At night, when it was time to sleep, Su Yue sat on the sofa, her gaze fixed on the dark gray bed across from her.
Although she had insisted on sleeping in the big bed earlier, now that the moment had come, she couldn’t quite muster the courage. After all, she had never shared a bed with a man before.
The room was quiet.
Jiang Ci was already lying down, dressed in his usual black pajamas, rigidly positioned in the middle of the bed, his face expressionless as he prepared to rest.
“Move over a bit,” Su Yue bit her lip, hesitating as she looked at the man occupying the center of the bed. Finally, she spoke, her voice soft but firm. After saying so, she quickly grabbed her pillow from the sofa and hurried over, not willing to give up her rightful place to sleep comfortably again.
Jiang Ci’s closed eyes twitched faintly at the corners. “I thought you didn’t have the guts to get into bed,” he said flatly.
Su Yue clutched her pillow tightly, her cheeks warming with embarrassment. She was indeed timid, but after giving it some thought—he was blind. He couldn’t do anything to her, right? Still, she dared not voice such thoughts aloud.
Just as she opened her mouth to reply, the man on the bed gave a cold snort. He yawned lazily, his voice sharp in the quiet room. “You’re so ugly—do you really think I’d be interested in doing anything to you?”
Su Yue: “…”
A blind man with a scarred face was actually disgusted by her looks?
She took a deep breath, threw her pillow onto the bed with a thud, kicked off her slippers, and climbed into bed angrily and aggrieved. Once upon a time, she had been gorgeous—her face dominated the entertainment industry. Actresses used to grit their teeth at the mere sight of her. Her beauty eclipsed them all.
But now? She was being called ugly.
Su Yue bent down abruptly, leaned toward Jiang Ci’s ear, and whispered, her voice soft but tinged with dissatisfaction. “I’m not ugly.”
A gentle, milky-sweet fragrance drifted past Jiang Ci’s nose, followed by the sensation of warm breath brushing his ear. His closed eyes opened instantly—his eyes, dark and bottomless, staring blankly into the void.
Her voice, soft yet defiant, echoed in his ear. He raised a brow. Under the dim light, the long scar down the left side of his face appeared slightly subdued.
“I’m blind, not deaf,” he said coolly.
When he had married Su Yue, everyone pitied him—the beautiful fiancée had married his younger brother, while he was stuck with an ugly woman.
Su Yue’s cheeks puffed in frustration, making her face look even rounder. This man—so mean, so hateful—he always knew exactly where to stab with his words.
“I may be ugly now, but that doesn’t mean I’ve always been ugly,” Su Yue huffed. Thinking of the ten pounds she had mysteriously lost recently, her tone turned more confident. “Once I lose weight, I’ll be beautiful again.”
Jiang Ci gave a faint raise of his brow, his voice sharp and indifferent, “Makes no difference to me. I’m blind. You should be thankful for that.”
With that, he closed his eyes and refused to speak further.
He’s blind, but still so arrogant?
Su Yue placed her pillow carefully next to Jiang Ci’s. After a moment’s thought, she dragged it further away. She lay down cautiously, the mattress was firm but far better than the unforgiving sofa.
With a small sigh, she closed her eyes and drifted off.
Su Yue had thought that with a man beside her, sleep would be impossible. But contrary to her expectations, she fell asleep in less than ten minutes.
Jiang Ci, however, had always been a light sleeper. In the middle of the night, a soft weight pressed against him, waking him at once. The scent of warm milk drifted into his nose—it was unmistakably Su Yue’s.
Her hands were wrapped around his waist. Her head rested against his chest.
Jiang Ci opened his eyes. His pitch-black irises stared blankly at the ceiling, unfocused. From the first time he had caught her scent, he realized—he liked it. No one else knew, but his eyes often throbbed with pain. It got worse at night, so much so that he frequently woke up from the discomfort.
But the night he smelled her fragrance… he’d slept soundly for the first time.
Still, Jiang Ci sneered. Without hesitation, he pried her soft, fleshy arms away from his waist. Hmph. Fat woman.
Then, with one arm, he gently pushed her head off his chest and turned his back to her.
Even if he liked the way she smelled, that wasn’t a good enough reason for her to cling to him in her sleep!
But Su Yue’s sleep wasn’t peaceful.
