Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Participating in the kindergarten's parent-child event for the first time as a mother, Jiang Yiyan felt uncertain. So, right after dinner, she picked up her phone and planned to seek advice from the all-knowing Baidu.

Although the original body's phone had a password, fortunately, it was unlocked by facial recognition.

Upon unlocking the screen, what met her eyes was a photo of a handsome man and a beautiful woman together.

Naturally, Jiang Yiyan recognized who the woman was at a glance, while the man... although she didn't know him, she could guess that he must be Wen Mochuan.

This was a wedding photo. The man wore a white suit, while the woman donned a pure white wedding dress. Facing the camera, the woman's smile was sweet, revealing how happy she was at the time. As for the man, his face matched the description in the novel—elegant and refined, with a pair of gold-rimmed glasses on his nose, hiding any trace of emotion.

Jiang Yiyan didn't linger too long on this photo. After a brief glance, she went straight to her purpose.

She respected the original body's privacy and didn't browse through her photo album or open any chat apps. Instead, she directly opened the search browser with a clear goal in mind.

Feng Ma and Fang Fang took the dishes into the kitchen, and Meimei noticed her mother sitting alone on the sofa playing with her phone, so she approached with a smile.

"What is Mommy looking at?" Perhaps sensing her mother's kindness today, Wen Meimei became more daring and stuck closer to her mother.

Jiang Yiyan didn't dislike children, so when faced with her daughter's deliberate flattery, she simply shook her phone.

"Looking at my phone."

Wen Meimei, of course, knew that her mother was looking at her phone. At her age, she naturally knew what a phone was and understood that many interesting things were hidden within that small rectangular device.

However, her father said that electronic devices were harmful to the eyes, so he usually didn't allow her to play with them much.

But right now, her father wasn't at home...

Suddenly, Wen Meimei fell silent and silently removed her shoes before climbing onto the sofa. Then, she quietly leaned next to her mother and followed her gaze to watch the interesting things on the phone together.

Jiang Yiyan was online to look up information about parent-child activities, and she was currently watching a video related to such events. This particular video was quite humorous and entertaining, which is why it had been uploaded online and garnered a high number of views and plays.

While Jiang Yiyan found it amusing, she didn't laugh.

She didn't laugh, but Wen Meimei, leaning against her, couldn't help but burst out laughing.

This sudden laughter startled Jiang Yiyan.

Only then did she realize that her daughter had quietly leaned over at some point.

She had been so engrossed in the video that she hadn't paid much attention to her. She wondered why there had been no response after asking a question.

Indeed, when children become quiet, they're usually up to something.

Jiang Yiyan had never raised a child, so she didn't know how to properly care for one. She originally intended to develop a relationship with this daughter, and since the girl was interested in the parent-child video on the phone, Jiang Yiyan happily invited her to watch it together.

Mother and daughter snuggled on the sofa, engrossed in the video.

In fact, influenced by the child Wen Meimei, Jiang Yiyan would also exaggerate her laughter at funny moments.

Just then, Wen Meimei's smartwatch suddenly rang.

"It's Daddy!" Wen Meimei jumped up from the sofa like a startled bird.

Jiang Yiyan was startled as well.

First, she was startled by the sudden movement of the child beside her, but then, realizing who "Daddy" was, Jiang Yiyan felt inexplicably nervous.

Her instinctive first reaction was to flee.

At that moment, Wen Mochuan, who had just arrived at the hotel, took off his suit and pulled out his phone to make a video call to his daughter.

Wen Meimei quickly accepted the video call from her father.

Caught off guard, Jiang Yiyan saw the face on the video call.

"Hi~" Feeling tense, Jiang Yiyan suddenly became flustered and instinctively greeted the person on the other end of the video call in her own way.

However, after greeting, Jiang Yiyan quickly realized something was amiss.

She was no longer herself; she was now Wen Mochuan's wife.

Moreover, according to the original story, the book's Jiang Yiyan had an almost obsessive affection for her husband, Wen Mochuan.

So, her greeting style just now was clearly inappropriate.

Wen Mochuan, on the other side of the video call, naturally noticed his wife's unusual behavior. He lightly furrowed his brows but didn't dwell on it, continuing to speak with his daughter instead.

"When will Daddy be back?" Wen Meimei clearly got along more harmoniously with her father than with her mother.

Wen Mochuan felt a bit guilty as he explained to his daughter, "I had booked a flight back tonight, but something came up, so I won't be able to return today."

When her father made the video call, Wen Meimei still held a glimmer of hope that he might be able to return tomorrow afternoon.

Therefore, upon learning that her father called because he couldn't come back, a hint of disappointment flashed across Wen Meimei's eyes.

