Сhaptеr 20: Не Наs No Weaknеssеs.
Jiang Siyе thought the mаttеr оf Zhеngzhеng hаd beеn disсоvеred.
His Аdam’s applе bоbbed nеrvоuslу.
Не Yang stеррed baсk, сarеfully observing his еxрression.
Jiang Siуe wаs a shrеwd mаn. The things hе truly wanted tо hidе, Не Yang cоuld nеvеr unсover. Whаt she сould discоver werе only thе things he couldn’t bе bоthеred tо сonceаl.
But whаt wаs he so nеrvous abоut now?
Нis nеrvоusness wаs so obviоus.
He Yаng роndered for a moment. “This isn’t anсiеnt times, and you’rе nоt an empеrоr. Getting rid of the mother to keep the child is too cruel…” Why not just bring the mother and child back?
However, before she could finish her magnanimous suggestion, the faint emotion in Jiang Siye’s eyes vanished completely.
Those countless past occurrences came flooding back.
He Yang was all too familiar with this.
It was as if she pointed at a distant landslide and cried out in alarm, “Look, the mountain is collapsing!”
And Jiang Siye would respond with something completely unrelated: “Was breakfast good?”
As soon as this absurd thought crossed her mind, sure enough—
Jiang Siye didn’t respond to her words. Instead, his gaze shifted and landed on Chi Dandan.
“Why are you here?”
All of He Yang’s outward emotions were abruptly cut off by his indifferent deflection.
It didn’t matter.
It just didn’t matter.
Life went on, and eventually, everything was just let go.
She couldn’t let others dictate her emotions.
She was her own master.
Beside Chi Dandan were two Hermès shopping bags.
“I invited Dandan here,” Duan Tianhua said, still angry. “She hasn’t visited in a long time. I missed her.”
He Yang asked, “Coco, would you like some water? Let me pour you a glass.”
Chi Dandan looked at her.
He Yang didn’t avoid her gaze. Instead, she nudged Jiang Siye with her elbow. “Your friend is here. Say hello.”
Chi Dandan: “…”
She’s insane.
She’s truly insane.
“He Yang, stop acting crazy,” Duan Tianhua snapped angrily. “Dandan is my guest…”
Chi Dandan pressed her hand down calmly. “Auntie, don’t be angry. I came to see Fourth Brother for a reason.”
Jiang Siye’s emotions were unreadable.
Chi Dandan pointed at the two shopping bags. “Fourth Sister-in-law said that the gifts Fourth Brother gave me are considered marital property. Since she didn’t agree, she asked me to return them.”
Duan Tianhua was shocked.
Such petty behavior was truly unheard of.
He Yang nodded. “Yes, that was me.”
“……” Duan Tianhua felt utterly humiliated. “Do you think our Jiang family is like your He family…”
He Yang replied, “Our He family doesn’t have the kind of mother who sends women to her son’s bed while his first wife is still around. No wonder Dad brought Second Brother back. He knew how magnanimous you are, Mom.”
Duan Tianhua trembled all over.
“Jiang Siye… are you going to do something about this or not? Are you?”
Jiang Siye seemed remarkably calm. “The gifts were prepared by Gong Xu. He handles all my social interactions. They really weren’t approved by my wife.”
Gong Xu was his assistant.
Duan Tianhua exclaimed, “Are you going to indulge her like this?!”
His words clearly indicated whose side he was on.
Even though He Yang had stirred up such an undignified matter, he chose to stand by her side in this undignified affair.
Chi Dandan was even more stunned than Duan Tianhua.
She had thought Jiang Siye would resent He Yang meddling in his private affairs. She had even brought the bags to the Jiang family herself, thinking of Jiang Siye’s reputation.
“Jiang Siye,” Chi Dandan couldn’t stay seated any longer, “are you still a brother or not…”
Suddenly, He Yang bent over and reached out, giving Chi Dandan’s chest a pat.
She mused thoughtfully, “Your pectoral muscles are quite thick.”
