Reborn as the Villain's Wife, I Shine in 80s-Chapter 531 - 515 Heartbreaking Bad News

It was a gloomy day. Before the storm rolled in, the air was suffocatingly still and lifeless.

The meal hour hadn’t arrived yet, and Zhao Chun was absent.

On the table lay tea and snacks. Tian Sangsang picked up a piece of osmanthus cake, nibbling at it bit by bit. As she ate, she thought, a habitual practice. Her mind slowly churned, though she couldn’t quite discern the taste of the cake—chewing merely mechanically, over and over.

With Kunling gone, there was barely anyone left to tend the shop. Previously, she’d manage it for a while herself, but now, as her pregnancy advanced, standing for long stretches left her back aching. There were plenty of customers; once she stood, she rarely had a chance to sit back down.

Sometimes Zhao Chun would help out whenever he had free time, though he wasn’t often idle.

So she needed to hire someone.

Though it was merely the afternoon, the living room felt eerily dim, as if night had already fallen. The weather had been this way recently—no rain in a long while. But it seemed that a heavy downpour was drawing near.

Tian Sangsang thought to herself.

"Knock knock... Bang bang bang..."

A faint knocking reached Tian Sangsang’s ears. It was an odd sort of knock.

Neither enthusiastic nor overly light.

A flicker of joy stirred in Tian Sangsang’s heart, prompting her to rise from the sofa at once.

Cradling her belly, she strode toward the door, nearly moved to tears.

Standing in the courtyard house, she cast her gaze upward toward the sky confined by the narrow quadrangle. Thick clouds swirled yet seemed to edge apart, as if dispersing in both directions. She couldn’t tell if it was an illusion or reality—only that the sun was about to emerge.

She fixed her eyes on the tightly sealed main gate outside the courtyard. An indescribable elation swelled within her chest.

Zhao Chun had a key and would never knock. Her son couldn’t possibly return at this hour. Could it be... Kunling? But Kunling wouldn’t knock—she’d just leap over the wall. So who could it be? Jiang Jinghuai!

Yes, it’s him—it must be him!

Peering toward the door without seeing beyond it, her heart had already rushed out ahead.

She bit her lip firmly and lowered her gaze. Her dress was neat, but she still couldn’t resist tidying it. She picked up her pace without much success; after all, her body was heavy and cumbersome now.

From here to the gate, she passed the jujube tree, the ginkgo tree, and the vegetable patch. This path, she had walked back and forth countless times, yet never once did it feel as long or as short as today—or evoke such a whirlwind of emotions.

She slid the bolt open and deliberately asked, "Who’s there?"

Joy mingled with a trace of hesitation. Those three words hovering on the tip of her tongue remained unsaid—countless anticipation intertwined with a glimmer of surrender to fate. That uncontrollable fate to which she chose to leave a sliver.

The lightness in her voice revealed her selfish hope.

As the door swung open, her expression froze for a moment before regaining a smile: "Auntie."

She glanced behind her and gasped in surprise: "Second Brother."

Auntie and Jiang Jingshan had come together. Jiang Jinghuai was second in the family hierarchy. True to his name, he was a tall, robust man, unassuming and sincere, with a pair of sharp, clear black eyes.

This was Tian Sangsang’s usual impression of him, but today was different—Second Brother’s gaze was heavy, profoundly heavy.

"What’s so special about today?" she chuckled, warmly extending her invitation. "Please come in."

Auntie and Jiang Jingshan exchanged a glance, hesitating briefly before silently following her inside.

After a few steps, Tian Sangsang stopped abruptly and turned her head: "Second Brother!"

It’s Second Brother, the one who went on missions with Jiang Jinghuai, the one who journeyed to the border alongside him.

His return—what could it mean?!

She couldn’t wait even another step. No longer wanting to walk on, her face lit up with joy: "Second Brother, you’re back."

"Jinghuai must have returned too, right?"

"Why didn’t he send word at all? I’ve been worried sick waiting at home..."

"At last, he’s come back."

"But why didn’t he come back with you?"

Pregnant though she was, her round face didn’t diminish her beauty. Her complexion was radiant, her cheeks a rosy hue, and the way she laughed curved her eyes delightfully like crescent moons. Her joy shone as warmly as before, dispelling the oppressive clouds overhead.

Jiang Jingshan swore he’d never seen such a gentle, alluring pregnant woman. Yet the more so, the harder he found it to confront her—the tougher it became to voice the words he had to say.

Auntie turned away, discreetly wiping away tears.

"Ah, of course," Tian Sangsang said, patting her forehead lightly. "He must’ve gone to see my in-laws." Her heart soured slightly. Parents come first, then one’s wife and child—otherwise, why hadn’t he come to her first?

"Sangsang, you’re too excited," Auntie couldn’t help speaking up. "Hold on a moment; let us explain—"

The joy in Tian Sangsang’s face abruptly faded, a nod and shake of her head in tandem.

They clearly had something to tell her—why were they looking at her with such expressions?

"Auntie, you don’t need to say anything; I already know he’s returned. There’s nothing more to say," she said.

"Thank you for coming all this way just to deliver this news."

She muttered to herself, "It looks like the skies are about to open up. Come inside and sit for a while. If it rains, it doesn’t matter—I have umbrellas here. You can take a couple on your way back so you won’t get drenched."

Her voice was soft and gentle.

Her demeanor was oddly peculiar, her anticipation blended visibly with unease—as if she’d already glimpsed fragments of the truth.

Auntie was reluctant to speak, unwilling to play the role of bearer of bad news.

Once spoken, how would the person before her react?

Yet prolonging the pain wouldn’t help—better to make a clean break, to cut the tangle sharply. If they concealed it now, once her belly grew larger and larger, hiding it would become increasingly impossible. As her due date neared, it would turn truly perilous. Beijing was only so big. Once the winds began to stir, could anything really stay hidden?

"Sister-in-law," Jiang Jingshan finally spoke, his voice carrying weight. It commanded attention.

"I came today to let you know..."

"Don’t say it—come inside first," Tian Sangsang cut in, perhaps already noticing their unusual behavior but forcing herself to ignore it.

Auntie couldn’t restrain her tears any longer, turning aside and covering her mouth to stifle her sobs. She’d learned the truth only this morning, and from then until now, she hadn’t been able to stop crying. That was her nephew, the boy she’d watched grow up—a promising young man, gone just like that?

"Sister-in-law, I’m sorry." Jiang Jingshan stood firm, his posture rigid, his solemn gaze fixed unwaveringly on her face. He pronounced each word slowly, his tone ceremonial. "I’m sorry. I didn’t protect Jinghuai..."

Those words were heavy, delivered painfully slowly—as if each syllable tore at him. By the end, his voice was hoarse.

The moment he uttered his apology, Tian Sangsang still tried to rebut—but as the final phrase emerged, even a fool could hear the meaning embedded within. Her mind blanked bit by bit, her blood turned colder and colder, a fear of death creeping through her being.

Sensitive as she was.

Her lips trembled, barely forming the words: "Is he hurt? Which hospital is he at? Let me go see him." Not protecting him—a way of saying he was injured, right? That’s what it must mean?