Volume One, Chapter One: I Wish He Would Die in Prison

“Song Qinian!”

A deep, furious shout jolted Song Qinian awake from her dream. The moment she opened her eyes, a powerful hand clamped tightly around her neck.

“Well, you took advantage of my drunkenness and dared to crawl into my bed!”

Staring at Shen Chiyan’s cold and terrifyingly handsome face, Song Qinian was terrified. Memories from last night flooded her mind. When Shen Chiyan came home, he was already drunk. She had helped him to rest, but unexpectedly he pinned her to the bed. Before she could react, his burning, domineering kiss descended upon her.

Mute and unable to speak, she wasn’t his match; she could only endure his force and dominance. The entire night, he didn’t stop. She didn’t even know when she fainted.

She tried to gesture to explain what happened last night, but Shen Chiyan gave her no chance, flinging her off the bed.

Song Qinian, with nothing on her body, felt weak and sore. She hurriedly grabbed the bedsheet to cover herself.

“Three years ago, you and your mother schemed against me, forced me to marry you, and tried to make me release your beastly father. Now you’re using the same trick again—you really are all cut from the same cloth!”

Song Qinian’s face went instantly pale.

Three years ago, Shen Chiyan’s beloved was kidnapped, and after escaping, she was involved in a car accident that left her in a coma. The culprit was Song Qinian’s father, Song Guanliang.

Song Guanliang always protested his innocence, claiming he never kidnapped Lin Qiutong nor intended to harm her, but he was the one who sent the ransom message to the Lin family. He was present when Lin Qiutong was injured, and the evidence was overwhelming. He was sentenced to ten years.

Back then, to save Song Guanliang and to secure their connection to the Shen family, Song Qinian’s mother drugged Shen Chiyan and maneuvered Song Qinian into Shen Chiyan’s bed.

They spent one night together, and the next day, the Shen family matriarch ordered Shen Chiyan to marry Song Qinian.

Song Qinian still remembered the look Shen Chiyan gave her then: disgust, anger, and a deep hatred.

His expression now was exactly the same as it was three years ago.

She was also a victim of those events, but Shen Chiyan never listened to her explanation.

And last night—since Shen Chiyan believed she had climbed into his bed on purpose, even if she gestured until her hands broke, it wouldn’t matter.

Seeing the marks he left on her body, Shen Chiyan’s dark eyes grew even more sinister. He curled his lips in mockery. “A mute who can’t talk, but what a cunning mind you have. You’ve schemed to sleep with me again—what do you want this time?”

Song Qinian’s chest ached. Yes, she was mute, but not born that way; it was an accident years ago that took her voice.

Yet in his eyes, she was nothing more than a scheming woman. Since that was the case...

“My father is sick. I want him to be released for medical treatment. I hope you can help.”

At her words, an intimidating rage erupted from Shen Chiyan. His slender, beautiful fingers gripped Song Qinian’s chin tightly, his handsome face even more dark and terrifying.

“Released for medical treatment? If not for your father, Qiutong wouldn’t still be lying unconscious in that hospital bed. I wish he’d die in prison. Why should you think that just because I slept with you, I’d help?”

His grip was so strong that Song Qinian felt her jaw was about to dislocate.

“My father is innocent!”

In Song Qinian’s memory, Song Guanliang had always been an honest, hard-working man, gentle and kind to everyone. Even though they were poor, he would rather work three or four jobs than borrow money. He could never do something like kidnapping and extortion.

For years, Song Qinian had been investigating in secret, determined to clear her father’s name.

Yesterday, when she visited Song Guanliang, he had lost a lot of weight and complained of frequent nosebleeds, pain all over his body, and sometimes even coughed up blood.

Terrified, Song Qinian wanted him released for medical treatment, but without Shen Chiyan’s permission, no one dared let Song Guanliang out.

Seeing Song Qinian’s unwavering faith in her father, Shen Chiyan’s anger burned hotter. “Innocent? The evidence is right there, and you dare to argue!”

Song Qinian tried to gesture again, but Shen Chiyan impatiently pushed her aside and looked away. “Don’t wave your hands in front of me—it’s annoying.”

He didn’t want to see her anymore and turned to leave.

In desperation, Song Qinian grabbed the hem of his pants.

Shen Chiyan looked at her coldly. “Let go!”

“I know today is the day to donate blood to Lin Qiutong. If you agree to help me, I’ll donate obediently.”

Lin Qiutong’s health was poor, and she needed blood transfusions every quarter.

By coincidence, both Song Qinian and Lin Qiutong had rare golden blood, making Song Qinian Lin Qiutong’s backup blood bank.

The next moment, Song Qinian’s hair was yanked, the pain draining all color from her face.

Shen Chiyan’s face was as terrifying as a demon from hell. “So, if I don't agree to help you, you won’t donate blood to Qiutong?”

It hurt!

Song Qinian wanted to scream, but no sound would come.

She struggled, and the next moment Shen Chiyan bent down close to her.

They were so near, Song Qinian suddenly held her breath.

“Song Qinian, listen carefully: Qiutong’s suffering is the debt you and your father owe her. If anything happens to her, I’ll make your whole family pay. Now, get out—right now.”

Shen Chiyan’s wrath made Song Qinian tremble, and his words stabbed at her heart.

She feared he would take his anger out on her father, so she didn’t dare linger. Wrapping herself tightly in the sheet, she fled the master bedroom and went down to the basement.

After their marriage, Shen Chiyan ordered Song Qinian to live in the basement; last night was just an accident.

For Song Qinian, it didn’t matter where she lived. As long as she was Shen Chiyan’s wife, as long as she could stay by his side, it was enough.

The basement contained only a simple bed, a table, and a chair. Compared to Shen Chiyan’s luxurious master bedroom, her room was shabby to the extreme, but she had lived there for almost three years.

Feeling sticky, Song Qinian went upstairs to the bathroom to shower, only to hear the maids talking.

“That mute really has no shame, sneaking into the master’s bed when he was drunk.”

“Exactly. Everyone knows the master is devoted to Miss Lin. She’s just a cuckoo in the nest—she’ll get what’s coming to her.”

“The day Miss Lin wakes up is the day she’ll be kicked out of the Shen family.”

Song Qinian lowered her eyes. Of course she knew her time with Shen Chiyan was stolen.

When Lin Qiutong woke up, Shen Chiyan would definitely divorce her.

She didn’t know what would happen then, but until that day, every second with Shen Chiyan was a gift.

When Song Qinian finished tidying up and went outside, Shen Chiyan was already dressed. He wore a black, custom-tailored suit, paired with a white shirt and a black tie.

A silver tie clip added an air of icy restraint to his demeanor.

Tall and slender, he stood out wherever he went, drawing attention effortlessly.

Especially that sharply contoured, exquisitely handsome face—no matter how many times she saw it, Song Qinian’s heart would always skip a beat.

Her cheeks were slightly flushed—whether from the hot water in the shower or because of Shen Chiyan, she couldn’t tell.

The next moment, a gloved hand handed her a white phone.

Shen Chiyan’s expression gave nothing away. “You left in such a hurry, you forgot your phone.”

Song Qinian was surprised. Just moments ago, Shen Chiyan looked as if he wanted to kill her. Why would he suddenly be kind enough to bring her phone?

She took the phone, and when she saw the message on the screen, her rosy cheeks instantly turned as pale as paper.