“I’m smart,” Jiang Ci said with a lazy twitch of his lips.
“It’s not!” Su Yue glared at him, genuinely exasperated. “You couldn’t possibly know the medicine was still in my hands.”
“What do you think?” Jiang Ci leaned back into the sofa, his slender fingers idly picking at Su Yue’s long hair, twirling it, releasing it, and twirling it again, as if endlessly amused.
Su Yue, still tasting the lingering bitterness of the medicine, turned and placed her hands on either side of Jiang Ci’s face, meeting his gaze directly. A shiver ran through her. His dark eyes seemed veiled in a black mist, revealing no hint of expression.
“Jiang Ci, your eyes…” Su Yue began, wanting to ask if his sight had returned. But the thought seemed impossible; how could his eyes suddenly heal?
Jiang Ci’s lips curved. He stared into her eyes, seeing them brimming with tears—tears from the bitter medicine just moments before. “What’s wrong with my eyes?”
The feeling in Su Yue’s heart intensified. She waved her hand before his eyes, then deliberately picked up the water glass beside her and let it drop to the floor. The transparent glass shattered instantly.
“Ah!” Su Yue exclaimed, thrusting her hand out to him. “Jiang Ci, my hand is hurt! It hurts!”
Jiang Ci raised an eyebrow, watching her slender, pale hand dangle in front of him, clearly treating him like a fool.
“Jiang Ci, my hand is bleeding a lot,” Su Yue insisted, her gaze fixed on his eyes.
He gave her a cold look, then swiftly caught her dangling hand, brought it to his lips, and gently bit her pink, round finger.
“Hey!” Su Yue winced in pain. This man had developed a penchant for biting her. When did he pick up such a terrible habit?
“Little liar,” Jiang Ci murmured, rubbing her hand, his tone laced with disdain for her acting skills.
“Jiang Ci, your eyes… your eyes can see, right?” Otherwise, how could he have known she was lying? Su Yue pulled her hand back, ignoring the throbbing tip of her finger. She stared at his eyes, her brows lifting in disbelief and dawning joy. “Can you see?”
“If my eyes are good, are you happy?” Jiang Ci’s dark eyes searched hers.
Her voice was filled with incredulity. “Of course I’m happy! Did you really see it?” Su Yue was stunned. Her fingertips trembled as she reached out to stroke his eyes. Looking closely, she saw her own reflection mirrored in their depth.
“Oh, you said you saw it, then you saw it,” Jiang Ci replied casually, his fingers still toying with her hair.
“When did you start seeing? Why did you suddenly get better? You didn’t tell me!” Su Yue’s hand still shook slightly as she waved it before his eyes, confirming his sight.
“Want to know?” Jiang Ci released her hair, pulling her into his arms. “Kiss me and I’ll tell you.”
Su Yue was momentarily speechless. So his eyes truly were healed? Could he really see?
“Jiang Ci, can you see me?” Su Yue still couldn’t quite believe it.
Jiang Ci’s lips curved. “Yes.” Su Yue’s pale face was alight with surprise, her dark eyes wide. He flicked her forehead. “Hello! Su Yue to earth?”
Su Yue touched her forehead. “It hurts.” Trapped in his arms, she murmured, “Jiang Ci, your eyes are healed, but you didn’t tell me! What if I hadn’t noticed today? You would have kept it a secret?” She remembered telling Jin Mingyuan that Jiang Ci couldn’t see, that he wouldn’t know about the online commotion. Now, she suspected he might have even removed the hot search himself.
Jiang Ci squinted his eyes. He suddenly recalled Lu Chenli’s warning: women are very particular. He lifted the corners of his lips lazily. “I didn’t hide it. You didn’t ask.” He added, “And I thought, with your IQ, you would find out soon.”
Su Yue: “…” So, it was her fault for not having a high enough IQ to realize?
“Jiang Ci, you are very arrogant!”
She thought of all the times she had stared at him, changed clothes in front of him, slept without underwear… He had been watching it all! Had he secretly laughed at her for being stupid and oblivious? The joy she felt for his recovery was suddenly eclipsed by a surge of anger and annoyance. She pushed him away. “Did you see me staring at you?”
“I see,” Jiang Ci affirmed, looking at her small, snow-white face. He sighed. So beautiful, he just wanted to pinch it. He was not one to deny himself. His fingertips pinched her soft cheeks, scratching lightly, feeling their delicate smoothness.
