TYMRHBDES Chapter 37

T/N: Guys, I have officially entered the work-sleep-repeat phase of life. I now work a 13-hour job, and my daily routine consists of coming back, taking a bath, eating, and then mysteriously waking up at 6:15 AM with a gasp like a malfunctioning alarm clock. 💀

Forgive me. It will take some time for my system to reboot and adapt. But fear not! As long as I am not dead, I will crawl my way back to rearrange the original update schedule! 😭🔥

Thank you for your patience!  ☕🙏

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Jiang Luoluo tried to lean back and away from the man’s movements, but there was nothing behind him to support him. His attempt to brace himself ended in failure, nearly causing him to slip off the wooden board.

A firm hand wrapped around his waist from behind, as the other person leaned closer, their breaths now directly on Jiang Luoluo’s face.

Even if he couldn’t see clearly, Jiang Luoluo felt an icy gaze fixed on him, sweeping from his face down to his neck, without any concealment.

The sensation was like being under the stare of a hissing, venomous snake, ready to strike at any moment.

“Get away from me, you creep!” Jiang Luoluo struggled frantically, and suddenly, his captor released him.

“Didn’t you want to know who my husband is?”

Jiang Luoluo lifted his small face, the panicked expression containing a hint of forced bravado. “My husband is Fu Tingchuan.”

“You can search online if you want to know who he is,” he said.

“When the time comes, ask for as much money as you want, and my husband will agree to it.”

“Just don’t touch me, and we can leave everything behind us.”

As Fu Tingchuan watched Jiang Luoluo grasping desperately at straws, the expression on his face was dark and unreadable.

Was it because they were technically married that Jiang Luoluo gave his name?

Or was it because Jiang Luoluo knew that if any harm came to him, the Jiang family would never sit by and do nothing, so he gave his name?

Is the person they’re thinking of really me?

Or are they afraid to mention them, worried their secret affair might be exposed…?

A cold glint slowly froze over in his eyes.

Fu Tingchuan lifted his gaze to the figure on the swing, his face thinning into a harsh smile.

He’d always wondered just how similar he was to that person. He was curious about how deeply Jiang Luoluo loved them.

So he decided to test it.

Pulling out a pair of gold-rimmed glasses from his pocket, Fu Tingchuan perched them on the bridge of his nose. Then, recalling photos he’d seen, he practiced the other person’s expression a few times.

That confident, self-assured look of someone used to being at the top.

It carried just a hint of mocking world-weariness.

After switching to that expression and removing his voice changer, Fu Tingchuan leisurely circled behind Jiang Luoluo, carefully unfastening his bound hands.

The black blindfold fell away, allowing sunlight through the trees to shine into Jiang Luoluo’s eyes. He squinted, rubbing his eyes, then looked up.

A tall figure stood before him.

How could this be? Jiang Luoluo thought, his heart pounding with emotion and disbelief.

Tycoon Fu Tingchuan wore the gold-rimmed glasses Jiang Luoluo had once given him. His face was hard to read as he looked at Jiang Luoluo.

Jiang Luoluo was still afraid of what had happened. When he saw the person he cared about most, he could barely get the words out. “Husband…”

The man in front of him grunted. “Did I scare you, baby?” He pulled Jiang Luoluo into his arms.

When Jiang Luoluo wasn’t looking, the man’s face turned cold, his eyes icy.

Isn’t he still the same old unreceptive fool? Fu Tingchuan thought.

In an instant, the fear of the afternoon turned to surprise, which made Jiang Luoluo’s eyes red and blurry. He wasn’t the same hedgehog he had been earlier. His body relaxed as he fit snuggly into the wide arms around him.

His voice betrayed a wounded sense of grievance:

“You frightened me so much… I thought I’d been kidnapped like Bai Tang… I thought I’d encountered some bad guy… But this is really weird…”

The man holding him stared straight ahead, his face cold and expressionless, with not a flicker in his eyes.

He began slowly, his words carrying a last, desperate plea:

“Baby, aren’t you curious why I suddenly appeared?”

Jiang Luoluo lay against his chest, lips pursed, cheeks puffed as he savored the relief of this tense situation coming to an unexpected end.

As Fu Tingchuan finished speaking, Jiang Luoluo nodded emphatically.

According to the pattern they’d observed before, Tycoon Fu and Son-in-law Fu would alternate each day, with the switch happening only after a full night’s sleep.

So how could Son-in-law Fu have been the one who left home that morning, only to switch personalities by noon?

Could it be because of Professor Bian?

Confused, Jiang Luoluo wrapped an arm around Fu Tingchuan’s slim waist and honestly replied, “Curiosity.”

The thought and the question formed in his mind simultaneously: “It’s not supposed to be you today. According to the way it’s always worked, we shouldn’t have met like this…”

Fu Tingchuan closed his eyes.

‘What was there left to understand?’ He had already figured it out; he understood it completely!

His brow furrowed with gloom, his eyes bloodshot, each word he spoke seemed to be forcefully squeezed from his throat: “Jiang Luoluo!”

Jiang Luoluo emerged from his embrace, bewildered as to why he had been suddenly called by his full name.

Next, he met the face pressed tight in that thin-lipped expression of displeasure.

Beneath those smoldering eyes was contained fury, while his handsome face bore a cold, unsettling expression.

Fu Tingchuan gripped Jiang Luoluo’s shoulders tightly and asked in a shaky voice:

“Who exactly is this man?”

Jiang Luoluo hesitated for a second, as if suddenly realizing something.

Pain radiated from his shoulders. The man before him, Fu Tingchuan, looked down at him with a refined yet restrained face twisted by jealousy and madness. He asked slowly, emphasizing each word:

“The man you were supposed to meet—do you think it was who?”

“The cheating lover you’ve been with for so long—who exactly is he?”

