Chapter 1
Jiang Ye went upstairs from the basement.
His younger sister came straight over.
“Well, second brother? Did it work? Do you still remember Gu Di?”
Jiang Ye rolled his eyes.
“Gu what? Never heard such a stupid name.”
Jiang Tian’s face lit up. She was just about to clap in delight.
Then Jiang Ye changed the subject.
“But I really like the girl downstairs. What’s her name? Who’s she dating?”
Jiang Tian nearly passed out with rage.
“That’s Gu Di! And she’s dating you, you idiot!”
Jiang Ye’s eyes lit up.
“Really? I’m her boyfriend?”
Then he frowned.
He pulled out his phone and unlocked it with facial recognition.
The lock screen had the default wallpaper. He opened his photos and couldn’t find a single picture of the two of them.
He scrolled through every messaging app, searching for “Gu Di,” “wife,” and “baby.” Nothing.
Jiang Ye clicked his tongue. “What normal relationship looks like that?”
Putting his phone away, he patted his sister on the shoulder.
“Look, I know you’re covering for me. Locking someone up is a crime. You’re my sister. Of course you’d try to get me off the hook. Say she’s my girlfriend, that it’s consensual, all that.”
Jiang Tian blinked, then hurried to play along.
“Yes! Exactly! I’m only looking out for you, so let her go! A melon plucked by force won’t be sweet.”
“Oh, no,” Jiang Ye said mildly. “That’s a separate issue.”
“After all that trouble picking it, why would I care whether it’s sweet?”
The subject seemed to interest him. He leaned closer.
“So how old is she? What flowers does she like? What size wedding dress does she wear?”
Jiang Tian stamped her foot. “Jiang! Ye! Are you messing with me? Did that potion even do anything?”
“How should I know? All I know is that it feels like there’s a piece missing from my head…”
Irritably, Jiang Ye rubbed his temples. “Forget it. If you won’t tell me, I’ll ask someone else.”
Jiang Tian hurried to stop him.
“I’ll tell you! I’ll tell you the truth, okay?”
She took a deep breath.
“Gu Di is…well, she is your first love.”
“But she’s a manipulative, nasty little gold digger!”
“You dated her for seven years, and you weren’t happy for a single day. You were always up all night, or getting drunk and crying.”
“You even got into a fight with our eldest brother over her! He’s so good-tempered, and you nearly made him cut ties with you. Do you know how worried I was when you knocked him to the ground?”
Her voice choked.
“Please, just forget her. I’m begging you. You and Chengqin are the ones who belong together! Stay with Gu Di, and you’ll never be happy!”
Jiang Ye lowered his eyes and said nothing.
At that, Jiang Tian gritted her teeth.
“Fine! Fine! You stubborn ass. Mum, Dad, and our brother will be back from abroad in a couple of days. You’d better keep her hidden. Don’t let her out.”
She gave a cold laugh. “Your ex is awfully good at acting innocent and pathetic, after all.”
Just as she finished speaking,
I came up the basement stairs.
The three of us looked at one another.
Jiang Ye froze first. “Wait. Didn’t I lock you up? How did you get out?”
I managed a smile.
“You didn’t lock the door…If it bothers you, I can go back down?”