Jiang Xiao Nuan did not notice Jiang Shi Xiong, who was sitting on the sofa, and got a shock. She looked towards it and saw that his face was black and sunken and he was giving off a terrifying vibe. Jiang Xiao Nuan was guilty.
She carefully noticed that the ashtray on the coffee table was already half-filled. She became nervous and felt like her heart was going to jump out.
Her father did not smoke usually. Once he does, either something terrible happened, or he was very angry. It was apparent that his furious level was off the meter! The cigarette buds lying silently in the ashtray was telling her that her father had been waiting for a long time and she was in big trouble.
Unknowingly, she looked up to glance at the clock on the wall. Nine o'clock was not too late. If it was about her coming home late, he would not be so angry!
Jiang Xiao Nuan looked at his furious expression once more and clearly felt his dangerous vibe. The fear in her heart dissolved quickly. She hesitated before calling in a sweet voice, "Daddy, why aren't you sleeping yet? Are you waiting for me? I had a gathering with my colleagues and came home later, I'll take note of the time next time!"
Although she did not know what he was angry about, she started to 'reflect' and admit her 'mistake'.
Not only did Jiang Shi Xiong's anger not drop, it even went higher. He shot an angry glare at her. She almost thought that his stare could shot a hole through her body. Her heart quivered in fear.
He casually picked up a teacup and threw it at her. The china teacup broke into tiny pieces by her foot. That scared the hell out of her and her body trembled in fear uncontrollably.
Jiang Shi Xiong's voice was as sonorous as a bell. "Hmph! You unfilial daughter! Not only did you go out with a feral kid and keep it from us, you even learned how to lie!"
After finishing his sentence, he took big strides towards her and stopped in front of her. He then gave her a big tight slap across the face.
Hearing the commotion downstairs, Mrs. Jiang rushed downstairs and her voice was heard before she even reached the bottom of the stairs. "Shi Xiong, what's happening? Why are you so worked up?"
Jiang Xiao Nuan's face had already started to swell. There was a clear imprint of his five fingers on her cheek. It was so painful and tears started to roll down her cheeks. She felt wronged and immediately acknowledged her mistake. "Daddy, I'm in the wrong, I shouldn't lie to you. But it's really not what you think, he's not some feral kid!"
Jiang Shi Xiong heard her defending that kid and was even more worked up. He roared, "Not a feral kid? If he's not, would he have brought you to the movies? Would he have brought you to that place and eat trash? Would he have let you drink? And why did he only bring you home at this time? He obviously has bad motives!"
Jiang Xiao Nuan was shocked; her father was investigating her. Her father had plainly pointed out all her activities in the day. They simply went to watch a movie, listen to a concert and had dinner together, which could not get simpler. They did not even hold hands, nor did they do or say anything suggestive; their relationship could not get any clearer. However, she was still standing very much naked about the situation in front of her father.
Her eyes were filled with tears as she lifted her head and asked, "Dad, you stalked me?"
Jiang Shi Xiong did not even fluster. "Stalk! If you did nothing to be ashamed of, why would you be afraid!"
Jiang Xiao Nuan could no longer if he was furious or not. All of her cowardliness and fear had turned into anger. She shouted at him, "What guilt? Don't use your secular and dirty perspective to define what others do, we've done nothing!" "What is there to be guilty of? Ever since young, you've controlled my life, what kind of friends I have, what I did, what I learned, what I ate, what I wore... There's nothing that you're not involved in. I listened to you obediently and never dared to go against you. I just want to make a friend that belonged to myself, how is that something to be guilty of?"
Jiang Shi Xiong heard her use the words "secular" and "dirty" to describe him and his anger became harder to contain. His thick eyebrows were raised up high and he was panting heavily. His finger was shaking as he pointed at her.
Mrs. Jiang saw what was happening and quickly pulled his hand back, saying, "Old Jiang, don't get so worked up!"