She dreamt of her long-time rival in the entertainment industry—Liu Ruoxin, a rising starlet who always looked down on others with her flawless looks. In the dream, Liu Ruoxin stood beside a hospital bed, smirking down at her arrogantly.
“I know you always suspected that fire on set wasn’t an accident. You’re right. I did it,” Liu Ruoxin confessed smugly. “Look at you now. What can you possibly use to compete with me?”
Su Yue glared at her in disbelief. It was really her?
She wanted to leap up and claw at her, but found herself paralyzed.
Liu Ruoxin sneered, “You’re dark and fat now. Just looking at you makes me sick…”
Su Yue’s lashes fluttered. Her consciousness slowly returned. It was… just a dream.
But even in her dreams, her rivals mocked her appearance.
Could it be? Was Liu Ruoxin really the one who caused her accident?
Su Yue frowned deeply. Even if she had her suspicions, what could she do now?
Suddenly, a magnetic male voice murmured above her head, lazy and mocking. “Still reluctant to let go? Trying to crush me?”
Startled, Su Yue tilted her head up. The first thing she saw was Jiang Ci’s sharp jawline—cold, defined, and intimidating. She blinked, momentarily stunned. When did I fall asleep like this?
Jiang Ci’s words replayed in her ears. Her cheeks flushed red as she quickly realized her arm was once again wrapped tightly around his waist.
She jolted, quickly withdrawing her arm and scooting away. “I fell asleep. I didn’t do it on purpose…”
“You said you had good sleeping habits,” Jiang Ci replied flatly. “Apparently, your definition of ‘good’ means wrapping your arms and legs around someone like an octopus.”
His eyelids lifted. Though he couldn’t see, his blank, pitch-black gaze seemed to pierce straight through her.
Su Yue felt her scalp go numb. She used to sleep holding a giant plush bear. Clearly, she’d treated Jiang Ci like her stuffed toy last night.
She lowered her head and whispered, “It won’t happen again.”
After rising up, Su Yue rushed to the bathroom and pulled out the scale. Between Jiang Ci’s sarcastic remarks and her unsettling dream, she was determined to lose weight.
One night had passed—had she gotten any slimmer?
She nervously stepped on the scale.
145 pounds.
Exactly the same as yesterday.
Su Yue felt a wave of disappointment wash over her. Didn’t the heavens give her some sort of golden finger to become slim and beautiful?
Before breakfast, Jiang Haoyan appeared as usual, hugging his precious cat Coriander. The little guy climbed onto a chair and turned to look at Jiang Ci. “Daddy’s become a panda!” he giggled, showing off his neat row of baby teeth.
Su Yue glanced at Jiang Ci. In the daylight, his eyes had a faint green hue to them—clear signs of a poor night’s rest. She lowered her gaze, not daring to speak.
“A mouse got in last night,” Jiang Ci said nonchalantly, “kept me from sleeping.”
Jiang Haoyan’s eyes widened in alarm. “Daddy, I’ll lend you Coriander! He’s great at catching mice!”
Jiang Ci’s lips curved slightly. “If the mouse dares to bother me again tonight…”
“Then Haohao will send Coriander to help Daddy catch the mice!” the little boy nodded solemnly.
“…Mn.”
Su Yue bit her lip, shooting a sidelong glare at Jiang Ci. What a spiteful man.
At that moment, the servant arrived with breakfast. This time, another young maid. Perhaps due to the previous incident, her hands trembled slightly as she set the tray down, as if she were here to face torture rather than deliver a meal.
Su Yue glanced at Jiang Ci again. Under the bright lighting, his scarred face was indeed intimidating. The twisted scars looked like crawling flesh beneath his expressionless face—no wonder the staff feared him.
“Master Jiang Ci, Young Master Li… he still hasn’t returned from leave. There’s no mango cake today…” the maid said timidly.
Jiang Ci didn’t respond.
Su Yue could see the tray shaking in the girl’s hand and quickly intervened, “Alright, leave the food and go.”
The servant looked at her in surprise, gratitude flashing in her eyes. She swiftly arranged the breakfast and fled.
“You do it,” Jiang Ci said coldly, as if it were a given.
Su Yue raised a brow and muttered under her breath, “Didn’t you say my cakes were just so-so?”
Little Jiang Haoyan’s ears twitched. His eyes lit up. “You can make mango cake?”
“Daddy,” he said sweetly, “Haohao wants to eat mango cake too!”
“Tell her,” Jiang Ci said lazily.
