I Am My Own Substitute Wife - Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Wen Wan’s Grave

Translator: Lonelytree

Sheng Hanye’s tall body swayed violently. Honestly, this speculation had existed in his mind for a long time already. He merely didn’t dare to spend too much time on it because it sounded too crazy. But now, he had to examine it further!

“What’s wrong with Sheng Er?” Jiang Yangchen noticed Sheng Hanye’s strange expression, so he quickly said, “I can’t let others bully her. Quickly bring me to her. I want to protect her and fight off the bad guys!”

“She’s fine.” Sheng Hanye hurriedly replied and left the hospital.

When he sat in the car, his hands were cold and trembling.

He lit a cigarette and took a few puffs, it did nothing to help Sheng Hanye.

‘Is it possible that I miss Wen Wan too much? So much so that I wish to take Jiang Niangsheng for Wen Wan? Therefore, I seize upon all the loopholes and forcibly imprint Wen Wan on Jiang Niansheng.’

The cigarette slowly burned, Sheng Hanye’s cold, arrogant, and handsome face looked confused…

Until Xia Caiwei’s call interrupted his thoughts.

“Caiwei.”

“Hanye, are you free now? I wish to visit Wen Wan at the cemetery. Would you… like to come with me?”

Xia Caiwei’s words brought Sheng Hanye back to reality.

‘Yes, Wen Wan is dead. She is buried at a place that faces the sea and where flowers bloom in spring. I buried her remains with my own two hands. The remains of a skeleton that was so burned that it looked no different from charcoal.’

“Okay.” Sheng Hanye agreed.

…

At the cemetery, the waves churned in the distance. Beside the gravel path, wildflowers fluttered in the wind.

Sheng Hanye bent down and placed the flowers in his hand in front of the tombstone.

It was a bunch of hyacinths, Wen Wan’s favorite flowers when she was alive.

Xia Caiwei said, “Her tomb is very clean, and there are no weeds. You come to clean it often?”

“The servants will come to clean it at fixed intervals.”

“But you also come here often, no? It’s been three years. After the fire, I was sent abroad. This is my first time visiting Wen Wan.”

Sheng Hanye added, “It’s also my first time.”

Xia Caiwei was a little shocked. “What?”

“Because she probably doesn’t want to see me.” He knelt to sweep away the fallen leaves with his fingers. “But I miss her dearly.”

The woman on the tombstone looked exactly the same as the one in Sheng Hanye’s study.

She was without a smile, and her eyes were clear and crisp.

Everyone knew Wen Wan did not like to smile.

However, Jiang Niansheng was different. She had a wealth of expression and it was easy to read her emotions.

Sly, cute, sad, disgusted…

Sheng Hanye could see through Jiang Niansheng at a glance, but Sheng Hanye could never guess what Wen Wan was thinking.

Xia Caiwei looked at his side profile.

‘In his heart, Wen Wan is always the first. But so what? What can a dead person do to me?’

“Hanye.” Xia Caiwei said, “Wen Wan loves serenity and yearns for freedom. We should come only once a year to give her the freedom she has earned.”

“Okay.”

Sheng Hanye raised his hand and touched the photo on the tombstone.

He found a person who looked like her but was not her.

“When Wen Wan was alive, did she ever tell you about me?” Sheng Hanye asked faintly. “You were so close to her, so she should tell you everything.”

“She often talked about you, but…” Xia Caiwei looked like she wanted to say something, but she hesitated.

“Tell me.” His thin lips opened slightly. “I want to hear it.”

“Hanye, I don’t think it’s a good idea. It’s been so long and I’m sure she said those things out of anger.”

“Did she say a lot of bad things about me?”

Xia Caiwei nodded. “Wen Wan came from the Flying Feather. Your words were her orders, and your matters were her tasks. You were very harsh to her so it was normal for her to complain.”

“She should complain about me,” Sheng Hanye said. “I had made use of her. I have let her down. If she could feel better by scolding me, then it was worth it.”

Xia Caiwei lowered her head, hiding the hatred in her eyes.

Sheng Hanye’s words choked. “Unfortunately, she didn’t stay to allow me to make it up to her.”

He used his fingertips to wipe the photo on the tombstone. Then, he withdrew his hand and stood up. The woman in the photo would always live in his heart.

“Caiwei.” Sheng Hanye turned around to look at her. “Jiang Niangsheng and I are in a two-year marriage contract.”

Xia Caiwei took the initiative to hold his hand. “I know. You have told me that. I will wait for you. We’ve already waited for so long, what are two more years?” But she looked a little bit sad, “It’s just that the Sheng family still doesn’t approve of me. This is my fault for causing you trouble.”

Xia Caiwei was born into an ordinary family and had suffered since she was young.

However, if that were all, Sheng Hanye would have found a way to get the Sheng Family to accept her. The problem lay with Xia Caiwei’s father.

Father Xia was a gambler and owed people a lot of money. He often got in fights because of it. When his gambling addiction flared up, he would steal and rob. He had been arrested several times and his reputation was terrible.

There was no way the reputable Sheng family would allow Sheng Hanye to marry the daughter of a former inmate and unstoppable gambler. If that happened, the Sheng family would be Nan City’s laughing stock. 

Therefore, even though the Jiang family had gone bankrupt, and Jiang Niansheng had no powerful background, at least her family was once respected. And that made her a much better marriage candidate than Xia Caiwei.

Honestly, Xia Caiwei hated her father. If not for him, she would have married Sheng Hanye already and there wouldn’t be any Jiang Niansheng!

“I’ll deal with my family.” Sheng Hanye said, “Grandpa came by to make a request of Jiang Niansheng and me today.”

“What is it?”

“He wants me to have a child with Jiang Niansheng.”

Xia Caiwei’s eyes suddenly widened. “What? A child? Hanye, did you agree?”

“Yes.”

“But why…” She bit her lower lip and asked, “You said that you and Jiang Niansheng only have a contract marriage.”

Sheng Hanye replied matter-of-factly, “Your body is heavily injured in the fire. It’s too dangerous for you to get pregnant.”

“Hanye, I’m not afraid.” Xia Caiwei countered, “I’ve been taking good care of myself. Hanye, if you’re willing, I’m ready to be your children’s mother.”

“Grandpa means for Jiang Niansheng to continue the Sheng family lineage.”

Xia Caiwei’s tears immediately fell.

“Hanye, although you’ve always denied it, you have feelings for her, right? It’s because Jiang Niansheng and Wen Wan are too similar.”

Sheng Hanye frowned. “No.”

“You can lie to yourself, but you can’t lie to me.” Xia Caiwei sniffled. “If you have a child with Jiang Niansheng, the child would resemble the child between you and Wen Wan.”

Sheng Hanye’s mind was already cluttered.. Looking at Xia Caiwe’s tears, a hint of impatience flashed across Sheng Hanye’s face.