《Guilty Wife: After Finding out the Truth, He Began Chasing After Her》 Chapter 1 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation Silvery-white moonlight shone into the dark room. Clothes were scattered all over the floor and the room was filled with an ambiguous air. Jiang Huai rampaged around inside Yan Xia¡¯s body, venting his lust without any pity, not caring about the tears from the pain in the woman¡¯s eyes. After that, he threw a pill in front of Yan Xia. Jiang Huai stood up and put on his shirt. He stood by the window and under the moonlight, his body exuded a man¡¯s wildness and seductiveness. Sweat slid down his abs, adding an unspeakable sense of absurdity to the s*x just now. He looked at Yan Xia coldly, his eyes devoid of lust. Yan Xia forced a smile, took out a pill, and put it in her mouth. ¡°I¡¯ll remember to take birth control pills. You don¡¯t have to keep an eye on me every time.¡± ¡°With your schemes, I¡¯ll be worried if I don¡¯t keep an eye on you,¡± Jiang Huai sneered. Every time. Every time after he had vented and indulged himself, he would leave her a pill. If that was not enough, he would also get the butler to check if her period was normal and guard against her from getting pregnant with his child. ¡°Then don¡¯t touch me!¡± Yan Xia couldn¡¯t help but shout, which stunned Jiang Huai. His long eyes were filled with anger. He walked to Yan Xia and pinched her chin. ¡°Didn¡¯t you beg for this yourself?¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Yan Xia could not stand it and pushed him away. He had never believed her. The mistake a few years ago had hurt him, but hadn¡¯t it hurt her as well? Wasn¡¯t the miscarriage the greatest punishment for each other? Before Yan Xia could catch her breath, Jiang Huai pressed her down again and tightened his grip on her shoulders. ¡°Yan Xia, with your status, you¡¯re not worthy of giving birth to my child!¡± Yan Xia forced a smile. The pain in her heart was getting more and more intense. He was always like this, hurting her from body to heart without hesitation. They had been married for many years, and it was laughable that they maintained a respectful relationship on the surface, but he had long hated her to the bone. He did not know that she would never have a child again. Because of that miscarriage, the doctor had said that she would never have another child in this life. Yan Xia suddenly felt physically and mentally exhausted at that thought. She finally blurted out the words she had been holding back for a long time. ¡°Jiang Huai, let me go. We¡¯re even, okay?¡± Jiang Huai was stunned, but he exerted more force. She was clearly the one who begged for mercy, but it only made him angrier and made him look more like a clown! He looked at her with disdain. ¡°Yan Xia, you¡¯ve been waiting for this day for three years.¡± It was an affirmative tone. He had directly condemned her in his heart. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Yan Xia asked. Jiang Huai had already stood up and was buttoning his shirt. Every movement was elegant, and he looked like a completely different person from before. ¡°Don¡¯t think that your savior is back just because Wu Chen is back.¡± Jiang Huai paused for a moment and continued, ¡°Yan Xia, you¡¯ve been by my side for three years and you¡¯ve gained nothing. Are you really willing to leave just like that?¡± Yan Xia was shocked and her heart ached. It had been three years, but this name could still easily trigger Jiang Huai¡¯s anger. Seeing that Yan Xia didn¡¯t say anything, Jiang Huai didn¡¯t plan to let her go. ¡°Yan Xia, you betrayed me. I want you to stay by my side for the rest of your life to atone for your mistakes. Think about your situation and don¡¯t cause me any trouble at his returning banquet tonight.¡± As the two most powerful families in A City, the Jiang and Wu families had a lot of power and influence. The return banquet was so grand that even the head of the Chen family, who was the latest rising underworld force, would come in person. Yan Xia was wearing a white mermaid dress, which accentuated her curves and made her hair look even more lustrous and smooth. She attracted a lot of attention as soon as she got out of the car. Yan Xia took a deep breath to calm herself down. Then, she held onto Jiang Huai who was waiting for her and they walked into the hotel together. Wu Chen stood in the crowd and politely greeted the people who came and went. He was dressed in a white suit, and he was as dazzling as a prince. Only Jiang Huai was on par with him, so he was the center of attention the moment he appeared. Wu Chen saw the two of them from afar. He waved the glass of red wine in his hand, greeted the people around him, and walked toward them. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time.¡± He looked past Yan Xia and at Jiang Huai. Both of them were smiling politely. Jiang Huai replied with the same words and took the glass of wine from the waiter. It all seemed like a simple exchange of words, but only Yan Xia could tell from the shape of their lips that they were speaking in a voice that only they could hear. ¡°Your opponent has returned.¡± Jiang Huai never liked to have Yan Xia by his side when it came to business banquets like this. She was his wife in name, so she had to accompany him. However, she would only be by his side when he entered and left. Yan Xia sensibly retreated to the side and stood in the middle of the group of wealthy ladies. Yan Xia¡¯s mother, Gu Ling, walked up to her and looked her up and down, her gaze finally stopping at her abdomen. Looking at Yan Xia¡¯s flat stomach, Mother Yan suddenly felt a burst of anger. She scowled. ¡°You¡¯re really disappointing. You¡¯ve been married for three years and there¡¯s no movement from your stomach! Except for the child at the beginning, whom you weren¡¯t able to keep in the end! I don¡¯t know who caused this, or if you were born to be the nemesis of children!¡± Chapter 2 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation Yan Xia¡¯s heart ached even more at the mention of the child. She retorted, ¡°Am I the one who wanted to get married?¡± ¡°For who? It¡¯s all for you! As long as we have a child, Jiang Huai will treat our family better!¡± In order to make Yan Xia pregnant, her mother-in-law, Liang Lan, had given her all kinds of tonics and made her visit the hospital countless times. She was exhausted. Gu Ling was saying the same thing now, and she couldn¡¯t refute it. Yan Xia laughed bitterly. Jiang Huai hated her so much and had been on guard against her day and night. Now, he even pushed her to the elders¡¯ side. He really did not want her to have a good time. Gu Ling gave her a sideways glance. ¡°Wu Chen is back in the country now. I¡¯m warning you. Stay away from him. Even if you don¡¯t think for yourself, you have to think for your father.¡± Three years ago, during the economic crisis, the Yan Corporation suffered a heavy blow and was suppressed by their peers. They almost couldn¡¯t recover from it. If Yan Xia hadn¡¯t married into the Jiang family and stabilized the stock market, the upper class of A City would have been refreshed. However, for the past three years, all Yan Xia got from Jiang Huai was the news of the stock market stabilizing, and endless torture. Even so, his every move would cause Madam Yan to tremble. Thinking of this, Yan Xia suddenly regretted asking him to let her go. Her and Jiang Huai¡¯s dignity was pitifully supported by the ¡®overall situation¡¯ and couldn¡¯t withstand any more waves. She didn¡¯t want to hear her mother continue talking. She was also worried that her mother-in-law would come over later and talk about the child problem. Yan Xia quietly left the room and went to a quiet balcony. It was August, and the wind at night was muffled, hot, and sticky, but it was just right to isolate the noise in the hall. It should have been a time for her to let her thoughts run wild. But Yan Xia did not dare to. Recalling the past, other than regret and pity, she could not feel any sweetness. Instead, it was like a knife smeared with honey, ruthlessly poking at her scars bit by bit. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± The sudden voice behind her startled Yan Xia so much that she dropped the glass of red wine on the balcony. Jiang Huai¡¯s temper was getting worse and worse. Even Yan Xia was like a frightened bird after being by his side for three years. Now that she had done something wrong, she was even more afraid. She lowered her head and looked at the broken glass. Wu Chen slowly walked closer and pulled her into his arms. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll get someone to handle it.¡± Yan Xia recognized the owner of the voice. She did not dare to look up and quickly stepped away from him. She still remembered Jiang Huai¡¯s warning before she left. If anyone saw her being intimate with Wu Chen, the rumors would spread throughout the entire A City tomorrow. Yan Xia did not even have the courage to look up at the person in front of her. Like a deserter, she threw away her armor and fled. ¡°Yan Xia, long time no see.¡± Yan Xia turned her back to him and wanted to leave, but Wu Chen stopped her. She thought, ¡®Please, don¡¯t let Jiang Huai see this!¡¯ However, Jiang Huai had never appeared in such a timely manner before. Just as Yan Xia had that thought, he was already standing at the door. The dazzling golden light in the hall enveloped his back, like a prince who had descended from the sky, but he was not there to save her. ¡°I wonder what Young Master Wu and my wife are doing here alone?¡± Jiang Huai emphasized the word ¡®wife¡¯ but Yan Xia could hear the anger in his tone. He walked closer and looked at Yan Xia from head to toe. She was trembling. Jiang Huai laughed in exasperation. Was this woman afraid of him? Jiang Huai had been raised by his family since he was young, so he was more than capable of attending such parties. But today, for some reason, he was so frustrated that he was not in the mood to deal with the guests. He subconsciously looked for Yan Xia, but she was nowhere to be found. He saw the corner of a white skirt disappear at the end of the corridor. The familiar silhouette made him furious. He put the glass in his hand on the waiter¡¯s tray and strode to the balcony. ¡®Yan Xia, you better remember my warning!¡¯ Yan Xia¡¯s back was facing Wu Chen as Jiang Huai pulled her into his arms. Jiang Huai placed his hand on her slender waist. It was as if this was the first time he realized that the woman in his arms was so thin and weak. He subconsciously pinched the soft flesh on her waist. Yan Xia was very ticklish, especially the soft flesh on her waist. Yan Xia could not help but groan as she was caught off guard. Jiang Huai found it interesting. He lowered his head and got close to her long hair as if he was playing with a pet. His breath blew into her ear as he spoke. ¡°Young Master Wu has just returned to the country. I don¡¯t think he knows that Yan Xia married into the Jiang family three years ago.¡± It sounded like he was declaring his sovereignty. Only Yan Xia knew how hurtful those words were. She was married into the Jiang family, not Jiang Huai. Well, in Jiang Huai¡¯s eyes, she had always been someone who would resort to unscrupulous means to gain benefits. Jiang Huai admired the pain in Yan Xia¡¯s eyes, but he had no intention of letting her go. Under Wu Chen¡¯s angry gaze, he kissed Yan Xia¡¯s earlobe. ¡°I beg you, please don¡¯t do it here.¡± Yan Xia sounded like she was about to cry. Jiang Huai felt a dull pain in his heart, as if someone had punched him. He couldn¡¯t help but feel annoyed. He bit Yan Xia¡¯s lips until he tasted the sweet blood. In the end, he even used the tip of his tongue to lick the bloodstains on her wound. Chapter 3 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation Wu Chen saw this scene and could not maintain his usual smile. He stared at Jiang Huai and said, ¡°You know very well how you married Xia Xia three years ago. I¡¯m back this time to take her away!¡± ¡°Then, you can try.¡± Jiang Huai dragged Yan Xia out of the room, not caring that Yan Xia¡¯s mermaid dress wouldn¡¯t allow her to keep up. Yan Xia stumbled along with Jiang Huai until they reached an empty corner. ¡°So you have your old lover backing you up, that¡¯s why you dare to be so presumptuous today.¡± Yan Xia looked at the handsome face that was getting closer and closer to her. His handsome eyebrows were furrowed, and it was his angry face. Yan Xia knew it was useless to resist. His kisses landed on her exposed skin, and soon, blue and purple hickeys appeared. Yan Xia suddenly felt a wave of fear. Her stomach began to churn with fear. She felt like vomiting. She placed a pair of soft hands between the two of them in resistance. ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± She was clearly begging for mercy, but it seemed to have ignited Jiang Huai¡¯s anger once again. His actions no longer had a trace of mercy. The haute couture white skirt was torn at the thigh. There was almost no foreplay or act of possession in his actions. After the deed was done, Jiang Huai let go of her and let her fall to the ground, looking down at her. ¡°Don¡¯t forget what you¡¯ve done to me. You¡¯ll have to pay for it with your entire life! Don¡¯t think I¡¯ll let you off!¡± Then, he threw his black suit jacket on Yan Xia and walked away. Jiang Huai must have informed Mother Yan on purpose as she came to look for Yan Xia not long after. Mother Yan looked at the patch of hickeys on Yan Xia¡¯s neck and understood what he meant. Her smile became more and more ambiguous. ¡°You see, Young Master Jiang still loves you. You have to work hard. Although our family has survived the crisis, we¡¯re still in a slump and we still need the Jiang family¡¯s help in many areas. If you have a child, the Jiang family will listen to you.¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Yan Xia felt tired and did not want to hear these words anymore. She could not help but shout. She wrapped her suit jacket tightly around herself and turned around to wait for Jiang Huai in the car. However, Jiang Huai did not return home that night. The chauffeur sent Yan Xia home alone. They had been married for three years and it was rare for Jiang Huai not to return home like this. Although he was very busy with work and worked overtime sometimes, he would come back before 8 o¡¯clock at the latest. He rarely accepted social engagements, unless he could not decline them. Hence, Yan Xia had always thought that Jiang Huai was a boring person. However, he could also be an excellent husband who would not mess around and give his wife a sense of security. It was a pity that she was not the best wife in his heart. That night, Yan Xia felt an unbearable pain in her stomach. After a while, she was covered in sweat and curled up in the quilt, with no one around her. It was only at times like this that Yan Xia dared to let herself think about Jiang Huai. How she wished that he could be by her side and take care of her gently. It was like a dream. Dark clouds covered the sky, blocking the last bit of moonlight. The air was particularly heavy, as if a storm was coming. Yan Xia had already passed out from the pain. The servants had only called Mother Jiang when they realized something was wrong. The first thing Liang Lan did was to call Jiang Huai home and inform the family doctor to come over to treat Yan Xia. When Yan Xia finally opened her eyes, Jiang Huai was the only one left in the room. He stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, deep in thought. He stood tall and straight, but his back looked a little lonely, making people want to hug him. Yan Xia wanted to sit up but she had no strength. She coughed softly as her stomach ached. Jiang Huai turned around when he heard her voice. He frowned when he saw her struggling to sit up. ¡°What kind of trouble are you trying to give me?¡± He walked closer to Yan Xia and pulled her up by the arm. Yan Xia frowned in pain. ¡°I¡¯m a patient, can you be gentler?¡± She had only said this as a joke. However, for some reason, she made Jiang Huai angry again. He said sarcastically, ¡°This is your trick? Just because I didn¡¯t come home, you pretended to have a stomachache and got mother to call me and force me to come home?¡± Yan Xia was stunned. She did not expect him to think that her illness was another scheme. Chapter 4 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation Yan Xia felt wronged. ¡°Then you could¡¯ve just not come back.¡± Jiang Huai ignored her. Instead, he threw a morning-after pill in front of her. ¡°Since I¡¯m back, I¡¯d better see you take this medicine with my own eyes.¡± Yan Xia looked at the medicine in disbelief. She had just seen a doctor because of her stomach problem, but he still did not let her go. Yan Xia¡¯s heart sank. ¡°What¡¯s the use of these medicines? I won¡¯t get pregnant anyway!¡± she could not help but say. Jiang Huai looked at her coldly. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Yan Xia¡¯s eyes turned red. ¡°I said I¡¯ll never get pregnant again!¡± Jiang Huai was burning with rage. He completely forgot how weak the person in front of him was and dragged her out of the door. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Yan Xia panicked. ¡°To the hospital. You¡¯d better pray that what you say is true, or you know how serious the consequences will be.¡± Jiang Huai¡¯s grip on Yan Xia¡¯s wrist hurt, but it couldn¡¯t compare to the pain in her heart. Yan Xia heaved a sigh of relief when he finally found out. They did not have to torture each other anymore. At most, she could just sign a divorce agreement and live a carefree life! The cold ultrasound machine touched Yan Xia¡¯s body and she shivered. However, she was calm, and for the first time, she did not reject the examination. In the past, she had always been worried that if the Jiang family found out that she could no longer get pregnant, it would disappoint her mother and cause her to lose everything she had now. Now, she hoped that the divorce agreement would be in front of her, so that she could have a break from her three years of life. Jiang Huai looked at the report in his hand. ¡°Why is it like this?¡± ¡°Mrs. Jiang had an abortion three years ago. She wasn¡¯t well at the time, and she was allergic to a lot of drugs, so she won¡¯t be able to get pregnant again.¡± When Jiang Huai heard the doctor¡¯s words, it was as if the clear sky had exploded. He suddenly felt humiliated. Outside, a bolt of lightning flashed, and heavy rain fell. ¡°Also, Mrs. Jiang is allergic to birth control pills,¡± the doctor continued. Allergic? What else was she hiding from him? Jiang Huai kicked the door open with a loud bang. Yan Xia was even more afraid when she saw the angry person in front of her. Her first reaction was to hide herself under the blanket. She clutched onto the blanket tightly and refused to let go no matter how much Jiang Huai pulled on it. ¡°Let go!¡± ¡°No!¡± However, it was no use. How could she be stronger than Jiang Huai? The blanket was pulled down and she was exposed to Jiang Huai¡¯s gaze. She couldn¡¯t help but shiver. ¡°Don¡¯t hit me.¡± Jiang Huai was speechless. When had he ever hit her in the three years they had been married? What kind of person had she imagined him to be?! Jiang Huai suppressed his anger and tried his best to sound gentle. ¡°When did you know that you couldn¡¯t get pregnant anymore? ¡± Yan Xia bit her lower lip and did not dare to speak. She looked at him with her dark eyes and finally lowered her head sadly. ¡°Speak!¡± Jiang Huai had never been patient with her silence. Yan Xia took a deep breath, as if she had made a big decision. She was ready to lay her cards on the table. ¡°I already knew when I miscarried the child.¡± Jiang Huai tried his best to control his voice, but it still sounded like a roar. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so! What else are you hiding from me?! You¡¯ve really gone to all lengths to get into my Jiang family!¡± Tears welled up in Yan Xia¡¯s eyes, but she held them back. She was clearly the one who was injured. How could he blame her so easily? However, she only calmed down and looked at him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Jiang Huai felt something stir in his heart and couldn¡¯t help but feel a little guilty. He let out a breath, which was a compromise for this matter. ¡°We¡¯re going home.¡± Although he tried his best to control himself, his words still sounded stiff, and even the way he held Yan Xia¡¯s hand was rough. He stuffed Yan Xia into the passenger seat as if he was throwing something away. The car sped along the highway, and the only sound in the car was the sound of the heavy rain hitting the car. The two of them were silent. One was afraid, and the other was angry. Chapter 5 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation The veins on Jiang Huai¡¯s hands were bulging as he gripped the steering wheel. He was also abnormally silent, just like the weather outside, a storm brewing. Yan Xia didn¡¯t even dare to breathe. She found it ridiculous. It had been three years. She had known this man for more than three years, but she still did not know how to get along with him. All this while, other than business matters, the two of them had not even had a proper conversation. Before they got married, he was her superior, and she was still able to handle him with ease. After they got married, she was like dust, and she was fearful of him. The car stopped by the roadside. Yan Xia looked out the window and was about to remind him that they were not home yet when Jiang Huai threw her an umbrella. ¡°You can go home by yourself.¡± Yan Xia was stunned. It was raining heavily outside, and it was three in the morning. How could she go back? However, Jiang Huai was already getting impatient. Yan Xia didn¡¯t dare to argue and got out of the car with the umbrella. Yan Xia could not help but wonder why he was angry. Was it because she could no longer get pregnant, or was he angry that she had hidden it from him and forcefully obtained this three-year marriage that existed in name only? Yan Xia sighed. Actually, when the results were out, she wanted to tell Jiang Huai about this. However, Jiang Huai was extremely furious that day. He turned her into a lamb on the bed waiting to be slaughtered before she could even say anything. The weather had been good that day, and the breeze was gentle, but she was saying goodbye to her child. Yan Xia took out her phone and sent Jiang Huai a WeChat message. [If you want to, we can get a divorce.] ¡®Jiang Huai, I¡¯ll let you go. I¡¯ll let you go back to how you were three years ago.