Jiang Chenyu turned around, his gaze steady. "Why are you following me?"
Gu Nuannuan took a deep breath and, with sincerity, said, "Jiang Chenyu, let's move out."
He raised an eyebrow, and before he could respond, she continued, "If I stay here any longer, your sister-in-law, your brother, and maybe even your father will end up in the hospital."
Her tone was a mix of frustration and desperation. She looked up at him with pleading eyes. "Please?"
It was clear that she didn't want to stay at the Jiang residence any longer. She didn't feel a connection to anyone in the household—whether it was the strict and imposing Jiang Lao, the cold and aloof Wei Aihua, or the distant and unpredictable Mayor Jiang. And the one person who should be closest to her, her husband, was the one who disliked her the most.
Gu Nuannuan had even begun to imagine that living in a small, modest apartment—just 30 or 40 square meters—would be far more comfortable than enduring the oppressive atmosphere of the Jiang family's mansion.
Jiang Chenyu noticed the longing in her eyes, the desire to escape the life she had been forced into. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed, and after a moment's pause, he finally said, "As long as you don't put me in the hospital, you're free to make everyone else angry as much as you want."
With that, he turned on his heel and walked away.
He didn't know then that his words would eventually come true. Jiang Chenyu couldn't have imagined that one day, he would find himself in the hospital because of his young wife's actions. At the time, the thought seemed absurd. How could she possibly drive him to that point?
Yet, even as he chuckled at the notion, a part of him wondered—wouldn't letting her move out and live freely be too easy for her? After all, she had married into the powerful Jiang family. Shouldn't she "enjoy" the life that came with it?
A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "Gu Nuannuan, I hope you'll enjoy your time in the Jiang family," he muttered under his breath.
Meanwhile, in the dining room, Jiang Lao sat in silence, his face tense as he listened to the servants explain what had transpired earlier. He had requested a detailed account of everything that had happened, and now, word by word, he pieced together the entire situation.
"Did she really say that?" Jiang Lao asked, his voice gruff as he stared at the servants.
The servant nodded hesitantly. "Yes, Master. Those were the exact words of the eldest and second young wives."
Jiang Lao's jaw clenched, and he pressed his hands firmly against the dining table, leaning forward. "Clear the tableware. I want everyone to leave."
"Yes, Master," the servants murmured, quickly dispersing from the room. Only the butler remained by Jiang Lao's side.
After a moment of heavy silence, Jiang Lao exhaled sharply. "I just started to find her likable, and then the next second, she does something that disgusts me."
The butler, having served the family for many years, understood exactly who "she" referred to. Gu Nuannuan, the newest member of the family, was the one under scrutiny.
The butler, ever the voice of reason, took a careful step forward. "Master, if I may say, this situation is rather unusual. Although the eldest young lady has always had her prejudices against the second young lady, she wouldn't go so far as to deliberately humiliate her. The eldest young lady has always been proud and self-assured. She would not say something to lower her own status unless something specific had happened to provoke her."
He paused, gauging Jiang Lao's reaction before continuing. "The second young lady did make a mistake by responding harshly, but we must remember she's still very young. She's also someone who has always been filial to her parents. If it weren't for her sense of duty, she wouldn't have agreed to the marriage in the first place. If the eldest young lady said something that insulted her family, it's not surprising that she reacted out of anger."
Jiang Lao's expression softened slightly, though his frustration remained. The butler's measured words had their intended effect—he was no longer solely blaming Gu Nuannuan, but instead starting to see the conflict from both sides.
"You're saying they were both in the wrong?" Jiang Lao asked.
The butler nodded gently. "Yes, Master. I believe the situation calls for further investigation before any conclusions are drawn."
Jiang Lao sat back, his face still stern but no longer clouded with pure anger. His relationship with Wei Aihua, his daughter-in-law, had spanned over two decades. In that time, he had grown to treat her as his own daughter. It was instinctual for him to immediately defend her when any conflict arose, especially when the opposing party was an outsider like Gu Nuannuan.
But thanks to the butler's timely reminder, Jiang Lao felt a sense of clarity returning. There was more to this than he had first assumed.
"Find out what happened to Aihua today," Jiang Lao ordered. "Check who she met, what she said, and if anyone tried to provoke her. If I discover someone deliberately caused this situation, they'll regret it."