Chapter 027: Why Are You Angry?

"My little princess, you haven’t forgotten, have you? You belong to me."
A cold, chilling voice came from the phone.

"I only remember what you looked like with handcuffs on," Jiang Yao replied, and hung up.

She knew just how twisted that man could be. Once she got the ring back, no matter what, she could never allow herself to be entangled with He Yunqing again.

The next day, Jiang Yao discharged herself from the hospital.

Ye Yiyi was filming night scenes.
That evening, as usual, Jiang Yao brewed ginger tea and brought it to Ye Yiyi.

When Ye Yiyi saw Jiang Yao, her mouth dropped open, then she frowned and puffed out her cheeks in annoyance. "You promised to rest in the hospital for a whole week. Why did you get out early? Cheng Yanchi is going to scold me to death."

Jiang Yao smiled and pinched Ye Yiyi’s puffy cheeks. "Don’t be angry. Is the ginger tea not to your liking?"

"You know it’s not that." Ye Yiyi lowered her head, took a sip of ginger tea, and pursed her lips, her mood clearly sinking.

"What’s wrong?" Jiang Yao draped her arm over Ye Yiyi’s shoulder.

Ye Yiyi sighed. "I didn’t have many scenes to begin with, and now half of them have been cut."

Jiang Yao understood immediately—most likely because Ye Yiyi hadn’t followed that middle-aged man the other night.

"But that’s not even the worst part," Ye Yiyi continued, nodding toward the distance with her lips. "Look."

Jiang Yao followed Ye Yiyi’s gaze. He Yunqing sat in a chair, draped in a black coat, engrossed in a script.

Beside him was a stylish, beautiful young woman. She sat gracefully, holding a cup of coffee, taking a delicate sip. Leaning close to He Yunqing’s ear, she whispered something, and the two of them laughed together.

For the first time, Jiang Yao saw such a smile on He Yunqing’s face—a smile warm enough to melt eternal ice.

"That woman’s name seems to be Irene," whispered Ye Yiyi. "Yao, don’t they look perfect together?"

Perfect didn’t even begin to describe it.

The woman was as beautiful as a crescent moon on the horizon, glowing with a gentle light. Sitting next to He Yunqing, no elaborate composition was needed—they were a picture-perfect oil painting.

The intimacy and tacit understanding between them seemed entirely natural.

"Yao," Ye Yiyi nudged Jiang Yao gently with her elbow, seeing her silent. "Looks like I’m out of the running."

Though Ye Yiyi was also very pretty, a person’s upbringing always showed in their manners—it couldn’t be faked.

That woman was clearly someone raised in privilege and well-educated.

Jiang Yao steadied herself, tapped Ye Yiyi’s cheek with her finger, and smiled. "Come on, you’re Ye Yiyi—the Ye Yiyi who will fall for someone else next month. You’re always the one who does the choosing!"

"That’s true," Ye Yiyi laughed. "But I heard He Yunqing lost something."

"Hmm?" Jiang Yao narrowed her eyes.

"Something small, I think. He said it was always kept in the inner pocket of his clothes. A bunch of people just searched for it, but no one found it."

In the inner pocket…
Jiang Yao frowned, recalling the cloud-shaped brooch she’d found on the man before.

Something kept close to the heart, worn every day, must be important.

Suddenly, a light flashed in her mind. Jiang Yao abruptly stood up.

"I think I know where it is."

"What?" Ye Yiyi scratched her head. "But you don’t even know what it is!"

"I’ll go look," Jiang Yao said, and ran off.

"Hey, Yao, how do you know where to find it?" Ye Yiyi called after her, full of questions.

"What do you know where?" A magnetic male voice sounded behind her.

Ye Yiyi turned to find He Yunqing standing just behind her, looking at her inquisitively.

"Oh, it’s Yao. She heard you lost something, said she knows where it is—but how does she know?" Ye Yiyi replied.

He Yunqing watched Jiang Yao’s retreating figure, a slight frown creasing his brow…

By the Mirror Lake, late at night, the air was even more tranquil.

Jiang Yao used her phone as a flashlight, searching the lakeside for a long time but found nothing. At last, her gaze settled on the calm surface of the lake.

"Can it be?" She tugged at her hair.

Could she really be so unlucky that it fell into the lake the moment she plunged in?

Jiang Yao took a deep breath, facing the water. "Don’t be afraid, Jiang Yao, you can do this. You’re such a good swimmer."

Then she spun in a circle. "But the water is so cold."

She spun again. "Too cold to go in? But he did save your life, you know."

"Fine," Jiang Yao muttered, steeling herself. "If I die, so be it."

She shed her coat and leaped, plunging into the river with a splash.

The icy water engulfed her, almost suffocating her with cold. She held her breath, clenched her teeth, and stretched out a hand, feeling around for the item she sought.

Jiang Yao was nothing if not resilient—a master at enduring pain and hardship.

Many times, when life seemed unbearable, she would recall past sufferings. Compared with those, nothing now felt insurmountable.

Thinking of the past, she reached out again and again, as if the lake water was no longer so cold.

After searching awhile, she would surface for air or crawl ashore to warm herself with her clothes, then dive back in to search.

She didn’t know how much time had passed, only that she grew so exhausted she could barely swim back to the surface.

Suddenly, another figure plunged into the water. In her dazed state, strong arms embraced her, propelling her upward…

Jiang Yao was hauled to the shore, collapsing weakly, gasping for breath. After a moment, she lifted her head to see He Yunqing glaring at her, anger blazing in his eyes.

She took two deep breaths. "How did you find me?"

He Yunqing’s gaze was icy, fixed on her with piercing intensity.

He had always been cool and aloof, but Jiang Yao had never seen such a frigid expression on him—it was colder than the waters of Mirror Lake.

"Why are you angry?" Jiang Yao wiped the droplets from her face and struggled to stand, facing him.

He Yunqing’s chest heaved violently. "Were you trying to throw your life away?!"

He was usually so composed, rarely losing his temper, but the force of his words made Jiang Yao involuntarily step back.

"Do you realize you could’ve died?" He Yunqing stepped forward. "How many lives do you have, to risk them like that?"

"It’s not—" Jiang Yao bit her lip.

"Not what? Is that ring so important to you? Important enough to risk your life?"