The oppressive summer heat suddenly gave way to a chilling cold within the room, a stark contrast to the burning tension that now filled the air. Song Nianyue had long known Jiang Ci’s words were sharp, yet hearing them directed at her, she still struggled to accept their bite. “Azi, don’t joke,” she pleaded, her voice barely a whisper.
Unnoticed, the chives, a fluffy, kicked-away creature, toddled closer to Jiang Ci, its chubby little body rubbing against his trousers. Jiang Ci’s eyes lowered, a sneer twisting his lips. “Do you think I have time to joke with you?” he retorted, kicking the “ugly thing” away once more.
The mocking expression on Jiang Ci’s face twisted Song Nianyue’s features. Gritting her teeth, a flicker of aggrieved defiance in her eyes, she declared, “Okay, I swear, I swear I have never done anything to hurt Miss Su.” Jiang Ci merely raised his eyes lazily, surveying Song Nianyue’s strained face without so much as a flicker of his fingers to acknowledge her oath.
Gee. Her ability to lie truly paled in comparison to that “little thing,” Su Yue. Su Yue had skillfully deceived him into taking medicine, hid it, feigned injury to her fingers, and even deliberately shattered a cup, all while tenderly crying out in pain.
“Aci, I’m done swearing,” Song Nianyue announced, the elegant smile usually gracing her face now absent. After all, who would be happy being forced into an oath?
Jiang Ci’s dark eyes remained fixed on her, his voice a glacial stream. “In the last international competition, you spread news to the media that your opponent’s boyfriend owed gambling debts, causing her to play abnormally. This time, the top contender was disqualified for theft, and you put the missing necklace in that contestant’s pocket.”
With each accusation from Jiang Ci, Song Nianyue’s face grew progressively paler. “Aci, did you misunderstand me? How could I do such a thing? Li Li’s boyfriend’s debts were his own admissions to the outside world. As for Fang Xiaoqing’s theft, that was due to her own greed. How could it have anything to do with me?” she explained, her voice steady despite her trembling resolve. She seemed oblivious to the fact that Jiang Ci could see right through her.
Jiang Ci, his patience worn thin for her nonsense, declared, “I will have people release this news. Since you slandered Su Yue once, then you should also taste the bitterness of being slandered.”
“What?” Song Nianyue was momentarily stunned, her face a mask of disbelief. “I swore just now, and you still don’t believe me?”
Jiang Ci merely snorted coldly. Not only was her oath a pretense, but even if it were genuine, what did it matter? He was merely bored and wished to witness her ugly, inconsistent facade. If oaths held true power, there would be no evil in this world.
Jiang Ci’s lack of a verbal response spoke volumes. Song Nianyue knew he neither believed nor would listen to her explanations. She bit her lip, silently lamenting that her best friend had shaped the male lead’s character so strangely—devoid of sympathy, cold, eccentric, and utterly arbitrary. It seemed no matter what she said, Jiang Ci was determined to defend Su Yue.
“Aci, I was wrong, please don’t treat me like this,” Song Nianyue apologized in a low voice. “I admit what I did regarding Miss Su. The hot search was a photo of you and Miss Su, and many netizens were scolding you, saying you weren’t worthy of Su Yue, constantly stepping on you to elevate her. I couldn’t control my anger in that moment, my eyes were clouded, so I had people send out Su Yue’s old photos.”
“I just… I just wanted to prove to them that you are not unworthy of Su Yue,” Song Nianyue insisted, feigning sincerity.
Jiang Ci merely gave her a cold stare. Song Nianyue inadvertently met his gaze, and her heart trembled. For a fleeting moment, she had the unsettling illusion that Jiang Ci’s eyes had regained their sight. She bit her lip, her voice dropping to a near whisper, “I know what I did was wrong, and I also know that Su Yue is innocent. I just like you, and I couldn’t bear to see you being wronged.” She confessed her feelings to Jiang Ci, a blush of feigned shyness dusting her cheeks.
Jiang Ci did not look at her. Instead, he bent down and picked up the chives that had once again approached him. He looked at the stupid, fat dog in his hand, a sneer playing on his lips. “Shameless, ugly thing, don’t you know I despise you? You have no discernment, get away.” As he spoke, he tossed the yapping chives away. The fat dog landed on the sofa, its wrinkled head buried in the pillow, its short legs flailing.
Song Nianyue’s face turned ashen. Though Jiang Ci was scolding the dog, his words felt as though they were directed at her. Panic began to set in, a creeping realization that no matter her explanations or pleas, Jiang Ci remained unmoved. This time, Song Nianyue truly panicked. “Aci, I was wrong, I’m sorry. This time I was confused, I will never do such a thing again.”
Jiang Ci, impatient and unwilling to speak further with her, simply said, “You can go.” He turned, intending to find Su Yue next door, remembering she had gone to Jiang Haoyan’s room early that morning, claiming she would teach him to write.
“Jiang Ci, wait a minute!” Seeing him about to leave, Song Nianyue quickly stopped him. “I’m truly sincere, don’t be angry with me, don’t punish me like this. I just like you too much. You know that when I was a child, to save you, my feet still hurt when I dance, but I don’t regret it at all.”
Song Nianyue was out of options. Jiang Ci was utterly different from other men, as stubborn as a rock. If an ordinary man saw her in such a state, how could he utter such cruel words? She was accustomed to men digging their hearts out for her as long as she put on an aggrieved expression. Her only remaining leverage was her life-saving grace towards Jiang Ci. Though the original body had saved him, her transmigration now meant she was Jiang Ci’s benefactor. Because she had rescued Jiang Ci, as a collateral branch of the Song family, she was looked upon favorably, granted free access within the Song family, and even her parents treated her with high regard, fulfilling her every request. This was also why, previously, no other woman had been able to get close to Jiang Ci and remain by his side.
