Chapter 39

So, she questioned Jiang Zhe, “Why didn’t you wake me up?”

He replied, “I did, but you didn’t wake up.”

Jiang Yu started to doubt herself. Was she really that heavy of a sleeper?

That night, she was on high alert. After several nights of faintly hearing cries in her dreams, she forced herself to wake up, but fatigue took over. One night, after struggling in her dreams for a long time, she finally woke up and vaguely saw Jiang Zhe carrying the baby out. After calming her down outside, he brought her back.

Jiang Yu was astonished by his actions. Not only did he not wake her up, but he also took the crying baby outside.

After the baby was settled, he returned, and Jiang Yu quickly closed her eyes. Once he placed the baby in the bed, he noticed the blanket wasn’t properly covering her. After tucking her in, he paused above her for a moment and gently kissed her forehead.

He didn’t wake her, but instead stole a kiss while she was asleep?

Jiang Yu felt confused. When did the formerly docile Jiang Zhe become like this?

When he kissed her forehead, Jiang Yu’s body went rigid, and she didn’t dare to breathe.

After stealing the kiss, he didn’t quietly go to sleep but propped himself up on one elbow, silently watching her, lost in thought.

After a long time, he finally turned off the light, and Jiang Yu let out a sigh of relief.

The next day, she asked again, “Did the baby wake up last night? You didn’t call me?”

Jiang Zhe lied without a hint of embarrassment, “I did, but you just turned over and went back to sleep. It’s fine; I can take care of the baby.”

Jiang Yu muttered, “Then what’s the point of me sleeping in your room?”

She silently cursed him, calling him a big liar for not waking her up.

He tilted his head as if pondering seriously, “You could have accompanied her to sleep, even sung her a lullaby before she drifted off.”

He had never made such a head-tilting gesture before, but somehow it looked cute on him, softening his previously cold demeanor, giving him a bit of a sunny, cheerful vibe.

Admittedly, Jiang Zhe had a point, and Jiang Yu found another reason to stay.

She asked, “So, when we slept together, you didn’t do anything to me?”

Jiang Zhe countered, “What do you want me to do? Or perhaps, what do you expect me to do?”

Jiang Yu stammered, “…Where did you learn to be so slick with words?”

Jiang Zhe didn’t care about her complaints. He just smiled and ruffled her hair. “Someone has to take the initiative. If you don’t, then I will.”

You win.

The clothes Jiang Yu ordered for the little one arrived quickly. Although they were pricey, when she opened the package, she found the fabric wasn’t what she expected, and some items were either too big or too small. After returning the unsuitable ones, she suggested to Jiang Zhe, “How about we take the baby out for a stroll? We’ve never taken her shopping before.”

Jiang Zhe naturally had no objections.

It was a Friday night, and the mall was bustling with people. Jiang Yu eagerly led the way, glancing around, while Jiang Zhe followed behind, holding the baby.

Previously, Jiang Zhe had mentioned he had overcome his fear of crowds. But when Jiang Yu noticed he wasn’t by her side and looked around for him, she saw his face was slightly pale, avoiding people who came too close.

His usual icy demeanor had flickered away.

It seemed that he hadn’t really changed as much as he claimed. Jiang Yu smiled to herself and decided to tease him.

“Jiang Zhe, you seem to still dislike being around people.”

“You’re not actually nervous when you say those sweet nothings to me, are you?”

Jiang Zhe was taken aback by her words, momentarily at a loss. However, his ears slowly turned red.

He indeed wasn’t as calm as he appeared.

Not denying it was like admitting it. Jiang Yu hadn’t expected to hit the nail on the head and couldn’t help but laugh. “I didn’t expect this from you, Jiang Zhe!”

Jiang Zhe was speechless.

The first floor was the busiest. Realizing that Jiang Zhe was genuinely trying to adapt to the situation rather than being comfortable, Jiang Yu led him to the elevator and went up to the second floor, where there were fewer people.