¡¯ However, the other party replied almost instantly. [Don¡¯t even think about it.] These words seemed to be a new bond between the two of them. They tortured each other and did not let go of each other. Yan Xia put away her phone and struggled to move forward in the rain. Finally, she stopped a taxi at the intersection. The car sped through the rain. When it stopped at the intersection, a billboard suddenly jumped into Yan Xia¡¯s eyes. The woman¡¯s smile was bright and shiny, and she was wearing the latest Armani watch. There was a row of small words next to it: Spokesperson: Zhang Ying. She¡­ she was back? Yan Xia¡¯s heart was filled with sorrow, even more so than when she saw the words ¡®Don¡¯t even think about it¡¯. It was because of her that Jiang Huai didn¡¯t return home that night. It turned out that Jiang Huai had never let go of her after so many years. Zhang Ying was Jiang Huai¡¯s first love and the only white moonlight in Jiang Huai¡¯s heart. The dispute between the few of them was far from something that could be clearly explained with a few words. Perhaps, without her interference in the past, the two of them would still be a couple that everyone envied. Jiang Huai would be a considerate husband. He wouldn¡¯t get angry easily. He would only be rational and gentle. Thinking of this, Yan Xia felt as if countless ants were gnawing at her heart. It was so painful that she could not breathe, and she could not help but burst into tears. At that moment, she had many thoughts in her mind. She didn¡¯t want to leave. She didn¡¯t want to leave Jiang Huai. But in the next second, she suddenly felt relieved. She should return Jiang Huai to Zhang Ying. They were the golden couple, a match made in heaven. It didn¡¯t matter who he was with, as long as he was happy. The next morning. Yan Xia opened her eyes to collect herself. She received a transfer order from the company on her phone. She was being transferred to a new management company and was given a deadline to complete the handover today. Yan Xia smiled bitterly. Could it be that he could not wait to be rid of her? Yan Xia was Jiang Huai¡¯s personal secretary. Ever since she became his secretary, Yan Xia had been very meticulous and had never made any mistakes. The people in the company never called her Madam. Everyone respectfully called her Sister Yan. They really admired her swift and decisive style of handling things. As soon as the transfer order came out, the private group began to discuss it. Yan Xia must have quarreled with President Jiang Huai, so this was a transfer order! It was no wonder that they would think this way. Sunny Management Company had just been established this year, and they had only started hiring at the beginning of the month. To put it nicely, he wanted Yan Xia to be in charge, but to put it bluntly, he wanted her to stay away from him. Yan Xia suddenly thought of the billboard she saw last night. It turned out that Jiang Huai wanted to set up a management company all of a sudden because of Zhang Ying. If Zhang Ying wanted to return to China to develop her career, she would have to sign with a management company. For her, Jiang Huai didn¡¯t mind spending a lot of manpower and resources to set up a new company to explore an area that he wasn¡¯t familiar with. Chapter 6 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation Yan Xia had just recovered from the news, but before she could think about it, her phone rang. It was Mother Jiang, Liang Lan. ¡°Xia Xia, what did the doctor say? Are you pregnant?¡± ¡°The doctor said it¡¯s just a stomachache,¡± Yan Xia replied. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mother. I¡­¡± Yan Xia paused for a moment. After some thought, she decided not to tell Liang Lan that she could no longer get pregnant. Although this mother-in-law, Liang Lan, was a little harsh with her words and cared about the Jiang family¡¯s heir far more than she did about Yan Xia, she was still good to her on the whole. After being married to the Jiang family for so many years, if it wasn¡¯t for this mother-in-law who mediated between them, perhaps she and Jiang Huai would have fallen out even more. Liang Lan nagged for a few more minutes. It was nothing more than the usual clich¨¦ topics like ¡®you must take supplements¡¯ and ¡®you must do examinations¡¯. ¡°Xia Xia, you¡¯ve been working hard at the company. Why don¡¯t you talk to Jiang Huai about it so that you can stay at home and prepare for your pregnancy? Just find him a new secretary.¡± Yan Xia had always valued her work. She wanted to be financially independent and support herself, so she always avoided this topic and just dealt with it. ¡°Mother, Jiang Huai is already very considerate of me. He rarely makes me work overtime. It¡¯s not hard at all. Mother, don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°You young people just don¡¯t listen to advice. Forget it. Remember to call Jiang Huai back for dinner tonight.¡± Go home for dinner? Yan Xia sighed. She was most afraid of going home and facing the two elders of the Jiang family. Putting down her phone, Yan Xia gathered herself and got ready to get out of bed. She didn¡¯t know why, but she felt a little suffocated, so she skipped through the row of cool-colored clothes in the dressing room and chose a suit she rarely wore. She was wearing a short white dress that was not too tight and could also show her figure. She put on apurple lavender suit jacket that was slightly tight around her waist. She had the aura of a capable woman. Her outfit attracted a lot of attention as she entered the company. Secretary Liu Yu jogged to her side and couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, ¡°Sister Yan, you should wear more of these bright-colored clothes in the future. It¡¯s too eye-catching! You¡¯ve been wearing black, white, and grey suits all the time, and I¡¯ve almost forgotten about your beauty.¡± Yan Xia was pleased, but she pretended to be serious. ¡°Stop being so talkative. How¡¯s the preparation for the handover going? I have to complete the handover today, so I¡¯m moving my things and leaving~¡± Liu Yu pouted. ¡°They say that a woman¡¯s heart is like a pin at the bottom of the ocean. I feel that our president is the one whose heart is at the bottom of the ocean. He inexplicably sent his wife to suffer in a newly established subsidiary company. Who doesn¡¯t know that a newly established company has a lot of things to do!¡± As they spoke, Yan Xia had already reached the office. She subconsciously looked up at Jiang Huai¡¯s office and saw that it was empty. Jiang Huai was an extremely self-disciplined person. He was never late for work, but today was an exception. Yan Xia started to pack up, not forgetting to give Liu Yu some details. ¡°Remember that President Jiang doesn¡¯t see any guests for the two hours at noon. Don¡¯t make any mistakes when making arrangements and be more careful. I¡¯ve summarized President Jiang¡¯s personal habits. I¡¯ll send it to you on WeChat later.¡± Liu Yu looked at the white chat box that filled her WeChat and complained, ¡°President Jiang is really hard to please, he actually has so many habits! Now, I can¡¯t be confident that I won¡¯t make any mistakes.¡± Liu Yu put away her phone and helped Yan Xia put her things back into the box. ¡°Sister Yan, I¡¯ve asked around. The new company is full of new employees. You¡¯re the only one who was transferred there. You should remember to let them know that you¡¯re Madam Jiang and suppress them with your status first!¡± ¡°You¡¯re so talkative. I¡¯ve always relied on my abilities to manage people,¡± Yan Xia said. Liu Yu pouted and did not comment. Yan Xia couldn¡¯t help but think, ¡®They¡¯re all newbies. Jiang Huai doesn¡¯t want people to know that I¡¯m his wife?¡¯ If it wasn¡¯t for Liang Lan¡¯s insistence on announcing the news and making it a hot topic on Weibo during the wedding, not many people in the company would have known that she was the president¡¯s wife. To Jiang Huai, marrying her was probably an embarrassing matter. Chapter 7 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation Yan Xia was waiting for the elevator with a paper box in her arms. When the elevator door opened, it was Jiang Huai. Yan Xia saw the elevator coming down from upstairs and guessed that Jiang Huai must have gone to an emergency meeting. Then, she noticed that he had changed into a suit that she had never seen before. Jiang Huai was 1.9 meters tall and very handsome. He was on par with the young hunks. The Jiang family¡¯s upbringing made him pay attention to his image at all times. It seemed that he didn¡¯t have time to go home and change, so he¡¯d gone the mall to buy a set of clothes. Jiang Huai saw that Yan Xia was still standing at the door and didn¡¯t come in. He couldn¡¯t help but frown, and his tone became colder. ¡°What are you standing there for? Come in and don¡¯t waste my time!¡± Yan Xia snapped back to reality. Recalling the awkwardness from last night, she mustered her courage and walked into the elevator. She obediently stood one step behind Jiang Huai. Jiang Huai was unhappy. Was this woman avoiding him? ¡°Mother said that she wants us to go home for dinner,¡± Yan Xia said carefully. Jiang Huai took his hand out of his pocket, turned to Yan Xia, and pressed her against the elevator wall. Yan Xia was caught off guard by his sudden action and lost her grip on the box. The box fell to the ground and its contents scattered. ¡°I only didn¡¯t go home for one night, and my obedient wife went to complain to Mother?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Yan Xia explained, feeling wronged. ¡°I did it so you could become the financial director of the new company. Are you dissatisfied?¡± Jiang Huai¡¯s eyes were sharp, as if he could swallow Yan Xia alive at any moment. Yan Xia did not back down. She raised her head and met his gaze. ¡°Promotion is a good thing. Why would I be unhappy?¡± Jiang Huai used his other hand to lift Yan Xia¡¯s chin. ¡°It¡¯s a grievance that you can¡¯t be by my side. You can¡¯t be loved by me anytime, anywhere.¡± Jiang Huai¡¯s words were sharp and piercing. Yan Xia ignored the insulting words and glanced at the number on the elevator. ¡°We¡¯re on the first floor, Mr. Jiang.¡± Jiang Huai didn¡¯t even look at her as he turned around and walked out of the elevator. He couldn¡¯t tell what kind of tacit understanding the two of them had developed over the past three years. Once Jiang Huai was angry, Yan Xia would be in the wrong no matter what she did. His gentlemanly and elegant demeanor to the outside world was fake. The only real thing was that he was angry with Yan Xia. Jiang Huai hurt her without a care and used all the words he could think of to hurt her like she was being stripped of her clothes and bones. Then, he would leave in a cool manner, leaving her all alone and in a sorry state. Yan Xia felt helpless. It had become a habit after so many years. It seemed that only this kind of embarrassment was real, and she had learned how to face such embarrassment a long time ago. To prevent herself from being exposed, Yan Xia could only squat down and pick up the things with her back facing the elevator door. Just as the elevator door was about to close, a person appeared at the right time and helped her press the elevator button. Yan Xia stood up to thank him and walked out of the elevator elegantly. She did not look as disheveled as she did when she was picking up the items earlier. She did not expect the man to catch up with her and walk side by side with her. ¡°Miss, I¡¯m new here. The company is too big, so I¡¯m a little lost. Can you show me the way?¡± Yan Xia stopped and looked at the boy in the cap. ¡°Where are you going to report?¡± The boy smiled brightly, revealing a row of neat teeth, which made people feel better. ¡°Sunny Management Company.¡± Wasn¡¯t this a coincidence? Yan Xia continued to walk forward. ¡°Alright, follow me then.¡± The Jiang Corporation was very big and had many subsidiaries. However, for the convenience of management, the Jiang Corporation booked the entire park area, and Sunny Management Company was in a newly built building next to the original company. The building wasn¡¯t very high, only having three floors. However, the design was very modern. All the floor-to-ceiling windows made the whole building look like a glass room with good lighting. Yan Xia¡¯s office was on the third floor. Even though it was smaller than her previous office, it was brighter and made her feel good. To her surprise, there was a massage chair in the office. The work was so intense that Yan Xia¡¯s body ached from time to time. The massage chair was so considerate. Yan Xia had just put down the cardboard box. Before she could sit down, she picked up the artistes¡¯ information on the table. The first one was Zhang Ying¡¯s information. She had indeed returned to China. Yan Xia recalled the information she had looked up on her phone when she returned home last night. She was a fashionista in the foreign media¡¯s eyes, a new red carpet star, a high-class oriental face, and a talented pianist. All kinds of gorgeous words wrapped around Zhang Ying, and she was as dazzling as the stars in the sky. In contrast, Yan Xia was nothing more than dust. Chapter 8 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation The difference between cloud and mud. It was the first time that Yan Xia understood this phrase. She still remembered the scene when she first met Zhang Ying three years ago. Under the heavy snow, Zhang Ying, who was wearing a beret, smiled sweetly. She waved at Jiang Huai, who was behind Yan Xia. She still remembered Jiang Huai from that day. He was tall and handsome. At that time, his eyes were still bright, and his smile was so gentle and warm. Yan Xia snapped out of her reverie and realized that the teenager who had been following her all the way had followed her into her office. He was looking at the documents in her hand in surprise. ¡°So the news that the marketing accounts were talking about was true!¡± ¡°What?¡± Yan Xia was curious. She was a secretary before, so she was rarely involved in the entertainment industry. The young man had an all-knowing look and said proudly, ¡°The marketing accounts are all saying that Zhang Ying wants to enter the entertainment industry, and the Jiang Corporation set up a management company specifically to poach Zhang Ying, who has returned to China. Moreover, Zhang Ying¡¯s economic contract negotiations were all handled by President Jiang personally! It¡¯s enough to see how much importance the Jiang Corporation places on Zhang Ying!¡± Yan Xia was stunned. Did Jiang Huai not come home yesterday because¡­ The youngster continued, ¡°But Zhang Ying still has to act as a guest in a show overseas. It seems like she still has a few days before she can finish her work. She hasn¡¯t even signed the contract with the Jiang Corporation yet. Isn¡¯t it a little too fast that Sunny has already sorted out the artistes¡¯ information?¡± Yan Xia put down the things in her hands and looked at the young man in front of her with a serious face. Why was a newcomer in the company being so nosy? ¡°What¡¯s your name? Which department did you apply for?¡± The young man did not seem to notice the displeasure in Yan Xia¡¯s eyes. He took off his cap, tidied his hair, and stood up straight with a bright smile. ¡°My name is Zhang Rui. I¡¯m applying for the position of an artiste assistant job that starts today. Good day, Director!¡± Yan Xia nodded imperceptibly and reevaluated the person in front of her. ¡°Go report to your department head and ask him to arrange a suitable job for you. You should also listen to his arrangements on which artiste you should work with.¡± Zhang Rui nodded, but he didn¡¯t have any intention of leaving. Yan Xia looked at him with a frown. ¡°Director, can I choose which artiste I want to follow?¡± Zhang Rui said with a cheeky smile. ¡°I promise that I¡¯ll be quick, hardworking, and sensible. I¡¯ll definitely be able to help you!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± It had been a long time since Yan Xia had seen someone so passionate about work. She was impressed. ¡°Tell me, who do you want to work for?¡± ¡°Zhang Ying!¡± he said without any hesitation. Yan Xia didn¡¯t expect this person to be so ambitious. He didn¡¯t bother with ordinary artistes, but he followed the biggest one. ¡°The reason.¡± Zhang Rui responded without any consideration. ¡°The second reason!¡± He suddenly lowered his voice. ¡°According to gossip, this Zhang Ying and President Jiang have a special relationship. I heard that Zhang Ying and President Jiang had an ambiguous relationship before she went abroad. However, no one knows why President Jiang didn¡¯t marry her. But this time, when she returns to China, I think the two of them will definitely get back together! It¡¯s nothing new for the rich to get divorced and remarry. If I follow Zhang Ying, I¡¯ll be able to rise to the top!¡± Yan Xia¡¯s face turned pale. She did not know how to deal with the young man in front of her. Jiang Huai and Zhang Ying¡¯s relationship was never a secret. He liked her in an open manner. As for Yan Xia, she was officially his wife. Other than the people in the company, no one else knew about this. She had never paid attention to such news, so she never knew that in everyone¡¯s eyes, she was actually just a wife in name only. Yes, Jiang Huai didn¡¯t love her. She had been reminding herself of this sentence for three years, and it was only now that she clearly understood each word. ¡°Director? Director?¡± Yan Xia snapped out of her reverie and massaged her aching temples. She walked around Zhang Rui and sat down at his desk. ¡°Go report first. I¡¯ll consider this matter.¡± Zhang Rui looked at Yan Xia and noticed that she was obviously unhappy. However, he did not know what he said wrong. People who had just entered society had one thing in common. They were straightforward, bold, and had the aura of a newborn calf who was not afraid of tigers. Therefore, Zhang Rui didn¡¯t think much about it. He shrugged and went out. Chapter 9 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation The office suddenly quieted down. Yan Xia forced herself out of her thoughts and started to read the stack of documents on her desk. From the company¡¯s development plan to the development status and development ideas of each artist under the company, it could be said that there were no details were left unread. By the time she finished reading all the information, the sky outside was already a little dark. She looked at the time and realized that it was already past 6 o¡¯clock. She felt a slight pain in her stomach, and only then did she remember that she had not eaten today. Yan Xia suddenly remembered what Mother Jiang had told her and immediately sent Jiang Huai a WeChat message. [Mother said that we¡¯re going back for dinner. Where should I wait for you?] [You can go back by yourself.] Yan Xia imagined Jiang Huai¡¯s cold expression and perhaps even a little disdain. She rolled her eyes secretly. ¡®You only know how to be mean to me. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m the one who¡¯s asking you to go home for dinner.¡¯ After complaining in her heart, Yan Xia still summoned up her courage and took a taxi home. She initially thought that Mother Jiang was worried about her health, so she specially invited the two of them over for a meal. However, she didn¡¯t expect Jiang Huai¡¯s sister, Jiang Ling, to be there as well. Jiang Huai was the only child in the Jiang family. However, Mother Jiang liked girls very much. Hence, she adopted Jiang Ling and has pampered her since she was young. As soon as she opened the door, Yan Xia heard the sound of laughter coming from inside. ¡°Mother, it must be Big Brother. I¡¯ll go and pick him up,¡± a sweet female voice said. Then, there was the sound of footsteps. Jiang Ling appeared at the entrance. Her smile immediately fell when she saw Yan Xia. As if saying another word would be too much for her, she turned around and went back to the living room. Yan Xia awkwardly followed her in, but Mother Jiang came to her rescue. ¡°Why did Xia Xia come back alone? Where¡¯s Jiang Huai?¡± ¡°He¡­ something happened in the company.¡± Yan Xia felt that the smile on her face was as unnatural as a statue. However, something even more embarrassing happened. The door opened just as she finished speaking. It was Jiang Huai. Mother Jiang¡¯s eyes darted back and forth between the two of them, but she didn¡¯t ask any more questions. Instead, Jiang Ling seized the opportunity to embarrass Yan Xia. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s because Big Brother is busy. He just doesn¡¯t want to see your face. That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t want to come back with you!¡± Her anger had dropped to the freezing point. Jiang Ling looked at Yan Xia playfully, her eyes full of determination. Yan Xia wished she could just disappear. The next person to speak was actually Jiang Huai. ¡°Let¡¯s eat. We¡¯ve had a long day.¡± We? Jiang Ling¡¯s expression was very interesting, as if she had suddenly eaten dirt. Yan Xia was also stunned. Was he trying to help her? Yan Xia wanted to go back to the morning and see if the sun had risen from the west. At the dinner table, Mother Jiang asked about the child again. ¡°Xia Xia, you have to eat more so that you can have a healthy baby. You¡¯re usually too skinny.¡± Then, she added another piece of meat to Yan Xia. Jiang Ling interrupted, ¡°What¡¯s the use of a hen that can¡¯t lay eggs?¡± However, before she could finish her sentence, she was frightened by Jiang Huai¡¯s gaze and stopped talking. She bit her chopsticks angrily. Yan Xia looked at the pile of food on her plate and tried her best to eat, pretending she didn¡¯t see anything. Liang Lan glanced at Jiang Ling and turned to Yan Xia. ¡°Xia Xia, since you¡¯ve already seen the doctor. You must take the medicine prescribed by the doctor on time.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± A puzzled voice suddenly came from above. Yan Xia raised her head slowly and met Jiang Huai¡¯s eyes. What did he mean by that look? Was he blaming her for not being honest? Yan Xia hesitated. If she told the truth, the most protective person in the Jiang family would not stand on her side anymore. If Jiang Huai wanted to get a divorce, there wouldn¡¯t be any more resistance. This was good too. Since Zhang Ying was back, she should give up her seat to her. After all, Jiang Huai loved Zhang Ying so much. He had specially transferred her to Sunny Management Company and kept her away from him because he did not want Zhang Ying to misunderstand. Yan Xia was a little disappointed at the thought, but she gathered her courage and prepared to speak. Jiang Huai suddenly spoke up and stopped her from speaking. ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make sure she takes her medicine on time.¡± Yan Xia was stunned. He knew that she would not get pregnant again, so why did he cover for her? Jiang Ling flipped the meat on her plate and said in a weird tone, ¡°The pregnancy isn¡¯t just her own business. Big Brother has to be willing to help.¡± Chapter 10 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation The moment Jiang Ling spoke, Yan Xia knew that the meal would not be peaceful. This was something that Yan Xia could not understand. Why did Jiang Ling always have such a strange hostility toward her? If it was simply because she didn¡¯t want to treat her as family, this kind of targeting seemed a little extreme. Yan Xia really did not want to have a conflict with this lady. Jiang Ling was the spoiled young lady of the Jiang family and was also Jiang Huai¡¯s sister. She didn¡¯t want Jiang Huai to be caught in the middle. Besides, Jiang Huai already hated her. If she kept getting into conflict with his family, it would only make her even more annoying. Yan Xia did not have to take it to heart and let it affect her mood. Therefore, Yan Xia had always been patient and pretended not to hear Jiang Ling¡¯s provocations. However, when Jiang Ling spoke, it was as if she had a complete set of drafts. She was able to go from the first sentence to the last sentence without any hiccups. ¡°If she hadn¡¯t used some foxy method to trick Big Brother into sleeping with her, would she have been able to bear the child of our Jiang family? After that, she even shamelessly asked my brother to take responsibility of her. I¡¯ve seen many thick-skinned women, but this is the first time I¡¯ve seen such a thick-skinned woman! It¡¯s an insult to me to eat with such a person!