Chapter 9

As the morning sun painted a golden hue over the surroundings, Jin Xue made her way back to the Pearl Lake Villa. Aunt Zhen leaned in, her voice barely a whisper, “Sir is upstairs. He wants you to join him in the study.”

Subconsciously, Jin Xue’s gaze shifted toward the second floor. “Understood.”

“Sir has already had breakfast. Madam, may I prepare some dumplings for you?”

“Sure.”

With a gentle knock on the study door, Jin Xue entered, her eyes curious as she focused on Jiang Yu’s enigmatic presence. His chiseled features remained impassive, yet an undeniable aura surrounded him, impossible to ignore.

Dressed in a pristine white shirt, he exuded the same air of mystery as the day before.

“Please have a seat!” Jiang Yu’s voice was cold and distant.

Jin Xue settled herself, her eyes locked on Jiang Yu. “Is there something you wish to discuss with me?”

Jiang Yu’s face carried a hint of aggression as he tossed several photographs onto the table before Jin Xue.

“How do you explain this?”

Glancing at the photos, Jin Xue met Jiang Yu’s piercing gaze.

She felt no guilt in her heart, her tone calm and composed. “It is a fact that I had a boyfriend before I got married. Everyone in the Jin family is aware of that. The man beside me in the photo is my ex-boyfriend, Gu Zhou. Yesterday morning, I ended the relationship with him. He called me, but I ignored him. I went to work at the hospital, and he came searching for me there. Our negotiation fell through. That is all.”

Jiang Yu’s expression turned cold and somber, as if a brewing storm lay within his eyes. “Do you love him very much?”

Jin Xue locked eyes with Jiang Yu, her voice carrying indifference. “I once loved him and wanted to marry him.”

“Why didn’t you marry him? Do you still love him?”

“Yesterday morning, I realized that he had deceived me. He saw me as a mere commodity. When he asked my father for ten million yuan, I made up my mind to never be that foolish again. I refuse to be deceived by him anymore. I do not love him anymore. I had to cut my losses and end the relationship completely.”

Jiang Yu lit a cigarette, the smoke swirling around him.

With narrowed eyes and a thin-lipped smile, he exhaled a cloud of smoke. “The Jiang family cannot afford to lose face.”

“I’ve already made it clear to him. As for what he wants, it’s out of my control. Can I know where these photos came from? Did you get someone to follow me?”

Jiang Yu looked at Jin Xue disdainfully. “Although you’re Mrs. Jiang, you’re not worth my effort. These photos were sent over from Beverly Hills early in the morning.”

Beverly Hills?

In that case, all the elders of the Jiang family knew about it.

Jin Xue sneered and said sarcastically, “Who on earth would have the mood to come to the hospital in the middle of the night to secretly take photos of me? Don’t they sleep?”

Under his short black hair, his eagle eyes were sharp and cold, filled with incomparable lethality. Jiang Yu’s voice was also cold as he said, “Mrs. Jiang, please remember to pay attention to your words and actions at all times. Don’t embarrass me.”

“I know, I’ll remember it!”

“What do you want?”

“I have no demands.”

Jiang Yu took out a black card and handed it to Jin Xue. “Buy whatever you want. There’s no limit.”

Jin Xue smiled and accepted the black card from Jiang Yu. “Thank you, Hubby!”

Jiang Yu was smoking as she looked at Jin Xue with a deep gaze.

He was a little surprised to hear her call him her husband!

After hesitating for a moment, Jin Xue asked tentatively, “What is the sentiment in Beverly Hills? Who do you think is most likely to secretly take photos of me?”

The smoke that Jiang Yu exhaled sprayed directly on Jin Xue’s face. “My grandfather flew into a rage. I don’t even know where these photos came from in Beverly Hills!”

“Are they coming for you or me?”

Jiang Yu said casually, “I’m not sure!”

“Hubby, aren’t you working today? Did you specially wait for me to come back?”