Lan Garden Residence.
One of the capital’s most expensive mansions, it was also a prestigious household that every socialite in the city dreamed of marrying into.
Even now, Lan Garden Residence was still brightly lit.
Old Madam Jiang wore a loose, deep-purple qipao. Looking full of energy, she leaned against a sandalwood chair, flipping through the register of eligible young ladies in her hands with a beaming smile as she waited for Jiang Jingnian to come over.
Beside her, Auntie Rong, who had served her for years, bent over to look with her as they went through the profiles of the prominent families’ young ladies in this latest register.
“Auntie Rong, what do you think of this one? This girl looks plump and well-rounded. She looks prosperous. I like her.” Old Madam Jiang had turned to the fifth page, which featured the profile of the Chen Group’s eldest daughter.
Miss Chen had graduated from an Ivy League university. She had a dignified, elegant appearance, and, just as Old Madam Jiang had said, a plump, well-rounded figure.
She looked prosperous at a glance.
Old Madam Jiang liked her very much and immediately pointed out Miss Chen’s profile for Auntie Rong to see.
Auntie Rong was only a servant. How could she dare offer Old Madam Jiang any advice?
All she could do was smile and say, “Old Madam, what matters most is whether Young Master Jiang likes her.”
At the mention of Jiang Jingnian, Old Madam Jiang gave a snort and said with undisguised “disdain,” “If he could just like someone, I wouldn’t have to worry so much.”
“He’s just too picky. I have no idea what kind of woman he likes. The ones I introduced to him before… One minute he says this one has a bad temper, the next he says that one is boring and he feels nothing for her. It’s as if he can find fault with every single one…”
“I’m afraid I won’t live to see him get married.”
As she spoke, Old Madam Jiang couldn’t help complaining, her voice growing mournful. “Just thinking about it makes me angry… Why isn’t he in a hurry? I’m practically worried sick over his marriage.”
“Don’t worry, Old Madam. It’s because Young Master Jiang is so outstanding. An outstanding man naturally has higher standards. Besides, look at how many girls in the city like him…” Afraid Old Madam Jiang would only get angrier and raise her blood pressure, Auntie Rong quickly tried to soothe her.
Old Madam Jiang snorted. “What good is being outstanding? He’s still a bachelor.”
Just then, Jiang Jingnian came in.
Hearing his own grandmother complain that he was a bachelor, he laughed and said, “Grandma, what kind of grandmother curses her own grandson to stay single?”
After Jiang Jingnian spoke, Old Madam Jiang hurriedly turned at the sound of his voice. “And you have the nerve to say that?”
“If you’re not single, why have I never seen you bring a girlfriend home?”
Jiang Jingnian undid the metal clasp at his shirt collar and slowly walked over to her. “Better to have none than to settle.”
“Bah! Spare me. You’re just too picky and don’t want to find anyone…” Old Madam Jiang said irritably. “Don’t give me that ‘better to have none than to settle’ nonsense. You have to get married this year. I want to hold my great-grandchild.”
In any case, this year, whether she had to cry, make a scene, threaten to hang herself, or throw herself on the floor and throw a tantrum, she would make him get married and have a child.
She couldn’t wait any longer. Her best friend’s grandson’s wife had given birth to a chubby little boy just last month!
Her old friend had invited her over to hold her great-grandson. Seeing the plump, rosy-cheeked little boy had made her so envious she could hardly stand it.
“Enough talk. Look through these girls and tell me which one you like. I’ll go ask for her hand on your behalf.” Old Madam Jiang opened the register and set it in front of Jiang Jingnian. “What do you think of Miss Chen? She went to an Ivy League school, comes from a good family, and is beautiful.”
Jiang Jingnian had known there had to be a reason she’d called him home so late.
She was pressuring him to get married again.
With a headache, Jiang Jingnian pushed the register away. He had no interest in looking at the girls inside.
To be fair, the women pictured in these registers of eligible young ladies were all quite beautiful.
