Knowing full well that resistance was futile, she gave a muted “mm” in reluctant agreement.
She had originally wanted to make things clear, but now the two of them were once again tied together by an invisible thread—unable to break free, entangled with each other.
The capital’s summer heat was sweltering, with especially strong ultraviolet rays. Jiang Minghua was the type whose skin turned red at the slightest exposure to the sun.
The apartment was very close to Jingda University—about five or six minutes’ walk.
Jiang Minghua walked back toward the apartment in a daze, carrying a parasol, a handbag slung over her arm, sunglasses on her nose, and a sun hat on her head.
She hadn’t waited for Chen Lingqian in the lounge, so she’d sent her a message on her phone saying she had to leave first.
She was still carrying the gown in her hand—she needed to return to the Jiang family residence tonight, so she had to drop the clothes off at the apartment first.
There were few pedestrians in the afternoon, and the streets were quiet.
That was why Jiang Minghua’s figure was so conspicuous on the empty, spacious driveway—especially since she was so thoroughly bundled up.
Uncle Fu had picked up Xie Jinchen from the Jingda University parking lot. The young master had a company meeting in the afternoon, and the black Maybach turned onto Binhai Avenue.
The temperature inside the car was pleasant; even wearing a suit, there was no hint of heat.
Xie Jinchen took a bottle of mineral water from the center console, took a sip,
and slowly put it back. His gaze casually drifted toward the window.
He looked away—then, a second later, he looked back again. When he recognized the girl, he let out a soft, amused laugh.
It wasn’t that he’d been deliberately watching; it was simply impossible not to notice her.
Jiang Minghua was fully decked out, wrapped up like an adorable little silkworm.
Not bulky, but a bit clumsy.
Xie Jinchen instructed Uncle Fu, his voice calm and faint:
“Pull over.”
Uncle Fu felt puzzled inwardly, but he still stopped the car as the young master instructed.
The next moment, he noticed that outside the window was a girl wrapped up so tightly that no part of her face was visible.
Jiang Minghua was carrying her bag. The weather was too hot—she just wanted to hurry back, turn on the air conditioning,
and eat chilled watermelon. She walked quickly, not wanting to waste a single second.
A car pulled up beside her out of nowhere. Jiang Minghua felt puzzled and stopped in her tracks, turning her head to see what this car wanted.
The next instant, the rear window slowly rolled down, revealing Xie Jinchen’s refined, gentle face.
Jiang Minghua sucked in a breath. Her first thought was,
How is she running into him again?! She’d bundled herself up so tightly, and he could still recognize her?!
The comfortable, temperature-controlled interior of the car was broken as a wave of hot air rushed in.
Xie Jinchen seemed to read Jiang Minghua’s thoughts, and said in a warm voice:
“You’re the only one on the road—it’s hard not to notice you. Get in the car first.”
Jiang Minghua’s arm holding the bag was starting to ache faintly. The distance wasn’t far—
by the time she’d gone back and forth, she could have already walked home. She waved her hand in refusal:
“No need. I’ll be there soon. Please go on ahead—don’t worry about me.”
Xie Jinchen noticed the faint traces of sweat soaking through her top, and her slender arm—whatever she was holding seemed to make it tremble.
He frowned slightly, and his voice lost some of its earlier gentleness:
“Miss Jiang, out of politeness, it’s only right that I see you home. You don’t need to overthink it.”
Jiang Minghua had no choice. The sun was too fierce—she was really about to die of heat.
She didn’t want to go back and forth with him anymore; her mouth was dry and parched.
She walked over to the car. The door was opened for her from the inside, and Xie Jinchen shifted over one seat.
Jiang Minghua sat down, and a refreshing cool breeze swept over her face. She instantly felt much cooler and let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Even such a short distance—walking it in this heat was unbearable.
Jiang Minghua explained to Uncle Fu where the residential complex was, and Uncle Fu, with his kind and gentle demeanor, responded with continuous “yes, yes” sounds.
Jiang Minghua’s irritable mood caused by the sweltering weather instantly evaporated, leaving her feeling refreshed and clear-headed.
