Volume 1, Chapter 24: Hoping the Scum and His Mistress Lock Themselves Away Together Forever

Duan Yixiao saw this and hurriedly got out of the car to chase after her. "It's so late, where are you going?"

Chen Nianke stumbled forward in her high heels, snapping, "That’s none of your business!"

Duan Yixiao sighed, took long strides to catch up, and swept her up into his arms.

"Duan Yixiao, you jerk! Put me down!" Chen Nianke struggled and pummeled him.

"I can’t just leave you like this." He placed her back in the car, his handsome features clouded with frustration. "Stop making a scene, will you? It was indeed my fault today. If you want to keep the necklace, just keep it."

Chen Nianke was caught off guard by his sudden concession, momentarily forgetting to continue their argument.

"Oh? Then how will you explain it to Jiang Yunmiao?"

Duan Yixiao managed a strained smile. "There will be a way." He fastened her seatbelt and patted her shoulder gently. "Don't worry, I'll handle it myself."

In that moment, Chen Nianke felt a flicker of emotion. Her gaze involuntarily followed him as he walked around the front of the car to the driver's seat. For a split second, she felt as though he were that same brilliant, gentle youth from the past, bathed in a dazzling light.

The two were silent for the rest of the journey.

Once they arrived at the Chen residence, a soft, tender light shimmered in Chen Nianke’s eyes. She smiled at him and said, "Wait for me a moment."

Five minutes later, she personally handed the necklace back to Duan Yixiao.

Duan Yixiao looked at her, moved. "You..."

"It’s just a necklace. It’s not worth fighting over, and it was just taking up space anyway. Since Jiang Yunmiao wants it, let her have it," Chen Nianke said with a mix of confidence and haughtiness.

She added, "Besides, I don't want to make things difficult for you."

"Thank you! I..." Duan Yixiao accepted the necklace, his feelings complex.

"Alright, alright. I need to rest, you should go," Chen Nianke waved him off nonchalantly and turned to head into her villa.

As the sound of the engine faded into the distance, Mother Chen stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, watching Duan Yixiao’s car disappear from view before turning to close the curtains with the remote.

"Why are you so foolish? He asked for it, and you just gave it back? That necklace is worth over five million; isn't that just a handout to that girl, Jiang Yunmiao?" Mother Chen looked at her daughter, who was sipping fruit tea on the sofa, feeling a sense of deep frustration, as if she had lost something precious.

Chen Nianke shook her head, unimpressed. "If I hadn't given it back, what if Jiang Yunmiao really called the police tomorrow?"

"I’d like to see her try! That girl is truly despicable. If our family hadn't provided a job for Zhong Huiying back then, she and her daughter wouldn't have had a decent meal. Such an ungrateful wretch—does she really think that just because people call her 'General Manager Jiang,' she’s actually someone?" Mother Chen spat out bitterly.

A sharp glint flashed in Chen Nianke's eyes, cold and vicious like a venomous snake. "Giving it back is exactly what needed to be done. Do you think that by taking it back, the rift between them will disappear? No, the crack will only grow wider. And Duan Yixiao's guilt toward me will only deepen."

Mother Chen weighed her words, and as if struck by a sudden realization, she nodded. "Yes, yes! My daughter is truly brilliant!"

The next day, Jiang Yunmiao woke up naturally, feeling refreshed.

Sister Xu handed her the diamond necklace. "Mr. Duan asked me to give this to you before he left."

Jiang Yunmiao opened the box and took a look. A five-million-dollar diamond necklace was indeed extraordinary; it was dazzling enough to blind her.

She was truly curious about how Duan Yixiao had approached Chen Nianke. She wondered if Chen Nianke was seething with rage.

However, this was only the beginning.

She tossed the necklace aside carelessly, finished her breakfast in peace, and then sent a message to Duan Yixiao: "I’ve received the necklace. You probably didn't notice that the person bidding against you for this necklace was Director Lin’s daughter. Her birthday is coming up soon; why not present it to her as a gift? Director Lin is ostensibly neutral, so why not use this opportunity to show him your sincerity?"

Jiang Yunmiao certainly didn't want a necklace that Chen Nianke had worn.

Beyond being a shareholder in the Duan Group, Director Lin was a well-known investor in the industry. Jiang Yunmiao hoped to befriend the daughter and secure a connection with the director.

When Duan Yixiao saw the message, he was so angry he wanted to throw his phone. He had already swallowed his pride to get the necklace back—what more did she want?

Yet, as he accidentally tapped on the message, he was stunned.

Jiang Yunmiao didn't want the necklace for herself; she wanted it to pave the way for his career?

His spirits lifted, and he hurriedly replied, "Would it be too extravagant? It might look too deliberate."

He immediately forgot the humiliation he had felt earlier and began discussing the plan with her as if nothing had happened.

Time flew by like a white horse passing a crack, and before they knew it, the Laba Festival arrived.

Zhou Manhua called specifically to invite Duan Yixiao and Jiang Yunmiao back to the Duan residence for dinner.

"After the Laba Festival comes the New Year; once a year, the family reunites."

It was a day for family gatherings.

Early that morning, Jiang Yunmiao had Sister Xu boil Laba congee, planning to take it to the nursing home at noon to spend the day with her mother.

She remembered her mother saying she wanted to see Duan Yixiao, so she mentioned it to him. "Let’s go see my mother at noon."

Duan Yixiao paused for a moment. "Sure, no problem! I’ll come back to pick you up at noon."

Unfortunately, Duan Yixiao did not keep his word.

Jiang Yunmiao waited until eleven o'clock, but there was no sign of him.

She called him, but he was in one of his intermittent states of being unreachable.

She called the driver, who said he had dropped a client off at the airport and had no knowledge of Duan Yixiao's whereabouts.

She then called his assistant, who claimed Duan Yixiao had left the office immediately after his meeting.

Jiang Yunmiao stopped looking for him; calling again would be impolite.

She drove to the nursing home herself.

Before long, however, she received a "latest report" from Lu Shennshen: Duan Yixiao and Chen Nianke were celebrating the festival at a trendy, viral restaurant.

Chen Nianke had even taken the agarwood prayer beads off Duan Yixiao’s wrist and was playing with them on her own.

Jiang Yunmiao felt truly disgusted.

Those beads were something she had donated a significant amount of incense money for, kneeling before the Buddha to obtain. Duan Yixiao himself had called them a priceless treasure that brought him infinite good luck. Now, he was letting Chen Nianke toy with them?

"Do you want me to teach her a lesson for you?" Lu Shennshen was both angry and excited, her fighting spirit high, with insults already forming in her mind like a barrage of text.

"No need. Don't let it ruin your appetite. Flies don't bite seamless eggs; it takes two to tango, and it's not entirely Chen Nianke's fault. Let them cultivate their 'feelings'—I hope they lock each other away for good." Jiang Yunmiao hoped Chen Nianke would try even harder to bewitch Duan Yixiao completely. That way, she could make her escape sooner.

Of course, Jiang Yunmiao hadn't done nothing. She had used her "monetary power" to hire a food blogger to visit the restaurant.

During the livestream, the camera had "accidentally" swept over Duan Yixiao and Chen Nianke.

Normally, this would be a trivial event, as neither of them were household names.

However, "nothing in the world is difficult for one who sets their mind to it." Jiang Yunmiao had made them briefly famous within a small circle. And those with an agenda would naturally take notice.