Volume One, Chapter Seventeen: A Jealous Man Lacks All Reason

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Although the weather was neither cold nor hot, being suddenly pinned against the wall like this sent a chill through her. In an instant, she felt as if her back had sunk into icy depths, the suffocating emptiness causing her entire body to tremble uncontrollably.

Song Chuanhe did not ease his grip. The man, still burning with anger, had lost all reason.

Jiang Weiyue’s slender, fragile back pressed against the cold wall, and she couldn’t help but let out a muffled groan of pain. Her once radiant, dewy complexion instantly drained of color, turning deathly pale.

She struggled to lift her head and, focusing her gaze, realized that the one who had “laid hands” on her was none other than Song Chuanhe.

Staring at the furious man, Jiang Weiyue wondered what she had “once again” done to offend him, to deserve such treatment.

She tried to shake off his hand from her shoulder, but her feeble strength was no match for a man trained for years in the military, strong and unyielding.

His large hands were motionless, like iron clamps, firmly restraining her.

“Song Chuanhe, what are you doing? I haven’t offended you, have I? Do you know what you’re doing is illegal?”

“Where did you go last night? Why weren’t you at home?”

Looking at his cold, frostbitten face, his dark eyes boiling with anger, Jiang Weiyue belatedly seemed to understand something.

That damned man—he must be furious simply because she wasn’t at home last night, right?

He must have tried to climb the wall at her house again last night and was left empty-handed.

Serves him right.

She had agreed to Teacher Chen and Boss Gao’s proposal to live on the school compound precisely to avoid Song Chuanhe.

“What I do shouldn’t concern Factory Director Song, should it?”

It was ridiculous. Even if the original Jiang Weiyue had wronged him before, that was in the past. Now they had no connection. What right did he have to pry into her private life?

Perhaps too angry, Song Chuanhe laughed upon hearing Jiang Weiyue’s words.

But the laugh was chilling rather than pleasant, sending shivers down the spine.

“Jiang Weiyue, Jiang Weiyue, it seems you still haven’t taken my words to heart.”

“What? You think you can escape me through another man? Do you think you’re capable of that?”

“Don’t forget what I said—you may disregard your parents, but if anything happens to your sister because of you…”

“Song Chuanhe, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have broken our agreement, but I had no choice. You forbade me from selling breakfast at the factory gate to earn money. I’m already grown.”

“In this day and age, with all the preference for sons, unmarried and unemployed, idle at home, I’m struggling. I never intended to run away from you through another man; I just wanted to earn some money to live properly.”

Jiang Weiyue knew from her reading that Song Chuanhe was soft to weakness but unyielding to resistance.

If you spoke gently, he was reasonable, especially toward the original Jiang Weiyue.

But if you confronted him head-on, he was even tougher—he’d show you what it meant to fight a losing battle.

Her words were heartfelt, tears streaming down like rain on a pear blossom.

Though sincere, the tears carried a hint of performance.

“Stop crying. If you break the contract with Sansui Middle School, I won’t hold it against you.”

Hearing this, Jiang Weiyue knew Song Chuanhe had discovered what she’d been up to these past days.

Her heart filled with dread, and her fear of him deepened.

What kind of power did this man wield to know her every move so quickly?

Or had he been watching her all along?

What frustrated Jiang Weiyue most was that just when she had found a stable way to earn money, he, in a bad mood, demanded she terminate the contract.

What irritated her more was his condescending attitude—pretending not to hold it against her, but clearly exerting control.

Song Chuanhe saw Jiang Weiyue lower her head in silence.

His briefly softened mood darkened once again in an instant.

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“Jiang Weiyue.”

“I’m listening, Song Chuanhe. I’m sorry, but I cannot agree to your unreasonable demands. Even though I wronged you before, if you want revenge, want me to obey your orders and answer your every call, I would have agreed.”

“But I haven’t disobeyed you. Selling breakfast at Sansui Middle School was my way to earn money; living on the school compound is for convenience.”

“As for your accusations about escaping you through another man, I swear to heaven, I never have.”

“Besides, even if I had such thoughts, you forced me. If you hadn’t made the workers refuse to buy my breakfast, causing my business at the steel factory to fail, I wouldn’t have sought opportunities elsewhere.”

Threaten her?

She didn’t need those manipulative tricks from a different era to deal with him.

“You mean you blame me?”

“I didn’t say that, but ultimately, it’s your fault, Song Chuanhe. I can be at your beck and call until your anger fades, your revenge ends.”

“But I cannot break the contract with Sansui Middle School. Sorry, I just can’t.”

“I didn’t order the factory workers not to buy your breakfast.”

Though she might not believe him, Song Chuanhe still wished to clarify.

Jiang Weiyue rolled her eyes inwardly. How could this man speak such ridiculous words with a straight face?

“You didn’t order it, but it’s because of you. I don’t care; it’s your fault. Because of you, I’ve suffered huge losses these days.”

“I finally secured cooperation with Sansui Middle School, and now you want me to break the contract. I can’t afford the penalty.”

There was no real penalty, but breaking the contract would embarrass Teacher Chen and Boss Gao.

So, if possible, she wanted to negotiate with Song Chuanhe.

She still wished to work at the school; the children loved the breakfast she made.

All the buns she made today were sold out.

