Chapter Two: To His Surprise, He Had No Share?!

The next morning, Jiang Chiyu slept well past sunrise.

Her original body was far too frail, and the rigorous routine of the military camp she was accustomed to had been completely disrupted. Still, this comfortable way of life was not half bad.

Jiang had taken half a day off yesterday and skipped the rest of the recording. She had gained a rough understanding of her current predicament—it could be described as dire—but at the end of the day, food was the most important thing.

Since things had come to this, she decided to eat first.

Walking downstairs to the living room, she found everyone already gathered. As soon as they saw her, their faces betrayed a mixture of surprise and anticipation of a show.

In the past, at this hour, Jiang would have been busy in the kitchen, preparing a "breakfast of love" for Yan Chuanzhou—though her culinary skills were, by no definition, fit for human consumption.

The previous evening, the production crew had decreed that everyone was responsible for their own breakfast. Fortunately, among the three sets of guests, not a single one knew how to cook. The kitchen was stocked with fresh ingredients, but no one had moved to start.

Lin Qingyue looked at her with blatant disdain, a flash of provocation in her eyes, as she handed a freshly brewed coffee to Yan Chuanzhou. "Chuanzhou, have some coffee to wake up. I ordered your favorite food; it’ll be here soon."

Ignoring them, Jiang walked straight past the group and into the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator, surveyed the space to get a sense of the setup, and rolled up her sleeves, ready to work.

Her partner, Wei Feng, stepped forward and asked casually, "Do you need any help?"

Jiang didn't know how to use the modern appliances here. To avoid blowing her cover, she accepted readily and smiled slightly. "Then please help me wash the vegetables and start the fire. I’m not very familiar with these things; they’re quite different from what I’ve used before."

"Oh?" Wei Feng was surprised. In the past, Jiang never let anyone into the kitchen, insisting on doing everything herself, let alone asking for help.

"What’s wrong? Are you unwilling to help, or do you not know how to use them either?" Jiang began cracking eggs with clean, efficient movements, showing the poise of a seasoned chef. She looked up at Wei Feng with a puzzled expression.

Wei Feng snapped out of his daze, realizing his reaction was off, and immediately corrected himself. "No, not at all. Just tell me what vegetables you need washed."

Jiang took a head of broccoli from the fridge and handed it to him. "This one should be enough for us."

In the living room, Yan Chuanzhou held a magazine, but his attention was entirely captured by the two figures in the kitchen.

When Jiang came downstairs, she hadn't paid him any heed, not even sparing him a glance. The woman before him seemed to have truly lost interest in him.

Now, she was even sharing a space with another man right in front of him. Yan felt a surge of inexplicable irritation, especially as the two in the kitchen chatted and laughed, the scene appearing unusually harmonious.

The aroma of food gradually filled the living room, wafting toward everyone and stirring their appetites, causing them to swallow involuntarily. Yan was no exception.

Once the food was on the table, the other two guests hurried over, eager to claim their plates. "Wei Feng, I never imagined you were such a good cook. This is truly a surprise."

Wei Feng brought out the bowls and chopsticks from the kitchen and quickly clarified, "This wasn't my doing; it’s all thanks to Chiyu. I just played the role of an assistant."

The two guests wished they could retract their words. They hadn't believed it at first, but recalling Wei Feng's hostile attitude toward Jiang earlier and seeing the harmonious atmosphere between them now, they couldn't help but change their opinion of her.

"Wait, is this really Jiang Chiyu's cooking? It’s completely different from the 'dark cuisine' of the past two days—it’s like night and day."

"Does that mean she was intentionally making terrible food for Actor Yan the last two days? Was she trying to poison him?"

The sudden shift in Jiang’s behavior left everyone astonished.

On the other side, Lin Qingyue’s delivery was delayed, and the two could only watch hungrily as the other four sat around the table, sharing the feast.

Yan Chuanzhou’s stomach rumbled, but he sat in the center of the living room, refusing to get up and maintaining his facade, appearing as if he were obsessed with his magazine.

Jiang began to eat, determined to enjoy the meal she had prepared. Just as she was about to take her first bite, she saw Wei Feng set out an extra pair of bowls and chopsticks, his eyes darting toward the living room.

"Should we ask Chuanzhou to join us?" Wei Feng leaned in to ask Jiang, unsure of the current situation.

To his surprise, Jiang retorted directly, "Aren't they eating on their own? I only cooked enough for four people."

The implication was clear: Jiang never intended to include the other two from the start!

This left everyone baffled.

Jiang’s words reached Yan Chuanzhou’s ears clearly. The last glimmer of hope in his heart was ruthlessly extinguished—there was no portion for him?!

A wave of inexplicable anger rose in his chest. Yan closed his magazine and stood up to leave.

A chill suddenly ran down everyone's backs, leaving only Jiang completely oblivious to the tension.

Back in his room, Yan stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing out at the blue sea, his mind in a state of deep agitation.

His thoughts were interrupted by a phone call. Seeing the number on the screen, he frowned, his expression impatient, yet he answered. "Grandmother, what is it now?"

"Bring Chiyu home for dinner this weekend. Don't use work as an excuse; this time, I won't take no for an answer." Grandmother Yan gave her order, leaving no room for refusal.

Yan suppressed his irritation and agreed helplessly. "Fine, I’ll remember. Is there anything else?"

"Do not bully Chiyu on that show. Cut ties with those little flings of yours as soon as possible. While you still can, don't break Chiyu's heart. My granddaughter-in-law will only ever be Chiyu."

"Grandmother, I know what I’m doing. Getting the marriage certificate was my biggest concession. I will never love her in this lifetime, and furthermore, I will make her ask for a divorce herself. I’ll bring her to see you on the weekend. I’m hanging up."

With that, Yan hung up the phone, his tone resolute.

Little did he know the heavy price he would pay for those words in the near future.

When the weekend arrived, Yan dutifully brought Jiang to the Yan family estate.

Before getting out of the car, Yan cast a cold glance at her. "When you see them, watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut. Otherwise, I can have you blacklisted at any moment."

To his surprise, Jiang didn't even spare him a look. She replied offhandedly and stepped out of the car, where she saw Grandmother Yan, with her graying hair, waiting at the door to greet them.

Seeing Jiang get out of the back seat alone, the old woman’s expression flickered with displeasure, but she quickly replaced it with a warm smile, taking Jiang by the arm and leading her inside. "Chiyu, dear, it’s been a while since you came to visit. I’ve missed you so much."

The kind and amiable appearance of the woman before her reminded Jiang of the matriarch from her past life, whom she remembered having once loved her just as dearly.

But that past tragedy had taken everything from the Jiang family. Jiang’s eyes welled up with an involuntary mist, and she felt a sudden, deep affinity for Grandmother Yan.

As for Yan Chuanzhou, he was treated as if he were invisible, completely ignored by his grandmother.