¡± These words were extremely vulgar and hard to hear. Jiang Huai couldn¡¯t help but frown when he heard that. His thick brows formed the word ¡®´¨¡¯. He did not seem to be doing it on purpose as he shifted his gaze to the silent Yan Xia. She actually lowered her head obediently and ate her food in peace! This woman had always retorted his one sentence with at least three sentences, but now she was actually acting like a mute? He had no idea how much Yan Xia was suffering. Every time someone mentioned what happened back then, it was death by a thousand cuts to Yan Xia. She had thought more than once that if she could turn back time, she would never have walked into her boss¡¯ room that day. Thinking of this, she felt tears in her eyes and couldn¡¯t help sniffling. Jiang Huai noticed her actions, especially when her thin shoulder twitched. It was as if an invisible hand had grabbed her chest, making it hard for him to breathe. Wasn¡¯t she always full of thorns? Why didn¡¯t she speak up for herself at this time! Out of instinct, Jiang Huai put down his chopsticks and made a ¡®tsk¡¯ sound. Jiang Ling wanted to continue, but she was shocked by his actions. She had been pampered since she was young, so she did not follow the rules and did things according to her own will. She was only a little afraid of her brother, Jiang Huai. As long as Jiang Huai showed any signs of displeasure, Jiang Ling would restrain herself in time no matter how unwilling she was. At this moment, Jiang Huai was looking at her with the kind of eyes that she was most afraid of. She froze for a moment and didn¡¯t know what to say. Mother Jiang could sense her son¡¯s temper and wanted to smooth things over, but Jiang Huai had already struck first. ¡°Apologize,¡± he said. ¡°I¡­¡± Jiang Ling wanted to argue for herself, but Liang Lan nudged her leg under the table, indicating for her to stop talking. Liang Lan knew her child¡¯s stubbornness. If he was really angry, then it didn¡¯t matter who came. There had to be a conclusion. Jiang Ling was not willing to give up and glared at the innocent-looking Yan Xia. ¡®Vixen, you only know how to pretend to be pitiful and seduce my brother!¡¯ Even though Jiang Ling was cursing in her heart, she still apologized unwillingly on the surface. ¡°I was in a bad mood today, so I said too much. Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± Yan Xia sighed inwardly. This girl did not even mention the words ¡®I was wrong¡¯ when she apologized. She was really spoiled. However, Yan Xia had no choice but to smooth things over with a smile and accept her apology. As soon as Yan Xia finished her sentence, Jiang Huai stood up, grabbed her wrist, and headed upstairs to the bedroom. Yan Xia did not have time to resist. She could only smile and follow his steps until the bedroom door was closed. The sound insulation of this room was very good. Once the door was closed, no sound could be heard from outside. Only the two of them were left, so it was very awkward for them to not speak. Yan Xia was touched. She knew that he was helping her. ¡°Thank you for your help.¡± Jiang Huai sat on the bed and supported himself with his hands. He raised his head in a very comfortable position, making his legs look even longer. The light from the incandescent lamp was too glaring. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the light. He sneered when he heard Yan Xia¡¯s words. Yan Xia¡¯s heart sank, knowing that he was going to mock her again. ¡°See who the owner is before you hit the dog.¡± Chapter 11 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation Sure enough, she was overthinking. However, Jiang Huai enjoyed Yan Xia¡¯s obedience. And Yan Xia looked different today. She had never worn such a lively color before. In place of her usual black, white, and gray suit was a rare light purple one, which made her eyes look gentler. Jiang Huai patted the seat beside him. ¡°Sit down.¡± Yan Xia furrowed her brows and slowly walked to his side, sitting not too far away from him. No more, no less, they were separated by an arm. Jiang Huai looked a little relaxed. He was always very tense. He would not easily reveal his feelings when he encountered difficult problems at work. Only when the problem was solved would he show such a relaxed expression. It was definitely not just work that made him so relaxed. Then, she thought of what he had said about ¡®see who the owner is before kicking the dog¡¯ and what had happened in the past two days. Yan Xia¡¯s heart sank. Jiang Huai suddenly said, ¡°Last night¡­¡± Last night? The first rule of being a secretary was to guess the boss¡¯ next words when he said the first word and think of a response in time! Yan Xia¡¯s brain was spinning. They had gone to the hospital for a checkup last night. Jiang Huai knew that she could no longer get pregnant, so he left her by the roadside on a rainy day. She then sent Jiang Huai a message. Information! [If you want to, we can get a divorce.] Almost without much effort, Yan Xia had already thought of the result. Had he thought it through? Divorce? ¡®Since he knows I can¡¯t get pregnant anymore, it¡¯s only reasonable for us to get a divorce,¡¯ Yan Xia consoled herself. ¡°The doctor said you still have a chance of getting pregnant.¡± ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s get a divorce.¡± The two of them said in unison. The two of them were stunned. Jiang Huai suddenly sat up as anger filled his eyes. His handsome face was contorted in anger. Yan Xia, on the other hand, was shocked. She didn¡¯t understand what he had just said. Pregnant? ¡°So, you¡¯re not saying anything to Jiang Ling because you¡¯ve made up your mind to get a divorce!¡± Jiang Huai squeezed her shoulder. There was only the touch of bones. She was so thin and weak! ¡°Why do you want me to let you go? Is it so you can be with Wu Chen?¡± What was he saying? Wasn¡¯t he the one who wanted a divorce? ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± Jiang Huai pinched her arm until it hurt. Yan Xia couldn¡¯t help but frown. However, Jiang Huai¡¯s expression changed. ¡°You don¡¯t want me to mention him?¡± Yan Xia was in so much pain that she clung to his arm and tried to push him away, but he grabbed her even harder and pressed his whole body against hers. He covered her lips with force and sucked on her lips in revenge. Yan Xia was out of breath and Jiang Huai finally let her go. ¡°You¡¯ve tortured me for three years. Don¡¯t think I¡¯ll let you go so easily! The pain I¡¯ve suffered will be returned to you a thousand times over. The happiness I can¡¯t get, you can forget about getting it!¡± Yan Xia was panting and her eyes were blurry but Jiang Huai¡¯s hatred was clear. It turned out that he really hated her all the time. Every time she thought that they would get along peacefully, it turned into a storm after another. She was like a floating duckweed, struggling to survive in this storm again and again. It was never the storm that hurt her, but the obvious hatred. Time could not kill it, and the hatred that could not be filled with other emotions tortured the two. Tears rolled down her face. Yan Xia looked at the man who was like an injured cheetah. For a moment, she wanted to hug him tightly and warm him with her softness. However, she knew that such a hug would only produce the opposite effect. ¡°Jiang Huai, let¡¯s get a divorce, okay? Please let me go.¡± Yan Xia was almost begging. If her departure could free him, she would rather disappear from his world. ¡°I said, don¡¯t even think about it!¡± His jawline was tensed, and a vein could be seen on his neck. ¡°Yan Xia, I will never let you go. I will never let you be happy with someone else!¡± Yan Xia was stunned. His hatred was so strong, but she could do nothing about it. She finally couldn¡¯t hold back the emotions that had accumulated over the past three years, and she blurted out with tears in her eyes. ¡°But you don¡¯t love me!¡± Chapter 12 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation Jiang Huai felt like his brain was being struck by lightning. He felt the pain of being humiliated. He was so angry that he laughed. ¡°Stop acting like you¡¯ve been let down. What right do you have to make me love you?¡± She only had eyes and heart for Wu Chen and had even aborted their child for him. How could she dare to question whether he loved her or not? Yan Xia calmed down. The two of them were married because of a shotgun marriage. It was ridiculous to talk about love or not! ¡°Yes, I will remember President Jiang¡¯s teachings!¡± The two of them fell into silence again. After an unknown period of time, a servant knocked on the door and broke the silence between the two of them. It was the nourishing soup that Liang Lan had prepared for the two of them to drink before they slept. Jiang Huai didn¡¯t say anything. He walked past the servant with a dark expression and slammed the door shut. He locked himself in the study. Yan Xia took advantage of the servant¡¯s daze to wipe away the tears on her face. She forced a smile that was not very natural. ¡°Put it down, I¡¯ll drink it later.¡± Of course, the servant didn¡¯t dare to gossip about the master¡¯s family. She could only pretend that she didn¡¯t know anything and quietly left. However, the butler was an old man by Mother Jiang¡¯s side and had watched the two children of the Jiang family grow up since they were young. Naturally, he cared more about them than most people. The servant didn¡¯t dare to hide anything, so she told the truth when the butler asked. Nanny Li told Mrs. Jiang. ¡°The Young Master must be angry.¡± Mother Jiang was helpless. ¡°Although they rarely quarrel in front of me, they always look harmonious on the surface. I knew there was something wrong! I asked them to stay at home, but they were not willing and insisted on moving out. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve been able to hold a grandson until now because the two of them don¡¯t know how to get along!¡± Nanny Li knew that she was upset, so she walked behind her and massaged her back and shoulders. ¡°Madam, don¡¯t worry. The Young Master has a stubborn temper, and quarrels are inevitable. As long as Young Madam is a little gentler and shows her weakness appropriately, the two of them can still get along well.¡± Liang Lan didn¡¯t think that way. ¡°Jiang Huai has been stubborn since he was young, but he¡¯s always been very nice to Zhang Ying. I¡¯ve never seen him lose his temper at Zhang Ying.¡± Nanny Li couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°This Miss Zhang is indeed outstanding. I often see her on TV. There are thousands of people in the hall, but Miss Zhang is playing the piano on the stage alone. It¡¯s so grand!¡± Liang Lan sighed, ¡°Sigh, this child is close to me. If it wasn¡¯t for that incident, I also hoped that she could become my daughter-in-law. When she had nothing to do, she would play the piano to kill time. Isn¡¯t that better than having no one by my side all day? But the past is the past. In the end, the two children are not fated to be together.¡± Liang Lan patted her own leg again, indicating for Nanny Li to massage her knee. When Nanny Li squatted down, Liang Lan continued to nag. ¡°Besides, do you think I don¡¯t know my son? We¡¯ve all seen how he treated Yan Xia when they first got married. He¡¯s just bothered by what happened three years ago, but the Jiang family has never divorced before. Since they¡¯re married, they¡¯ll live together, regardless if they want to or not!¡± Jiang Huai slept in the study for the night. The next morning, he was picked up by his chauffeur before Yan Xia could even wake up. When Jiang Ling found out about it, she couldn¡¯t help but smile. Mother Jiang gave her a reproachful look. ¡°Don¡¯t forget how angry your brother was yesterday. You better watch your mouth today!¡± Jiang Ling was displeased. She hugged her mother¡¯s arm and whined, ¡°Mother is biased! You don¡¯t dote on Ling¡¯er anymore!¡± Liang Lan would not fall for her tricks. ¡°Don¡¯t go too far. No matter what, she¡¯s still your sister-in-law. Who would say that about their own sister-in-law? Your brother was already very lenient with you yesterday. If you continue to do that, even I can¡¯t protect you.¡± Jiang Ling pouted and mumbled in dissatisfaction, ¡°Hmph, she¡¯s a scheming and vicious woman. She can¡¯t compare to Sister Zhang Ying at all. Just you wait, my brother will dump her sooner or later!¡± ¡°Jiang Ling!¡± Seeing the glint in her mother¡¯s eyes, Jiang Ling replied reluctantly, ¡°I know, I know.¡± Chapter 13 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation Yan Xia did not know how she fell asleep. In any case, she was curled up on the bed, and her tears had long dried up. She didn¡¯t draw the curtains, and the moonlight was very bright. Even if she didn¡¯t turn on the lights, she could clearly see the layout of the house. Jiang Huai had lived in this room before he got married. It had been three years, but it was still filled with his aura. He never liked complicated things. The design of the house was simple and modern, just like his office. In short, the places he often stayed in were always the best for reflecting his temperament and aesthetic appreciation. They were fixed and unique, just like him, without a trace of fault. With that thought, Yan Xia fell asleep. When she woke up in the morning, the bed was empty. There was no trace of anyone lying on it. He did not return. That¡¯s right, after what he said yesterday, how could the two of them sleep together again? She didn¡¯t know if he had rested well in the study. With that thought in mind, Yan Xia struggled to prop up her numb body, tidied herself up, and went downstairs. She only realized that Jiang Huai had already left when she reached downstairs. She forced herself to sit down under the gazes of the mother and daughter of the Jiang family and awkwardly greeted them. Jiang Ling had always been cold to her, but she rarely said anything nasty. Mother Jiang smiled at her. After she sat down, she said, ¡°Xia Xia, did you two have a fight last night?¡± Yan Xia forced her brain to work quickly. She wanted to hide the truth but Jiang Huai had slept in the study for the entire night. It was impossible to hide it, so she could only try to make it sound as easy as possible. ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry. We just had a disagreement because we didn¡¯t reach a consensus on some work matters.¡± Of course, Mother Jiang knew that Yan Xia was lying to her. After all, she had been through that too. Instead of revealing it, Mother Jiang said casually, ¡°Marriage is a joint grinding process between two people, and only by giving in can they be closer. No matter how tough those men are on the outside, they¡¯ll still melt in a woman¡¯s hands at home.¡± Yan Xia ate her bun in silence, not knowing how to respond. Mother Jiang continued, ¡°No matter how strong they are, they can only endure our gentleness. You just don¡¯t know how to be flexible sometimes. No matter what you say, you always answer gently. Will he lose his temper at you? Men need to be coaxed.¡± Yan Xia swallowed the dumpling skin in her mouth with great difficulty. She felt extremely depressed. Of course, she also wanted for the two of them to respect each other courteously. She never dared to anger him, but the two of them always quarreled for no reason. In his eyes, everything she did was wrong. She didn¡¯t even have the chance to talk to Jiang Huai properly. Besides, Jiang Huai hated her so much that he probably wouldn¡¯t listen to her. Yan Xia did not want to think about it anymore. Tears were already welling up in her eyes. ¡°I understand, Mother,¡± she replied, holding back her tears. Mother Jiang could tell that she was crying. It was out of a woman¡¯s protective nature and her understanding of her son that Mother Jiang didn¡¯t say anything else and changed the topic. ¡°Since work is so hard, why don¡¯t you quit and stay at home to prepare for your pregnancy?¡± For so many years, Yan Xia had worked her way up from the bottom level after graduating from university. She had achieved her current position step by step with her own efforts. She clearly knew that marriage was not everything in life. A woman had to have her own career, so no matter what, she would not give up this job and willingly become a housewife. She knew what her value was and how to realize it. She was not the kind of woman who lived under her husband¡¯s name, and she would never allow herself to be a dodder that relied on others. But she couldn¡¯t tell Mother Jiang about this, so she had to deal with it. ¡°Mother, the subsidiary company has just been established. It¡¯s time for us to find the right people. I just want to help Jiang Huai.¡± Mother Jiang didn¡¯t say anything more after hearing what Yan Xia said. She only reminded her to take care of herself and get her health checked so that she could have a healthy child. Chapter 14 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation Sunny Management Agency was in a separate building, while Jiang Huai¡¯s office was in the upper management building next door. If they didn¡¯t meet on purpose, the two of them probably wouldn¡¯t have the chance to meet. Yan Xia took a deep breath and walked into Sunny¡¯s building. It was good that they didn¡¯t see each other. It would save the two of them from the awkwardness. The elevator door closed as soon as Yan Xia entered the building. It seemed that she hadn¡¯t fully grasped the high-peak frequency band of this elevator. She looked at the stairs beside her helplessly and decided to take the stairs. Every company¡¯s working hours were different. In addition to the department¡¯s habits, the use of the elevator would be unique and frequent. Back when she was the president¡¯s secretary, Yan Xia had spent three days to get someone to conduct a review to make the most efficient use of time. The review was to monitor the frequency of the elevator¡¯s use in a day and find out the pattern. However, she had only been working at the company for a day, so she did not have the time to do all this. Fortunately, the building only had three floors, so it didn¡¯t take too much time to climb the stairs. She could also exercise. As she was thinking, the elevator door opened again. Yan Xia walked over quickly and realized it was Jiang Huai. His new secretary, Liu Yu, stood behind him. Liu Yu secretly made a funny face at Yan Xia and then made a bitter crying face, as if she was complaining about the hard work. Yan Xia did not have time to respond. She was fighting herself on whether she should go in or not. Jiang Huai was impatient. ¡°What are you standing there for? Come in.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Yan Xia walked in obediently with her head down and stood quietly beside Liu Yu. Jiang Huai frowned. Why was this woman always able to make him angry? Just as he was about to lose his temper, the elevator stopped on the second floor. Liu Yu reminded him in a low voice, ¡°President Jiang, the company¡¯s manager training and management department is on the second floor.¡± She meant that he should get off the elevator. Knowing that he still had things to do, Jiang Huai couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with Yan Xia and walked out. Yan Xia stared at the back of the person in front of her until they reached the elevator door. However, his back view made her heart race. She could not remember where she had read it ¨C no matter how long it had been, the person she liked would still be able to move her heart. It had been three years, but her heart still beat faster for him. How disappointing! Yan Xia walked out of the elevator and returned to her office on the third floor. Yesterday, she had a rough understanding of the company¡¯s development and the general development path of the entertainment industry. Today, she should arrange for the artists in his hands to be sent out as soon as possible. Only when the artists got back to work as soon as possible could the company¡¯s funds return. Zhang Ying had not returned to the country yet. As the company¡¯s top actress, her work could not be simplified. She had to make a precise plan, so she put it aside first. As for the other artistes, other than two artistes who had already developed quite well and had a certain fan base, they had jumped over with their manager because of their relationship. The other artistes were all newcomers, so the best way was to throw them into a talent show. Now, they could be active in the public eye for a while before moving on to the next step. By the time everything was planned, it was already noon. She saw Liu Yu¡¯s call and thought that something had happened to Jiang Huai, so she called back immediately. ¡°Ah, Sister Yan! How did you survive all these years? President Jiang is no ordinary person! He managed to squeeze in a day to finish three days of work! The efficiency is so high that it makes us gasp in amazement! You¡¯re the only one who can keep up with President Jiang! Help me!¡± Yan Xia liked Liu Yu¡¯s lively personality. Although she was carefree, she was very serious and rarely made mistakes. Yan Xia¡¯s gloominess faded away when she heard her complaint. She was in the mood to joke with her. ¡°One of the rules in the office is never to complain about your boss. Because you never know who you¡¯ll meet in the pantry!¡± Liu Yu didn¡¯t care that Yan Xia couldn¡¯t see her expression. She lifted her chin and said proudly, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid. President Jiang is not in the company now. He won¡¯t know what I say.¡± Not in the company? With his personality, he would not leave the company during working hours no matter what. ¡°Does he have something to do?¡± Liu Yu was surprised to hear Yan Xia¡¯s question. ¡°Sister Yan, don¡¯t you know? President Jiang is overseas and won¡¯t be in the country for the next few days!¡± Chapter 15 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation Yan Xia carefully thought about Jiang Huai¡¯s work schedule before her shift. It was clearly scheduled for next week and there were no plans to go abroad in the near future. Then why did he suddenly leave the country? He even had to catch the earliest flight in the morning. Yan Xia¡¯s thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the office door. She hung up the phone and let someone in. It was Zhang Rui. Young people were always full of energy. He smiled at everyone, revealing a row of bright white teeth. ¡°Director.¡± Yan Xia¡¯s back was a little stiff after sitting for the whole morning. She adjusted her posture slightly to make herself more comfortable. ¡°What is it?¡± Zhang Rui didn¡¯t beat around the bush and said straightforwardly, ¡°I mentioned to you before that I want to be Zhang Ying¡¯s assistant. Have you considered it? I¡¯ve talked to my supervisor, and he thinks I¡¯m capable enough, so I¡¯ll listen to you!¡± The sudden formal ¡®you¡¯ made Yan Xia feel like she had aged a few years. Before she could say anything, Zhang Rui continued, ¡°I¡¯ve checked Zhang Ying¡¯s recent schedule online. Zhang Ying has a piano concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London in the next two days. She¡¯ll be returning to China after the concert, which is within these two days.¡± Zhang Rui put on a pitiful look and acted coquettishly, ¡°Director, just agree. I promise I¡¯ll work hard and try not to make any mistakes!¡± Yan Xia was very serious about her work. She had carefully selected the people under her. She liked smart, sensible, and insightful people who were more flexible and able to deal with unexpected situations. Zhang Rui was bold and careful, and he knew how to fight for himself. Yan Xia liked this, so she signed his transfer order. Yan Xia was the only one left in the office, so she had the time to think about the question again. So Jiang Huai suddenly went overseas to attend Zhang Ying¡¯s piano concert. It was no wonder Liu Yu complained about how Jiang Huai had to finish his three days of work in one day just to free up some time so that he could watch Zhang Ying¡¯s piano performance. She thought about how he had suddenly stood her up when they had agreed to have dinner together and made her walk back alone on the street on Christmas Eve. It was so obvious whether he loved someone or not. In order not to disappoint the person he liked, he would find time to accompany her no matter how busy he was. However, he was unwilling to accompany someone he didn¡¯t like, no matter how free he was. Just as she was thinking about this, Gu Ling called. Yan Xia felt that it was such a coincidence. ¡°Mom, what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t look too good at the banquet, so I called to ask you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a normal stomach problem. It¡¯s fine.