Volume One, Chapter 14: Escort Her Immediately to the Scaffold

Somewhere along the way, Jiang Chenyu’s presence at the dining table vanished without anyone noticing.

In the past, as soon as mealtime arrived, Jiang Chenyu would grab a bowl and weave her way over to one person or another. Whenever she saw someone offering food to Jiang Xue’er, she would eagerly thrust her bowl forward, hoping for a bite from that person as well. It was as if she were begging, and everyone around the table found her utterly exasperating.

But since returning this time, she hadn’t been seen once.

“Maybe she’s upstairs playing on her phone and lost track of time,” Jiang Mu remarked with a hint of complaint. “She’s always been playful, and when she gets into something, she forgets everything else.”

“Then go and call her down quickly!” Jiang Daming snapped angrily. “If she doesn’t get the Qin family’s order sorted out today, I swear I’ll break her leg!”

Jiang Mu hurriedly nodded and dashed upstairs. After a few steps, he suddenly stopped, looking back awkwardly at the others.

“What now?” Jiang Daming bellowed, his face flushed with rage.

Startled, Jiang Mu took a step back and cautiously asked, “Which room does Jiang Chenyu live in again?”

The family asking such a question was absurd.

Yet, that very absurdity plunged the dining room into a suffocating silence once more.

“I think she swapped rooms with Xue’er,” Jiang Zhao recalled, vaguely remembering Jiang Chenyu being scolded by him over house matters. But that had been so long ago he couldn’t recall the exact time.

“Then where did Xue’er live before?” Jiang Mu turned to Jiang Xue’er, realizing for the first time he had never paid attention to this.

Jiang Xue’er clenched her fist unconsciously before answering, “I used to live at the corner on the second floor. Later, since Chenyu wasn’t home, I ended up staying in her room.”

Jiang Zhao glanced at her, as if wanting to say something, but hesitated and finally said nothing.

Meanwhile, Jiang Mu muttered under his breath, “Aren’t those rooms on the second floor all for the servants?”

He didn’t dwell on it much and quickly ascended the stairs, calling out impatiently, “Jiang Chenyu, come down for dinner!”

He shouted from east to west, reaching the smallest door at the corner, banging on it: “Jiang Chenyu, what’s wrong with you? Do you need an invitation to come eat?”

“Get your ass out here!” he snapped irritably and turned back downstairs.

After a few steps, noticing no response behind him, he returned and knocked sharply on the door again.

With a loud “bang,” the door creaked open, revealing a cramped room cluttered with tables, chairs, and cleaning supplies.

Only to the left of the door was a tiny single bed beside a table with a broken leg.

The bed held nothing but a sheet and a pillow with a hole, the wooden frame visible through the worn fabric.

Could anyone really be living here?

Jiang Mu’s heart clenched tightly, and a chill ran through him involuntarily.

The others, growing impatient downstairs and eager to confront Jiang Chenyu, followed him upstairs.

“She’s waiting for someone to come and invite her out?” Chen Ping taunted loudly, mocking the figure inside the room.

Jiang Mu gripped the door handle and said, “She’s not in the room…”

Before he finished, the others had already arrived at Jiang Chenyu’s doorway.

Upon seeing the disorderly room and the small tidy corner, they all shared Jiang Mu’s stunned expression.

“This must be fake. How could she live here?” Chen Ping whispered uncertainly.

From the next room, a servant stepped out flatteringly: “Jiang Chenyu lives here.”

“What Jiang Chenyu? That’s your little miss!” Jiang Zhao frowned, protesting.

The servant lowered her head awkwardly but was inwardly defiant—weren’t they the ones calling her a bloodsucking ungrateful brat?

“Where’s the little miss?” Jiang Zhao pressed.

Sensing the heavy atmosphere, the servant dared not be clever and quietly said, “Jiang… little miss went out yesterday afternoon and hasn’t come back since.”

Yesterday afternoon… wasn’t that when they saw her leaving as they returned from the Qin family?

