The clerk beside them was momentarily stunned before quickly regaining his composure. “The fitting room is this way, please follow me,” he said politely.
But Jiang Ci stood motionless.
Without waiting for further prompting, Su Yue reached out and took hold of Jiang Ci’s arm, gently pulling him along with her. “I’ll wait for you right outside. Just call me when you’re done changing,” she said as she ushered him into the fitting room and closed the door behind him.
Inside, the man’s low and irritable voice rang out, “So troublesome!”
It was only then that the clerk finally realized—this man… was blind? Yet with his poised demeanor and refined clothing, he certainly didn’t look like an ordinary person.
Outside, Su Yue sat leisurely on the sofa with little Jiang Haoyan, quietly waiting for Jiang Ci to emerge.
“Xiao Haohao,” Su Yue turned to the little boy, reaching over to pinch his soft, tender cheek, “when your dad comes out, no matter what he looks like, you must praise him, understand?”
In the past, Jiang Haoyan would’ve scowled and swatted her hand away in protest. But this time, although his small brows furrowed in deep thought, he didn’t resist. His large round eyes blinked at Su Yue, filled with confusion, before he replied in his soft, milky voice, “Haohao’s dad must be the most handsome of all.”
Well, well!
Su Yue couldn’t help but smile. She had long since discovered that Xiao Haohao was an unabashed little daddy-worshipper.
“Then what about me?” she teased, raising her brows playfully. “Do I look pretty?”
At her words, the little guy’s brows pinched together again, his face tangled in conflict. After a moment’s hesitation, he pouted and replied in all seriousness, “No. Haohao is a good boy. Good boys don’t lie.”
Su Yue: “…”
She was struck speechless, a little hurt even. Once upon a time, children used to call her a little fairy.
Now, she weighed 125 pounds. If Jiang Ci kept making her angry today, she’d lose five pounds just from stress and be down to 120 by tomorrow.
At her height, 120 pounds wasn’t exactly thin—plump, even. And compared to Xiao Haohao’s fair and delicate complexion, her own skin looked dull and sallow. But tomorrow, she vowed, her skin would be a little fairer, and she’d definitely look better.
She sighed, torn between excitement and despair. This weight loss journey of hers was moving way too fast!
Just then, the door to the fitting room clicked open.
A pair of long legs in sleek black trousers stepped out first. Su Yue looked up—and her breath caught.
Jiang Ci’s figure was astonishingly good, like a natural clothes hanger. The outfit looked even better on him than it had on the mannequin.
It was the first time she’d seen him in a crisp white shirt. His facial features, already striking, were made even more elegant by the contrast. The side of his face untouched by scars was sharply handsome—like sculpted jade—carrying the youthful purity and clean-cut charm of a schoolboy dressed in white.
Su Yue walked over, her eyes still fixed on him.
Jiang Ci still wore his hat, his chin slightly tilted upward. The top two buttons of his shirt were left undone, revealing his prominent Adam’s apple—unintentionally exuding a kind of careless allure. After a moment of silence, during which Su Yue didn’t speak, Jiang Ci frowned and reached up to button his shirt. His tone was laced with disdain, “I knew your taste was questionable.”
Snapping back to her senses, Su Yue quickly stepped forward and grabbed his arm. “Don’t! Don’t button it—it looks really good.” Her voice was soft and teasing as she praised him, “Who said I have bad taste? You’re obviously dressed perfectly. So handsome.”
Just then, little Haohao waddled over with the milk tea Su Yue had bought for him clutched in his chubby hands. He tilted his little head up, his voice sweet and childish, “Daddy is handsome! So handsome!”
Then, without waiting for a reply, he lowered his head and took a big slurp from his cup.
Mmm… so tasty!
Haohao was very satisfied.
Su Yue noticed that Jiang Ci’s cold expression softened slightly. Smiling, she reached out to smooth the wrinkles he had made in the shirt. “I know you usually have all your clothes custom-tailored, so this one might not fit perfectly. If you don’t like it, it’s fine.”