But the disappointment was fleeting, and soon, Wen Meimei smiled again.

She was good at saying comforting words.

"Daddy's work is important." For a five-year-old, her speech was already very clear, and she spoke in a soft, childlike voice to her father on the other side of the video call, "Daddy shouldn't work too hard either. When you're alone outside, remember to eat well and sleep well, okay?"

Wen Mochuan was a man with extremely restrained emotions. Even if he felt joy, anger, or sorrow inside, he wouldn't easily show it on his face.

Even so, facing his little daughter's heartfelt concern, it was difficult for Wen Mochuan to maintain his usual calmness and indifference.

He smiled.

This smile was like the first clear sky after winter snow, glaciers melting.

Jiang Yiyan, who had been sitting out of the video frame, caught a glimpse and couldn't help but marvel inwardly.

No wonder Wen Mochuan had such a high following in the novel.

Compared to the ruthless, cold, and omnipotent business tycoon protagonist, this gentle, considerate second male lead, who secretly worked hard behind the scenes, clearly captured hearts more effectively.

As they say, the male lead is for the female lead, while the supporting male character is for the readers... indeed, it held true.

"Meimei, give the watch to Mom."

Just as Jiang Yiyan's mind wandered, she suddenly heard this.

She immediately snapped to attention.

"Okay, Dad." Wen Meimei obediently removed the watch and handed it to her mother.

"Mom, Dad misses you. He wants to video chat with you." Wen Meimei winked at her mom.

Jiang Yiyan: "…"

Did he think she was a three-year-old? So gullible!

But Jiang Yiyan didn't expose her daughter; she just quickly adjusted her mindset and took the watch.

In the book, Jiang Yiyan loved her husband deeply, almost to the point of losing herself.

Although Jiang Yiyan hadn't experienced that kind of intense love, having read the novel, she could mimic it to some extent.

So, as soon as she entered the video frame, she forced a sweet smile.

"Husband!" She used a sickeningly sweet voice that made her feel nauseous.

On the other side of the video, Wen Mochuan remained calm.

He acted as if he hadn't heard his wife's endearment.

"There's still something I need to take care of here, so I can't come back yet." He briefly explained politely before getting straight to the point. "Tomorrow, there's a parent-child event at Meimei's class. You'll have to go alone."

Even if he hadn't mentioned it, she would have gone anyway. So, after he brought it up, she didn't react much.

"Understood." After responding casually, she suddenly realized her attitude seemed too indifferent, so she quickly added, "Husband, don't worry. I'll definitely be there on time tomorrow. Don't trouble yourself over this. Take good care of yourself when you're alone… I…" Bracing herself, Jiang Yiyan managed to utter those nauseating words, "I'll miss you."

But after saying it, her gaze drifted away, unable to look into Wen Mochuan's eyes in the video.

Wen Mochuan's reaction was equally subdued.

He simply acknowledged it and maintained his distant demeanor. "Is there anything you want as a gift?"

To him, this was a transaction.

Since he needed something from her, he felt obligated to reciprocate; he didn't want to owe her anything.

Jiang Yiyan saw this as a transaction, which made her somewhat angry.

While the Jiang Yiyan in the book constantly made poor choices and did many things against the main characters, for Jiang Yiyan, who had read the entire book, she had an omniscient perspective.

Viewing the character from this perspective, Jiang Yiyan felt a twinge of pity.

It was a character both pitiable and detestable. She wouldn't defend the malicious actions taken by the character in the book, but she could only say that everything happened for a reason. The person she became in the end was partly due to the irresponsibility of those around her.

First and foremost were her father and brother, followed by her husband, Wen Mochuan.

Empathizing with the "Jiang Yiyan" in the book, the now irritated Jiang Yiyan no longer felt like pretending to be affectionate towards her husband.

She adopted his indifferent attitude and said, "Whatever, you decide."

Wen Mochuan naturally sensed the change in his wife's attitude, but he didn't care.

The purpose of this video call was to reassure his daughter and inform his wife about certain matters. With these settled, Wen Mochuan had nothing else to say.

After a few more brief exchanges, he ended the call.

After the video call ended, Jiang Yiyan silently sighed in relief.

"Here you go~" After taking a deep breath, Jiang Yiyan adjusted her mood and smiled warmly at her daughter.

But Wen Meimei didn't take the watch back; instead, she snuggled closer to her mother.

She extended her wrist, showing how adept she was at pushing boundaries and reading the situation. "Mom, put it on for me." She also knew how to flatter, "The watch looks best when Mom puts it on. I like it when Mom does it for me."

Well, Jiang Yiyan still fell for it, so she diligently put the watch back on her daughter's wrist.