After driving for nearly an hour, the taxi finally arrived at the Mid-Levels villa. This was a famous wealthy district in Hong Kong. Jiang Wanyi got out of the car and looked coldly at what she called home—no, it should be called the Li Family residence.
If she weren’t afraid of worrying her mother, she would not want to return to this place at all.
Jiang Wanyi exhaled, dragging her heavy body through the door. Having just finished an IV drip at the hospital and endured the ordeal of being reborn, her body was exhausted to the extreme.
As soon as she stepped inside, a teacup was hurled directly at her. Fortunately, Jiang Wanyi knew her mother-in-law’s temperament well; she dodged the cup the moment it was thrown.
"You’re a mother now, yet you’re still out gallivanting at this hour! You’ve truly brought nothing but shame to the Li Family!"
Her mother-in-law, Guan Yu, sat on the sofa, looking at her with a sour expression.
Jiang Wanyi raised her eyes and gazed coldly at the woman opposite her. Ever since she married into the Li Family, Guan Yu had either beaten or scolded her, and she had actually endured it all for five years.
Jiang Wanyi felt that her past self had been foolish beyond help. While she was busy loving Li Jinchuan and Li Cheng'an, she had forgotten to love herself.
Guan Yu took a sip of bird’s nest soup and rolled her eyes at Jiang Wanyi.
"What are you looking at? Your only value is to stay home, serve your husband, and raise your children. Look at you—from head to toe, you look nothing like a qualified wife or mother!"
Hearing the commotion downstairs, Li Cheng'an hurried down. Instead of showing any concern, he stood with his hands on his hips like a little adult and looked at Jiang Wanyi sternly.
"Mommy, where did you go? Do you know I've been waiting for you for a long time?"
Looking at the small figure in front of her, Jiang Wanyi felt a chill in her heart. She had to clench her teeth to suppress the urge to slap him.
In her previous life, he had been so heartless toward her. She still couldn't believe that the person who caused her death was the son she had carried for ten months.
She lowered her gaze to her hand, where the back of it was bruised and swollen from where she had crudely pulled out the IV needle, and scolded:
"Li Cheng'an, that is not the tone a child should use with his elders."
But Li Cheng'an acted as if he hadn't heard her, saying without a care:
"Mommy, remember to wake up early tomorrow to boil chicken soup for Auntie Jiaojiao and send it over. She is sick and needs to eat nutritious food. You must take good care of Auntie Jiaojiao!"
Li Cheng'an’s tone was entitled and bossy, as if the person before him wasn't his mother, but a maid he could summon at will.
The Jiang Wanyi of the past, though uncomfortable, would have accepted any of his demands for the sake of the child. She had thought that love would be rewarded with happiness, not realizing that blind devotion would not earn their gratitude—only make them more insatiable.
She looked steadily at Li Cheng'an. This child—she had carried him for ten months and braved the gates of hell to bring him into the world. They had once shared a heart; he used to kick her belly gently when she was feeling down, as if to comfort her.
But now, he was no longer her son.
"Li Cheng'an, remember this: I am the mother who gave birth to you and raised you, not your servant. You are already five years old; you have attended kindergarten and received an elite upbringing. Has your sense of filial piety gone to the dogs?"
This was the first time Jiang Wanyi had spoken so harshly to him. Li Cheng'an suspected he had misheard—hadn't Mommy always been submissive to him? Why was she speaking to him in such a severe tone?
But Jiang Wanyi’s expression was cold and stern; she clearly wasn't joking.
Li Cheng'an was, after all, only a five-year-old child who didn't yet know how to hide his emotions. Furthermore, Jiang Wanyi’s words were not only harsh to him but even felt like an insult.
In an instant, Li Cheng'an’s face turned bright red, and his eyes welled up with tears, yet he still stiffened his neck and stubbornly retorted:
"Do you think I want a mommy like you? If it weren't for your schemes, my mommy would be Auntie Jiaojiao! It’s all your fault!"