Then, she quickly turned to discipline her daughter. "Xiao Nuan, how could you talk to your father like that? You make random friends outside and daddy is worried you'll be fooled. How could you talk to him like that? Apologize quickly."
Jiang Xiao Nuan was now stubborn and would not lower her head. She let out her unhappiness from her past twenty-something years at once. "What's wrong with me? Why do I have to apologize? I don't think I've done anything wrong! I only wish to do something after my heart for once, why can't I do that? I've been your puppet for 23 years, today's the only day I'm doing something after my heart..."
Jiang Shi Xiong did not wait for her to finish. He shouted, "From tomorrow onwards, you no longer have to go to work. You can't go anywhere, just stay at home. I'm especially forbidding you to meet that feral kid. I will quickly arrange a blind date for you, the Chen family's son returned recently from his studies overseas. If both families are satisfied, we'll settle the marriage as soon as possible. You just wait at home to be married off!"
Jiang Xiao Nuan was shocked. She tugged at his arm, "Daddy, you promised me that I can do something I like before I turn 24, how can you go against your words?"
Jiang Shi Xiong shrugged her hand off. He snorted, "Hmph! I've been too kind to you, I will no longer give you the chance to hang with that kid!"
Not only did he call Gong Yu a "feral kid" several times, but he had also grounded her, causing her to lose her job as a nurse. She was terrified. "Daddy, you can't go against your words! I want to continue working at the hospital!"
Jiang Shi Xiong ignored her and turned towards Mrs. Jiang impatiently. "This is your daughter, you discipline her yourself. The matter has been set. If she crosses the line, you'll be held accountable!"
Jiang Xiao Nuan and Gong Yu had nothing in between them, but it had evolved into a situation like this. As her last attempt, Jiang Xiao Nuan lowered her tone and pleaded, "Daddy, no! I want to work!"
Jiang Shi Xiong cast a side glance at her. He said firmly, "Xiao Nuan, don't test my patience! Also, don't make me do something about this. Isn't he just a D-list celebrity? I haven't done anything because I don't find it necessary. Don't force me to do something! I can easily destroy him completely."
She was terrified and tugged at his arm again, pleading, "Dad, there's really nothing in between us, I promise we'll never contact each other again. You can't do anything to him. Dad, please, I'm begging you, I will really cut off all ties with him."
It had always been just a promise for a date and she had no intention to continue in the future. But Jiang Xiao Nuan was really scared by her father's warning. Her life was already so screwed up, she could not mess up his too!
Disheartened, she looked at him. Her eyes were filled with plea and tears. She had no more energy in her as she said, "I will do whatever you arrange for me. I will go on a blind date with the Chen family's son, I will stop working at the hospital. I will listen to you for everything and stay at home obediently, but only if you do not hurt innocent people! There's really nothing between us and we have no plans to take it further, really!"
When she was done, she dragged her tired body upstairs. She felt like her whole body was drained instantly and her back view looked horribly sad. Mrs. Jiang was heartened and turned to comfort Jiang Shi Xiong. "Shi Xiong, Xiao Nuan has already agreed to go on the blind date and also promised not to contact that celebrity. Why not let her go work at the hospital? As long as she does not cross the line, working at the hospital is no big deal!"
He cast a cold eye at her and said, "Just let her stay at home. If today it's a celebrity, who knows who it'll be tomorrow."
Mrs. Jiang dared not speak further. She always had no voice at home. Although she pitied her daughter, she dared not protect her too much and always kept it in her heart. Jiang Shi Xiong was the voice of the family, the females were not entitled to their opinions. She was already used to this.
Helplessly, she walked up the stairs to comfort her daughter.
She gently pushed open the door to Jiang Xiao Nuan's bedroom. It was pitch-dark. Her French window was fully opened and the white curtain swayed gently. The moonlight accentuated the sorrow and sadness that filled the room.
Mrs. Jiang walked in gently and passed through the windows. She saw Jiang Xiao Nuan curled up in her balcony swing.
