Sang Lu froze on the spot.
Yu Xiaoke nudged her with an elbow.
"That hot guy seems to be calling you?"
Sang Lu: "…"
Oops.
He spotted her after all.
Feng Yi walked toward her with an expression that screamed "what a pain," his eyebrow quirking up.
"Big sis-in-law, got any cash?"
"Lend me some. I’ll pay you back later."
Despite asking for a favor, his tone carried the weight of a command.
Sang Lu: "…"
How was she supposed to respond?
If she helped, would it mess up the plot?
If she refused, would his already poor impression of her worsen?
…
Feng Corporation.
Feng Yan finished reviewing the contract in his hands and stood by the floor-to-ceiling window.
The corporate tower was located in the heart of the capital, offering an unobstructed view of the cityscape.
Leaving early this morning had been intentional.
He wanted to draw a clear line—to keep his distance.
She should’ve known from the moment she married him that this union was nothing more than a performance to appease their elders.
The fact that she’d agreed to marry him, knowing he was mute, boiled down to two things:
Money. Status.
Both could be hers.
Anything beyond that? Impossible.
They could interact, but only within limits.
At the very least, he didn’t want to hear her ramble about trivialities like washing her hair.
Pointless.
A waste of time.
Just as the thought crossed his mind, his phone buzzed.
A message from a business partner.
After reading it, he absentmindedly tapped into his social feed.
A post immediately caught his eye—Sang Lu’s latest update:
[Sang Lu: Sorry for hogging the feed, but let me clarify—this is actually my real husband… See More]
Feng Yan’s eyelid twitched.
Expression cold, he tapped "See More."
The rest of the post revealed itself like a prank:
[……………………………………………………Shuichi Akai, mwah~•̑₃•̑]
Feng Yan: "…"
Right then.
Assistant Fang knocked on his office door.
"President Feng, there’s a document requiring your signature."
Feng Yan turned off his phone and slipped it into his pocket.
He didn’t notice that before the screen went dark, his finger had accidentally brushed the "Like" button.
…
Sang Lu: "I don’t have money."
"You don’t?" Feng Yi’s eyebrow shot up again, skepticism written all over his face.
Married to his brother and broke?
No way.
Even if it were true, she hadn’t even asked how much he needed before shutting him down. Not even pretending?
Just as he’d suspected—this sister-in-law came from humble roots.
Timid and stingy.
Sang Lu was lying. Feng Yan transferred a hefty sum labeled "household expenses" into her account every month. The day after their wedding, his assistant had even delivered a supplementary card with a jaw-dropping limit.
She hadn’t touched a single cent.
Years of working had left her with decent savings, enough to cover daily expenses.
She loved money but wasn’t extravagant. Watching the numbers in her account grow gave her an inexplicable sense of security.
Seeing Feng Yi’s blatant "who do you think you’re fooling" look, Sang Lu forced out an excuse:
"My money’s tied up in a fixed deposit—"
Then, inspiration struck. She raised her wrist, flashing her watch.
"—How about this? Take the watch. Maybe you can pawn it for cash?"
"Are you joking? What would I do with your watch?" Feng Yi scoffed, giving it a dismissive glance. "A piece of junk."
Sang Lu: Perfect~ If you don’t want it, even better~
She’d looked helpful while doing absolutely nothing.
No interference with the plot, no damage to her image.
Just as she was silently congratulating herself—
A voice cut in.
"Fine. I’ll take the watch as collateral. Once you scrape together the money, come redeem it."
The long-haired girl who’d been silent until now finally spoke.
Qiao Xi felt like today was cursed.
Her brand-new cello had been wrecked by this arrogant jerk.
When she demanded compensation, he claimed to be broke.
As if she’d believe that.
But the woman he called "sis-in-law" seemed kind.
Trustworthy.
Judging by the title, they were family.
Qiao Xi decided to trust her gut.
She’d accept the watch—for now.
Sang Lu: !
No wonder you’re the female lead!
Quick thinking!
In the end, Feng Yi and Qiao Xi exchanged contact info for the eventual watch redemption.
Problem solved.
Sang Lu unclasped the watch and handed it over.
Honestly, she’d miss it. She’d worn it for years.
Noticing her reluctance, Feng Yi sneered:
"Once I get your junk back, I’ll return it. No need to look so heartbroken."
Feng Yi was having the worst day.
