Captured Hearts: The Substitute Bride’s Gambit

Chapter 44: Chapter 44 It’s All Because of a Girl Chapter 44: Chapter 44 It’s All Because of a Girl Outside the door, Ye Chuyi silently descended the stairs.

Before she left, she handed the card to the butler and whispered a word of caution, “Just give it to Sheng Tingyuan quietly, don’t let Aunt Tang find out.”

The butler refused to take it obstinately, as the card was prepared by him for Madam; it made no sense for Madam to give it away and then for him to take it back immediately after.

Ye Chuyi, having no other choice, placed the card on the table and pressed it down with a vase before leaving.

The butler stood guard over the card for quite a while, until Sheng Tingyuan finally came downstairs. He quickly said, “Young Master, the Young Madam left the card here for you.”

Sheng Tingyuan removed the vase and picked up the card wrapped in red, “Where is she?”

“She’s already left.”

Sheng Tingyuan pocketed the card and strode outside.

It was only upon exiting that he realized it had started to rain at some point.

The butler held an umbrella for him, “Young Master, it’s raining, do you still wish to go out?”

When the Young Master was a child, he used to love rainy days, running outside the moment it started pouring; as he grew older, however, his fondness waned, and rainy days would sour his mood.

And all of that was because of one girl.

Indeed, Sheng Tingyuan did not leave. He retreated back into the living room, went upstairs, and entered the study room.

Outside the window, the rain grew stronger, and the damp coldness stirred memories from Sheng Tingyuan’s past.

At eleven, he had beaten Sheng Huai’an’s illegitimate child, and in turn, was beaten by Sheng Huai’an.

With his face bruised, he ran out into the rain.

Not knowing how long he had run, he saw a group of children surrounding a little girl at a pavilion by the lake.

The little girl held a plastic bag tightly as the others demanded it from her, but she clutched it desperately, “This is for Xiao Lihua, she’s sick, please I beg you, don’t steal my medicine… ”
The ringleader of the children, dressed in branded clothes, spoke arrogantly and viciously, “She deserves to be sick, she should have died already, and so should you! The money for the medicine, it’s what you stole from my house!”

“I didn’t steal your money, this is from the pocket money my dad saved for me!”

“How dare you deny it? You’re the thief! No wonder my mother says her money always goes missing; it turns out we had a thief at home! What are you waiting for? Snatch that medicine from her!”

The little girl cried as she tried to reclaim her medicine, “This is Xiao Lihua’s medicine, you’re not sick, why are you stealing my medicine? Give it back to me!”

Sheng Tingyuan could no longer stand by, he broke through the rain curtain and ran into the pavilion, “Stop it!”

The leader looked at him, “Who are you? An accomplice of this thief?”

“She says she didn’t steal the money, she’s not a thief.”

“She is a thief! You’re so on her side, you must be a thief too! Everyone, get them, thieves deserve to die!”

However, the group of children hesitated.

There was no other reason but that Sheng Tingyuan was a good deal taller than these children, looking two to three years older. Though he had wounds on his face, his imposing manner was fearsome and intimidating, unlike the weak ‘thief’ who could be easily bullied. It was clear he was not someone to be trifled with.

Seeing them not moving, the child in charge stamped her foot in anger, “You dare disobey me?”

Sheng Tingyuan clenched his fists and faced them, “Let’s see who dares to come forward!”

The children looked at each other and started backing away. Then, not knowing who took the lead in running out, the rest followed in flight.

Seeing them all running, the leader snorted coldly and ran away too.

In the pavilion, only he and the little girl remained.

The little girl had forgotten to cry and looked at him with astonishment, “Thank you, brother, you’re so amazing!”