It was still early, so Wen Mochuan went upstairs to take a shower first.
Jiang Yiyan’s excuse of helping Feng Ma in the kitchen was just that, an excuse. Once Wen Mochuan left the living room and went upstairs, she stepped out from the kitchen.
By now, Wen Meimei had stopped playing with LEGO and had taken out a drawing pad, sitting quietly on her own, fully absorbed in her painting. Jiang Yiyan stood behind her for a while, watching her focused play, then silently moved away without disturbing her.
Returning to her own comfort zone, she curled up on the sofa to continue reading the novel she had left unfinished.
When Wen Mochuan came downstairs after showering, he had changed into casual clothes.
A simple white T-shirt on top and khaki shorts below. His hair was half-dried from the blow dryer, the strands of hair on his forehead now gently brushing over his eyes.
Paired with his handsome and refined face, he looked every bit like the perfect neighborly older brother standing before her.
The couple, one descending the stairs and the other sitting on the sofa, instinctively raised their eyes, their gazes meeting.
Yet their eye contact lasted only a brief second; after locking eyes, both naturally looked away, each turning their attention elsewhere.
Jiang Yiyan returned her gaze to her novel, while Wen Mochuan sat down in the nearby relaxation area, accompanying his daughter.
Wen Meimei was completely immersed in her own world; though her father approached, she felt his presence but didn’t divert her attention.
Only after she had fully completed her painting did she put down her brush and excitedly lift her work to show her father: “Daddy, look, did I do a good job?”
The painting was simple—a family of three holding hands on a lawn under a huge sun. The figures were abstract, distinguishable as male or female mainly by their hairstyles.
Of course, the one in the middle, holding both hands, was clearly her.
“Beautiful,” Wen Mochuan said casually, giving her a quick affirmation.
Even though the painting was simple and easy to understand at a glance, Wen Meimei, fearing her father might not get it, took the time to explain.
“This is Daddy, this is Mommy, and this is Meimei,” she said, pointing with her fair little fingers.
Looking at the nearly identical faces and expressions on the paper, Wen Mochuan smiled.
After showing off to her father, Wen Meimei immediately ran over to her mother with the painting.
“Mommy, look at what I just drew,” she said, climbing into Jiang Yiyan’s arms and explaining it all over again, “This is Daddy, this is Mommy, and this is Meimei in the middle.”
Jiang Yiyan, whose tolerance wasn’t as broad as Wen Mochuan’s, blurted out upon seeing the drawing: “Am I really this ugly?”
Wen Meimei quickly replied: “Mommy, you’re not ugly! You’re the most beautiful woman in the world!” Her tone was serious, as if she truly believed it, not just trying to flatter her mother.
Jiang Yiyan was confident in her current appearance, so she didn’t think her daughter’s praise was exaggerated.
She accepted it with delight and took the painting to examine it more closely.
Clicking her tongue in appreciation, she asked Meimei, “Do you like drawing?”
“Yes!” Meimei replied without hesitation.
Jiang Yiyan said, “Then Mommy will teach you to draw when we have time, okay?”
Meimei’s eyes immediately lit up, and she nodded eagerly: “It’s a promise!” Then, worried her mother might go back on her word, she hooked her little finger with hers, saying, “We pinky swear, Mommy—you can’t change your mind.”
Jiang Yiyan, twenty-seven, didn’t have great achievements, but she had her small skills.
From childhood, she had studied painting, continuing for ten years. Later, during college entrance exams, she considered taking the art exam and entering an art school. But art school was expensive, and to spare her parents the financial burden, she gave up.
Her academic performance was average, so she only attended a regular undergraduate program.
A regular program at a regular university, after which she didn’t pursue graduate studies, just went with the flow and took a job.
Her initial work in a shopping mall was out of necessity, filling time while she couldn’t find a job in her field. Unexpectedly, she stayed for years and eventually kept at it.
Now, living in a new place, her daughter’s painting stirred a passionate spark in her heart.
Before, she couldn’t afford to pursue her dreams; now she had the means—why not continue?
Jiang Yiyan smiled genuinely, her eyes shining. “Mommy promised you, and I won’t go back on it.”
Meimei was overjoyed, spinning around the sofa and her mother in excitement.
After dinner, Wen Meimei was taken by Feng Ma to walk around the neighborhood to help digest.
Jiang Yiyan, too lazy to move, refused the little one’s enthusiastic invitation, claiming fatigue.
Wen Mochuan had work to handle and went straight to the study after dinner.
In the kitchen, Fangfang washed dishes and tidied up, while Jiang Yiyan continued leisurely on the sofa with her novel.
Suddenly, a WeChat notification “dinged,” indicating someone had added her as a friend.
