A sharp headache throbbed at Su Yue’s temples—just as the bell in her mind rang out again.
The corners of her lips twitched uncontrollably.
“Get off.” Jiang Ci’s face remained blank, his voice cold and unyielding.
But instead of being afraid, Su Yue beamed with delight.
She wrapped her arms around his waist and struggled to hold back a smile. “Alright, alright. I’m getting up now. Don’t stay mad at night, okay?” she coaxed sweetly as she released him.
“Your clothes are all wet. I’ll find something dry for you.” She set the cup down and quickly rummaged through the wardrobe, pulling out a fresh set of black pajamas. Then, she hurried into the bathroom and came back with a dry towel.
The bell in her head was still echoing. Jiang Ci clearly hadn’t calmed down yet.
“Your hair’s soaked. Let me dry it for you,” she said softly as she walked over and gently draped the towel over his head, her hands carefully dabbing at his damp hair. “Jiang Ci, I didn’t mean to. Don’t be mad, alright?”
His long fingers were busy buttoning his shirt—slender and elegant, his joints pronounced, pale and beautiful. That refined beauty contrasted sharply with his fierce, scarred face. He lifted the corner of his lips and muttered coolly, “I’m not angry.”
Liar.
Su Yue cursed silently behind him.
She grabbed the hair dryer, plugged it in, and started blow-drying his hair. Her fingers gliding gently through his soft strands, back and forth, as the warm air whooshed quietly. When his hair was nearly dry, she ran to the water dispenser and poured him a fresh glass of warm water.
Her service attitude wasn’t exactly the best, but she did it anyway.
“It’s warm—not hot,” she murmured, handing him the glass. Her voice lowered further, coaxing like a guilty child, “Jiang Ci, for the sake of my hard work, don’t be mad, okay?”
Making someone angry was easy.
But coaxing them back was a whole different story.
Jiang Ci leaned back and propped himself up on the bed with his hands. His sharp brows arched slightly, a cold gleam flashing in his pitch-black eyes—deep, bottomless, and unsettling.
“You splashed water on me,” he said, voice light but biting. “You hurt me. So isn’t it only right that you should be making it up to me now?”
He took a sip of the water, his pale lips wet with droplets. Even with the scar and the hemostatic sticker on his cheek, there was a haunting beauty to his features.
Su Yue turned her gaze away, lashes trembling.
She whispered, “I’m sorry… I really didn’t mean to make you angry. I’ll make you a mango cake tomorrow, alright?”
Jiang Ci didn’t respond. Instead, he lay back on the bed and closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep.
“Anger level: 0.”
Su Yue looked over and saw him lying flat, arms straight at his sides, hands close to the seams of his pants like a soldier.
What a pro at being coaxed!
Eyes brightening, Su Yue rushed to pull out the scale. She stepped on it—and the number blinked back: still 140 pounds. That was fine. She remembered from before that the weight always changed the next day. She would weigh herself again in the morning.
Heading into the bathroom, Su Yue did her full skincare routine before crawling back into bed. She deliberately scooted as far away from Jiang Ci as possible. Still uneasy, she rolled the bed sheet into a long barrier and placed it between them, marking a clear boundary.
She had no intention of angering him again tomorrow.
—
The next morning, Su Yue woke up early. She glanced down and saw that half her body had crossed over the sheet barrier in her sleep. She shot upright in alarm—but thankfully, Jiang Ci was blind and hadn’t noticed a thing.
Barefoot, she darted off the bed and looked for the scale.
135 pounds!
Another five pounds lost!
Heavens, she had guessed right again. After Jiang Ci got angry and she managed to coax him back, she’d lose five pounds each time! She glanced at her arms—they looked noticeably slimmer, and her skin tone was a shade fairer.
The corners of Su Yue’s lips lifted high with pride. Her eyes sparkled with joy.
She absolutely adored this magical golden finger! Even if she had to suffer a little to coax him, as long as the reward was beauty—she could do it!
Standing before the mirror, she turned her face from side to side. Her cheeks were still a little round, but her jawline had definitely sharpened. Her eyes looked larger too—no longer squeezed into little slits—and they gleamed dark and clear. Her complexion had brightened as well—not pale, not dark, but with a light, healthy glow.
She was still wearing the oversized clothes left by the original owner, which made her appear even thinner overall.
In a great mood, Su Yue washed up and carefully applied her skincare. Having worked in the entertainment industry, she knew better than anyone the power of a beautiful face. In the past, she’d been beautiful and needed constant upkeep. Now that she was regaining her beauty, she had even more reason to take care of herself.
At breakfast, Su Yue decided not to provoke Jiang Ci again. After all, she had already lost five pounds today. If she slimmed down too fast, it might raise suspicion. Her plan was to let him get angry only every now and then—just enough to keep losing weight steadily and subtly.
“Jiang Ci, I got up early and made this mango cake for you,” she said in her gentlest voice, practically dripping honey. “I tweaked the ingredients so it’s not too sweet. Try it.”
Jiang Ci assumed this was an apology for last night, raised a brow, and accepted the cake without a second thought.
“I want some too,” Jiang Haoyan chimed in, his voice soft and sweet.
After yesterday’s swing bonding session, his fear and dislike of Su Yue had diminished a lot. Now, he blinked his big eyes and stared at her expectantly.