¡± There was some hesitation on the other end of the phone. Yan Xia guessed that her mother might have something to say, but she stammered and didn¡¯t know how to start. ¡°Mom, if you have anything to say, just say it.¡± Mother Yan finally spoke. ¡°Xia Xia, you¡¯ve been married to Jiang Huai for three years. Even if you don¡¯t have feelings for him, it¡¯s already a habit. Please don¡¯t make any mistakes at this time.¡± Yan Xia was confused. ¡°What do you mean? Did someone gossip about you?¡± ¡°No, it was actually Wu Chen. After the banquet ended and you all left, Wu Chen came to me and asked for your contact information, but I didn¡¯t give it to him. Xia Xia, don¡¯t ever think about unrealistic things again, and live your life well. I can see that Jiang Huai still treats you very well. Don¡¯t let Wu Chen create a rift between you two.¡± Yan Xia rolled her eyes in her heart. She couldn¡¯t understand the situation. How was Jiang Huai nice to her? However, she did not expect Wu Chen to ask for her contact information. After that incident, Yan Xia cut off all contact with Wu Chen. On one hand, she wanted to prove her innocence. On the other hand, she was worried that Jiang Huai would overthink things. ¡°The most important thing for you now is to give birth to the child of the Jiang family,¡± Mother Yan continued. ¡°If you could keep the child from back then, Jiang Huai wouldn¡¯t turn a blind eye to our family.¡± A child, a child again! Having a child wasn¡¯t her problem alone. Jiang Huai was the one who didn¡¯t want to, so why did everyone say that it was her problem? ¡°Enough! You shouldn¡¯t have gone to Jiang Huai in the first place and used the child to force him to marry me!¡± Yan Xia was upset. She wanted to say force a man who didn¡¯t love her to marry her, but both of them were in pain. Chapter 16 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation Mother Yan was also provoked by this attitude and her anger rose immediately, and her words became mean. ¡°What are you saying! If I didn¡¯t go to Jiang Huai and make him take responsibility for you, how are you going to live your life as a widow? If it weren¡¯t for the child in your stomach, you wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to enter the Jiang family. Could it be that you don¡¯t want to marry Jiang Huai because you still miss Wu Chen?¡± Yan Xia did not want to involve Wu Chen in this matter. ¡°I never wanted to be with Wu Chen! Don¡¯t say such things again in the future!¡± Mother Yan¡¯s voice became even shrill at her daughter¡¯s rebuttal. ¡°Okay, okay, okay. I was being a busybody. It¡¯s really up to you to say what you want! I won¡¯t meddle in your affairs in the future! But I¡¯m warning you, stay away from that Wu Chen!¡± ¡°I know!¡± Mother Yan had already hung up the phone. For the whole afternoon, Yan Xia was restless. She treated herself like a robot, dealing with things mechanically. As the sun set, the office was bathed in an orange glow. Yan Xia put down her work and relaxed on the massage chair. The sky was already dark when she left the office. Yan Xia did not pay attention to the people on the road. She walked slowly with her head lowered. Suddenly, she heard someone calling her. The voice was very familiar. ¡°Xia Xia.¡± Yan Xia froze. She stopped in her tracks and stumbled back. She steadied himself and turned around. It was Wu Chen. He walked closer and looked at Yan Xia with a familiar smile. ¡°Auntie refused to give me your number, so I could only come to the company to find you.¡± Yan Xia lowered her head and looked at her feet, not knowing how to respond to him. Her stomach growled at this moment, relieving the awkwardness. ¡°I¡¯m a little hungry. I have to go home for dinner. See you!¡± Yan Xia pretended not to understand that Wu Chen was waiting for her. She smiled nonchalantly and turned to leave, but was suddenly stopped. Wu Chen stopped her again. ¡°Xia Xia, when are you going to stop hiding from me?¡± Yan Xia heaved a sigh of relief and turned around to face him. ¡°I¡¯m not hiding from you. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s not appropriate for us to meet again given our current identities.¡± Wu Chen did not seem to hear her. ¡°Since you¡¯re hungry, let¡¯s go eat. There¡¯s a newly opened internet-famous restaurant nearby. Come with me to visit it. ¡± As Wu Chen spoke, he wanted to pull her away. Yan Xia knew that she could not avoid him, so she could only avoid his hand and follow him. Seeing her like this, Wu Chen didn¡¯t insist on pulling her, but walked beside her and led the way. Yan Xia used to like visiting restaurants, and they were good friends. That was why she would often drag Wu Chen along, but that was in the past. People would change. Looking at the sumptuous dishes on the table, Yan Xia suddenly lost her appetite. Wu Chen put some food into Yan Xia¡¯s bowl. ¡°Xia Xia, this is your favorite potato cake. Try it.¡± Yan Xia did not touch the food on her plate. ¡°I don¡¯t like greasy food anymore.¡± Wu Chen put his chopsticks away awkwardly and continued to find a topic to talk about. ¡°Why did you suddenly transfer to a management company? I remember that you didn¡¯t like the entertainment industry much before.¡± ¡°Work arrangements. Besides, the entertainment industry isn¡¯t as boring as I thought.¡± Wu Chen¡¯s lips curled up, revealing the shallow dimples on his cheeks. He was very gentle. He was very clear about his own advantages and knew what was the most handsome and attractive. ¡°You¡¯re so outstanding that you can do anything in any field with ease.¡± Yan Xia felt that the conversation was meaningless, so she called for the waiter to pay. Wu Chen wanted to pay but was stopped by Yan Xia. Wu Chen¡¯s expression was a little sad, and there was even a look of pity in his eyes. ¡°Are you angry because of what happened back then? I can explain it to you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s meaningless.¡± Yan Xia interrupted him. ¡°Actually, I hope we never see each other again. Wu Chen, you should have your own life.¡± ¡°Does he treat you well?¡± It¡¯s the most old-fashioned conversation in a TV series. If you say it¡¯s good, will you let go of your obsession? If it wasn¡¯t good, their lives wouldn¡¯t have any more interactions. ¡°Wu Chen, this is my life. It has nothing to do with you. Today¡¯s meal is my celebration of your return. Let¡¯s not see each other again.¡± After a pause, Yan Xia added, as if she felt that it was not enough: ¡°I don¡¯t want Jiang Huai to misunderstand.¡± Her words hurt Wu Chen deeply. He wanted to stop Yan Xia, but he was frozen in place by her words. His hand froze in mid-air, but he silently retracted it. Yan Xia went to pay the bill and left the restaurant without looking back. She didn¡¯t notice that in an inconspicuous corner next to the table where they ate, a camera had secretly recorded evidence of their meeting. Chapter 17 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation Yan Xia did not want to see Wu Chen because she did not want to think about what happened in the past. At that time, the child was already in its first trimester. All the tests said that the child was very healthy, and her body was completely fine. She could provide the baby with sufficient nutrition. However, it was ruined by a glass of wine that night. She still didn¡¯t know what was wrong with the glass of wine. With her alcohol tolerance, she couldn¡¯t have collapsed after one glass. When she woke up again, the house was a mess, and Wu Chen, who was also in a drunken stupor, lay beside her. Due to Jiang Huai¡¯s anger and the dispute between them, the child was lost without warning. That kind of pain that felt like it was going to empty her whole body, the unbearable nature of loss continued to grieve her until now. Every time she dreamed about it at night, it was as if she had fallen into an endless abyss. She struggled bitterly, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn¡¯t grab onto the trees on the cliff and would never sink to the bottom. Yan Xia forced herself to calm down and stopped a taxi to go home. It had been three days since Jiang Huai left the country. They didn¡¯t have a single phone call in the past three days, and the two of them had completely lost contact. Yan Xia returned home from work, day after day, leading a boring life. She didn¡¯t search for any piano concerts, nor did she ask Liu Yu about Jiang Huai¡¯s schedule. She was competing with herself. As long as she didn¡¯t pay attention to him, she wouldn¡¯t be sad. Her feelings for Jiang Huai would also be hidden bit by bit. This was her usual trick. After knowing that her feelings for Jiang Huai would never be reciprocated, she decided to keep it a secret forever. She didn¡¯t want anyone to know that she liked Jiang Huai to protect her last bit of dignity. She didn¡¯t want Jiang Huai to hurt her further with this incident. This was the only way she could turn around when she left. Yan Xia was lying on the massage chair when her phone rang. It was Jiang Huai. Jiang Huai had never taken the initiative to call her before. If there was anything, he would send her a WeChat message. This was the first time he had ever called her. ¡°How¡¯s Sunny doing recently?¡± He spoke in a business-like tone. Yan Xia stood up and picked up the week¡¯s work report. She reported everything to him in detail, just like when she was the president¡¯s secretary. Jiang Huai listened attentively. He paused when he felt that something was wrong and gave his opinion. Yan Xia used her pen to draw circles on every point that he raised. Half an hour passed without her realizing it. After he was done with the company¡¯s procedures, he began to talk about some details. ¡°Have you found Zhang Ying¡¯s manager?¡± Yan Xia flipped through the documents. ¡°There¡¯s a suitable manager in the company. She¡¯s the most experienced and has the most resources. She¡¯ll have no problem managing Zhang Ying.¡± ¡°Is it Chen Yi?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± For a moment, Yan Xia forgot she was on the phone and thought that she was reporting to him face-to-face. She nodded subconsciously. ¡°She can¡¯t. I remember that she only had one artiste under her when she came to the company. Including the company¡¯s allocation, she now has at least three people under her. Give Zhang Ying a manager who can focus on her.¡± Yan Xia was speechless. The company had just been established and there were already very few managers. It was a bit difficult to ask for a manager with qualifications and resources who could take care of one person wholeheartedly. ¡°But we don¡¯t have enough people right now. Other than Chen Yi, there¡¯s no other suitable candidate.¡± ¡°Then you do it.¡± What? Yan Xia could not help but roll her eyes. What was wrong with her boss? Did he not think that it would be awkward for them to let his wife be his white moonlight¡¯s manager? Seeing that Yan Xia wasn¡¯t replying, Jiang Huai¡¯s tone turned cold. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± It turned out that he had already decided to let her be the manager and called to inform her. Yan Xia had thought that she was transferred to his agency because he did not want his first love to be jealous of her. In the end, he didn¡¯t expect this person to do the exact opposite and arrange for the two of them to be together. Yan Xia repeated the second rule three times in her heart: Never anger your boss. ¡°No problem,¡± she answered. Chapter 18 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation Yan Xia thought that the conversation was about to end when Jiang Huai suddenly asked, ¡°Is your work at Sunny smooth?¡± ¡°I¡¯m already getting used to it. There were a few entertainment companies that were more difficult to deal with, but they were also in the process of communicating. Boss, don¡¯t worry!¡± ¡°With your capabilities, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem to put you in Sunny,¡± said Jiang Huai after a moment of silence. Eh? Was he complimenting her indirectly? Why was he so reserved when complimenting others? Jiang Huai really had his ways. Should she, a small employee, be grateful to him for using both kindness and severity? Yan Xia complained in her heart. ¡°Jiang Huai, it¡¯s time to board.¡± A gentle female voice came from the other end of the phone. Yan Xia¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He was indeed with Zhang Ying. ¡°We¡¯ll be back tomorrow morning. Come pick us up.¡± Jiang Huai didn¡¯t even give Yan Xia a chance to react before he hung up. Yan Xia was speechless. Zhang Rui was Zhang Ying¡¯s assistant, so Yan Xia had brought him along when they arrived at the airport. Zhang Rui was still a little excited. ¡°Sister Yan, don¡¯t you think Zhang Ying will look better in person than on TV? Do you think she¡¯s arrogant? Do you think she¡¯s hard to get along with? It would be great if she could be as easy-going as you, Sister Yan.¡± Zhang Rui was a natural extrovert. After a few days of getting along, the two of them were a little familiar. His talkative nature was directly activated, and he kept calling her Sister Yan. Yan Xia was not in the mood to talk to him. She was only thinking about how to deal with the awkward situation later. The plane landed. Jiang Huai and Zhang Ying walked out of the airport side by side. Both of them were extremely good-looking and looked like a perfect match. Yan Xia and Zhang Rui stepped forward, each of them carrying a suitcase. ¡°The nanny¡¯s car is in the parking lot in Area A, which is the closest to here. If we count the time in the traffic jam, we can reach the company before 12 o¡¯clock. Are you going to have lunch at the office or at the restaurant? It¡¯s the weekend today, so we¡¯ll have to book a table in advance.¡± Yan Xia laid out her plans, but Jiang Huai only glanced at her coldly, his face unhappy. Yan Xia guessed that Jiang Huai would have lost his temper at her if Zhang Ying and Zhang Rui were not with them. Yan Xia was already used to Jiang Huai¡¯s attitude. He didn¡¯t say anything because he had no opinion on the company¡¯s arrangement. Zhang Ying suddenly walked between the two of them and purposely held onto Jiang Huai¡¯s arm. She pouted and said, ¡°I know you¡¯re tired after a night¡¯s flight, but you shouldn¡¯t be so fierce to your subordinates.¡± Then, she turned to Yan Xia with a sweet smile. ¡°I heard from Jiang Huai that you¡¯re my manager. Nice to meet you.¡± Her long and fair right hand passed through Jiang Huai¡¯s arm and reached for Yan Xia. ¡°Hello,¡± she said. Yan Xia reached out to shake her hand. No one would dislike such a friendly, sensible, and beautiful girl. Moreover, he didn¡¯t resist at all when she was holding onto his arm. Yan Xia was a little disappointed, but she still forced himself to stay alert and deal with them. ¡°We¡¯ve eaten at the airport,¡± Zhang Ying said. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the company directly. I want to know my next work arrangement.¡± Yan Xia nodded and sent a WeChat message to her subordinates, asking them to put Zhang Ying¡¯s work plan on the office table. Just as she was sending the WeChat message, she looked up again and a group of people suddenly appeared out of nowhere. ¡°It¡¯s Zhang Ying! She¡¯s a pianist, take a picture of her!¡± In addition to the fans holding their mobile phones, there were even reporters carrying cameras. They seemed to have been prepared to walk toward them. Yan Xia looked at Zhang Ying and Jiang Huai¡¯s hands and immediately made a judgment. They definitely couldn¡¯t be photographed in this state, otherwise, they would rush to the top of Weibo¡¯s search list in the afternoon. One was an excellent pianist, and the other was an influential figure in A City. The hot search would definitely not go down for three days. Yan Xia could even imagine the headlines ¡®Jiang Huai has an affair¡¯. Before the stock market closed this afternoon, the Jiang Corporation¡¯s share price would fall directly. So, she took the suitcase from Zhang Rui and calmly arranged, ¡°Follow them and make sure they¡¯re not photographed. Send them to the nanny van and leave first. Don¡¯t worry about me!¡± Jiang Huai¡¯s reaction was even faster. As a prominent figure in A City, avoiding reporters was a daily occurrence for him. Even the slightest sound would alert him. When he saw the reporter wearing a hat and carrying a camera on his shoulder, he immediately protected Zhang Ying and quickly walked to the parking lot. Chapter 19 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation ¡°Hurry up! The person in his arms is Zhang Ying!¡± The crowd started moving. It was unknown who shouted, but the reporters immediately followed Jiang Huai and the others without a care. Yan Xia placed the two suitcases in between them, trying to block the crowd. However, those people didn¡¯t care about Yan Xia at all. They just rushed over. Someone pushed Yan Xia, causing her to stumble and bump into the suitcase. The suitcase did not have a hold on it, so it fell with the crash. Yan Xia followed suit and fell to the ground. Fortunately, Yan Xia had already fallen out of the crowd, so there was no stampede. But her wrist hit the handle of the suitcase hard and twisted a little. Every movement was unbearable pain. Fortunately, Yan Xia was there to block the reporters¡¯ shots. Coupled with Jiang Huai¡¯s quick reaction, the reporters didn¡¯t manage to keep their photos and the crowd slowly dispersed. Yan Xia heard people talking. ¡°They said that they found someone to film Zhang Ying. They didn¡¯t manage to film anything, so why are they paying?¡± ¡°Little Sister, is this your first time being a shill? What they want is an imposing personality. It doesn¡¯t matter if they take photos or not.¡± ¡°Ah? Who is this Zhang Ying?¡± ¡°I think she¡¯s a pianist. She¡¯s obviously doing this because she wants to enter the entertainment industry!¡± Yan Xia frowned. When Zhang Ying returned to the country, she was only informed by Jiang Huai yesterday before she got online. Only the four of them knew about this. Who hired these reporters and agents? As she was thinking, someone came to help her up. Yan Xia looked up. It was Zhang Rui. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to get on the car? What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Sister Yan. President Jiang protected Zhang Ying and left, and those reporters didn¡¯t take anything. I saw that the two of them were fine and was afraid that you wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it alone, so I came to find you.¡± Zhang Rui said. ¡°At least you have a conscience. Let¡¯s go back to the company first.¡± Yan Xia rubbed her wrist, and Zhang Rui saw it. ¡°Sister Yan, what¡¯s wrong with your hand? It¡¯s swollen! Why don¡¯t we go to the hospital first?¡± Yan Xia shook her head. ¡°No. President Jiang must be waiting in the office after such a big thing happened.¡± ¡°I think President Jiang doesn¡¯t care if you go back or not. When he was protecting Zhang Ying, he couldn¡¯t take anything in his eyes. We might even disturb them when we go back.¡± The speaker had no intention, but the listener took note. Zhang Rui had just graduated and did not care much about the society. He did not know that she and Jiang Huai were married. He spoke without restraint and Yan Xia felt a sense of disappointment. ¡°Sister Yan, I think there¡¯s something fishy about this. This group of people seems to have gone crazy. They must have accepted money! Are you the one who hired them?¡± Yan Xia was about to praise the child for being sharp enough to notice that something was amiss, but the next sentence came out without thinking. She smacked the back of his head with her uninjured hand. ¡°It¡¯s true that they took money, but we still need to investigate who the person who hired them is. Let¡¯s go back first.¡± Yan Xia rushed back to the company. As soon as she entered the office on the third floor, a folder flew toward her, brushed past her ear, and fell into Zhang Rui¡¯s arms. Zhang Rui was stunned. He didn¡¯t expect the president to be so angry. Yan Xia took the documents from his arms and motioned for him to leave. Jiang Huai waited for her to close the office door before he mocked, ¡°I handed over the company to you, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be for you to flirt and seduce men! Tell me, what¡¯s up with this group of reporters today! Let me tell you, even if you want to make Zhang Ying angry, don¡¯t use that kind of despicable means!¡± Despicable means? Yan Xia really did not know what she had done! The people she had been most unyielding to in her life were those who used all kinds of means and didn¡¯t rely on their own strength. How could he think of her like that? Yan Xia was about to explain when she was interrupted. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. I believe Yan Xia didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡± Zhang Ying got up from the massage chair and walked to him, then sat on the desk. This angle was just right in between the two of them, and the posture was infinitely ambiguous. The two of them could not see each other, and it directly escalated the war. ¡°You can turn a blind eye to your usual matters, but if you lie to me about Zhang Ying¡¯s matter, you will pack up and leave tomorrow. Get out!¡± Yan Xia was angry at his words, but she was too lazy to explain and prepared to leave. Zhang Ying suddenly approached her considerately. ¡°Yan Xia, it¡¯s okay. I believe in you. I¡¯ll give myself to you.¡± Only Yan Xia could see the cunning look in her eyes. What a beautiful white lotus! You¡¯re pretending to be harmless so that Jiang Huai will think that you¡¯re being considerate? Only then did Yan Xia realize that Zhang Ying had sat down at a perfect angle to cover her, so Jiang Huai could not see her swollen wrist. Good move. Chapter 20 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation As Yan Xia left the office, Zhang Ying¡¯s eyes glowed with pride. This was only her first gift to Yan Xia. Back then, she was only one step away from being the young mistress of the Jiang family, but Yan Xia suddenly appeared out of nowhere! Jiang Huai refused to listen to her advice and insisted on marrying Yan Xia. She pretended to be angry and left, but Jiang Huai really didn¡¯t coax her! It was fine. It had been three years. Now that she was back, it was time for Yan Xia to give up her position! Zhang Ying put on a smile again and walked to Jiang Huai¡¯s side. A beige ankle-length dress with black stiletto high heels was the standard outfit for a first love. She sat at the desk, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, looking pitiful. She pulled up her skirt a little, revealing half of her white and tender calf, and then raised her right foot. ¡°Jiang Huai, I think I twisted my leg just now. It hurts.¡± No man could refuse a girl¡¯s coquettishness. Boys were born with a protective desire and would have a good impression of girls who showed weakness. If Zhang Ying acted coquettishly in contrast to Yan Xia, Jiang Huai would definitely have more complaints about Yan Xia. Zhang Ying was confident about this. She definitely had a place in Jiang Huai¡¯s heart. Otherwise, he would not have pushed aside his work in China to come to the United Kingdom to accompany her with just a phone call. Zhang Ying knew that he married Yan Xia out of responsibility. Now that Yan Xia did not have any children, their marriage was only in name. That was why she had chosen to return to the country at this time. She was only giving him to Yan Xia for three years. Jiang Huai would still be hers. Jiang Huai looked at her slightly red ankle. She thought he would help her rub it. To her surprise, Jiang Huai stood up and helped her down from her desk to her chair. Then, he called Secretary Liu Yu. ¡°Bring a first aid kit, I¡¯ll be in Yan Xia¡¯s office.