I’m A Scumbag Woman—I Flirt, But Never Marry [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 10

Xu Tinglan’s household owned only one car.

They had originally intended to buy two, but Wang Jianfei objected. He said that having two cars would require purchasing two parking spaces and paying for two insurance policies. Cars only depreciated after being purchased, and they would use them solely for commuting anyway, so there was no real need.

Thus, Wang Jianfei had always driven their only car, while Xu Tinglan commuted every day on a completely green and pollution-free folding bicycle.

It ordinarily took her a little over half an hour to cycle home from the gallery, which she treated as exercise. But now that she needed to travel farther to her parents’ home, she felt somewhat incapable of managing it.

Xu Tinglan wanted to take a taxi, but Zhi Zhi stopped her.

“Why would you take a taxi when I have a car? I’ll drive you.”

“You already took the entire day off to stay with me. You should go home and rest properly. You still have work tomorrow.”

Ignoring her objections, Zhi Zhi stuffed the folding bicycle into her trunk.

“I’m not only driving you to your parents’ home—I’m also waiting downstairs. If Wang Jianfei isn’t there, I’ll wait for you and then take you back to my house for the night. If he is there, we’ll decide what to do afterward.”

Unable to win the argument, Xu Tinglan bent down and climbed into the car. After fastening her seat belt, she couldn’t resist asking, “Why are you so good to me?”

“You’re my best friend. Who else would I be good to? If something happened to me, would you abandon me?”

She and Zhi Zhi had met in an art class when they were five.

Zhi Zhi stopped attending in third grade, while Xu Tinglan transferred to private one-on-one lessons. However, they never lost contact. Despite their young age, they frequently called each other to arrange meetings.

Telephones back then were still old-fashioned landlines, and calls weren’t cheap. More than once, their parents scolded them for secretly using the phone and chatting for an entire afternoon.

They drove all the way to her parents’ neighborhood.

After Xu Tinglan got out, Zhi Zhi lowered the car window. She extended her thumb and little finger in a telephone gesture and shook it beside her ear.

“If anything happens, call me immediately. I’ll be waiting here.”

“You should go home.”

“I’m not leaving.”

Xu Tinglan sighed helplessly, although warmth filled her heart.

“I’ll come back as quickly as possible.”

Zhi Zhi smiled. The orange streetlight fell diagonally through the car window, illuminating her bright eyes and white teeth.

For a moment, she resembled the little girl from years ago who had worn her hair in two pigtails and offered Xu Tinglan cotton candy.

“You don’t need to hurry. I’m not going anywhere. Spend more time with your parents. I’ll wait for you.”

Standing outside her parents’ door, Xu Tinglan drew two deep breaths.

She had already seen Wang Jianfei’s car downstairs. She had no idea what would await her when she opened the door.

Wang Jianfei had probably already confessed everything and begged her parents for forgiveness. Otherwise, her father wouldn’t have summoned her home.

What would her father say?

Would he tell them to divorce, or would he ask her to forgive Wang Jianfei this once?

What would her mother say?

Although her mother was a retired university professor and could be considered open-minded, she probably wouldn’t support a divorce either. After all, traditional Chinese thinking tolerated men making mistakes, while society as a whole remained highly unfavorable toward divorced women.

If neither of her parents supported a divorce, what was she supposed to do?

In truth, even she didn’t know whether she wanted one.

Wang Jianfei was the first person she had ever loved, someone she had devoted herself to wholeheartedly for so many years.

Could she truly cut him out of her life?

After pacing outside for a long time, she finally gathered the courage to knock.

The person who opened the door was the one she least wanted to face.

“My wife is here.”

As though nothing had happened, Wang Jianfei smiled and opened the door wider.

“Come in quickly. The food is getting cold. Everyone has been waiting for you.”

Still dazed, Xu Tinglan entered, changed her shoes, and followed Wang Jianfei to the table.

Mrs. Xu hurriedly removed the bowls she had placed upside down over each dish.

It was early summer, and the weather had already become somewhat warm. Even after sitting out for an hour, the dishes remained pleasantly warm—just the right temperature to eat.

Professor Xu cleared his throat and was about to speak when Mrs. Xu set a bowl of rice in front of him.

“Settle down for now. We’ll talk after dinner.”