“This one’s for you.” Su Yue handed him the specially prepared piece for children. It was small but beautifully presented. Thick mango jam coated the top, with two tiny red strawberries nestled on it—it looked absolutely adorable.
Jiang Haoyan’s eyes lit up. His chubby hands immediately pushed the cake closer, and he began munching on it with satisfaction.
A few days earlier, Su Yue had ordered all the flowers in the backyard removed and replaced with bamboo. The workers were efficient, and in just three days, a small artificial bamboo forest had emerged. It was early summer now—not too hot—and relaxing in the bamboo shade, listening to the rustling leaves, was just perfect.
After breakfast, Su Yue stopped Jiang Ci from retreating into his dark study.
“Jiang Ci,” she said with a smile, “I had all the flowers pulled out in the backyard. You should go out and walk around. Don’t stay locked indoors all the time.”
Jiang Ci paused mid-step, visibly surprised. “You pulled out all the flowers?”
Su Yue nodded proudly. She had done all this for him—wasn’t he touched?
But the very next second, Jiang Ci’s lips curled into a malicious smirk. “Did you know those flowers were planted by Song Xiaoqing? If she finds out you pulled them all out, won’t she be furious?”
He knew Su Yue had been trying to please Song Xiaoqing. Now, she had practically shot herself in the foot. She was in for it.
Su Yue froze.
She had no idea.
But the look on Jiang Ci’s face—like he was watching a good show—was downright infuriating.
She scowled, cheeks puffing slightly. “I didn’t know! So what? Are you happy now that I’ll be scolded?”
Jiang Ci chuckled. “Pretty much.”
“Well, it’s too late now. The flowers are gone, and nothing can be done.” Su Yue reached out—not to take his hand, but to grab his arm and yank him along. “Since I’m already getting scolded, I might as well make sure it wasn’t for nothing.”
Jiang Ci was tall and strong, but he stumbled slightly from her sudden tug. He snapped, annoyed, “Let go.”
“You’re not actually afraid of scaring people with your face, are you?” Su Yue teased, dragging him down the stairs without a care for his reaction. “So you hide in the house all day?”
“Hmph. Don’t try to provoke me with reverse psychology. It won’t work—it just makes you look dumb.” Jiang Ci’s tone was icy.
Su Yue let go in frustration. She shouldn’t have bothered!
Sensing her anger, Jiang Ci unexpectedly smiled. “But… I think I do want to go out for a walk.”
With that, he gripped the handrail and slowly walked down the steps.
Su Yue bit her lip. Why did she care about someone this irritating?
Outside, in front of the Xiaoyanglou, little Jiang Haoyan was pushing Coriander on the swing. When he saw Jiang Ci come out, his big eyes widened in surprise.
“Dad!” he cried, running over and tugging on his clothes. “Dad?”
“Mm.”
“Xiao Haohao, I’m taking your dad out for some fresh air,” Su Yue said cheerfully, grabbing Jiang Ci’s sleeve and dragging him toward the bamboo gazebo.
Two reclining bamboo chairs stood beneath it, complete with pure-colored pillows. A round bamboo table sat nearby. The craftsmanship was exquisite and refined.
Su Yue helped Jiang Ci lie down on one of the chairs and adjusted the pillow under his head. “Wait here,” she said, then dashed back into the house.
Moments later, she returned with a tray: a teapot, a plate of fruit, and a book.
She settled into the other chair and pulled little Jiang Haoyan into her lap. “Come on, let’s read to your dad, okay?”
At first, Jiang Haoyan resisted her hug, wiggling in her arms. But at the mention of studying, he froze, his ears turning pink. Aside from his earliest baby days, no one had ever really hugged him—not even his father.
Su Yue looked down at his pouting mouth and furrowed little brows. His reluctant but obedient expression was adorable.
She picked up a slice of chilled watermelon and tucked it into his chubby little hands. “Here, eat this while you listen.”
His big eyes sparkled. The moment he bit into the fruit, he settled comfortably in her arms.
Su Yue opened the book from Jiang Ci’s study and glanced at the man beside her. Sunlight filtered through the bamboo leaves, casting shadows on his face, highlighting every sharp feature and the scar even more vividly.
Yet to her, he didn’t look ugly at all.
She had met many glamorous people in her industry—people who sparkled on the outside but hid rot beneath their perfect skin.
“Jiang Ci, I didn’t expect you to read this kind of book,” Su Yue remarked with a chuckle after glancing at the title.
“I didn’t. The books here aren’t mine,” Jiang Ci replied lazily, eyes still closed, his face pale under the morning light.
Of course—he had moved into the Xiaoyanglou after going blind.
Su Yue casually flipped to a page and began reading aloud.
Her voice was soft and melodious, especially in the quiet of the bamboo forest. With the breeze rustling the leaves, it sounded like she was whispering just to Jiang Ci.
Jiang Haoyan couldn’t quite understand the words, but he listened anyway, munching on his watermelon, cheeks puffed and eyes squinting in delight.
And just then, Jiang Muhang stepped onto the path through the bamboo forest. He had heard rumors about Su Yue pulling out all the prized flowers in the back garden to plant bamboo—he’d thought she was absurd. But just as he reached the Xiaoyanglou, her soft, clear voice drifted out from the gazebo.
He paused.
There, he saw his eldest brother reclining on the bamboo chair, a rare smile playing at the corners of his lips. Beside him, Su Yue held a child in her arms, calmly reading a book aloud…
Jiang Muhang… was stunned.