He Yan slept for over two hours before waking up. When she opened her eyes, she realized she was sleeping in Jiang Mingcheng’s bed!
How did she get here? Had she been sleepwalking?
He Yan was terrified. She didn’t know she had a habit of sleepwalking—that was horrifying!
She threw off the covers, put on her shoes, and followed the light into the study.
Jiang Mingcheng was still working.
He Yan knocked on the door. “I’m heading back now. I’m really sorry, but I don’t know what happened earlier. I ended up sleeping in your bed. But I’ve already remade the blankets.”
She was genuinely embarrassed. Who would have thought that while watching a movie, she’d end up in someone else’s bed? Thankfully, Jiang Mingcheng had been absorbed in his work. If he had come out in the middle, he might have thought she was trying to seduce him.
“Wait a moment.” Jiang Mingcheng’s throat moved. He stood up, took a box from the cabinet beside him, and handed it to He Yan. “Wear this tomorrow.”
“Huh? No need. I brought clothes,” He Yan quickly refused.
“This is more appropriate. Amour places great importance on how their spokespersons dress,” Jiang Mingcheng added.
“Alright then. Thank you.” He Yan took the box, said goodbye again, and turned to walk toward the door.
Jiang Mingcheng followed behind her.
Just as she was about to open the door, Jiang Mingcheng suddenly spoke from behind her. “I saw that you had fallen asleep, so I carried you to the bed. I didn’t mean anything else by it. Don’t misunderstand.”
He Yan froze mid-step, then immediately relaxed. How could she possibly misunderstand?
“It’s fine, it’s fine. No misunderstanding. I’m just glad it wasn’t sleepwalking. You scared me—I was about to go to the hospital to get checked. Alright, I’m heading back now.”
Her tone was noticeably lighter.
He Yan bounced happily back to her own room and finally remembered to check her phone messages.
Xia Yin had replied over an hour ago: [Yan Yan, I’ve arrived! I came with Brother Yanchuan ~]
Pei Yanchuan? Why was he here?
But it didn’t matter. The original storyline concerning her had certainly already diverged. As long as she didn’t compete with the female lead for the male lead, she should be able to survive safely with her hundred million yuan.
Ah! Just thinking about the hundred million yuan made He Yan feel refreshed and clear-headed!
She took a hot shower and slept comfortably again.
The next morning, after breakfast, He Yan obediently waited in the first-floor lobby for the staff member assigned to accompany her.
When Jiang Mingcheng came out, he happened to see her half-leaning on the sofa, playing with her phone. Her hair fell to one side, revealing the fair skin of her neck.
She was wearing the smoky purple long dress he had given her, which made her look elegant and ethereal.
It suited her perfectly.
Jiang Mingcheng walked toward her. He was just a few steps away when a figure suddenly pounced onto He Yan. Startled, Jiang Mingcheng was about to rush over when he saw He Yan hug the person back. Only then did he realize it was a girl.
Jiang Mingcheng breathed a small sigh of relief.
He Yan happily hugged Xia Yin, who had thrown herself onto her, and pinched her cheek, teasing her. “No manners at all.”
Xia Yin pouted, wrapped her arms around He Yan, and planted a kiss on her cheek.
Jiang Mingcheng and Pei Yanchuan, who had followed behind, looked on in utter shock: ?!?!
Jiang Mingcheng stared at He Yan’s flushed cheek, his throat moving. A hint of sourness rose in his heart.
Pei Yanchuan immediately stepped forward, pulled Xia Yin off, and scolded her sternly, “Stop messing around!”
Xia Yin pouted and shot Pei Yanchuan a glare.
Pei Yanchuan: How dare you glare at me? Do you even know what you just did?
But he quickly composed himself and turned to He Yan. “Yan Yan, we meet again.”
He Yan also straightened her clothes, stood up, and replied politely, “Hello, Brother Pei.”
