Marrying the Ugly Woman of a Rich and Powerful Family - Chapter 4

No anchor point makes it easy to lose balance.

Shen Qingyuan’s waist was bent nearly ninety degrees. To maintain her balance, she could only support herself on the sofa beside Cang Yan with both hands, cleverly executing a “sofa-don.”

The tie that Cang Yan had pulled straight was stretched between them, seemingly on the verge of snapping at any moment.

The tie on this outfit was meant only as an accessory, but with Cang Yan pulling it like this, Shen Qingyuan felt her neck was about to be stretched out.

The two were locked in this strange, frozen posture, their faces extremely close, so much so that Shen Qingyuan could even see the fine fuzz on Cang Yan’s skin.

Shen Qingyuan couldn’t help but marvel at how good Cang Yan’s skin was.

She herself had started anti-aging and spot-removing routines at twenty-eight, constantly demanding early bedtimes and focusing on wellness. Every time she stayed up late, she regretted it immensely, slathering expensive skincare products onto her face, yet still feeling the difference from her younger self.

Cang Yan’s face, however, was like a peeled egg—smooth, translucent, fair, and tender—making one instinctively want to reach out and pinch it.

Envy. Jealousy.

Shen Qingyuan stared intently at Cang Yan’s face, trying to find the slightest flaw, or else she would be too sour. Finally, she spotted a tiny black mole right in the center of Cang Yan’s nose bridge.

It was so small that one wouldn’t notice it without a careful look.

Shen Qingyuan felt a little disappointed.

How could Cang Yan be so perfect?

While she was distracted, her hands slid down a little, bringing her face even closer to Cang Yan. The faint, elegant fragrance on Cang Yan’s body became more distinct.

Shen Qingyuan couldn’t help but take a low sniff.

It really did smell like platycodon.

Shen Qingyuan’s hair was a light brown wave, currently tied up in a bun. The strands of hair falling from her temples hung in front of Cang Yan’s eyes due to gravity, becoming quite an obstruction.

Cang Yan stared at the thin strand of hair, her eyes flashing fiercely, her chest rising and falling, and her delicate nostrils subtly flaring.

She was truly infuriated by Shen Qingyuan’s comment about desiring her body. The thought that they were so close now, with Shen Qingyuan sniffing her like a dog, sent a chill down her spine.

She pushed hard, disgustedly shoving Shen Qingyuan away.

With that pull and push, Shen Qingyuan unsurprisingly landed squarely on her backside on the mahogany coffee table behind her. Her tie was askew, as if she had just experienced something indescribable.

She had worn this outfit because it looked good, but she hadn’t expected the tie to be victimized by Cang Yan.

Shen Qingyuan slowly straightened her tie and asked with a look of utter sincerity, “So you really do desire my body?”

Although she wasn’t good-looking, her body was attractive.

Healthy, young, and full of vitality.

However, based on the aesthetics here, Cang Yan probably wouldn’t appreciate it.

Hearing this, Cang Yan’s eyes seemed to shoot out icy blades.

Shen Qingyuan didn’t know why she was so angry, and she definitely didn’t want to achieve the “domestic violence on the first day of marriage” milestone. She decisively chose to leave first as a sign of respect.

Shen Qingyuan quickly ran away.

Cang Yan, however, was nearly driven to death by anger.

Her new phone, unsurprisingly, met the tragic fate of being smashed. The 6.5-inch high-definition curved screen cracked with a loud snap, broken as if countless spiderwebs had been spun across it.

Cang Yan admitted that her previous words contained a hint of sourness. She was indeed not young, her body was unhealthy, and her vitality was low. That’s why she had been constantly shuttling between various hospitals since childhood. She had seen both Chinese and Western doctors, yet her health still didn’t improve.

The Chinese doctors said she had a congenital deficiency and a lack of qi and bl00d. The Western doctors said she had anemia, weak immunity, and immune system problems. These didn’t sound like major issues, yet they simply couldn’t be cured.

She had been frail since birth, never gaining weight no matter how much she ate. Her face was always pale, so white that she could forgo makeup and go straight to playing a female ghost.

If not for her substantial family wealth and various dietary supplements sustaining her, she would have been an invalid.

Or long gone.

Later, her parents started believing in metaphysics, hiring Feng Shui and metaphysical masters to examine their house, check their dwelling’s qi, and read her fortune and bazi (Eight Characters).

It just so happened that Shen Qingyuan’s bazi matched hers, supposedly capable of complementing and strengthening her. Otherwise, she would have absolutely no desire to have any relationship with Shen Qingyuan, who was eight years her junior.

