BDB Chapter 23

Jiang Rao had always known that the domineering CEOs in old-fashioned novels were irresistibly charming when they got serious.

But she never expected that President Li would be so pure and unpretentious to this extent!

—Just yesterday, he had started considering having a child, and today he had shared this thought with the elderly at home?

Facing the Old Madam’s expectant gaze, Jiang Rao pursed her lips and remained silent.

She liked children too, but she wasn’t fond of dealing with or having a temperament similar to the domineering president.

However, whether or not to have a child had nothing to do with her.

After she endured these six months and the real Jiang Tang returned, that person would probably choose to have a child, right? After all, no matter how plastic a business marriage might be, it was still a marriage.

So she said, “It will happen in the future.”

Old Madam Ma’s face broke into deep lines of a smile, “Good, good, no rush. This is not something that can be hurried.”

They spoke as they walked out of the temple and down the mountain.

In early March, the flowers and grass were withered, and spring had not yet arrived.

The scenery wasn’t particularly beautiful, so Old Madam Ma’s gaze naturally kept drifting back to Jiang Tang.

Seeing her expressionless face, but noticing her hands never resting, as if she truly didn’t want the gold bracelet, Old Madam Ma sighed, “Do you really dislike my gift?”

“It’s not that.”

Though the bracelet was gaudy, it was made of pure gold and was a gift from an elder, so Jiang Rao certainly didn’t dislike it.

But since it was meant as a family heirloom for the Li family’s daughter-in-law, and she wasn’t planning to spend her life with the male lead, she naturally couldn’t accept it.

Jiang Rao wasn’t someone who liked making excuses, but at this moment, she had to find a reason for her unusual behavior. “Grandma, I’ll be returning to acting soon. Each role has a different identity and requires different costumes. I would like to keep the bracelet, but I want to take it off and store it safely at home.”

Old Madam Ma scrutinized Jiang Tang with some suspicion.

No matter how long she stared, Jiang Tang’s expression didn’t reveal any discomfort.

Old Madam Ma asked, “Really?”

Jiang Rao nodded, “Really!”

Old Madam Ma stopped and pursed her lips. “Alright, I’ll help you take it off.”

Seeing the other person’s childish demeanor, Jiang Rao wasn’t sure whether to be amused or annoyed.

She knew that a piece of jewelry couldn’t be about fate or destiny; it was definitely something wrong with the bracelet that made it impossible to remove.

Reaching her hand forward, Jiang Rao watched quietly as the other party tapped the bracelet on both sides, then held her wrist with one hand and tried to remove the bracelet with the other.

As she relaxed her mind, she suddenly noticed that the other person’s hands were gripping her wrist tighter with one hand, while the other hand quickly withdrew from the bracelet.

She looked up and saw the Old Madam’s brows furrowed, her hand supporting her forehead, and her steps faltering as if she were about to fall.

Jiang Rao quickly supported the Old Madam’s arm, retrieved the medication from her bag, and gave her a few pills. She first called the old residence, then called the male lead.

The March breeze made her shiver, “Li Jueyan, come to the hospital, Jingdu Hospital.”

…

Two visits to the hospital in one day had left her feelings somewhat different each time, yet still very complicated.

High blood pressure wasn’t a major illness, but if it occurred and there was no one around and no medication, collapsing on the ground could lead to either paralysis or death.

Jiang Rao speculated boldly.

What was the Old Madam’s fate in the parts not mentioned in the original novel?

She had welcomed her granddaughter-in-law joyfully into the home, only to find that the other person told her an absurd story about a marriage of convenience.

In such a mix of great joy and sorrow, would her health remain intact?

If she had an episode, had the two aunts in the house noticed it in time?

If they hadn’t noticed in time but had narrowly saved her life from the clutches of death, resulting in half a lifetime of paralysis, could her family forgive the original female lead?

Jiang Rao felt that they could not.

This would make sense of the plot where the male lead turned dark and subjected the female lead to both physical and emotional torment.

Unfortunately, the female lead being tormented was now her. Although he had never done anything to her in reality, she had endured such experiences multiple times in her dreams. Therefore, while Jiang Rao could empathize with the male lead, she still didn’t have much affection for him.

Spring rain was precious and plentiful.

