Chapter 49: The Other Half Truly Can Change a Person

Jiang Yue's household did not rely solely on Aunt Liu for domestic help; there were two additional maids and two security personnel as well. Aunt Liu typically acted as the estate manager, handling everything big and small.

Before long, Aunt Liu had gathered the rest of the household staff.

They stood in a line inside the living room while Jiang Yue carried herself with supreme arrogance, striking a pose akin to a commanding female general.

She swept her gaze over them before coldly demanding, "The rest of you should remember when this trophy of mine went missing the year before last. I told you back then that I expected you to search every inch of this place until it turned up."

"Which of you was responsible for cleaning the storage room?"

The maids exchanged glances with one another.

Finally, one of the maids stepped forward and said, "Miss Jiang, it was me who searched the storage room at that time."

Jiang Yue's piercing glare fixed on the maid as she stepped right up to her and asked, "Then why wasn't it found back then? Yet today, Aunt Liu managed to find it right there in that same storage room?"

"I... Miss Jiang, I really did search every corner of the storage room back then. It truly wasn't there."

"Wasn't there?"

Jiang Yue turned her head toward Aunt Liu. "Aunt Liu, tell her where you found it."

"Underneath the cabinet," Aunt Liu replied, turning to the maid to ask, "Did you not check beneath the cabinet at the time?"

The maid stammered incoherently, making it painfully obvious that she had neglected to look there.

Jiang Yue glared at her fiercely and declared, "Pack your things and get out of my sight right now."

"Miss Jiang, I was wrong. I really was careless back then, I didn't—"

Completely uninterested in her excuses, Jiang Yue waved a hand dismissively and said, "You don't need to explain yourself. When you fail to do your job properly, make sure you learn your lesson for next time."

"But I am certainly not going to keep you around!"

Jiang Yue was utterly resolute, which was precisely why all the domestic staff feared her.

Yet because her compensation was exceptionally generous—even the maids earned tens of thousands a month with food and lodging included—where else could one ever hope to find such a lucrative position?

Knowing Jiang Yue's volatile temper, the servants had no choice but to swallow their resentment in silent resignation.

Aunt Liu turned to the departing maid and instructed, "Go pack your belongings. Your salary for this month will be transferred to your account on schedule."

The maid could only lower her head and walk away in defeat.

Turning back to the remaining staff, Jiang Yue warned severely, "From now on, anyone who lets this kind of thing happen will meet the exact same fate."

"I might be lenient with you in ordinary matters, but you must complete your assigned tasks without fail!"

The maids nodded in nervous agreement.

Only then did Jiang Yue take the trophy and return to her bedroom.

She sat down in her chair, staring blankly at the trophy as though lost in a trance.

After a long while, she spoke to the trophy in a low murmur, "Chu Jianghe, it seems I truly wronged you."

"But you can't really blame me either. You were the only one who had ever entered my bedroom, and the trophy vanished from right in here. If I didn't suspect you, who else could I possibly suspect?"

Yes, even I had begun to doubt myself back then.

If I was the only one who had ever stepped foot inside her bedroom, who else could possibly have taken the trophy besides me?

I had tried to explain myself time and time again, insisting that I hadn't taken it, but she stubbornly refused to believe a single word.

Ever since that incident, her suspicion toward me only deepened. Whenever any of her valuables went missing, I was invariably the very first person she suspected.

In this household, I walked on eggshells constantly, terrified of setting off a hidden mine.

For ordinary couples, occasional bickering and minor spats were entirely normal.

Yet within my marriage to her, I never dared to talk back.

Gradually, I felt myself shrinking into someone timid, utterly stripped of all self-confidence.

It turns out that a life partner truly possesses the power to change a person entirely.

That night, Jiang Yue suffered from insomnia once again.

Was it because of the lingering excitement of marrying the person she loved, keeping her awake?

Or was it driven by something else entirely?

What surprised me even more was that when she finally drifted into a troubled sleep, she actually called out my name twice in her dreams.

