I Woke Up And Found Myself Married - Chapter 26
Her movements were gentle, her lips slightly pressed together, and her eyes were full of worry.
Ji Fuyi was already anxious. She hadn’t expected that even after stressing to her mother yesterday not to be late, they would still pull this stunt today. Seeing the look on Yu Wei’s face now, she only felt a suffocating surge of anger.
It was bad enough they always treated her like this—what right did they have to treat Yu Wei this way too?
All these years, when it came to matters concerning her, her parents had never once been reliable. Yet they always self-righteously claimed everything was “for her own good.”
Ji Fuyi gave Yu Wei a gentle smile, held her hand, leaned down, and placed a kiss on her forehead, saying with guilt in her voice:
“I’m going to make a call.”
Yu Wei watched her stand up and walk outside the private room to make the call. Originally, she’d been worried the meeting wouldn’t go well, but now all of that concern had shifted—into worry for Ji Fuyi.
That guilty look in her eyes, that kiss on the forehead… This wasn’t like the Ji Fuyi she knew.
In Yu Wei’s memory, Ji Fuyi was always composed, always poised, always unreachable—never once showing weakness.
The private room was soundproof, and Yu Wei couldn’t hear anything from outside. All she could hear was the sound of her own heartbeat, growing quicker, more uneasy in the silence.
Out in the hallway, decorated in a classical style, Ji Fuyi stood in a corner, calling her mother.
The phone rang again and again. Ji Fuyi stared blankly at a fortune tree in front of her—the shiny leaves were well-maintained and textured. She spaced out a bit. Just as she was about to give up, the call finally connected, and her mother’s voice came through.
“Hello? Fuyi? What’s wrong?” Her voice was cheerful, with soft music in the background and Ji Fuyi’s father’s domineering voice chiming in: “Tell her to wait. She’s learned to rush us now?”
Hearing both their voices filled Ji Fuyi’s mind with oppressive pressure. She tried to keep her voice calm and even. “Mom, Dad, where are you now?”
“We’re almost there, just around the corner,” her mother replied with a smile.
“You’re already thirty minutes late.”
Ji Fuyi leaned against the fortune tree, feeling dizzy.
“I told you—don’t be late.”
“What’s with you?” Her mother’s tone was full of reproach. “She’s here to meet us, so what if we’re a few minutes late? You’re clearly siding with her now—you don’t care about us anymore.”
Before Ji Fuyi could respond, her father chimed in coldly, “Look at the daughter you’ve raised.” Her mother immediately followed with syrupy whining: “What’s wrong with me? Our daughter’s all grown up now, eager to marry a little girl the moment she falls for her…”
Ji Fuyi couldn’t listen any longer. “Ten minutes. If you’re not here by then, we’re leaving.”
She hung up the phone right after, clutching the tree trunk and taking deep breaths. She noticed absentmindedly that her fingernail had broken off, leaving a mark on the bark.
Ten minutes later, Ji Fuyi’s parents finally arrived—right on the dot.
Yu Wei stood up to greet them, but before she could even say, “Uncle, Auntie,” Ji Fuyi’s mother cut her off with a bright smile. “You must be the youngest daughter of the Yu family? My, you’ve grown up so beautifully.”
She looked Yu Wei up and down, as if evaluating her like a product. Her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly, giving her an air of subtle harshness.
“You’re so pretty—no wonder Fuyi likes you,” Ji Fuyi’s mother said, holding onto her husband’s arm and casting a glance at Ji Fuyi. “She was even throwing a tantrum on the phone earlier, threatening to leave if we didn’t show up. What kind of love potion did you feed our Fuyi?”
Across the large rosewood table, Ji Fuyi sat with cold eyes, watching them. Her mother’s nonstop chattering was grating, while her father remained silent and disengaged.
“Our Fuyi likes you so much. As her parents, of course we have to be thorough,” her mother said after sipping some tea, eyeing Yu Wei carefully. “Once you’re married, you better not bully her.”
Despite all her words, Yu Wei simply smiled graciously and replied, “Of course not. I’ll take good care of Fuyi.”
Under the table, Ji Fuyi quietly reached over and held her hand.
Yu Wei wasn’t someone without temper—she was just well-mannered. Ji Fuyi had seen her get angry before, like a bristling little wolf.
Now, Yu Wei’s pinky hooked gently around hers, and the corners of her mouth lifted into a more genuine smile—clearly in a better mood.
The restaurant was known for its cuisine, and they’d ordered several signature dishes. Yet, the entire meal felt bland and tasteless.
Most of the time, it was Ji Fuyi’s mother talking, with Yu Wei nodding politely. Her father would chime in with a few words here and there—each time plunging the atmosphere into a chill.
Ji Fuyi felt uncomfortable. It was obvious to anyone that her parents hadn’t treated Yu Wei well today. And yet Yu Wei kept smiling like she hadn’t noticed the sharp jabs hidden in their words.
