Stepping out of the study, Su Yue’s small face was a delicate canvas of white and pink, her eyes glistening, brimming with unshed tears. Her lips, slightly swollen, throbbed with a faint tingling sensation. Now, a vibrant, glossy red, they were undeniably beautiful, yet Su Yue harbored a fierce desire to bite Jiang Ci to death. The man had been utterly shameless, pressing her against the desk until her back ached from the edge, all while coaxing her to call him “Aci.” He had taken his fill, yet remained stubbornly unyielding. So nasty.
“Did Dad agree?” Jiang Haoyan, seeing Su Yue emerge from the study, looked up, his wide eyes brimming with expectation. Even the chives, lying on the ground, lifted its wrinkled head, its gaze fixed on her. One person, one dog, united in their hopeful anticipation.
Su Yue lowered her eyes. “He didn’t agree.”
“Ah.” Little Haohao’s mouth formed a shocked O, then he pouted, utterly heartbroken. With the gravity of an old man, he declared, “Dad is not good, not obedient. This is not cute.”
Yes, Su Yue thought. Jiang Ci was not cute at all.
Soon, three days passed. The car was unusually quiet, as if the chives, sensing its impending departure, lay obediently on its stomach, not barking, not moving. Jiang Haoyan hugged it tightly, glancing from his father to the chives, his little mouth perpetually downturned. Su Yue kept her eyes lowered, lost in thought.
The car soon arrived at a rescue station for stray cats and dogs. Su Yue had researched the facility, finding it to be well-regarded and popular among dog lovers seeking adoptions. The car pulled to a stop at the gate, where the person in charge was already waiting.
“Woof, woof.” A cry of unease escaped the chives as it was lifted from the car.
“Good chives, good chives,” Little Haohao murmured, hugging it tightly, his chubby hand stroking its wrinkled head.
Su Yue merely glanced at the chives, silent. The person in charge had received a call yesterday, informing her that a dog would be brought to the rescue station, along with a donation of a sum so astonishingly large that she had been dazed for a long time. But what she couldn’t comprehend was why, if the other party wasn’t short on money, why they would abandon a dog.
The car door opened, and the person in charge saw a tall man, followed by a remarkably beautiful girl, and a little boy holding a small Shar Pei. The person in charge was momentarily stunned. Aside from the disfigured man, whom she dared not stare at, she simply marveled at how handsome this family was.
“Hello,” Su Yue took the initiative to step forward and greet the person in charge.
“Miss Su, hello.” Her voice, when she spoke on the phone, had surprised the person in charge with its pleasantness. Now, hearing it in person, coupled with Su Yue’s beauty, she felt a subtle pressure. After all, such distinguished guests were rare at this facility.
“Yes,” Su Yue replied. “This is the puppy I told you about on the phone. I found it before. It’s very healthy and has been vaccinated. Due to special circumstances, we can’t keep it at home. So I’d like your help to find a loving owner for it.”
Jiang Ci turned his head, casting a casual glance at her.
The person in charge looked at the puppy in the little boy’s arms. It was a white Shar Pei, tiny but chubby, with rolls of flesh—clearly well-fed. “Don’t worry, this puppy is very cute, and he will definitely find an owner who loves him.” Because of the generous donation, the person in charge said little else. Usually, she wouldn’t hesitate to voice her disapproval to pet owners who abandoned their animals. If you have a dog, you should take good care of it and cherish it, not discard it at will because you’re greedy for momentary novelty or dislike the trouble of raising a dog. If you’re not responsible, don’t do it, or you’ll commit sins.
“Regarding the money, I’ll call you later,” Su Yue said, her voice a little subdued.
The person in charge beamed. After all, the rescue station had a large number of pets that needed care, and funds were always insufficient. Receiving such a huge sum was nothing short of a lifeline. “Thank you, Miss Su, you are truly kind. Do you need me to show you the environment inside?” For the health of the pets, the facility was regularly cleaned and disinfected, making the environment fairly clean and largely odor-free.
“No need.”
The person in charge smiled and walked towards Jiang Haoyan, ready to take the dog.
Suddenly, the chives whimpered twice, whimpering, “Woof Woof…” Its two paws clung to Little Haohao’s arm, reluctant to leave, but it was too small, and the person in charge quickly carried it away.
As the chives were taken, Little Haohao pouted, unhappy and reluctant. He glanced at his father timidly, but dared not say anything.
“Woof Woof…” The chives cried, held tightly by the person in charge.
Su Yue didn’t look much, lowering her eyes as she got into the car. And Jiang Ci’s face was not good. From that morning until now, Su Yue hadn’t looked at him or spoken to him. Was this a show of displeasure for that ugly thing?
After the car door closed, the distant barks of the chives could still be heard. Jiang Ci, his face grim, said, “Drive.” The black car sped away, leaving the white chives held by the person in charge far behind.
The car was quiet. Little Haohao lay against the window, gazing out sullenly. Jiang Ci leaned lazily against the back of the car seat. “Su Yue, are you losing your temper with me?” he asked casually.
“No,” Su Yue’s voice was muffled.
Liar! Jiang Ci scoffed. Now she wouldn’t even look at him, and she claimed she wasn’t angry? The thought that she was angry with him over an ugly dog only solidified Jiang Ci’s conviction that discarding the dog was the right decision.
Jiang Ci turned her face towards him, only to see Su Yue’s head bowed, her long black hair cascading down, concealing her cheeks, revealing only a delicate, snow-white chin. “No tantrums, just look at me.”
