Chapter 38. Ji Qingyu spends most of her time...

Ji Qingyu spent most of her time at the hospital with Lin Ying. When she got home, she heard from Aunt Wang that the lawsuit between the two families was going very badly, and Ji Qingyu saw many people discussing it on Weibo. Ji Ran might go to jail because of it. The Ji family's stock price plummeted, and a lot of their dirty laundry was brought to light.

“Madam, your father has come twice. He seemed anxious to see you, but you were not there each time.”

The Ji family could no longer sit idly by, and Ji Deyong, despite his advanced age, paid a visit. Ji Qingyu looked at his nominal father, who was aggressive and had a terrible attitude.

"No matter what, he's still your brother. Do you really want to kill him?" Ji Deyong glared at Ji Qingyu. To be honest, he didn't know this illegitimate son. He just felt disgusted when he thought about the consequences of that one night of passion.

“You pushed me out here, and then had Ji Ran and Fu Yunsheng collude behind the scenes. You never intended to give me a way out, so why should I let him off the hook?” Ji Qingyu said slowly.

“Ji Qingyu, I know you’ve always resented me for not taking care of you and your mother, but aren’t you all grown up now? If it weren’t for the Ji family’s connections, would you have been able to marry Fu Han?” Ji Deyong frowned, as if he wasn’t the one in a real crisis, and that talking to Ji Qingyu was a favor he was doing for her.

“I don’t have the energy to hate you. What happens to you is none of my business, and what happens to the Ji family is none of my business either.” Ji Qingyu said calmly, “You should be grateful that I haven’t kicked you when you’re down. To be honest, every second I spend with you makes me feel disgusted. I think Ji Ran’s low character is largely due to your influence.”

"Is this how you speak to your father?" Ji Deyong's face turned very ugly. He had indulged in debauchery for many years, and his face was full of fat. He always wanted to maintain his father's dignity. He was despicable inside, but he still wanted everyone to worship him. What kind of deal is this?

“Father?” Ji Qingyu’s gaze darkened. “You’re nothing but a criminal. Even animals don’t show mercy everywhere, you’re not even as good as an animal.”

Ji Deyong paused for two seconds, unable to believe that such words could come from the mouth of Ji Qingyu, who seemed so well-behaved and gentle. He stood up, his expression ferocious, and was about to raise his hand to hit the other party when a cup of water was splashed on his head.

The pain was too intense; what did these curses and belittlings matter to Ji Qingyu? She didn't care at all.

With a crash, the glass shattered, and sharp shards of porcelain littered the floor.

Ji Deyong stared in astonishment at the omega before him. He had never been treated like this before. Everything before him was not what he had expected, and he was momentarily stunned.

"You are nothing to me, whether you live or die is none of my business. I didn't need you before, and I will never have anything to do with you again." After saying this, Ji Qingyu stood up and asked Wang Sao to see the guest out. Ji Deyong wanted to go forward, but was pulled away by the bodyguard.

"Ji Qingyu, what good do you think it will do you if the Ji family is destroyed? You won't even have your last bit of leverage in front of Fu Han. You're just an illegitimate child from the slums. Without the Ji family, you'll be kicked out immediately. Do you think someone like Fu Han, who prioritizes profit above all else, will tolerate you?"

Ji Qingyu chuckled.

These people always assume that everyone is like them, adept at weighing pros and cons, viewing marriage as a right, emotions as a bargaining chip, and prioritizing interests above all else. They believe they can do anything for fame and fortune, but who cares? They don't care from beginning to end.

...

Fu Han has recently insisted on sharing a small bed in the second bedroom with Ji Qingyu. He's been coming home too often, and Ji Qingyu doesn't want to see him. When they're both at home, he tries to avoid her and locks himself in his room.

They remained silent, and Ji Qingyu hoped that their last moments together could end peacefully.

But to his surprise, the poorly made stage play was unexpectedly shortlisted, and the entire crew was in an uproar. This forced the two, who hadn't spoken a word to each other for several days, to attend the event together.

The journey to the venue was neither too long nor too short, taking only fifteen minutes. The two people sat listlessly in the car, the afterglow of the sun painting the horizon.

Fu Han suddenly leaned over, lowered his head, and naturally took Ji Qingyu's hand, his eyes cold: "You need to maintain the company's image later."

Ji Qingyu didn't say anything, and Fu Han just held Ji Qingyu's hand all the way as they got out of the car. They went backstage to get their makeup done first. Ji Qingyu didn't know why Fu Han had come to accompany her so early. As soon as the actors met, they all surrounded her. The actress playing the student omega was named Yu Yue, and she rushed up and gave Ji Qingyu a hug.

"Xiaoyu, your husband looks so handsome!" Yu Yue is a straightforward girl with a handsome and dashing appearance, and she gets along well with Ji Qingyu.

Ji Qingyu was pulled inside by Yu Yue.

Fu Han followed slowly behind, still with that noble and arrogant demeanor, sharp eyebrows and eyes, handsome features, wearing a bite stopper, and his formal attire made him even more radiant.

Yu Yue quietly pulled Ji Qingyu aside to gossip: "I've been going crazy with all the gossip lately. Look at how your husband and Ji Ran have been fighting over you."

Ji Qingyu didn't know what expression to make, so he just smiled and changed the subject.