She had seen how Haohao had been secretly preparing a birthday gift for his father. As his nominal wife, it didn’t feel right not to contribute something of her own. Now that she’d put in the effort to choose this for him, whether or not he accepted it was no longer her concern.
“I have a good base,” Jiang Ci said flatly. “I look good in anything.”
After a pause, he added, “Since you want to give it to me, fine.”
Su Yue’s lips curved in a bright smile. She was long used to Jiang Ci’s mercurial temper. “As long as you like it.” Then she turned to the clerk and told him to pack the outfit.
After receiving the bag, she held it carefully. “Alright, let’s go. Jiang Ci, wear this on your birthday, okay? Since it’s my gift to you.”
Jiang Ci walked ahead slowly, letting out a disdainful snort, “So noisy!”
Still, he didn’t outright refuse.
Watching him walk ahead alone, Su Yue quickly pulled little Haohao to catch up. “Jiang Ci! Wait up—don’t go wandering off…”
He really didn’t act like a blind man at all.
“So troublesome,” Jiang Ci muttered as he stopped at the doorway, turning slightly toward Su Yue’s voice.
Su Yue frowned and complained under her breath, “Well, I can’t help it if your legs are so long. Don’t walk so fast! What if you bump into someone?”
Just as she finished speaking, her eyes widened in horror.
In the blink of an eye, she let go of Haohao’s hand and rushed toward Jiang Ci, shoving him aside just in time—
Bang!
Su Yue let out a low cry of pain as a trash cart collided with her. She fell backward and landed hard on the ground, the garbage it carried spilling onto her legs.
“Brat! I turned around for one second and you’re causing trouble again!” a haughty voice scolded.
A middle-aged woman dressed in luxury strode over, clapped the boy pushing the garbage cart sharply, and reprimanded him. Then, turning toward Su Yue, who was still on the ground, she smiled perfunctorily. “I’m sorry, my child’s young and doesn’t know any better. I’ve already scolded him. You’re not hurt, are you?”
Su Yue pushed aside the overturned garbage and used her hands to get back on her feet. She immediately turned to check on Jiang Ci. Seeing he was unharmed, her expression relaxed.
But when she turned back to the woman, her face hardened. “Your child looks like he’s already in his teens—not exactly ‘young.’ Since he caused an accident, shouldn’t he apologize properly?”
She had no intention of indulging a brat who thought pushing garbage carts around a mall was funny.
The woman raised a well-manicured hand to tuck her hair behind her ear and scoffed. “Why are you like this? I did apologize, didn’t I? He was just playing around. You’re not even hurt. There’s no need to be so worked up over a child.”
“Who says I’m not hurt?” Su Yue lifted her arm, revealing a long, red scratch that was beginning to bleed. “See this? That garbage cart did this.”
If the woman had just apologized sincerely, Su Yue might’ve let it slide. But her flippant attitude only made Su Yue more furious.
The woman’s smile faltered as she huffed, her expression turning sour. “Unlucky me. Fine, how much do you want for medical expenses?”
Holding a cup of milk tea in his small hands, Xiao Haohao walked over with his little mouth turned down, worry brimming in his large, round eyes. “Blood… you’re bleeding,” he whispered with unease.
Su Yue reached out and gently patted his soft hair, then turned her gaze toward the teenage boy nearby. The boy was glaring back at her with a smug, defiant look. Her voice sharpened like a blade, “I don’t want your medical expenses. I’ll hit your son with the cart once, and we’ll call it even.”
The boy immediately shrank back but still glared fiercely at Su Yue, unwilling to back down.
Beside him, the elegantly dressed woman could no longer hold back her anger. “How could you be so vicious?” she snapped. “He’s just a teenager, and yet you’re this petty? You actually want to hit a child with a cart?”
Before Su Yue could respond, a man in a sharp, well-pressed suit strode over, his face full of impatience. “What are you standing around for? I told you I need to buy a gift. We finally got an invitation to the Jiang family’s birthday banquet, don’t go and mess this up for me.”