“You said yesterday evening you were going to have a serious talk with your sister,” Chen Ping eyed Jiang Zhao suspiciously.

Jiang Zhao inhaled sharply, wanting to retort but unable to explain.

He couldn’t exactly say that after returning to his room, he’d played a game with Xue’er and was too lazy to look for her.

Sensing the tension, Jiang Xue’er quickly interjected, “Chenyu is someone who enjoys life. Maybe she couldn’t stand living here and went to stay at a hotel instead?”

Everyone nodded in agreement at that.

Jiang Chenyu wasn’t a fool—there was no way she’d really live in a storage room.

“Exactly. She’s reckless with money. She just casually spent over two million on a handbag today,” Chen Ping fumed, siding with Jiang Xue’er.

Though she firmly believed the bag was meant for her, that didn’t stop her from tattling on Jiang Chenyu.

Jiang Daming’s face darkened further. “There are so many rooms in the house. If she refuses to live in any of them and insists on wasting money outside, does she even realize how hard her father works to earn it?”

“Call her now and make her come back!” he roared.

Jiang Zhao exchanged a look with Jiang Mu, who was speechless and choked up—last time, it was him who had to call Jiang Chenyu to bring her back, and now, facing scolding again, it was his duty to make the call.

Why did all the good deeds never fall on him?

But faced with the elder brother’s authority, Jiang Mu reluctantly pulled out his phone and dialed. The call was immediately met with a message saying the phone was off.

Everyone knew that meant he had been blacklisted.

“Damn!” Jiang Mu cursed and hung up abruptly, his expression stiff. “I’m not calling again. You can all call if you want!”

Jiang Zhao frowned but had no choice but to call Jiang Chenyu himself. The phone rang for a long time with no answer.

“She’s not picking up…” Jiang Zhao’s heart was uneasy.

Jiang Chenyu had always dragged out answering his calls; now, not answering at all was not surprising.

Even more humiliating was Jiang Mu’s situation: since the eldest brother could get through, it proved Jiang Chenyu had indeed blocked him.

Damn Jiang Chenyu—how dare she treat him like this!

Unaware of Jiang Mu’s inner fury, the others continued to fume over Jiang Chenyu’s “rebellion.”

“Then we’ll just wait for her to come back. I refuse to believe she can never return to this family!” Jiang Daming’s voice grew louder with helplessness.

Jiang Zhao, equally at a loss, could only ask reluctantly, “What about the order?”

They had been hoping for the best and even produced many products, but if the order didn’t sell, it would be a disaster—pure bad luck!

All because of Jiang Chenyu!

“When we were at the Qin family yesterday, Mom sent out a lot of invitations for my birthday party. Maybe when those guests arrive, we can ask if they’re interested in cooperation?” Jiang Xue’er volunteered.

Noticing the sparkle in Jiang Daming and Jiang Zhao’s eyes, she added hesitantly, “But it will cost everyone a bit. If the birthday party is extravagant, it’ll at least uphold our dignity…”

She didn’t care about some lousy order contract now; she just wanted to make a name for herself. Only if the birthday party was grand would real elites take her seriously and be willing to accept her…

Then, not just Jiang Chenyu, but the entire Jiang family would have to give in and fawn over her!

No one in the Jiang family could guess the twists and turns in Jiang Xue’er’s heart. Jiang Zhao thought her plan was sensible and nodded immediately, “Xue’er is reliable after all!”

“I’ll get some more money and make sure the birthday party is gorgeous!” Chen Ping beamed with pride, basking in the praise for Jiang Xue’er.

Jiang Daming, seeing her smugness, dashed cold water on her, “Look at the daughter you raised!”

Chen Ping’s face fell instantly, wishing she could strangle her embarrassing daughter on the spot.

Seeing her displeasure, Jiang Daming calmed slightly but still ordered fiercely, “When that ungrateful brat comes back, she’s to come see me immediately!”

It was as if the moment Jiang Chenyu stepped foot home, she would be marched straight to the guillotine.