"Ms. Ji, your lipstick needs to be touched up again," the makeup artist said, holding a brush.

Ji Qingyu nodded in agreement. The next second, Fu Han walked over and took the lipstick from the makeup artist. He held Ji Qingyu down and applied the lipstick to her lips little by little.

Ji Qingyu was stunned. Fu Han remained expressionless, and finally wiped away the excess lip gloss with his fingertip. Ji Qingyu's body tensed up, and he turned his gaze away from Fu Han. The touch of the lipstick still lingered on his lips. Ji Qingyu stared blankly at the lipstick residue on Fu Han's fingertip, lost in thought.

Perhaps it was just a habit, but Fu Han always managed to pull off such casual flings with ease.

The other nominees for this award were all very strong teams, and the crew didn't have high hopes. So, being nominated was already a great start for them.

The awards ceremony began, and while they didn't receive the Best Screenplay award, surprisingly, Yu Yue won Best Actress. The entire crew, including Yu Yue herself, was incredulous, then erupted in cheers. Ji Qingyu laughed too, and before going on stage, Yu Yue rushed over and hugged Ji Qingyu.

His attention was somewhat scattered, and his mind was dull. Most of the time, he was thinking about things related to Lin Ying, and fragments of the past kept surfacing. He was lost in thought when Fu Han suddenly grabbed his hand.

The host appeared in front of Ji Qingyu without her noticing. The previous award had already been presented, and the host had arranged a warm-up interview between the announcements of the next award. Now, the host was walking up to Ji Qingyu.

"Mr. Ji, you and your husband seem to have a very good relationship and are very loving. Could you share your love story with us?" the host said with a smile.

"..." Ji Qingyu fell silent. After a few seconds of silence, Fu Han looked down at him. Ji Qingyu couldn't say anything; he didn't want to say a single word.

For about ten seconds, everyone in the shot was expressionless, quiet, and even indifferent. The atmosphere became tense. Fu Han gripped Ji Qingyu's hand slightly tighter, but Ji Qingyu remained silent.

The host chuckled awkwardly: "Mr. Ji seems a little nervous. Next, we'll be presenting the Best Composer Award. Who do you all think will be the winner?"

No wonder the host came to interview him. Before he could even react, the stage was already reading his name.

Perhaps because of the many bad things that had happened in the past, this moment seemed somewhat unreal. Ji Qingyu hadn't even prepared a speech and just watched as the crew members below the stage thanked her one by one.

He didn't mention Fu Han, who didn't seem to care. He even got up to greet him when he came off the stage. Ji Qingyu didn't shake the hand that was offered to him and walked away alone with the trophy in his hand.

Fu Han's hand hovered in mid-air for a few seconds, slightly stunned. A crack appeared on his face, which was always unreadable, and he looked up at Ji Qingyu's back with a blank expression.

But only for a moment, he concealed his emotions in his eyes, his expression remaining impeccable.

After the awards ceremony, everyone went to an izakaya to celebrate. Yu Yue nudged Ji Qingyu slightly and asked, "Did you and your husband have a fight?"

Fu Han sat to Ji Qingyu's left, and although they were talking in hushed tones, he could still hear them.

"We weren't really husband and wife to begin with; it was just a marriage of convenience."

Yu Yue covered her mouth in surprise, looking at the two of them in disbelief.

Fu Han paused, his hand holding the chopsticks still. He reached for the glass, but his hand slipped, and the glass fell, soaking the entire hem of his shirt. He rarely lost his composure like this.

People around him gasped in surprise, and someone quickly gave him a dry towel.

Fu Han got up and went out to clean up. On the way, he glanced at Ji Qingyu twice, but Ji Qingyu never looked in his direction.

His heart sank deeper and deeper, and he could no longer even deceive himself. It was as if he were standing on the edge of a cliff, and the unknown terror was engulfing him.

After saying goodbye to everyone after dinner, only Fu Han and Ji Qingyu remained by the roadside. Ji Qingyu had drunk too much because of the disturbance caused by the crew, and the cold wind made him feel a bit tipsy. He was about to get into the car to go home when someone grabbed his arm and Fu Han slammed him against the wall. The wet patches on his clothes made him look a bit disheveled, and his tone turned cold: "Why did you tell others that we had a marriage of convenience?"

"Why not?" Ji Qingyu stared blankly at Fu Han's back. The cigarette in Fu Han's hand ignited, the scarlet flame burning hot in the night. Ji Qingyu coughed a few times from the fumes, then stubbed out the cigarette and threw it into the trash can.

"Isn't this what you've been hoping for? Haven't you always let me behave myself? What else could you possibly be dissatisfied with?" Ji Qingyu stated bluntly and without emotion. His tone was so cold that Fu Han didn't say anything more for a moment.

After a while, the alpha suddenly tightened his grip on Ji Qingyu's arm. He lowered his head to kiss Ji Qingyu, as if trying to make up for something in this way. Ji Qingyu let him kiss her, treating it as if she had been bitten by a dog, without giving any response.

On the way back, the two remained silent to each other.

Fu Han seemed genuinely angry this time. He slammed the master bedroom door as soon as he entered, finally no longer having to share the same cramped second bedroom with Ji Qingyu.

Ji Qingyu ignored him and slammed the door to the second bedroom shut with even more force, finally able to get a good night's sleep.