Chapter 2

The “consequences” Jiang Ciyue mentioned arrived swiftly.

The next day, he used a bulldozer to level my 300-square-meter courtyard in the eastern suburbs.

Then, he set fire to all the paintings I had stored there.

By the time I rushed over, the fire had just been extinguished. Three hundred paintings were reduced to ashes.

Staring at the devastation, I felt as if I’d been struck by lightning. I glared at Jiang Ciyue in disbelief. “What gives you the right to do this?”

I had been working on these paintings since high school.

Eight whole years of my heart and soul, destroyed by him just like that.

A cold sneer touched Jiang Ciyue’s lips, and his words were sharper than any knife.

“If I’m not mistaken, all those paintings were of me.”

“Shi Wan Ju, you are truly disgusting. Not only do you spy on me, but you secretly paint me too.”

“I didn’t want to see that disgusting filth, so I burned it. Is there a problem?”

Because he hated me, he couldn’t even stand the thought of me painting him.

A dull pain throbbed in my heart. I fought back tears, my voice tight as I questioned him, “Fine. Burn the paintings if you want. But what right do you have to destroy the house my grandmother left me?”

This courtyard was where my grandmother had lived.

When I was a child, my parents were busy with their business and had no time for me. I was raised by my grandmother.

After she passed away, whenever I missed her, I would come here to stay for a couple of days.

Jiang Ciyue knew all of this.

But now, he had effortlessly destroyed the only memento my grandmother had left me, without a shred of remorse.

He stood with one hand in his pocket, his posture relaxed, his tone infuriatingly casual.

“I’m planning to build a small amusement park for Yi Yi to enjoy. This little courtyard, nestled by the mountains and water, is the perfect spot.”

He paused, then let out a soft, mocking laugh.

“You were the one who made Yi Yi cry first. I just had to find a way to cheer her up.”

“So, you see, you deserved all of this.”

He even threw the words I used against Qu Yi right back in my face.

I trembled with rage, grabbing my purse and swinging it at him. “Jiang Ciyue, you bastard!”

In that split second, Qu Yi darted out from the side, placing herself in front of Jiang Ciyue. “Don’t you hit Brother Ciyue!”

The metal charm on my purse scraped across Qu Yi’s left cheek.

Qu Yi let out a sharp scream, then burst into tears.

“Brother Ciyue, my face hurts so much! Am I going to be disfigured?”

Seeing the blood on Qu Yi’s cheek, a flicker of panic went through me.

Jiang Ciyue’s expression changed instantly. He shoved me aside and anxiously examined Qu Yi’s wound.

He was strong, and I stumbled backward, falling to the ground. Sharp stones scraped my arm, drawing blood and making me hiss in pain.

Jiang Ciyue didn’t seem to notice. He swept Qu Yi into his arms and hurried away.

After taking a few steps, he didn’t forget to turn back and warn me, “If anything happens to Yi Yi’s face, I’m not done with you!”