After shouting this, Li Cheng'an ran upstairs. He didn't want such an embarrassing mommy; she was useless. Other than knowing how to cook, what else could she do?
Seeing her precious grandson wronged, Guan Yu was furious and lashed out at Jiang Wanyi:
"Jiang Wanyi, don't you forget, you were the one who begged to marry Jinchuan and used dirty tricks to get pregnant with An'an. Now you dare to scold my grandson? Jinchuan won't let you get away with this!"
Jiang Wanyi’s expression did not change, though her eyes held a chilling, repressed hatred:
"Then you had better tell Li Jinchuan that I want a divorce!"
Having dropped that bombshell, Jiang Wanyi went straight upstairs. There was a tough battle to fight tomorrow, and she needed to conserve her energy tonight. She discovered that when she stopped caring about everything, life felt surprisingly easy.
...
Li Jinchuan received a call from Guan Yu after one in the morning. Hearing that Jiang Wanyi had not only scolded An'an but also demanded a divorce, his brow furrowed deeper.
This Jiang Wanyi—she was a mother now; what was she still acting so capricious for?
Did she really think that making the household miserable would make him value her more? Li Jinchuan’s face grew even more impatient, and his entire being radiated a cold, stern aura.
"Brother Jinchuan, what's wrong?"
Seeing his unpleasant expression, Jiang Jiaojiao asked gently.
Li Jinchuan put away his phone and rubbed his temples, his voice displeased:
"It’s Jiang Wanyi. Mom just called to say she lost her temper with Cheng'an and even talked back to her. I don't know what kind of madness this woman is going through..."
Speaking of his wife, Li Jinchuan sounded like he was grinding his teeth. His gaze fell on the frail Jiang Jiaojiao, and his tone softened significantly:
"By the way, how are you feeling?"
Jiang Jiaojiao’s illness was not as serious as imagined; it was merely low blood sugar combined with some dehydration, which was why she had fainted.
She pursed her lips, looking shy:
"I'm fine now. If it weren't for you, I’d probably still be lying on the floor. Brother Jinchuan, it seems that my sister was also sick today. Is it because she saw you carrying me to the hospital that she's throwing a tantrum at home?"
Jiang Jiaojiao acted as if she knew the truth. She covered her mouth and blamed herself:
"I'm sorry, Brother Jinchuan. If you hadn't saved me, my sister wouldn't have misunderstood!"
Her eyes turned slightly red, tears threatening to fall; she looked incredibly pitiful. Li Jinchuan placed his hand on her back and patiently comforted her:
"This has nothing to do with you. Jiang Wanyi is narrow-minded and is now being completely unreasonable. I should have known she was an unstable woman!"
Jiang Jiaojiao seized the opportunity to lean into Li Jinchuan’s arms, her body trembling slightly as if she were afraid:
"Brother Jinchuan, if you two divorce, I will never have peace of mind."
Li Jinchuan felt his heart soften. He gently stroked Jiang Jiaojiao’s hair, his voice turning even gentler:
"Jiaojiao, you are as kind as ever. Don't worry, Jiang Wanyi wouldn't dare to divorce me."
Li Jinchuan’s voice carried a hint of coldness. This marriage was something Jiang Wanyi had begged for; how could she ever actually go through with a divorce?
This woman’s tricks were endless. She had played the role of a virtuous wife and mother for five years, and now that she couldn't keep up the act, she was even using divorce to threaten him. Who did she think she was?
In Li Jinchuan’s eyes, Jiang Wanyi’s behavior was nothing more than that of a clown seeking attention.
Jiang Jiaojiao lay against Li Jinchuan’s chest, her eyes slightly lowered to hide the hatred in her heart. If Jiang Wanyi didn't dare to divorce, then she would certainly give her a helping hand.
Jiang Wanyi had occupied the position of Mrs. Li for five years; it was time for someone else to take her place!