Lin Xitian, having just been playful with Old Master Zhan, turned around and saw Ning Qiuxui, and was momentarily surprised.

She said, “Oh, we have a guest?”

“Not really a guest,” Old Master Zhan replied. “Qiuxui has been staying with us recently.”

— As for Ning Qiuxiu and Zhan Qingyue’s relationship, Old Master Zhan had kept it a secret outside the family, even from Lin Xitian, his beloved granddaughter.

Especially with an outsider present.

“Oh? Is that so…?” Lin Xitian winked at Ning Qiuxui. “Are you going to become a little sister-in-law soon?”

“…” Ning Qiuxui smiled and said, “Not really. Your second brother already has a girlfriend.”

This surprised both Lin Xitian and Jia Qing.

Lin Xitian turned to Old Master Zhan and asked, “Really? My second brother actually has a girlfriend, and I didn’t know about it?”

Old Master Zhan nodded with a smile.

“So Qiuxiu isn’t…?” Lin Xitian blinked and looked at Ning Qiuxui with sympathy, clearly aware of Ning Qiuxui’s past feelings for Zhan Qingyuan.

“No, I’ve moved on,” Ning Qiuxui said, sensing that Lin Xitian might have imagined a dramatic unrequited love story.

She quickly clarified, “I have someone else I’m interested in now.”

“Ah? Is that so?” Lin Xitian was confused. “So soon?”

“Stop standing around and come sit down,” Old Master Zhan interrupted, inviting them to sit.

He then told the butler, “Call Qingyuan and let him know that Xitian is here, and ask him to come back for lunch.”

Lin Xitian added, “If possible, bring the future second sister-in-law too. I haven’t met her yet.”

The butler responded, “Alright.”

After chatting for a while, Lin Xitian suggested visiting her older cousin.

Old Master Zhan told Ning Qiuxui, “Then Qiuxiu, please take them upstairs.”

Ning Qiuxiu said, “Okay.”

Lin Xitian was a bit puzzled as to why her grandfather was so familiar with Ning Qiuxiu, asking her to take them instead of a servant.

She guessed it was because Ning Qiuxiu was familiar with the house, and her grandfather naturally liked the younger generation, so she didn’t think too much about it.

The three of them arrived at Zhan Qingyue’s bedroom door.

Lin Xitian said to Jia Qing, “You haven’t seen my older cousin in a long time, right? Are you excited?”

Jia Qing nodded, her face instantly flushing. “Not really.”

Ning Qiuxiu found her shy demeanor a bit annoying.

Jia Qing’s feelings had changed long ago, but she was still pretending.

Tch!

“No need to be so reserved, there’s no one else here,” Lin Xitian said, patting her shoulder. “I wonder when my cousin will wake up. If he knew you had been waiting for him so devotedly for almost two years, he’d be incredibly moved.”

“Mr. Zhan is a good person; he will wake up.”

Ning Qiuxiu suppressed her inner displeasure and listened to their conversation without showing any emotion.

She opened the door to let them in, saying, “Speaking of which, a fortune teller came to the house a while ago and did a reading for Mr. Zhan. He said that to wake him up, we might try having a wedding.”

Lin Xitian’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

“Yeah.” Ning Qiuxiu led them to Zhan Qingyue’s bedside.

He was resting peacefully, with an IV drip.

The sunlight streaming in made the room bright, highlighting Zhan Qingyue’s fair skin and clear features.

Ning Qiuxiu’s mind wandered to the intimate position they were in when she woke up this morning, making her blush slightly.

She quickly averted her eyes.

She glanced at Jia Qing and said, “But you know, you can’t take a fortune teller’s words as gospel. No girl would marry a vegetative person just because of a fortune teller’s suggestion, right?”

Lin Xitian said, “That’s true. We can’t risk ruining a girl’s life for something so uncertain. If word got out, it would ruin our family’s reputation. Hey, Qiuxiu, you wouldn’t be thinking…”

Jia Qing smiled bitterly and said, “Mr. Zhan never liked me. How could I take advantage of his situation?”

Ning Qiuxiu mischievously said, “That’s not certain. Just like Miss Lin said, if Mr. Zhan wakes up and knows you’ve waited for him all these years, he’d definitely be moved. Especially since you’ve helped him wake up, it’s like you saved his life, so he’d naturally want to repay you.”

“…” Jia Qing’s expression changed, and she was momentarily at a loss for words.

She did like Zhan Qingyue and was even willing to wait for him to wake up, but so much time had passed and the doctors said he had almost no chance of waking up.

She wasn’t willing to marry him just because of a fortune-telling prediction.

If Zhan Qingyue never woke up, wouldn’t her whole life be ruined?

She didn’t have that kind of sacrificial spirit.

Besides, she liked the outstanding, exalted Zhan Qingyue, not the man lying in bed, unable to take care of himself.

She liked the Zhan Qingyue who was in the limelight, like a dazzling star she could look up to.

Lin Xitian quickly said, “Qiuxui, stop teasing her. If she takes it seriously, it won’t be good. You know how much she likes my older cousin.”

Lin Xitian, being younger and more innocent, didn’t realize Ning Qiuxui had already figured out Jia Qing’s thoughts from her expression.

Ning Qiuxiu thought to herself that Jia Qing didn’t have such a sacrificial spirit.

However, Ning Qiuxui didn’t expose her; after all, it’s natural for people to prefer a good match.

Jia Qing wasn’t wrong in herself; Ning Qiuxui was just annoyed that Jia Qing, having clearly moved on, still acted like she had deep feelings for Zhan Qingyue.