¡± Without a hint of heartache, he comforted her politely and appropriately. ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯ll be fine after you deal with it later.¡± Jiang Huai buttoned up his suit jacket and said, ¡°You wait here, I have something to deal with.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Jiang Huai didn¡¯t listen to Zhang Ying¡¯s persuasion to stay. He turned and left. Yan Xia had just stepped out of her office when she realized that she was an uninvited guest in her own office. Forget it, she was already out. It would be awkward to go back. Yan Xxia was still feeling indignant when she heard someone call her. ¡°Sister Yan.¡± Zhang Rui walked over to her with a bag of popsicles and a thermos. ¡°Sister Yan, I saw that your wrist is getting more and more swollen. I was afraid that you would be too busy to go to the hospital to get it treated, so I bought some popsicles for a cold compress.¡± Yan Xia did not expect her assistant to be so considerate. The office was occupied, so the two of them could only go to the guest room. Zhang Rui wrapped the ice pop in a towel and wrapped it around Yan Xia¡¯s arm, mumbling something. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Zhang Ying to be the sweet type. When I saw her on TV before, she was always surrounded by the spotlights and looked especially cold. I didn¡¯t expect her to be so friendly in person.¡± Yan Xia was absent-minded. Zhang Ying was very beautiful. When he smiled, the faint dimples on his cheeks made him look even more lovely. It was a very likable appearance. Zhang Rui changed the topic. ¡°However, I think today¡¯s incident should be related to Zhang Ying. Since we didn¡¯t find the reporters, then it could only be her, right? Sister Yan, why do you think she did that?¡± Yan Xia immediately stopped him. ¡°Don¡¯t speculate about others. You¡¯re Zhang Ying¡¯s assistant. What you need to do is to think about how to cooperate with her and take care of her daily life. Don¡¯t do this again. I can hear you talking nonsense.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Zhang Rui immediately shut up and changed the topic. ¡°Sister, I just bought the thermos. There¡¯s some meat soup in it. Remember to drink it while it¡¯s hot. I¡¯ll go to work first.¡± Yan Xia thought to herself that the child was very considerate as she tried to figure out how to open the thermos with one hand. Suddenly, a pair of well-defined hands reached over and took the thermos cup from her hands. Then, he unscrewed it and handed it to her. Yan Xia looked up. It was Jiang Huai. He looked down at her. The glaring incandescent light above his head shrouded his face in a dark shadow, and his expression was a little unreadable. Chapter 21 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation Yan Xia thought that he must be here to condemn her. She didn¡¯t expect Jiang Huai to be so sarcastic. ¡°I was wondering why you didn¡¯t explain yourself. You didn¡¯t even tell me that you were injured. So, there¡¯s someone else taking care of you.¡± ¡°?¡± Three question marks appeared above Yan Xia¡¯s head. This boss was too unpredictable. One second he was furious, and the next second he was being sarcastic. ¡°What are you waiting for? Are you expecting me to feed you?¡± Only then did Yan Xia realize that she had forgotten to take the thermos. Just as she was about to take it with her uninjured hand, Jiang Huai suddenly retracted his hand and snorted. ¡°I¡¯ve sent someone to send a first aid kit over. Go to the office and treat Zhang Ying¡¯s wound.¡± Then, Jiang Huai tightened the thermos cup. Yan Xia watched as he twisted it at least half a circle more and completely screwed the thermos cup to death. Then, he threw it into the trash can. Yan Xia was speechless. Jiang Huai only cared about his own mood. He completely ignored the fact that she had been busy the entire morning and hadn¡¯t eaten anything. At this time, she was famished and her stomach was churning. Yan Xia looked at his back as he walked away. She suppressed the pain in her heart and sniffed hard before forcing herself to smile. ¡°You¡¯re just taking care of his white moonlight on his behalf. Yan Xia, don¡¯t be sad!¡± Even though she comforted herself, she could not help but think that the contrast was so obvious even though they were both injured. But then she thought, didn¡¯t she already know this? What was the big deal? Yan Xia¡¯s wrist no longer hurt as much after the ice pack. She took off the towel and was about to head to her office when she met Liu Yu at the door. Liu Yu looked at Yan Xia¡¯s swollen wrist and was shocked. ¡°Sister Yan, did you get stung by a bee? It¡¯s so swollen!¡± She moved to Yan Xia¡¯s side with an ambiguous smile and rubbed her uninjured arm with her shoulder. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Mr. Jiang to be so considerate. Did he ask me to send a first aid kit over to bandage your wound?¡± Liu Yu¡¯s words were like an invisible knife stabbing into Yan Xia¡¯s heart. ¡°Alright, alright, you can go back to your work!¡± Yan Xia took the first aid kit. Liu Yu pouted. ¡°Sister Yan, are you sure you don¡¯t need my help with your current state?¡± Yan Xia was helpless. It was already painful to be injured. She did not want Liu Yu to see Zhang Ying in the office. She threatened, ¡°No need. President Jiang has already left. If you don¡¯t want him to not see you in the office and give you a scolding, I suggest you go back immediately.¡± As expected, Liu Yu¡¯s expression changed when she heard that. She turned and ran away. ¡°Sister, take care of yourself. I¡¯ll come and help you later!¡± Yan Xia smiled and shook her head, feeling comforted by her friend¡¯s words. Only then did she take a deep breath and open the office door. Zhang Ying was sitting on the chair leisurely. The chairs in the office could be rotated, and the back could be put down. Zhang Ying¡¯s two legs were crossed, and she touched the ground with the tip of one foot. Her whole body swayed back and forth on the chair, looking very relaxed and not injured at all. She saw Yan Xia come in and smiled like the hostess. ¡°Director Yan, why are you here? I¡¯m so embarrassed to have you personally treat my wound.¡± Although she said that, Zhang Ying did not seem to notice Yan Xia¡¯s expression. She raised her injured leg by 45 degrees and used her chin to point at her ankle in the air. She even shook her black stiletto a little. ¡°Here, it really hurts. I¡¯ll have to trouble you, Director Yan.¡± Yan Xia was annoyed by her behavior. She never thought that she would be reduced to serving a green tea b*tch. Jiang Huai was really good at hiding and leaving this place for her to settle. Yan Xia had no choice but to admit defeat and walked over with the first aid kit. ¡°Director Yan, I heard from Jiang Huai that you¡¯ll be my manager from now on. Then let¡¯s add each other on WeChat first~¡± After Yan Xia had treated the inconspicuous wound on her foot caused by the high heels, Zhang Ying took out her phone and found the WeChat QR code for Yan Xia to scan. Chapter 22 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation Yan Xia stood up and tried not to exert any strength in her injured hand. She closed the first aid kit with difficulty and took out her phone to add the app. Zhang Ying swiped her phone screen and said nonchalantly, ¡°Director Yan, your life is so monotonous. Your WeChat Moments are almost blank. Don¡¯t tell me Jiang Huai doesn¡¯t usually take you out? Didn¡¯t you two take a photo together?¡± Yan Xia rolled her eyes at her. This woman was really rubbing it in. Jiang Huai was extremely concerned about his own privacy and had never appeared on any social media platforms. He would never allow her to post anything related to him, let alone a photo together. Zhang Ying supported her chin with her hand and leaned against the office table. ¡°When I was in China, Jiang Huai would always take me out. I remember that he loved taking photos back then. Why haven¡¯t I seen his photos when it comes to you?¡± Every word struck the heart! Yan Xia did not want to listen to her anymore. Zhang Ying was either too stupid or too scheming to say this in front of his current wife! Seeing that Yan Xia was silent, Zhang Ying put down her phone and looked at her innocently. ¡°Director Yan, why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Speaking of which, we¡¯re quite fated to be together~¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Yan Xia was curious about what fate she was talking about. Was she going to say that both of them were related to Jiang Huai? ¡°I was born in the summer, so my mom gave me a nickname, Xia Xia. What a coincidence!¡± It was like a bolt from the blue. Yan Xia could not speak, not even smile. ¡°Xia Xia?¡± Yan Xia repeated. ¡°Yup.¡± Zhang Ying looked at Yan Xia¡¯s dejected look and put away her phone in satisfaction. She put on her bag and stood up. ¡°Alright, Director Yan, I won¡¯t disturb you anymore. I just came back and have a lot of things to deal with. As for my work arrangements, please organize them into a Word document and send it to me~ Bye~¡± Her tone was light, and she seemed to be in a good mood. She walked with a sweet wind, and her beige skirt moved up and down, making her look more like an elf in the forest. Yan Xia waited until she was out of the office before she broke down. She unconsciously sat on the chair that Zhang Ying had just sat on, and her whole body was there. She could still clearly remember that night three years ago. She was attending a banquet with Jiang Huai. She remembered that Zhang Ying was there too. Zhang Ying stood by Jiang Huai¡¯s side the entire time. As President Jiang¡¯s secretary, she followed behind the two of them with a smile. Jiang Huai was a very gentlemanly person. He disdained people taking advantage of women and discuss business the most, so he had been blocking drinking requests for her and Zhang Ying the entire time. That night, it suddenly rained outside. The rain in summer was always heavy and heavy, so it was impossible to rush home after the party. Before Jiang Huai completely lost consciousness, he booked rooms for the three of them upstairs. Jiang Huai said to Yan Xia, ¡°I¡¯m not a good boss if I ask you to go back when the rain is too heavy. If you want to change your clothes, you can go to the mall next door and buy a new set. I¡¯ll reimburse you.¡± Yan Xia looked at the grand decorations of the five-star hotel and took the room card from Jiang Huai. At that time, Zhang Ying said that she had something to do and had to go back to her room in advance before coming back later. Yan Xia thought that her makeup must have been a little smudged after a night, so she went back to touch up her makeup. Out of concern for her boss, Yan Xia asked politely, ¡°Do you need me to send you back to your room, President Jiang?¡± Jiang Huai shook his head, his breath reeking of alcohol. ¡°No need. I see that you haven¡¯t eaten anything all night. Go and fill your stomach first. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± At that time, Jiang Huai wasn¡¯t so easily angered. He was considerate and gentlemanly, and was the dream lover of many people. However, that day, when Yan Xia returned to her room after her meal and opened the door, a man threw himself at her. The strong smell of alcohol was pungent. She wanted to push him away, but how could her strength compare to a drunk man¡¯s? Chapter 23 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation ¡°Xia Xia,¡± the man shouted. Yan Xia froze. It was Jiang Huai¡¯s voice. Jiang Huai was serious and rigorous in his work. He handled problems thoroughly and more importantly, he had a face that no one could reject! In her heart, Yan Xia admired and had a good impression of President Jiang. The way he called her ¡®Xia Xia¡¯ made her forget to resist. In a moment, she was brought into the room and pressed onto the bed. When Yan Xia tried to resist, she could not break free no matter what. ¡°Xia Xia.¡± One after another, the letters echoed in Yan Xia¡¯s ears. Yan Xia slowly returned to reality. His words back then were filled with sarcasm. At that time, she really thought that he was calling her, Yan Xia! It turned out to be Zhang Ying. Yan Xia¡¯s tears fell from her eyes. She had been wrong from the start. She had misunderstood and thought that Jiang Huai might have feelings for her. It was truly laughable! Her heart ached to the point of numbness, but she could not remember anything. She just sat there in a daze. She was woken up by a WeChat notification. Zhang Ying had sent it over. [Director Yan, please send me the work arrangements as soon as possible.] Yan Xia forced herself to focus on her work. Then, she adjusted her chair and sat down in front of her desk. Just as she was about to do her work, she thought of Zhang Ying in her long dress, sitting on her desk enchantingly. She felt disgusted and picked up a cloth to wipe it clean. However, some things could be wiped clean with a cloth, but some pain could not be smoothed away with a cloth. That night, Yan Xia was surprised to see Jiang Huai at home. The dishes were laid out on the table, and the butler was about to change his clothes and go back. Jiang Huai was very particular about privacy. He didn¡¯t like to be disturbed in his private life. This was the reason why he left the Jiang family and lived alone after he got married. Therefore, the housekeeper would always come to clean the house during the day when there was no one around. He would leave after finishing the meal and rest on the weekends. The butler greeted Yan Xia. ¡°Madam, you¡¯re back. I¡¯ll be going back now that the meal is ready.¡± Yan Xia nodded and watched the butler leave. She changed her shoes and walked upstairs without even looking at Jiang Huai. Jiang Huai frowned. What was wrong with this woman? how dare she ignore him today? ¡°Stop there,¡± Jiang Huai said. Yan Xia stopped but did not turn around. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Jiang Huai was in a good mood and had asked the butler to prepare a table of food, but he was annoyed by Yan Xia¡¯s attitude. ¡°Do you think you can disobey my orders just because you went to Sunny?¡± Yan Xia was not in the mood to deal with him. She said nonchalantly, ¡°Do you have any orders, President Jiang? But it¡¯s after work, so I don¡¯t have any obligation to do so.¡± Pa! Before she could finish, the sound of bowls and chopsticks falling to the ground interrupted her. Then came the sound of someone walking quickly. Yan Xia knew it was Jiang Huai without turning around. Usually, Yan Xia would be afraid of his sudden anger, but now she was indifferent. Jiang Huai quickly walked behind her and grabbed her swollen wrist. He pulled hard, trying to make her turn around to face him. The moment he held her hand, Jiang Huai felt that something was wrong. Her wrist was twice as thick as usual. Jiang Huai wanted to check her wrist, but Yan Xia lost her balance and fell to the ground. Jiang Huai instinctively protected her. Yan Xia fell into Jiang Huai¡¯s arms and their lips touched. The two of them were shocked. Jiang Huai wrapped his arms around her thin shoulders. It had been a few days since they last met, and he was even more tempted to touch her body. He wanted to taste the sweetness of Yan Xia¡¯s lips. He did not expect Yan Xia to suddenly be so fierce and try to break free. Her wrist was clearly hurting badly and even her face was contorted, but she still pushed Jiang Huai away with all her might and fell on her butt on the stairs. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Yan Xia shouted. She didn¡¯t know if it was because of the pain or because of the grievance, but her tears fell. Jiang Huai was stunned. Time seemed to have stopped. He could almost hear Yan Xia¡¯s tears falling to the ground. This was the first time Yan Xia had shown such obvious rejection of him. Chapter 24 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation Jiang Huai looked at Yan Xia¡¯s swollen wrist. Even though she had applied the ice during the day, it was red and swollen because it wasn¡¯t treated in time. There was already a blood clot and it had even turned purple. Yan Xia¡¯s back hit the stairs. Her whole body was numb from the pain, and she could not move. She closed her eyes to stop her tears from flowing. Her thick, black hair was scattered, and her tears were stuck to her cheeks. Her delicate face was even more pitiful at this time. Yan Xia had already expected a storm to come and was prepared to endure Jiang Huai¡¯s anger. To her surprise, Jiang Huai bent down and picked up the weak and helpless Yan Xia. Even Jiang Huai did not expect his anger from Yan Xia¡¯s rejection to be suppressed by her tears. He felt a sudden heartache. Almost subconsciously, he gently picked her up. Ever since the miscarriage, he had never been as careful as he was today. He carried Yan Xia as if she was a delicate and fragile piece of porcelain. She was much lighter than he had imagined. He couldn¡¯t even feel her weight as she was so tiny in Jiang Huai¡¯s arms. ¡°You should eat more in the future.¡± Jiang Huai said subconsciously. Yan Xia was stunned and looked at him blankly. Her round eyes had just been washed by tears, and they were clear and bright. Her face was full of shock and disbelief. There was no anger or argument as she had expected. Yan Xia never expected Jiang Huai to say such a gentle and considerate thing to her despite her resistance. Yan Xia wasn¡¯t the only one who was shocked. Even Jiang Huai himself couldn¡¯t react. He had almost forgotten how Yan Xia felt. He had also almost forgotten that when he and Yan Xia first got married, they had a happy time together. At that time, Yan Xia was pregnant with their child. Even if it was not the fruit of love, it was at least the child that they both hoped for. At that time, all kinds of tonics were crazily sent into her house by Mrs. Jiang, and all kinds of Chinese medicine tests were carried out constantly. Yan Xia did not have a good appetite. She always felt like throwing up after eating something. She did not look very energetic. She would often frown at the table filled with the strong smell of medicine. Then, she would look at Jiang Huai coyly. ¡°Can we not eat these today?¡± Jiang Huai looked at her dark eyes and really couldn¡¯t do anything about her. He secretly reduced her burden behind her mother¡¯s back and tried to get the housekeeper to make something different for her to eat. Yan Xia¡¯s originally thin body had become slightly rounder after that period of intense nourishment. Sometimes, when she got up in the morning to put on her clothes, she would complain unhappily, ¡°I¡¯ve gained weight again recently. Look at my waist, there was still a fist-sized gap before, but now it¡¯s completely stuck to my stomach.¡± Jiang Huai smiled and comforted her. He was gentle and patient. ¡°You have a baby in your stomach, so you have to count him in when you calculate your waist. I still think you¡¯re too skinny, so you should eat more in the future.¡± While the two of them were still in a daze, Jiang Huai had already carried Yan Xia into the bedroom. He gently placed Yan Xia on the soft bed, afraid that he would hurt her back again if he used too much force. Then, Jiang Huai wanted to check Yan Xia¡¯s wrist. In fact, he had already seen Yan Xia¡¯s hand injury in the office at noon. However, he was still angry at the time and naturally ignored the detail. However, Yan Xia slapped Jiang Huai¡¯s hand away just as he was about to touch her. ¡°I said, don¡¯t touch me!¡± Yan Xia yelled. Jiang Huai¡¯s sudden gentleness was hard for her to get used to. She was touched for a moment, but she quickly remembered what Zhang Ying had said. my nickname is Xia Xia. What a joke! The moment Yan Xia thought of all the gentleness she had enjoyed and Jiang Huai¡¯s good temper all because of the name ¡®Xia Xia¡¯, she felt like she had been a joke all these years. Jiang Huai had never gotten off work with her before. He would always wait for Yan Xia to get home before coming back, but Yan Xia had never asked him where he was. In Jiang Huai¡¯s words, the secretary had no right to interfere with the boss¡¯s personal matters. Chapter 25 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation Every day, Yan Xia would return home first and ask the housekeeper to prepare dinner before Jiang Huai returned. The schedule was fixed and strict. Yan Xia knew that he did not want the housekeeper to see them together. As long as the housekeeper did not see them, it would be as if they were not husband and wife. Hence, every time the housekeeper asked her questions and even looked at her pitifully as if she was a divorcee, Yan Xia could only helplessly avoid it. There was even one time when the housekeeper wanted to introduce her to a partner! ¡°Nanny Wang, my husband is just busy. We¡¯re not divorced,¡± Yan Xia declined. Today, Jiang Huai actually came back early and seemed to be in a good mood. He asked the housekeeper to prepare a table full of food. Wasn¡¯t it because Zhang Ying was back? Because Zhang Ying had returned, the gentle gentleman who had left home for three years had also returned. Then what was she? A substitute? Therefore, now that the real one was back, the substitute should give up her position and not be greedy for the sudden heat in the atmosphere. Hence, Yan Xia¡¯s instinct was to avoid Jiang Huai¡¯s touch. After being hit by Yan Xia, Jiang Huai¡¯s suppressed anger came back. Did this woman not know how to stop while she was ahead? She was a little insatiable! The scene of Zhang Rui applying an ice compress on Yan Xia in the guest room at noon resurfaced in Jiang Huai¡¯s mind. An indescribable feeling filled his heart. He only felt frustrated and unbearable, and his entire being became irritable. Yan Xia refused to let him touch her, so he leaned over and grabbed her injured wrist. He brought her in front of him, and they were so close that they were face to face. ¡°You don¡¯t want me to touch you? Or do you prefer the company¡¯s fresh graduate to touch you?¡± The two of them were so close that their noses were almost touching. Jiang Huai¡¯s hot breath blew on Yan Xia¡¯s face as he spoke. The faint smell of wooden cologne from his body instantly enveloped her. Jiang Huai squinted his eyes, completely ignoring the pain that Yan Xia was frowning at. He continued, ¡°Yan Xia, I¡¯ve really underestimated your ability to seduce men! You haven¡¯t ended your relationship with Wu Chen, who has just returned to the country, and now you¡¯ve hooked up with a young man. You¡¯re really shameless!¡± Every word that Jiang Huai said was like a whip that lashed on Yan Xia¡¯s body. Each lash tore her skin apart and revealed the pain. Yan Xia felt like she was covered in bruises and the wounds on her body were so humiliating that they could not be covered! She even had the time to think about the ten great tortures in ancient times that couldn¡¯t even compare to a single word that Jiang Huai said today. Yan Xia laughed out of anger. She looked beautiful and determined. ¡°Jiang Huai, you¡¯ve always looked at me like this. You¡¯ve never been willing to believe me and judge me with the most vicious thoughts!¡± Jiang Huai had never seen this side of Yan Xia before. He didn¡¯t know what to say. He only grabbed her fiercely and tightened his grip. It was as if the pain in his heart would only be reduced if she was in unbearable pain. Yan Xia endured the pain in her wrist and said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I don¡¯t need your trust, and I don¡¯t need you to be good to me. I know that the person in your heart has always been Zhang Ying. Now that she¡¯s back, I can give up my position to her! We can get a divorce!