Сhаpter 22: Sеnding а Рink Nightgоwn tо the Wife
At dusk, Jiаng Li, whо had beеn sound aslеер, wаs аwаkenеd bу hungеr.
Shе glancеd at the time.
It was аlrеadу 6:30 р.m., аnd thеrе was а tехt messagе frоm Yuan Нezhi saying hе wouldn’t bе back for dinnеr and nоt to wаit fоr him.
So, when а man respесts his wifе, еven if he’s а wоrkаhоlic, he’ll still mаke timе to chеck in with her.
Jiаng Li repliеd to his messagе, wаshеd her fасe, and then, full оf enеrgу, headеd to the kitсhen tо find sоmеthing to еat.
Unclе Wang and thе сhеf were chatting when they saw Jiаng Li аnd greeted her, “Yоung Мadam.”
Jiang Li аskеd, “Have you eaten yet?”
Uncle Wang replied, “We have. What would you like for dinner, Young Madam?”
Jiang Li thought for a moment. “Hmm… I feel like eating everything, but nothing in particular comes to mind. Could I take a look at the ingredients? Maybe that’ll help me decide.”
Uncle Wang smiled kindly. “Of course.”
Yuan Hezhi’s villa had two large walk-in refrigerators, both stocked with fresh vegetables and meat.
Uncle Wang followed behind her, hesitating before deciding to mention something. “Old Madam hasn’t had much of an appetite tonight. I’ve asked her twice, but she said she doesn’t want to eat. I’m worried that asking too much might annoy her, but I’m also concerned that skipping meals might affect her health…”
Jiang Li’s fair, delicate face mirrored his concern. “I’ll go check on Grandma.”
Uncle Wang said, “It’s fine if you eat first, Young Madam.”
Jiang Li shook her head. “It’s alright.”
If she wanted to thrive in the Yuan family, she couldn’t rely solely on Yuan Hezhi as her support.
Xuanhe Hall.
Old Madam was watching a documentary called The Elephant Queen. The warm and powerful matriarch was leading her herd on a migration. During the journey, hyenas targeted a young calf in the herd. The calf’s mother, inexperienced in raising her young, became separated from it in the chaos. In the end, it was the matriarch who rescued the calf, which had nearly been gutted by the hyenas.
After entering the room, Jiang Li quietly sat beside Old Madam and watched the rest of the documentary with her.
Old Madam turned to Jiang Li, her mood not particularly high. “Have you eaten?”
Jiang Li replied, “Not yet. I was planning to make Shaanxi-style oil-splashed noodles. Grandma, why don’t you join me for dinner? It’s no fun eating alone.”
Her smile was sweet, and her coquettish demeanor was especially endearing, not at all off-putting.
Old Madam was reminded of her granddaughter, who had passed away young. If only that child had grown up healthy…
Old Madam said, “I didn’t expect you to know how to cook. Well then, I’ll give your cooking a try.”
Jiang Li beamed. “Great! I won’t disappoint you.”
She headed to the kitchen.
Uncle Wang followed her, overjoyed. “You’re truly remarkable, Young Madam. When Old Madam doesn’t want to eat, even the young master might not be able to persuade her.”
“Do you really know how to cook? I mean, there’s no need for you to do it yourself—the chef here can make oil-splashed noodles.”
Although the Jiang family’s status wasn’t as high as the Yuan family’s, Jiang Li was still a proper young lady. Her cooking skills were, at best, limited to instant noodles.
Jiang Li lifted her fair face slightly, speaking clearly and confidently, “I know how to cook.”
She loved noodles and had specifically learned how to make them. Sometimes she wondered if her love for noodles meant she was from Shanxi or Shaanxi.
But those places were too far from Hong Kong. It was unlikely her biological parents would have traveled all the way from the north to Hong Kong just to abandon her there.
Uncle Wang thought to himself that even if the Young Madam messed up, it wouldn’t matter—the chef could always step in.
An hour later.Jiang Li made two bowls of fragrant, sour, and spicy oil-splashed noodles. Seeing there were marinated chicken legs in the refrigerator, she took out four to fry, then fried them again for extra crispiness.