Cang Yan curled up on the sofa, taking deep, deep breaths, reminding herself not to get angry, not to get angry. Anger harms the liver, and it wouldn’t be Shen Qingyuan who ended up hospitalized.

Cang Yan was good at regulating her emotions and quickly calmed down. She stared blankly at the broken phone lying on the floor. From yesterday to now, this was already the third phone she had smashed.

Was her temper really that bad?

Cang Yan couldn’t help but ponder.

A sudden incoming call interrupted her thoughts. Cang Yan bent down to pick up the broken phone, barely making out the caller’s name, and answered the call.

“Come to my place. I don’t feel like going out today.”

“Ayan, you don’t look very happy,” Lin You said gently, carefully observing Cang Yan’s expression. Noticing that she had a new phone again, she sighed softly.

Lin You was undoubtedly a great beauty. Her features fully met the Chinese aesthetic standard. She was 1.72 meters tall, and even dressed in a cream-colored casual outfit, the definition of her physique was apparent.

She wore no makeup, always appearing bare-faced in front of Cang Yan. Her skin was a honey color, brighter than wheat. She never pursued extreme muscle definition, striving to keep the difference in physique between herself and Cang Yan minimal.

She was Cang Yan’s only friend.

Cang Yan took off her shoes and curled up entirely on the sofa, covered by a thin goose-down blanket. Already slender, she looked like a small bundle when hunched up.

In front of Lin You, she didn’t hide her emotions. Frowning, she said, “That kid is too annoying.”

Lin You smiled helplessly, like an older sister, “Tell me about it. I’ll judge who’s right.”

Cang Yan summarized Shen Qingyuan’s actions in a few brief words. After she finished, she felt like Shen Qingyuan hadn’t actually done anything wrong—it was just asking why she wanted to marry her.

It seemed like she was the one making a mountain out of a molehill the whole time.

But she wouldn’t admit it.

Lin You tilted her head and smiled, “Maybe you’re the one who’s prejudiced against her? I think her question was quite normal. Actually, I also wonder why you suddenly got married.”

The mention of prejudice made Cang Yan even angrier. There were quite a few people with the same bazi and destiny, and her parents had found more than just Shen Qingyuan through their network.

During the final selection, Cang Yan discovered that Shen Qingyuan was the netizen who had previously written fanfiction about her online.

Not only did it infringe upon her reputation, but it also went to great lengths to malign her, spreading rumors that she was a Dominatrix (Domi, or ‘S’), and including detailed segments of her dominating others.

Cang Yan rarely attended public events. Although she wasn’t a celebrity, due to her special circumstances, the discussion surrounding her was arguably higher than that of some B or C-list celebrities. Therefore, gossiping netizens learned about her through various marketing accounts.

Marketing accounts would stop at nothing for traffic, often using her ugliness for promotion and pinning all sorts of labels on her.

For instance, they said she had a bad temper—that, Cang Yan admitted.

But to say she was loose in her personal life, not only frequenting the BDSM community and engaging in S.M but also being a Dominatrix, was highly unfair. She didn’t even have the strength or energy to dominate others.

Shen Qingyuan’s fanfiction had over ten thousand shares, seemingly validating the rumors and sending the topic #CangYan’sPrivateLifeIsMessy# straight to the trending topics.

In short, without all this, Cang Yan would never have noticed Shen Qingyuan, let alone chosen her.

Of course, Cang Yan wouldn’t reveal these darker thoughts to Lin You.

“My parents thought her bazi matched mine, suggesting she might be able to draw away my sickness. I also thought she was just a student, young, and easy to manipulate. Since her family agreed, we got married. There’s no grand conspiracy,” Cang Yan said flatly.

Lin You found it hard to believe that this was the reason for the marriage. She hesitated for a moment, then asked cautiously, “So, are you planning to live with her like this for the rest of your life? Until you’re healthy?”

Cang Yan showed an expression of disbelief, a playful smile on her lips, and laughed, “How is that possible? I only plan to play with her for a year, see what other trouble she can cause, and then let her experience the consequences of spreading rumors about others.”

Besides, a year was enough time for her to properly study.

Since Shen Qingyuan was so keen on her being a Dominatrix, she would grant Shen Qingyuan’s wish.

Lin You also smiled, but the warmth didn’t reach her eyes.

Shen Qingyuan, sitting in the car, couldn’t help but sneeze, feeling a chilling gust of wind sweep across her back.