She took off her hat and mask, fanned her face with them, and turned sideways to thank the man beside her who had remained silent throughout:
“Mr. Xie, thank you for giving me a ride.”
One thing at a time—though she had her reservations about what happened that night, he had given her a ride out of the kindness of his heart, and her upbringing would not allow her to fail to acknowledge his favor.
Xie Jinchen withdrew his gaze from the window and let it land on the girl beside him who was thanking him.
Jiang Minghua’s face was flushed red from the heat, her forehead damp with sweat.
Her skin was fair with a rosy undertone, and even so, it did nothing to diminish her beauty.
That flush was more like the uncontrollable redness one gets right after doing that.
Xie Jinchen’s deep, dark gaze rested on her face, and his Adam’s apple rolled almost imperceptibly.
Jiang Minghua felt a little uncomfortable under his stare and was about to say something, but he indifferently and coldly withdrew his gaze.
Jiang Minghua: “…”
Moody old man.
They soon arrived at her apartment. Jiang Minghua thanked Uncle Fu, then pressed the electronic unlock button on the car door.
She deliberately ignored Xie Jinchen, picked up her bag, and got out of the car on her own. Before closing the door, she hesitated for a moment, then said,
“Goodbye.”
It was unclear who she was saying it to.
Jiang Minghua slammed the car door shut with a “smack.”
Xie Jinchen watched her retreating figure, loosened his somewhat tight tie, and a faint, barely discernible smile flickered in his eyes.
Seven o’clock in the evening, the Jiang residence.
“What? Marriage?”
Jiang Minghua swallowed the food in her mouth and stared in utter shock at Jiang Yekun and Yang Lihua across the table, who looked perfectly calm and natural.
“I’m not even that old, and you’re already trying to marry me off?”
Jiang Yekun picked up a piece of his favorite braised pork belly, glanced at his daughter, and said,
“It’s not like she stops being our daughter once she’s married off. You’re turning twenty-one soon—if we settle this early, your mother and I can worry less.”
Beside him, Yang Lihua took a sip of her white fungus and red date soup. She was getting on in years now.
In the evenings, she liked to have some porridge, and tonight the chef had cooked it to just the right consistency.
She chimed in following her husband:
“Your father is right. Besides, I’ve met that young man from the Xie family—he’s tall and handsome, with a very steady temperament. If it weren’t for the fact that he’d just returned from abroad,
and your grandfather brought it up with Old Master Xie, this marriage would never have fallen to you.
We’re lucky that he’s been focused on his career overseas and not interested in romantic matters—otherwise, a son-in-law this good would have been snatched up by someone else long ago.”
Jiang Minghua looked as if she’d been struck by lightning. She couldn’t have heard that wrong, could she? She asked:
“Who? The Xie family??”
Yang Lihua pulled a napkin from the dispenser, dabbed her mouth, and nodded matter-of-factly:
“Mhm, the Xie family you’re thinking of. Why? Have you met that young man Xie Jinchen already?”
Jiang Minghua was filled with question marks.
That young man Xie Jinchen??
His temperament was about the same as her father’s—and hearing it come out of her mother’s mouth made it feel more terrifying than a horror movie!
No wait, that wasn’t the point. Jiang Minghua furrowed her brows, her whole face scrunching up.
“Xie Jinchen? You want me to marry Xie Jinchen?!”
She pinched her arm. She must be dreaming, right? She felt the pain.
She wasn’t dreaming!
They wanted her to marry Xie Jinchen?!
Jiang Minghua abruptly set down her chopsticks and stood up, her expression utterly serious, solemn, and leaving no room for negotiation:
“Impossible! I will never marry Xie Jinchen!”
How could she marry a man who, like a spell, surrounded her in high school and pushed her to study? Impossible.
Jiang Yekun was startled by her sudden movement and looked at her with displeasure:
“You’re almost twenty-one. Can’t you learn something from Xie Jinchen? At your age, he was already vice president of the Xie Group. What could you possibly be dissatisfied about marrying him?”