Su Yue remained silent, a little unwilling to engage with him at that moment. Jiang Ci’s face hardened. “Su Yue.” His large hand reached out and pinched her delicate, small chin. “Is that ugly thing important, or am I important…?”
Lifting Su Yue’s chin, Jiang Ci’s eyes fell on her face, and he stopped. He saw her black eyes, brimming with tears, glistening with unshed emotion. His fingers trembled slightly as they held her chin. “Su Yue!” he called her name in a deep voice. His heart seemed to clench.
“You like that ugly thing so much?” His fingertips loosened, leaving her snow-white chin slightly reddened. Jiang Ci’s expression was grim, yet his fingertips gently tucked the hair from the side of her ear behind it.
Su Yue whispered, “I’ve been raising it for a while, and I can’t bear it.” She wondered if the owner who adopted the chives would treat it well. She looked at Jiang Ci and continued, “I like it, but you are more important.” This was her answer to his earlier question.
Staring at her dark eyes, brimming with tears, Jiang Ci’s eyes darkened. His jaw tightened, his face cold. “Turn the car back.”
Uncle Fang, the driver, was momentarily taken aback, then reacted. “Yes, Young Master.” From the conversation between the two, Uncle Fang vaguely understood the situation. The eldest young master had always disliked dogs; the entire Jiang family knew it. After all, when the eldest young master had returned, rumors circulated that he had been locked up with dogs for more than half a year, even fighting them for food. The eldest young master who was retrieved was not only disfigured, his eyes cold and penetrating, but he was also gloomy and melancholic, leading many to believe the rumors were true. Therefore, it was perfectly logical for the eldest young master to send the dog away. However, now the eldest young master was asking to turn the car back. What did it mean?
Su Yue, too, looked at Jiang Ci in surprise, observing his tightened jawline and pursed thin lips. Her thin, white fingertips wrapped around the hem of his clothes; his black shirt felt as cold as he was. She blinked and slowly asked, “Jiang Ci, are you allowing me not to throw away the chives?”
Jiang Ci merely snorted coldly.
“No need.” Su Yue’s eyes, still wet, curved into a gentle smile. She liked the chives, but she liked Jiang Ci more and cared more about his feelings. “You are more important!” she said firmly.
The driver, Uncle Fang, hesitated, unsure whether to turn around.
“Turn around!” His hand squeezed Su Yue’s snow-white cheeks. Jiang Ci sneered coldly, “Forget it, lest you go back later and shed tears!” He felt a pang in his chest; if she cried, wouldn’t that kill him?
Su Yue blushed at his words. The car turned back towards the rescue station. Su Yue glanced at Jiang Ci, asking uncertainly, “Do you really want me to pick the chives back up?”
Jiang Ci snorted coldly.
“Aci, you are so kind.” Su Yue placed her hand on Jiang Ci’s arm, leaned over, and kissed his face directly. Her eyes fell on his slightly pursed lips, the soft lips moving. Feeling his coldness on her thin lips, Su Yue licked it with the tip of her tongue, then quickly withdrew, taking Jiang Haoyan out of the car to retrieve the chives.
little liar ! When you have nothing to do with Jiang Ci, he’s “Jiang Ci,” but when you need something, he’s “Aci”!
Looking at the figure who quickly walked into the rescue station from the car window, Jiang Ci pursed his lips, still wet. Gradually, a faint smile softened his dark eyes.
When the person in charge saw Su Yue returning, she looked shocked. “Miss Su, you are…”
“I’ll take the dog back.” Su Yue’s red lips curved upwards, her delicate eyebrows alight with joy.
“This…” The person in charge looked at the dog that had just been placed in the pet cage, an embarrassed expression on her face.
“Don’t worry, I will still donate the money.” There were so many stray dogs here, all cared for by the person in charge. It was clear the rescue station was very short on funds.
“Miss Su, you are so kind. I thank you on behalf of the pets here,” the person in charge quickly expressed her gratitude.
When she picked up the chives, the little thing was visibly frightened. It barked aggrievedly at Jiang Haoyan and Su Yue, trembling slightly.
“Chives, we’re going home,” Little Haohao said, standing on tiptoe to reach out and touch the chives’ wrinkled head.
“Woof Woof…”
Back in the car, Jiang Ci cast a cold glance at the chives in Su Yue’s arms. “You are not allowed to hold it.”
Hearing this, Su Yue quickly handed the chives to Little Haohao. “Okay.” Su Yue sat in the car, moving closer to Jiang Ci, her dark eyes bright and full of joy.
“From today, you can’t hold this ugly thing,” Jiang Ci began to lay down the rules.
“Okay.”
“Can’t let it get into our room.”
“Okay.”
“Can’t let it come near me.”
“Okay.”
“You kiss me.”
“Okay…”
Since the news of her despicable tactics in the game broke, even with her explanations to Song Xiaoqing and the trust she had gained, Song Nianyue’s life had become difficult. Some people continued to unearth videos of her competitions online, not only commenting but also asserting that she didn’t deserve to win the championship. What did those ignorant netizens know? Did they understand what dancing was? If she wasn’t eligible for the award, then who was?
Song Nianyue was angry and helpless. Even though she hired a large number of internet trolls, netizens still relentlessly attacked her. However, the worse the situation became, the more she desired to capture Jiang Ci. His ability to easily punish her further demonstrated his immense power.
That night, perhaps due to the overwhelming pressure, Song Nianyue began to dream again. In her dream, she saw a very familiar little boy, and a black, chubby girl standing beside him. The two seemed to be arguing about something. The little boy frowned, clearly impatient. Just as he turned around, the black, chubby little girl pushed him into the pond with one hand and ran away.