Chapter 4: Coercion

Hearing Su Wan’s words, Qin Yi felt a surge of irritation. His brows furrowed deep within the shadows of the night, and his voice carried a touch of displeasure.

"None of your business!"

Su Wan did not respond. Grandmother Qin’s words from earlier that day lingered in her mind.

"Xiao Yi was such a good child. It was only after the accident with his legs that his personality changed so drastically. Grandma knows he is suffering inside..."

Qin Yi had once been the pride of the family, and Grandmother Qin’s tone was always filled with pride whenever she spoke of him. By the end, however, she could not hide her despair.

"Wanwan, Grandma can tell that you are a good child. I am old now, and I just want to see him settled. Even if I were to pass on, I would at least have an explanation for his parents. It is my selfishness that has made you suffer..."

As Grandmother Qin wiped away tears of guilt, Su Wan patted her hand.

"Grandma, we will help him together!"

When Su Wan first arrived at the Qin household, Grandmother Qin had given her the gold bracelet she wore on her own wedding day as a token of welcome. As an elderly woman nearing the end of her days, having lost her son and daughter-in-law, and with her only grandson paralyzed, her actions were only natural. For Su Wan, marrying into the Qin family and leaving the Su household felt like a reprieve.

Following this incident, the two spent the night in silence. When Su Wan woke, Qin Yi was sitting on the bed, his tense face flushed with an unnatural heat.

"Let me help you."

Su Wan glanced at the wheelchair she had pushed far away while tidying up the night before; she assumed he needed to go to the restroom. She stood up to assist him, but was pushed away with force.

"I don't need you!"

Qin Yi was fuming. He truly could not fathom this woman; she looked so small, yet how could she be so thick-skinned? She was full of petty schemes, pushing the wheelchair away on purpose just to get closer to him. A woman like her was only interested in milking his family for money.

Ignoring his temper, Su Wan pulled the wheelchair over. Without a word, she stepped forward to support him, letting him lean the majority of his weight against her. The faint, unique scent of the young girl drifted into his nose, and Qin Yi’s heart began to beat uncontrollably. He pressed his lips into a thin line and allowed Su Wan to push him to the bathroom.

It was Su Wan’s first time in such intimate contact with a man, and the scent unique to Qin Yi brushed against her neck. Her mind was entirely focused on the task at hand, devoid of any romantic notions