Volume One, Chapter Six: Is the Baby Well-Behaved?

The whistle of the returning ship echoed at the pier...

Duan Yixiao stood at the exit gate, his deep and sharp eyes casually scanning the crowd, yet he never caught sight of Jiang Yunmiao.

His handsome features hardened with coldness. Seeing that no passengers remained in the passage, a flicker of restlessness stirred within him.

With steady steps, he approached the staff member and asked, “Have all the passengers disembarked?”

After consulting his colleagues on board, the staff replied, “The passengers should all be out by now.”

A chill and impatience flickered at the corner of Duan Yixiao’s eyes. He pulled out his phone and dialed Jiang Yunmiao’s number. “Where are you? I didn’t see you.”

“I’m in the parking lot. I saw your car,” Jiang Yunmiao’s calm voice came through.

“When did you come out? Didn’t you see me?” Duan Yixiao asked in confusion as he got into the car.

The car slowly pulled out of the parking lot. Jiang Yunmiao’s gaze was distant as she looked out of the window, her voice weary, “The staff arranged for me to take the fast lane.”

Duan Yixiao suddenly realized, “I forgot about that.”

“So, did you have fun?” He turned slightly to look at her, his eyes holding a rare tenderness.

Jiang Yunmiao’s heart tightened slightly. Even now, when she had seen reality clearly, she still found it hard to resist his feigned affection. After all, he had once been the breathtaking boy of her entire youth.

“Watching the scenery alone is rather dull,” Jiang Yunmiao said gloomily.

Duan Yixiao’s gaze faltered, and an unintentional hint of guilt crossed his expression. He reached up to smooth her slightly disheveled long hair. “What’s wrong? You’re upset?”

Jiang Yunmiao instinctively pulled away, her face clearly expressing the words “unhappy.”

In the past, trapped in love, she always thought that if she endured quietly, he would one day realize her worth and return to her.

But now, she just wanted to show her true feelings freely and care for no one.

Duan Yixiao was stunned, almost thinking he had misread her. In his memory, Jiang Yunmiao had never shown him such attitude. She was always reasonable and understanding.

He was silent for a moment, then a faint, ambiguous smile played at his lips. “I really was negligent this time. Next time, wherever you want to go, I’ll definitely accompany you.”

Jiang Yunmiao responded with a disinterested “Hmm,” but thought to herself: There won’t be a next time.

---

“By the way, is the baby behaving? Has it been kicking you on the way?” Duan Yixiao glanced down at her belly and raised his hand to touch it.

Jiang Yunmiao’s mouth twitched slightly and she hurriedly covered her “baby bump” with both hands. “It’s... behaving well.”

Though it was winter and she wore a thick sweater, it would still be easy to give away the secret if someone touched her belly.

Duan Yixiao’s palm finally landed on the back of her hand. He wanted to stroke it but was stopped by Jiang Yunmiao.

“What’s wrong?” Noticing her resistance, his brow furrowed and a haze clouded his eyes.

“A few days ago when I called you, Chen Nianke answered,” Jiang Yunmiao deftly diverted his attention.

Sure enough, Duan Yixiao withdrew his hand and, adjusting his sleeve, replied thoughtfully, “Oh, that time. She wanted to discuss cooperation between Morningstar and the Duan Group. I happened to be at a meeting.”

He explained calmly.

“Are you jealous?”

Jiang Yunmiao lowered her eyes, her gaze dimming. She would no longer feel jealousy over this man.

“I want to rest,” she said, closing her eyes, clearly signaling not to be disturbed.

When they got out of the car, Jiang Yunmiao took out a scarf and wrapped herself tightly.

Netizens say: Loving yourself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.

She had spent ten years proving that men could not be relied upon. From now on, she would do her best to take care of herself.

Cherish wealth and self-love to thrive.

Seeing her wrapped up so completely that only her eyes were visible, Duan Yixiao found it odd. “What’s wrong with you?” he squinted, inexplicably reminded of the patients he had seen at the hospital that day.

“I can’t take medicine now, so I can’t afford to catch a cold,” Jiang Yunmiao said as she walked straight into the villa.

The moment she entered and saw the sofa, the scene from the surveillance footage played in her mind like a movie. A chill ran down her spine, so she bypassed the living room and went straight upstairs.

“Aunt Qi, please help me change the sheets and duvet cover in my room,” she said—after being away for so many days, who knows what dirt might have touched them.

“I’m busy preparing dinner. After we eat, I’ll change them for you,” Aunt Qi shouted back from the kitchen.

---

Jiang Yunmiao paused, a cold sneer touching her lips. Aunt Qi was hired by Zhou Manhua, apparently some distant relative of hers. Though not skilled at her job, she relied on her family connections to do many things that annoyed Jiang Yunmiao.

In the past, Jiang Yunmiao valued family harmony and turned a blind eye.

But now, rather than suffering from her own breast nodules, she would rather make things difficult for others.

“Do you not understand what I’m saying? If you don’t, you can leave right now,” Jiang Yunmiao said from the staircase. Her expression was calm, her tone even, but perhaps because she stood above them, an aura of quiet authority radiated from her.

Duan Yixiao was stunned by her words, as if he had never heard her speak so ruthlessly before. In her clear, dark eyes now gleamed a proud and fierce spirit, her displeasure unmistakable.

Aunt Qi also noticed the change in tone and came out of the kitchen wiping her hands on her apron, not even hiding the irritation on her round face. “What do you mean by that?”

Jiang Yunmiao placed one hand on her hip and the other on the bannister, her gaze firm and her attitude unmistakable. “If you can do the job, do it; if not, get lost.”

A look of panic flashed in Aunt Qi’s eyes, but seeing Duan Yixiao present, she quickly regained her composure. “You! Who do you think you are to fire me? I was hired by Manhua…”

Jiang Yunmiao’s eyes grew colder, like icy stars scattered within. “But I pay your salary. I don’t need a housekeeper who’s useless.”

Aunt Qi’s face stiffened, then she turned to Duan Yixiao with a self-blaming expression. “Ah Yixiao, you know I’m from the countryside and not good at talking. I didn’t mean to offend. I wasn’t trying to be lazy. I just worried you’d be hungry, so I rushed to prepare dinner. That’s why…”

Duan Yixiao’s brow furrowed slightly as he looked at Jiang Yunmiao thoughtfully. Somehow, it felt like her temper had grown sharper after this trip out.

“Aunt Qi means no harm. She just speaks bluntly. Don’t be so aggressive.”

“Yes, yes, it’s all my fault for saying the wrong thing. I’ll go upstairs now and make your bed,” Aunt Qi said, bowing humbly and trying to appease them.

However, as she passed Jiang Yunmiao on the stairs, she shot her a resentful glare.

Jiang Yunmiao ignored her, looking down imperiously at the man who stood there, speaking without feeling the weight of his own words. She was aggressive?

A cold smile curved at the corner of her mouth. She had been too gentle for too long, making people think she was a soft, easy target.