¡± Yan Xia¡¯s eyes were filled with tears and the corners of her mouth rose even higher. Even though Yan Xia had always known that Jiang Huai did not love her, the reality that she was facing now felt like the scars that had formed after much difficulty was being torn open bit by bit, revealing the white flesh underneath. She could only lick the wound alone in the midst of the pain. Yan Xia raised her head slightly. The tears in her eyes fell into her hair and disappeared without a trace. Her voice was calm like never before. ¡°Jiang Huai, that¡¯s it. I¡¯ll let you go.¡± Jiang Huai also felt that this was a humiliation. What did she mean by ¡®let go¡¯? It was as if all his stubbornness for the past three years had been one-sided and ridiculous! She could always be so heartless, so heartless that she didn¡¯t care about their child, so heartless that she didn¡¯t care if he was sad or not. She only cared about herself! She would only love herself the most and would only love others later on! The one she loved before was Wu Chen, but there would be others in the future! Chapter 26 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation Jiang Huai buried his face in her neck and bit her tender skin. Her soft skin was instantly shattered, and a warm and sweet taste filled his mouth. Jiang Huai supported the two of them with one hand on the bed while his other hand circled around Yan Xia and pinched the back of her neck. Jiang Huai let go. His lips moved up and finally landed on her earlobe. Yan Xia¡¯s neck had always been sensitive. The hot air from Jiang Huai¡¯s nose made her shiver. Jiang Huai sneered. ¡°Yan Xia, remember this. I¡¯m the one who won¡¯t let you go. I¡¯ll make you pay for all the harm you¡¯ve done to me with your entire life. I¡¯ll never set you free. Don¡¯t even think about running away from me for the rest of your life!¡± The ravings that came close to her ears went straight to her heart, hitting her every time. Yan Xia was in despair. How cruel must he be to keep her by his side as a substitute? Even when his white moonlight had returned, he still refused to let her go. She had always thought that even if there was no love between her and Jiang Huai, they would at least one day be able to let go of each other¡¯s feelings, smile at each other, and leave. The truth was even crueler. Jiang Huai let go of Yan Xia and stood up. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his thumb and looked down at the person below him. ¡°You¡¯d better behave yourself and always remember your identity. You¡¯re the young mistress of the Jiang family, so don¡¯t go around womanizing and embarrassing the Jiang family, and you¡¯ll embarrass yourself as well!¡± Just as Jiang Huai finished speaking, his phone rang. Jiang Huai had a habit of leaving one phone number for his family and one for work. He always turned his work phone on airplane mode after work, so the only people who could call at this time were his family. He looked at the two words ¡®Jiang Ling¡¯ on the screen and picked up the call. His tone was not very friendly. ¡°Speak.¡± Jiang Ling¡¯s heart trembled. She looked at Zhang Ying who was sitting opposite her. She suppressed the fear in her heart and pretended to be relaxed. ¡°Big Brother, you¡¯re so cold. Are you busy with work?¡± Jiang Huai frowned. He hated chatting with people. ¡°Get down to business.¡± Jiang Ling choked and swallowed her saliva. She could guess that Jiang Huai was in a bad mood. If she continued to ramble on, she would definitely die a horrible death. But she thought about it. This call was for Zhang Ying. Maybe her brother would thank her later. Jiang Ling¡¯s mood brightened up at the thought. ¡°Big Brother, Sister Zhang Ying and I are at Top of the City. Why don¡¯t you come? It¡¯s been a long time since the three of us sat down to drink and chat!¡± Jiang Huai¡¯s expression softened when he heard Zhang Ying¡¯s name. He snorted and hung up the phone. He took one last look at the haggard-looking Yan Xia on the bed and left. Yan Xia smiled wryly. Even when he was at his most furious, Zhang Ying¡¯s name was the best way to soothe his mood. Jiang Ling pouted at the phone after the call was hung up, but she quickly put on a smile and looked at Zhang Ying. Zhang Ying was nervous. Actually, she wanted to ask Jiang Huai out in the afternoon and even went to his office to look for him. However, his secretary told her that Jiang Huai had left work early today. She wanted to call Jiang Huai, but the call didn¡¯t go through. The secretary saw that her efforts were in vain and reminded her in a low voice, ¡°President Jiang doesn¡¯t usually use his work phone after work. You can call his other number.¡± Zhang Ying rummaged through her address book and could only helplessly admit the fact that she only had this number. She forced a smile and said to the secretary as if nothing had happened, ¡°Okay, I got it. I¡¯ll call after I leave the company.¡± The secretary had an expression that said she had seen through her but did not reveal it. She buried herself in her work again. Zhang Ying had no choice but to call Jiang Ling. Before Zhang Ying went abroad, she was close to the Jiang family. The Second Miss of the Jiang family admired her very much. As the campus belle of A City¡¯s top university, Zhang Ying was a person with a halo wherever she went. Her style of dress and makeup had always been imitated by all the girls in A University. It could be said that she was the leader of the fashion trend amongst the students. Jiang Ling was one of them. Jiang Ling tried her best to imitate Zhang Ying in everything from her clothes, food, interior design taste, and behavior. She was like a worm that stuck to Zhang Ying no matter where she went. Although Zhang Ying looked down on her from the bottom of her heart, she had to admit that although Jiang Ling was stupid, she was very useful. Chapter 27 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation ¡®Top of the City¡¯ was the favorite nightclub for the young people of A City. It was also the gathering place for the upper class of A City all year round. The two of them were sitting on the top floor. Jiang Ling had just hung up the phone. Although Zhang Ying was eager to know Jiang Huai¡¯s answer, she still had to maintain her image in front of Jiang Ling. Jiang Ling put down her phone and sat beside Zhang Ying. She held her arm. ¡°Sister Zhang Ying, don¡¯t worry. My brother agreed immediately when he heard your name. You still have time to touch up your makeup. When my brother comes, you¡¯ll surprise him!¡± Jiang Ling had always minded the fact that she was adopted. Even though the Jiang family treated her well, there was a twisted sense of imbalance in her heart. She felt that she was uncouth and unworthy of the Jiang family. She would be abandoned by the Jiang family one day. Just like that, Jiang Ling grew up until she went to university and met Zhang Ying. In Jiang Ling¡¯s heart, Zhang Ying was like a swan princess, while she was an ugly duckling. Zhang Ying was elegant and beautiful, and her gestures made people feel that she was noble. Even if she just gently stroked her hair, there would be a group of boys who would fall head over heels for her. Jiang Ling still remembered the piano piece that Zhang Ying had played during the school¡¯s anniversary celebration. Zhang Ying¡¯s slender fingers moved on the piano keys, like a dancing fairy, nimbly flapping her wings. All the spotlights shone on her, making people¡¯s eyes involuntarily gather on her, reluctant to leave. Out of her desire and envy for beauty, Jiang Ling followed Zhang Ying every day and learned her every move. She regarded her as his goddess and imagined that one day, she could also turn from an ugly duckling into a white swan. Jiang Ling held Zhang Ying¡¯s arm and took a sip of the wine in her glass. Zhang Ying¡¯s body had a faint floral scent. Jiang Ling couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Sister Zhang Ying, what perfume are you using? It smells so good.¡± Zhang Ying replied nonchalantly, ¡°It¡¯s Joe Malone¡¯s latest perfume. If you like it, I¡¯ll give you a bottle tomorrow.¡± ¡°Sister Zhang Ying, you¡¯re the best.¡± Jiang Ling smiled happily. She liked Zhang Ying¡¯s sensitivity and gracefulness to the latest trends. Zhang Ying pretended not to care and asked, ¡°What¡¯s your brother doing right now? Will it affect his rest if he comes over so late at night?¡± ¡°It¡¯s only 9 o¡¯clock,¡± Jiang Ling replied, ¡°How is it late? The nightlife has just begun. But my brother¡¯s voice doesn¡¯t sound right. He must be fighting with Yan Xia again.¡± Speaking of Yan Xia, Jiang Ling¡¯s anger rose. ¡°I don¡¯t know what sorcery this vixen used to force her way into my Jiang family. Why doesn¡¯t she look at herself in the mirror? How can someone like her be worthy of being my brother¡¯s wife!¡± Jiang Ling looked at Zhang Ying and continued, ¡°In my opinion, only an outstanding person like you, Sister Zhang Ying, is worthy of my brother, a proud son of heaven!¡± Zhang Ying felt happy when she heard that. She pretended to be shy on the surface. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. It¡¯s not good to say bad things about others behind their back.¡± Jiang Ling was indignant. ¡°Sister Zhang Ying, you¡¯re too soft-hearted and kind. You¡¯re so kind to everyone. If you weren¡¯t unwilling to fight for it, you would have been the one who married my brother back then!¡± Zhang Ying¡¯s heart was filled with resentment. How could she not fight for it! Back then, she had pretended to be angry and went abroad because she wanted to come back after attending a concert. However, she didn¡¯t expect Jiang Huai not to contact her for an entire month. She was looking at Weibo¡¯s trending topics. He was actually getting married! If Zhang Ying returned to the country at this time, her image as a white swan would be completely shattered. As a last resort, she found a school abroad to further her studies. Zhang Ying¡¯s heart was ruthless. It didn¡¯t matter. She would take back what belonged to her sooner or later! Just as she was thinking, someone suddenly came over and sat beside Zhang Ying. The strong smell of alcohol made Zhang Ying frown and cover her nose. It was a drunk man with a head of red hair. His handsome wolf tail braids and silver earrings made him look a little unruly. His words were lewd, and his eyes were blurred. ¡°Where did this little beauty come from? Have a drink with me.¡± Chapter 28 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation The man grabbed Zhang Ying¡¯s hand and brought the glass of wine to Zhang Ying¡¯s mouth with his other hand. Zhang Ying had never seen such an unreasonable person. She struggled to get away. ¡°I¡¯m warning you, stay away from me.¡± The man was interested. ¡°Oh? How far away?¡± He moved closer, and only Zhang Ying¡¯s arm was between the two. ¡°Is this far considered far? Or should I¡­¡± The man dragged out his words and was about to move his face closer to Zhang Ying¡¯s. Zhang Ying was also scared and pushed him away with her hands. Jiang Ling reacted at this moment and helped Zhang Ying push him away. The man was a little annoyed by the push. He let go of the glass in his hand and went to grab Zhang Ying. The wine was all over Jiang Ling. Jiang Ling¡¯s clothes were made of silk, and they stuck to her body tightly after being soaked by the wine. Moreover, the wet part was right on her thigh, so it was a little awkward. She could only protect herself quickly. Zhang Ying didn¡¯t dare to care about her ladylike image anymore. She shouted loudly and slapped the man¡¯s face at the same time. The originally noisy Top of the City suddenly fell silent, and only the music was still playing. The crowd gradually gathered around the booth. The man had been slapped, and he couldn¡¯t keep his face straight. In addition, the effect of the alcohol made him angry. He didn¡¯t care about being tender to a woman and slapped Zhang Ying¡¯s face with the back of his hand. Zhang Ying¡¯s entire body fell on the seat. Seeing that the man was about to pounce on her, he decided to force himself on her. A person suddenly appeared between him and Zhang Ying and pushed him away. The man spat, cursed, and waved his hand to hit the person. ¡°Try me.¡± The person who stopped him opened his thin lips slightly and looked at the person in front of him with a cold gaze. The drunk man was originally disdainful, but after seeing the person¡¯s face clearly, he was really stunned by his words, and his hand froze in mid-air. He retracted his hand with a sneer, but the corner of his mouth was still smiling disdainfully. ¡°I was wondering who it was. If it isn¡¯t Young Master Jiang.¡± The person in between them was indeed Jiang Huai who had rushed over. Jiang Huai was fuming. He wanted to have a drink to calm himself down, but he didn¡¯t expect to meet someone who didn¡¯t have eyes. Jiang Huai happened to know this person as well. He was the young master of the Chen family that had just been established in the underworld, Chen Bing. Chen Bing was also a popular person in A City, hanging out in all the major nightclubs. Just because his father was someone from the underworld, he did all sorts of evil things all day long. Even so, there was still a huge gap between Chen Bing and Jiang Huai. Who didn¡¯t know that the Jiang Corporation was one of the two most powerful families in A City? It could be said that they had connections with both the black and white. Although Chen Bing was usually arrogant, he also knew that one should know when to pick soft persimmons and pinch them. Chen Bing had already sobered up by this point. He didn¡¯t do anything even after recognizing Jiang Huai. He sized up the two women sitting behind Jiang Huai with a perverted look. Someone was taking pictures and videos with their phone. Jiang Huai didn¡¯t want things to blow up, so he looked at Chen Bing coldly. ¡°Get lost.¡± Chen Bing didn¡¯t listen to him. Even though he knew that Jiang Huai wasn¡¯t someone he could mess with, he wouldn¡¯t be happy if he had to suffer in silence. He smirked. ¡°Why are you so angry, Young Master Jiang? If you had told me that this is the girl you¡¯ve taken a fancy to, I wouldn¡¯t have touched her.¡± Zhang Ying and Jiang Ling were daughters of wealthy families. They were good girls who were locked up at home. They had never heard of such rude words and seen such a scene. At this moment, they covered their faces and cried. Jiang Huai¡¯s patience was running out. He said impatiently, ¡°I¡¯ll say it for the last time, get lost.¡± However, Chen Bing was even more insatiable. ¡°Young Master Jiang, why do you have to be so distant? Who doesn¡¯t know that our circle is a mess? If you like this girl, I won¡¯t touch her.¡± He suddenly took a step closer, his eyes revealing his true feelings. ¡°But, I¡¯m very interested in the lady you¡¯re hiding in your house!¡± Chen Bing¡¯s eyes were reminiscing. ¡°The day Young Master Wu returned to China, I was fortunate enough to see your wife. That torn dress and hickey-covered body, it made my heart itch! Since Young Master Jiang did her in front of so many people, I don¡¯t think you really care about her. Why don¡¯t you let me have some fun too?¡± Before Chen Bing could finish her sentence, he was punched to the ground. Chapter 29 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation Jiang Huai had a bottom line, and that was that no one was allowed to touch anything that belonged to him! Especially Yan Xia. In the circle of the rich, there was no real love between people who played around. Jiang Huai had a tacit understanding, but he had never associated himself with those people and never allowed Yan Xia to be in contact with them. In fact, he was protecting Yan Xia in a disguised way. Chen Bing¡¯s vulgar words were filled with insults, completely igniting Jiang Huai¡¯s anger. No one else was worthy of his woman! Jiang Huai threw a punch without holding back. Jiang Huai¡¯s body wasn¡¯t that great when he was young, so his mother had specially taught him boxing as a form of exercise. Therefore, even a muscular man would fall to the ground with just one punch! Chen Bing was knocked to the ground and was completely stunned. When he regained his senses, he was like a gorilla that suddenly went crazy. He spat out a mouthful of blood, stood up, and rushed toward Jiang Huai. He cursed and then waved his fist. However, Jiang Huai had been boxing since he was young. Even though he hadn¡¯t been boxing for a few years, he still kept himself fit. His body was extremely agile, and his muscle memory helped him avoid every punch. Chen Bing, on the other hand, was in an extremely sorry state. Not only did his punches miss, but he had also suffered more than ten punches. Jiang Huai was a ruthless person. Other than the first punch on his face, almost all of his punches were aimed at the most inconspicuous spots. Even if they went to the hospital for a checkup, they wouldn¡¯t be able to find any major problems. However, every punch he threw was so painful that it hurt flesh. In the end, the security guards came to separate the two. The boss couldn¡¯t afford to offend these two people, so he could only evacuate the crowd. At the same time, he felt that he was unlucky. He had to pay double the price for each customer that day. As for Jiang Huai and Chen Bing, the boss didn¡¯t dare to call the police. He could only persuade the two of them to leave. ¡­ Yan Xia fell and her whole body was in pain. She could not straighten her back and was lying in a very strange position on the bed when she received a call from Liu Yu. ¡°Sister Yan! Something has happened!¡± Yan Xia ignored the pain in her body, put on a sports jacket, and took a taxi to the city. She knew that today¡¯s incident had blown up. Not only was Jiang Huai involved, but Zhang Ying would also be more or less affected. So, she called Zhang Rui immediately on the way. It was rare for Zhang Rui to sleep early. When he was woken up by the phone, he was a little dissatisfied. ¡°Who is it?¡± Yan Xia didn¡¯t mind his tone and ordered, ¡°Zhang Rui, prepare two coats. Immediately go to Top of the City and take Zhang Ying away. For the next few days, you must stay by Zhang Ying¡¯s side and not allow any reporters to get close!¡± When Zhang Rui heard that it was Yan Xia¡¯s voice, he woke up and answered, but the call was cut off. Zhang Rui¡¯s house was very close to Top of the City, so he and Yan Xia arrived at almost the same time. Zhang Rui was also observant. He put two coats on Jiang Ling and Zhang Ying, then protected them and left. Chen Bing was angry when he saw Yan Xia. He wanted to say something more, but held back after seeing Jiang Huai¡¯s murderous gaze. He knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to gain anything from today¡¯s matter, so he left angrily. Liu Yu went to retrieve the surveillance footage from Top of the City and contacted everyone who had recorded the fight between Jiang Huai and Chen Bing. She threatened and bribed them to delete the photos and videos. Only Yan Xia and Jiang Huai were left in the lively booth. Jiang Huai sat in his seat with his hands on his knees. Yan Xia stood with her back to him and kept talking on the phone. Yan Xia couldn¡¯t care less about their quarrel and had to deal with the matter as soon as possible. With Jiang Huai¡¯s influence, as long as a video was posted on Weibo, it would cause a huge discussion. She had been scrolling through Weibo¡¯s topics and saw the words ¡®Jiang Huai hurt people¡¯. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t very popular yet. Yan Xia made a few phone calls in a row to suppress the popularity of the entry and then began to buy fake reviewers to control the comments. She finally hung up the phone and walked to Jiang Huai¡¯s side. Yan Xia spoke in a business-like tone. ¡°President Jiang, I¡¯ve already contacted the Public Relations Department to handle this. Fortunately, it¡¯s late at night now, and there aren¡¯t many people on Weibo. We should be able to suppress the matter before dawn.¡± Chapter 30 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation Jiang Huai sneered. She was indeed his good wife. Her husband was with another woman in a nightclub, but she could actually deal with these insignificant things without a care! Jiang Huai¡¯s face was cold. ¡°You¡¯re no longer my secretary. Do what you¡¯re supposed to do. Don¡¯t be a busybody.¡± Yan Xia could not help but roll her eyes. He had lost his temper at home, and in the blink of an eye, he had gone to a nightclub with his white moonlight. He had even turned around and said that his wife was a busybody. Good, good, she really deserved it! She should not have come! Yan Xia rubbed her wrist, which was in great pain, and could not help but complain in her heart. Yan Xia couldn¡¯t help but criticize Jiang Huai. ¡°Then, what do you think is my job, President Jiang? Dealing with Miss Zhang¡¯s matters is my matter. As long as I protect Miss Zhang, I don¡¯t have to care about anything else, right?¡± Jiang Huai looked at Yan Xia¡¯s angry face and his mood suddenly improved. Was she jealous? Jiang Huai had never seen Yan Xia like this before. She was like a crab with its pincers raised, ready to pounce on someone. Jiang Huai suddenly laughed at the thought. He leaned back and looked at Yan Xia in a more comfortable position. ¡°What¡¯s so funny!¡± Yan Xia said angrily. She was injured all over today and was already in a bad mood. She even had a big fight with Jiang Huai when she got home, so she was filled with anger. Now, it was as if she had suddenly found a punching bag, and she just wanted to scold him. Jiang Huai¡¯s interest was piqued as well. He started to tease her. ¡°I¡¯m laughing at how funny you look.¡± ¡°Is this interesting?¡± Yan Xia felt wronged. ¡°You try being in so much pain all over your body, but end up getting dragged out here in the middle of the night by a phone call. In the end, the boss doesn¡¯t show any sympathy to you, an employee, and even blames you for being a busybody! And I¡¯m just a poor worker, working so late without any overtime pay!¡± Jiang Huai stared at her seriously and said with sincerity, ¡°You¡¯re not just an employee.¡± Yan Xia ignored his gaze and continued, ¡°Ah, right, right, right. Of course, I¡¯m not just an employee. I¡¯m¡­.¡± The words ¡®substitute¡¯ were stuck in her throat. Like a deflated balloon, Yan Xia simmered down. How could she argue with her own boss? Moreover, she knew that she was a substitute, so why did she bring it up to make herself look worse? Who was Jiang Huai? He was known for his calmness and self-control. He rarely lost his temper in front of outsiders. Although he always had a cold face, he was a good leader that was well-known in the company. Today was really like the sun rising from the west. For Zhang Ying, he even fought. Yan Xia bit her lower lip. It seemed that she had indeed been a busybody! Jiang Huai didn¡¯t know that Yan Xia was having a mental battle. He only saw the change in her expression. One second, she was angry like a pufferfish, and now, she was like a child who had done something wrong. He was curious about what this woman was thinking every day. A strand of hair fell beside Yan Xia¡¯s ear. Jiang Huai looked up at Yan Xia, who was standing beside him. He suddenly stood up and wanted to tuck her hair behind her ear. Jiang Huai¡¯s hand was only halfway out when Yan Xia subconsciously dodged it. Her eyes were filled with confusion. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Jiang Huai was speechless. Why was this woman avoiding him so naturally? Just as he was about to flare up, his phone suddenly rang. ¡°Father.¡± Jiang Huai stood up straight, his back subconsciously stiff. The voice on the other end of the phone was majestic and powerful. ¡°There are some things in the company that need you to deal with. I¡¯ve already asked my secretary to buy a plane ticket for two in the morning. You should go to the airport now.