Su Yue had always taken pride in her beauty. Ever since she was young, her appearance had been her crown, her confidence, her shield. But now, scarred by the man before her—this man who loathed even his own reflection—she couldn’t help but feel a ripple of unhappiness stir within her heart.
They were so close, the air between them charged and intimate. Instinctively, Su Yue wanted to pull away. But before she could move, her body betrayed her, leaning in just as Jiang Ci wrapped his arms tightly around her once more.
She blinked up at him, her voice soft and gentle, “Jiang Ci, I’m not ugly.” Her lips pursed in a determined pout. “Even if I was a little ugly before… now I’m pretty.”
Thanks to her golden finger and weight loss, her features had become stunningly radiant—so striking it could make someone’s heart skip at first glance.
Jiang Ci’s eyelids lifted slowly, revealing those deep, bottomless black eyes. His gaze was unreadable, dark as a midnight sea. The corners of his lips curled with faint mockery as he said lazily, “You’re lying again, Su Yue. Don’t bully a blind man.”
Though he’d never seen her with his own eyes, he’d heard plenty of whispers, seen the way others spoke about her. He knew what they said—Su Yue’s looks had always been a popular topic.
Su Yue glared at him, puffing up with frustration. Did he not have even a little awareness of being blind? The way he spoke was as though he could see right through her.
Jiang Ci closed his eyes again, a sneer tugging at his lips. “You’re lucky you married a blind man.” His arm tightened around her slender waist, fingers brushing against the silky-soft fabric of her pajamas. The touch sent a strange joy flitting across his expression. “Don’t be sad. No matter how ugly you are, I can’t see it.”
Su Yue was so enraged that her cheeks puffed up like an angry little squirrel. She seriously contemplated grabbing the pillow beside her and smothering his arrogant face with it. What kind of man insulted his own wife like this? Where on earth did he get the confidence to think she was the ugly one?
Her fingers, slender and cool, grasped Jiang Ci’s large hand from where it rested casually on her waist. Before he could react, she tugged his hand toward her face.
“This,” she said, guiding his fingers gently to her eyes, “These are my eyes. You can’t see them—but you can feel them.” Her voice was soft, but full of pride. “They’re very beautiful, Jiang Ci. Big and bright, with a shine like water.”
Jiang Ci’s eyes snapped open.
His fingertips brushed against her lashes, which quivered under his touch—soft and delicate. It made his fingers itch with a feeling he couldn’t name.
His lips pressed into a line.
Su Yue moved his hand down slowly, guiding it to the bridge of her nose. “My nose isn’t flat, it’s small and elegant. See?”
His touch landed on the tip of her nose. It was cold, like a slice of mango taken from a fridge—cool and fresh. His fingers reflexively pinched it lightly. Yes, small.
Next, Su Yue led his hand down to her lips, tracing the curve of her mouth with his fingertips. “And my lips are small too. Even without lipstick, the natural color is soft and beautiful.”
His fingers touched warmth. Unlike his own cold hands, her lips were warm and tender, like flower petals under the morning sun. He applied a little more pressure and—his breath caught. A strange urge stirred in his chest, something raw and unfamiliar.
“Jiang Ci, did you feel that?” Su Yue’s eyes sparkled with hope. “My features are very delicate, aren’t they?” She took his hand once more, gently placing it against her cheek. His palm pressed into her smooth, snow-white skin. “Even my face is small and soft.”
Jiang Ci wanted to mock her—to call her shameless and self-absorbed. He’d never met anyone who could praise themselves this thoroughly. But under his palm, her skin felt like soft cotton, like a piece of warm, polished jade—so smooth, so warm, so irresistibly gentle.
He didn’t pull his hand away.
“I wasn’t lying, Jiang Ci,” Su Yue said earnestly. Her black eyes gazed up at him, shining with sincerity. “Even if you can’t see me, you can feel it—I’m not ugly. So please… stop thinking I am.”
Jiang Ci’s fingers squeezed gently at her cheek. Her skin felt like tender snow—warm, moist, so good to the touch it made his chest feel tight.
And then—he remembered his own face. The mangled left side, twisted with scars. The moment of ease in his brow disappeared like smoke in wind. His expression turned cold again.
