The air in the kindergarten classroom hummed with a delicate tension as Lu Xiang, with a tenderness that belied her true intentions, tried to bridge the gap with young Jiang Haoyan. “This is a new flavor of toffee the teacher bought for Hao Hao, Hao Hao, eat it,” she cooed, a playful bribe to win the child’s affection after her toys had failed to tempt him. She reassured him, “Other children have it too, Hao Hao can take it with confidence. Teacher’s candy is very sweet.”
Little Haohao’s innocent eyes, bright as freshly polished marbles, lit up at the mention of a teacher’s reward. His two fleshy hands reached out, grasping the sweets with a grateful, milky “Thank you, teacher.” He then, with an almost comical seriousness, tucked the bounty into the generously sized pocket of his overalls. The bulge of candy in his pocket, paired with his sweet, cherubic face, made him irresistibly adorable.
Lu Xiang, however, wasn’t content with just a polite exchange. She yearned for a deeper connection. “Don’t Haohao want to eat the candy given by the
teacher ?” she pressed, hoping to prolong their interaction. Children, she knew, were easily won over as safety and warmth were the keys to unlocking their trust and affection.
But Haohao, with a shake of his head and a wide, innocent grin, declared, “Mom likes candy, and Haohao wants to leave it for my Mother.” His words, as sweet as the toffee he clutched in his pocet, spoke of a deep love and a desire to share everything with his family.
A subtle shift in Lu Xiang’s smile, a flicker of something akin to sadness, crossed her face. “Mother,” he said. Her mind drifted to the dazzlingly beautiful Mrs. Jiang, a woman who was not, in fact, Haohao’s biological mother. That role belonged to Lu Xiang’s own sister.
“Hao Hao likes your mother?” Lu Xiang probed gently, a pang of pity for her deceased sister echoing in her heart. Why, of course, had such a cruel fate befallen her?
“Yes, Haohao likes my Father and Mother the most,” the little boy affirmed, his honesty unwavering.
Lu Xiang, her hand resting gently on his small head, began her cautious inquiry. “Hao Hao is a very good boy. Does Hao Hao know that you look like your biological mother?” She was treading carefully. Mrs. Jiang, after all, had only been married into the Jiang family for about a year. Surely, then, Jiang Haoyan must know she wasn’t his birth mother.
Haohao blinked his large eyes, his small hands instinctively covering his pockets as if to protect his sugary treasures. “Teacher, what is a biological mother?” he asked, his innocent question cutting through Lu Xiang’s carefully constructed narrative.
“Everyone has a mother who gave birth to them. Does Haohao likes to know about her?” Lu Xiang persisted, her voice soft but adamant.
A tiny frown creased Haohao’s tender brow. His little face contorted in a tangle of confusion and thought, and he pressed his lips together, remaining silent.
Lu Xiang, seeing his struggle, didn’t wish to distress the child further. She patted his head, her voice a comforting whisper. “Hao Hao’s mother likes Hao Hao very much, but for some reason, she went far away, so she couldn’t take care of Hao Hao. Teacher Lu Xiang will take care of Hao Hao in the future, okay?”
But Haohao, with an unexpected steadfastness, shook his head. “Hao Hao is a little man, he doesn’t need to be taken care of by others. Hao Hao has to take care of his father and mother, teacher. I have to go back to my seat.” The teacher, he clearly felt, was acting rather strangely today.
Lu Xiang’s brow furrowed, her little nephew proving far less pliable than she had anticipated. “Haohao is still young and needs the care of adults,” she insisted. “Do you really want to know who your own biological mother is? The teacher can tell you. The teacher has many things and photos of Hao Hao’s mother at home. If Hao Hao wants to know, the teacher can show them to Hao Hao.”
His two little fat hands shifted uneasily, and a piece of candy, forgotten in the conversation, tumbled from his pocket. But Jiang Haoyan paid no mind to the fallen sweet. His big, round eyes rolled, brimming with a sudden, wide-eyed surprise. “Why does the teacher have a picture of Haohao’s mother?”
“Because,” Lu Xiang finally revealed, the words holding the weight of a long-held secret, “the teacher is Hao Hao’s mother’s sister, and Hao Hao’s aunt.”