Jiang Ci, his back still to her, scoffed coldly. “You’ve gotten enough for so many years. Don’t think that just because you saved my life, you can do whatever you want.” He had indulged her past greed, but now that she had hurt Su Yue, he would not tolerate it. Jiang Ci had never been one to be bound by such constraints. Even if one had saved his life, if they angered him, he would still eliminate them.
Song Nianyue watched his retreating back in astonishment. In the past, every time she invoked her rescue of Jiang Ci, asked for his help, or acted in his name, he had turned a blind eye. Now, Jiang Ci declared it was “enough”? Was it because of Su Yue? Because she had hurt Su Yue, Jiang Ci no longer cared about her kindness?
As Jiang Ci stepped past the door, he caught a glimpse of a fluttering pink skirt disappearing into the room next door. He hooked his lips and strode purposefully towards it.
Stepping into Jiang Haoyan’s room, Jiang Ci saw the little boy sitting upright, his chubby hand clutching a pen, struggling to scrawl something in a notebook. Beside him, Su Yue leaned down, whispering to Jiang Haoyan. She had a slender waist, her legs together, swayed to one side, her gorgeous pink skirt rustling beside the chair.
Jiang Ci walked over. Little Haohao looked up, his big eyes immediately lighting up. “Dad!” The large eyes sparkled like stars. “Haohao writes!”
Jiang Ci lowered his gaze to the crooked word “Jiang” on the notebook. He twitched the corners of his mouth. Before he could utter the words, Su Yue had already glared at him. He swallowed the impending “so ugly” and finally managed to spit out, “Not bad.” This was the first time Little Haohao had been praised by his father. His big eyes grew even brighter, and he nodded vigorously. “Haohao can write well!” He held the pen, drawing one stroke at a time, continuing to write with intense seriousness.
Jiang Ci’s dark eyes drifted to Su Yue. Catching his gaze, Su Yue gently patted Little Haohao’s head, then stood up and walked out with Jiang Ci. As they reached the door, Jiang Ci’s large hand held Su Yue’s slender wrist. Unsure if Song Nianyue had left, Jiang Ci led Su Yue into the small utility room next to them.
Opening the door, Jiang Ci mercilessly kicked the chives’ nest, then turned and gently pressed Su Yue against the wall. The utility room was tiny; Jiang Ci, tall and broad, seemed to occupy half the space just by standing there.
“What do you want to know, just ask me directly,” Jiang Ci murmured, his slightly calloused fingers lightly rubbing Su Yue’s wrist, savoring her tenderness and smoothness.
Su Yue knew he had caught her eavesdropping, and her face flushed with heat. However, she neither quibbled nor tried to conceal it. Instead, she curved her eyes at him, her black almond eyes seeming to shimmer with water. “I’ve heard it, I know it.” Hearing his indifference towards Song Nianyue and his sharp tongue, she had to admit that while she usually wanted to silence him, when his venomous words were directed at someone she disliked, she found his language quite pleasing.
She withdrew her hand, cupped Jiang Ci’s face, and placed her soft palm on the scar on his cheek. “Are you really going to deal with Song Nianyue?”
“Do you want to let her go?” Jiang Ci raised his eyebrows, inhaling the faint scent of her fingertips.
“Of course not.” Su Yue believed she wasn’t a particularly kind person. If others bullied her, she would certainly retaliate. For a long time, she had sensed that Song Nianyue held a special place for Jiang Ci, and she had worried that once Jiang Ci found Song Nianyue, he wouldn’t pursue the matter further. So, she had been planning to find her own way to handle it.
“Since she used the internet to attack you, then we’ll use the same method to retaliate and fight back,” Jiang Ci said, letting her soft palm rub against the scar on his face. He looked down at her. “Later, I’ll have people handle it.”
Su Yue nodded. She liked tit for tat. “So, what happened when she said she saved you?” she asked. Was this the reason Song Nianyue was different to Jiang Ci?
“When I was a child, I was mischievous and fell into the pond. Everyone said she rescued me,” Jiang Ci’s tone was indifferent. In truth, it wasn’t strictly Song Nianyue who rescued Jiang Ci. At that time, Song Nianyue was also young. When she jumped in to save Jiang Ci, she was hit by a flowerpot in the pond, breaking bones in her knee. Finally, a passing Song family servant found and rescued both Song Nianyue and Jiang Ci from the water. But Song Nianyue’s foot was indeed injured in the attempt to save Jiang Ci. Moreover, she had a talent for dancing since childhood, and her feet were crucial to her. The Song family, acknowledging this act of kindness, allowed Song Nianyue to regard herself as Jiang Ci’s savior, enjoying all the benefits the Song family bestowed upon her.
Su Yue hadn’t known that Song Nianyue had rescued Jiang Ci.
“However, over the years, she’s gotten enough to pay for her so-called kindness for saving me,” Jiang Ci dismissed, his dark eyes fixed intently on Su Yue, settling on her soft lips. He lazily asked, “Is there anything else you want to know?”
Su Yue shook her head. “No more.”
“Oh.” Jiang Ci lowered his head, about to bite her lip, when the chubby thing rubbed his feet again. He lowered his eyes and kicked the chives away once more. “Su Yue, when are you going to throw this ugly thing away?”