Back in the design department, Jiang You felt like she was walking on air.
Xiao Lin was the first to rush over. “How did it go? What did President Wen say?”
“She… she approved the proposal.”
“Approved?” Xiao Lin looked completely incredulous. “She didn’t yell at you?”
“No.”
Xiao Lin gasped. “Did the sun rise from the west today?”
Old Zhao also walked over and looked Jiang You up and down. “President Wen really didn’t give you a hard time?”
“Really not.” Jiang You lowered her head guiltily. “She just… pointed out a few data errors and asked me to fix them.”
“Just that?”
“Just that.”
Old Zhao stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Strange, is President Wen in such a good mood today?”
Jiang You thought to herself: Of course she is in a good mood; she just signed on a tool-person wife.
“Alright, alright, back to work everyone!” Old Zhao clapped his hands. “Jiang You, hurry up and fix that data, and get it to me before off-work hours.”
“Got it, Manager Zhao.”
Jiang You sat back down at her workstation and opened her computer, but she could not calm her mind at all. Her head was filled with that agreement.
Her salary doubling, a riverside luxury mansion, and what Wen Shaonian had said about discussing physical needs later.
She modified a few rows of data when her fingers suddenly paused. Driven by an impulse, she rummaged through the very bottom of her drawer and pulled out an unreleased new product: an Omega pheromone-activating patch called Ignite.
This item was specially designed for Omegas with stable pheromone fluctuations and indifferent heat cycle reactions.
Once applied, it would gently catalyze the pheromone activity within an Omega’s body, making their heat arrive more naturally and eliciting clearer reactions. At the same time, it released pheromone factors capable of infecting a partner, promoting passionate interaction between both parties.
The effect was gentle yet remarkable. The side effect was… it might cause the user to become exceptionally clingy, generating a strong desire for intimacy toward their partner. To put it simply, it would turn a cold and restrained Omega into a passionate little enchantress.
Jiang You pinched the patch, and a thought suddenly popped into her head:
It was hard to imagine what someone as cold to the bone as President Wen would look like during a heat cycle.
She closed her eyes, and the image of Wen Shaonian’s usual demeanor surfaced in her mind: year-round tailored professional suits, frosty and aloof from head to toe, utterly out of reach, like a living high-cold flower.
Especially those eyes, which were like they had been quenched in ice. When looking at people, they could chill someone through from head to toe.
Would someone like that… also have flushed cheeks, a dazed look in her eyes, and a trembling voice?
Would she also…
Jiang You snapped her eyes open, her face instantly turning burning red.
“Stop thinking about it, stop thinking about it, I am truly crazy…”
She muttered under her breath, quickly shoving the patch back into the deepest part of the drawer and shutting it firmly. If Wen Shaonian ever found out she was fantasizing about that kind of scene, she probably would not need to go to the company tomorrow and would just be sent straight to the crematorium.
Jiang You took a deep breath and patted her burning face.
Calm down.
Right now, she was simply a proper tool person, a contractual partner, a quietness-brand robot bought and paid for by a sugar mommy.
Do whatever the sugar mommy says, and do not think about what the sugar mommy did not ask for.
Yes, exactly like that.
She reopened the proposal, bolded and marked the parameter 3.7 in red, saved the changes, and sent it to the director.
As soon as off-work time arrived, Jiang You packed her things and headed home.
Along the way, the more she thought about it, the more her head ached. How on earth was she supposed to bring up this hidden marriage to her mom and sister?
Should she say, “Mom, I am getting married. The other person is our company CEO, but do not tell anyone because we are keeping it a secret”?
Or should she say, “Sis, I sold myself for three years, and from now on our family is out of poverty”?
Jiang You massaged her temples, abandoned this tricky problem, and decided to go home first and deal with it later.
As she hurried to the front door, she caught the strong smell of something burning.
Her heart tightened as she quickened her pace and pushed open the door: “Mom? Sis?!”
“Yuyou is back!”
Her mother Jiang Wanqing’s voice came from the direction of the kitchen, full of vigor, so it seemed everyone was alright.
Jiang You changed her shoes, walked over, stopped at the kitchen entrance, and fell silent.
The kitchen, if it could still be called a kitchen, looked as though it had been swept through by a typhoon.