Professor Xu closed his mouth. With a trace of authority in his voice, he said solemnly, “Eat.”

The meal felt strangely uncomfortable.

Professor Xu maintained a stern expression throughout, while Mrs. Xu repeatedly placed food into Wang Jianfei’s bowl. Each time, he transferred it to Xu Tinglan.

“Lan Lan, have a chicken wing. Mom stewed it so well that the meat is falling off the bone.”

“Lan Lan, drink some chicken soup. It smells delicious.”

“Lan Lan, have some braised fish. This piece doesn’t have any bones.”

Xu Tinglan didn’t like stewed chicken because it was oily and coated her mouth unpleasantly. She didn’t enjoy chicken soup for the same reason.

She especially disliked fish.

She hated fishbones. They were like treacherous little villains lurking in hiding, always emerging without warning to stab her painfully.

These were all dishes Wang Jianfei loved.

Because he loved them, she had always asked her parents to prepare them. After so many years, her parents assumed her tastes had changed. They often laughed and said this was the power of gradual influence—proof that the married couple deeply loved each other.

Love?

Xu Tinglan smiled bitterly without making a sound.

She had once thought it was love too.

Once.

After dinner, Mrs. Xu busied herself clearing the table. Xu Tinglan rose to help, but Professor Xu sat upright on the sofa and spoke.

“Sit down. I have something to say.”

Xu Tinglan obediently put down the bowl in her hand and sat.

Before Professor Xu could continue, Wang Jianfei leaned forward and perched on the edge of the sofa, wearing an earnest expression.

“Dad, calm down first. Don’t let your blood rush to your head. Didn’t the doctor say during your last examination that you absolutely mustn’t become angry and should remain calm?”

Professor Xu hadn’t actually been particularly angry. He had merely put on a stern face to frighten his daughter.

Following Wang Jianfei’s lead, he replied, “Do you think I enjoy getting angry for no reason? Aren’t the two of you the ones infuriating me?!”

Xu Tinglan was genuinely concerned about her father’s health and hurriedly said, “Don’t be angry, Dad. What actually happened was—”

Wang Jianfei interrupted her.

“What happened was entirely my fault. I shouldn’t have made Lan Lan angry. Dad, don’t blame her either. In the future, I’ll do my best to yield to her. She’s a woman, after all, and so much younger than I am. I should be giving way to her in the first place.”

“This isn’t a question of whether you should yield to her!”

Professor Xu pretended to glare angrily at Wang Jianfei.

“A proper man should give way to his wife when appropriate, but he must never compromise on matters of principle!”

Xu Tinglan’s thoughts descended into chaos.

She was beginning to sense that things weren’t what she had imagined.

What exactly had Wang Jianfei told her parents?

She wanted to ask but didn’t dare.

Professor Xu asked righteously, “Do you understand what you did wrong?”

“I…”

What should she do?

Should she seize this opportunity to tell her father the truth?

When she accompanied him to his last medical examination, all his results had been normal. If she explained it tactfully, he should be fine, shouldn’t he?

But what if Wang Jianfei caused another scene like the one at the hotel?

The image of him swinging his fist at her remained firmly lodged in her mind.

That had been the first time he ever tried to hit her. She hadn’t felt frightened. She had only found him suddenly and terribly unfamiliar.

She couldn’t be certain that he wouldn’t attack her again in front of her parents.

She couldn’t take that risk.

The doctor had repeatedly warned them that cerebral hemorrhages could occur without warning. Her father had already suffered one. If it happened again, the consequences would only become increasingly severe.

They had to avoid any possible trigger.

What should she do?

Should she tell them or remain silent?

Xu Tinglan anxiously clenched her hands together. She exerted so much force that her knuckles gradually turned white.

Watching her from the corner of his eye, Wang Jianfei suddenly raised his voice toward Mrs. Xu, who was washing dishes in the kitchen.

“Mom! Has Dad taken his blood-pressure medicine yet? I remember he’s supposed to take it after meals.”

“Blood-pressure medicine?”

Xu Tinglan looked up in astonishment.

“Dad’s blood pressure is normal. Why does he need blood-pressure medicine?”

Wang Jianfei clicked his tongue.

“And you still call yourself his daughter? You don’t even know about this? The weather has been getting hotter recently. Mom has chronic cold pain in her legs, so Dad refuses to turn on the air conditioner for her sake. The heat caused his blood pressure to rise.”

