The warmth from Jiang Ci’s lips still lingered faintly on hers.
Su Yue sat there, frozen in place.
A faint blush bloomed across her porcelain-white cheeks, and her fingers instinctively flew to cover her lips. Her bright black eyes widened in shock as she stared at the man in disbelief. “Jiang Ci! Are you insane?” Her voice trembled—part flustered, part furious. Did he even know what he had just done?
Jiang Ci didn’t even flinch. He leaned back leisurely on the bamboo recliner, his long legs casually crossed, his tone lazy and calm. “Su Yue, it’s not nice to curse.”
Su Yue’s fists clenched. She glared at him, seething. “You rogue! You suddenly kissed me, and I’m not even allowed to scold you?”
And not just a kiss—he’d even dared to… to stick out his tongue!
This man was completely shameless!
Jiang Ci let out a low chuckle, a trace of amusement glinting in his eyes. “Su Yue,” he drawled, “your mouth is really sweet.”
Then, as if remembering something, he tilted his head, lips lifting in a smirk. “But not as good as mango cake.”
For a moment, Su Yue forgot all about the kiss. She looked at him like he was a madman. Her rage surged again, stronger than before. Not only had he kissed her out of nowhere, but now he was comparing her taste to a dessert?
She nearly jumped up and smacked him.
Devil! Was he actually the devil?
She was still fuming, teetering between embarrassment and fury, when the soft sound of footsteps approached. Song Nianyue had brought Jiang Haoyan back, her gentle voice drifting in with the breeze.
She picked up a tissue from the table and gently wiped the sweat from Haohao’s forehead, her movements slow and tender. “Haohao, you’ve played long enough. Take a little break, alright?” she coaxed in a soothing tone, just like a loving mother.
She then handed him a small glass of juice, her smile serene.
It was a harmonious, tranquil scene.
“Miss Su, you’re back?” Song Nianyue looked up, her voice polite, yet carried the subtle, practiced tone of someone used to playing hostess.
Su Yue took a deep breath and tucked away her stormy emotions. Her smile was soft, lips curved in a perfect arc, but her tone was subtly edged. “Yes, I’m back. I didn’t expect Miss Song to be visiting again. I’m terribly sorry I wasn’t here earlier to welcome you. You’ve worked hard entertaining Haohao in my absence.”
Little Haohao looked up with a bright smile and declared cheerfully, “Haohao was swinging!”
“Is that so? Then shouldn’t we thank Miss Song properly?” Su Yue gently ruffled his damp hair, noting the sweat plastered to his little forehead.
Without hesitation, the well-mannered little boy turned to Song Nianyue and said in his sweet childish voice, “Thank you.”
“Such a good boy,” Song Nianyue replied with a soft smile. “It’s getting late now. I’ll come play with you again tomorrow, alright?”
“Are you going home?” Haohao blinked his big eyes curiously.
“No,” Song Nianyue said gently, “I’ve been living here at the Jiang residence these days. It’s very convenient to visit you.”
As she said this, she casually glanced at Jiang Ci but did not speak further. “I’ll be leaving now. Auntie should be home soon—I’ll go keep her company.”
It was only then that Su Yue realized—Song Nianyue had been staying at the Jiang residence this whole time. No wonder she’d turned up again today so brazenly. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she glanced at Jiang Ci. Could it be… was Song Nianyue truly interested in him?
After leaving Xiaoyanglou, Song Nianyue slowly unclenched her fist.
Her neatly manicured nails had left angry crescent marks in her palm, but she didn’t feel any pain.
Just now… she had seen it with her own eyes.
Jiang Ci had kissed Su Yue.
That moment had struck her like lightning, so much so that she almost lost her grip on Jiang Haoyan.
Jiang Ci—that Jiang Ci—had actually kissed Su Yue.
She forced herself to calm down. From the way Su Yue had reacted, clearly startled, it must’ve been their first kiss.
But… why?
Why would Jiang Ci kiss Su Yue?
She bit her lip, her heart seething with jealousy and disbelief.
She remembered clearly the day she realized she had transmigrated into a book.
This world was from a novel her best friend had written during a dull moment in life—a light and fluffy story, sweet and easy, something written for fun. Her friend had never gained much readership at first and would often chat with her about the plot, but Song Nianyue had never shown much interest. Novels weren’t her thing, and she would simply nod along half-heartedly.
Eventually, her best friend stopped bringing it up altogether. But once, with uncontained joy, she had told her the novel had started to gain popularity. Readers were upset, though, because she had written the cannon fodder male character into a tragic end, along with his young son. That choice had sparked backlash.
At the time, Song Nianyue was preparing for a dance competition and had dismissed it all with a few careless words of consolation.
Later, her best friend called again.
This time, she told her that she had decided to rewrite the story. She wanted to elevate the cannon fodder male character into the true male lead. She’d planned to give him a powerful golden finger and introduce a new heroine to match him.
Song Nianyue had advised caution, saying it wasn’t good to overturn the setting so drastically. But her best friend had snapped that she didn’t understand the current trends. The readers wanted it. The readers loved the male side character and demanded justice.
She had forgotten most of that call.
Until the moment her car was hit—and she woke up in this world.
She had become Song Nianyue, a minor character in the very book. What made her blood run cold was that this character wasn’t just a name—she was her. Her face, her voice, her name, her hobbies… Everything. It was like her best friend had taken her entire identity and inserted it into a fictional world—only to abuse her.
The main heroine was Jiang Xuan. And Song Nianyue? She was merely a disposable foil.
But now, knowing that Jiang Ci was meant to become the male lead after the rewrite, everything had changed. Her best friend had said she would choose a new heroine.
