Reborn as the Villain's Wife, I Shine in 80s

The next day, Tian Sangsang got up and made breakfast. Just as she brought it to the living room, she ran right into Jiang Jinghuai, who had just returned home.

He reeked of alcohol and carried a faint scent of an unfamiliar woman’s perfume.

Tian Sangsang put down the bowl and walked back into the kitchen.

Jiang Jinghuai called after her, "I came back last night, saw the lights were off, so I went to Tongzhou’s place to sleep."

Lying without batting an eye. Two grown men sleeping together, and somehow he ends up smelling like perfume? Haha!

Tian Sangsang turned back with a sneer tugging at her lips, "No need to explain, I don’t care where you sleep. We agreed, didn’t we? Not interfering in each other’s private lives."

Precisely, she didn’t care. Jiang Jinghuai let out a self-mocking laugh. Why was he even bothering to explain? He walked straight toward his bedroom.

Tian Sangsang glared furiously at his retreating figure. No doubt, it was Shui Lian again. She couldn’t think of anyone else. What was she even hoping for?

"Daddy, you smell terrible, like alcohol!" Meng Shuyan wrinkled his little nose, sniffing at his clothes like a curious puppy.

"Daddy will go take a shower." Jiang Jinghuai chuckled, reaching out to pat his son’s head. Only his son could bring him a moment of joy.

Meng Shuyan’s eyes lit up as though he had discovered a new world. He reached out his small hand and touched his father’s chin. "You’ve grown stubble."

"Then I’ll shave it off while I shower," Jiang Jinghuai said. "Go eat; your mom made breakfast, eat it while it’s hot."

"Daddy, be quick. We’re waiting to eat together," Meng Shuyan said seriously.

"Alright."

"Yanyan, if you’re hungry, you can start eating first. You don’t have to wait for your dad," Tian Sangsang said, handing him a little spoon. Breakfast consisted of thin porridge and several nutritious side dishes.

"I’m not hungry; I want to wait," he replied.

Deep inside, Tian Sangsang wanted to blurt out, Your dad has a woman outside. For all we know, she may have a baby brother for you next year.

At that thought, a haze clouded her eyes. She had never considered this possibility before, but now, it didn’t seem out of the realm of possibility. She would need to prepare for someone encroaching on her assets.

Since her son hadn’t started eating, and to maintain the facade of a loving family, Tian Sangsang certainly wouldn’t start eating first.

In the bathroom, the sound of running water echoed. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. "Sis!"

It was Fang Tongzhou’s voice. Tian Sangsang went to open it.

"Sis." Fang Tongzhou stood awkwardly at the entrance.

"Tongzhou, have you had breakfast yet? Come in and have a seat," Tian Sangsang offered warmly.

"No, no, Sis, I’ve got to get back to the team," he said, holding out a piece of clothing. "This is our Captain’s clothes. He slept at my place last night, and this morning he forgot to take them with him."

"Thank you. It’s just a piece of clothing; you didn’t have to go out of your way," Tian Sangsang said with a smile, taking the black coat from him. Sure enough, it was the one Jiang Jinghuai wore yesterday.

If Fang Tongzhou had specifically come over, perhaps Jiang Jinghuai really did stay in his dormitory last night.

But the clothes, aside from smelling like alcohol, carried a faint trace of perfume.

After all, she worked in skincare. Her sensitivity to scents had only heightened.

The atmosphere became subtly tense. Even Fang Tongzhou seemed to pick up on it.

"It was no trouble. Besides, our Captain and you seem to have a great relationship, Sis. If it were anyone else drinking and fooling around with another woman, who could resist? But our Captain cares about you so much that he deliberately stayed at my place to avoid disturbing you and Yanyan." Fang Tongzhou said thoughtfully.

Is that true? Tian Sangsang’s mind drifted.

She carried the clothing in her arm as she walked back. Just then, Jiang Jinghuai opened the bathroom door and stepped out. He had changed into clean clothes and was toweling off his hair.

