Volume One, Chapter 15: Wonderful! No More Pretending Around That Despicable Man!

When Duan Yixiao returned home, it was already past midnight.

He had intended to check on Jiang Yunmiao but found that she had locked the door from the inside again.

The dim hallway light cast a shadow over his gradually cooling expression. He stared at the firmly shut door and recalled Jiang Yunmiao’s angry demeanor—utterly unyielding and lacking any consideration for him. Truly, her temper was growing worse and more unreasonable by the day.

After pausing for a few seconds, he furrowed his brow and retreated to the secondary bedroom.

Jiang Yunmiao had slept for a long time.

When she finally awoke, the sky was overcast and rain fell in a disorganized drizzle. The cold rain added a layer of chill and desolation to the winter day.

Sister Xu cared for her attentively, bringing breakfast directly to her room. Each dish was not only nutritious but tailored entirely to Jiang Yunmiao’s preferences.

As she ate the freshly made paper-thin wontons, she mused to herself: this is how confinement care should be. If Aunt Qi were looking after her, she’d probably have developed postpartum depression by now.

Just as she was enjoying her breakfast, an unwelcome presence entered. Jiang Yunmiao withdrew her gaze and ignored him.

Duan Yixiao saw her having breakfast in the bedroom and frowned instinctively, feeling she was being overly indulged.

He hesitated briefly before speaking. “Last night…”

“I’m eating. I don’t want to hear your disgusting nonsense,” Jiang Yunmiao cut him off sharply.

Hearing this, Duan Yixiao became frustrated and defensive. “I have nothing to do with Nian Ke!”

Jiang Yunmiao scoffed lightly, giving him a cold back as she continued eating the wontons.

“Jiang Yunmiao!” He snapped, angered by her mockery. “Don’t push it too far!”

That was exactly what Jiang Yunmiao disliked hearing. “Who’s the one being unreasonable here?” she said with calmness, a merciless smile curling her lips.

Duan Yixiao’s heart tightened, and he recalled the previous night’s events, feeling a twinge of guilt. Leaving a pregnant woman stranded was indeed inappropriate. He explained, “Nian Ke went abroad and developed depression. It took over a year of medication before she gradually improved. Now that she’s back, I can’t just stand by and watch her get bullied or mistreated. What if her depression relapses?”

Jiang Yunmiao slowly turned around, a sneer of disdain playing at the corner of her mouth, as if a sharp blade had suddenly been unsheathed. “Duan Yixiao, did you forget what you dragged back last night? Did I stop you? Didn’t I tell you to take care of her without pause? What more do you want? Should I award you the ‘Ultimate Sycophant’ prize?”

“You…” Jiang Yunmiao’s sarcasm darkened his handsome face more than the gloomy sky outside. “How did you become so cruel and unreasonable? Don’t forget, Nian Ke ended up like that because of you! Don’t you feel any shame or guilt?”

Jiang Yunmiao’s hand trembled slightly, causing the wontons on her spoon to sway gently.

At the time, she had indeed taken advantage of circumstances and inadvertently ended up with Duan Yixiao.

Because of this, Zhou Manhua had always been critical of her, finding fault with every little thing and never truly accepting her.

Even Duan Yixiao himself had initially been filled with disdain for her, always frowning coldly whenever they crossed paths.

This had become a thorn in their marriage, causing recurrent tensions.

But did Chen Nian Ke really develop depression because of it? Jiang Yunmiao remained skeptical.

Five years had passed, and Duan Yixiao was now her husband; their relationship was legally protected. So she refused to fall for his moral manipulation.

Over the past five years, it was precisely because of her strong sense of morality that they and even Aunt Qi had often taken advantage of her, frequently making things difficult for her.

Now he wanted her to reflect? As the saying goes: rather than reflecting on oneself, better to blame others.

She gently bit into a wonton—thin-skinned, generously filled, with a savory broth. Sister Xu’s cooking was indeed excellent; she ought to give her a raise.

“If she has depression, she should see a doctor properly. And didn’t I tell you to stay up all night comforting her?” Jiang Yunmiao found it laughable. “Duan Yixiao, aren’t you afraid I’ll get prenatal or postpartum depression?”

Hearing this, Duan Yixiao’s blood boiled, his deep eyes flashing with disapproval and anger. “What are you saying? Since when did you become so sharp-tongued and lacking empathy?”

He had wanted to soften things with her a bit, to ease their strained relationship, but now all desire to do so vanished.

“I’m going on a business trip for a few days. Stay home and think things through, adjust your attitude, or you’ll end up spoiling the child,” he said darkly before turning and leaving the master bedroom.

Jiang Yunmiao’s thin lips twitched. Her temper was bad? It would affect the child?

A few minutes later, Sister Xu came to collect the dishes and informed her that Duan Yixiao had already left, dragging his suitcase behind him.

Jiang Yunmiao exhaled deeply. Wonderful! No more pretending in front of that scoundrel!

She quickly asked Sister Xu to help pack her bags. She had to return to the confinement center immediately and complete every postpartum recovery program to restore her health.

*

“What? Chen Nian Ke had depression? Your Mr. Duan really is both foolish and vile, unable to see through such a clumsy manipulative trick. With her scheming mind, she’d avoid that illness like the plague,” Lu Shenshen said confidently.

“Is there any way to verify this?” To be cautious, Jiang Yunmiao felt she needed to take this seriously. If Chen Nian Ke really had depression, she would need to adjust her strategy.

Lu Shenshen pondered. “That’s simple. Just look into what she’s been doing abroad all these years. Most people in our circle have been overseas; surely someone crossed paths with her. I can casually inquire and find out.” She took this matter seriously.

Jiang Yunmiao stayed at the confinement center for a week, enjoying a wonderful time of good food, rest, and relaxation.

During that time, she visited her daughter at the hospital twice. Each visit filled her with regret. If Duan Yixiao was still so attached to Chen Nian Ke, let them be tangled up together; there was no need for her to get so worked up.

Fortunately, her daughter’s condition was stable. She had to conserve her strength and prepare to care for and accompany her child’s growth once discharged.

When leaving the hospital, Jiang Yunmiao received a billing alert on her phone.

She opened it casually and saw it was the electricity bill for the villa at West Mansion Garden—over five hundred yuan.

Not a huge amount, but the villa had been vacant, so there shouldn’t have been any electricity charges. This month’s bill reaching five hundred indicated Chen Nian Ke had been spending a lot of time there. Or rather, Duan Yixiao and Chen Nian Ke had been frequently spending time together?

After mulling it over, she contacted the property management at West Mansion Garden. “I’m the owner of Building 20. I suspect there may be a thief in our home. Please keep an eye out, and if the villa’s lights come on at night, notify me immediately.”

A while later, she had another thought and told Sister Xu, “Go to West Mansion Garden. If no one’s there, arrange to have surveillance cameras installed.”

Of course, she did not pay the electricity bill.

She was not generous enough to help her husband support his “mistress.”