Previously, when she had stayed at home, Jiang Rao hadn’t felt it much. But now, staying in the hospital ward with the Old Madam, she noticed a thin mist had settled on the windowpane, and through it, drizzling rain fell from the sky.

It was bad weather that made traveling difficult.

As she thought this, the sliding door of the hospital ward suddenly made a loud noise. Turning her head, she saw raindrops sliding off a man’s hair and dripping onto his already soaked suit.

His eyes were filled with an endless darkness, and when he stared at her, her instincts made her feel somewhat uneasy.

But at that moment, the last bit of fear she had for him had already dissipated.

She wasn’t provoking, fleeing, following the original plot, or harming the grandmother… She performed Jiang Tang’s role vividly and without flaw.

What reason did he have to love, torment, and pester her?

Seeing him approach with heavy steps, she stood up from the chair.

She intended to give the position closest to the Old Madam’s bed to the male lead, but before she could move, she felt a weight at her waist, and his face was now inches from hers.

Jiang Rao was momentarily stunned, but after the initial shock, her reflexes kicked in, and she tried to push him away.

She wasn’t very strong, just as he had once said, like a kitten scratching. So she used her legs for support, but just as her knee began to lift, he pulled her into his embrace, his slightly hoarse voice murmuring in her ear, “Thank you.”

The room was quiet, and the Old Madam had fallen asleep on the bed after treatment.

Noticing that the Old Madam hadn’t woken up, Jiang Rao spoke quietly, “No need to thank me. Let go, you’re very wet.”

As she spoke, she sensitively noticed that the hand he had around her waist tightened considerably.

The discomfort of catching a cold was unbearable, and she didn’t want to experience it again. “Let go!”

Then she heard the male lead ask, “What do you want?”

He was never one to speak clearly, and when he asked what she wanted, Jiang Rao only thought he was trying to thank her for saving his grandmother.

But she didn’t want anything and lacked for nothing. “Let go of me.”

If he held her any longer, even if she didn’t catch a fever, she would catch a cold.

The original female lead’s persona; which was delicate, soft and weak, was no joke.

At that moment, a soft cough sounded in the room, clearly not from her or the male lead.

Since it was a single-occupancy room, this meant…

Jiang Rao quickly pinched the male lead’s side, hitting what seemed to be a sensitive spot. He winced and finally let her go.

Although he looked a bit disheveled and was drenched in raindrops, given the flashy persona of a domineering president, he was certainly not short of company around him.

With someone keeping watch over the Old Madam, Jiang Rao didn’t have to worry too much.

As she turned to leave, she met the Old Madam’s smiling eyes and felt a sense of helplessness. “I just remembered I have an appointment. Grandma, I’ll leave now. Please take your medicine and get good treatment. I’ll come back to see you another day.”

Seeing the Old Madam nod, she grabbed her bag and left the hospital ward.

Perhaps her recent relaxed lifestyle had made her a bit careless; it wasn’t until she reached the hospital entrance that she realized she hadn’t brought an umbrella.

Fortunately, the male lead didn’t come running after her.

After waiting for a while, and perhaps due to her very famous face, a young nurse approached and offered her an umbrella.

Jiang Rao thanked her and, after confirming the nurse’s department, took the umbrella and headed out into the rain.

By the time she got home, it was already six o’clock.

After taking a shower and reapplying her makeup, it was past eight.

Once she had some time to relax, Jiang Rao noticed she was still wearing the gold bracelet that the Old Madam hadn’t taken off yet.

Although the Old Madam had seemed to handle it easily, when Jiang Rao tried to remove it, no matter how she tapped the ends of the bracelet, it didn’t budge.

At that moment, her phone rang.

Looking down, she saw it was Madam Bai. Jiang Rao answered the call and put the phone to her ear.

“Jiang Rao, Young Master Li said the other day that he was very satisfied with your performance last night. What does that mean?”

“He complimented the noodles I made.”

“Did Young Master Li agree to the matter in the West District? When will the specific bidding results be announced?”

“I don’t know.”

There was a pause on the other end of the line.

“Jiang Rao, don’t think you’re irreplaceable. If you don’t start performing better, believe it or not, I’ll have Tangtang come back early to replace you!”

——