Jiang Haoyan’s eyes widened further, a silent testament to the shock of the revelation.
Meanwhile, far from the innocent world of kindergarten, Su Yue and Jiang Ci’s morning had taken a turn. After dropping off Jiang Haoyan, their car had sped towards the film set, Su Yue’s workplace. Jiang Ci had seen her to the set before turning back to his own company.
The car shuddered to a halt. Su Yue’s cheeks were flushed, and she motioned for Jiang Ci to release her from his embrace. She tried to steady her voice, to calm her racing breath. “I’m here,” she whispered, a promise lingering in her voice, “I’ll make mango cake for you when I go back tonight.”
Jiang Ci slowly loosened his hold, his dark eyes observing the crimson blush on her face with a strange, fleeting intensity. His hand, wrapped in its white gauze, cupped her chin. His thin lips descended, claiming hers for a lingering moment before he released her with a satisfied “hmhm.”
Su Yue’s lips, still tingling from the kiss, sent shivers of self-consciousness through her. She quickly scooted further away, pushing open the car door. A lingering question floated in her mind: would it always be like this? This unsettling reaction her body had to Jiang Ci’s proximity, a sensation that left her both ashamed and exhilarated.
“Su Yue is here!”
“It’s Su Yue!”
No sooner had Su Yue stepped out of the car than a veritable swarm of reporters descended upon her.
“Su Yue, it is rumored on the Internet that you and the actor Xu Shen have been very close recently. Is it true?”
“Many netizens have created a CP for you and Xu Shen, what do you think?”
“Do you have anything to say about the two of you being filmed chatting intimately during the filming break? Are you and Xu Shen really in a relationship?”
Su Yue, initially disoriented, finally grasped the situation from the barrage of questions. Someone had posted a photo of her and Xu Shen chatting on the set? A slight frown creased her brow. She and Xu Shen rarely spoke outside of their scenes; his schedule was always so tight, flying off to catch other engagements as soon as his scenes were done.
“Every time Xu Shen is on set, he treats people coldly. Now he is chatting with you intimately, so is it true that you and Xu Shen are together?”
“As a newcomer, you will act with the best actor as soon as you debut, and make scandals. Will there be pressure?” The reporters pressed in, their cameras flashing relentlessly, eager for a scoop.
Su Yue, though facing an onslaught, felt no fear for herself. Her concern was for the car that had just driven away. Had Jiang Ci seen this chaotic scene?
“Su Yue, can you answer?” A reporter’s camera, pushed too close, nearly struck her face.
The blush that Jiang Ci had left on Su Yue’s cheeks had now completely vanished, replaced by a cool, unyielding expression. “Xu Shen and I are only in a cooperative relationship,” she stated clearly. “As for being filmed chatting on the set, we just discuss how to film; Is it not very normal? It’s a man chatting with a woman, or it’s a relationship or an affair.”
Her words, however, did not satisfy the hungry press.
“Excuse me, Xu Shen, as the most charismatic actor, do you have any thoughts when you work with him?”
“Xu Shen has always been known for his cool image. When he was filming before, an actress asked him for advice. It was rumored that he would not pay attention to the other party at all, but now why does Xu Shen chat with you on the set?”
Even if Su Yue had no romantic involvement with Xu Shen, the reporters were desperate to connect them, to create the scandalous content they craved.
“His acting skills are good, mine are not bad, we communicate with each other, that’s all.” Su Yue tried to move, but the wall of reporters made escape impossible.
“Xu Shen doesn’t have any scandals in the entertainment industry, you are the first, Su Yue, you…”
“Go away!”
Suddenly, a man’s furious voice cut through the cacophony. Even amidst the chaos, a collective shiver ran through the crowd, and heads turned. There, striding forward, was a man in a sharp black suit. A stark scar marred the left side of his face, and his expression was one of unbridled fury, his gaze piercing.
His long legs covered the ground quickly. Subconsciously, the reporters parted, creating a path. Those who hesitated, stunned by his sudden appearance, quickly retreated under Jiang Ci’s icy stare.
“Didn’t you leave?” Su Yue asked, genuinely surprised by Jiang Ci’s return, and mortified that he had stumbled upon her being besieged by the press.