She couldn’t help but tease her a bit, while still smiling and saying, “Well, if my loved one became a vegetative state and needed a cure, I’d marry him without a second thought. Otherwise, how could it be called love, right?”

Jia Qing: “……”

---

At noon, Zhan Qingyuan indeed came for lunch with Ji Weiliang.

The two seemed to have forgotten about last night’s unpleasantness.

It was unclear if they had temporarily reconciled or if Ji Weiliang had just come to terms with things.

Zhan Qingyuan, dressed in a well-tailored suit, looked handsome and commanding.

As usual, his demeanor reflected his position of authority, making him striking and impressive.

His appearance was enough to captivate many.

Seeing him in such a suit reminded Ning Qiuxui of Zhan Qingyue’s collection of serious and casual suits.

Ning Qiuxiu thought to herself that Zhan Qingyue would definitely look better and more dashing in a suit. “Hmph, just wait and see!”

“Wow, second cousin, you look so handsome in a suit, all dapper and refined,” Lin Xitian said with a giggle.

Zhan Qingyuan gave her a light slap on the head. “Watch how you talk.”

“It’s true! Ever since something happened to our older cousin, you’ve changed so much, I barely recognize you anymore. Right, Qingqing?”

Jia Qing smiled at Zhan Qingyuan and greeted him, “Hello, Second Young Master Zhan.”

“Miss Jia is here too,” Zhan Qingyuan nodded politely to her, then glanced at Ning Qiuxiu. “Here to see my brother?”

“I haven’t been here for a while, so I came with Xitian to visit,” Jia Qing indirectly denied Zhan Qingyuan’s implication.

Ning Qiuxiu found this amusing.

It was clear that Zhan Qingyuan was trying to provoke her a bit, though he himself was now exuding charm and perfectly fitting Jia Qing’s dream man image.

Her feelings for him were clearly growing.

Zhan Qingyuan, however, didn’t think much of it.

He just assumed Jia Qing was too shy to admit it.

He then introduced Ji Weiliang to them.

After sitting for a while, the butler informed them that the meal was ready and invited them to eat.

Old Master Zhan loved having a lively group around, especially when it was filled with young people.

He smiled so broadly that his eyes were nearly shut and encouraged everyone to make themselves at home.

He even asked the butler to bring out his cherished vintage wine.

“Mr. Zhan, the second young master and the others have work in the afternoon. We should just have some juice; it’s the thought that counts. No need to go all out,” Jia Qing quickly suggested.

“That’s true,” Old Master Zhan nodded, finding her point reasonable. “You’re very considerate, Xiao Qing.”

Jia Qing smiled modestly. “It’s nothing, really. I’ve been helping out at my dad’s company recently and encountered similar situations, so I’m aware of these things.”

“Oh?” Old Master Zhan turned to her. “Your father is starting to train his successor?”

Jia Qing, being an only child, was indeed the future heir of their family’s business.

She replied bashfully, “I don’t really feel worthy of being called a successor. I studied psychology in college, so I’m quite clueless about business. My dad has little patience to teach me. I really admire the second young master. In just over a year, he’s managed to take over such a big company. Even if I had three years, I wouldn’t understand it all.”

“It’s just because of the situation,” Zhan Qingyuan said calmly, thoughtfully moving the dishes Ji Weiliang liked in front of her and added, “You like this, so eat more.”

Ji Weiliang nodded and obediently picked up a piece with her chopsticks.

Ning Qiuxiu, who knew the background, watched their interaction and struggled to hold back her laughter, almost burying her head in her bowl.

After a while, Jia Qing said, “There are quite a few things I don’t understand about management. Since you’re experienced, could you give me some advice? I’m really afraid of those issues.”

Ji Weiliang, who was eating, paused, and her expression clearly darkened.

Anyone would be sensitive if their boyfriend was asked by a girl of similar age to help her.

“I’m afraid I can’t be of much help,” Zhan Qingyuan, maintaining his integrity, politely declined.

If he agreed, readers would be furious with him for being a scoundrel.

Jia Qing quickly said, “It’s okay. I’ll just ask occasionally. If you’re busy, I can send emails, and you can review them when you have time and give me some guidance.”

Ji Weiliang: “……”

Ning Qiuxiu qtried to hold back her laughter, thinking Ji Weiliang might throw down her chopsticks and leave any moment.

Jia Qing was always enthusiastic and bold in matters of affection, clearly showing her intentions, which anyone could notice.

Ji Weiliang had definitely picked up on this.

There are so many managers out there, and Jia Qing’s company surely has other excellent CEOs or COOs to consult.

To insist on asking Zhan Qingyuan was clearly obvious.

Lin Xitian wasn’t as sensitive to romantic matters.

She spoke up for her friend, “Second cousin, just help Jia Qing. It’s not like it’ll cost you a lot. Do you need to charge a fee to teach her?”

Zhan Qingyuan said sternly, “…Just eat your food!”

Ji Weiliang, having had enough of the awkwardness, put down her chopsticks and stood up politely. “I’ve had enough. You all continue.”

With that, she left the table, and Zhan Qingyuan, looking displeased, put down his chopsticks and went after her.

Lin Xitian, still bewildered, watched them leave and commented, “Is our future second cousin-in-law on a diet? She ate so little.”

Old Master Zhan took it all in and shook his head. “Ah, young people these days. Qiuxiu, don’t get involved in their drama. Just eat well. Xitian, stop staring and eat your food too.”

Ning Qiuxiu laughed and said, “Alright.”