“He’s here for me.”
All eyes followed the voice to the doorway.
There stood Jiang Yuli, tall and imposing. Behind his frameless glasses, his dark eyes were icy and intimidating. Having taken control of Hundred Rivers Group within just two years of returning to China, his capabilities were evident.
“Uncle?” Shen Qiao was incredulous. “She’s here for you? How is that possible?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?” Jiang Yuli stepped into the private room.
The wine stain on Shen Qiao’s collar was clearly visible—undoubtedly Su Lingyu’s handiwork.
Served him right.
“Yes, I’m here for Uncle!” Su Lingyu immediately moved to Jiang Yuli’s side, whispering quickly, “He won’t leave me alone. Mind if I borrow you for a bit?”
“Go ahead.”
Jiang Yuli’s response was immediate.
She could use him however she wanted.
With his permission, Su Lingyu linked her arm through his and lifted her chin to meet Shen Qiao’s gaze. “You said no one could stand how clingy I am? Wrong! Your uncle can handle it!”
Shen Qiao’s pupils trembled as his eyes darted between them before fixing fiercely on Jiang Yuli. “Uncle! That night I only asked you to ‘look after’ her, not steal my girlfriend! You’re my elder, and she’s your nephew’s girlfriend! Do you have no moral boundaries?”
No one knew how suffocating Su Lingyu’s clinginess could be better than Shen Qiao.
If she wanted to break up, it must be because this cold, calculating man had manipulated the situation!
She was too naive, easily deceived by Jiang Yuli’s sweet words!
Jiang Yuli’s expression remained unreadable as he stated calmly, “You’ve broken up.”
“I never agreed!” Shen Qiao’s voice cracked with rage. “I call you Uncle, so you should act like one! Even if we broke up, you shouldn’t touch her!”
A faint smile touched Jiang Yuli’s lips. “I’m single. She’s single. Being together is perfectly natural. As for who her ex-boyfriend is?” He paused. “Irrelevant.”
“Jiang Yuli—”
Shen Qiao’s eyes burned with fury.
A trace of impatience flickered across Jiang Yuli’s brow. “Is this how the Shen family teaches you to speak to your elders?”
“My girlfriend is about to become my aunt! How can I stay calm!” Shen Qiao trembled with rage.
The more out of control Shen Qiao became, the calmer Jiang Yuli remained.
The man glanced at Su Lingyu, his tone almost innocent. “Don’t jump the gun. Pao Pao hasn’t given me official status yet.”
“…” Shen Qiao laughed bitterly. “Should I thank you for leaving a transitional period then?”
“Who cares about you.” Su Lingyu smiled sweetly. “Anyway, Shen Qiao and I have broken up. From now on, we go our separate ways.”
Shen Qiao pointed at Jiang Yuli and growled at Su Lingyu, “Su Lingyu, wake up! How could a cold-blooded animal like him who doesn’t care about anyone handle your ‘affectionate aggression’! I bet you’ll regret this and come crawling back to me!”
How presumptuous.
Even if Jiang Yuli couldn’t handle it, Su Lingyu would never return to Shen Qiao—that worthless scum!
She slowly shook her head, drawing out her words. “No—bet—”
Approval flashed in Jiang Yuli’s eyes as he looked at Shen Qiao. “Hear that? You have no chance.”
As expected of the one who held his heart.
The cherished young lady had always been clear-headed.
Those who hurt her were permanently cast out of her world.
Su Lingyu lifted her face with a well-behaved smile. “Uncle, let’s go.”
“Mm.”
They turned and left, their figures disappearing beyond the doorway.
The air fell deathly silent for a moment before erupting into hushed whispers:
“Did they really break up?”
“Shen Qiao abandoned Su Lingyu at the airport alone?”
“What a rich family drama…”
“President Jiang never got along with his nephew, right? Could this be intentional to provoke Shen Qiao?”
Jiang Yuli! How dare he go this far!!
Shen Qiao suddenly scanned the crowd and roared, “Get out! All of you get out! If anyone dares speak about tonight’s events, just try me!”
The crowd fell silent in fear, hastily scattering.
Bang!
With a loud crash, the coffee table was violently kicked over by Shen Qiao.
