Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The Troublemaker

She had only seen such scenes in documents but never experienced them firsthand, which made her all the more curious.

During her days with the Lins, they had isolated her, ignoring her completely. She disliked the Lins, so she didn’t find anything amiss.

The lively atmosphere mixed with bustling energy—she loved it!

"A-Yuan, your sister-in-law hasn’t met your elder brother yet, right? Why not take her to see him?" Just as Lin Nannan was enjoying the scene, a woman in a light khaki shirt approached, smiling, but Lin Nannan keenly sensed hostility in her demeanor...

Lu Yuan, meeting Lin Nannan’s direct gaze, awkwardly replied, "Yan-jie, dinner is about to start. Maybe later?" *(Note: Yan-jie = Sister Yan)*

"The guests aren’t all here yet. It won’t take long, and she’ll have to meet Hang-ge sooner or later anyway." Han Yan kept urging, making Lu Yuan hesitate. Still, she didn’t immediately agree but instead turned to Lin Nannan and asked, "Sister-in-law, do you want to go see my elder brother?"

Lin Nannan answered generously, "Sure!"

Han Yan, who had intended to cause drama, was momentarily stunned. She had expected Lin Nannan to disdain Lu Hang and get angry at the suggestion, but instead, the latter calmly agreed.

Thinking of Lu Hang’s current condition, Han Yan pasted on a smile, her emotions complicated. "Then let’s go," she said, looping her arm through Lu Yuan’s before addressing Lin Nannan. "You’ve just arrived and don’t know where Hang-ge lives. We’ll take you there."

Her words subtly implied her close relationship with Lu Hang.

Lu Yuan wanted to include Lin Nannan, but the conversation shifted, and Lin Nannan was inadvertently left out.

Watching their petty games, Lin Nannan quirked a brow and silently followed...

In the south-facing room, Lu Hang lay still, listening to the lively noises outside. His eyes fixed on the roof tiles, filled with indescribable despair.

He couldn’t even move an inch, forced to lie there, relying on others to turn him occasionally to prevent bedsores, which would become infected...

This helplessness left him powerless, unsure how to face the future.

He hadn’t agreed to this marriage—it would only drag someone else down.

But he couldn’t defy his family’s decision, denied even the right to refuse.

As his thoughts spiraled chaotically, the door creaked open.

"Hang-ge, how are you?" Han Yan asked with fake concern as she entered.

Turning his head toward the door, Lu Hang’s gaze immediately landed on the unfamiliar face. Something told him this was the woman his family had married him to—Lin Nannan.

While he studied her, she studied him back.

Her sharp eyes instantly locked onto his. As their gazes met, she took note of his appearance and height, satisfied with what she saw. *Having a child who resembled Lu Hang wouldn’t be so bad—after all, she didn’t want a divorce to complicate things.*

*Besides, a bedridden man likely couldn’t control her.*

*With a child, could she run the Lu household freely?*

Distracted by her thoughts, Lin Nannan remained oblivious to the malice next to her. When Han Yan noticed Lu Hang’s attention fixed on Lin Nannan, jealousy flashed in her eyes—something she had never earned, despite growing up with Lu Hang. He had never given her the time of day, even preferring an engagement with Lin Qingqing (another woman) over choosing her.