“No, that’s not true at all,” Jiang Wan’er replied hurriedly. “Don’t say such things!”
“Sis, you’re feeling guilty,” Jiang Jie said. “You’re even stuttering. You…”
“Pack your things,” Jiang’s mother interrupted Jiang Jie. “Take whatever you can use with you.”
“Mom, that house belongs to them…”
“Move in,” Mrs. Jiang said. “Your sister has sacrificed so much—are you going to let her sacrifice all that for nothing?”
Here in Hong Kong, there are plenty of parents who actively groom their daughters to become mistresses for wealthy men. Mrs. Jiang was quite accepting of her daughter becoming Qiao Xunan’s mistress. She figured that over the years her daughter had been with Qiao Xunan, she’d made quite a bit of money. With that money, her daughter would be better off if she ever needed to get married.
Mrs. Jiang figured that once her daughter was married off, she and her son could live in this apartment, and she wouldn’t have to live a life of hardship and displacement. After undergoing surgery at the hospital, Mrs. Jiang’s main concern now was no longer having to work so hard. If she went out to work and got sick, her children would have to cover her medical expenses—which would end up wasting a lot of money.
As for whether Mrs. Jiang felt any deep regret toward her daughter, she didn’t. In fact, she even thought it was good for her daughter to be with Qiao Xunan; it meant she’d avoided taking a few detours in life. Mrs. Jiang couldn’t say that out loud; she could only admit that it was all her fault that her daughter had become someone’s mistress.
“That’s what your sister deserves,” Mrs. Jiang said.
“But… if we really moved back there, people would say we’re leeching off our sister,” Jiang Jie said. He was still young and a bit headstrong.
“Nonsense. I’m the one letting you two live there. The three of us depend on each other for survival; of course we have to live together,” Jiang Wan’er said. Their father had long since disappeared, and their mother hadn’t said much about him, so they simply treated it as if they didn’t have a father.
After being persuaded by Jiang Wan’er and their mother, Jiang Jie finally packed his things and moved in with his mother and sister. Jiang Jie wasn’t exactly a model of success—he was just a good-for-nothing. What good were his empty words? If he were truly capable, he’d earn more money, and his sister wouldn’t have to make such a sacrifice.
After lunch, Murong Yuchen walked Qiao Yitong home, but she had no intention of letting him inside.
But Murong Yuchen went to help carry her things, following close behind her.
“There’s a lot to carry,” Murong Yuchen said.
“They’re all light items; I can handle them,” Qiao Yitong said, reaching out to take them.
“I’ll walk you inside,” Murong Yuchen said. “Just put the bags down, and I’ll leave.”
Murong Yuchen wanted to do more to help; he couldn’t let Qiao Yitong say he didn’t know anything. Although Qiao Yitong hadn’t officially said they were together yet, he figured they might as well be—she had already kissed him.
“Fine,” Qiao Yitong said. “I’m going to take a nap in a bit, but I won’t have time to entertain you.”
“Mm.” ” Murong Yuchen nodded. “Take the stuff inside.”
“Okay,” Qiao Yitong agreed.
Lately, Old Man Qiao hadn’t been going out fishing, and Qiao Xudong was in this state. Old Man Qiao was feeling uneasy; if he went out fishing, he’d run into acquaintances who would ask about Qiao Xudong’s condition.
Some people would ask about Qiao Xudong with their words, putting on an air of deep concern, but in reality, they were all waiting for him to kick the bucket. Qiao Xudong was very capable, and they were all waiting for the chance to grab a piece of the Qiao family’s pie.
Right now, the Qiao Group is in constant turmoil. With Uncle Qiao still very capable and Old Master Qiao still alive, the Qiao Group won’t fall into chaos that easily.
Qiao Yitong thought that if she took Murong Yuchen back secretly, she might still be able to avoid Old Master Qiao’s notice.
In the original story, during this period, Qiao Yitong didn’t let Murong Yuchen into the house; instead, she had him wait outside. Qiao Yitong didn’t want Old Master Qiao to know she was dating Murong Yuchen at this time; she was afraid he would be displeased.