First, the motorcycle he wanted got sold to someone else. Then, he smashed some overpriced cello—who the hell charges 80K for an instrument? And now he had to cover half the damages.
If he hadn’t blown through this month’s 200K allowance, he wouldn’t be begging his practically-a-stranger sister-in-law.
So tacky, clinging to that worthless watch. Please.
Using it as collateral was embarrassing—for him.
Suddenly—
Feng Yi stiffened.
A crucial detail dawned on him. He turned to Sang Lu.
"Oh, and—don’t tell my brother about today."
If Feng Yan found out he’d overspent his allowance on a bike, he was dead.
"…" Sang Lu.
Ha.
Afraid of Feng Yan, huh?
Big brother’s authority strikes again.
She almost agreed—but Feng Yi’s smug, punchable face made the word stick in her throat.
She’d had… enough.
Her expression shifted.
"Hey, kid."
"?" Feng Yi blinked. Kid?
Was she talking to him?
"I’ve had it with your eyebrow."
Sang Lu pointed at his face.
"Raise it one more time, and I’ll spill everything to your brother."
Yu Xiaoke, standing nearby, suddenly recalled a popular meme:
"Think you’re hot stuff? Check your attitude."
Sang Lu admitted—yes, she’d once written in her notes: Be the perfect sister-in-law.
But being nice didn’t mean being a doormat.
She’d helped this brat, hadn’t she? She didn’t expect gushing gratitude, but basic courtesy wasn’t too much to ask.
Feng Yi was speechless: "???"
No one had ever dared talk to him like this.
He instinctively went to raise his eyebrow—then remembered Feng Yan’s icy glare. His eyebrow spasmed mid-motion, aborting the gesture.
Through gritted teeth:
"You wouldn’t dare."
"Wanna test me?" Sang Lu pulled out her phone, feigning a call.
"Fine, fine—" Feng Yi scowled so hard his brows nearly fused. "No more eyebrow raises. Happy?"
Sang Lu pocketed her phone, smiling. "Very."
Defeated, Feng Yi roughly ran a hand through his hair, muttering "Later, sis-in-law" before storming off.
Watching him leave, Sang Lu exhaled in relief, a smirk tugging at her lips.
She’d made up her mind.
Rather than worrying about future disrespect from these brothers, she’d establish authority now.
Kind when needed, firm when necessary.
After all—she was the sister-in-law.
…
And with that, the mini-drama concluded.
Finally, it was time for dinner, and my stomach was growling with hunger.
During the meal, Yu Xiaoke couldn’t help but ask curiously, "Was that your husband’s younger brother earlier? Speaking of which, with such a handsome brother, your husband must be quite good-looking too, right?"
Sang Lu smiled but didn’t answer.
When she first married into the Feng family, her mother had reminded her to keep a low profile.
Coming from an ordinary family into a wealthy household, gossip was inevitable.
The best approach was to say nothing at all.
As a result, her colleagues only knew she was newly married but had no idea who her husband was.
Yu Xiaoke didn’t pry for long either. Sang Lu steered the conversation elsewhere, and the topic was quickly dropped.
On her way home after dinner, Sang Lu picked up her phone to check WeChat.
The post she’d shared earlier that afternoon after watching the movie had already garnered over a dozen likes and eight comments in just a short while.
She skimmed through them and replied one by one.
Classmate A: ["Last week, your husband was Sesshomaru?"]
Sang Lu replied: ["Don’t ask. Just consider him my ex-husband now."]
Classmate B: ["You went to the re-release!? I’m going tomorrow!"]
Sang Lu: ["Go for it! He’s worth it!"]
Classmate C: ["Lies! That’s my husband! Glare"]
Sang Lu: ["Draw your sword, brave one."]
Her mother, Ms. Lin, had also left a comment: ["You’re never serious about anything."]
Sang Lu replied cheekily: ["I inherited that from you~ [tongue out]"]
Her dad chimed in right after: ["How old are you still watching cartoons!?"]
Sang Lu: ["@Ms. Lin, Mom, Dad’s being mean to me!"]
Just as she was engrossed in replying, Sang Lu’s eyes suddenly widened in surprise.
Among the profile pictures of friends who’d liked her post, she spotted one with a plain black avatar.
Was that… Feng Yan?
How unusual.
Feng Yan had actually liked her post???