There were three pots on the stove. One was billowing black smoke, another had something bubbling and overflowing, and a third one… she was not quite sure what was inside, though it looked like the remains of some carbon-based compound.
The sink was piled high with dishes, and the floor was littered with eggshells, vegetable leaves, and a puddle of unknown liquid.
A layer of flour had been scattered across the countertop, with two handprints right in the middle, as if someone had been thrashing around there.
As for her mother, Jiang Wanqing (formerly a wealthy elite lady who had never lifted a finger in her life), she was wearing an apron with a smudge of flour on her face, holding a spatula and looking as resolute as if she were fighting a war.
“Mom… what are you doing?” Jiang You asked with difficulty.
“Cooking!” Jiang Wanqing said righteously. “You work overtime so hard every day, so Mom thought she would cook you a meal to nourish your body.”
Jiang You looked at the pot billowing black smoke: “This… what is it nourishing?”
“Braised pork ribs!” Jiang Wanqing proudly announced, before glancing at the black object in the pot, her voice dropping lower. “…The presentation might not be very good.”
Jiang Tao poked her head out from the kitchen, looking as innocent as a little kitten caught doing something wrong.
“Yuyou, you are back!” Jiang Tao called out, immediately filing a complaint. “Mom would not let me help, she said I was just getting in the way.”
“Last time you mistook sugar for salt and put in three spoons,” Jiang Wanqing ruthlessly exposed her.
“Well, you mistook vinegar for soy sauce!”
“I… that was what was written in the recipe!”
Jiang You stood at the entrance of the kitchen, watching this pair of pampered mother and daughter bickering. She suddenly found it both somewhat amusing and somewhat heartache-inducing, unsure whether to feel sorry for them or for herself.
Resigned, she walked over, took the spatula from Jiang Wanqing’s hand, and turned off the stove.
“Mom, let me do it.”
“No, no!” Jiang Wanqing panicked. “You have been working all day, how can I let you cook? Go sit down, Mom can handle it!”
Jiang You glanced at the carbonized ribs and said tactfully, “How about… we start with something simple first?”
“What simple thing?”
“Stir-fried tomatoes with eggs?”
Jiang Wanqing thought about it, figuring that should be foolproof, and agreed with a nod.
Then Jiang You watched with her own eyes as her dear mother cracked four eggs, and every single shell fell right into the bowl.
Flustered, Jiang Wanqing tried to fish out the eggshells, but the more she fished, the more shattered they became, until the entire bowl of egg liquid was filled with tiny, crushed shell fragments.
“Mom…” Jiang You pressed a hand to her forehead.
“It is fine, it is fine, just filter it!” Jiang Tao dug out a strainer from somewhere and eagerly handed it over.
Then she placed the strainer over the sink and poured the egg liquid in.
All the egg liquid leaked right through, leaving only the eggshells trapped in the strainer.
Jiang Tao: “…”
Jiang Wanqing: “…”
Jiang You took a deep breath, smiled as she removed the strainer, and took out four fresh eggs.
“I will beat the eggs,” she said. “Mom, help me cut the tomatoes.”
“Okay!”
Jiang Wanqing picked up the kitchen knife, gestured twice at a tomato, and looked completely at a loss for how to begin.
“Mom, cut them into slices first,” Jiang You instructed.
With one chop from Jiang Wanqing, the tomato did not cut open; instead, it rolled onto the floor.
Jiang Tao hurried over to pick it up, but her foot slipped on a vegetable leaf on the floor, and she fell backward.
With quick eyes and swift hands, Jiang You grabbed her sister by the waist.
Jiang Tao, being an Omega, was soft and delicate. As she was caught in Jiang You’s arms, she blinked her eyes. “Thank you, Yuyou.”
“Be careful.” Jiang You steadied her.
“I will cut them!” Jiang Tao volunteered, picking up the kitchen knife.
Jiang You hesitated. “Sis, do you know how to cut?”
“Of course! I have watched tons of food videos!”
Three minutes later.
Jiang Tao looked at the tomatoes she had cut into wildly uneven sizes and thickness (some shaped like strips, some like chunks, and some like minced bits) and smiled apologetically.
“Uh… this is still edible, right?”
Jiang Wanqing leaned over to take a look, looking deeply worried. “Can this cook evenly?”
“…Sis, maybe you should go wash the vegetables instead,” Jiang You sighed.
