Chapter 37: A Slap Landed on Wen Zhuqing

After the banquet, Gu Jianing made a point to pull Bao Shanyan aside before leaving and gave her a few words of advice.

When she saw Bao Shanyan nod in agreement, a smile appeared on Gu Jianing’s lips.

She knew Wen Zhuqing was scum, and Bao Shanyan wasn’t a good person either. Now that these two pieces of trash were going to tear each other apart, she was happy to let them hurt each other.

She just wondered who would come out on top in the end.

Gu Jianing guessed that in the beginning, Bao Shanyan and her mother might be able to suppress Wen Zhuqing, but later on, Wen Zhuqing might just win.

After all, Bao Shanyan and her mother only relied on brute strength and a bit of cunning, but Wen Zhuqing was truly scheming and deep. Otherwise, in her previous life, how could he have used so many people as stepping stones to pave his way?

Later on, Wen Zhuqing might even break free from the Bao family.

But it didn’t matter. As long as Wen Zhuqing was trapped for now and learned a hard lesson, Gu Jianing thought it was worth it.

As for what would happen later, she’d deal with it when the time came.

In any case, she would never let Wen Zhuqing have an easy time.

Inside the room, Wen Zhuqing looked at the unfamiliar surroundings, listening to the laughter and chatter outside. His handsome face was dark and frightening.

He could only comfort himself: this was temporary.

He still needed to get information out of that brute Bao Shanyan—how she and Gu Jianing had plotted against him.

When it came to manipulating women, he was pretty good at it.

One day, all the humiliation he’d suffered would be paid back in full.

Bao Shanyan and her mother, the Gu family, Gu Jianing, Sheng Zexi… Wen Zhuqing committed all these names to memory.

Bao Shanyan, the bride, was genuinely happy today. She never expected that the Wen Zhuqing she liked so much would actually marry into her family.

Thinking back to the scene with Wen Zhuqing three days ago, Bao Shanyan felt a tingling excitement.

So, that night, as soon as she finished washing up, she couldn’t wait to have Wen Zhuqing again—after all, it was their wedding night.

“Yanzi, it’s been a long day and I’m not feeling well. Can we wait until later?” Wen Zhuqing said gently, gazing at Bao Shanyan with deep affection. “We’re already married. We have all the time in the world. You’ll understand, right?”

Three days ago had been a nightmare for Wen Zhuqing.

He’d been drugged and helpless.

But over the past three days, he kept having nightmares—Bao Shanyan pressing down on him like Mount Tai, like a giant sow, making him feel sick and suffocated.

After that day, he’d showered for ages, using up an entire bar of soap, just wanting to scrub away any trace or scent of Bao Shanyan.

He felt utterly defiled by her.

Marrying Bao Shanyan was just a temporary compromise. There was no way he’d actually be her husband in every sense.

But Wen Zhuqing also knew he couldn’t anger Bao Shanyan. He had to take it slow, put on a gentle, loving act to keep her under control.

After all, Bao Shanyan liked him, didn’t she?

After he finished speaking, Wen Zhuqing looked at Bao Shanyan expectantly, only to see her expression suddenly darken.

At that moment, Bao Shanyan remembered what Gu Jianing had told her:

“Yanzi, even though Wen Zhuqing is married to you now, don’t forget you had to use tricks to get him. Who knows how unwilling he is inside?”

“I think he’ll find all sorts of excuses not to be a real husband to you, just stringing you along. Don’t let him fool you.”

“Since you’re married, he has to fulfill his obligations. Even if others ask, he can’t say a word against you.”

“In a marriage, it’s either you dominate me or I dominate you.”

“You need to establish your authority from the start. Don’t let Wen Zhuqing get the upper hand.”

“But you’re strong—I believe you can do it.”

“As long as you get pregnant with his child soon, I think he’ll gradually give in for the sake of the child.”

Remembering Gu Jianing’s words, Bao Shanyan’s face grew cold.

Gu Jianing was right.

Since she’d gone to all this trouble to get Wen Zhuqing to marry into the Bao family, she was determined to have both his body and his heart—and to bear his child.

Bao Shanyan looked up and stared coldly at Wen Zhuqing. “You’re not just making excuses because you don’t want to, are you?”

Wen Zhuqing’s eyes flickered, but he kept his gentle smile. “Of course not, Yanzi. Trust me.”

Bao Shanyan shoved Wen Zhuqing down. As he stared at her in shock, she said, “No, I only trust myself.”

After that, Wen Zhuqing was powerless to resist what happened.

When it was over, Bao Shanyan didn’t even bother to shower. She just lay down and pulled the covers over herself.

“Get some sleep. Tomorrow we still have to go to the civil affairs bureau to get our marriage certificate,” Bao Shanyan mumbled, closing her eyes.

That one sentence made Wen Zhuqing, already exhausted in body and mind, feel another surge of emotion.

“Get a marriage certificate? What for? We’ve already had the banquet, so we’re married. Why bother with the paperwork?”

Wen Zhuqing hadn’t expected this country woman to even think about getting legally married.

He knew that once they registered, he and Bao Shanyan would be legally bound as husband and wife.

It would be much harder to get rid of her after that.

And if he remarried in the future, he’d be a divorcé.

Wen Zhuqing couldn’t allow that to happen.

So, for once, Wen Zhuqing moved closer and tried to gently persuade Bao Shanyan to drop the idea.

Bao Shanyan was already tired and always did things her own way. Even her mother, Bao Yingzi, didn’t dare say much to her.

Now Wen Zhuqing was chattering in her ear, even contradicting her, and her temper flared up instantly.

Just as Gu Jianing had said, Wen Zhuqing only married her to keep her under control for now.

Gu Jianing had told her: in the city and in the eyes of the law, only registering their marriage would make them truly husband and wife.

Getting the marriage certificate was Gu Jianing’s suggestion.

Bao Shanyan had only mentioned it casually at first.

But seeing how resistant Wen Zhuqing was now, she realized Gu Jianing was right.

They had to get that certificate.

And now, Wen Zhuqing actually dared to talk back to her. Already mentally unstable, with a violent and irritable temper, Bao Shanyan finally snapped. She frowned and, with a backhanded motion—

A slap landed hard on Wen Zhuqing.

She liked his face, and didn’t want others to notice anything, so she didn’t hit him there.

But this slap, fueled by her anger, was so forceful that Wen Zhuqing’s chest ached and he fell back onto the bed.

“If you keep yapping, I won’t be polite. I said we’re getting the certificate, so we’re getting it. I’m just informing you, not discussing it with you.”

“If you don’t listen to me, I’ll send you to jail.”"