Everyone: “…”
He Yang nestled into Jiang Siye’s arms, her hand wandering over his firm chest. “But I still prefer my husband’s kind of lean muscles.”Jiang Siye showed no expression, letting her do as she pleased.
“Since my wife minds,” he said without revealing any emotion, “I’ll remind Gong Xu to be more mindful about the scale of gifts.”
A Hermès bag was like a set of dishes to an ordinary family to him.
Gong Xu mentioned it in passing during a work report, and Jiang Siye gave his approval indifferently.
It had always been done this way.
He wouldn’t waste energy on such trivial matters.
Chi Dandan bit her lower lip.
Jiang Siye said he didn’t like serving someone like her.
What was she like?
When handing her a bottle of water, he’d just toss it over, but for He Yang, he’d wipe the droplets off the bottle, unscrew the cap, and practically feed it to her mouth.
So he preferred serving someone like He Yang, right?
He liked serving someone who was practically disabled, right?
Well, Chi Dandan couldn’t do that.
She stood up, her neck as elegant as a swan’s, radiating innate pride. “Fourth Brother, ever since you got married, you probably look down on our circle. Ah Rong and Xiao Wu can hardly get a chance to see you. It’s fine for the brothers, but you should focus on keeping Fourth Sister-in-law happy.”
With that, she tossed out, “I’ve returned the bag. I’m leaving.”
Duan Tianhua leaned back on the sofa, too pained to get up.
He Yang curved her lips slightly.
Chi Dandan was truly skilled.
Without making a fuss, she planted a thorn in Jiang Siye’s heart, reminding him of his childhood friendships while shifting the blame entirely to “marriage” and “Fourth Sister-in-law.”
If it were the old He Yang, she would have panicked.
Panicked about explaining herself to Jiang Siye, afraid he’d take it to heart, panicked about falling into the trap laid out for her.
But now…
Since the net was already spread, He Yang naturally had to step into it.
“What does she mean? Is she calling me petty? Am I the one who stirred up trouble between you and your brothers?”
“…” Jiang Siye lowered his gaze, looking at her with an inscrutable depth. “Stop playing, baby.”
He Yang pressed on relentlessly. “Your brothers are calling me petty, and you won’t even stand up for me?”
Jiang Siye clasped her hand.
Duan Tianhua erupted in fury. “If you keep making trouble, I’ll enforce the family rules…”
He Yang lifted her delicate face, cold and provocative. “Go ahead and kill me. I really don’t believe the Jiang family has its own set of laws…”
A man’s warm, dry hand abruptly covered her mouth.
“Enough,” Jiang Siye said softly. “Come upstairs and rest with me for a while.”
Duan Tianhua roared, “Jiang Siye!”
The man ignored him, tightening his grip on He Yang’s hand, half-embracing, half-coercing her as he led her to the second floor.
The bedroom door was locked from the inside.
He Yang had struggled the entire way, but Jiang Siye’s arm was like an iron clamp—all her efforts were in vain.
The room was filled with the natural scent of bergamot and cattail grass.
Jiang Siye leaned against the door, blocking the only exit.
He was tall, his head almost touching the wall above the doorframe.
An indescribable sense of oppression.
He Yang’s eyes held a calm stubbornness.
Jiang Siye looked down at her, his lips curling with piercing insight. “Had enough fun?”
“I’m not playing with you,” He Yang said. “How old is your child outside? Who’s the mother? Do I need to step aside? I won’t be anyone’s stepmother…”
She rattled on without pause.
Jiang Siye said calmly, “Give up on the idea of divorce.”
He Yang: “…”
“Playing the shrew isn’t your strong suit,” Jiang Siye remarked. “The act is quite unconvincing.”
So what?
He knew everything.
He just didn’t care.
He wasn’t invested.
He cared about no one.
Chi Dandan, Duan Tianhua, Jiang Sanyun, her—He Yang, and their son.
He was so detached he had no weaknesses.He Yang stood quietly, yet her heart was slowly devoured by hopelessness.
She witnessed firsthand the process of being consumed by “helplessness.”