Director Jiang, don't let the divorce get out of control.

During the third hour of being forced to kneel, Wen Ruan's knees were so painful and numb that the only sensation she could feel was the coolness of the bluestone slab seeping into her bones through her clothes.

She shivered, and a cold, rigid voice suddenly rang in her ears.

"The old lady has repeatedly emphasized that we should 'kneel quietly to reflect on our actions.' Madam, you'd better obey her."

Yu Ma, the maid at the Jiang family's old house, stood on the steps, her piercing gaze mirroring that of Old Madam Jiang.

"You've been married for three years, but there's still no sign of pregnancy. The old lady loses her appetite whenever she thinks about it. As a granddaughter-in-law, you've caused your grandmother so much worry, so a little punishment is only right."

Wen Ruan curled her lips in a mocking smile, but remained silent.

Forced to kneel, locked in ancestral halls, forced to drink all sorts of bitter and nauseating folk remedies...

In the three years since marrying Jiang Yubai, there have been countless "minor punishments" in various ways.

At first, Wen Ruan tried to resist, but gradually she got used to it.

After all, this little bit of physical pain was nothing compared to what she had suffered in the Wen family.

not to mention……

Wen Ruan never imagined that she would stay in the Jiang family for the rest of her life.

"Alright, you can continue your punishment. You moved just now, so you'll have to kneel for an extra half hour. I'll come and call you at dinner time."

Aunt Yu gave Wen Ruan a cold look, then turned to go back into the house.

Almost at the same moment, a sound of footsteps approaching from afar came from the courtyard gate. The unhurried rhythm sent a chill down one's spine.

"So this is how you treat my wife when I'm not around?"

The man's voice was calm and deep, devoid of any emotion, even gentle, yet it successfully made Yu Ma stiffen.

Wen Ruan looked up and immediately saw a familiar figure at the entrance of the old house.

Jiang Yubai was wearing a dark gray overcoat, with a suitcase beside him.

Despite his travel-worn appearance, he still possessed an innate aloofness and noble bearing.

The eyes behind the gold-rimmed glasses were dark and unreadable, and the curve of the corners of his mouth didn't look like a smile at all.

Aunt Yu's face immediately turned pale. She stammered and looked at Jiang Yubai, "Director, weren't you supposed to go abroad for a month? Why are you leaving so early..."

She seemed to realize something, her gaze suddenly shifting to Wen Ruan kneeling on the ground, glaring at her fiercely, "Don't listen to Madam's complaints, we were just..."

"I didn't ask you to speak," Jiang Yubai interrupted calmly, striding over to Wen Ruan, bending down to lift her arm and taking her up from the ground.

"hiss……"

Wen Ruan's knees were already numb with pain, and she staggered uncontrollably, but Jiang Yubai steadily supported her.

He held Wen Ruan in his arms before turning to look at Aunt Yu.

"reason?"

Jiang Yubai was handsome and refined, with a gentle and cultured demeanor. Even when he was angry, he still maintained a calm and composed appearance, which frightened Yu Zheng so much that he stiffened his expression and forced himself to speak.

"It was the old lady's idea. The old lady is concerned about you because you haven't conceived yet..."

"I understand." Jiang Yubai adjusted his glasses and then casually uttered, "It's because I have low sperm count."

The atmosphere in the courtyard instantly plummeted to freezing point. Wen Ruan was stunned for a moment, hardly believing her ears.

Yu Ma's lips were trembling. "Director, you can't say things like that..."

"The child's problems have nothing to do with her, it's my fault." Jiang Yubai glanced at Yu Ma expressionlessly, his tone indifferent. "So from now on, if you have any rules, come at me. If I find out again that someone is secretly making things difficult for her..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was already clear.

Aunt Yu shuddered and dared not say another word.

The man then turned around and helped Wen Ruan leave.

Her knees were stiff and numb, and every step she took was excruciatingly painful, but she gritted her teeth and didn't utter a sound.

Jiang Yubai didn't say anything, but slowed down his pace again and again, his tightened arms bearing almost all of her weight.

The two drove home in silence.

Jiang Yubai helped Wen Ruan sit on the sofa, then found the first-aid kit, squatted down in front of her, and directly lifted her skirt.

"No..." Wen Ruan reflexively pulled her leg back, but Jiang Yubai quickly pressed it down gently.

"Don't move."

With his large, well-defined hands, Jiang Yubai lifted Wen Ruan's skirt in an irresistible manner, his gaze darkening as he looked at her knees.

Wen Ruan has naturally fair skin, which makes the scars on her legs look shocking.

The purplish bruises spread from the knee down to the calf, with old and new wounds overlapping, clearly indicating that it wasn't caused by kneeling all at once.

Jiang Yubai's hand holding the cotton swab paused slightly. He didn't say anything, but silently helped Wen Ruan apply the medicine.

He had organized evacuations from some of the world's most dangerous war-torn countries, so he was adept at treating such wounds.

Wen Ruan watched his skillful movements and suddenly felt a little dazed.

Three years ago, her fiancé, Ji Shiyan, suddenly broke off the engagement, cutting off her legitimate way of leaving the Wen family.

She didn't want to be trapped in that hellhole for the rest of her life, but all her documents were being held by her adoptive father, Wen Shaokang. With nowhere else to turn, she had no choice but to sneak to the port late at night, intending to smuggle herself out of the country.

Then he encountered Jiang Yubai, who was returning to China to report on his work.

Who is Jiang Yubai?

The only direct descendant of a top family in China, he was said to have been sent overseas to recuperate while still in an incubator because he was born weak, and did not return to the Jiang family until he was sixteen years old.

The man born at the top of the pyramid is aloof and noble. He became the Director of the Foreign Affairs Department before he was thirty years old. He is a favored son of heaven that the entire Beijing circle looks up to.

And what about her?

She was just an adopted daughter of an ordinary wealthy family, and after graduating from university, she worked as a basic translator at the Graduate Institute of Translation and Interpretation.

The only recent interaction between him and Jiang Yubai was in a corner of a large-scale international event.

Through the sea of ​​heads, I could see him from afar, surrounded by people, chatting and laughing with a head of state.

But that very night, this unapproachable man looked into her eyes and spoke, word by word.

"Wen Ruan, will you marry me?"

then……

"How many times were you fined?"

A cold voice rang out, interrupting Wen Ruan's recollection.

Jiang Yubai's expression remained calm as always, but the eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses were deep and indifferent, revealing an unfathomable emotion.

Wen Ruan was stunned for a moment, and unconsciously tried to turn her head away from his gaze, but the man grabbed her chin without saying a word.

Answer me.

Jiang Yubai lifted her face, forcing her to look him in the eye. His fingers were not very strong, as if he was trying his best to suppress something.

"How many times have they punished you like this while I was away?"

"...I can't remember." Wen Ruan closed her eyes and told the truth.

Jiang Yubai tightened his grip on the cotton swab, his knuckles turning slightly white.

"Why didn't you tell me?"