His chest heaved violently, his eyes dark enough to drip venom.
This isn’t over.
Jiang Yuli, just you wait!
Outside the private room, the sharp sound of shattering wine glasses could still be heard.
The Shen family’s pampered young master had completely lost face tonight.
…
In the moving car.
Su Lingyu bowed her head while replying to her parents’ messages.
Shen Qiao had actually contributed a new term tonight—”hot violence.”
“You went to the wrong private room?” Jiang Yuli broke the silence.
“Didn’t pay attention to the room number,” Su Lingyu put away her phone, tilting her head to look at him with a mischievous glint in her eyes. “But it worked out perfectly—dumping him to his face again felt quite satisfying. Uncle, you have no idea, he actually deleted my breakup message and pretended he never saw it!”
She suddenly leaned closer, her eyes curved like crescent moons, her breath fragrant: “Uncle~ Don’t you think he must be desperately in love with me? He absolutely refuses to break up, even says he’ll change… Tell me, should I give him another chance?”
Jiang Yuli’s heart tightened violently.
They absolutely cannot get back together!
Maintaining a calm expression, his knuckles subtly tightened as he replied in a deep voice, “What’s so good about going back to old grass? Someone as beautiful as Pao Pao should go taste fresher pastures.”
“Fresher pastures?” Su Lingyu blinked, her smile sweet. “Uncle, are you recommending yourself?”
“Mm,” he admitted frankly.
His directness actually made Su Lingyu’s ears grow warm.
She chided playfully, “I just broke up, and you’re already trying to take advantage, Uncle? You really don’t act like an elder at all.”
“I’m Shen Qiao’s elder, not yours,” Jiang Yuli adjusted his tie, his gaze intense. “Besides, I’m only twenty-six, just four years older than you.”
That’s true. Jiang Yuli’s mother had him later in life. He’s 26, Shen Qiao is 24, she’s 22, her brother is 28… The age gaps are quite consistent.
“Only?” Su Lingyu’s eyes sparkled as she deliberately counted on her fingers. “When you were in high school, I was still in sixth grade.”
“No.”
“Hmm?”
“I was in university by then.”
Su Lingyu’s mouth fell open in surprise: “O… Uncle, are you a genius who skipped grades? You started university at sixteen? What degrees do you have now?”
Jiang Yuli answered seriously: “Master’s in Business Administration and Master’s in Data Science. My undergraduate was in Economics and Political Science.”
Su Lingyu looked at him with admiration: “Uncle, with your looks, your experiences, and your education—you’re the perfect novel CEO character!”
She clasped her hands dramatically, “My respects! So impressive!”
He was being praised.
The corner of Jiang Yuli’s mouth lifted almost imperceptibly as he secretly preened.
“But…” Su Lingyu suddenly changed the subject.
Jiang Yuli’s heart tightened again.
There’s more?
“The ancestral graves can’t keep producing smoke forever,” she said with mock seriousness. “Someone as outstanding as you, Uncle, might not pass it on to your children. Like they say online—’peaches and plums fill the world, but bitter melons grow at home.’ There are cases where both parents have PhDs but their child scores 19 in math!”
So that’s what she was worried about.
“So adorable.”
Jiang Yuli calmly responded, “No need to worry about that. In the future, our children won’t need you to teach them, and I won’t either. There will be teachers responsible for that. Whether they become gods or buddhas will entirely depend on their own destiny.”
Huh?
How did we suddenly get to “our children”?
Su Lingyu’s face grew slightly warm. She instinctively touched her flushed cheeks and lowered her head. “We… haven’t even gotten together yet. Isn’t it a bit too early to talk about this?”
“Mm, I know,” Jiang Yuli’s voice was deep. “Pao Pao hasn’t given me official status yet.”
Su Lingyu blinked her eyes and asked curiously, “Uncle, you seem to particularly like calling me by my nickname? Is it especially nice to hear?”
“Mm, it is,” he replied.
Few people called her “Pao Pao” these days – most called her “Su Su.”
Jiang Yuli wanted to be special.
A light sparkled in Su Lingyu’s eyes. “Uncle, do you have a nickname?”