Chapter 3: Get Out

Han Hongmei enthusiastically took her hand, but Su Wan remained silent, sitting upright and listening to her performance.

Han Hongmei patted her hand gently, her voice full of tenderness.

"You’ve lost weight."

Han Hongmei babbled on with the usual platitudes, trying to bridge the thin thread of mother-daughter affection between them. No matter what Han Hongmei said, Su Wan remained cold and distant. The polite words stuck in Han Hongmei’s throat, unable to continue.

After a brief silence, Su Chengde smiled and spoke.

“Wanwan, why don’t you have a proper talk with your mother?”

Perhaps thinking such matters were better discussed between mother and daughter, Su Chengde gave Han Hongmei a meaningful look and then got up and left.

“Wanwan, your mother has arranged a marriage for you…”

Finally, she got to the point.

Han Hongmei praised the groom-to-be as a model young man from a military family—his parents were soldiers who had died years ago, and now only he and his grandmother lived at home.

Her tone was full of admiration for him, as if this marriage proposal was a great honor for Su Wan, something she would be lucky to have, and missing it would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.

If Su Wan hadn’t just overheard the conversation between the Su family couple, she might have almost believed it.

They truly were as shameless, foolish, and ruthless as ever.

No one had visited her or even asked how she was doing at school all semester. No one cared if she had enough money, enough clothes, or whether she could keep up with her studies.

School was never really about learning for them; it was just to give her a glimpse of campus life.

They constantly said they loved her and wanted to make up for lost time, yet they left her to fend for herself at school.

Her clothes were all patched up; she patched them herself repeatedly. She was forced to wash her classmates’ clothes, and in winter her hands were often raw and bleeding from frostbite.

Su Qing, with her delicate skin, was expected to suffer, while Su Wan, tougher and rougher, was supposed to endure these hardships.

Seeing Su Wan remain silent, Han Hongmei coughed awkwardly and pulled out a photo, placing it in front of her.

The man in the photo had a close-cropped haircut, sharp brows and eyes like stars, a straight and prominent nose—his whole demeanor exuded heroic spirit. His face was slightly stern, which gave him an added air of coldness.

Han Hongmei’s eyes flickered as she looked at Su Wan, then resumed her persuasion. “Wanwan, if you marry him, you won’t be mistreated. I’ve met Xiao Qin, and you…”

Su Wan frowned, realizing from their words that this good marriage was originally meant for Su Qing. Now they were pushing her to marry him instead—it was obvious something was wrong.

She looked seriously at Han Hongmei and asked,

“Is it true?”

“It is. Truly,” Han Hongmei said, awkwardly looking away.

“I’ll marry him.”

When Su Wan said this, Han Hongmei was stunned. All the words she had prepared to persuade her got stuck in her throat. She hadn’t expected Su Wan to agree so straightforwardly.

The mother-daughter conversation ended in silence. Su Wan pondered quietly: the man was a soldier, so his character probably wasn’t bad. As long as his character was decent, marrying him would be better than staying with the Su family.

She turned over and fell into a deep sleep.

The next day, Su Wan overheard Su Shikun’s incredulous voice.

“Mom, how can you let Wanwan marry Qin Yi? You know very well that Qin Yi…”

Han Hongmei shot him a sharp glare.

“What else can we do if she won’t marry? We can’t let Qingqing go instead!”

“We’ve already promised them—we have to keep our word. Besides, if it weren’t for the Qin family helping us back then, who knows…”

When Su Wan appeared, the two fell silent in unspoken agreement.

Though she had braced herself, hearing her own mother speak so brutally openly, and her brother's blatant favoritism, still pierced Su Wan’s heart sharply.

For several days, Han Hongmei seemed to have switched on her maternal instincts, fussing over Su Wan, buying clothes and shoes, wedding supplies. Su Chengde acted even more like a kindly father.

Even Su Qing frequently showed kindness to Su Wan.

On the sixteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, Su Wan learned her wedding would be held three days later. Su Shikun returned excitedly with a radio.

“Wanwan, do you like it?”

“A wedding gift for you!”

He placed the radio on the table before Su Wan. She glanced at it. It was a valuable, rare, and sturdy model.

Before she could say anything, Su Qing bounced over, spotting the radio.

“Wow!”

“Brother, this radio is such good quality—I’ve wanted one for a long time.”

She turned the dial and music poured out.

Her eyes sparkled.

“Brother, listen to this sound quality—it’s amazing!”

Su Shikun affectionately ruffled her hair, then spoke helplessly.

“You’re still like a little kid. Aren’t you going to thank your sister?”

Su Qing smiled sweetly at Su Wan.

“Thank you, sister. I really like it.”

Su Wan frowned and stood up to return to her room.

Su Shikun saw her darkened expression and furrowed his brow.

“What’s that look? You throw a tantrum over a radio? I bought it—what right do you have to sulk?”

Su Wan lowered her gaze, fighting back a wave of bitterness.

“The room was prepared for me, but she just said she liked it and it became hers. The wedding gift was for me, but just because she said she liked it, you gave it to her without asking me. Am I not even allowed to have feelings?”

Su Shikun looked at Su Qing worriedly and pulled her behind him, then turned to scold Su Wan.

“Over such a small thing, you have to act so difficult and hurt Qingqing? I warn you, if this happens again, I will…”

“Hit me again, right?” Su Qing’s eyes were red as she tugged at him.

“Brother, stop it. I’ll just give it to sister.”

“Qingqing, don’t pay attention to her. She’s just jealous. Anyway, she’s getting married soon.”

Su Wan gave him a sharp, mocking look and turned back to her room.

In a rage, Su Shikun overturned the table, his eyes bloodshot with anger.

Su Wan really didn’t understand—just a radio, and Qingqing liked it so much, so what if she gave it to her? Was that any reason to sulk? Her temper grew bigger every day.

On the wedding day, although Su Wan was mentally prepared, when the moment truly came, she felt even colder inside.

There was no bride’s procession or groom’s welcome—only Su Chengde and his son escorted her to the Qin family home. Even though she was married now, Su Chengde never looked at her, unable to hide his guilt.

Su Wan looked at the man sitting inside the house. He was as heroic and imposing as in the photo. She finally understood why there was no wedding celebration and why the Su couple were reluctant to let Su Qing marry into this family.

Qin Yi was paralyzed.

“Wanwan, this is your room with Ayi.”

Madam Qin was a kind old lady who showed Su Wan in and thoughtfully closed the door behind her.

Su Wan glanced at Qin Yi, who sat in a wheelchair, his expression cold and hostile, as if she were his enemy.

She walked over, put down her things, and poured him a glass of water.

“Have some water.”

Qin Yi slammed the glass to the ground.

“Get out. You’re not welcome here.”

“We’re married. This is my home too. I’m not going anywhere.”

Leaving those words behind, Su Wan turned and began tidying the room, making the bed neatly.

Even after she lay down, Qin Yi still brooded silently. How could this woman have such thick skin? He had already tried to send her away, yet she acted with such brazen confidence, doing whatever she pleased.

In the middle of the night, Su Wan turned over in bed and accidentally pressed one leg against Qin Yi’s. He stiffened as if struck by lightning.