For breakfast that morning, Su Yue merely sipped on a small bowl of plain white porridge. Her appetite was under strict surveillance—she was on a weight-loss mission and dared not indulge in even the refreshing side dishes laid out on the table.
Not far away, Jiang Ci sat with his usual aloofness, barely touching his food. His appetite was even worse than hers, his expression cold and distant.
Su Yue furrowed her brows. Was he really that obsessed with mango cake?
…
“Young Madam.”
A few servants who had been chatting in hushed tones immediately straightened up when Su Yue appeared, respectfully bowing their heads in greeting.
“Where’s the chef who usually prepares mango cake for Jiang Ci?” she asked bluntly.
“Master Li took a leave of absence this afternoon…” one servant replied cautiously. She remembered that Xiao Mo had been fired earlier that morning for forgetting to deliver mango cake to Young Master Jiang Ci. It must have something to do with this as well. “Do you want me to inform the housekeeper to call Master Li back?”
Su Yue frowned. Leave of absence?
“No need.” She waved her hand. Master Li must have had an important reason for taking leave. She wasn’t the type to make things difficult for others.
After thinking for a moment, she turned to one of the servants and instructed, “Go prepare some ingredients. I’ll make the mango cake myself.”
“Ah?” The servant was caught off guard, but quickly nodded and scurried away.
Just then, Jiang Xuan descended the staircase.
The servant standing beside Su Yue cursed her luck internally. Whenever Miss Jiang Xuan and the young madam crossed paths, the air turned heavy with sarcasm and awkwardness.
In the servants’ eyes, Su Yue clearly envied Jiang Xuan.
It was no secret in the Jiang household—Jiang Xuan was elegant and graceful, a beloved beauty with a good reputation. Su Yue, on the other hand, despite coming from a wealthy background, had a notorious reputation for being spoiled, temperamental, and lacking the manners of a proper lady from a noble family. She had barely set foot in the Jiang residence and had already stirred up countless jokes and gossip.
And yet, she was the one who ended up with the current Young Master Jiang Ci.
A blind man with a disfigured face, cold and cruel—paired with a chubby, unfashionable, foolish woman. In contrast, the second young master Jiang Muhang and his refined bride Jiang Xuan looked like a match made in heaven.
Privately, many felt that Jiang Ci was the most unfortunate of all. He had been kidnapped as a child, suffered untold torment, and returned to the Jiang family only to take over the reins of Hengyuan Group. He should have lived gloriously. Yet fate mocked him—he lost his sight, his appearance, and even his once-promised fiancée, who now belonged to his younger brother. All that remained for him was a wife like Su Yue.
Still, no matter how far he fell, he was the eldest young master of the Jiang family. None of the lower-ranked staff dared to truly offend him.
“Qinggui, have the driver prepare the car. I’ll be heading out soon,” Jiang Xuan called gracefully as she reached the final step.
She spotted Su Yue just as the latter finished instructing the servant.
Jiang Xuan approached with a prepared smile, anticipating the usual sarcasm. But to her surprise, Su Yue simply nodded and acknowledged her without any trace of hostility.
Jiang Xuan blinked, startled.
“I haven’t seen you at breakfast lately. Are you feeling unwell?” she asked gently. Though she had been furious the night Su Yue drugged Jiang Muhang, the truth was, that incident had unexpectedly deepened her relationship with him. Time had cooled her anger.
Everyone thought Su Yue bullied her out of jealousy, but no one knew the real story. Jiang Xuan carried guilt—she had schemed to escape marrying Jiang Ci and succeeded, handing Su Yue the fate that should have been hers. While she was now doted upon and loved by Jiang Muhang, Su Yue had taken her place and was forced to endure everything meant for her.
That was why, even when Su Yue acted out, Jiang Xuan never truly resented her. Instead, she bore it silently.
“No,” Su Yue replied lightly.
Her gaze fell on Jiang Xuan’s face, her pretty eyes glowing like stars. Calmly, she said, “I just wanted to accompany Jiang Ci for breakfast. He’s my husband after all. It doesn’t make sense for me to be eating elsewhere while he sits alone.”
Jiang Xuan was momentarily stunned.
As the heroine of the book, Jiang Xuan was of course the author’s darling—beautiful and gentle, with a soothing voice and an air of ethereal innocence, like a delicate little fairy straight out of a sweet romance novel. Her personality, too, was written to perfection—kind, optimistic, and hard-working.
Today, she wore a white floral dress that stopped just above her knees, cinched at the waist to show her delicate figure. Her long hair cascaded down her back. She was breathtakingly graceful.
And Su Yue? A stark contrast. Dark-skinned, overweight, and unloved. No wonder the male lead, Jiang Muhang, loathed her, while holding Jiang Xuan in the palm of his hand.
But Su Yue’s words threw her off.
Hadn’t Su Yue always pined for Jiang Muhang? She had even drugged him, for heaven’s sake. Hadn’t she married Jiang Ci just to be closer to him?
