It was still that same family photo—except everyone else had been cut out. Only Jiang Hua and Han Yunru had been pasted together to make it look like a couple’s portrait.
Jiang Da, who had been cut out, was not only “decapitated,” but his face had also been scribbled over with black marker until it was completely unrecognizable.
How much hatred does it take to do that to your own brother?
And how deep must the love be, to secretly cut and paste another woman beside yourself?
Yang Jinqiu recalled the few times she had seen Han Yunru at family gatherings.
Jiang Qin would mock and sneer; Liu Shuting would be jealous and bitter; even Yang Jinqiu herself felt a touch of resentment toward that stunningly beautiful face.
So she stood by and did nothing, letting the other two women target Han Yunru, never once stepping up to help.
Every time, it was Jiang Hua—normally quiet—who would speak up to tell them to “shut up,” or sternly say “noisy.”
At worst, he’d throw out an impatient “enough.”
And Jiang Qin and Liu Shuting would obediently fall silent.
Back then, Yang Jinqiu thought he was just annoyed by the noise. But now, thinking back, maybe—just maybe—he had been defending Han Yunru all along.
How painstakingly calculated it all was.
The rest of the photos were all crude collages, just Jiang Hua and Han Yunru cut out and pasted together over and over again.
Jiang Hua had even cut out Han Yunru from her wedding photo and himself from his own wedding photo, then spliced the two halves together to create a “new” wedding picture.
Disgusting.
Absolutely disgusting.
Those were the only words left in Yang Jinqiu’s mind, repeating endlessly like a curse.
And now she finally understood why, in his eyes, she was “unforgivable.”
It wasn’t because she had made the scandal public—it was because she had brought it in front of Han Yunru.
Jiang Hua was a man obsessed with image and pride. How could he tolerate having his ugliest side exposed before the woman of his dreams?
So he lashed out in anger. He resented her. And he punished her this way.
“Hahahahahaha…”
Yang Jinqiu clutched the stack of photos and collapsed to the floor, laughing like a madwoman, tears falling like broken beads across the floor.
Plop—Plop—
Looking back at her entire life—this marriage, this family—Yang Jinqiu could only feel absurdity.
Her heart ached so badly, it felt like she might die.
She knew she had to do something—must do something.
She was suffering tenfold—so someone else would have to pay back at least eight. That would be fair, wouldn’t it?
…
Night fell. Despite the daytime chaos, business at Jiang Ji remained booming.
Han Yunru had originally planned to work at the pancake shop today, but after what happened in the morning, she rushed over to the restaurant and hadn’t left since.
In fact, the private dining business here was even better than at the pancake shop, and they were chronically short on staff. She hadn’t had a moment’s rest all day, constantly on her feet.
Fans who were supposed to check in at the pancake shop all swarmed here instead when they heard both Han Yunru and Jiang Da were on-site.
The crowd was overwhelming.
Everyone wanted to eat Han Yunru’s signature snowflake nougat and Danish skewers. Of course, she didn’t refuse.
The moment each batch of trays came out of the oven, the aroma would drift next door—straight into Cao Ji’s shop.
Yes, Cao Ji was still open. They had hired a new manager, but business hadn’t improved.
Whether it was out of pride or sheer stubbornness, the place refused to close, even though it was always empty.
Sanpang and the others couldn’t help but feel sour.
Once upon a time, Cao Ji had been a big name in the restaurant business. These chefs were respected everywhere they went, always called “Master” by their juniors.
But now? Cao Ji was in decline. On most days, not even one table of customers.
Logically, with such a popular neighbor like Jiang Ji, there should’ve been spillover traffic. Even if a few customers couldn’t get a table next door, they’d wander over eventually, right?
But no—not a single one.
People remembered how, when Cao Ji first opened, they constantly dissed Jiang Ji and tried to prop themselves up by tearing others down. The internet never forgets.
And fans are experts at holding grudges.
Cao Ji tried to ride the wave?
Well then, they’d deliberately hold back and deny them the chance.
Some even preferred to wait in line for hours or go hungry rather than take one bite next door.
Not that waiting at Jiang Ji meant starving. After all, snacks were self-serve, drinks were free, and there were always fresh nougat and skewers being handed out.
As for Han Yunru—after taking out the final tray of snowflake nougat, she cleaned the kitchen, took off her apron, and stepped out.
It was limited edition. Today’s quota had been met. She had no intention of making more.
Yueyue had said something very true: Too much cheapens the value. Leaving people wanting more is best.
Just as Han Yunru locked the bakery room and changed out of her kitchen gear, her phone rang from inside the locker.
It was an unfamiliar number.
She swiped to answer: “Hello, Jiang Ji—”
“Sister-in-law, it’s me.” A hoarse, slightly rasping voice came through—Yang Jinqiu.
“Jinqiu? Is something wrong?”
“Yeah. Could you and my brother come to my place? There’s something important I want to say face to face.”
Han Yunru guessed it must be related to the morning’s incident. Most likely, they needed her and Jiang Da as witnesses.
She wondered how the couple’s conversation had gone…
Han Yunru wanted to ask, but she could sense that Yang Jinqiu’s tone was strange—like she didn’t want to talk, and even carried a trace of resentment.
Han Yunru assumed the anger was aimed at Jiang Hua, but it never occurred to her that the hostility… might be toward her.
“Alright,” Han Yunru agreed, “I’ll go with your brother as soon as we can. Please don’t argue—just talk things through calmly…”
But the other side didn’t even let her finish—click—the call abruptly ended.
Han Yunru froze in place.