Pei Yanchuan smiled. “You look very beautiful today. Are you coming to the exhibition with us?”
He Yan’s eyes and eyebrows nearly soared at the compliment, but she knew Jiang Mingcheng was there. She couldn’t leave with Pei Yanchuan. “No, a staff member will be taking me later. I’m a spokesperson, so I have to go with them.”
Pei Yanchuan was about to say something more when he noticed Jiang Mingcheng standing nearby. A layer of coldness instantly covered his eyes. “What are you doing here?”
Jiang Mingcheng walked directly up to He Yan and gave Pei Yanchuan a cold glance. “To see the exhibition, of course.”
He Yan suddenly felt the air around them grow several degrees colder.
Were the original novel’s male lead and second male lead born to clash? Why did the atmosphere instantly become so strange the moment they saw each other?
Just then, the staff member assigned to accompany her arrived. He Yan quickly waved to them, then turned to the others and said, “I’m going ahead. See you at the exhibition!”
With that, she immediately slipped away.
After He Yan left, Jiang Mingcheng followed behind her, heading outside.
Worried about He Yan, he instructed his driver to follow her car. He stayed behind her the whole way until they reached the exhibition.
Jiang Mingcheng got out of the car first. Only when he saw He Yan, assisted by her staff, step out of her vehicle did he relax a little.
He slowed his pace and gradually drew up beside He Yan.
“If you feel uncomfortable at any point, you can stay close to me,” Jiang Mingcheng said, lowering his head slightly.
He Yan looked up, her bright, sparkling eyes meeting Jiang Mingcheng’s. Her eyebrows curved into a smile as she said, “It’s fine. I’m just going to browse around. I won’t feel uncomfortable.”
The jewelry exhibition wouldn’t require her to do anything specific. She was just there to look around casually. There was nothing to feel uncomfortable about.
Jiang Mingcheng’s eyes dimmed slightly. He stopped walking, letting He Yan move ahead of him, then turned to look at the assistant beside him. “Tell them to arrange seats for Miss He and me together.”
The assistant was startled for a moment but quickly masked his expression and agreed.
Mr. Jiang, following her car and now swapping seats—he was clearly very attentive to Miss He.
Before the jewelry exhibition began, there was a performance. He Yan took her seat.
Jiang Mingcheng sat down beside her.
He Yan glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, said nothing, and turned her attention to the stage.
The opening performance was brief but spectacular, showcasing the opulent and regal life of royalty and nobility.
He Yan watched with great interest.
She was completely unaware of how many times Jiang Mingcheng’s gaze had fallen on her.
But Pei Yanchuan, sitting on the other side, saw it very clearly.
Pei Yanchuan leaned slightly to the side and lowered his head to speak to Xia Yin beside him. “Later, Yan Yan and I will view the exhibition together.”
Xia Yin nodded. “Yeah, I already made plans with Yan Yan to look around together.”
Only then did Pei Yanchuan feel at ease. But he could no longer focus on the performance. His eyes remained fixed on the opposite side, watching Jiang Mingcheng closely to make sure he didn’t make any inappropriate moves.
After the opening performance ended, the guests were free to view the exhibition at their leisure.
Xia Yin held onto He Yan’s arm, with Pei Yanchuan following beside them, as they slowly browsed.
Jiang Mingcheng stared coldly at Pei Yanchuan. Only when someone approached him did he divert some of his attention.
Jiang Mingcheng had another matter to attend to on this trip.
Pei Yanchuan walked beside He Yan, sticking close to her without a moment’s pause. “See anything you like?”
He Yan shook her head.
These jewelry pieces were too expensive—easily costing several million or even tens of millions. There was no way she could afford them.
After transmigrating, she had checked all of the original owner’s accounts. The total amount across all of them was only around a hundred thousand yuan, which didn’t seem like the kind of savings a third, or fourth-tier celebrity should have.
Then she had discovered the original owner’s transfer records and chat logs.
