Mother was hesitating.
Jiang Shining clenched her fists and looked at the middle-aged man on the sofa. “Hello, Uncle Wang.”
Her expression was cold, her voice devoid of any inflection.
Wang Jianguo was instantly delighted and quickly nodded. “Hello, hello, hello.”
He looked at Jiang Wan standing there. “Wanwan, your daughter is really sensible. Good, very good! Come, sit next to Uncle.”
Wang Jianguo tried to take Jiang Shining’s hand, but she subtly avoided it, causing a hint of awkwardness to appear on his face.
Jiang Shining said, “I’ll sit here.”
The living room had a wooden sofa—one long one and two single-seaters.
Jiang Shining directly sat on one of the single-seater sofas nearby.
Aunt Zhang’s gaze swept back and forth among the group, finally settling on Jiang Wan standing by the water dispenser.
She walked over a few steps, directly took Jiang Wan’s hand, and pulled her to sit on the long sofa—right next to Wang Jianguo.
“Sit closer, so you can have a good chat.”
As she spoke, Aunt Zhang tried to find topics for the two.
“This Old Wang, his wife passed away a few years ago, and he’s divorced. He’s honest and decent, not like others on Obsidian Street. He’s reliable…”
“As for Jiang Wan, Old Wang, you know… I’ve bumped into you at her stall several times before, staring at Jiang Wan. She’s the prettiest in our area…”
Aunt Zhang spoke while pulling Jiang Wan’s hand and placing it in Wang Jianguo’s hand.
Wang Jianguo’s face lit up with even greater delight, staring straight at Jiang Wan.
But Jiang Wan’s face turned pale, and her hand trembled slightly.
This clearly showed unwillingness.
In the plot, there was no such person as Wang Jianguo. Since Jiang Wan was unwilling, why continue with the blind date?
Jiang Shining couldn’t understand.
Seeing Jiang Wan, who was clearly enduring it while still dealing with the blind date, Jiang Shining frowned. She stood up directly from the sofa.
She walked straight to the two of them.
Jiang Wan forced a smile on her face. “Xiao… Xiao Ning?”
“Mom, come with me for a moment.”
After saying that, she headed straight for the kitchen.
With Jiang Shining’s words, Jiang Wan breathed a sigh of relief, pulled her hand free from Wang Jianguo’s grasp, and went into the kitchen behind.
Jiang Wan glanced at the matchmaker and Wang Jianguo in the living room, who were looking over curiously, then looked at Jiang Shining’s back.
Jiang Wan closed the glass kitchen door.
The glass door isolated the living room, and only then did Jiang Wan speak. “Jiang Shining, what’s wrong?”
Jiang Shining turned around.
She clenched her fists and looked at Jiang Wan. “Since you’re unwilling, why force yourself to go on blind dates?”
That one sentence instantly made Jiang Wan look flustered.
Jiang Shining pointed at Wang Jianguo in the living room. “If you don’t like this person, why let them in?”
Jiang Shining didn’t understand.
Since she didn’t understand, she had to ask directly.
In the original host’s memories, Jiang Wan had encountered Aunt Zhang trying to arrange matches several times, but Jiang Wan had refused them all. So why, when it came to her, was she willing to go on blind dates?
Jiang Wan couldn’t maintain her smile anymore, her voice even turning hoarse. “Xiao Ning, you noticed?”
Jiang Shining nodded.
Aside from Wang Jianguo in the living room, who was completely captivated by Jiang Wan, anyone could see Jiang Wan’s unwillingness.
Jiang Wan lowered her eyelids. “I just thought… Xiao Ning, you need a father.”
“Everyone outside says you’re a burden to me, Ning, but I know you’re not. You’ve been working hard to earn money and protect me all this time, yet nothing has really changed.”
Jiang Wan seemed utterly despondent.
“These past few days, I’ve been thinking—if I had listened to your advice earlier and found someone suitable to spend the rest of my life with, would life be easier for you, Ning?”