The woman’s expression brightened at the sight of him. “Honey, you’re just in time. This woman is trying to blackmail me.”
The middle-aged man frowned and looked over at Su Yue. “What happened?”
The woman quickly summarized the situation, deliberately adding dramatic flair to make herself sound like the victim. When she finished, she gave Su Yue a contemptuous glance, her posture full of arrogance now that her husband had arrived. With him here, she thought, let’s see how this woman dares to act out.
The man clicked his tongue in irritation. “Miss, my wife already apologized. Let’s not drag this out. If you’re thinking of asking for compensation, I’d advise against it—you might regret it.”
Su Yue’s face darkened instantly.
And then a voice, cold as ice and sharp as a dagger, sounded behind her. “Are you an idiot? Why are you even wasting your breath on them?”
It was Jiang Ci.
He leaned against the wall indifferently, his tone lazy but filled with unmistakable menace. “If your hand is injured, then cripple their hand. Why bother talking so much?”
Su Yue turned to look at him. He was serious. She could tell. Though she had only wanted a simple apology, he was the type who wouldn’t hesitate to draw blood if someone dared touch what was his.
Seeing his expression darken further, Su Yue quickly coaxed, “Jiang Ci, don’t be angry. I’ll take care of it. If I can’t handle it… then I’ll ask you for help, okay?” Her voice was gentle, almost pleading. She really didn’t want him to get involved—not because she didn’t trust him, but because she feared what he might do.
Jiang Ci snorted coldly and looked away. “Who cares about you?”
Su Yue breathed a silent sigh of relief.
Across from them, the middle-aged man’s face drained of all color. A cold sweat began to bead on his forehead. He had been about to scold Jiang Ci for his arrogance when he heard Su Yue call him by name—”Jiang Ci.”
That name.
Could it be that Jiang Ci? The one from the Jiang family?
His eyes darted to the man beside Su Yue, taking in the burn scars on his face, the hat that obscured his eyes… He couldn’t be sure if he was blind, but the resemblance was uncanny.
Besides, who else but that Jiang Ci would so casually suggest crippling someone?
The man’s legs nearly gave out. He bowed slightly and apologized profusely, “It’s our fault. I didn’t discipline my wife and son properly. I’m very sorry. If there are medical expenses, please let us know—no matter how much it is, we’ll pay.”
The woman’s face twisted in disbelief. “Husband, she—”
“Shut up!” the man barked, his tone sharp. “I told you to teach our son some manners, and look at this mess. If you can’t even handle this, then maybe we should talk about divorce!”
Su Yue blinked, momentarily stunned. This 180-degree change in attitude was too abrupt. Her gaze shifted to Jiang Ci beside her—so that was it. They had recognized this man. They knew exactly who he was.
The man’s sudden fawning only made Su Yue feel repulsed. “If you want to discipline your wife, do it at home,” she said coldly.
“Yes, yes! I’m really sorry. I’ll make sure to teach them a lesson,” the man hurried to reassure her, still sneaking anxious glances at Jiang Ci.
Su Yue saw it clearly now—it wasn’t her they feared. It was the man beside her.
—
After leaving the mall, Su Yue returned to the car with Jiang Ci and little Haohao. Now that the rush of adrenaline had faded, the dull sting in her injured arm made itself known.
“It hurts,” Jiang Haoyan said softly, looking at her hand with watery eyes.
“Yeah?” Su Yue smiled at him playfully. “Then how about you help me blow on it? Maybe it won’t hurt anymore.”
The little one pouted, then seriously leaned over and blew on her arm, warm and gentle.
“Thank you, Haohao. I think it really stopped hurting,” Su Yue said, beaming.
The boy’s face flushed red with pride and shyness. “You’re welcome,” he mumbled, puffing his cheeks.
Meanwhile, Jiang Ci sat by the car window like a living iceberg. His brows were faintly furrowed, his whole body radiating cold indifference—a silent warning for others not to disturb him.
After a moment, he asked abruptly, “Why did you push me away?”