¡± The tone of this command was both familiar and terrifying. There was no one in Top of the City, so it was very quiet. Yan Xia could hear the voice on the phone. She could not help but sigh. In fact, she had only seen Father Jiang once when she had just gotten married. However, his stern face still made her shiver. Yan Xia stole a glance at Jiang Huai and saw that the skin on his knuckles was broken and blood was dripping out. It was too dark in this room, so Yan Xia did not notice him until she saw him. He was fighting! How could he not be injured? She quickly sent a WeChat message to Liu Yu, asking her to get a band-aid for the boss. Then, she looked at the time, and it was already 12:30 in the morning. Chapter 31 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation Jiang Huai had just put down his phone when Yan Xia said, ¡°President Jiang, the car is already downstairs. The driver will send you to the airport now.¡± Jiang Huai sometimes admired Yan Xia¡¯s work ability. She was able to gather useful information from a single phone call and make the most reasonable arrangements. Jiang Huai nodded. ¡°Come with me to the airport. I have some things to tell you on the way.¡± Yan Xia nodded and followed behind Jiang Huai. She had been Jiang Huai¡¯s secretary for three years and it had become a habit to follow him around. The car was already waiting for them when they arrived downstairs. Liu Yu was holding a band-aid and iodophor in her hands as she stood by the car waiting for the two of them. Yan Xia took the items from Liu Yu and said, ¡°Alright, you should go home and rest. I¡¯ll take care of the things here.¡± Liu Yu was touched. ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to trouble you, Sister Yan. Goodbye, Sister Yan!¡± Jiang Huai sat in the back seat when they got into the car. After some thought, Yan Xia followed him. Usually, when the two of them went out together, Yan Xia would sit in the front seat and report to Jiang Huai on the way. However, Jiang Huai¡¯s hand was injured today and Yan Xia wanted to sit in the back to help him bandage it. It was rare that Jiang Huai did not mock Yan Xia. ¡°Give me your hand.¡± It was an order. Yan Xia dipped a cotton swab in iodophor and spoke to Jiang Huai. Jiang Huai was a little surprised. Yan Xia seemed different today. She never dared to speak to him in such a commanding tone before. Jiang Huai still extended his hand. The cold iodophor was applied to the wound, and the muscles of his hand naturally curled up slightly due to nerve reflex. Seeing his curled fingers covering the wound, Yan Xia reached out to take his hand. Yan Xia¡¯s hand was small and soft, while Jiang Huai¡¯s hand was slender and well-defined. They held each other¡¯s hands and neither of them felt strange. After the band-aid was put on, the driver suddenly stepped on the brake, and Yan Xia hit the front seat. Jiang Huai¡¯s sharp eyes caught her hand even more tightly, while his other hand shielded her between the seat and Yan Xia¡¯s head. Only then did Yan Xia realize that they were holding hands. She quickly sat up straight and pulled her hand away, saying in a panic, ¡°Thank you.¡± Jiang Huai ignored her. He held his empty hand and turned to look out the window. He didn¡¯t say anything for a long time. The atmosphere was a little ambiguous and Yan Xia felt her ears burning. The two of them had clearly done more intimate things before, but it was not as heart-throbbing as holding hands at this moment. Yan Xia recalled how he had protected her subconsciously just now and suddenly remembered many good things about him. In the first three months of their marriage, which was one of the rare times that they didn¡¯t quarrel, Jiang Huai had always been very considerate. At first, Yan Xia would have nightmares at night. Every time she woke up in the middle of the night, the man next to her would hold her hand subconsciously, giving her an endless sense of security. Even in the days to come, when all that was left between the two of them was hatred, Jiang Huai would still stay in the same room and bed with her. He probably knew that she would have nightmares at night. Yan Xia was touched and felt guilty about what happened that night. When they were about to reach the airport, Jiang Huai spoke again. ¡°Today¡¯s matter might be a little troublesome. There were too many people at the scene, so it is inevitable that some people will take some photos. Zhang Ying hadn¡¯t made an official debut yet, so there can¡¯t be any negative news. You must deal with this matter as soon as possible.¡± The name ¡®Zhang Ying¡¯ pulled Yan Xia back to reality. As expected, Jiang Huai wasn¡¯t worried about whether the Jiang Corporation would be affected by these videos. He was more worried about Zhang Ying. Yan Xia thought about her thoughts and felt that she was overthinking. Yan Xia scolded herself in her heart. How could she let his subconscious action break her long line of defense? She had to wake up! After calming down, Yan Xia replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, President Jiang. I¡¯ll let Zhang Rui follow Zhang Ying to protect her for the next few days. As for the video, Liu Yu, the Public Relations Department, and I have already destroyed it.¡± Yan Xia fiddled with her phone and continued, ¡°President Jiang¡¯s travel time is a little tight this time, so you didn¡¯t bring any luggage. I¡¯ve already sent some necessities to the people who will be receiving them. They will be responsible for the preparations. President Jiang, do you have any other arrangements?¡± Jiang Huai shook his head. Yan Xia had always thought of things more thoroughly than he did. He knew this when he recruited her into the company. He had always trusted Yan Xia at work. Chapter 32 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation The car stopped at the entrance and Jiang Huai opened the door. Just as he took a step, he stopped and paused. ¡°You don¡¯t need to go in. Go back and rest early.¡± After thinking for a while, he was still a little worried, so he added, ¡°Stay away from that Chen Bing. You¡¯re not allowed to meet in private without my permission.¡± ¡®So overbearing,¡¯ Yan Xia thought. However, Yan Xia still nodded, but she wondered why she would go looking for him in the first place. The car door closed and Jiang Huai strode into the airport. Yan Xia stared at his back for a long time. If one were to ask Yan Xia what part of Jiang Huai she was most familiar with, it would definitely be his back. From the beginning to the three years they had known each other, every time Jiang Huai left, it was Yan Xia who watched him leave. In the days when she followed him, Yan Xia had secretly calculated the height of her shadow on his back. She had also calculated that if she wore high heels, her shadow would reach his shoulders. However, many things had happened after that and Yan Xia had hidden those thoughts away. She was not allowed to let herself indulge in them anymore. On the other side, Zhang Rui sent Zhang Ying and Jiang Ling home. Jiang Ling did not want to go back to her own house in such a sorry state, so she stayed at Zhang Ying¡¯s place. Zhang Rui slept on the sofa so that he could respond in time if anything happened the next morning. It was already late at night. Zhang Rui and Jiang Ling were both asleep. Zhang Ying walked quietly to the balcony and made a phone call in the shadow of the night. ¡°You did well today,¡± Zhang Ying whispered. ¡°Jiang Huai just so happened to be going abroad at this time. God is on my side.¡± The person on the other side snorted. ¡°Don¡¯t forget what you promised me.¡± Zhang Ying was impatient. ¡°I know this. You don¡¯t have to remind me again and again. The paparazzi have already made arrangements. All you need to do is add fuel to the fire. I want Yan Xia¡¯s misunderstanding of Jiang Huai to never be resolved!¡± The person on the other end of the line was holding his phone with one hand and playing with a photo in the other. The photo was of Yan Xia and Wu Chen. It was a photo that was secretly taken when the two of them were having dinner together. ¡°It¡¯s up to you now.¡± Just as Yan Xia had expected, the next day, public opinion began to ferment. There were three or four trending terms. They were ¡®Jiang Huai rekindles old feelings¡¯, ¡®Jiang Huai fights for his first love in a nightclub¡¯, ¡®hero saves beauty for love¡¯, and ¡®the history of pianist Zhang Ying¡¯s fame.¡¯ Even though most of the clear videos had been bought and deleted by Yan Xia, there were still some blurry photos and videos taken by people standing far away. The netizens used their rich imagination to arrange this one-minute fighting video into a complete story. [The Jiang family¡¯s young master, Jiang Huai, met his ex-girlfriend at a nightclub. He was unhappy that his girlfriend was being teased and did not care about his image. He got into a fight with the Chen family¡¯s young master, Chen Bing. I don¡¯t understand the world of the rich.] It was accompanied by a video. The moment this post was released, the public opinion was one-sided. The netizens completely avoided Chen Bing and focused on Jiang Huai and Zhang Ying, as well as their bold guesses about their relationship. [Who¡¯s Jiang Huai¡¯s wife now? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever heard of it before!] [How can an unknown small character compare to pianist Zhang Ying! She is a beautiful pianist who has just returned from studying abroad and has listened to all kinds of major music performances abroad! If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t be able to forget such an outstanding ex!] [Don¡¯t you guys know? Jiang Huai is already going through the divorce procedures. He might even be marrying Zhang Ying next!] [So fast! How long has Jiang Huai been married? It¡¯s been three years. There are no negative news about it. It seems like he really loves Zhang Ying. She has just returned to the country and he already wants to give her a status.] Yan Xia read the comments one by one and fell silent. Although she knew that it was all fake news, even Yan Xia herself felt that it was true. Liu Yu had just finished reading the comments and was so angry that she threw the tablet on the table. ¡°This is too much! What nonsense is this group of people spouting! They don¡¯t know how close President Jiang and Sister Yan are to each other!¡± Yan Xia was exhausted. It was already three in the morning when she sent Jiang Huai home yesterday. She didn¡¯t even have time to tidy herself up before she fell asleep on the bed. It was as if the sun would rise the moment she closed her eyes. She could only endure the soreness in her body and get up. Chapter 33 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation Yan Xia tried her best to get into a comfortable position. Her whole body was sinking into the sofa. It was rare for her to put on makeup. Now, because she was too haggard from the torment, the dark circles under her eyes were almost panda eyes, and she could only use simple makeup to cover them. When Yan Xia fell yesterday, her waist hit the edge of the steps. It was not treated in time, so when she woke up this morning, it was already bruised. It was impossible for her to wear pants in such a situation, so she could only choose a formal and comfortable long silk dress that wrapped around her body perfectly. It was not too loose or too tight-fitting. Seeing that Yan Xia did not speak for a long time, Liu Yu did not dare to talk about love again. She was afraid that continuing the discussion would make Yan Xia unhappy, but she could not help but feel indignant for Yan Xia. Her Sister Yan was a top student of A University! She had obtained many certificates when she was in college, and had entered the company with the best academic qualifications. In the past three years, she had relied on her own efforts to climb from the bottom to her current position, step by step, without relying on President Jiang¡¯s relationship at all. Just take the cases that Sister Yan handled, which one of them wasn¡¯t better than Zhang Ying? These netizens only knew how to spout nonsense! They even spread rumors that President Jiang and Sister Yan would get a divorce. She had seen how well President Jiang treated Sister Yan! President Jiang never dealt with clients in the afternoon. It wasn¡¯t for himself, but to let Sister Yan sit down, rest her legs, and finish her lunch. There was also one time when President Jiang specially reminded Sister Yan, ¡°You can change into more comfortable shoes during lunch break.¡± Only then did Liu Yu notice that Sister Yan was wearing a pair of stiletto heels. She was very busy that day, and Sister Yan stood there for the whole morning without having the time to sit down. Sister Yan was beyond perfect to President Jiang. Every time President Jiang said something, Sister Yan could guess the other half of it. Sister Yan remembered every habit of President Jiang¡¯s and arranged everything for him considerately. How dare they spread rumors that such a sweet couple would get a divorce? While Liu Yu was still feeling indignant, Yan Xia suddenly said, ¡°Liu Yu, ask the PR Department to check the IP address of the person who posted the video.¡± Yan Xia handed the tablet to Liu Yu. Liu Yu took a look and saw that it was a nameless Weibo account. ¡®User 3927¡­¡¯ It was obvious they had just registered. Liu Yu was curious. ¡°Who would be so stupid to use such a new account instead of buying an account to guide public opinion? Isn¡¯t it just to let people investigate them?¡± Yan Xia frowned. She finally realized that things were not as simple as they seemed. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m worried about. I¡¯m afraid that someone has been planning this for a long time and is waiting for us to come to them.¡± Yan Xia thought of the group of reporters that Zhang Ying had arranged for when she had just returned to the country. She wondered if she was still related to the incident. However, Yan Xia could not figure out why Zhang Ying was creating so much negative news for herself before she even made an official debut. Could it be that she wanted to take the infamous route? That shouldn¡¯t be the case. This didn¡¯t match her piano persona at all. Just as she was thinking about it, Zhang Rui called. ¡°Sister Yan, this is bad. There are paparazzi all over Zhang Ying¡¯s apartment. We don¡¯t know who spread the news, but there is a group of fans downstairs, surrounding the place so tightly that not even a drop of water can trickle through. I¡¯m afraid that it won¡¯t be good for Zhang Ying¡¯s development if this matter is blown up.¡± Yan Xia did not expect so many people to come. She did expect the paparazzi to follow Zhang Ying, but she did not expect so many fans to know her address and come to watch. If the fans held onto the fact that Zhang Ying went to the nightclub, it was inevitable that some extreme fans would do something to hurt Zhang Ying. If there were so many people gathered outside Zhang Ying¡¯s house today, it would be even more difficult to explain what had happened. Things were getting more and more out of control. Yan Xia had a bad feeling about it. Things were piling up, and it was hard for her to sort them out. ¡°Zhang Ying can¡¯t stay in her apartment any longer,¡± Yan Xia said. ¡°Find a way to get her out. I¡¯ll send a car to pick you up.¡± After hanging up the phone, Liu Yu quickly walked to Yan Xia and showed her the tablet. ¡°Sister Yan, I found it! It¡¯s the Chen family.¡± This was even more troublesome. Chapter 34 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation Yan Xia had completely forgotten about Jiang Huai¡¯s instructions to not let them meet in private. The current situation couldn¡¯t be delayed for even a minute. The public opinion on the internet was still fermenting. The stock market opened at 9 am and the Jiang Corporation¡¯s share price took a huge hit. With Jiang Huai¡¯s departure, it would take at least three to five days to half a month. If they waited for him to come back and deal with it, the rice would be turned into porridge and the Jiang Corporation would suffer a huge loss. Yan Xia was even more depressed. Why did he choose to leave the country at this time? Was there a connection between them? Yan Xia looked at the tablet in front of her and carefully recalled the scene when she saw Chen Bing last night. Chen Bing¡¯s eyes were filled with hatred. One side of his face was swollen and there was blood at the corner of his mouth. He looked like he wanted to skin Jiang Huai alive. It seemed like it was impossible to make him stop. However, Yan Xia couldn¡¯t understand why Chen Bing would expose himself so openly if he was trying to frame Jiang Huai and cause the Jiang Corporation¡¯s share price to fall. Could it be that he had an ulterior motive for doing this? Yan Xia combined what Jiang Huai had said last night and suddenly had a bold guess. Chen Bing was waiting for her to find him. However, in Yan Xia¡¯s memory, she had never interacted with Chen Bing. Even the Jiang Corporation had no contact with the Chen family. If one had to argue, it should be the day Wu Chen returned to the country. The two of them had met once at the wine party, but it was only a quick glance. She did not even get to see his face clearly. What was Chen Bing up to? Or was he simply brainless? Yan Xia stopped thinking about it. She was only thinking about how to convince Chen Bing and get out of this situation. Time passed by. It was about five minutes. Liu Yu looked at Yan Xia anxiously. She lowered her head and thought that five minutes was a long time. The trending topic was getting more and more popular. Even though they had already bought fake reviewers to control the comments, there was no way to suppress it. Finally, Yan Xia said, ¡°Go to Top of the City! The boss from yesterday seems to know Chen Bing, so Chen Bing must be a regular there. With his temper, this is definitely not the first time he has caused trouble, but there is definitely something wrong with him being able to stay safe every time. I want to know his secret before noon!¡± ¡°Help me find his phone number first,¡± Yan Xia said after a pause. ¡°I think I need to talk to him.¡± Liu Yu received the order and immediately went out to handle it. Yan Xia was uneasy, but she could not think of any other way. It was not easy to think of all this in such a time-tight situation when facing someone who knew nothing. Only when she had some bargaining chips in her hands would Yan Xia dare to negotiate with him without worry. Chen Bing¡¯s phone number was easy to find. Liu Yu quickly called Yan Xia¡¯s phone. Yan Xia adjusted her sitting position. Her back was already sore, so she had to raise the back of the chair to support herself. When she was sure that she had calmed down, Yan Xia ran through the contents of the call in her mind. She cleared her throat to make her voice sound intimidating, then dialed the number. The call went through quickly. Normally, the first thing Chen Bing should do was to ask who was calling from an unknown number. However, Chen Bing seemed to have anticipated it. The moment the call went through, he said, ¡°I¡¯ve waited a long time for this call from Young Madam Jiang.¡± Yan Xia was startled. She did not expect such an opening. Few people would call her Mrs. Jiang at work. Most people saw her as Mr. Jiang¡¯s secretary. In reality, Jiang Huai rarely took the initiative to tell others that Yan Xia was his wife. Therefore, other than those who were close to the Jiang family and some of the company¡¯s senior employees, everyone only treated Yan Xia as a secretary. Hence, Yan Xia was surprised when Chen Bing called her Young Madam Jiang. It seemed that not only did Chen Bing know that she would call, but he also had a clear purpose. He was waiting for the Jiang family¡¯s call, so his target was obvious. Yan Xia quickly adjusted herself and said, ¡°It seems that Young Master Chen knew I was going to call you. Then Young Master Chen must also know what I want to say. Let¡¯s not waste time and get straight to the point. How can Young Master Chen delete the video?¡± Chapter 35 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation A burst of hearty laughter came from the other end of the line after Yan Xia finished. Chen Bing had some admiration for Yan Xia. He had only gotten the video this morning, and it had only been half an hour since it was sent out. Even though he had deliberately left some clues behind, Yan Xia was indeed capable to be able to find him so quickly. Chen Bing couldn¡¯t help but think back to the night before when he saw Yan Xia. She was wearing a casual tracksuit and her hair was tied into a ponytail. She looked clean and fresh, completely different from the messy state she had been in at the banquet. When dealing with things, she did not hesitate and made quick decisions. She was indeed different from the group of soft, weak, and pretentious women around him. She also made people have the desire to conquer her. She was truly an attractive woman. Chen Bing thought to himself as a determined smile appeared on his face. ¡°Young Madam Jiang is indeed a straightforward person,¡± he said. ¡°Then I won¡¯t beat around the bush. I can delete the video, but I want Jiang Huai to personally apologize to me.¡± Chen Bing had already found out about Jiang Huai¡¯s sudden departure last night. He had made this request to make things difficult for Yan Xia. Yan Xia¡¯s voice was emotionless as she coldly said, ¡°It turns out that in Young Master Chen¡¯s perception, it is the right thing to do to provoke a beautiful girl after getting drunk, get angry after being rejected, and fight when the bystanders stop him from stirring up trouble.¡± ¡°You!¡± Chen Bing did not expect Yan Xia to be so sharp-tongued, and with just a few words, she attributed the beating to his own actions. He slammed the table, stood up, and shouted at the phone. Yan Xia remained unmoved and showed no fear. ¡°Young Master Chen, don¡¯t get angry. Why don¡¯t you calm down and think about what conditions you can offer that will be more beneficial to you? I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve specially arranged this and asked me to call you just to have a war of words with me, right?¡± Chen Bing laughed out of anger. ¡°I knew that the Secretary Yan of President Jiang of the Jiang Corporation is not a simple person. You really live up to your name. I¡¯ve underestimated you.¡± Chen Bing no longer addressed Yan Xia as Mrs. Jiang. Instead, he called her Secretary Yan. He admired this woman from the bottom of her heart. Chen Bing calmed down and sat back on the chair. ¡°Of course it¡¯s easy to discuss, but you have to let me see the sincerity of your Jiang Corporation. I¡¯ll be waiting for you at the High Mountain Stream by 12 noon today.¡± He paused. ¡°If it¡¯s past noon, don¡¯t blame me for not waiting.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a deal.¡± Yan Xia ended the call. ¡®High Mountain Stream¡¯ was the latest resort project in A City. A plot of land was drawn in the suburbs. It had taken two years to plan and build and had only been completed recently. As soon as High Mountain Stream restaurant was built, it became the most high-end restaurant in A City and the favorite of all the upstarts in A City. It was packed with people as soon as it opened, and many people made reservations. As soon as the ¡®High Mountain Stream¡¯ project was announced, it could be said that half of the powerful people in A City were shocked. Many people were fighting to get this project. There were even many people who gave gifts behind the scenes and wanted to get the bidding price from the government. Back then, the Jiang Corporation was also very interested in this project. The Investment Department held a three-day meeting to discuss the bidding price. In the end, it was Jiang Huai who decided on a price that was neither high nor low. This price had also attracted the suspicion of the Investment Department. They felt that with too many people competing, the price would definitely be raised. The current number was not considered high. However, Jiang Huai remained unmoved. ¡°According to your evaluation, this number is closest to the base price given by the government. Our goal is not to get this project, but to put pressure on those who must get this project. The more they invest, the less liquid capital they can use before the project is completed.