Qian Jin’s attitude was a waste of that handsome face. I thought he’d changed after being away for a few years, but he was still that same bad boy.
Ma Jiye curled his lips and waved his hand, signaling him to leave quickly. He truly treated Qian Jin like his own son, giving him the green light everywhere.
When Qian Jin and Ma Wuni met, they didn’t even need Ma Jiye to arrange it—Ma Wuyi and Ma Wuju took care of everything.
Qian Jin pushed open the door to Wuni’s room. Gone was the ease he’d shown in front of Ma Jiye. He awkwardly glanced around the room, his face flushing slightly. This was Ma Wuni’s boudoir, he thought, and his heart began to race.
Steadying himself, he finally met Ma Wuni’s gaze as she sized him up.
It had been a few years since they last saw each other, and this girl didn’t seem to have changed much—her temperament was still the same.
But her figure… he swallowed unconsciously, his legs feeling a bit weak. After all, she was still a young woman.
Back at the Qian family home, Ma Wuni had sized up Qian Jin, but the boy had changed so much over the years that he now looked almost respectable.
Back in the village, Qian Jin had been a good-for-nothing, a scoundrel with no manners—slouching when he sat, slumping when he stood, always grinning without a shred of seriousness.
Hah, after a few years away, he’d upgraded from a slingshot to a cannon. He’d shaped up. At least he looked like a proper person now.
Especially when Qian Jin kept his mouth shut, pretending to be deep and imposing—it carried a certain weight.
Unfortunately, it didn’t intimidate Ma Wuni. She glared at him and asked, “What are you here for? To break off the engagement?”
Qian Jin instinctively replied, “I wouldn’t dare.” Mostly because he didn’t want to.
Ma Wuni curled her lips. This guy was still the same as ever the moment he opened his mouth. “I’ll give you the guts, but I won’t beat you. Tell the truth,” she said, her tone particularly provoking.
Qian Jin felt a bit annoyed. Even if I gave you the chance now, you couldn’t beat me. Ah, forget it—a real man doesn’t fight with a woman.
Instead of bringing up the engagement, he glanced around Ma Wuni’s boudoir and asked casually, “Weren’t you supposed to be capable? How’d you manage to lose the engagement?”
He didn’t mention Qian Cheng’s name, but there was a hint of calculation in his heart. Still, his words weren’t exactly kind—he’d thrown the sarcasm right back at her.
The two of them were at each other’s throats. The scene, the dialogue, the tone—it all felt so familiar. In just a few sentences, the years seemed to melt away.
Ma Wuni’s face darkened. “So you came to laugh at me?”
Qian Jin immediately regretted it. After finally managing to say something, why did he have to bring this up? “Be reasonable. I haven’t even said anything yet. Can’t I ask? We grew up together, after all. If you get bullied, it reflects poorly on me too. Where’s that capability of yours? Did you use it all up on bullying me?”
Why did it fail when it came to Qian Cheng? Qian Jin couldn’t help feeling indignant.
Hearing this, Ma Wuni huffed angrily, “When the sky wants to rain or a mother wants to remarry, who can stop it?”
Qian Jin asked himself honestly: he was actually glad to see Ma Wuni and Qian Cheng split up. He couldn’t, in good conscience, encourage Ma Wuni to chase after Qian Cheng again.
After a long pause, Qian Jin finally managed to ask, “So you really have no feelings left? For Qian Cheng?” As soon as he finished speaking, his palms began to sweat.
Mentioning Qian Cheng, Ma Wuni seethed, “Am I that cheap?”
Qian Jin thought to himself, Well, you weren’t exactly that noble either. Didn’t you always admire Qian Cheng for being good at studying since we were kids?
Qian Jin stammered, “Then… then…”
Ma Wuni: “What ‘what’? You’ve been away for a few years, and now you’re all hesitant. Can’t you see Sun Yali is after the money you send home to support her and her brother’s education? Let me tell you, no way.”
Qian Jin looked grim: “So that’s why you want to marry me?” He felt deeply unsettled inside.
Ma Wuni glared. This point had to be made clear: “Who wants to marry you? It was your dad who proposed it.”
As for her, she could take it or leave it. If she didn’t hold her ground now, Qian Jin would surely use it against her later. That guy had a sharp tongue.
Qian Jin took a deep breath: “Right, the marriage proposal came from our family. But what about you? What do you think?”
Then he immediately added: “Never mind. When should we get married?”
What if Ma Wuni said something he didn’t want to hear? It would only upset him further.
So, after asking, Qian Jin regretted it. Better not to ask at all. He just lacked the courage to face it. The more he understood this, the more he despised himself for being cheap—even cheaper than Ma Wuni.
Ma Wuni finally glanced at Qian Jin, feeling a bit awkward as she recalled their past grievances. Was he just stringing her along? “Really getting married? If you promise not to give those two worthless things any money, I could also do without…”
Qian Jin’s expression darkened before Ma Wuni could finish: “Who do you think you are? What’s your status? If you’re not marrying me, what right do you have to control my money?”
No wonder Ma Wuni disliked Qian Jin. He had a dog’s temper—flipping moods in an instant. Who did he think he was, being so sarcastic? Her good intentions were completely wasted.
Ma Wuni roared: “Are you stupid? Funding someone else’s spending. You didn’t want to study, just fooling around all day, growing taller but not smarter. Look at you, even your brain isn’t working right. Fine, let’s get married. But don’t say I ruined you. I gave you a chance to back out.”
Qian Jin quietly wiped the sweat from his palms: “You said it. It’s settled then. I’ve always seen you as a man of your word—once spoken, it’s done.”
Ma Wuni choked up. You see me as a man? And we’re discussing marriage? Is that appropriate?
She sized up Qian Jin’s height and weighed their combat abilities. Ma Wuni resisted the urge to kick him: “Don’t look down on women. When I, Ma Wuni, say something, it’s as good as done.”
The point is, I’m a woman. Did Qian Jin even get that? If they were really like brothers, this marriage would feel downright dubious to Ma Wuni.
Ma Wuni genuinely regretted this engagement. After years of simple village life, she had no desire to play mind games with anyone.
Qian Jin’s expression relaxed considerably. This girl really didn’t have many schemes—easy to handle: “Well, we did grow up together. It’s been years since we last met, but you don’t seem to have changed much. Our interactions feel pretty much the same as before.”
Look at this guy—quick to flip moods, quick to ease up, changing topics instantly. Ma Wuni simply couldn’t keep up with Qian Jin’s train of thought.
Ma Wuni: “It’s very different. Back then, would I have discussed things with you like this?” It was all about brute force.
Qian Jin pursed his lips. She was no proper lady. Couldn’t she speak properly? Didn’t she know they were about to get married? Wasn’t she afraid of scaring the man off?
Qian Jin: “You don’t know how to sweet-talk a man. Don’t blame me later if you end up suffering.”
Ma Wuni snorted coldly: “You wanna try? Who’s to say you won’t be the one suffering? Just don’t come crying back to complain later.”
Her attitude was far more arrogant than Qian Jin’s.
Qian Jin felt a bit embarrassed and defensive, having had his shortcomings exposed. Back in the day, young and naive, he had been bullied by Ma Wuni and often ran home to complain to Ma Jiye.
This was also why Ma Wuni grew annoyed at the sight of him, the fundamental reason the two were like fire and water.
No matter what, no matter who suffered, it was his and Ma Wuni’s future together.
Suddenly, Qian Jin laughed. This girl was quite confident about their future life: “Even if I suffer, it won’t be like before. Things can’t be the same as they used to be.”