Finally, the long ordeal came to an end. The server brought out desserts, and Ji Fuyi’s mother finally showed a hint of sincere warmth. “Weiwei is such a good girl. Our Fuyi is in good hands with you.”
Then she asked Yu Wei to wait outside while she pulled Ji Fuyi into the inner room, saying they needed a private talk.
As soon as the door shut, Ji Fuyi’s father’s expression turned icy.
“Pregnant, huh?” He crossed his arms and stood by the window, eyeing her from head to toe. “Like mother, like daughter.”
Her mother lowered her head, her face showing a flash of grievance, as if she were about to cry.
“I didn’t even know you were an Omega,” her father said, ignoring her mother. He stepped forward, reaching out to pinch Ji Fuyi’s chin. “When did you present? Still looking so pretty.”
Ji Fuyi stepped back calmly and slapped his hand away. “You have some nerve asking about your daughter’s secondary gender. Great job being a father.”
Her father’s anger flared, and he raised his hand as if to slap her. But Ji Fuyi didn’t flinch, staring at him coldly, daring him.
If not for his business being in trouble, and the Yu family being both wealthy and sincere, he wouldn’t even consider using her for a marriage alliance. If he had a different daughter, one who was more obedient, how much easier it would be. But no—he was stuck with Ji Fuyi, all spine and defiance.
“You can’t talk to your father like that. He’s just concerned—worried about your pregnancy,” he said, instantly switching to a more gentle tone. “Why don’t you come home? Your room is still there.”
At those words, Ji Fuyi’s mother’s tears stopped at once. She began frantically winking at Ji Fuyi.
Ji Fuyi didn’t even look at them. “Stop thinking about taking their money.”
Her father’s heart chilled. So this girl had no intention of helping him. Without his connections, she’d never even have met Yu Wei! And now she wasn’t even on his side?
Just as he was about to speak, he glanced out the window—and saw her enormous advertisement billboard, her flawless face plastered across it.
His heart sank.
He had forgotten. Ji Fuyi was no longer the little girl tugging at his sleeve for school fees. Her face was on the biggest billboard in the city center. Her films played in theaters. She was already a household name—a star. No longer someone he could control.
In that moment, he glanced toward Ji Fuyi’s mother and understood—Ji Fuyi still called him “Dad” only because this woman had her wrapped around her finger. As long as he gave the mother a little something, he could get whatever he wanted. Not just the Yu family’s money—even Ji Fuyi’s earnings. After all, she was a star. She must be making plenty.
He gave Ji Fuyi a mild smile. “That’s fine. If you don’t want to, you don’t have to. Your father will always be here for you.”
“No need to act so close,” Ji Fuyi said politely. “Next time we’re meeting both sets of parents—don’t be late.”
“What are you saying? Of course I wouldn’t be late,” he said, reaching out to pat her shoulder—only for her to dodge. “Let’s go.”
Yu Wei had been sitting on the sofa, thinking over the meeting, when the Ji family returned to the room.
She stood and politely saw Ji Fuyi’s parents off. After a few brief exchanges, they left the private room.
As soon as the door shut, Ji Fuyi let out a long sigh and collapsed onto the sofa. She rarely showed such exhaustion.
Yu Wei looked at her, a little worried. “Tired?”
“I’m okay,” Ji Fuyi’s voice was muffled, clearly drained. “I’m really sorry about today.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The way they treated you was too awful. You didn’t deserve that.” Ji Fuyi sighed deeply and reached out to stroke Yu Wei’s hair. “Just a contract marriage, and I’ve already made you suffer so much. I never wanted that.”
“They were a little weird, yeah. But you don’t have to blame yourself.”
Yu Wei had been uncomfortable earlier, but when Ji Fuyi gently patted her head, she felt comforted. Her mood lifted.
“It’s not about suffering or not. I like you.”
“…I’m sorry.”
The more Yu Wei acted like she didn’t care, the more guilty Ji Fuyi felt. She had worried from the start that Yu Wei would be mistreated by her parents—and when it really happened, Yu Wei ended up comforting her. It made Ji Fuyi feel terrible. Unworthy of Yu Wei’s affection.
A little insecure, even. After what had happened today, she didn’t feel like she deserved to be loved.
Holding Yu Wei’s hand, she nervously asked:
“If we got married, even if it’s a contract marriage… there’d still be ties to them—and maybe even more unpleasant people. Would you mind?”
“Not at all.”
Yu Wei shook her head without a second’s thought and instead asked:
“Are they always like that to you?”
Ji Fuyi froze. No one had ever asked her that before. She didn’t have a rehearsed answer, so she could only nod honestly.
“…I’m sorry.”
Yu Wei suddenly hugged her, whispering gently, “I wish I’d met you sooner.”
“That way they wouldn’t have been able to hurt you.”
She held Ji Fuyi in her arms, her chin gently rubbing against her, and planted a kiss on her hair.
Softly, she murmured:
“No one’s going to treat you like that again.”
“I’ll protect you, Jiejie.”