Chapter 164: Volume 1, Chapter 164: Study Well, Make Progress Every Day (8)

"Is Sister Jiang back?" a soft voice came from the elevator entrance, accompanied by the sound of wheelchair wheels; under the bright, dazzling light, the woman had a head of dark brown hair flowing like a waterfall, her features gentle and beautiful, her aura fresh and mild, vaguely giving a familiar feeling.

Jiang Zhi shifted her gaze to Jiang Mu's face beside her, and narrowed her eyes in realization.

No wonder she felt the woman so familiar; whether in appearance or demeanor, she was very similar to Jiang Mu.

This must be the important female supporting character in this melodramatic CEO novel.

The reason this novel is so melodramatic and tragic is mainly because the female supporting character's parents and the overbearing CEO's parents are old family friends; their parents had arranged a marriage for them when they were children, but after the female supporting character's parents died in a car accident, which even left her legs disabled, the Xi family took her in and treated her as their daughter-in-law.

The female supporting character had secretly loved the overbearing CEO for years, hiding a malicious heart behind a fragile appearance.

Half of the novel's plot is driven by her.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Mu's face turned pale instantly; she gripped Jiang Zhi's hand tighter, her body trembling slightly, as if recalling some desperate memory, her eye sockets gradually reddening.

The female supporting character, Ye Chuyi, pushed her wheelchair up to them, a strand of brown hair falling over her right shoulder, making her face look even softer; she asked softly, "It's been so long—Brother Ye has been looking for you, Sister Jiang, where have you been?"

What happened back then? Aside from the person involved and Ye Chuyi, probably no one else present knows.

To onlookers this inquiry was well-meaning concern, but to Jiang Mu it felt like death by a thousand cuts, agonizingly painful.

She swayed twice, and Jiang Zhi beside her promptly supported her body, expressionless, saying, "I need to rest."

Her cold voice echoed throughout the living room, which fell into silence.

The old grandmother heard it and quickly told the nearby steward, "Hurry and take Xiao Zhi upstairs to rest; she's tired from the day, she should rest properly."

Jiang Zhi glanced sideways at the woman sitting in the wheelchair, then lightly tugged at the corner of her mouth.

Their backs disappeared at the elevator entrance.

Ye Chuyi's body stiffened; recalling how the girl's eyes before leaving seemed to see through her, a chill crept into her heart, and after a long while she steadied her mind.

Just a little girl; nothing to fear.

How did that lowly person come about back then? This time she'll drive them both away just the same!

"Ah Ye, go see if they mother and daughter need anything," the grandmother said.

The man who had been silent stood up, gave a calm "uh," and walked toward the stairs.

Ye Chuyi also wanted to follow, but the grandmother said, "Chuyi, don't go; that's their family's business."

"One… a family?" Ye Chuyi's face, turned away from them, almost twisted; the fingers resting on her legs clenched, after a moment she suppressed the coldness in her eyes and said with a smile, "Mm, I understand, Grandma."

Led by Housekeeper Xu, they took the elevator to the third floor; the villa is a five-story building, decorated in a Nordic style, with wool carpets covering every corner underfoot, walls hung with the world's most famous paintings, and the corridors filled with various expensive artworks.

No wonder, as the Xi family, the nation's largest investment firm, and as the head of the Xi family, Xi Ye's name alone is enough to shake the entire business circle.

A typical line from an overbearing CEO novel: "The weather's turned cold—so-and-so company should go bankrupt."

Stopping in front of a room door, the steward pointed to the adjacent and front rooms and said, "This is Madame Jiang's residence, and this room is the young lady's."

Jiang Mu was not in good spirits; she forced a smile and said, "Thank you, Housekeeper Xu, you may go back; we want to rest."

Housekeeper Xu responded and turned to leave.

The whole corridor was left with just the two of them.

Jiang Mu glanced at the surveillance camera at the end, then immediately led her into a room, sat on the sofa, and said earnestly, "Xiao Zhi, Mother will tell you what happened before, but not now; you just saw the woman in the wheelchair—stay away from her from now on."

Jiang Zhi understood her concern; the original host was still too young to bear major matters, and Jiang Mu was even less willing to let her so young develop resentment.

"I know."

Jiang Mu raised her hand to rub her head, the tension in her heart easing a little, and she smiled, saying, "The transfer arrangements are all set; you can start school tomorrow."

"Tomorrow Mother can't accompany you to school, but there's that uncle downstairs who will go with you."

Although Xi Ye is the child's biological father, she does not wish for him to act as her daughter's dad in her heart.

But the Xi family holds sway over everything, and Xiao Zhi is their sole flesh and blood—how could they possibly let her go?

Moreover, her parents' health is deteriorating day by day, so she can't keep running away.

Jiang Zhi took her fingers and asked seriously, "Mother, do you like this life?"

Jiang Mu stared for a moment, then lowered her eyes, "Mother doesn't know either."

After giving birth to Xiao Zhi, she no longer had any feelings for Xi Ye.

Jiang Zhi gently patted her shoulder and said, "I won't let Mother suffer injustice."

Since she has become Jiang Mu's daughter, the forthcoming heart-wrenching plot must not happen; even if that cheap father of hers, he must not let Jiang Mu suffer injustice.

Jiang Mu's eyes were brimming with tears, her heart filled with warmth, and she broke into a smile: "Mm, Xiao Zhi has grown up."

After coaxing Jiang Mu to sleep, Jiang Zhi took out her textbook, preparing to read for a while.

"Knock knock knock."

The knocking sounded at this moment.

Jiang Zhi walked over and opened the door, seeing a man standing stiffly in front of it.

The man tried hard to maintain his aloof image, but upon meeting the daughter's similar eyes and that cold expression, he momentarily seemed at a loss.

"You… what are you doing?"

Jiang Zhi's finger rested on the doorframe, and she said indifferently, "Reading."

Xi Ye heard her voice and instinctively asked, "What book?"

As soon as he asked, he regretted it—the question made him look especially foolish.

Jiang Zhi: "A math textbook."

Xi Ye's expression flickered; he glanced past her into the room, the light dim, nothing visible.

"You, is Mother asleep?" he said, his tone slightly pausing.

Jiang Zhi frowned slightly, "Do you have something?"

Xi Ye sensed her rejection and distance, his heart feeling sour; he pursed his thin lips and said, "It'll be time to eat soon."

Jiang Zhi said okay, then closed the door.

Xi Ye, who had been isolated outside, stood for a long time, his fingers rubbing his painful head, and he sighed helplessly.

Early morning.

Jiang Zhi, who had changed into the aristocratic school uniform, came out of the house and saw Ye Chuyi pushing a wheelchair toward her.

She wore light makeup, and under the soft light she looked even more graceful, exuding a delicate beauty.

"Xiao Zhi, you're up, is your mother inside?"

Jiang Zhi didn't want to stop to listen to her speak, ignored her, and went straight downstairs.

An hour earlier, Jiang Mu had left; the clinic she opened in the town was closed, and she needed to handle some procedures to move the clinic to the city.