Unfortunately, for someone like Jiang Jingnian, a seasoned business magnate, a pretty face alone was nowhere near enough to catch his eye.
As he put it, she had to make his heart stir.
She had to be a woman who could stir his emotions.
That was why, among all the daughters of prominent families in their circle, he still hadn’t found a single one he liked.
“Grandma, don’t waste your effort. You showed me these girls last time, and I’m not interested.” Jiang Jingnian rubbed the handsome line of his brow.
Old Madam Jiang snorted. “You don’t want this one or that one. So who do you want?”
Who did he want?
Of course he wanted that Little Thing.
Not only was she soft, she’d even dared to toss his business card away.
Jiang Jingnian’s deep, handsome eyes narrowed slightly, and the corner of his mouth lifted with an air of confidence. “Who says there’s no one? I’ll bring her home to meet you soon.”
Old Madam Jiang had been about to scold him, but this time he’d actually said he would bring a girl home?
She let out a surprised gasp.
The next second, she burst into delighted laughter. “Oh, my! Really? You have someone you like?”
“You’re not just saying that to make me happy? You’re not lying to me?”
Jiang Jingnian gave a low laugh. “Do I look like the sort of person who’d lie to you? All these years, have I ever told you I’d bring a woman home just to get out of a matchmaking arrangement?”
That was true. He hadn’t.
Her A-Nian was principled about this, at least.
Even when she’d pressured him relentlessly to get married, he’d only refused her arrangements. He’d never casually claimed to like someone or said he would bring a particular woman home.
So this meant he really had someone?
“As long as you’re not lying to me. Which family is the girl from? Is she part of our social circle?” Old Madam Jiang asked excitedly, her eyes shining.
“No. You don’t know her,” Jiang Jingnian said lazily. “What if I told you she has no family background at all?”
“Would you try to stop me?”
Old Madam Jiang froze. No family background at all? Could she be an ordinary person?
This… this…
Old Madam Jiang was suddenly at a loss. “A-Nian, are you serious? The girl you like… isn’t she from our circle?”
“More or less.” She might have been before, but she certainly wasn’t now.
Jiang Jingnian remembered that Shen Zhihui’s family had once been quite wealthy. Then they were brought down by her eldest uncle, and their fortunes had faded.
“You’re not really going to insist on that whole ‘matching family backgrounds’ thing, are you?” Jiang Jingnian said. “If you do, there’s a good chance I’ll stay single for the rest of my life.”
Old Madam Jiang was speechless.
The brat was threatening her now.
“Hmph. Look at you, already protecting her. Fine, fine. If she’s ordinary, she’s ordinary. As long as she’s a good person and treats you well… if you like her, that’s enough.”
After weighing everything up, Old Madam Jiang still wanted to hold her great-grandchild as soon as possible!
The brat always kept his word. It wouldn’t do to have him truly stay single after all—that would be a terrible bargain.
“Mm. I’ll bring her over another day,” Jiang Jingnian said with a smile.
Old Madam Jiang rubbed her temple. “Tell me about her. Is the girl pretty? What’s she like?”
“You’ll be satisfied. She’s a lovely little beauty with a classical charm, and she’s a good person, too.” There was no question that Shen Zhihui was beautiful.
As for her character, Jiang Jingnian had seen enough of it when they were young to know he could trust her.
She wasn’t the sort of girl with all kinds of crooked schemes.
The main problem now was… she “didn’t care for” him.
He’d have to put in some effort to win her over.
It was rare for him to praise a girl at all, so Old Madam Jiang found it truly remarkable. “Oh, my! You never praise anyone. I can’t believe you admire her so much.”
“Now I’m curious. What kind of girl is she, that you’ve taken a liking to her?”
“Bring her home and you’ll see,” Jiang Jingnian replied.
“Then do it soon. I want to meet her.” Old Madam Jiang took a few breaths to compose herself.
Jiang Jingnian nodded. For a moment, an image flashed through his mind: Shen Zhihui standing in the night in a well-fitted qipao, so delicate and lovely. That innocent yet resistant little look of hers was truly… addictive.