Jiang Xiao Nuan had both her knees up to her chest and her arms around them. She was lying her head gently against her knees. Tilting her head, she looked up at the starry sky. Her soft hair was let down naturally and she gave off a strong sorrowful vibe. She was like an alcoholic spirit, so fragrant yet causing others to become drunk thinking about her.
Mrs. Jiang sighed softly and walked up to Jiang Xiao Nuan, pulling her into her embrace. "Xiao Nuan, you know your father's temper, don't trigger him anymore. Mummy knows your pain, but you're born into this family. From your birth, you've assumed a different role. Your fate is such that you can't be like an ordinary girl and live an ordinary life. Although you've missed out a lot, at the same time, you've gained many things that others could never have."
Jiang Xiao Nuan remained silent. Mrs. Jiang sighed again. "Xiao Nuan, wash up quickly! Don't think about it anymore, listen to your father and don't make him angry."
After that, Mrs. Jiang gently caressed the top of her head. She then turned to leave.
Just when she reached the door of the balcony, Jiang Xiao Nuan said in a plain voice, "Mom, what's the point of living a life like this?"
Jiang Xiaonuan's voice was faint and almost made her mother think it came from the other side of the world. It felt very unreal. Mrs. Jiang's heart tightened. She turned and asked doubtfully, "Xiaonuan, you won't be too hard on yourself, will you?" Jiang Xiaonuan repeated again. "Mom, I'm living like a puppet, what's the point of living like this?" Mrs. Jiang walked to Jiang Xiaonuan's side quickly, took her head, and looked into her dark and dim eyes. Tears began to form in her eyes. She comforted her enthusiastically. "Xiaonuan, don't scare me. You can't take things too hard." Jiang Xiaonuan smiled faintly, but the smile looked extremely dreary. She said softly, "Mom, don't worry, I won't do anything stupid!" Mrs. Jiang's heart was finally at ease. She gently caressed Jiang's hair and her voice trembled. "Xiaonuan, don't say such things again. You scared me!" Jiang Xiaonuan put her arm arou
Someone had begun to untie Lou Xue's rope, but Lou Xue found that even though the rope was untied, it was completely useless at the moment. Her body was soft and weak, she had no energy to escape at all, and even standing was difficult. After the rope was untied, Lou Xue sat down on the ground feebly. Her whole body felt hot and dry. She looked at Zhao Yuyan with alluring eyes and whispered, "Yuyan, will you let me go? As long as you are willing to let me go, I promise to give you anything you want!" Lou Xue's voice was not under her control at all. Subconsciously, she produced a voice that made others shy. Her voice was enchanting and charming, numbing people's hearts. In addition, her captivating eyes were mesmerizing, and her skin was flushed. It was simply tempting one to commit crimes and fall into a reverie. The subordinates nearby Brother Tiger narrowed their eyes, licked their lips and rolled their Adam's apple. Their heart began to itch like ants crawli
Early in the morning, Yun Muxi and Gong Yu were called by Zhao Yi to the crew meeting. As soon as He Xin, Wang Hao, Gong Yu, and Yun Muxi sat down, Zhao Yi sat up straight and looked around the crowd seriously. He said straight to the point, "I called everyone here today to talk about the changing of the script. This time, because of Ding Sisi's uproar, the plot of the grand finale has been leaked. It is no trivial matter that such a crucial part of the grand finale has been leaked. Although I handled it quickly, someone must have seen it, and there is no guarantee that it will not continue to spread. Therefore, certain modifications must be made to the plot. Do you have any comments on the modification?" Wang Hao rubbed his chin with his forefinger, thought for a moment, and spoke first, "In fact, for the grand finale part, I think the current open ending is quite good, it gives people infinite space for reverie. However, if it is changed directly to a fruitful ending