Now, Qiao Yitong wasn’t afraid that Old Master Qiao would be displeased; she simply didn’t want him to see them. Qiao Yitong had already spent enough time with Murong Yuchen today—she was starting to doze off.
Qiao Yitong’s movements clearly didn’t escape Old Master Qiao’s notice; he was sitting right there in the living room.
In such a large living room, Old Master Qiao was just sitting over there.
Qiao Yitong had originally planned to leave through another door, but Murong Yuchen walked right in through the main entrance. She couldn’t very well shout, “Don’t go that way! Don’t go that way!”
If she raised her voice, wouldn’t it be easy for someone to hear her? What if Grandpa Qiao was nearby?
“Hey,” Qiao Yitong called out, catching up to him and tapping Murong Yuchen’s arm lightly. She whispered, “Let’s go the other way. You…”
“Xiaotong!” Old Master Qiao called out.
Qiao Yitong froze in her tracks; she’d been afraid of Old Master Qiao ever since she was a child. Qiao Yitong was somewhat favored; Old Master Qiao held his grandsons to stricter standards, but he wasn’t quite as strict with her.
“Grandpa.” Qiao Yitong had no choice but to turn around.
“Hello,” Murong Yuchen turned around as well.
“Are you two going to see Xudong, or are you already a couple?” Old Master Qiao cut straight to the chase.
“Not yet,” Qiao Yitong said, lowering her head slightly; she didn’t even dare to look at Old Master Qiao.
Qiao Yitong felt a little guilty. She and Murong Yuchen weren’t officially a couple yet, but it wouldn’t be long now.
“I’m courting her,” Murong Yuchen said bluntly. “Once she says yes, we’ll be together.”
“Someone from the Yun family came by this morning,” Old Master Qiao said.
“The Yun family?” Qiao Yitong tilted her head. What did this have to do with the Yun family?
“You and Yun Ruozhu grew up together. Mrs. Yun came in person to propose a marriage between you and Yun Ruozhu—it’s also meant to bring good luck to your older brother,” Old Master Qiao explained.
Mrs. Yun met with Old Master Qiao and the others in person, but they naturally hadn’t made a decision yet.
Yun Ruozhu had an older brother, but he wasn’t being groomed as the heir; compared to his older brother, he led a much more carefree life. The fact that Yun Ruozhu could hang out with Qiao Yitong spoke volumes. Those who hung out with Qiao Yitong were generally people who didn’t have much say in their own families—for example, those with older brothers or sisters—and it was unlikely they would inherit the bulk of their family’s fortune.
But Yun Ruozhu does have some capabilities of his own; he isn’t quite as idle as those playboys. Unlike people like Qiao Yitong, who spend most of their time just having fun.
Yun Ruozhu has always had a soft spot for Qiao Yitong. When he learned of her behavior at the banquet, he worried that Murong Yuchen might have feelings for her. Especially after Yun Ruozhu learned that Murong Yuchen had visited the Qiao family, he couldn’t be sure Murong Yuchen hadn’t developed feelings for Qiao Yitong.
Don’t be fooled by Qiao Yitong’s constant complaints about Murong Yuchen—how he has a sharp tongue or is too rigid. Yun Ruozhu knew that perhaps that was just Murong Yuchen’s way of attracting Qiao Yitong.
Yun Ruozhu had originally intended to speak with Qiao Yitong himself, but he knew she was unlikely to agree, so he turned to his mother and asked her to come and speak with the Qiao family.
The Yun family was well-off, and Yun Ruozhu believed the Qiao family would surely be willing to let Qiao Yitong become engaged to him at this time; announcing this news would also help stabilize the Qiao Group.
Old Master Qiao deliberately said this in front of Murong Yuchen; he wanted Murong Yuchen to know that someone was planning to be with Qiao Yitong. If Murong Yuchen didn’t make a decision now, the Qiao family could explore other options.
“Yun Ruozhu?” Qiao Yitong asked in surprise. “I’ve never thought of being with him. We just hang out together—we…”
“Xiaotong, you’re a grown woman now,” Old Master Qiao said, narrowing his eyes slightly.