Seeing a mother-and-baby store, she walked in. It was filled with all sorts of baby necessities—cute bottles, beautiful and comfy clothes, formula, and various toys. Jiang Yu was delighted, and with the persuasive sales staff, she quickly bought quite a bit and even signed up for a membership.

Later, when she returned home with bags full of purchases, she checked online and found that what she bought in the store was actually twice as expensive as what was offered in the flagship store online.

Moreover, most of the items were things they already had at home.

Calculating how much she had impulsively spent, Jiang Yu realized she had wasted quite a bit of money. Although it was Jiang Zhe’s money, she still felt a twinge of pain.

She had once vowed to teach Jiang Zhe how to bargain, yet here she was, getting swindled instead.

Everything at home was bought by him, so he surely knew whether they needed anything or if the prices were too high, but he hadn’t stopped her. Jiang Yu immediately looked for trouble with Jiang Zhe and asked, “Why didn’t you stop me when I was buying? I feel like I brought back a bunch of expensive, useless junk.”

Jiang Zhe pondered for a moment before replying, “Some of it is still useful. For example, the clothes you bought for the baby are really nice, and she will definitely like the toys.”

“Except for those, everything else was much more expensive than online. Didn’t you know that I might have been swindled? Weren’t you aware of that?”

Jiang Zhe, knowing very well, felt a pang of guilt and rubbed his nose, “You seemed very happy at the time.”

Indeed, he wanted to remind her not to buy some things, but her bright smile made him refrain.

Jiang Yu was furious. Of course, she was happy shopping, but if he had told her at the time, she wouldn’t have bought so many useless things. Shopping in physical stores is different from online purchases where you can return things within seven days. She felt cheated, even though the money wasn’t hers; it still made her angry.

She scolded Jiang Zhe, “We have a child now. I know you run a profitable company, but life isn’t always smooth. Children are money pits. We should spend our money wisely. If something like this happens again, you need to remind me, okay?”

Jiang Zhe had only wanted to make her happy and didn’t realize it would end up making her angry.

His voice carried a hint of regret as he said, “I’m sorry. I’ll be more careful next time.”

He understood that the problem was partly his own. If he hadn’t been swayed by the sales pitch, they wouldn’t have spent so much extra money. Although Jiang Zhe might not think much of it, she felt the sting.

But it was her fault, and she couldn’t take her frustration out on Jiang Zhe. After calming down, Jiang Yu said, “Alright, I’m not going to scold you anymore. Next time, if you think there’s a problem, just remind me. Let me make the decision. I don’t want to waste money. Even though you make money easily, I don’t want to be at a disadvantage.”

Jiang Zhe swallowed and said, “Okay.”

Seeing his guilty expression, Jiang Yu quickly smiled and explained, “Actually, I’m not blaming you. I’m just angry at myself for being so easily swayed.”

Jiang Zhe gently patted her head, comforting her, “It’s okay. After all, we’re first-time parents. I know you just want to give the best to the baby.”

Jiang Yu was still quite distressed. She grabbed Jiang Zhe’s shirt and lamented, “I shouldn’t have checked the prices online after buying. Now I feel so imbalanced, sobbing.”

Then, she buried her head in Jiang Zhe’s chest, pretending to cry. Although the crying was fake, her regret was real. The actual reason for her discomfort was not just the higher prices at the store but also her own fault for comparing prices online. Now, she felt unsettled.

Seeing her clinging to his shirt, Jiang Zhe was momentarily stunned.

But Jiang Yu was lost in her own frustration and didn’t realize what she was doing.

Jiang Zhe thought for a moment and said, “I know how to make you feel better.”

Jiang Yu’s eyes brightened, “How?”

“Come with me.”

He led her by the hand into their room.

Once they were on the bed, Jiang Zhe began kissing her while saying, “This way, you can shift your focus.”