Gong Yu suddenly stopped, facing those black eyes which were blurred with mist. Yun Muxi's cheeks were reddish at the moment, and her eyes were full of passion. Her charming lips were slightly red, swollen, jade-like and tender. Gong Yu looked at Yun Muxi's reaction with a satisfied chuckle and said hoarsely in a low voice, "It is true that your body is more honest! Should we continue now?" Yun Muxi recovered her mind upon hearing Gong Yu's words. Her face was flushed bright red like a red apple and she had an angry look in her eyes. She took her hand and tried to slap Gong Yu's cheek. Gong Yu easily grabbed the small hand with one hand and pecked it with his lips. He calmly and earnestly said, "Xiao Xi, please stop struggling pointlessly! Can we talk?" Gong Yu's words were mingled with a light plea. However, this light plea was almost imperceptible but still gently strung Yun Muxi's heartstrings, and her heart quivered slightly with a touch of emotion. T
Yun Muxi instantly glimpsed in her heart, and she couldn’t answer for a moment, and her face was a bit stunned. Gong Yu indulged in rubbing Niannian's hair top and glanced at Yun Muxi. He said softly, " As long as your mother is willing, Daddy Yu will be fine!" When Niannian heard this, she looked at Yun Muxi with his black eyes shining like two stars and asked expectantly, " Mommy, Daddy Yu said he would like to stay with us forever, Mommy…?" The expectant look in her eyes made Yun Muxi feel tight and could not bear to refuse, but she could not accept it. Finally, she raised his face with a straight face and sank his voice," Don't talk , hurry to eat!" The original happy atmosphere cooled down instantly. Niannian bowed her head and started eating quietly. The good mood of Gong Yu also cooled down instantly, three people each eating a meal, in addition to Gong Yu occasionally giving Yun Muxi and Niannian a dish, there was no other interaction. Afte
Yun Muxi glanced at Gong Yu, who was serving porridge at the dining table. She smiled lightly and said, "Mmm! It's a little feverish. I have been much better now. It may be that these two days of changing the script, so I did not take care of myself, catching a cold!" Seventh Brother saw Yun Muxi's smile and seemed to be encouraged in his heart. He continued to promote it, "Xiao Xi, don't you say, Gong Yu has never cared about anyone, let alone women. You are really the first one! Even though I have been looking after him for four years, he hasn't given me a good look, just like what I owe him. Only you can let him do this. Gong Yu has an unusual feeling for you! " Yun Muxi seemed a little embarrassed and deliberately avoided this topic. She said to Seventh Brother, " Have you had breakfast, Seventh Brother? Why don't you join us? There are also some small pickles, all pickled by myself, which are healthier and more delicious than those bought outside. " At this
Mou Yichen raised his wrist to check his watch and said gently, "Please await me for another fifteen minutes. I have to finish this case first. There is a newly opened restaurant near here. I want to take you there for a meal." Yun Muxi nodded, sat down on a sofa, and started checking her phone. She felt bored and logged in WeChat that she rarely used. Just as she logged in, she received several messages in succession. She clicked them and found that they all came from Lu Yang. "Xiao Xi, we haven't seen each other for a while. How have you been?" "Xiao Xi, it seems that you really seldom use WeChat. Even I, who use it not very often, use it more frequently than you." "Xiao Xi, I've been busy with exercising. When I'm free later, I'll go to see you." "Xiao Xi, why didn't you reply to my messages? Didn't you see them?" "Xiao Xi, our exercise will be ended the day after tomorrow. When will you be free that I can go to see you?" "X
Early the next morning, Yun Muxi sent Niannian to her kindergarten and went to the filming site in a hurry. On that day, she needed to do the first scene that Ding Sisi had done before: Zhen Ai went to the college reunion and impressed everyone present. The beauty of their class, Lu Yuxin, thought that Zhen Ai stole her spotlight and therefore wanted to retaliate. She asked Zhen Ai to drink wine as the punishment of her being late. Zhen Ai had no head for wine and was totally drunk after drinking a bottle of it. Her friend Tang Xiaoxuan brought her home and accidentally traveled to another space and disappeared. As Yun Muxi entered the dressing room, Amy, who had been waiting there for her long, said hello to her with a smile as she saw her. "Xiao Xi, here you are! Hurry, I'm ready to do your makeup. Today, I'll be able to avenge myself." Yun Muxi could not understand her words, so, she asked, "Avenge yourself on what?" Amy explained to her with a smile.