Su Yue batted his hand away. “Don’t pinch me! I change clothes every day—you saw it?”
“Well.” Jiang Ci gazed at her. “I saw everything.”
Su Yue gasped. No wonder she’d always felt a strange sensation, as if hot eyes were on her back when she changed clothes. She’d dismissed it as imagination, but it had been Jiang Ci’s eyes all along. Her face burned with humiliation. He had seen it all!
“Su Yue, what do you care about?” Jiang Ci’s lips curved, a hint of playfulness in his dark eyes. “Even if my eyes are good, I won’t dislike your bad figure!”
“Is this what I’m angry about?” Su Yue glared at him. “Besides, what’s wrong with my figure?” She wasn’t conceited, but her ample bosom, exquisite curves, slender waist, and perfect long, straight legs were undeniably good.
“I don’t know, you turned your back to me every time and I didn’t see it clearly,” Jiang Ci replied with utter honesty.
“Jiang Ci! Stop talking!” Su Yue pressed her lips together. The image of her foolishly changing clothes in front of him made her blush fiercely. She got up and left, annoyed.
She fled to Jiang Haoyan’s room, opening his door to find the little boy hunched over a small table, clutching a black pen and scribbling awkwardly on a piece of paper.
“Is Xiao Haohao painting?” The embarrassment in Su Yue’s eyes faded, her snow-white face returning to its normal color. She felt that Jiang Ci would drive her crazy sooner or later.
Xiao Haohao turned his head, saw Su Yue, and shyly covered his drawing. “Haohao is writing.”
Su Yue walked closer. His chubby hand was too small to completely hide the paper. She saw only black squiggles, no recognizable words. She didn’t laugh, but asked softly, “Haohao is so good, so eager to learn. Soon, Xiao Haohao will be able to go to kindergarten.”
Xiao Haohao’s eyes lit up. “Haohao is going to school and learn a lot of words!”
“Yes, and there will be many children playing with Hao Hao,” Su Yue said, stroking his little head. “Does Hao Hao want to learn to write his own name? Can I teach you?”
“Is it okay?” Xiao Haohao’s big eyes shone even brighter, his little mouth already stretching into a wide grin. “Haohao wants to learn!”
“Okay.” Su Yue picked him up, settled him on her lap in the chair, then took his plump little hand, correcting his pen-holding posture. “Today, let’s learn how to write the ‘Jiang’ character first. If we learn one character every day, Hao Hao will be able to write his own name soon.”
“Haohao wants to learn, Haohao wants to learn!” Xiao Haohao held the pen obediently, eager to learn with Su Yue.
When Jiang Ci arrived, he saw Su Yue holding Jiang Haoyan, both of them bent over the table, talking and laughing. Coriander and Chives lay on their backs nearby, fast asleep. The tender, milky sounds of the child and the soft, sweet laughter of the woman filled the room, creating a tranquil scene. Jiang Ci leaned against the door, his arms casually crossed over his chest, watching for a while before quietly leaving.
Two weeks later, it was Su’s mother, Fang Ru’s, birthday. Su Jindong, ever devoted to his wife, wished to host a grand celebration. However, Fang Ru preferred simplicity, requesting only a gathering of close relatives, friends, old acquaintances, and a few trusted business partners for an intimate meal.
It was still early. Su Yue changed into a violet knee-length dress. The smoky purple fabric, gently draped and lightly rolled with gold threads, was elegant and ethereal, making her bright eyes even more striking. She looked like a slightly tipsy, delicate fairy.
She knew she couldn’t go back to her parents’ house alone, nor could she let Jiang Ci show up with his usual impassive expression. Su Yue approached Jiang Ci, who was lounging on the sofa, and knelt at his feet. “Jiang Ci,” she called softly.
He merely glanced at her, offering no sound.
“You’re going to change your clothes. It’s not good for us to be late,” Su Yue prompted.
“I don’t want to change,” Jiang Ci mumbled, closing his eyes stubbornly.
For the past two weeks, Su Yue had maintained a frosty distance from Jiang Ci due to her anger. Even in bed, she deliberately slept far away to avoid his embrace. She knew he was annoyed; his anger value had climbed from 5 to over 20. While she had been genuinely furious at first, her anger had long since dissipated. After all, Jiang Ci’s eyesight recovering was a truly good thing.
