong, was far more capable than she was. Not only did she keep Fu Han spellbound, but she even managed to make him abandon his own wedding just to keep her by his side. To nurture their "bond," Aunt Li had specifically instructed Su Murong to keep a close eye on Fu Han’s every move and report anything suspicious immediately.

After meeting Fu Han at the airport, Su Murong had gone abroad with him to relax. Because they hadn't purchased international roaming, they were unaware of the news circulating about the Yun and Fu families back home. By the time they found out, it was already days later. Fu Han had kept his phone switched off the entire time to avoid harassment.

Upon returning, Fu Han turned his phone on, and messages flooded in like a tidal wave. His mother called immediately.

"Have you lost your mind? You abandoned your new bride for some cheap mistress just to go on a honeymoon?"

"Do you have any idea how completely unhinged Yun Jin became after you left? She plastered the news of your affair all over the screens."

"There were reporters everywhere at the wedding. The photos of you and that mistress in bed are still trending on the gossip columns."

"The reputation of the Fu Group has been severely damaged by your scandal, and our stock prices are plummeting!"

Fu Han’s mother fumed, "Get back to the office and clean up this mess immediately. Otherwise, I’ll drag Su Murong out and skin her alive!"

"Mom, this has nothing to do with Murong."

Fu Han tried to explain, but his mother had already hung up. On the way back, he browsed the news. Sure enough, he saw endless tabloid reports about himself. A large portion of the internet was cursing him, calling him fickle and blind for casting aside a gentle, beautiful wife for a mistress who was inferior in every way. Some helpful netizens even joked that he must have been so desperate that he’d eat anything, even excrement, asking everyone to have a little "pity" for him.

Fu Han felt a sharp pain in his stomach from the anger. Just as he was about to drink some water to calm down, Su Murong called. She was sobbing, "Brother Han, have you seen the news? How did those photos of us get posted online? I can’t face anyone, boo-hoo!"

Fu Han’s brows furrowed. He was already overwhelmed and had no energy to coddle her. Hearing her cries even made him feel a sense of annoyance. Sensing the change in his tone, Su Murong immediately shifted her demeanor, whimpering, "I’m so stupid. I’m not as understanding as Ajin, and I always do things that cause you misunderstandings. Please, don't argue with her because of me; I would feel so guilty."

"This has nothing to do with you. Yun Jin is the one who leaked the photos; it’s not your fault." A flicker of resentment toward Yun Jin ignited in his heart. He felt that while he was wrong to pause the wedding to keep Su Murong, it was only a pause, not a cancellation. Why did she have to humiliate him and disgrace the Fu family? Did she not realize how much damage this had caused? It seemed he had been too indulgent with her, which had led to her current impulsiveness. He decided he must call her and give her a piece of his mind.

"Rongrong, stop crying. I’ll give you an explanation for this. I’ll make Yun Jin apologize to you."

After hanging up, Fu Han lost the heart to go to the office. He needed to get to the bottom of this. When he learned that Yun Jin was the one responsible for the nosedive in the company's reputation, he laughed in fury. He immediately called her, intending to berate her, only to find he had been blocked. It didn’t matter; he had a backup number. He tried again, and this time, she answered.

"Did you post the bed photos of me and Rongrong?" Fu Han demanded, his tone icy.

Yun Jin, who was sitting in the lounge drinking coffee, knew immediately that Fu Han was calling to settle the score. She replied, "And?"

"Do you have any idea how serious the consequences are? Rongrong’s eyes are swollen from crying, and she’s lost her voice. Yun Jin, I never realized you were such a vengeful, jealous shrew. I truly misjudged you!"

"None of my business."

Fu Han’s expression darkened. "Since when did you become so vulgar? I’m warning you, don’t try to act out just to get my attention. Otherwise, I will—"

"Fu Han, you really think too highly of yourself." Yun Jin took a sip of her coffee and sneered. "I used to like you, so I was willing to tolerate your flaws. But now, you’re worthless to me. Why should I treat you well? I’m not born to be a doormat!"

"And about those photos—I posted them, yes. But did you bother to check the source? Su Murong was the one who sent them to me."

"Impossible. Why would Rongrong do something that hurts both herself and others?" In Fu Han’s mind, Su Murong had always been a gentle, sweet, and understanding woman. How could she be like those vain, scheming women, capable of such reckless behavior? It must be that Yun Jin was jealous of her and was up to no good.

Fu Han softened his tone. "I can overlook this. Where are you? Let’s meet. You apologize to Rongrong, and we’ll call it even." He figured that since the two families still had to interact, and Yun Jin was technically his wife, it was normal for her to be resentful after being cast aside. As long as she took the exit ramp he was offering, he would grant her the dignity due to a Mrs. Fu.

"In your dreams. Me, apologize to Su Murong? Not in this lifetime."

Regardless of how furious Fu Han was, Yun Jin hung up immediately.

Xie Yanci had been swamped for the past few days. When he finally found time to check his phone, he realized a problem: he didn't even have the little liar's number or her WeChat. Their relationship was purely physical. Xie Yanci couldn't accept this. With a dark expression, he got Yun Jin’s number from Qi Ming and dialed it.

When Yun Jin saw the unknown number, she assumed it was Fu Han. She answered and started lashing out immediately. "Fu Han, you idiot! Are you sick in the head? Why are you harassing me?"

"It’s me, Xie Yanci."

Yun Jin paused for a few seconds and checked the calendar. They had agreed not to contact each other for half a month, and that time hadn't passed yet. Wait—how did he get her number? Was he investigating her?

"Did you have someone investigate me?" Yun Jin demanded.