Lu Yang also saw Murong Yunxi and Gong Yu and also felt a little bit shocked. He stepped forward to greet them. "Xiao Xi, Gong Yu, why are you here?" Murong Yunxi looked at Lu Yang with a smile. Many years had passed by, the past had gone with the wind. Lu Yang was just one of her good friends and they seemed to be more comfortable in this way. "Yeah, we came for a movie, but I didn't like it, so we left before the ending!" Subsequently, Murong Yun turned to a woman behind Lu Yang who looked familiar. "Lu Yang, is this your...?" Lu Yang put on a bitter smile. "Oh, you know that I am in a situation of being forced to get married. This is a girl that my big brother introduced to me for a blind date." Lu Yang had nothing to hide because he had no intention to get married to this woman, so he shared his thoughts directly to avoid any misunderstandings, let alone he had no intention to make her his girlfriend. This woman did not rea
Twelve years later. "Luoluo, come to help me!" Lying face down on her big bed, Murong Niannian complained to her good friend through her mobile phone. She was simply so depressed inside. Yan Chuluo was Murong Niannian's best friend, and their friendship was very solid. Although Yan Chuluo was five years older than Murong Niannian, Murong Niannian, a mature girl, did not have any difficulty communicating with her. Their relationship was even more harmonious than those of her peers. "Well, my dear girl, I'm too busy to attend to you now. I even don't have any leisure for myself," replied Yan Chuluo, who was reading the latest military newspaper on a closestool. Yan Chuluo actually could not attend to her talented friend at the moment because she fell in love with a man. More exactly, she fell in love with him in secret only at one glance. "Well, you just went to receive military training. By the way, your grandfathe
S City— The doorbell was ringing outside. After finding that it was a courier delivering a parcel, Gu Yuxuan answered the door and signed for the delivery. After closing the door, Gu Yuxuan leaned against the door, overwhelmed by sadness. The express delivery belonged to Yun Muxi, which should be her admission letter according to the mailing address. However, Yun Muxi had disappeared for almost a month. Gu Yuxuan stood with her back against the door and slowly slid down on the ground as her tears kept falling down. Gu Yuxuan held the parcel and put one hand on her knees, covering her eyes with the other. Her tears streamed down through her fingers, and she cried silently. In fact, she had cried countless times this month. Father Yun had gone to Africa and kept working after arriving there, so that they were out of touch. Neither could she convey the news of Xiao Xi's disappearance to Father Yun, nor did she know how to tell oth
The bottle was in the shape of a gourd and was smooth and delicate. What was the most special part was the handle of the bottle, which was also made of a little gourd. The two gourds were cleverly connected by a vine. It looked like the bigger gourd was holding the small one while the small one wrapped onto the large one. The lip was the root of the vine, showing a natural and smooth combination. The bottle's shape was delicate and refined. Every detail showed unique ingenuity, subtly revealing a sense of tenderness in its mellow lines. The two gourds were like a mother and daughter. The mother showed her infinite love for her daughter, while the daughter relied on her mother. The two were made of crystal-white porcelain, while the vine was lush green with no extra impurities. Duanmu Gongyu opened the lid and extended his nose to smell it. A rich smell of wine rushed to him with a faint fragrance like a kind of flower. Duanmu Gongyu could not tell what it
