Outside the Jiang family villa.
Tang Shiyu wore a light green floral dress, her silky black hair draped casually over her shoulders. It was 8:30 in the morning. The first light of dawn shone on her, making her fair little face glow with a soft blush. She looked so delicate and beautiful that one couldn’t help but want to hold her and kiss her fiercely.
Bathed in that morning light, she looked like a princess straight out of a fairy tale. In her hands, she held a beautiful flower—or more accurately, a sunflower.
She stood quietly beside her car.
The two black-suited bodyguards at the entrance, behind their sunglasses, occasionally glanced at her. But they didn’t dare look too long. They were both regulars in Jiang Chengye’s entourage and naturally knew who this was. She might very well become their future mistress!
If they displeased her, they could forget about having peaceful days ahead.
Zhou Dafu had already invited Tang Shiyu inside, but she declined and instead asked him to fetch Jiang Chengye. Right now, she didn’t feel qualified to step into the Jiang residence.
She kept glancing toward the villa, and finally saw Jiang Chengye walk out.
She had been thinking about him all night and had rushed over to the Jiang villa first thing in the morning.
“Chengye!” Tang Shiyu called out shyly and hurried over, handing him the sunflower. “This is a flower I brought for you.”
Jiang Chengye looked at the large, almost ripe sunflower and twitched the corner of his mouth. Still, he took it.
“Didn’t expect Miss Tang to be in such a poetic mood—bringing me a sunflower early in the morning. What, are you afraid my family can’t even afford sunflower seeds anymore?”
Tang Shiyu was momentarily stunned, giving him a doubtful look. Could it be Jiang Chengye didn’t understand the meaning of a sunflower?
Of course he did. Sunflowers always turn toward the sun—it symbolized bravely pursuing love. This was Tang Shiyu expressing her feelings.
“I… the flower shop wasn’t open yet, so…” she explained softly.
But Jiang Chengye interrupted, “Alright, Miss Tang, if there’s something you want to say, just get to the point. Don’t you usually have a packed schedule and no time to tangle with me?”
He spoke casually as he plucked off a few immature seeds from the sunflower and began munching on them.
“Chengye, do you still like me?” Tang Shiyu asked in a quiet voice.
Jiang Chengye frowned. She was more direct than he was—couldn’t she give him some room to enjoy the moment? Already trying to reel him in like this?
“Miss Tang, I already made it clear last night. I’m not worthy of you, so don’t ask childish questions like this again.”
Hearing this, Tang Shiyu felt her heart shatter. She held back her tears and stared stubbornly at him. She remembered how he used to smile brightly at her, but now all that warmth had been replaced with coldness.
“I’m sorry for being selfish in the past. I don’t expect anything now. Chengye, can you give me another chance? This time, let me be the one to chase after you!” Tang Shiyu said sincerely, and the tears that had been brimming in her eyes finally rolled down her cheeks.
It made everything feel unreal.
He had a weakness for crying women, especially ones as beautiful and heart-wrenching as Tang Shiyu.
“Let the past stay in the past,” Jiang Chengye sighed and shook his head. “People need to look forward.”
Tang Shiyu froze for a moment, then her heart surged with joy. He hadn’t rejected her outright—that meant he was giving her a chance!
A faint smile appeared on her lips, her eyes filled with emotion. She rose on tiptoe and, catching Jiang Chengye off guard, kissed him on the cheek, leaving a light lipstick mark.
Of course Jiang Chengye could have dodged—but come on, he wasn’t some moral sage. If he dodged, could he even call himself a man?
Feeling the lingering warmth of her soft lips on his face, Jiang Chengye could only think: he couldn’t resist. It was too smooth, too gentle!
Meanwhile, in Ye Chen’s storage room: green hat +1.
“I won’t give up. Just like this sunflower, Chengye, I love you,” Tang Shiyu whispered, head lowered.
This was her first confession. And not just with the word “like”—she used the word “love”!
Then, catching sight of something behind Jiang Chengye, her pupils contracted and her cheeks turned red.
“I… I’ll go now.”
She turned and fled. Jiang Chengye stood frozen in place, watching her drive off.
The lip mark she left still emitted a soft, unique fragrance that slowly drifted into his nose.
“What a pity. I haven’t even washed my face yet. Once I do, it’ll be gone,” Jiang Chengye muttered with a wry smile, touching the spot where she’d kissed him.
Holding the sunflower, he turned to head back into the villa—only to see Jiang Zhenhua standing at the window near the study, giving him a big thumbs-up.
Jiang Chengye finally understood why Tang Shiyu had run off so flustered. His old man had been spectating the entire time.
Jiang Zhenhua had seen everything—crying girl, passionate kiss. The whole performance.
“Did you get it all on camera?” Jiang Zhenhua asked, glancing at Zhou Dafu, who was fiddling with his phone behind him.
Zhou Dafu nodded as he put his phone away. “Yes, all of it.”
Jiang Zhenhua laughed heartily, “Send it to me later. Next time someone calls me ‘Father of the War Wolf,’ I’ll shove this video in their face!”
…
“So embarrassing. Uncle Jiang didn’t just watch—he even had someone record it…”
But thinking of Jiang Zhenhua’s reputation in the circle, she couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. That nickname of his had a lot to do with her.
She made up her mind—if she could one day marry into the Jiang family, she’d definitely be a good daughter-in-law to Jiang Zhenhua!
After driving for over ten minutes, she didn’t go to Tangyu Group but returned to her own villa.
She hadn’t worn this outfit for just anyone. She needed to go home and change.
In the Phoenix Villa complex, most of the Tang family’s direct members lived here. As long as one was of age, they had their own villa.
Old Master Tang liked the liveliness, and money wasn’t an issue—it was all family, after all.
When Tang Shiyu stepped out again, she had changed into a smart professional outfit.
She could act soft and gentle in front of Jiang Chengye, but to everyone else, she had to pack that softness away.
Even though she was currently the general manager of Tangyu Group, there were far too many eyes within the family watching her position.
Just as she got into her car to head to Tangyu Group, a middle-aged woman and an older man walked toward her.
The woman was her second aunt, Zhou Li, and the man was her older cousin, Tang Liaobing.
This cousin of hers was well known for his indulgent vices—drinking, gambling, women—you name it, he was into it.
In her memory, although her second uncle’s side had some unspoken resentment about the family head position being given to her grandfather, they were still family. And this second aunt had a sharp tongue but a soft heart, always quite fond of her.
Though her cousin had questionable character, he was once on good terms with Jiang Chengye.
Back when Jiang Chengye kidnapped her and tried to force himself on her, this guy had even taken part in it.
But Jiang Chengye never actually laid a hand on her. It felt more like he’d deliberately brought her somewhere and even left her phone right in front of her.
It was only later that she realized—perhaps Jiang Chengye had just been testing her.
But back then, she chose to call Ye Chen.
After Ye Chen killed Jiang Chengye, even for a minor complaint, he slaughtered her second uncle’s entire family.
Just because her cousin had muttered a few discontented words.
And afterward, Ye Chen didn’t feel a shred of guilt.
That was when Tang Shiyu finally saw Ye Chen for what he truly was—a ruthless killer.
What he really wanted… was the Tangyu Group behind her.