Volume One, Chapter 8: The Mistress Was Beaten

This night was destined to be restless.

Scarcely had she fallen asleep when Jiang Yunmiao was awakened again. It was a call from her aunt, Li Yalan. "Miaomiao, I am so sorry to disturb your rest at this hour, but I truly don’t know what else to do! Dandan hit someone and was taken away by the police. The other party refuses to let it go and insists on having her detained. Could you please help me think of a way out?"

Li Yalan’s voice was already thick with tears.

Jiang Yunmiao, groggy a moment ago, felt her sleepiness vanish instantly. She propped herself up in bed. "What exactly happened?" Although Zhong Yidan was a bit impulsive and headstrong, she was never one to start trouble without cause.

"This... I... let me have Dandan’s boyfriend explain it to you." Li Yalan was in such a state of panic that she feared she couldn't explain it clearly.

Dandan’s boyfriend, Li Ye, took the phone. "Sister Miaomiao, I’m Dandan’s boyfriend, Li Ye. This is all my fault. I wanted to earn money quickly to provide a home for Dandan in this city, so I secretly took on a design project. The client had very high demands, so I’ve been neglecting Dandan lately. She thought I was cheating on her. Tonight, she cornered the female client and me at a restaurant, and without a word, she splashed wine on the client and slapped her, which infuriated the woman."

Jiang Yunmiao understood. "It’s just a misunderstanding. If you explain clearly, apologize sincerely, and pay for any damages, I’m sure the other party will be understanding."

"But the client is quite aggressive and unforgiving. She insists on making Dandan suffer to learn a lesson. What if news of her detention reaches the university? Will it affect her graduation and job search? They’ve even hired a lawyer." Li Ye was deeply worried.

Jiang Yunmiao frowned, collecting her thoughts. "Don't panic yet. Send me the client’s contact information and the lawyer’s details. I will handle it."

The next second, however, Jiang Yunmiao was stunned. The client was none other than Chen Nianke!

It was a small world indeed. Even more coincidentally, the lawyer was an old acquaintance—Zhang Yang, the legal advisor for their company.

She dialed Zhang Yang’s number first.

"Director Jiang, calling so late? Oh, you must be calling about Miss Chen’s case, right? Don’t worry, President Duan has already explained it to me. I will make sure that young girl learns her lesson."

Jiang Yunmiao pursed her lips, a cold, sharp glint passing through her eyes like a falling star. She gripped her phone tightly, her knuckles turning white. Although she had suspected as much, hearing it confirmed by Zhang Yang made the rift in her heart widen even further.

Only hours ago, Duan Yixiao had accused her of being overbearing for the sake of Aunt Seven. Now, for the sake of Chen Nianke, he was refusing to let her cousin go—it was simply bullying.

"You don't need to worry about this matter anymore," Jiang Yunmiao informed him calmly.

"Huh?" Zhang Yang was bewildered. Who was he supposed to listen to?

"President Duan didn't have the full story. Zhong Yidan is my cousin."

Zhang Yang was speechless. Ignoring his shock, Jiang Yunmiao hung up and called Duan Yixiao.

She didn't know what he was busy with in the middle of the night at another woman's place, but the phone rang for a long time without being answered. She let out a cold laugh and dialed Chen Nianke’s number directly.

Chen Nianke’s voice was deliberately soft. "Hello, who is this?"

"It’s me, Jiang Yunmiao. Put Duan Yixiao on the phone."

The person on the other end paused, likely surprised it was her. After a brief silence, Chen Nianke said with casual arrogance, "Oh, he’s in the shower. I’m afraid you’ll have to wait."

The shower? The implication was heavy. In the middle of the night, with another woman, in the shower—it left much to the imagination. Jiang Yunmiao’s disgust for Duan Yixiao deepened. He had tried to get physical with her just a few hours ago; when he didn't succeed, he turned around and went straight to Chen Nianke?

"That’s fine. I have plenty of time," Jiang Yunmiao said coolly.

Perhaps not expecting such composure, Chen Nianke was momentarily silenced. Fortunately, Duan Yixiao finally answered. "How do you have Nianke’s number? Are you investigating her or me?"

His tone was accusatory from the start.

"You’re overthinking it. You didn’t answer my calls, so I had to call her to find you," Jiang Yunmiao replied emotionlessly.

A flash of mockery crossed Duan Yixiao’s eyes. She had kicked him out of bed earlier, and now she was desperate to reach him. What a hypocritical woman!

"Why are you calling?"

"Dandan hurt Chen Nianke because of a misunderstanding. I can make her apologize. But isn't it a bit too much to have Zhang Yang go after a young girl like that?" Jiang Yunmiao was angry. It was all his fault she couldn't get a good night's sleep.

"Which Dandan?" Duan Yixiao finally caught on. "You mean the one who splashed coffee on Nianke and slapped her was Zhong Yidan?"

Jiang Yunmiao found it utterly ridiculous. So, Duan Yixiao hadn't even figured out the situation before rushing to back Chen Nianke up? After being with him for so long, she hadn't realized he was the type to be so blindly protective of others.

"Yes. After all, Dandan calls you brother-in-law. Don’t forget, back when she was heartbroken, you were the one who patted your chest and promised to have her back."

Thinking back, it was quite ironic. The person who promised to support her was the one stabbing her in the back.

"I... didn't know it was her," Duan Yixiao said, feeling slightly guilty.

"Well, you know now."

...

About an hour later, Jiang Yunmiao heard signs of Duan Yixiao returning. Perhaps he had finally pacified Chen Nianke. He tried to enter the master bedroom to update her, but found the door locked from the inside. He frowned subconsciously; was Jiang Yunmiao shutting him out?

"Are you asleep?"

Jiang Yunmiao was not asleep, but she ignored him.

After a moment, he added, "I’ve already had Zhang Yang release Zhong Yidan and send her home."

Jiang Yunmiao remained silent. Feeling rebuffed, Duan Yixiao left and retreated to the guest room.

The next day, Jiang Yunmiao didn't wake up until past ten. As she left her room, Duan Yixiao walked out of the study.

"You’re awake? You must be hungry. I asked Aunt Seven to save you some breakfast."

His considerate demeanor looked exactly like that of a man deeply in love. It was a pity that Jiang Yunmiao would no longer be foolish enough to be deceived by this facade of affection.

"Why didn't you go to the company?" It was rare for him to be home at this hour.

"I... I don't have much to do this morning, so I thought I'd stay home to keep you company," he said, his gaze soft.

Jiang Yunmiao glanced at him as if he were a ghost. If he had said this half a year ago, she might have been excited. But now, the well of her heart seemed to have been drained of its spring, leaving behind a dry, still pool.