Duanmu Gongcheng felt somewhat shameless upon seeing Duanmu Gongyu's shock, and he lowered his head to say, "It's my fault! I am too... I hope you don't blame me." Duanmu Gongyu felt happy to remedy the misunderstanding with his brother and nodded while saying, "I don't blame you, Big Brother. I have arranged for my people to deal with those bad guys. You don't have to be worried." Duanmu Gongcheng could not adapt to this change and still felt embarrassed at the moment. He said, "Third Brother, you've just come back, so I came to check on your injury. Since you're fine, I should not bother you. You're so tired after a long journey. Have a rest and I will come to visit you later." Then, Duanmu Gongcheng asked to leave in a hurry. Nanny Wu suddenly felt embarrassed when only Duanmu Gongyu, Yun Muxi, and she were there. She said in a hurry, "My Lord, you should have a rest and I will go to prepare food for you. You must not have e
After pausing for a moment, Duanmu Gongyu stared fixedly at Hei Ye as if he had something to say. Hei Ye was confused by Duanmu Gongyu's actions and wondered if he had a problem, but he dared not to ask Duanmu Gongyu if the fear that he would enrage Duanmu Gongyu, who had been in anger during the past several days. Looking as if he had made up his mind, Duanmu Gongyu cleared his throat and his face blushed as he said with an unnatural expression, "Hmm... it seems... Xiao Xi... is angry at me..." Duanmu Gongyu stuttered as he did not how to express his thoughts, but the long-lasting cold war between Duanmu Gongyu and Yun Muxi made Hei Ye understand Duanmu Gongyu's meanings at once. Hei Ye said to Duanmu Gongyu in embarrassment, "Your Highness, I didn't have any experience in dealing with girls, so, I don't exactly know how to solve this, but... usually, in such a situation, men should take the initiative to coax women. Don't feel shy to do th
Yun Muxi felt at ease enjoying such a peaceful and beautiful moment. Her parents had been busy with their work and left her alone at home since she was a child, and luckily, she had a good friend, Xuanxuan, accompany her; otherwise, she would have left a lonely life. She was quite satisfied that now Duanmu Gongyu accompanied her, took care of her, and loved her. She enjoyed the peaceful moment quietly. ... At sunset, the carriage arrived in Xinyang City. As soon as they entered the city, Duanmu Gongyu sensed something strange. He said to Hei Ye in a cold tone, "Hei Ye, put on your guards." Since Duanmu Gongyu always had a keen instinct, Hei Ye put on his highest guard at Duanmu Gongyu's reminder. Lan Yun surveyed around warily and looked out for everything that would happen. Hei Ye drove the carriage to a tasteful hotel, which was neither the biggest one nor the most luxurious one in the city. The reason why he chose such an in
Before walking long, Yun Muxi came across Duanmu Gongyu. She cast her anger behind her back and said to him happily, "Look, Gong Yu, I found a puppy. Isn't it cute?" Duanmu Gongyu was allergic to animals, especially furry ones. He measured the puppy with a frown and a look of disdain. As if the puppy had sensed Duanmu Gongyu's hostility against it, it barked at him in a wary way. Duanmu Gongyu furrowed his eyebrows even deeply. A long while passed, and he finally replied, "No, not at all. It is not that friendly to me." Yun Muxi defended the puppy hurriedly by saying, "No, it's just too small and afraid of strangers." In Yun Muxi's arms, the puppy barked at Duanmu Gongyu warily once again. Still in a frown, Duanmu Gongyu said in a cold tone, "It does look unfriendly. It warned me to stay away from it." Right then, the puppy barked at Duanmu Gongyu several times more in a warning way. Yun Muxi stroked
The time needed for an incense stick to burn passed by in the blink of an eye. Lan Yun indeed came over carrying two big handfuls of skewers. Since they were in the wilderness and they had never seen how modern-day skewers looked, although the skewers he made were somewhat close, it was still different from the modern-day ones. The wooden sticks were thick, and the meat cubes were also bigger. The shapes were not cut into long shapes as they do in the modern world. Lan Yun's skewers looked more like tanghulu. But Yun Muxi was still amazed that he could deliver such great results so quickly. "Lan Yun, if I bring you to where I came from, you could earn quite a lot just by making lu chuan! You're basically god-speed." Lan Yun felt awkward after hearing it. He had put in so much effort to equip himself with all these skills just for him to go there and make lu chuan? This Miss Yun had such a wild imagination. Hei Ye was very alert