All the money the original owner had earned had been taken from her by her parents under various pretexts. That was why she could never save any money.
It was then that He Yan realized that the original owner’s personality and the path her life had taken were largely shaped by the environment she grew up in and the way she had been raised.
No one had ever loved her.
Since He Yan had transmigrated, the original owner’s parents hadn’t contacted her even once. They had truly sold her off for thirty million yuan.
“How about this necklace? Is it beautiful?” Pei Yanchuan pointed to a ruby necklace and asked her.
He Yan looked at it carefully. The gem was stunning, surrounded by diamonds. She nodded and sincerely praised it, “It’s very beautiful.”
It was just far too expensive.
A smile appeared in Pei Yanchuan’s eyes.
Just as He Yan was about to go experience the gem carving herself, Jiang Mingcheng called her.
“Hello? What’s up?” He Yan ran off to the side and lowered her voice.
“Come to room 302 on the third floor,” Jiang Mingcheng’s voice came through the phone, no longer its usual indifferent tone but carrying a trace of softness.
He Yan hung up and quietly slipped into the elevator, heading to 302.
After all, she was still getting money from Jiang Mingcheng, so she needed to give him some face.
When she reached the third floor, He Yan found Jiang Mingcheng already waiting for her outside room 302. He was just standing there casually, with a hint of laziness that softened his usual aloofness. When he saw her, the corners of his mouth curved up slightly into a faint smile.
He Yan had always thought this man was unreasonably good-looking.
“What did you call me here for?” He Yan asked curiously.
“Go inside first.” Jiang Mingcheng opened the door, and only then did He Yan see the scene inside.
It looked like a workshop. On one side, cabinets displayed many unprocessed diamonds and gemstones. A few French people were gathered off to the side, seemingly discussing something.
When they saw He Yan enter, one of the Frenchmen came over. After exchanging a few words in French with Jiang Mingcheng, he began measuring He Yan’s finger.
He Yan was stunned for a few seconds before she reacted. She looked up at Jiang Mingcheng and asked, “Why are you measuring my finger?”
Jiang Mingcheng looked down at her. “We don’t have wedding rings yet.”
When their engagement had been hastily arranged, under rather special circumstances, Jiang Mingcheng hadn’t considered He Yan his wife. They had gotten their marriage license, signed a marital agreement, and barely exchanged a few words throughout the entire process.
There had been no proposal, no wedding, and no wedding rings.
Even their marriage certificate had been casually tossed into some drawer.
He thought the young girl must have been unhappy about it.
That was why he had also arranged to meet a designer who specialized in creating jewelry for royalty—to give the young girl the long-overdue rings.
Hearing Jiang Mingcheng’s answer, He Yan was even more confused. She looked directly at him and said, “There’s no need for that. We’re getting divorced sooner or later.”
Jiang Mingcheng’s heart suddenly clenched. He didn’t know how to respond, because after all, it was the divorce agreement he had asked her to sign.
His eyes darkened slightly, and his voice came out low and muffled. “We still need them. We wouldn’t be able to explain it to Grandfather and Grandmother.”
“Then just buy something cheap to go through the motions. There’s no need for custom-made rings.” He Yan was being very practical. They would be divorced in just a few months—there was really no need to waste so much money.
Jiang Mingcheng didn’t respond to her. Instead, he spoke directly in French to the designer, who had already finished measuring. “Please keep the design of the wedding band simple. As for the diamond ring, just design it according to my wife’s temperament.”
The designer smiled, agreed to everything, and added, “You are very good to your wife, sir.”
After the measurements were done and everything was settled, Jiang Mingcheng and He Yan walked out of room 302. He Yan didn’t understand French at all and asked him, “What were you guys talking about? I couldn’t understand a word.”
Jiang Mingcheng smiled. “He said you’re very beautiful.”
He Yan immediately brightened up, her eyebrows practically taking flight. “Then he has good taste!”
**