“Okay!” Jiang Tao cheerfully went to wash the leafy greens.
Then she rinsed the entire head of lettuce under the running tap and considered it washed.
“Sis, you have to peel them apart and wash them leaf by leaf.”
“Oh, oh.” Jiang Tao had a sudden epiphany and began breaking apart the greens. As she went, she accidentally shredded the entire head of greens into tiny fragments.
Jiang You looked at that pile of vegetable bits and fell silent.
Watching from the side, Jiang Wanqing suddenly let out a sigh.
“Yuyou,” she said, her voice softening. “Is Mom really that useless? She cannot even cook a decent meal.”
Jiang You turned to look at her. Jiang Wanqing still had flour smeared on her face, messy hair, and an apron covered in oil stains, looking thoroughly disheveled. But in her eyes, as she looked at Jiang You, there was nothing but heartache and guilt.
“Back at home, all these things were done by the housekeeper,” Jiang Wanqing said softly, looking down. “Mom wanted to cook a meal for you, but instead I turned the kitchen upside down…”
“Mom.” Jiang You called out to her, offering a reassuring smile as she reached out to wipe the flour off her face. “It is fine, we can take it slow. I will teach you today, and you will learn.”
“Really?” Jiang Wanqing’s eyes lit up.
“Really. Come on, I will teach you.”
Jiang You rolled up her sleeves and restarted the stove, heating the oil.
“First add the oil, and once the oil is hot, add the eggs…”
Jiang Wanqing and Jiang Tao stood on either side, leaning against the counter and watching with rapt attention, just like two diligent elementary school students.
When the beaten egg liquid poured into the pan with a sizzle, it puffed up.
“Wow!” Jiang Tao gasped in admiration. “Yuyou is amazing!”
“What is so amazing about this? It is just the basics.” Jiang You could not help but laugh.
“In our family, that is the most amazing thing!” Jiang Wanqing said proudly, acting as if her daughter were not just scrambling eggs, but accomplishing some great feat.
The tomatoes went in, got stir-fried, seasoned with salt and sugar, and came out of the pan.
A simple plate of stir-fried tomatoes and eggs, served on a plate, looked golden in color and smelled enticing.
Looking at this dish, Jiang Wanqing’s eyes suddenly turned red.
“Mom?” Jiang You was startled. “What is wrong?”
“Nothing,” Jiang Wanqing said. “I just think our Yuyou is so wonderful. So sensible and capable, and you can even cook. It is our fault for letting you suffer outside when you were young, and now that you are back, you have to support the family…”
“Mom, stop talking,” Jiang You said helplessly. “I did not suffer much, my foster parents treated me very well. And this is nothing now, just cooking a meal.”
“It is different,” Jiang Wanqing stubbornly shook her head. “You are a daughter of the Jiang family, you should be held in the palm of our hands, but now…”
The more she spoke, the sadder she got, and the tears fell again.
Jiang Tao also stepped closer, looking pitiful. “Yuyou, I cannot do anything, I am no help to you…”
“Sis, you stop too.” Jiang You felt her head spinning.
“It is all thanks to you, Yuyou,” Jiang Wanqing took her hand. “Otherwise, how could the two of us women survive? Your dad is running around outside all day and you never see hide nor hair of him, these past few days the whole family has depended entirely on you.”
“Right, right, right,” Jiang Tao nodded vigorously. “Don’t worry, Yuyou, Mom and I will learn how to cook as fast as possible.”
“Alright, alright, let us eat.”
“Okay!” Jiang Wanqing smiled. “I will go dish out the rice!”
She turned to open the rice cooker and then froze in place.
“Yuyou…”
“What is it?”
“I… I think I forgot to press the cook button.”
Jiang You looked at the rice cooker. The rice was still raw, and the water was still cold.
She looked back at the plate of stir-fried tomatoes and eggs, then at her mother’s guilty expression and her sister’s innocent, wide eyes.
Taking a deep breath, Jiang You forced a smile, swiftly boiled some dried noodles, and the family finally managed to have a meal.
“Delicious!” Jiang Wanqing took a bite, her eyes brightening. “Yuyou’s cooking is so good!”
“Really delicious!” Jiang Tao chimed in with a nod. “Better than restaurant food!”
Watching them eat so happily, Jiang You smiled helplessly. But as she smiled, a difficult problem arose again.