A large hand pressed against Jiang Luoluo’s collarbone as Fu Tingchuan stared intently at the mark there:

“The man who betrayed me with you—who is he?”

Jiang Luoluo was stunned, momentarily unsure if this was the second personality that had always been present or if Fu Tingchuan had suddenly switched to it.

Seeing Jiang Luoluo’s silent attempts to defend his lover, Fu Tingchuan’s rage flared even more:

“You won’t talk?”

“Do you really love him that much? Still trying to protect him even now?”

“If you won’t tell me, then you’ll never leave this place!”

The more Fu Tingchuan spoke, the angrier he became, like a trapped beast unable to find its way out, pacing in circles within the maze set by his lover.

Jiang Luoluo swallowed hard. He decided to tell the truth, to lay everything out as it was.

Before he could speak, a large hand pressed against the back of his head. Fu Tingchuan leaned down and forcefully captured his lips with a bruising kiss.

With a fierce, overwhelming intensity, the hand gripped his waist tightly, as if afraid he might escape.

The man’s overpowering presence engulfed him completely. Jiang Luoluo could only stay upright by clinging to the strength in Fu Tingchuan’s arm.

When released again, Jiang Luoluo clutched at his collar, his gaze timidly traveling upward across Fu Tingchuan’s handsome face.

His voice quivered, carrying a wavering tone: “I-I can explain…”

Still angry, Fu Tingchuan glared at the delicate features of the person before him. He gripped Jiang Luoluo’s chin once more, leaning down until Jiang Luoluo’s cheeks flushed red.

Finally, Fu Tingchuan straightened up, lifting Jiang Luoluo into his arms. His long legs strode purposefully towards the bedroom.

His voice was unnaturally cold: “In the bedroom, you can take your time to explain.”

The bedroom door slammed closed with a *thud*. Jiang Luoluo was tossed onto the bed, his legs bent under his skirt, which spread out like a small white flower blooming on the blankets. [footnote] T/N: He knows only to talk in that way. now matter which personality he has [/footnote]

Fu Tingchuan tugged at his tie, stripping off his clothes as he walked. He threw his suit jacket onto the sofa and approached Jiang Luoluo step by step.

Seeing Fu Tingchuan like this made Jiang Luoluo’s heart skip a beat. It was as if he had accidentally caught a glimpse of another side of this person’s personality—a side that had always been well hidden before.

It frightened him for no reason.

Jiang Luoluo clutched his little skirt, gazing nervously at Fu Tingchuan. In a tiny voice, he asked, “Can I explain now?”

Fu Tingchuan undid his belt with one hand and flung it onto the floor with a *click*. His eyes were dark, like ink spreading on paper, and a cold smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

“I don’t want to hear your explanations right now.”

Jiang Luoluo’s eyes widened as he felt his arms being pinned above his head. He tried to struggle, saying, “Why don’t you listen first? I promise you won’t be angry after you hear my side—”

His words were cut off, leaving only the man’s cold voice lingering in the air:

“Naming others can kill my mood.”

The shrill of cicadas came from outside the window. Jiang Luoluo lazily moved his fingers, feeling a dull ache and numbness spread through his body.

‘Day after day, it’s always like this…’

Jiang Luoluo wanted to cry, but no tears would come.

He was a man like everyone else, yet while others thrived in life, he felt drained and depleted.

He missed his system so much.

He longed to ask: ‘How high is my favorability rating now?’

If things continued this way, he’d surely die in this world.

Crying too much made his throat hurt and itch. Jiang Luoluo moved his fingers, wanting to get up and drink some water. This small movement startled Fu Tingchuan beside him.

Fu Tingchuan was holding a medicine bottle, which he had grabbed from the bedside table when he left earlier.

The bottle he picked up was covered in English labels and abbreviations: “cal” for calm, “eotion” for mood, and more. [footnote] T/N: I am quite not sure about this sentence. 傅庭川手裏正捏着一個藥瓶，是他今天出門的時候随手從床頭櫃上取下來的，藥瓶上全是英文，還有大量的英文縮寫，寫着“calm（鎮定）”“emotion（情緒）”的字樣。[/footnote]

It seemed to be a drug meant to help stabilize mental issues, but he wasn’t sure who it was supposed to treat.

As the person in the bed next to him stirred, Fu Tingchuan put down the bottle. He scooped up Jiang Luoluo and propped him up against some pillows.

No sooner had he sat down than Jiang Luoluo gasped softly. Clutching his reddened eyes, he groaned:

“My butt…”

Fu Tingchuan swallowed hard. He picked up a cup of water, held it to Jiang Luoluo’s lips, and fed him until he drank it all.

But those eyes remained cold as ice.

Jiang Luoluo felt hurt and wronged. He looked at Fu Tingchuan with tear-filled eyes, clearly wanting to speak. However, seeing Fu Tingchuan’s expression, he swallowed his words and stubbornly pressed his lips together.

Fu Tingchuan gave him a dismissive look.

“Stay by my side from now on. Don’t think about such nonsense again, and don’t get involved with anyone else.”

“You’re my wife, and from now on, you can only belong to me.”

“Otherwise, I won’t be able to stop myself from killing him in front of you.”

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T/N:

“Day after day, it’s always like this…”

Jiang Luoluo sighed dramatically, rubbing his sore waist.

“Is there a refund policy for husbands?”

……………

Jiang Luoluo clutched his sore waist, eyes brimming with unshed tears. “You… you bully!”

Fu Tingchuan merely scoffed, leaning back with an air of satisfaction. “Didn’t you say your husband would pay any price? Should I send him the bill?”

Jiang Luoluo wanted to cry. If only his system could calculate favorability points and Ko-fi donations…

— 💰 Translator needs Ko-fi to recover from emotional damage 💰 —