“I matched your clothes. I’ll get them for you; you should change quickly.” Su Yue stood to retrieve the clothes, but Jiang Ci caught her hand. “What’s the matter?”
He opened his eyes and looked up at her. “Don’t want to change!”
Su Yue sighed. She turned, her smoky purple skirt swaying like a blooming water lily, mesmerizingly beautiful. She took the initiative to sit on Jiang Ci’s lap, her arms encircling his neck. Her smooth cheek pressed against his firm jaw. “Jiang Ci, let’s reconcile,” she whispered softly.
A long-lost warmth enveloped him, a fragrant softness. Jiang Ci’s large hand clasped her slender waist, pulling her even tighter.
“Jiang Ci?” Su Yue called again when he didn’t respond. She raised her head and pressed her soft lips against his. “I’m not angry anymore.” Her long eyelashes fluttered as she lowered her gaze. “However, I hope you can trust me more in the future, or perhaps we should communicate more.” They shared a bed; since they were together, they should be honest. “If you don’t say , and don’t ask, it’s easy to cause misunderstanding.” Su Yue’s dark, bright eyes met his. She still wasn’t used to it, especially when Jiang Ci looked at her directly; her heart always seemed to beat a little faster.
“Then I want to kiss you now,” Jiang Ci said, looking at her snow-white face. “Will you give me a kiss?”
“Idid’nt mean to ask me this!” Su Yue’s face flushed, the blush spreading rapidly.
“What you said just now,” Jiang Ci raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips, “if you don’t say one, and don’t ask about it, it’s easy to cause misunderstanding. Look, it’s less than ten seconds before and after, you regret it.”
Su Yue: “…” Who could possibly deal with this monster?
She reached out and covered Jiang Ci’s eyes, then raised her chin, and kissed him proactively, biting his lips in her frustration.
Anger value: 0.
When they left for the Su family residence, Jiang Ci had already changed into a sharp suit: a slim black shirt paired with perfectly tailored trousers. Xiao Haohao, sitting beside him, wore a small white shirt and light brown plaid pants, looking adorable and handsome. Su Yue sat in the middle, her snow-white face flushed, her lips bright red as if painted with a beautiful glaze. She pursed her lips, turned to Jiang Ci, and confessed, “You can’t make my parents angry later. If they say something you don’t like to hear, I… I’ll come back and compensate you.” She knew his sharp tongue, so she had to warn him in advance.
Jiang Ci lazily lifted his eyelids, his dark eyes falling on Su Yue’s red lips. Upon closer inspection, he could see a faint tooth mark. He chuckled softly. “Okay, come back and you will compensate. I’ll be fine.”
Su Yue was momentarily stunned, wondering what compensation he was referring to, but Jiang Ci had already closed his eyes again.
The Su family mansion was already buzzing with activity. Many guests were present, including Fang Ru’s relatives who had rushed to present gifts for her birthday. There were also old acquaintances and classmates. In the past, when Fang Ru held lavish birthday feasts, they were not privileged enough to attend. Now, with a more private celebration, many seized the opportunity to offer gifts, build connections, and rekindle old ties.
“Fang Ru, I haven’t seen you for so many years; you are getting more and more beautiful,” a chorus of praises echoed in the living room as guests gathered around Fang Ru.
“Yes, we are all old, Fang Ru, you are still so young.”
“By the way, Fang Ru, where is your daughter? Today is your birthday. Your daughter and son-in-law will also come to celebrate your birthday.” They had heard that Fang Ru’s daughter had married into a wealthy family and was living a good life. They envied how the “ugliest” girl in their class had married the best man—handsome, rich, and devoted—and how her daughter had followed suit, marrying into wealth.
“They should be on their way,” Fang Ru replied with a smile. She wore a designer dress from Su Jindong, and despite her slightly darker skin, her current aura exuded the undeniable elegance of a wealthy lady, eliciting envy from the surrounding guests.
“Fang Ru, when did your daughter get married? Didn’t she have a wedding party?” a woman suddenly asked. It was a significant event for the Su family’s daughter to marry, yet there had been no news of a wedding.
“Hehe, Lin Lian, even if the wedding party is held, you have no status to be present,” another quickly interjected. “What is the status of the Su family, are you qualified to attend?”
The smile on Fang Ru’s face faltered. When her daughter married, they had only registered the marriage, without a wedding reception or public announcement. It was a lingering regret in her heart, a feeling that her daughter had been wronged.