The first time carried a trace of anger, as cold and harsh as the tone she usually used when addressing me.

The second time was far gentler, laden with a sorrowful note that sounded almost like she was about to weep.

How unexpected!

She must have been dreaming of me, though what kind of scene played out in her dream remains a mystery I will never solve.

When she woke up the following morning, she looked thoroughly exhausted, completely devoid of energy.

Even though Aunt Liu had prepared an exquisite breakfast for her, she merely forced down a couple of bites before driving off to the office.

The moment she arrived at the company, she headed straight for the finance department.

Yuan Li, the financial director, was utterly dumbfounded upon hearing that Jiang Yue wanted to transfer fifty-three million from the corporate accounts to a private account.

Recovering slightly, she quickly asked, "Director Jiang, what is the purpose of this fifty-three-million transfer?"

As the financial director, Yuan Li naturally had every right to question such transactions.

Yet Jiang Yue replied with complete calm, "Just make the transfer as I instructed. I have my own uses for it."

Wearing a complicated expression, Yuan Li looked at Jiang Yue and said, "Director Jiang, you know as well as I do that our current corporate cash flow is already tight, and several major receivables have yet to be collected."

"If we transfer such a massive sum out right now, our operational liquidity is bound to run into serious trouble."

Yuan Li's tone was exceptionally grave, serving as a sincere caution to Jiang Yue.

However, Jiang Yue completely turned a deaf ear to these warnings; she was completely bewitched and infatuated by Cheng Jun.

Suddenly, her voice turned sharp. "I'll say it again: make the transfer. I am well aware of the company's operational status."

"Then... should we call a board meeting to vote on this?"

"After all, with such a huge sum involved and the company's current financial health looking so bleak, I'm afraid someone might—"

Refusing to give up just yet, Yuan Li proved herself to be a truly reliable and conscientious manager.

Yet Jiang Yue remained stubbornly self-willed, interrupting Yuan Li in an icy tone.

"What kind of vote could possibly be needed? Are you afraid someone might object?"

Jiang Yue let out a cold laugh. "When I need to use money, do I require your permission?"

"Just execute the transfer as I told you and stop asking so many questions."

Facing Jiang Yue's overpowering demeanor, Yuan Li could say no more. She reluctantly logged into the financial system.

Standing right beside her, Jiang Yue watched as Yuan Li transferred the fifty-three million out of the corporate accounts.

Only then did Jiang Yue leave with a look of satisfaction, immediately picking up her phone to call Cheng Jun.

Meanwhile, Yuan Li watched Jiang Yue's departing figure, shaking her head with a heavy sigh.

She picked up her phone and dialed a number. "Hello, President Zhang? This is Yuan Li."

"Here is the situation: could you help me check a private account?"

"Yes, the card number is... and the account holder's name is Cheng Jun."

Yuan Li still refused to give up, desperately hoping to turn the tide even at this late hour.

Yet it was already too late; the moment that money entered Cheng Jun's pockets, retrieving it became an absolute impossibility.

Back in her office, Jiang Yue was deep in conversation with Cheng Jun over the phone.

"Brother Jun, I've already transferred the funds over. It should take about two hours for the transaction to clear."

I couldn't hear Cheng Jun's response on the other end, but I watched as Jiang Yue smiled and told him to "work hard and take care."

She was truly something else. If her father ever found out about this, the shock would probably kill him on the spot.

Jiang Yue was allowing herself to be thoroughly conned while enthusiastically helping count the money for the swindler.

I felt zero anxiety because none of this had anything to do with me anymore. In fact, I secretly hoped she would be swindled out of every last cent by the man she loved so dearly.

The moment Jiang Yue hung up the phone, my spirit drifted away and floated right into Cheng Jun's car.

He was currently driving.

As soon as he terminated the call with Jiang Yue, he dialed another number.

"Keep a close eye on Liu Qing for me. I'm on my way."