“Boring,” he muttered hoarsely, pulling his lips into a half-hearted sneer. “Go to sleep.”
Su Yue blinked, stunned. Why did he suddenly change again? Just a moment ago, he was responding… didn’t he realize now that he’d misunderstood her? She pouted, voice low and aggrieved, “Jiang Ci, did you realize you were wrong and now you feel sorry?”
Jiang Ci clenched his jaw, tempted to snap back—but the sweet, soft fragrance of milk filled his nose, calming the storm in his chest. In the end, he only grunted and growled, “So talkative.”
He closed his eyes again and pulled her closer, arms wrapping around her once more.
Su Yue had thought she’d stay up all night, eyes wide open, stiff in his arms. After all, his chest was firm and solid—not at all like a fluffy pillow. But in the end, sleep won. She drifted off in his embrace.
—
The next morning, Su Yue’s one-month leave was officially over. It was time to return to campus.
Inside the room, she slipped into a light yellow square-neck dress. Since she’d changed in front of Jiang Ci more than once, she didn’t pay him any mind.
“Jiang Ci,” she said while adjusting her hem, “I’m going back to school today. If I get the chance, I’ll come back for lunch. If I’m stuck in class, I’ll just eat there.”
Jiang Ci sat in his usual spot—dressed in a fitted black shirt and slacks, his long legs crossed, one casually resting on the other. His injured hand, now healed, rested lazily on the armrest of his chair.
“Don’t tell me. I don’t care,” he replied flatly, his tone indifferent.
Su Yue didn’t take it to heart. She’d gotten used to his cold temperament. Lowering her head, she tugged gently at the snug skirt. The soft yellow fabric hugged her curves in all the right places. With her porcelain skin, the color looked especially vibrant—although truthfully, she could make anything look good. Her skin was just that fair and luminous.
It wasn’t vanity. It was fact.
With her schoolbag in hand, books neatly packed inside, she turned to say goodbye. “Jiang Ci, I’m leaving now. See you later.”
Once the door shut, silence filled the room again. And Jiang Ci, motionless in his chair, sat quietly in the heavy stillness.
—
On the stairs, Su Yue bumped into Jiang Haoyan, who was struggling to carry a now noticeably plump coriander.
“Xiao Haohao, good morning!” she greeted with a smile.
“Morning,” the little boy puffed out, clutching the coriander with both chubby hands. He looked up at her, blinking. “Are you going home again?”
His tiny eyebrows pinched together in a frown, his voice tinged with worry. “Can you come back soon? If you don’t, Daddy and I will have to go pick you up.”
Su Yue couldn’t help laughing. Did he still think she was disappearing like last time?
”
Su Yue couldn’t help but chuckle. This little guy—did he think she was disappearing on them again, like last time?
She reached out to gently ruffle his soft hair. “No, I’m not going home. I’m going to school.”
“School?” Little Haohao’s eyes lit up with sudden interest. He knew what that meant—carrying a backpack, playing with a bunch of other kids… he wanted to go too.
“That’s right. When you’re a bit older, you’ll get to go to kindergarten.”
The moment he heard that, Haohao’s eyes sparkled like stars, his lips curving upward into a wide, eager smile. “Haohao can go to school too?”
“Of course,” Su Yue replied, amused by his enthusiasm. “Once you grow a little more, you’ll be able to go.”
“Then I’ll eat well and grow up quickly so I can go to school,” he declared with determination, looking up at her expectantly.
Su Yue nodded seriously. “Good. And eating carrots will help you grow taller faster.”
At once, Little Haohao’s expression twisted into a dramatic struggle. He hated carrots—but he really wanted to go to school. What a dilemma.
—
The original Su Yue had enrolled at B University thanks to her influential father, who had directly donated two academic buildings to secure his daughter’s place. Now, walking through the familiar campus gates, Su Yue spotted two figures standing beside the stone monument.
She had been receiving messages from the original owner’s two close friends over the past few days, and they had arranged to meet at the school entrance today.
“Why hasn’t Yueyue arrived yet? There’s only fifteen minutes until class starts.” Jin Mingyuan checked the time again, though she didn’t seem particularly anxious about class. It was Su Yue she was worried about—what if something had happened on the way?