Su Yue looked up, taken aback, then understood what he meant. She smiled gently. “You were in danger. Isn’t it natural that I pushed you away?”
In truth, she had always been selfish, always putting her own life first. But in that moment, she hadn’t even thought—she simply acted.
Jiang Ci’s thin lips pressed into a line before relaxing ever so slightly. “You chose to help me. Don’t expect me to thank you for it.”
“Oh,” Su Yue replied lightly, “I didn’t expect any gratitude.”
All she wanted was for him not to be angry.
—
By the time they returned to Xiaoyanglou, the sun had begun to set, casting a warm glow through the bamboo forest. The evening breeze stirred gently, wrapping the scene in a peaceful calm.
Su Yue paused in surprise when she saw a man and a woman standing outside the door.
“Jiang Ci, if you had come back any later, we might’ve left,” said the man, his voice warm and amiable. “Your housekeeper told us you’d gone out. I was surprised.”
Jiang Ci walked calmly toward the house, no longer needing Su Yue’s arm for support. His steps were steady—he knew every inch of this place by heart.
“You’re early,” he replied, his tone as cold as ever.
“It’s because someone insisted on seeing you, so I brought her here,” said the man, Lu Chenli, adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses.
Next to him, the woman smiled with elegance. “Jiang Ci, it’s been a long time.”
Inside the house, Lu Chenli looked around with mild surprise. The room, once dim and lifeless, was now much brighter. A few stalks of bamboo in a vase added a sense of vitality. It finally felt… like someone actually lived here.
Lu Chenli moved toward Jiang Ci, ready to check his eyes, but Jiang Ci stopped him. “Check her hand first.”
Lu Chenli blinked. “What?”
Before Su Yue could say anything, Haohao piped up in his sweet baby voice, “Uncle Lu, look at her hand. It hurts.”
Lu Chenli was stunned. Jiang Ci had gone out with Su Yue—and now, he was asking for medical treatment for her?
It was hard to believe. He still remembered how the two had once been like oil and water, neither sparing the other even a glance. Every time he came to check on Jiang Ci, Su Yue was invisible, like air.
Su Yue, a bit embarrassed, extended her hand. “Sorry to trouble you.”
Lu Chenli adjusted his glasses. “Not at all.”
Meanwhile, Song Nianyue walked over, a delicate gift box in hand. Her smile was graceful, her demeanor refined—she looked like the embodiment of a man’s ideal: elegant, poised, and radiant like a goddess in white.
“Aci,” she said softly, “I brought a birthday gift for you. I wanted to celebrate with you, but I’ll be going abroad for a competition.” She placed the gift on the table, her tone gently coaxing. “It’s from the heart, don’t refuse, okay?”
Jiang Ci, hearing Lu Chenli say Su Yue’s hand was fine, finally spoke. “Whatever you want.”
Song Nianyue smiled, clearly satisfied. She knew Jiang Ci well—this was as close to approval as she’d ever get. But as her gaze lingered on the scar across his face, her expression faltered. No matter how many times she saw it, it still unsettled her.
Su Yue, watching quietly, looked away.
Now that her hand had been treated, it no longer hurt. She thanked Lu Chenli, who responded politely before turning back to Jiang Ci.
“Has it been the same recently?” he asked, referring to the pain Jiang Ci often experienced in his eyes.
“No.”
“Really?” Lu Chenli was surprised. After examining him, he found that Jiang Ci’s condition hadn’t changed much on the surface.
“It doesn’t hurt as much anymore,” Jiang Ci said flatly.
What he didn’t say was that each night, when he lay beside Su Yue and inhaled the faint milky scent on her skin, he could sleep peacefully. The sharp, stabbing pain that usually tormented his nights had faded.
She was unexpectedly… useful.
Lu Chenli frowned in thought. “I can’t detect any changes, but this might be the beginning of improvement. I’ll go back and study it. Until then, stick to the original treatment schedule.”
“Mm,” Jiang Ci responded, his voice faint.