Jiang Yu didn’t understand why she had chosen to trust him, but now she was pinned to the bed, letting him do as he pleased. The softness of his lips and the blankness in her mind were overwhelming. He leaned over her, kissing her tenderly and passionately.

Jiang Yu felt like her soul was floating, enveloped by his scent. Indeed, she temporarily forgot the things that had upset her. He was effective at distracting her.

However, as they continued, Jiang Yu felt more wronged. Not only did she feel cheated by the purchases, but now she felt exploited at home. Tears began to fall uncontrollably, accompanied by a tone of complaint.

“Wuwuwu, it’s bad enough that others take advantage of me, but now you’re taking advantage of me too, wuwuwu.”

Jiang Zhe was surprised by her sudden tears. After a brief moment of shock, he hurriedly tried to comfort her, “I’m sorry. I… I…”

But his attempts to comfort her only made her cry more. Jiang Zhe, seeing her tears streaming down, panicked and tried to wipe them away, but the more he wiped, the more she cried. He bent down to kiss her tears away, his voice urgent and flustered, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…”

Jiang Yu’s voice was tinged with accusation, “So you did it on purpose?”

“I’m sorry. I was wrong.”

Somehow, seeing his sincere apology made Jiang Yu want to laugh. And she did laugh.

Jiang Zhe was confused by her sudden change from crying to laughing, staring at her in bewilderment.

Jiang Yu pushed him away, sat up, and said, “Forget it. I know you’re just trying to comfort me. I’m not upset anymore.”

With the playful banter, she truly let go of her concerns about the issue.

Jiang Zhe went to get her some tissues, relieved to see her stop crying.

Later, Jiang Yu saw a transfer of one million yuan in her bank account.

The transfer was from Jiang Zhe.

Her first reaction was confusion—why was he transferring money to her? But she soon realized it was probably his way of comforting her, and her heart warmed with a sweet feeling.

The next day, Mother Jiang came over and saw some of the excess items Jiang Yu had bought. She asked about them.

Jiang Yu explained, “I bought them at the mall last night.”

She also complained a bit about Jiang Zhe, “He knew we didn’t need those things and that they were more expensive, but he didn’t tell me.”

Her mother, knowing her daughter well, immediately asked, “Did you give Jiang Zhe a hard time?”

Jiang Yu replied, “I scolded him a bit for not reminding me.”

Her mother flicked her forehead and said, “You’ve already bought them, so why bother comparing prices now? If you wanted cheaper options, there were plenty. You should only blame yourself. Jiang Zhe is the only one who can tolerate you.”

Jiang Yu was reprimanded by her mother, and she seemed to realize her mistakes. Jiang Zhe’s willingness to indulge her was because he wanted her to be happy. To them, that amount of money wasn’t significant; he was willing to spend a little for her happiness, and Jiang Zhe truly wasn’t in the wrong.

She sincerely apologized to Jiang Zhe, saying, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be harsh with you last night.”

Mother Jiang chimed in, “Xiao Zhe, don’t spoil her too much. You treat her well, but she still gets angry. She really doesn’t know how lucky she is.”

Jiang Yu stuck her tongue out at her mother, only to receive a glare in response.

Jiang Zhe smiled and defended Jiang Yu, “Xiao Yu is right. It’s my fault for not reminding her. I’ll be more careful next time.”

“Exactly! Money should be spent wisely.”

Mother Jiang replied, “From what I see, spending money on her is a waste.”

Jiang Yu protested, “My husband is willing, hehehe…”

Jiang Zhe laughed and playfully teased her.

Just then, Jiang Zhe’s phone rang.

It was his father. Jiang Zhe’s expression dimmed slightly as he picked up the call. When he returned, his face looked troubled.

Noticing his change in demeanor, Jiang Yu and her mother asked, “What’s wrong?”

Jiang Zhe shook his head, saying, “Just a bit of a tricky situation. I need to go to my parents’ place tonight.”

Jiang Yu had a poor impression of Jiang Zhe’s father and felt worried he might be mistreated, so she said, “Should I go back with you?”

