Chapter 2 The Marriage Contract

Wu Jiayi went to the Wu house four hours before midnight. She wouldn't have taken her sweet time if they hadn't mentioned emergencies.

After changing two buses, Wu Jiayi finally got home. Her stepmother's maid was standing outside the gates of the mansion, waiting for her.

"Young miss, you are late. I've been out here for a long time," the maid chided her.

Wu Jiayi usually kept an expressionless face. The maid's words didn't matter to her, she stopped only because she thought the maid was there to greet her.

"Move," Wu Jiayi ordered her. Oppressed by her cold presence, the maid complied. Wu Jiayi entered the main gate, with the maid following her. She couldn't help but wonder what the reason was for the drastic change in Wu Jiayi's attitude. This was not her first meeting with Wu Jiayi, then why did she change so much in just three weeks?

After walking for another minute, they reached the entrance to the Wu villa. At this point, Wu Jiayi seriously considered buying a car. She was panting like crazy, and the maid watching her smiled in satisfaction.

"This is exactly what this bitch deserves," she thought to herself. The maid got ahead of Wu Jiayi and opened the door, without giving her a chance to recover herself. Instead of losing her cool as she expected, Wu Jiayi confidently walked inside to face the Wu family.

The moment she entered, a forceful slap landed on her face and turned it to the other side. The person responsible for this action was her stepmother, Shao Ning.

"What do you think you are doing?" Wu Jiayi fiercely questioned her. Shao Ning was slightly intimidated. Wu Jiayi's countenance was deadpan, but her voice became terrifying.

Shao Ning stepped back in fear. Wu Bolin saw his wife being oppressed and immediately stepped up to aid her.

"How dare you speak like that to your mother?" Wu Bolin hollered at her.

Wu Jiayi ignored them and walked past them.

"My mother died fifteen years ago, if you want her to be my mother that much, then I don't mind sending her to her grave," she said nonchalantly.

While saying that, she plopped down on her paternal grandmother's armchair. Her hands landed on the armrests as her body made itself comfortable on the chair.

The couple looked horrified at her. The chair that she sat on belonged exclusively to the matriarch. Wu Xiaoniu, who was observing the entire exchange from upstairs, suddenly spoke up.

"You really think I don't know what you are planning".

"Father, she's trying to switch the power dynamics," Wu Xiaoniu said, pointing at her from the railings of the first floor.

They looked up and saw her racing down the stairs. At that moment, Wu Jiayi realised something. Wu Xiaoniu was supposed to be the graceful and charming beauty, and she was supposed to be the ugly duckling. Thankfully, her time in Japan made her realise she could rock both cute and sexy aesthetics. Right now, she had the money and the confidence to kick the Wu family away, but she couldn't do that even if she wanted to.

"Big sister, don't play psychological games with us," Wu Xiaoniu looked at her contemptuously.

Wu Jiayi was clueless about what Wu Xiaoniu was talking about.

"Look, I know you are suffering from a mental illness, but you don't have to try so hard to prove it," Wu Jiayi replied.

Having been taken by surprise, Wu Xiaoniu was at a loss. In an attempt to restore her dignity, she raised her hand to strike her sister. Wu Jiayi had a terrifying smile pasted on her face as she saw Wu Xiaoniu's actions.

Wu Jiayi grabbed her arm and pushed her away lightly.

Thump! Wu Xiaoniu fell to the ground dramatically. Her antics didn't surprise Wu Jiayi, she was used to them. She didn't put that much force into that push, yet she fell down. Wu Bolin hurried to help her up.

"Daddy, big sister pushed me," she cried in Wu Bolin's embrace.

"Please refrain from touching me, or else I'll push even harder next time," Wu Jiayi warned her. She was disgusted with her sister. Sometimes she wondered why she was so scheming. It's not like she did anything wrong to her. They were the ones who had wronged her from the start.

"Enough!" A vociferous and unwavering voice interrupted Wu Bolin, who was about to speak in his daughter's defence. It was the matriarch of the Wu family, Song Lan, Wu Bolin's mother.

The old matriarch's presence calmed the chaos going on in the living room. There was a deafening silence, and only the sound of Song Lan's walking stick banging against the floor was heard.

Wu Jaiyi's chin rested on her hand as she flashed a devilish smile at her.

"You want me to get up from here, don't you?" Wu Jiayi asked her.

Song Lan's lips curled up in a warm smile. She changed her direction and sat down on a different couch. Her actions flabbergasted the entire Wu family. Even Wu Bolin was not allowed to sit in the matriarch's seat.

Wu Xiaoniu's hands curled into fists as she saw the matriarch's action. Shao Ning rushed up to her daughter and gently stroked her hands.

"Don't forget why we called her here," she comforted Wu Xiaoniu.

The matriarch ignored the mother-daughter pair and looked at Wu Jiayi.

"It's been a long time since we last saw each other, my dear granddaughter," Song Lan addressed her.

"Your mother was the perfect trophy wife; I hope you'll be the same wherever you go".

"What are you implying?" Wu Jiayi's smile changed into a solemn look.

"I want you to marry the eldest son of the Xie family," Song Lan informed.

Wu Jiayi was taken aback. This family really was filled with leeches. First, they held her grandmother hostage, and now they wanted her to marry the disabled son of the Xie family to escape bankruptcy. Wu Jiayi was genuinely disgusted.

Wu Xiaoniu smiled in response.

Song Lan's attendant, who stood by her side, opened a box and presented it to Wu Jaiyi.

"This was sent by the Xie family to seal the deal," the attendant informed her.

Wu Jaiyi looked at the jade bracelets sent by the Xie family. Wu Xiaoniu saw the bracelets. She was envious at first, but then she remembered that she was going to marry a disabled man. The thought sent Wu Xiaoniu to the moon.

"You guys chose to accept the deal, so it's your responsibility to arrange the bride. Thank you for your kind efforts, but I'll be the one to decide my marriage,' Wu Jiayi replied as she stood up.

"Why don't you sell Xiaoniu? Her childishness is the reason why you are nearing bankruptcy. If you can't manage a small company like Shancun, I'll be more than willing to take it under my wing", Wu Jiayi added.