The moment Jiang Zhinian stepped outside, she encountered her first problem.
Whether she wanted to buy a gift or look for a job, she would have to go somewhere with a more bustling commercial district.
But how was she supposed to get there?
People mainly traveled by bicycle or bus these days. She didn’t own a bicycle, and as for the bus… it was far too crowded.
Just as she was worrying about it, a shocked voice sounded behind her.
“Jiang Zhinian?!”
The voice was completely unfamiliar to her.
She turned around and saw a strange man dressed casually.
He wore a loose orange jacket, tapered jeans, and a pair of branded sneakers with a swoosh logo.
In this era, that was practically the standard outfit of a rich second-generation heir.
But after getting used to seeing Huo Lin in his military uniform, Jiang Zhinian thought this man looked little better than some street punk.
“And you are?”
The shock on the man’s face immediately turned into a cold sneer.
“Jiang Zhinian, what kind of trick are you playing now? Pretending you’ve lost your memory?”
Yuerou had told him that Jiang Zhinian’s attempt to drug her had failed. Ashamed to remain in China, she had supposedly packed her things and gone abroad.
But apparently, Jiang Zhinian, this cunning woman, had been lying all along.
Yuerou was simply too innocent. That was why she had been deceived by Jiang Zhinian again and again.
【Host Nian Nian, his name is Meng Haoqian. He’s the person the original owner liked.】Tuanzi popped up to remind her.
【But Meng Haoqian never liked the original owner. In fact, he hated having her constantly follow him around. Many times, after being rejected by him, the original owner would even take out her anger on Huo Lin.】
Jiang Zhinian nodded.
So this trendy little pretty boy was the man the original owner had been hopelessly in love with?
Tsk, tsk. Her taste really wasn’t very good.
The original owner had seriously underestimated the value of that stunning face of hers.
“Oh, I remember now. What is it? Did you need something from me?”
Jiang Zhinian’s expression was indifferent, and there was an unfamiliar coldness in her eyes that Meng Haoqian had never seen before.
What was wrong with this woman?
Had she suddenly changed?
Meng Haoqian frowned and retorted, “I didn’t even know you lived here. How could I have come looking for you?”
He didn’t know when it had started, but Jiang Zhinian had suddenly become a persistent little tail behind him.
No matter where he went, she would always follow after him, clinging to him so closely that it drove him crazy.
Although his friends all envied him, saying he had a beautiful, charming heiress who adored him, only he knew how badly he wanted to get rid of Jiang Zhinian.
About a month ago, Liu Yuerou had suddenly come to him in tears and explained what had happened. In the end, Jiang Zhinian had supposedly left China of her own accord.
From then on, his life had finally become peaceful.
But now that no one was following him around, fawning over him, and preparing everything he liked, he found himself feeling… strangely unaccustomed to it.
So he had asked his mother to introduce him to some young ladies from suitable families, just to pass the time.
Unfortunately, those well-bred young ladies either weren’t as beautiful as Jiang Zhinian or weren’t as obedient and accommodating as she had been.
Just now, Meng Haoqian had sent one such girl home with a dark expression on his face, mentally listing the eight flaws he had discovered in her during their two-hour outing.
Who would have thought that he would run into Jiang Zhinian here?
For a moment, his feelings were rather complicated.
He decided to chat with her a little longer and wait for Jiang Zhinian to take the initiative to beg him to give her a ride back to the Jiang residence.
But to his surprise, Jiang Zhinian merely gave a cold “Oh.”
Then she asked calmly, “How did you get here?”
Meng Haoqian froze.
He pointed behind him.
“My new car.”
Behind him was a Toyota Crown.
Then, quite naturally, he waited for Jiang Zhinian to shower him with praise—compliment his excellent taste, tell him how impressive his new car looked.
But once again, he was disappointed.
Jiang Zhinian casually walked over to the car, opened the door, and got in.
“I want to go to the department store. Thanks.”
Meng Haoqian’s nose nearly twisted with anger.
“Jiang, do you take me for your chauffeur?”
This woman’s spoiled young-lady temper was acting up again, wasn’t it?