¡± Jiang Huai paused for a moment and looked at A City¡¯s development report for the past two years. ¡°The ¡®High Mountain Stream¡¯ project isn¡¯t a must, but it can help us develop in other projects in the next two years.¡± Chapter 36 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation Yan Xia had just been Jiang Huai¡¯s secretary for about a year, so she was not familiar with his decisions. She asked for the reason out of curiosity. When it came to work, Jiang Huai had always been very patient. He would answer all the questions of those who were willing to work hard. He explained, ¡°The person who can get the ¡®High Mountain Stream¡¯ project must have a certain power and financial resources in A City. In the future, they will definitely compete with us for the market. If we let them invest a large amount of money into the High Mountain Stream project, they will have less capital to compete with us in the market. By the time our funds return, we¡¯ll already be rich in other areas.¡± He then looked at Yan Xia. His eyes were filled with the ruthlessness of a capitalist, as well as the decisiveness and wisdom of a superior. He said, ¡°You¡¯ve learned about market management, so you should know that when the market demand exceeds the supply, this market is the biggest direction. The times are changing very quickly, and too many new resources are pouring into the market. Others have no time to care about these resources, but we have them in our hands. Without competitors, only we can call the shots in the market.¡± Yan Xia¡¯s heart was filled with admiration after hearing his words. The truth proved that his decision was correct. The price was about the same as the bidding line. Many forces in A City were concerned because of the Jiang Corporation¡¯s bid and didn¡¯t dare to be soft-hearted. In the end, they got it at almost twice the bidding price. Yan Xia paid a little attention to the follow-up of this matter. It was said that other than the Jiang family and the Wu family, almost all the other families had joined. In the end, they finally gathered enough funds to start the project. And the Chen family took the biggest share in this project. When Chen Bing mentioned High Mountain Stream, Yan Xia suddenly recalled the past. She had a vague guess that Chen Bing did all these things to take revenge on the Jiang Corporation. Who was Chen Bing? He was the only son of the Chen family, the most powerful underworld force in A City. Ever since the Chen family had become rich, this young master had never stopped causing trouble. Yan Xia knew that it was useless to reason with this kind of person. If she did not have something that could make him afraid, she would not be able to come back from this Hongmen feast. As time passed, Yan Xia became more and more anxious. In fact, it was not a serious matter to make it to the trending section. However, there were too many things involved in the public opinion now. Divorce, Zhang Ying, and the company, Sunny. As a newly-established subsidiary of the Jiang Corporation, the company had used up a large amount of the Jiang Corporation¡¯s liquid capital. If there was any negative news at this time, it would not affect Zhang Ying much. At most, the capital return would be slower. However, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to influence the Jiang Corporation. Once the stock price fell, the shareholders would sell their shares, and the Jiang Corporation would have just spent a lot of money. As such a large corporation, it was inevitable that they would be affected, and their funds would probably be paralyzed for a while. Finally, an hour later, Yan Xia received a message from Liu Yu. [Sister Yan, the boss of city top is a sensible person. The surveillance videos in the shop are regularly processed. This is the only thing we can find that is related to Chen Bing.] Yan Xia watched the videos one by one. The more she watched, the more disappointed she became. Her heart sank. These videos were nothing more than small fights. Although Chen Bing did not have principles, he would never go too far. It was the only time he had hit a girl like last night. Yan Xia had completely given up hope. This kind of video would not be able to suppress him. Yan Xia called the chauffeur and arranged for a car to take her to High Mountain Stream. Just as she got into the car, she received a call from Jiang Huai. Yan Xia was stunned. He should have just gotten off the plane. Why did he call her? She then thought about what Jiang Huai had asked her to do before he left. Could it be that she was to blame for not handling this matter in time and it had a bad impact on Zhang Ying? Yan Xia was already very worried, but she still forced herself to answer the phone. The call went through. Jiang Huai¡¯s voice sounded muffled. He sounded angry but he was trying his best to control himself. There was also a hint of irritation and worry in his voice. ¡°Yan Xia, you never listen to me.¡± Chapter 37 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation Yan Xia did not expect Jiang Huai to say something like that. She did not know how to reply. What did he just say? Yan Xia¡¯s brain short-circuited. After about ten seconds, her brain finally restarted. Last night, before he left, he had told her not to meet Chen Bing alone. This sentence? Yan Xia was stunned. If that was the case, it would be too unreasonable! What was the situation now? Who was she meeting Chen Bing for? Why was she being blamed for serving him! Yan Xia felt wronged and sniffled. She wanted to argue, ¡°But I¡­¡± However, she was interrupted by Jiang Huai. ¡°Chen Bing¡¯s incident was targeted at me. I¡¯ll send you a document and you can bring it to him. Try to stall for time. I¡¯ll find someone to help you.¡± Her phone beeped with a WeChat notification. Yan Xia forgot what she wanted to say and immediately went to check the documents. Jiang Huai had sent Yan Xia a project transfer agreement. It turned out to be an S+ movie project. Yan Xia¡¯s mind was in a mess. She did not have the time to figure out the connection between the two. She asked blankly, ¡°You mean Chen Bing did all this just to get this project?¡± Jiang Huai was impatient. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether it¡¯s true or not. What¡¯s important is that you come out the way you entered! I won¡¯t let him off if you lose even a single strand of hair!¡± Yan Xia looked out of the car. It was almost noon. The sun was already high in the sky. The light was so bright that she couldn¡¯t open her eyes. Her eyes were blurry. She thought seriously, ¡®Did Jiang Huai take the wrong medicine today? He actually said such words.¡¯ ¡°Remember to stall for time. Someone will pick you up in an hour.¡± Jiang Huai didn¡¯t give Yan Xia a chance to react. He hung up the phone after speaking in a commanding tone. Jiang Huai followed the person Father Jiang sent to pick him up out of the airport. At the same time, he picked up his phone and made a call. The person on the other end of the line was quite surprised when the call connected. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to receive a call from you in my lifetime.¡± Jiang Huai frowned. ¡°Cut the crap. We¡¯ve seen enough. Go and get my people back immediately!¡± It had been ten hours since last night¡¯s incident. Jiang Huai saw the news bombarding him the moment he got off the plane. It was obvious that this was the Chen family¡¯s doing, and their goal was obvious. They were after the project that had just been acquired by Sunny. The two companies had been fighting for this project for three months before it was finally won by Jiang Huai. Last night, he knew that Chen Bing was provoking him on purpose, but when he mentioned Yan Xia with those vulgarities, Jiang Huai still couldn¡¯t help but hit him. The person on the other end of the phone put away his smug expression and said, ¡°Remember that you owe me one.¡± On the other side, Yan Xia was still completely unaware of the situation and was a little confused. However, her professional habits made her quickly open the contract and read it carefully. TN Video was preparing to shoot a movie, and the director had been decided. It was Sun Lin, who had just won the Hollywood Best Director Award. As for the actors, they were to be determined. The script was set for a recently popular novel, but the copyright was still in negotiation. The investor of this project was initially Sunny. The transfer agreement was to transfer the project from Sunny to the Chen Corporation. Before Yan Xia could think further, the car had already stopped in front of High Mountain Stream. A security guard knocked on the window. ¡°Ms. Yan, foreign vehicles are not allowed to enter. Park the car and we¡¯ll get a car from the manor to send you in.¡± Yan Xia did not argue. She got on the tour bus and was led to the deepest part of the manor. As they walked, Yan Xia looked at the interior decorations and could not help but sigh. The Chen family had indeed spent a lot of money to build this manor. In addition to the one-view-per-step design, there were many small villas as accommodation. Each villa had its own unique style, with a courtyard with a different theme, such as plum, orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum, spring, summer, autumn, winter, and so on. The whole feeling was very advanced. High Mountain Stream had also allocated a piece of land in the east to build a high-class club with all the facilities available. Chen Bing was waiting for her in the VIP room on the third floor of the club. Chapter 38 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation This was probably Chen Bing¡¯s third time meeting Yan Xia. Every time he saw her, he had a different feeling. The first time, it was a mess, but the second time, it was clean, simple, and capable. Today was the third time, and his impression of Yan Xia had changed to that of a charming woman. She was wearing a black silk spaghetti strap dress with a khaki-colored suit jacket. She gave off a lazy and cold aura. Chen Bing rarely went to his own company because he didn¡¯t like such boring work. Secondly, the women here were too boring. They looked lifeless every day and only knew how to do business. There was no fun at all. Yan Xia was different from those people. No, Yan Xia was probably different from all the women Chen Bing had ever met. It actually gave Chen Bing a pleasant surprise. Chen Bing stared at Yan Xia without holding back. There was a possessive look in his eyes, which made Yan Xia uncomfortable. ¡°Please take a seat.¡± Chen Bing smirked. He had a head of red hair, which made his face look very pale. He was wearing a leather jacket and overalls, and his trousers were all stuffed into his Dr. Martin boots. He had an unruly ruffian aura. He asked her to sit down and his subordinates made way for her. The lighting in the VIP room was good, and the matching sofa was soft and comfortable. If it weren¡¯t for the group of people in front of her, Yan Xia would have thought that this was a great place to relax. Yan Xia walked through the crowd expressionlessly and sat opposite Chen Bing. Although her back hurt, she forced herself to sit up straight. Chen Bing moved her fingers, and a man brought a glass of golden wine to Yan Xia. ¡°I don¡¯t have the habit of drinking tea here,¡± Chen Bing said with a smirk. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try some of my good wine, Secretary Yan?¡± Yan Xia looked at the wine and did not touch it. She smiled politely. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t have the habit of drinking.¡± A hooligan-like man sitting next to Chen Bing laughed. ¡°Wow, what arrogance. You actually dare to reject our Young Master Chen¡¯s wine.¡± Yan Xia glanced at the hooligan and knew that he was Chen Bing¡¯s lackey. If she accepted his request, her momentum would be weakened. Yan Xia glanced at the hooligan and said to Chen Bing, ¡°How can anyone speak up for Young Master Chen?¡± Chen Bing felt as if he had been criticized, but he had no evidence. He felt depressed and slapped the back of the person¡¯s head. ¡°Get lost! I¡¯m f*cking talking business, who the h*ll are you to interrupt?¡± Hearing Chen Bing¡¯s tantrum, the group of people immediately stood up, bowed, and pulled them out of the door. Soon, only Yan Xia and Chen Bing were left. Seeing that there were only the two of them left, Yan Xia started to panic. If those people were here just now, Chen Bing might have restrained himself for the sake of his face. Now that there were only two people left, it was hard to guarantee that this person wouldn¡¯t do anything out of line. Chen Bing could tell that Yan Xia was afraid, so he sneered, ¡°I thought you were a powerful woman. You¡¯re scared of such a small scene?¡± Chen Bing loved the pleasure of conquering women. Seeing that Yan Xia had become scared so quickly, he suddenly lost interest in this woman. He leaned back on the sofa and placed his hands on the back of the sofa. ¡°Since you dare to come alone, I¡¯ll give you some face. I can delete the video, but I have a condition. I want Jiang Huai to agree to my request yesterday.¡± Yesterday, when he mentioned Yan Xia, Jiang Huai¡¯s expression was already off. That was why he purposely asked Jiang Huai to give up Yan Xia to have some fun. He wanted to anger Jiang Huai. Sure enough, this usually calm and cold-faced king of h*ll, who even he had to give in to, actually had a weakness, and it was such a boring woman. He did not care if he could get Yan Xia. He just wanted Jiang Huai to suffer and vent his pent-up anger! Yan Xia didn¡¯t know what Chen Bing had requested of Jiang Huai, but she was sure that Jiang Huai would never agree to it. Yan Xia thought of the contract in her hand. Although the S+ project was indeed difficult to give up, it was a competition of time. There was no need to waste time with him. Chapter 39 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation It was a negotiation after all. Even if she was not as good at it as Jiang Huai, she was more than capable of dealing with an ignorant playboy. Yan Xia tried to smile as easily as she could. ¡°Mr. Chen, do you want to think about it again? Is venting your anger more important than business?¡± Chen Bing was imagining Jiang Huai¡¯s expression when he was defeated, but he didn¡¯t expect Yan Xia to be so unpredictable. Instead of panicking, she threatened him. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± he asked. Yan Xia placed her phone on the table and pushed it toward Chen Bing. ¡°Young Master Chen, why don¡¯t you take a look at this transfer agreement and see if it¡¯s enough to buy this video?¡± Chen Bing looked at the project transfer agreement, and his expression became worse and worse. In fact, yesterday¡¯s fight and today¡¯s video were all incited by his father¡¯s secretary. The purpose seemed to be for some project transfer contract, but he forgot about it because of his temper. He thought of his father¡¯s scarred face and his heart trembled. He couldn¡¯t help but curse in his stomach. Although he remembered the important matter, it was impossible for him to admit defeat, especially to a woman! He threw the phone back. ¡°Do you think that a small project book can cover all my injuries?¡± A small project book? Yan Xia was shocked. Didn¡¯t he want to hear what she was saying? This wasn¡¯t some small web drama, this was an S+ project! Yan Xia looked at the brainless young master in front of her and was speechless. ¡°What else do you want, Young Master Chen? President Jiang is already overseas, so I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be difficult for him to make an appearance.¡± Why were this woman¡¯s eyes filled with disdain? Chen Bing was very unhappy with Yan Xia¡¯s gaze, which was like she was looking at a fool, and wanted to make things difficult for her. It didn¡¯t matter. If he couldn¡¯t take advantage of anything in Jiang Huai, he would take advantage of the woman there. Chen Bing stood up and walked to sit beside Yan Xia. He picked up the glass of wine in front of him and handed it to her. ¡°Of course, everything can be discussed, but you have to show me your sincerity first.¡± This was no ordinary wine. He had tampered with it. No matter how powerful Yan Xia was, she would only be an obedient person after drinking his wine. Yan Xia looked at the wine glass that was almost touching her lips and felt uncertain. If it was reasonable, Yan Xia would not admit defeat, but the man in front of her was an unreasonable hooligan. Yan Xia was forced to retreat. Her back hurt and she was in despair. In her current condition, she could not escape even if she wanted to. Chen Bing had already grabbed Yan Xia¡¯s arm and forced the wine into Yan Xia¡¯s mouth. Yan Xia¡¯s hand was still swollen, but she still pushed him away. However, such strength was insignificant to Chen Bing. It would only make him even happier. The wine slid down Yan Xia¡¯s closed lips and half of the glass spilled on her body. Yan Xia¡¯s eyes were filled with tears from the pain. Chen Bing, on the other hand, suddenly felt the pleasure of revenge. Just as Yan Xia was about to lose all strength to fight back, the door was suddenly slammed open. The hooligan who had been sitting beside Chen Bing fell in and cried out in pain. Chen Bing was irritated by the interruption. He finally let go of Yan Xia and smashed the wine glass on the floor. He cursed and wanted to rush over to hit him, but he didn¡¯t expect to feel a familiar feeling again. A punch landed on the other side of his face that wasn¡¯t hit. Now, both sides were symmetrical, and they were both swollen. Chen Bing covered his face in pain. Who the h*ll was it again? Why did they always hit people¡¯s faces! But this time, before he could even raise his head, he was kicked in the chest again, and he fainted. When the others saw that their boss had fainted, they didn¡¯t dare to resist anymore and allowed the others to break in. The man walked to Yan Xia¡¯s side. ¡°Xia Xia, are you okay?¡± Yan Xia raised her head in surprise. ¡°Brother? What are you doing here?¡± The Jiang family was a relatively large family. Father Jiang was the second son, with two brothers and a sister. The elders of the Jiang family had a son and a daughter each. Although each family lived their own lives and rarely interacted with each other, their relationship was very good. The person in front of her was Jiang Huai¡¯s eldest uncle¡¯s oldest son, Jiang Yi. Chapter 40 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation Jiang Yi didn¡¯t bother to explain. Instead, he made sure that Yan Xia was fine and picked up her phone. Then, he walked to Chen Bing¡¯s side and squatted down. After fumbling around for a while, he found Chen Bing¡¯s phone. He opened Chen Bing¡¯s eyes, unlocked the phone, deleted the video on Weibo, and then reset the phone. After a series of operations, Jiang Yi sent the project transfer agreement to his mobile phone. Jiang Yi stood up and glanced at the hooligan lying on the ground. ¡°Tell Chen Bing that our Jiang family is not like some nouveau riche. We follow the rules. I deleted the video and sent him the project proposal. Let¡¯s just forget about this matter. Don¡¯t come and cause trouble in the future. The Jiang family isn¡¯t something he can afford to offend.¡± After that, Yan Xia stood up and walked to him. Seeing that she was fine and could still walk, Jiang Yi said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll send you home first.¡± On the way back, Yan Xia was still curious and asked, ¡°Big Brother, why did you suddenly come?¡± Yan Xia had a good impression of Jiang Yi. The two of them rarely met, and they only met once or twice during their wedding gatherings. Jiang Yi had always been gentle and friendly. He didn¡¯t put on any airs, completely different from Jiang Huai. Therefore, in front of Jiang Yi, Yan Xia was still relatively at ease. Jiang Yi was focused on driving and didn¡¯t look at Yan Xia, but he still smiled politely. ¡°Of course it¡¯s my brother who loves to act who asked me to come and take his wife home.¡± Hearing the word ¡®wife¡¯, Yan Xia blushed unnaturally and said, ¡°Many thanks, Big Brother.¡± Jiang Yi changed the topic. ¡°Zhang Ying has joined the company, and you are her manager. Who arranged for this?¡± Yan Xia did not expect him to ask about Zhang Ying, but she still answered obediently, ¡°It was arranged by President Jiang.¡± ¡°President Jiang?¡± Jiang Yi¡¯s smile seemed to have a deeper meaning. ¡°So the two of you have such a special interest in each other.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡± Yan Xia was even more embarrassed. Jiang Yi turned the steering wheel and looked straight ahead. ¡°I don¡¯t know what Jiang Huai was thinking. Why would he arrange for his wife to be with his pursuer? But you still have to be careful of her, or else there will be a lot of trouble.¡± Pursuer? The way he addressed her surprised Yan Xia. Almost everyone in the Jiang family thought that Zhang Ying was Jiang Huai¡¯s ex-girlfriend. They all avoided Yan Xia and did not want to mention her. Jiang Yi was the only one who addressed Zhang Ying as such. Jiang Yi returned the phone to Yan Xia. ¡°You were at Chen Bing¡¯s place for more than an hour. I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t know that Jiang Ling has already brought Zhang Ying home.¡± Yan Xia was shocked. Home? She had arranged for Zhang Rui to send them to a hotel under the Jiang Corporation. How did it end up being at the house in the blink of an eye? She turned on her phone and realized that she had missed Zhang Rui¡¯s message. [Sister Yan, Miss Jiang said that she was worried about Zhang Ying¡¯s safety and insisted that I bring her back to the Jiang family. She¡¯s already on her way.] Yan Xia felt tired and sighed. However, she quickly realized that the Jiang family¡¯s house was indeed a relatively safe place for her to stay since her fans were so crazy. However, before she could relax, she remembered that she had to go home to face Zhang Ying, Jiang Ling, and Mother Jiang. She felt a headache coming on. As the saying goes, ¡®three women make a show¡¯. Yan Xia could deal with any difficulties at work, but it was really exhausting for her to attend such an event. Yan Xia looked at Jiang Yi pitifully. ¡°Big Brother, I¡¯m a little tired. Can you send me back to President Jiang¡¯s house first?¡± Jiang Yi smiled gently, revealing his row of snow-white teeth. ¡°No.¡± Yan Xia was speechless. ¡®Alright, since I can¡¯t hide, I can only divert my attention.¡¯ Yan Xia checked Weibo to make sure that the hot search was suppressed, and then opened WeChat to check the news in the company group. Yan Xia was about to explode after reading it. As the people from Sunny were all newcomers, no one knew about the relationship between Yan Xia and Jiang Huai. After today¡¯s hot topic, everyone was actually talking about Jiang Huai and Zhang Ying. This kind of news that happened around them was often more lively than the hot search on Weibo. The company¡¯s employees had all sorts of speculations. For example, Jiang Huai had set up this company for Zhang Ying. They even said that Jiang Huai¡¯s marriage was fake so that no one would harass Zhang Ying while she was overseas. The most outrageous one was actually Zhang Rui! He was also actively discussing it. [I saw it with my own eyes! President Jiang personally went abroad to bring Zhang Ying back. If this isn¡¯t love!] Suddenly, Yan Xia¡¯s phone rang.