Chapter 89: Obedience Is Endearing

Xu An’an woke up rubbing her sore waist, grumbling inwardly and wishing she could kick the sleeping man beside her out of bed. Was he possessed by a hyperactive dog? But when she looked at that handsome face, her anger inexplicably melted away. Instead, a mischievous smile tugged at her lips. It felt as if she’d spent an absurd amount on luxury goods, only to be told they were free, with a heap of genuine designer items thrown in, plus an extravagant trip accompanied by a stunning man. Truly, it was a hundred times more satisfying than winning the lottery! The only side effect was utter exhaustion.

Glancing at the sky brightening outside, Xu An’an could only crawl out of bed, resigned. As expected, she was immediately pulled back by the man beside her.

“Stop it,” she chided, exasperated. “If the filming keeps getting delayed like this, when will the second episode ever end? I can’t pretend to be sick every day, you know.”

If she didn’t appear in public, Jiang Li would have to make up excuses for her. Falling ill all the time would definitely look suspicious.

“Just a moment,” Jiang Li replied hoarsely. She watched as he sent a message to the director, then pulled her back into his arms. Xu An’an was still dazed when she saw him type out six words: “The filming ends here and now.”

She could almost picture the director clutching his phone, weeping in despair.

“Second Young Master Jiang, isn’t this a bit too willful?” she teased.

“Oh? So you’re not sleepy anymore?” His deep, sensual voice left her weak at the knees.

She quickly surrendered, trapping his mischievous hand. “Sleepy, so sleepy! I’ll sleep right now!”

Only then did Jiang Li seem satisfied, pinching her cheek. “You’re cutest when you behave.”

“Then I won’t be cute,” she retorted.

“That’s fine too,” he murmured.

Downstairs, before the director could even begin to despair, he received a call from Assistant Wang. Elated, he gushed, “Of course, of course! Please thank Second Young Master Jiang for me! And please tell him my new work will absolutely not disappoint him!”

After hanging up, the director immediately instructed the crew to inform everyone the project was over, his eyes brimming with tears of joy.

His assistant understood completely. The director had originally made art films, but with no audience, he’d been forced to take on variety shows just to make a living. Now that Jiang Li was willing to invest hundreds of millions for him to make a film, it was nothing short of a miracle!

Those who’d just woken up were bewildered by the sudden end of the show.

Still, since they’d be paid as agreed, no one complained. They’d even get a few days of rest for free!

After most people had left, Xu Wanwan finally remembered Xu An’an and went upstairs to find her, only to discover her room empty.

A passing staff member said, “Miss Xu left long ago.”

“What? How did I not see her?”

“Who knows,” came the curt reply. The staff knew what sort of person Xu Wanwan was and couldn’t be bothered to be polite, turning away without another word.

Xu Wanwan glanced at the still-closed door of the adjacent room, wanting to sneak in, but it was locked from the inside. Guan Xiaoxiao advised her not to go looking for trouble.

“Have you forgotten how messy we got rolling around in the mud yesterday? The Second Young Master isn’t someone we can dream about. You could easily end up losing your life.”

She, for one, was still shaken. The rumors about the outside world were no joke.

Xu Wanwan left reluctantly, but she wasn’t about to give up. Remembering Xu An’an and Jiang Yu were engaged, she figured she could use that relationship to get close to Jiang Li.

Having made up her mind, she hurried home to find Shen Ying.

Ever since Xu’s mother had been secretly transferred, Shen Ying had been unable to find her whereabouts, leaving her panicked. She’d lost her biggest bargaining chip against Xu An’an! No wonder that girl dared to ignore her messages!

Shen Ying sought out her husband for a discussion.

“That wretched girl—when did she become so capable?”

“Could Jiang Shao have helped her?”

“Impossible. Didn’t you see how well Jiang Shao treated Ning Xiyue on the live broadcast? He hasn’t even publicly acknowledged Xu An’an’s identity.”

Mentioning the live broadcast, Shen Ying’s anger flared. How dare Xu An’an strike her precious daughter on camera! Xu An’an would pay dearly for that.

She sneered, “Your precious daughter really hid her true colors well these years. Now that she’s tasted power, she cares for no one—she even hit her own sister on live TV! If she really marries into the Jiang family, she’ll forget her own surname!”

The thought unsettled Xu’s father. He couldn’t help but blame Shen Ying for not watching over Xu’s mother in the hospital. “Didn’t you say you had someone planted at the hospital? How did she vanish without a trace?”

“What’s the use of blaming me now? You’ve left everything to me while you run off to see your mistress!”

“What mistress? I’ve told you countless times, that’s just my secretary!”

“Oh, is it that your secretary handles your business during work, and you handle her when there’s nothing to do?”

“Utter nonsense!”

“So am I being unreasonable, or are you feeling guilty?”

“I don’t have time for this. I’m working late and won’t be back tonight!”

“Working late—or off to rendezvous with your little lover?”

“If you don’t believe me, that’s your problem!” Xu’s father stormed out, deeply disappointed in Shen Ying. She hadn’t always been like this—how had she turned into such a shrew? His secretary was far gentler, he thought, his mind drifting to her softness.

Just as he left, Xu Wanwan returned home and witnessed their quarrel. Shen Ying had hoped Xu Wanwan would help smooth things over, but instead, her daughter begged her to find a way to get her close to Jiang Li.

Just the mention of Jiang Li made Shen Ying shiver.

“Wanwan, the Second Young Master isn’t—”

“Why not? Why could Xu An’an catch his eye, then?”

“What do you mean?” Shen Ying’s heart sank.

Xu Wanwan recounted the dinner partner selection. She believed that if Xu An’an could do it, so could she—she could do even better. All she needed was a chance.

“Mom, if you really are my mother, you’ll help me!” she demanded.

Shen Ying nearly spat blood in rage. What sort of logic was that? She told her about Xu An’an secretly transferring Xu’s mother: “Xu An’an’s out of control now. Just stay quietly at home for a few days, and when the chance comes, I’ll help you.”

“No way!”

Xu Wanwan refused to listen. “I have to see the Second Young Master! As soon as I do, he’ll see how different I am! And if you don’t help me, I’ll stop calling you Mom!”

With that, she stormed off.

Clutching her chest, Shen Ying struggled for breath, her face pale. “Neither of them gives me a moment’s peace!”

While chaos reigned in that household, Xu An’an, on the other hand, was enjoying peace and quiet. After sleeping her fill, she stayed in bed, refusing to budge, until Jiang Li came in with a tray of delicious food. Only then did she get up, yawning.

“When are we heading back?” she asked.

Jiang Li paused a moment before replying coolly, “We’ll leave after you eat.”