And in this world… who could be more suitable than the real person her best friend had based the character on?
She was the most fitting choice.
So she had made up her mind. Before Jiang Ci rose to power, she would get close to him—gain his trust, become someone irreplaceable.
The only thing she regretted was not asking her best friend more details—what exactly was Jiang Ci’s golden finger? When would it appear?
She could only hope it would be something like healing his face, restoring his eyes… Because as much as she wanted to be the heroine, she could never bring herself to love someone who was blind and disfigured. Her aesthetic simply couldn’t accept that.
As for Su Yue?
She was merely cannon fodder. A character destined to highlight Jiang Xuan’s brilliance.
In the original ending… she did not end well.
And Song Nianyue would never let herself fall to the same fate.So, all along, she had never truly cared about Su Yue. Or rather, Su Yue had never even registered in her eyes. Even now, after Su Yue had become so dazzlingly beautiful, she merely assumed it was some sort of pitiful compensation from a close friend—pity for such a sad, forgettable character.
But then, Jiang Ci kissed Su Yue.
That kiss struck like a warning bell, stirring a sense of crisis within her. Even if she knew deep down that Jiang Ci’s personality wasn’t one to fall for a girl like Su Yue… Even if she believed that kiss had stemmed from mere curiosity or a casual whim, like a child tampering with something labeled “private property”… she still couldn’t ignore it. She still minded.
The night was exceptionally quiet. In the corner of the villa, no one came or went from the small Western-style building. A soft, golden glow from the bedroom lamp cast a warm hue over everything.
Su Yue stepped out of the bathroom, her cheeks still flushed from the heat of the shower. She walked barefoot to the bed and gently lifted the quilt.
She was dressed in a delicate camisole nightdress, the silky fabric embroidered with tiny flowers and sprigs that danced with life. The hemline brushed her knees, revealing her slender, porcelain-white calves—smooth and soft, giving her the air of a young girl untouched by the world.
She had applied body lotion just moments ago. Her skin now glowed faintly under the light—milky white, smooth as satin, carrying a light floral fragrance that quietly diffused into the air. The moment she lay down, Jiang Ci—resting just beside her—caught a whiff of it.
He frowned. She was too far from him.
“Come closer,” Jiang Ci said lazily, his voice thick with sleep and command.
Su Yue buried her face in the pillows, pretending she hadn’t heard.
“Su Yue, I want a hug.” His tone was casual, as if asking for something that belonged to him by right.
She remained silent.
But Jiang Ci wasn’t one to give up so easily. He rolled over and closed the distance between them. His body, warm and firm, suddenly enveloped hers, catching her off guard. The moment his arms wrapped around her, Su Yue could no longer play dead.
“Jiang Ci, let go!” she snapped in annoyance, struggling against him. “Can you please stop hugging or kissing me so casually!”
Jiang Ci didn’t move. His expression darkened slightly.
Since this afternoon, Su Yue hadn’t spoken a word to him. Was she angry?
But… angry over what?
Over a kiss?
He narrowed his eyes. “Why?” he asked, his hand catching the one that had pushed against his chest. He squeezed it lightly. Her hand was unbelievably soft, like it had no bones—just a tiny, warm lump resting in his palm. No wonder her push had felt more like a tickle than resistance.
“You don’t like me touching you?” Jiang Ci raised an eyebrow, his voice low and husky in the dim night. His long fingers played with her palm, as if he had discovered a toy that intrigued him endlessly.
Su Yue was momentarily stunned. She always felt like she couldn’t keep up with Jiang Ci’s unpredictable thoughts. “No… it’s not that I don’t like you.”
“Oh?” He gave her hand a playful poke, his fingertip pressing into her soft palm like he wanted to leave a little dimple there. “Then give me one,” he muttered, half-joking and half-serious, “Since you didn’t give me a mango cake today… let me have your mouth again.”
Su Yue’s hand flinched at the ticklish sensation, but he held her tighter.
She looked up at him.
Under the warm lamplight, Jiang Ci’s features were softened. Even the once-harsh scars on his face seemed to have faded. Was he acting on impulse again? Or did he not think anything of it at all?
In the book, Jiang Ci was described as someone without emotions—a man with a cold and temperamental nature.
To him, she probably wasn’t even as important as his beloved mango cake.
Maybe even less so.
Su Yue lowered her eyes. “You can hug me… just don’t kiss me.” Her voice was quiet, a little wronged. Today’s kiss had truly made her angry. Even when she’d acted in films before, kisses were always faked with clever angles.
Jiang Ci didn’t argue. He let go of her hand but only to wrap his arm tighter around her waist, pulling her into the firm curve of his body again.
Su Yue’s voice turned even softer, like a feather brushing across the night. “Only people you like… can kiss you.”
“Like?”
That single word made Jiang Ci’s eyes narrow. He immediately thought of Jiang Muhang—the man Su Yue had always liked.
A faint, sinister glint crept into his expression. His lips curved into a mocking smile.
As if—like hell—he cared about a kiss.
“Anger Value: 5.”
The familiar buzz rang in Su Yue’s head.
She blinked and stared at Jiang Ci in disbelief. He was angry?
She hadn’t even lost her temper after being kissed like that, yet he was angry?
Was this man made of vinegar? One sip and the whole jar was sour?
“Jiang Ci, really… you can’t just kiss people like that.” Su Yue’s cheeks warmed. She tried her best to reason with him, to make him understand.
But Jiang Ci only grunted. “Tch,” he said, impatient, “It’s not like I actually wanted to kiss you. You think I care?”
His tone was sour. His words, even more so.
“Anger Value: 6.”
Su Yue’s round eyes widened.
Jiang Ci… was it really okay for you to speak so wrongly?