But the little man had his pride. He wouldn’t beg a bad woman just for dessert. He turned his big eyes on Su Yue and stayed quiet.
Su Yue glanced between the two of them—their faces were eerily similar. Feeling slightly smug, she crossed her arms. “Cake-making is tiring. Besides, I’ve always been pampered. I don’t cook.”
Jiang Haoyan’s gaze dropped to her thick, stubby fingers and blackened nails. He pursed his lips, a flicker of disgust on his face.
Ding! Anger Value: 5.
Su Yue blinked. Her eyes darted to Jiang Ci in disbelief.
The pain in her head throbbed, and the familiar bell rang. She gritted her teeth.
So petty! He can’t eat cake, and he gets mad?!
“You want me to beg you?” Jiang Ci’s tone was flat, but Su Yue knew he was anything but calm.
Hmph!
Su Yue huffed. “Don’t beg. I’ll voluntarily make you a cake!
”Jiang Ci’s parents had been traveling abroad for a while, and finally, they returned today.
When the housekeeper came to inform them, Su Yue happened to be watching Jiang Ci finish eating a piece of cake.
“Young Mistress , everyone else is here. You should hurry up and bring the young master over,” the housekeeper said politely.
Su Yue nodded. “Alright, Uncle Zhang, thank you for your hard work.” She then turned to Jiang Haoyan, who still had a mouthful of cream, and said softly, “Let’s go. I’ll take you to see your grandparents.”
Jiang Haoyan glanced at Su Yue, then at Jiang Ci. “Dad?” he asked hesitantly.
Jiang Ci didn’t lift his eyelids; he continued calmly eating his second piece of cake. “You go ahead,” he said in a low voice.
Obediently, Jiang Haoyan climbed down from the chair. He picked up his little coriander and followed behind Su Yue, his small body swaying with each step.
Inside the villa’s living room, laughter filled the air, the scene lively and warm.
But as Su Yue and Jiang Haoyan appeared, the laughter abruptly stopped. Jiang Xuan’s face remained composed, her delicate features still displaying a practiced smile, but Jiang Muhang’s eyes flickered with disdain beside her.
“You’re here. Bring the child over and have a seat,” Song Xiaoqing, Jiang Ci’s mother, said as she spoke. Though she was older, careful maintenance had preserved her charm and graceful bearing—something Su Yue couldn’t help but notice.
Su Yue led Jiang Haoyan over and helped him sit beside her. The little boy was well-behaved, leaning comfortably against her.
Song Xiaoqing accepted a gift handed to her and smiled politely. “This is the gift I brought back.”
“Thank you, mother,” Su Yue replied respectfully.
“How has Jiang Ci been lately?” Song Xiaoqing asked, but the question sounded more like a formality than genuine concern.
“He’s fine,” Su Yue answered simply.
Song Xiaoqing nodded, clearly unsatisfied. She never liked this daughter-in-law, or perhaps even outright disliked her. Su Yue lacked the polished temperament of a wealthy heiress. Since marrying into the Jiang family, she had never been taken to social events or banquets, likely out of fear she might embarrass the family.
In contrast, Jiang Xuan was favored. Even as the Jiang family’s fortunes declined, Jiang Xuan’s demeanor and behavior pleased them. If she was taken out, she could easily hold her own.
As Song Xiaoqing, Jiang Xuan, and Jiang Muhang chatted animatedly, the atmosphere was warm and harmonious—yet Su Yue and Jiang Haoyan felt like outsiders. Su Yue glanced down at the little boy beside her. His big eyes kept searching for Song Xiaoqing’s, the grandmother’s, but the older woman seemed to ignore him completely, as if he didn’t exist.
Jiang Haoyan’s eyes darkened with confusion and loneliness.
Su Yue gently stroked his head. When Jiang Ci had brought the child back to the Jiang household, he had announced that this was his adopted son. But many refused to believe it, whispering behind their backs that the boy was Jiang Ci’s illegitimate child.
Jiang Ci’s parents treated their eldest grandson with indifference, barely acknowledging the boy. Because Jiang Haoyan was well-behaved and quiet, they never reached out to hold him or show any affection.
Su Yue looked at the little boy’s lonely face and felt a pang in her heart. She leaned down and whispered gently, “The swing in the yard is ready. When we go back, I’ll take you for a swing, okay?”
Jiang Haoyan lifted his small head, and his large round eyes suddenly brightened.