Qiao Yitong had enjoyed the lavish lifestyle provided by the Qiao family, so she should also shoulder some responsibilities.
Of course, the Qiao family didn’t need to force Qiao Yitong to become engaged to Yun Ruozhu at this moment; if the Qiao family couldn’t even handle something like this, it would be doomed sooner or later.
Old Master Qiao simply wanted to see how Murong Yuchen would handle himself; compared to Yun Ruozhu, Old Master Qiao valued Murong Yuchen more highly. Murong Yuchen was the heir to the Murong family and had already assumed power, whereas Yun Ruozhu had an older brother, and she herself would not inherit as much of the Yun family’s estate.
“I can get engaged to Tongtong, or we can get married right away.” Murong Yuchen hadn’t expected the Yun family to arrive at the Qiao residence so quickly.
Murong Yuchen knew that Yun Ruozhu had feelings for Qiao Yitong; romantic attraction between a man and a woman was inevitable, even if Qiao Yitong herself hadn’t considered it in those terms. Between men and women, there was no such thing as purely platonic friendship—it was either for personal gain or for love.
“Grandpa, it’s not like our Qiao family is about to fall apart right away,” Qiao Yitong said, her eyes wide. “I don’t need to get engaged or married this early, do I?”
“You’re not a child anymore. You’re not a child, Yuchen isn’t a child, and Yun Ruozhu is getting anxious,” Old Master Qiao said. “In all matters, it’s best to be decisive.”
Old Master Qiao turned his gaze to Murong Yuchen. He didn’t care who Qiao Yitong was dating; all he knew was that these suitors had come knocking, so a decision had to be made. Dragging things out and wavering back and forth would only end up offending people.
Love is not something that lends itself to indecision.
“I…”
“Xiaotong, your surname is Qiao,” Old Master Qiao said, cutting her off before she could say anything else. “I’m giving you one day to think it over—think about yourself, and think about your older brother.”
Old Master Qiao didn’t linger in front of Qiao Yitong; he turned and left. Old Master Qiao hadn’t intended to stay in the living room all along anyway; he’d just wanted to sit there for a bit. And just then, he happened to see Qiao Yitong walking alongside Murong Yuchen.
Old Master Qiao was confident that Murong Yuchen would never let the Qiao family down. As for Qiao Yitong’s choice, well, what did that matter? Qiao Yitong had the Qiao family behind her; without the Qiao family, no matter how beautiful she was, it would be useless—beautiful women were all too easily reduced to playthings in the hands of others.
Qiao Yitong didn’t ask what Old Master Qiao would have done if he hadn’t seen Murong Yuchen. Qiao Yitong watched Old Master Qiao’s figure recede. She knew the Qiao family wasn’t in such dire straits, yet he still said those things.
No wonder Mrs. Qiao always said that the favor Qiao Yitong enjoyed in the Qiao family was more like a mist—one gust of wind, and it would vanish.
“If my older brother were awake, he wouldn’t be forcing me to make a decision this quickly.” Qiao Yitong pouted; she had only recently returned from abroad. She felt more and more strongly that she should focus on her career and take action—she couldn’t let others control her destiny; she had to take control of it herself.
“Your grandfather wasn’t pressuring you—he was definitely pressuring me.” Murong Yuchen didn’t feel pressured. He knew the Qiao family’s situation wasn’t dire enough to require Qiao Yitong to enter into a political marriage; Old Master Qiao simply wanted to use this opportunity to get Murong Yuchen to make a decision.
If it’s a yes, it’s a yes; if it’s a no, it’s a no. Perhaps Old Master Qiao felt the chances of a relationship between Murong Yuchen and Qiao Yitong were slim, and rather than waste time, it would be better to cut the knot cleanly.
“My feelings for you are genuine,” Murong Yuchen said earnestly and solemnly. “As long as you say yes, my grandfather will come over immediately to propose!”
“Aren’t marriage proposals usually in the morning? Who goes to propose in the afternoon?” Qiao Yitong looked up and saw her own reflection in Murong Yuchen’s eyes; he was gazing at her with such sincerity.