“She should be here soon,” said the girl beside her, her voice gentle and soft. Xu Xue had delicate, fair features, giving her the vibe of a quiet, next-door beauty.
B University was known for its picturesque campus and stunning students. There was no shortage of class belles, department belles, and even the occasional forum-voted campus goddess. Xu Xue was already one of the prettiest faces around.
But as Jin Mingyuan glanced toward the road, her eyes suddenly widened in shock.
A woman was walking toward them, every step as graceful as a breeze. Her fair skin seemed to glow under the morning light, her figure slim and elegant. A simple knee-length skirt revealed long, perfectly shaped legs, straight and slender like they were sculpted.
The more Jin Mingyuan looked, the more familiar that beautiful face seemed.
And in the next moment, the woman reached them and smiled. “Mingyuan, Xu Xue, have you been waiting long? Sorry, there was a traffic jam—I’m a bit late.”
That voice—sweet and clear.
“Su… Su Yue?” Jin Mingyuan stuttered, her tongue practically tied in a knot.
“What? Am I so beautiful now that you don’t recognize me?” Su Yue teased with a grin.
“Su Yue? You…” Xu Xue murmured, stunned by the transformation.
“It’s me,” Su Yue confirmed with a smile. She looked at the two girls the original Su Yue had once called best friends. Surprisingly, she felt no resistance or hostility. On the contrary, the warmth came easily. “I guess I’ve lost too much weight. You can’t recognize me anymore?”
Jin Mingyuan gawked. “Did you… get liposuction? Plastic surgery? You’re too beautiful!”
Su Yue playfully winked. “Guess. Anyway, let’s go—class is about to start.”
She wasn’t about to explain the miraculous change. Losing weight so quickly without much visible effort would only invite speculation, and if they assumed she’d had work done, so be it.
“Oh my god, is this real? You’ve changed too much.” Jin Mingyuan couldn’t help herself—she reached out and pinched Su Yue’s delicate, snow-white cheek. Then, like a curious child, she gently squeezed the small, perfectly shaped nose. “It’s all real… You really went all out to lose weight.”
“Never underestimate a woman’s determination to become beautiful,” Su Yue laughed. It was true. She had seen countless women transform themselves, sometimes even changing their identities to become beautiful. Compared to that, she was lucky—at least she had Jiang Ci’s golden finger.
Well, not entirely lucky. When that man got angry, she did suffer too.
“Ahhh! Su Yue, stop smiling like that! Stop winking! My poor little heart can’t handle your beauty,” Jin Mingyuan squealed dramatically, pretending to shield her eyes.
Su Yue chuckled. “Laughing at you is the most fun.”
She turned her head to see Xu Xue still staring at her in stunned silence. Su Yue smiled warmly. “What’s wrong?”
“Yueyue, you’ve become… too beautiful,” Xu Xue said sincerely. “You’re dazzling.”
—
The moment they stepped into the classroom, the bell rang.
Su Yue winced slightly. The sharp ringtone reminded her of Jiang Ci’s unpredictable temper. She had no idea what that stingy man was up to right now.
From the moment she entered, a quiet ripple of excitement spread through the classroom. But when the professor arrived, the students quickly suppressed their curiosity, pretending to focus.
Still, those who were brave—or just too curious—couldn’t resist sneaking glances at the stunning new version of Su Yue seated in the back row.
“Yueyue, everyone’s peeking at you,” Jin Mingyuan whispered, her voice loud enough to make nearby classmates flush in embarrassment and quickly avert their eyes.
“Shh! Be quiet,” Su Yue gently tugged her sleeve. “Even the professor is looking this way.”
Unbothered, Jin Mingyuan laid her cheek on the desk and tilted her head to gaze at Su Yue from below. “Even looking up from this angle, even if all I see are your nostrils, you’re still devastatingly pretty.”
She sighed dramatically. “If I’d known you’d look like this after losing weight, I would’ve tied you up and forced you on a diet years ago.”
But then her expression shifted slightly, and she muttered, “Too bad… Even now, no matter how gorgeous you are, a certain blind man still won’t see it.”
Thinking of that man from Su Yue’s family, her brows furrowed. “Yueyue, when are you going to divorce Jiang Ci?”
“Divorce?” Su Yue blinked in surprise.