Clicking in, she discovered it was Wu Jingmeng, with whom she had recently clashed.
Wu Jingmeng’s WeChat profile used her own name, with a photo of herself and her son, making her instantly recognizable.
Jiang Yiyan casually checked, seeing that the friend request came through a group. Upon checking the group, she found it was the kindergarten class group.
This group had been set to “Do Not Disturb,” so Jiang Yiyan hadn’t noticed before.
The original person had joined many groups, mostly about beauty and self-care. These groups were also muted, so she hadn’t paid attention to the red notification dots indicating unread messages.
Seeing this group, Jiang Yiyan only glanced inside briefly. The recent messages were trivial, and she quickly exited.
Then she dealt with Wu Jingmeng’s friend request.
She didn’t accept immediately, instead sending a message: 【What do you want?】
Wu Jingmeng, seemingly waiting for a reply, responded almost instantly: 【Our kids have been in the same class for so long, and we haven’t added each other~ Just approve it.】
For Jiang Yiyan, acceptance or not didn’t matter. But because of the original person’s enmity and today’s deliberate provocation, she wasn’t going to comply so easily.
Did Wu Jingmeng expect her to approve the request immediately? No.
So Jiang Yiyan dismissed her with a casual, perfunctory message: 【Nothing important, better to keep our distance~smiley.jpg】
She intended to return to her novel.
But Wu Jingmeng was relentless.
【What, afraid to add me?】 followed by a smiley, clearly provocative.
Before Jiang Yiyan could reply, more messages came: 【Yao Yao isn’t back yet, and you’re thinking of how to bully her? I’m her protector—so long as I’m around, you won’t touch a finger of hers.】
Jiang Yiyan was baffled. Bully Shu Yao? She hadn’t done that.
Then she remembered liking Shu Yao’s recent post earlier.
Could it be… because of that?
Just because of that, Wu Jingmeng assumed she was plotting mischief?
But wait, she wasn’t friends with Wu Jingmeng on WeChat. How could Wu Jingmeng know she liked Shu Yao’s post?
Did Shu Yao tell her?
Jiang Yiyan tentatively replied: 【Haha~ good friends are good friends, I just liked it casually. Shu Yao has to tell you that?】
Wu Jingmeng responded: 【You can’t understand the friendship I have with Yao Yao, you hypocritical, malicious person. One more warning—don’t bully her.】
She hadn’t denied liking the post, so she clearly already knew.
Test successful.
Jiang Yiyan: 【Oh.】
A single “Oh” did little to calm her own anger or provoke Wu Jingmeng further, so she deliberately sent a provocative message next:
【Even if I bullied her, what could you do? Everything you have now comes from Shu Yao, whose power do you rely on? And everything Shu Yao has comes from our Jiang family, whose favor do you think you’re counting on? When did someone outside the Jiang family get to interfere? Shu Yao too—every little thing she tells this one and that one, making people think she’s suffered so much. Tsk tsk~】
After sending this tirade, she immediately blocked Wu Jingmeng.
Wu Jingmeng, seeing her carefully composed message rejected, stomped her foot in frustration.
She immediately called Shu Yao via video.
Earlier, the two had video-called. Since Shu Yao didn’t know who Jiang Yiyan was liking her post for, she turned to her best friend.
She hadn’t expected Wu Jingmeng to confront Jiang Yiyan directly over it.
In June, the weather in the UK was mild, around eleven o’clock, and Shu Yao was leaving the library.
Listening to her best friend’s scolding tirade, Shu Yao calmly said: “You shouldn’t have provoked her.”
Wu Jingmeng said: “She provoked first. Should I just watch her bully you? You’re about to return home, and if I don’t give her a warning, she might keep messing with you.”
Shu Yao said nothing, smiling warmly with sincere gratitude: “Mengmeng, I’m so glad you’re here.”
Wu Jingmeng proudly lifted her chin and patted her chest, vowing: “Don’t worry! With me around, no one will dare bully you.”
Wu Jingmeng understood Shu Yao’s situation. Though she had become a rich girl following her mother’s remarriage, life under someone else’s roof was not easy.
Who would willingly live at someone else’s mercy if given a choice?
Although the Jiang family treated Shu Yao well, there was no blood relation. How much of the Jiang inheritance could Shu Yao expect?
Thinking this way, Wu Jingmeng was even more resentful of Jiang Yiyan, who had snatched the Wen family’s third young master in the past.
The Wen family was extremely wealthy in Shen City. Even if Wen Mochuan had no competition for inheritance within the family, his shares and personal achievements alone could support his wife and children for generations.
And all of that originally should have belonged to Shu Yao.