When Wang Jianfei was trying to ingratiate himself with Professor Xu, he had gone to enormous lengths.

He had even deliberately built a relationship with the professor’s attending physician. The doctor still contacted him whenever anything happened.

Wang Jianfei was skilled at cultivating connections. He occasionally treated the doctor to a meal, turning the relationship into a useful personal contact.

Professor Xu frowned.

“My blood pressure only rises slightly when the seasons change. It’s nothing serious. Stop talking about me. We’re discussing the two of you!”

Mrs. Xu wiped her hands on her apron, retrieved the blood-pressure medicine, and brought over two pills.

Wang Jianfei immediately handed Professor Xu a glass of water.

“Take it slowly, Dad. Even after taking your medicine, you still can’t become agitated. Nothing is more important than your health. If anything truly happened to you, Lan Lan and I wouldn’t even have anywhere to go with our tears.”

As he spoke, Wang Jianfei deliberately turned and gave Xu Tinglan a cool glance.

Every word sounded as though he were advising Professor Xu to protect his health, but which one wasn’t truly aimed at her?

Even if Xu Tinglan had failed to understand his meaning, that look made everything clear.

Wang Jianfei was threatening her.

If she dared reveal the truth, he would dare turn this household upside down and give no one a moment of peace.

Professor Xu swallowed his medicine and wiped his mouth.

“Jianfei is still the considerate one. Lan Lan, you can’t continue being so willful. What respectable young woman stays away from home overnight?

“No matter how serious the problem is, a married couple should close the door and settle it inside their own home. By going to Zhi Zhi’s house, aren’t you merely allowing outsiders to laugh at you?”

Xu Tinglan lowered her head and desperately suppressed her surging emotions.

For her father’s sake, she would endure it for now.

She would confront Wang Jianfei after they left.

“Zhi Zhi isn’t that sort of person.”

Professor Xu replied, “I know Zhi Zhi is a good woman, but you can’t disturb her simply because the two of you are close. She has her own life. How could she possibly have so much time to deal with every trivial dispute between you and your husband?”

“I—I…”

Xu Tinglan instinctively pressed a hand to her chest.

The suffocating pressure inside her was unbearable. She desperately wanted to reveal everything Wang Jianfei had done, yet she couldn’t say a single word.

Mrs. Xu called from the kitchen, “That’s enough, Old Xu. They’ve been married for almost two years, and this is the first time they’ve had a serious argument. It’s inevitable that they went a little too far.

“Lan Lan is usually so obedient. She’ll remember the lesson next time. Stop scolding her. Everyone has been busy all day and is tired.”

Wang Jianfei immediately agreed.

“That’s right, Dad. I’ll already be completely satisfied if she stops being angry and returns home with me. I never expected her to apologize. I don’t need an apology from her, so please stop scolding her.”

Wang Jianfei deliberately emphasized the word apologize.

Anger remained pent up inside him. It had been such a trivial matter, yet he had been forced to expend so much effort and plead for help from Professor Xu.

If he didn’t make Xu Tinglan apologize in front of her father today, the anger inside him would never subside!

Professor Xu had always trusted him completely and didn’t suspect that he was using reverse psychology.

“What do you mean she doesn’t need to apologize? When someone makes a mistake, they must have the courage to admit it!”

Wang Jianfei was secretly delighted, but he maintained a flattered and apprehensive expression while repeatedly waving his hands.

“No, no, Dad. Forget it. There’s no need for her to apologize. We’re all family. Let’s simply muddle through it and put the matter behind us.”

Xu Tinglan kept her head lowered and clenched her hands, biting her lip tightly without saying a word.

Professor Xu genuinely became somewhat anxious.

“I’m talking to you! Did you hear me?!”

From the side, Wang Jianfei watched her with feigned concern.

If I still can’t put you in your place after all this, you’ll think you can overturn the heavens.

Mrs. Xu couldn’t even wash the dishes in peace. She dried her hands and came out to mediate.

“Why don’t we do this? Jianfei, you apologize to Lan Lan first. You were the one who made the living room dirty, after all. Consider it giving way to her.

“Then I’ll have Lan Lan apologize to you. How does that sound?”

What?!

He had to apologize?!!!