Jiang Wan couldn’t bear to see her child working so hard.
All for her medical expenses.
She didn’t know when she had become a burden to Jiang Shining, even needing her daughter’s protection.
If she were married, perhaps things wouldn’t be this way?
At least Jiang Shining wouldn’t have to suffer so much.
Jiang Wan thought to herself.
Jiang Shining: “Just because of this?”
Jiang Wan’s eyelashes fluttered as she turned to look at her daughter. “Isn’t that reason… enough?”
No!
Of course it wasn’t enough!
Jiang Shining never imagined that her working would lead Jiang Wan to consider sacrificing her own happiness.
“Listen, you don’t need to cater to anyone else.”
“Whether it’s working or anything else, it’s all my own choice. You don’t have to settle for someone just for my sake and waste your life.”
“Even if I ever had a father one day, it would have to be someone you genuinely like and are willing to accept.”
Jiang Shining spoke with utmost seriousness.
Before crossing over, she had only felt sympathy for the Jiang Wan in the book. But after becoming the female lead’s daughter in this world, she truly understood Jiang Wan’s feelings.
Even trapped in the mud, she was still willing to protect her.
Even though she wasn’t the original owner, this was something she had stolen, and she still felt elated.
That was why she was willing to seek out Qin Wang and Gu Yan—she simply wanted Jiang Wan to live a better life.
If Jiang Wan were to resign herself to a life of compromise, everything Jiang Shining had done would be meaningless.
Seeing Jiang Wan standing there in a daze, Jiang Shining slid open the glass door.
Creak.
The sound of the glass door echoed.
The two people in the living room turned their heads in unison.
Aunt Zhang and Wang Jianguo looked at her. Aunt Zhang spoke first, “Young Jiang, have you thought it over? Should we pick a date soon?”
Pick a date?
Jiang Shining curled her lips mockingly. “Forget it!”
She walked out of the living room and looked at Wang Jianguo. “Uncle Wang, my mother has no interest in you. Please don’t come to our house again.”
Wang Jianguo was taken aback, not fully understanding what Jiang Shining meant.
Jiang Shining then turned to the matchmaker, Aunt Zhang. “Aunt Zhang, I respect you as an elder, but please stop forcing matches and meddling in other people’s relationships.”
The smile on Aunt Zhang’s face instantly froze.
The two were promptly driven out by Jiang Shining.
“Open the door!”
“What do you mean? Where’s Jiang Wan? Let Jiang Wan talk to me! Open the door!”
The door of Apartment 501 was pounded loudly by the two.
Jiang Shining glanced at the two bags of gifts on the living room table, picked them up, and opened the door again.
Wang Jianguo: “Wanwan told you to open the door, right? Let us in quickly.”
Jiang Shining shook her head and directly held out the two bags of gifts in her hands.
“Uncle Wang, I’m past the age of needing to grow taller. I don’t need growth milk powder… And as for these cherries, I can afford to buy them myself!”
Who brings cherries and growth milk powder to a matchmaking meeting?
So tacky.
Slam!
The door closed again.
Jiang Shining let out a long sigh of relief after shutting the door.
She had almost thought her mother was interested in that building materials CEO outside. Jiang Shining glanced at the Van Cleef & Arpels bracelet on her wrist.
Thank goodness… there’s still a chance for my wealthy father.
Jiang Shining clapped her hands, only to meet Jiang Wan’s complex and moved gaze.
“Little Ning baby~”
Jiang Wan’s nose tingled, and her eyes instantly grew moist.
The loud banging on the door continued.
“Open up, you cheap girl, Jiang Shining! You’re getting worse and worse! Open up, open the door!”
“Open the door!”
The pounding persisted.
Jiang Wan anxiously tightened her grip on Jiang Shining’s arm. “Won’t… something happen?”
Jiang Shining calmly replied, “No.”
“Have you forgotten who lives next door to us?”