Now she was saying she wanted to keep Jiang Ci company?
“What? Surprised?” Su Yue lifted an eyebrow. She didn’t hate Jiang Xuan like the original Su Yue had, but she didn’t like her either.
“No,” Jiang Xuan replied quickly.
“Second Young Madam, the car is ready,” a servant called politely.
“Alright, thank you.” Jiang Xuan smiled at Su Yue, her tone gentle. “Su Yue, I’ve got an audition, so I’ll be heading out.”
Though Su Yue’s change in attitude puzzled her, as long as things remained peaceful, Jiang Xuan was more than willing to get along.
“Mm,” Su Yue nodded back.
According to the book, Jiang Xuan loved acting. Though she was currently only a C-list celebrity, she refused to rely on Jiang Muhang’s influence and insisted on forging her own path in the entertainment world. It was this independent streak that made Jiang Muhang fall for her even harder.
Su Yue, however, didn’t understand the appeal of such sentiment. Back when she was dabbling in showbiz, she’d have killed for someone powerful to support her, save her from detours, and hand her resources on a silver platter. But that was all were the tales of her past .
Soon, the cake ingredients were ready. So Su Yue rolled up her sleeves and tied on an apron.
It wasn’t that she wanted to please Jiang Ci, she told herself. But seriously, the man was so petty—just because he didn’t get his mango cake, he sulked through the entire morning!
Her temples throbbed, and the bell in her mind kept ringing.
Su Yue quickened her pace as she stirred the batter. Tsk. Jiang Ci, this moody man!
…
The study was cloaked in darkness. Jiang Ci sat silently at his desk, still as stone, his black clothing blending into the shadows.
The silence was suffocating. The room was heavy with gloom.
Click. Suddenly, the ceiling chandelier lit up, flooding the space with bright light.
A soft, low female voice floated through the silence. “Jiang Ci, I brought you some mango cake.”
Just like that, the darkness shattered. The silence dissipated.
Jiang Ci lifted his lids slowly. “I’m not eating.”
Unbothered, Su Yue walked over with the tray and set a delicate plate in front of him. “Master Li took leave today,” she said casually. “So, I made this myself.”
She placed another plate before herself and went to fetch a chair, dragging it over from the corner.
“Here. Just try it,” she said.
Jiang Ci said nothing.
“Are you sulking like a child?” she asked, handing him a small fork while deliberately avoiding brushing his fingers. “Or are you worried I’ve tampered with it?”
Scooping a bite for herself with a dainty silver fork, Su Yue took a bite. The sweet mango melted in her mouth, and the sponge was soft without being greasy.
“Delicious,” she declared. “I’m really good at this.”
Jiang Ci turned toward her, his lips twitching coldly. “I’m worried you poisoned it.”
“What?”
Su Yue widened her eyes. He’s truly impossible to please! She had gone out of her way to make him cake, and he still threw shade?
Annoyed, she reached out to snatch the plate back. But just then, Jiang Ci grasped the edge of the dish and picked up the fork. Calmly, he cut a piece and brought it to his mouth.
“You’re not afraid it’s poisoned?” she muttered under her breath.
“I’m immune to all poisons,” he replied blandly, taking another bite.
A mechanical voice echoed in her mind. “Anger value: 0.”
Su Yue’s eyes lit up. So he does like it.
She studied Jiang Ci’s poker face. “Jiang Ci, is the cake I made tasty?”
He didn’t stop eating. The golden mango cream clung to his lips as he replied coolly, “It’s average.”
Su Yue almost choked.
She had never seen a man this ungrateful!
“I thought you’d love the sea salt mango cake I made…” she said, lips curled in mock disappointment. “Well then, next time, Master Li can make it again.”
“Whatever,” Jiang Ci responded flatly.
Su Yue: “…”
She glared at him silently. This man… utterly unworthy of her effort.
…
After leaving the study, Su Yue dashed to fetch the scale. She had shared a cake with Jiang Ci—how many days of dieting would it take to burn that off?
She inhaled deeply and stepped on.
The next second, her eyes went wide.
She’d lost weight?
Lighter than last night?
Yesterday, she had clocked in at 150 pounds—five pounds down from her first weigh-in. She’d thought the scale was broken. But now? She was 145 pounds.
Another five pounds gone.
This time, there was no denying it—the scale wasn’t lying.
A wide smile spread across her face. Who wouldn’t be thrilled to drop five pounds overnight? At this rate, she’d reach her ideal weight in under a month. And perhaps it was just her imagination, but her complexion seemed fairer too.
The next morning.
Su Yue hummed a tune as she stepped on the scale again.
But the moment she saw the number, her expression darkened.
Still 145 pounds.
She hadn’t lost an ounce.
Su Yue frowned deeply.
What happened?
Weren’t you supposed to lose five pounds a day?
She narrowed her eyes.
She had definitely overlooked something.