He wasn’t falling for that.
The type he liked was someone like Liu Yuerou—gentle, sweet, delicate, the kind of girl from a modest family.
If Yuerou were a little prettier, perhaps he might even reluctantly consider dating her.
Wait.
Could Jiang Zhinian be playing hard to get?
Pretending to be aloof while actually getting into his car just to create an opportunity to spend time with him?
Hah. What a conceited woman.
Meng Haoqian sneered inwardly.
Plain women always cause trouble…
No, Jiang Zhinian definitely wasn’t plain.
Then… stupid women always cause trouble!
Although that was what he thought, for some reason, he felt much better inside.
He opened the driver’s door and got in.
“Just so happens I’m going there too. I suppose I can give you a ride.”
Jiang Zhinian sat in the passenger seat with her eyes closed, resting.
She couldn’t even be bothered to acknowledge him.
Meng Haoqian gritted his teeth and stepped on the accelerator.
The roads leading to the department store were all broad, clean main roads, with traffic lights at intervals.
It had to be said that a private car was much more comfortable than a military vehicle. It even had one of the most advanced luxuries available in this era—air conditioning.
Jiang Zhinian leaned back comfortably against the seat.
To protect her eyesight from being harmed by looking at something unpleasant, she deliberately turned her head toward the window, refusing to look at Meng Haoqian.
Then her eyes suddenly widened.
A military vehicle was stopped beside them at the red light.
Sitting in the back seat was a noble, abstinent-looking man with a handsome face and an indifferent expression.
It was Huo Lin.
Jiang Zhinian immediately perked up.
She rolled down the window and waved at him.
Huo Lin was focused on the documents in his hands and didn’t even lift his eyelids.
It was Cheng Yue, the driver, who first noticed Jiang Zhinian smiling brightly at them.
He nervously swallowed.
“Chief… look outside.”
Huo Lin didn’t pay much attention to him. He casually glanced out the window—
—and met the smiling peach-blossom eyes of the little woman.
Her small red lips were slightly parted, as if she were saying something.
After hesitating for a moment, Huo Lin rolled down the window.
His words were clear and cold.
“Do you need something?”
Then his gaze swept past the little woman.
His pupils suddenly contracted.
Meng Haoqian.
The very Meng Haoqian whom she had solemnly promised she had completely cut ties with when she had been clinging to him.
His long, narrow black eyes slowly narrowed, turning ice-cold.
Yet Jiang Zhinian was completely unaware of it.
In fact, she didn’t remember ever telling him that she had cut ties with Meng Haoqian.
Those had just been lies casually made up by her—the villainous supporting character—in order to cling to a powerful thigh.
Reasonable. Very reasonable.
“Chief Huo, what a coincidence! Where are you going?” Jiang Zhinian curved her lips into a smile and hooked a loose strand of hair around her slender, jade-like finger, lazily playing with it.
Her eyes sparkled like stars.
With one languid glance, she looked so enchantingly seductive that she could steal a person’s soul.
“What does that have to do with Miss Jiang?” Huo Lin asked coldly, his expression unchanged.
“Big Brother, that’s such a distant thing to say. I’m your future sister-in-law, you know.” The drama queen Jiang Zhinian exaggeratedly clutched her chest, pretending to be heartbroken.
“I’m going to the department store. If you want to run into me by chance, come over~”
Her only response was the military vehicle’s window rolling back up.
Jiang Zhinian shook her head, completely unconcerned.
If Huo Lin had actually answered her, then he wouldn’t be the male lead.
After all, only a male lead who remained completely unmoved in the face of a seductive temptress’s advances and loved only the female lead could truly be called a male lead.
The light turned green.
Meng Haoqian, who had been wearing a confused expression the entire time, stepped on the accelerator and started the car.
“Jiang Zhinian, what did you mean when you said you were Chief Huo’s sister-in-law?”
Jiang Zhinian shrugged.
“Exactly what it sounds like. I’m dating his younger brother now.”
“What?!”
Meng Haoqian’s face instantly turned pale.
Most likely from anger.