“How much is the penalty?”

“Um… a little over a hundred yuan.”

“I’ll pay it. I’ll also find a way to make the workers buy your breakfast. You have until the end of today to cancel your contract with Sansui Middle School. Otherwise, you know the consequences.”

With that, he pulled a stack of bills from his inner pocket.

Jiang Weiyue estimated there were over ten notes. He pressed the money into her hand.

She was stunned for two seconds before realizing Song Chuanhe expected her to use this money to pay the penalty to the school cafeteria.

She had come a long way—actually getting money out of the man she wished to kill.

But one shouldn’t refuse free money.

Song Chuanhe should have compensated her; if not for him, she wouldn’t have had trouble selling breakfast at the steel factory gate.

“If I take this money, you won’t regret it later and ask for it back, will you?”

Song Chuanhe looked at Jiang Weiyue’s cautious, slightly miserly expression and couldn’t help but recall their past together.

This softened his cold heart a bit.

“Rest assured, Song Chuanhe never asks for money he’s spent to be returned.”

This was true. When they were dating, her family had accepted many gifts and money from him. After they broke up, Song Chuanhe only asked for explanations, never the gifts or money.

If it were another man, he would have demanded the money back and insulted her.

Such things were common in future times—men tricking girls, then accusing them falsely.

Fortunately, Song Chuanhe was not that kind of man.

If he had demanded compensation, Jiang Weiyue’s hard-earned savings would have vanished.

Watching Jiang Weiyue leave with the money, Song Chuanhe composed himself and returned expressionlessly to the director’s office.

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Upon entering the director’s office, Qin Mu saw him approach.

Though still expressionless, the coldness and gloom in his eyes had lessened somewhat.

Curious, Qin Mu asked, “Chuan, you seem in a better mood. Good news?”

“Later, notify all departments: due to management changes, the steel factory is now transferred under my name. It’s no longer a state-owned enterprise but a private one. Though private, original benefits remain.”

“Also, considering that workers rush in the morning and have no time to eat, the cafeteria will set up a breakfast stall with meal subsidies, cheaper than buying outside.”

Qin Mu was smart. After recalling the investigation from that morning, he understood immediately.

“Chuan, you want Jiang Weiyue to sell breakfast in the cafeteria?”

“Any objections?”

He had none. A week ago, the steel factory had already been transferred to Chuan’s name, and now he was in full control.

“No, I just don’t understand why you’re doing this. Weren’t you angry at her, wanting revenge? But now, it seems you’re helping her.”

“By bringing her under the steel factory’s umbrella, I can better control her.”

“So, Chuan, you’re worried that if she gains influence at the school, you’ll lose control?”

“No matter where she is, as long as I want, she’ll never escape my grasp.”

He wasn’t worried she’d run away, but that she might fall for another man. After all, Qin Mu had mentioned that teacher—well-off, good-looking, and working in a job Jiang Weiyue liked.

When Jiang Weiyue was with him, she’d said she liked gentle, scholarly teachers and doctors.

That teacher was the one helping her sell breakfast at school. At first, he wanted to punish her, but feared she’d grow close to the man.

His feelings for Jiang Weiyue were complicated—a tangle of light and dark, conflicted and restless.

He was eager to make a swift decision.

First, keep Jiang Weiyue close at hand, so he could watch her, control her easily, and, most importantly, not be unsettled by not seeing her.

[Attention all departments: Two announcements today. First, due to changes in the factory, our steel factory has transitioned from a state-owned enterprise to a private one. The acquirer is our director, Song Chuanhe, who is now not only our director but also our chairman and boss. The boss has promised that welfare and benefits remain unchanged, with more perks to come.]

[Second, because workers arrive early and often miss breakfast, the boss has arranged for a breakfast stall in the cafeteria, including meal subsidies to ensure everyone eats well, full and affordably.]

These announcements caused an uproar among the factory workers.

“Oh my God, overnight our factory became private! Why wasn’t there any warning? This is so sudden.”

“Sudden? I heard rumors recently. With the country’s development, many state enterprises are being acquired, like the textile factory next door, now private.”

“What surprised me is that our director is so rich. He owns this huge factory now.”

“We don’t care if it’s private or state-owned, as long as welfare and salaries are on time.”

“Yeah, right! Did you see the notice about the breakfast stall with subsidies? Finally, no more going hungry in the morning.”

“God knows, since we couldn’t buy old Jiang’s eldest daughter’s breakfast, I’ve been starving every morning.”

“Tell me about it. I’m so hungry my chest sticks to my back. But what’s the boss’s real intention setting up that breakfast stall? Clearly, it’s to stop us from buying Jiang Weiyue’s breakfast.”

“Definitely. I wonder if old Jiang’s daughter regrets it. She used to look down on the poor guy, and now he’s the director and owner of the steel factory—rich for sure.”

This news spread like wildfire. Few had televisions then, so everyone buzzed about it, including the Jiang family.

Especially Jiang Weili.

Listening to her father and brother talk, she gripped her chopsticks harder.

In the previous life, Brother Chuanhe had bought the largest steel factory in Sansui County and later invested in real estate, electronics, entertainment—becoming the richest man nationwide.

But she clearly remembered that last time, he announced the acquisition next month. Why was it earlier this time?