Tian Sangsang approached him. "Your clothes," she said.

Jiang Jinghuai pursed his lips at her, continuing to dry his hair without stopping.

Tian Sangsang felt her anger flare up. Sarcastic yet deliberate, she said, "Wow, has liquor been replaced by counterfeit products these days? Someone would think the drink was perfume. Perfume instead of beer—what a luxury! Which shop sells it? I should go try a glass sometime."

The room was instantly filled with a pungent scent of bitter jealousy.

How could Jiang Jinghuai not pick up on her sarcasm? His gaze darkened. "If you have something to say, just say it. Don’t beat around the bush."

"Who’s beating around the bush? Here, it’s your clothes, wash them yourself." Tian Sangsang tossed the clothing toward him.

"You wash them," Jiang Jinghuai countered, slinging the towel around his shoulders. "Haven’t you always done these chores before?"

"Back where I’m from, every man is excellent at cooking, cleaning, doing laundry—you name it. They handle the household chores for their wives," Tian Sangsang shot him a look of disdain, her tone reproachful. "Never have I seen someone like you, who can’t step foot in the kitchen or manage basic housework."

"A wife?" Jiang Jinghuai suddenly yanked her into the bathroom, pressing her against the wall. He leaned down and smirked derisively. "Are you one?"

"I’m not!" Tian Sangsang turned her head away abruptly.

"The one who signed up to be a nanny, right?" Jiang Jinghuai murmured, lowering his gaze as he walked away from her. "The perfume scent is Shui Lian’s," he added flatly.

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Tian Sangsang let out a silent, cold laugh.

He continued, "I pushed her away."

The cold laugh vanished. Tian Sangsang responded with an "Oh," then muttered under her breath, "There’s no such thing as these so-called gentlemen—must be someone who’s sick in the head."

"Want to find out?" Jiang Jinghuai turned back, trapping her between the wall and his arms. "Didn’t you say no testing before?"

Tian Sangsang flushed in anger and tried to swat at him, but her hand froze as she caught sight of his sharp, imposing face. Just like that, her frustration dissipated, guilt crept in: "Back at Lushan..."

"Don’t bring up Lushan to me," he said in a weighted tone, hanging the towel to the side as he walked out of the bathroom.

Tian Sangsang stared at his departing back, a thought crossing her mind: he was genuinely angry. Yet she couldn’t pin down why. Wasn’t it just a kiss scene? In later years, weren’t screen actors still able to get married and have kids after filming kiss scenes? Did an on-screen kiss amount to political treason or something? Besides, the films from this era were rarely explicit; most of the explicit ones began in the 90s. Her "Lushan Love" was an exception—a special case. Why else would it be called the "First Kiss Post-Revolution"? And that kiss was only on the cheek! She’d kissed her son countless times the same way... In the end, it was a man’s overly fragile ego at play.

Though she couldn’t fully empathize with that male perspective, she admitted she hadn’t been cautious enough.

Tian Sangsang considered apologizing to Jiang Jinghuai and asking for forgiveness to smooth things over. But Jiang Jinghuai didn’t speak to her for the rest of the day, even going out at noon.

She was practically seething with anger!

The cold war between them officially began. The house felt frigid while the gossip outside heated up. The bored military wives all kept a watchful eye, eagerly awaiting signs of discord. After all, a woman crossing the line could mean dire repercussions—in the past, you’d be drowned in a pigsty; today, it might not go that far, but it would still be serious.

Yet, they never managed to witness a legendary argument.

Qin Lan was especially disappointed. Even her appetite seemed affected. "Captain Jiang really is remarkable. His wife’s out there being all ambiguous with other men, and he’s not even furious. I mean, wouldn’t most men in this situation beat the other guy to death? Why does it seem like nothing’s happening in Captain Jiang’s household?"

"Quit stirring trouble!" Squad Leader Luo snapped irritably. "It’s not even clear whether there’s anything going on! Don’t go accusing people without facts."

Qin Lan scoffed. Why accuse? The "hat" was already there—no need to place it.