“No need, I can handle it myself.”

Still feeling uneasy, Jiang Yu replied, “If you get wronged, you can tell me. I might do something.”

Jiang Zhe smiled at her, patted her head, and said, “Okay.”

Not long after Jiang Zhe left, Jiang Yu received a call from an unfamiliar number. Hesitant, she answered and was surprised to find it was Wei Cheng. After learning that Jiang Zhe had gone to his parents’ house, he said, “There’s been a problem with the Lin family’s project. Jiang Zhe is likely being called back to help. He always feels indebted to his sister, so sister-in-law, please advise him not to do anything foolish.”

Jiang Yu sensed the seriousness of the situation since Wei Cheng was personally calling. She asked, “Is it serious?”

“A bit. If Jiang Zhe helps, he’ll probably have to invest both time and money, and it won’t be a small amount.”

If it were a small amount, Wei Cheng wouldn’t have bothered to warn her. Jiang Yu thought the situation might be even more serious than she imagined.

However, she felt Jiang Zhe should have the right to manage his own money. Although they were married, Jiang Zhe’s earnings were his own hard work, and how he chose to spend them was up to him. After all, it involved family matters, and if he really didn’t help, she worried he might regret it later. Such family issues were never easy to explain.

That evening, when she asked him if he felt wronged when he returned, Jiang Zhe denied it. She stroked his head and said, “If you feel wronged, remember to tell me,” without pressing any further.

For Jiang Zhe, returning home felt like a trap. Even though he was back, he couldn’t forget the harsh words from his father, threatening him with a coldness that chilled him. He didn’t want to share these unpleasant matters with Jiang Yu, so he hugged her to seek warmth, softly saying, “You don’t have to worry. I can handle it.”

Jiang Yu let him deal with it alone.

Half a month later, they received a call from Jiang Zhe’s family—something had happened with the Lin family, and the old man had been rushed to the hospital due to excessive agitation.

When Jiang Yu and Jiang Zhe arrived at the hospital, the old man was already awake. Upon seeing them, he immediately scolded Jiang Zhe, “What are you doing here, you ungrateful son? She is your biological sister! You could help her, yet you refuse! How could I have given birth to such a white-eyed wolf? From now on, consider me your father no more. Our father-son relationship is severed!”

Jiang Zhe remained silent, holding Jiang Yu’s hand, his expression unreadable as he said, “Let’s go.”

The hospital corridor was quiet, with only the occasional passerby. Jiang Yu walked beside Jiang Zhe, noticing his unwell demeanor. She asked, “Are you okay?”

Jiang Zhe replied, “I’m fine.”

“Is your dad really going to…”

“I don’t know.”

“Is it because of your sister?”

“Yeah, he threatened to sever our father-son relationship before, but I ignored it.”

Jiang Yu guessed the reason, surprised she asked, “I thought you would help them.”

After all, they were family.

His father was threatening him like this.

She assumed he would compromise.

Moreover, in the book, the male lead’s family didn’t face such issues early on. So she speculated that Jiang Zhe helping his family might not be the first time.

Feeling insignificant, Jiang Yu thought she probably couldn’t persuade him. Since she couldn’t, she decided to let it be.

Hearing Jiang Yu’s words, Jiang Zhe glanced at her and said, “That was my original plan.”

For many years, he had chosen to endure and compensate.

“Why did you change your mind?” Jiang Yu asked, puzzled.

Jiang Zhe smiled faintly and replied, “You told me that money should be spent wisely. There will be many places for our child to spend money in the future.”

Just for a few thousand yuan, she felt that regret deeply. The Jiang family was like a bottomless pit; they would only take from him and never show gratitude. Helping once would lead to more requests. If he really gave them that much money, would Jiang Yu be indifferent on the surface but truly mind it in her heart?

In the past, he didn’t care. Now that he had someone to protect, he wanted to give the best he could to those he loved—specifically, her.