Volume 1, Chapter 36: Lu Congzhi: Jiang Yunmiao, you are such a coward!

Auntie Lin’s voice was low, as if she were speaking in secret. "Your mother-in-law is truly heartless. She rarely comes to visit, but the one time she did, she made Sister Zhong so angry that she fell right out of her wheelchair. Sister Zhong was afraid you’d worry, so she wouldn't let me tell you."

Jiang Yunyao felt as though a powerful hand had tightened around her heart. Her throat constricted, and it took every ounce of her self-restraint to find her voice. "Is my mother alright? I’m coming over right now."

"She’s fine, she’s fine. I’m here with her, so don’t worry too much," Auntie Lin urged quickly.

But how could Jiang Yunyao be at ease? After hanging up, she immediately prepared to head to the nursing home.

"Stop right there! Where do you think you're going?" Seeing her about to leave, Zhou Manhua called out in a fit of pique.

"I’m going to see my mother." Jiang Yunyao lifted her eyelids slightly, casting a cold, indifferent glance at her. Within her clear, dark eyes, a murderous chill was brewing.

Zhou Manhua felt a strange flicker of panic, yet she stubbornly insisted on making things difficult. "So, you’re just going to abandon me, your mother-in-law?"

"Isn't there a caregiver hired for you? The driver is here, too. If you need anything, just call the driver," Jiang Yunyao replied, her tone tinged with impatience.

"How could that possibly be enough?"

"I am a woman eight months pregnant. How exactly do you expect me to take care of you? If you need something, call your son," Jiang Yunyao said, dropping those final words.

However, no sooner had she turned than she saw Duan Yixiao. His face was gloomy, his expression sharp and icy. "Jiang Yunyao, is this how you treat my mother?"

Standing beside Duan Yixiao was the exquisitely dressed Chen Nianke. So, the "urgent business" he mentioned on the phone was actually spending time with Chen Nianke?

What a "filial son" he was indeed!

"Since you’re here, you can take good care of your mother yourself." Jiang Yunyao had no time to waste on him.

"What kind of attitude is that? Jiang Yunyao, don't push your luck!" Duan Yixiao grabbed her arm, his grip tightening until his fingers dug into her skin.

Jiang Yunyao gasped in pain. She gritted her teeth and snapped, "Duan Yixiao, let go of me!"

"Apologize to my mother!" Duan Yixiao’s handsome features radiated a dangerous aura, his deep eyes sharp as blades, as if they could pierce right through her.

Jiang Yunyao looked at him as if he were insane. She hadn't done anything wrong, so why should she apologize? Without hesitation, she drove her knee directly into Duan Yixiao’s most vulnerable spot. "If you’re sick in the head, go get it treated."

"Are you insane!" Caught off guard, Duan Yixiao’s face contorted in agony. He instinctively stumbled back two steps, his grip loosening naturally.

Jiang Yunyao flexed her arm, casting a hostile glare at the two people blocking her path. "Move!"

"Where are you going?" Duan Yixiao finally remembered to ask about her destination.

"To see my mother. If anything has happened to her, I won't let your mother off!" Jiang Yunyao shot back at him.

No matter who they were, if anyone dared to bully her mother, she would make them pay the price!

It took a while for the pain to subside for Duan Yixiao. Only then did it dawn on him from Jiang Yunyao’s words: his mother-in-law had also had an accident? And by the sound of it, it seemed his own mother had caused it.

"Mom, what did you do to my mother-in-law?" He walked up to Zhou Manhua and asked with a frown.

Zhou Manhua scoffed disdainfully. "What could I have done to her? I went to visit her out of the kindness of my heart."

"Why did you suddenly go to the nursing home?" He knew his mother’s temperament well enough to know she was certainly not as innocent as she claimed.

"I really just went to see her and have a chat. Who’s to blame if she’s mentally fragile? Besides, she’s the one who caused me to end up like this! Son, my leg is fractured. I don't know if I’ll ever walk the same way again. It hurts so much..." Zhou Manhua burst into tears, putting on a pitiful display.

Chen Nianke, showing great tact, handed her a tissue. "Auntie, don't be sad. The most important thing now is to cooperate with the doctors. Yixiao has already looked into the situation, and you’ll be back to normal in no time."

"That’s right, Mom, don't worry. The doctor said you’ll be fine," Duan Yixiao said, soothing her gently.

Zhou Manhua wiped away her crocodile tears. "It’s good that at least you two know how to care for me. That Jiang Yunyao... she’s just heartless." She specifically craned her neck and raised her voice, hurling the insult at Jiang Yunyao’s retreating back.

Jiang Yunyao heard every word clearly.

She let out a cold, indifferent laugh. It was precisely because she wasn't heartless enough that she had let these rotten people push her around time and time again.

She had no time to argue with them now. She walked quickly, and while turning a corner, she accidentally bumped into someone. Due to the momentum, she stumbled forward, but fortunately, the person caught her, allowing her to regain her balance.

"I’m sorry! Thank you!" she said, offering an apology and gratitude.

"Why are you so reckless?" A familiar, lazy, and unrestrained voice sounded in her ear, like mist in the morning light, carrying a touch of coolness.

Jiang Yunyao looked up in surprise and saw, as expected, Lu Congzhi’s wickedly charming face.

He was wearing a white coat, which added a sense of professionalism to his otherwise devilish aura. His deep eyes were like stars, yet so profound that no emotion could be discerned within them.

"You’re a doctor at this hospital?" Her gaze fell inadvertently on his name tag: [Lu Congzhi], [Pediatric Surgery], [Associate Chief Physician].

So young, and already a senior associate physician?

No wonder she had heard Duan Mingrui call him "Master Lu" last time. He truly had a limitless future.

"Yes. What are you doing at the hospital?" he asked calmly, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly as he gave her a discreet once-over.

At the mention of this, Jiang Yunyao’s expression darkened. "My mother-in-law fractured her leg."

Remembering that she had urgent matters to attend to, she quickly bid him farewell. "I can't talk anymore. I have somewhere to be."

Just then, the elevator arrived, and Jiang Yunyao stepped inside.

Lu Congzhi watched as the elevator doors slowly closed, his sexy eyes slightly arched.

He walked forward a few steps and indeed saw Jiang Yunyao’s mother-in-law sitting in a wheelchair, her mouth running incessantly as she spitefully badmouthed Jiang Yunyao.

It was quite different from the day he visited the Duan residence. Back then, she had been humble, polite, and appeared so kind-hearted.

Lu Congzhi sneered with disdain; she had merely been playing the part.

Standing by Zhou Manhua’s side was none other than Jiang Yunyao’s devoted husband, Duan Yixiao.

He narrowed his eyes. If he remembered correctly, the young woman next to Duan Yixiao was his ex-girlfriend, wasn't she?

With a romantic rival so brazenly showing up, it was clearly a declaration of war, yet Jiang Yunyao had just run off?

What a coward!