How on earth was she supposed to bring up the secret marriage agreement to them?
Besides, she had a strong hunch that neither her mom nor her sister were people who could keep secrets!
This matter… was truly hard to handle. Wen Shaonian demanded a hidden marriage, meaning she could not tell a single soul. Yet she could not just move out for no apparent reason, right? Her mom and sister would definitely ask.
She bit down on her chopsticks, thought for a moment, and finally spoke up.
“Mom, Sis.”
“Hmm?” The mother and daughter looked up simultaneously.
“The company has a big project coming up, and I might need to go on a business trip for a few days,” Jiang You tried to make her tone sound as natural as possible. “While I am away, please eat out and do not try to cook yourselves.”
“Eating out is so expensive,” Jiang Wanqing shook her head.
“Mom, listen to me,” Jiang You said earnestly. “Please do not turn on the stove again, I am afraid you guys might burn down the kitchen.”
“There is… no need to exaggerate like that,” Jiang Wanqing muttered weakly, though she looked too guilty to argue further.
Jiang Tao, however, was quick-witted, blinking her eyes as she asked, “Yuyou, how long is your business trip?”
“A few days… not entirely sure,” Jiang You replied vaguely. “Anyway, take care of yourselves, and call me if anything comes up.”
“Then when are you leaving?” Jiang Wanqing asked.
“Tomorrow.”
“So soon?”
“The project is urgent.” Jiang You lowered her head to shovel rice, not daring to meet her mother’s eyes.
She was the worst at lying.
After dinner, Jiang You returned to her room and, after some hesitation, sent a message to Wen Shaonian.
“President Wen, there is something I want to ask you.”
The reply came back very quickly: “Speak.”
“Regarding my family… what should I tell them? Since it is a secret marriage, I cannot just move into your place for no reason, right? My mom and sister will definitely ask.” She thought for a moment and added: “Also, if I am not living at home, I am a bit worried leaving the two of them there. My mom and the others do not even know how to cook…”
After that message went out, the other side fell silent for a moment.
Then Wen Shaonian’s messages came through: “You do not need to tell them.”
Jiang You was stunned. “Not tell them? Then how do I explain moving out?”
“Just say the company arranged new employee housing,” Wen Shaonian’s messages popped up one after another. “As for your mother and sister, just arrange for a housekeeping nanny to visit their home. Their daily lives will not be disrupted.”
Jiang You stared at the message, feeling deeply awkward, wanting nothing more than to say she had no money.
Before she had a chance to reply, her phone vibrated again with a bank arrival notification.
[XX Bank] Your savings card ending in XXXX received a transfer of 1,000,000.00 RMB…
Jiang You’s pupils constricted.
One million?
Her hand shook, and she almost dropped her phone.
“President Wen, what is this?”
“Settlement funds,” Wen Shaonian replied. “Money to hire a maid and arrange living expenses for your mom and sister. Let me know if it is not enough.”
Jiang You stared at those three words on the screen (settlement funds, one million).
She remembered the fifty thousand medical fund Qin Mingyue had given her earlier; back then, she already felt that young miss was generous enough.
Yet Wen Shaonian had directly doubled it.
Jiang You felt a bit dazed. Was this the true power of the wealthy?
While she was still stunned, Wen Shaonian’s message came again.
“Tomorrow at work, bring your ID card and household register.”
“Household register?” Jiang You blinked. “To get our marriage certificate?”
“What else?” Wen Shaonian retorted. “Did you think getting married was just talk?”
Jiang You thought about it, and she supposed that was true. The agreement was already signed, so getting the certificate was only a matter of time.
“Understood,” she replied.
“And one more thing,” Wen Shaonian added another line. “When you meet my mother, you must keep your mouth shut and not let anything slip.”
“Understood! Guaranteed to complete the mission!” Jiang You finished typing and added a saluting emoji.
She regretted it the moment she sent it—it was way too flattering.
But Wen Shaonian did not seem to mind, only replying with a simple “Mm.”
And then nothing more.
Jiang You stared at the one-million-yuan deposit notification, still feeling a bit dazed, as if she were dreaming.
Starting tomorrow, her life was going to turn a completely new page.
Getting a marriage certificate with an iceberg president, and living the married life of working for a wealthy sugar mommy.