The combination of carbs and fried food was simply too satisfying.
Uncle Wang helped Jiang Li carry the food to Old Madam.
Old Madam asked in surprise, “Did you make all of this?”
Jiang Li replied, “Yes!”
Her face beamed with pride, her gentle, soft eyes looking at Old Madam like a little rabbit seeking praise.
Old Madam felt an inexplicable softness in her heart. “Hezhi is truly fortunate to have married you, but he won’t have that fortune tonight. I’m the first one in this family to taste your cooking.”
As she spoke, she took out her phone to take a photo and sent it to her eldest grandson to show off.
The fragrant, sour, and spicy oil-splashed noodles were perfect with rice, so Old Madam asked for half a bowl of rice to go with it. Jiang Li exclaimed that Grandma was a true foodie, knowing exactly how to enjoy a meal!
Old Madam happily ate her dinner and watched Jiang Li leave, but as soon as she was gone, the smile gradually faded from her lips.
“She’s a good girl. Hezhi made the right choice marrying her. Even I was so amused by her—how does Hezhi manage not to laugh?”
Uncle Wang replied, “The young master needs to intimidate those troublemakers. Smiling would make him seem less authoritative.”
Bathroom.
The lingering scent of mixed perfumes was too strong, so Jiang Li opened a set of rose bath salts and rose bath milk from a niche French brand.
Soon, the entire bathroom was filled with a milky, rosy fragrance.
Jiang Li stood in front of the vanity, applying skincare. Her skin was clean, fair, and tender, with a creamy texture that was visible to the naked eye.
Wrapped in a pink bath towel that barely covered her thighs, her sweet aura filled the entire room.
She opened a jar of La Prairie face cream and had just dabbed a bit on the tip of her delicate nose when she heard footsteps approaching.
Someone knocked on the door.
“Wife, are you using the bathroom?”
It was Yuan Hezhi’s voice.
Jiang Li quickly applied the face cream and glanced at herself in the mirror. Even with her hair wrapped in a towel, she looked lovely and presentable.
She gripped the doorknob, opening it just a crack to reveal half her face and one bare shoulder, striking a deliberately coy pose.
“Husband~” Perhaps because she had just bathed, her voice was so soft it could melt. Even Jiang Li herself found it overly sweet.
Although she knew Yuan Hezhi liked it when women acted coy, she wondered if he would grow tired of her constant sugar-coated advances.
The man’s eyes were deep, his voice low and husky. “I brought you a gift. Remember to open it.”
He then turned and went to another bathroom to freshen up.
As Jiang Li dried her hair, she thought to herself.
Men like Yuan Hezhi, who had physical shortcomings, were more likely to cheat than healthy men!
The more incapable a person was, the more they wanted to prove themselves capable.
She, Jiang Li, had the status of the rightful wife, the beauty to be doted on, and the tolerance of a mistress…
In any case, for the sake of a leisurely life as a wealthy wife, she would do everything in her power to capture Yuan Hezhi’s heart and maximize her own benefits.
Wearing long sleeves and pants, Jiang Li found the gift Yuan Hezhi had given her on the carpet—a pink box, its contents unknown.
She quickly unwrapped it, and upon seeing what was inside, her snow-white toes curled into the black carpet’s fibers, her cheeks and ears burning red.
The gift was a pink silk nightgown, so small that even crumpled up, it was no bigger than a fist. It was clear how unscrupulous the studio that made it was!
That hypocritical Yuan Gouzhi—had he ever played like this with Jiang Song’er in his past life? If not, then he must think she was easy to tease.The mistress’s tolerance ultimately earned her the treatment of a mistress…
After putting it on, Jiang Li silently crawled into the bed and pretended to be dead. She could have refused to wear it—after all, she was the wife Yuan Hezhi had married with twelve formal invitations.
But this was the first time Yuan Hezhi had taken the initiative to give her a gift. Refusing would be detrimental to nurturing their marital bond. What if he stopped giving gifts next time?
Jiang Li bit her snow-white fingertip, whimpering in mourning for her lost self-respect. One day, she would put back on every piece of clothing she had taken off! And then make Yuan Hezhi strip bare!