Jiang Ci’s thin lips were tightly pressed, his brow a stormy landscape of anger. He reached Su Yue’s side, a sneer twisting his lips. “Let’s see who doesn’t have eyes.” His dark gaze swept over the reporters, and with a possessive gesture, his white-gauze-wrapped hand found its way around Su Yue’s waist. “Who was spreading the rumor just now that you have something to do with other men?” he demanded slowly, each word a cold accusation.
The arm around her waist felt like a band of steel, holding her almost painfully tight. But the coldness on Su Yue’s face melted away, replaced by a mischievous glint in her beautiful almond eyes. Jiang Ci, she realized with a thrill, was jealous. “They all said it,” she confessed, momentarily indulging in a rare moment of pampered arrogance, like a child tattling.
“Sir, are you from Su Yue…” A daring reporter, seemingly oblivious to the danger, pressed forward, snapping photos of Jiang Ci. So, it wasn’t actor Xu Shen after all. Su Yue had a different man.
“You have bad eyes? You can leave your eyes.” Jiang Ci’s lips twitched, a dangerous hint of a smile. “Didn’t you see me hugging my wife?”
A collective gasp rippled through the reporters. Hiss! The newly emerging star, Su Yue, was already married?
Many of the reporters present had seen the previously viral photo of Su Yue and Jiang Ci. Now, a dawning realization: the online mockery of the “school flower being raised by a beast,” “being with beasts,” suddenly made sense. It wasn’t a guardian, or even just a couple, but a husband and wife.
“Su Yue, is this really your husband? You are already married?” Some reporters, utterly astonished, couldn’t help but blurt out the questions.
The man before them, though tall and commanding, was disfigured, his hands wrapped in gauze—a strange, almost jarring sight. Su Yue, on the other hand, was a newcomer, yet already the heroine of Director Guan’s film, possessing a beauty that set her apart in the entertainment industry. Her star career, it seemed, was limitless. This man, they silently concluded, was simply not worthy of Su Yue.
Su Yue, however, had never intended to hide Jiang Ci. She allowed him to hold her, her gaze steady as she addressed the reporters. “Yes, this is my husband. I don’t know how the rumors about me and Xu Shen on the internet started, but I want to declare that I only like my husband. Please don’t spread rumors; I don’t want my husband to be unhappy because of these rumors.”
With calm conviction, Su Yue announced her relationship with Jiang Ci. If marriage meant sacrificing her acting career, so be it. Between acting and Jiang Ci, she would choose Jiang Ci every time.
Jiang Ci turned his head slightly, his gaze falling upon Su Yue. The murderous rage that had burned within him moments before now receded. The tight, cold lines of his mouth softened, a subtle twitch at the corners.
Gee, this person didn’t hurt her in vain.
For generations, celebrities had guarded their relationships and marriages with fierce secrecy, only revealing them when exposed. Yet, Su Yue, whether through youthful vigor or a complete disregard for the rules, was the first to announce her marriage so publicly, so dramatically.
“Xiao Xuan, let’s go in, there is staff waiting for you to make up.” The agent nudged Jiang Xuan’s hand, signaling her to snap out of her daze.
“Okay, let’s go in.” Jiang Xuan, who had been observing from a short distance, smiled faintly as she finally tore her gaze from Jiang Ci and Su Yue. She wasn’t shocked by Jiang Ci’s fierce protectiveness, nor by Su Yue’s bold declaration of him as her husband to the throng of reporters.
Didn’t Su Yue understand the cardinal rule of the entertainment industry: never announce a romance, especially not marriage, right at the start of your career? She had just debuted, and already announced that she was married. Did she truly not want a career?
Su Yue, Jiang Xuan mused, was fundamentally different from her. Jiang Xuan’s husband, Jiang Muhang, was the president of Hengyuan Group. When she announced her relationship with Jiang Muhang, it would only smooth her path in the entertainment industry. But Jiang Ci was nothing now, estranged from the wealthy Jiang family. Su Yue’s announcement of her relationship with Jiang Ci would yield her no benefit whatsoever.
More importantly, did Su Yue truly not mind Jiang Ci’s appearance? Wasn’t she worried about netizens pointing fingers, ridiculing her for marrying a disfigured man?