Wrong Person

“Thank you, Auntie!”

Jiang Xiao helped distribute desserts to the children, stifling a light yawn, looking a little bored.

There was no dazzling debut as she had imagined, nor the intrigues found in glamorous tales of wealthy families. Everything before her was tranquil and serene, quietly content.

“Are you sleepy? Come and sit down.”

A few steps away, surrounded by flowers, Zhou Qishen gestured with an empty hand towards the empty seat beside him. In this scene, he seemed to be placed within a Western oil painting, quite pleasing to the eye.

Jiang Xiao, momentarily dazzled by his handsome appearance, sat down without hesitation, leaning her head against the cushion. “When will your brothers and sisters be back?” she asked casually.

Zhou Qishen gently pulled her head towards his shoulder and calmly explained, “My third sister and fourth sister are abroad. Today, only my eldest brother and second brother’s family are here.”

He then asked, “How did yesterday’s discussion go?”

His words reminded Jiang Xiao of her confirmed cooperation with Omega, which would undoubtedly enhance her fashion resources. She couldn’t help but smile. “It went quite well.”

At that moment, there was a commotion nearby. Jiang Xiao looked up and saw a group of over a dozen people approaching, men and women in their forties and fifties, comfortably dressed in sportswear, all with outstanding looks and temperament.

The younger generation, who had been relaxed until then, stood up together to greet the elders.

Following Zhou Qishen’s lead, Jiang Xiao stood up and, with his unhurried introductions, got a rough idea of who these people were. Many of them looked familiar, prominent figures from various industries, each worthy of a news column on their own.

Su Miwan, who was walking in front of the crowd, fixed her eyes on Jiang Xiao and looked carefully at the daughter-in-law in front of her. Her appearance, height, and figure matched her son’s. As for her son’s character, she still believed in his judgment, so she became more and more satisfied the more she looked at her.

After saying hello, Wang Shuyi hugged her daughter-in-law and couldn’t help but start a new topic: “When did you find a girlfriend? You kept it a secret.”

“Not long ago.” Zhou Qishen’s eyes were deep, and he continued in a calm tone: “She is not my girlfriend. We are married. She is my wife.”

The first half of his sentence startled everyone, and the second half left them even more surprised. Silence filled the air, expressions varied on each face.

Jiang Xiao hadn’t expected Zhou Qishen to be so straightforward. As she looked up, she suddenly met a pair of narrow and icy eyes. Though brief, she caught the surprise and complexity in his eyes, her eyelashes fluttering, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Su Miwan came back to her senses from her shock. She didn’t expect that what Zhou Qishen meant by “arrangements have been made” was to get the certificate quietly.

“Let’s go inside. Dinner should be ready soon,” Su Miwan broke the silence with a smile. Then she directed Zhou Qishen, “Xiaoshen, go to the study and call your father down for dinner. Xiaoxiao, since it’s your first time here, I’ll take you for a stroll.”

Su Miwan smiled so much that the fine lines at the corners of her eyes gathered together. She walked over and put her arm affectionately around Jiang Xiao, then took her away from everyone else and walked towards the house.

Jiang Xiao stiffened slightly, instinctively looking in Zhou Qishen’s direction. Seeing him nod towards her, she relaxed slightly. Compared to dealing with the elders, being alone with this seemingly kind aunt felt more comfortable.

The Zhou family mansion had a total of six floors: the first for receiving guests and dining, the second for daily leisure areas like tea rooms, cinemas, and gyms, the third filled with valuable antiques and collectibles, the fourth for the grandchildren, the fifth for the adults, and the entire sixth floor was Zhou Zhengkang and Su Miwan’s residence.

“Xiaoshen’s room is on the fifth floor. I have asked someone to clean it up again.”Su Miwan mentioned briefly as they climbed the stairs to the second floor. Turning to see the young girl beside her still tense, she softened her voice, “Everyone in our family is reasonable and easy to get along with. We won’t play any difficult games. You don’t need to worry.”

“Yeah, I know, but I’m a bit nervous,” Jiang Xiao said, suddenly lifting her eyes and touching her hot cheeks.

Su Miwan covered her mouth with her hand, mysteriously whispering, “I’m not afraid to tell you this, but I’m actually quite nervous too. After all, this is Xiaoshen’s first time bringing a girl home, and I’m afraid I won’t perform well in front of you.”

Jiang Xiao couldn’t help but laugh at her cute response, feeling a lot more relaxed.

Seeing this, Su Miwan continued, “I heard from Tian Tian that you’re an actress. I don’t pay much attention to the entertainment industry… I remember our eldest son’s youngest son is also an actor. Do you know each other? Oh, right, you just met him, Zhou Wenting, tall and handsome.”

Jiang Xiao hesitated for a moment, her eyelashes trembling slightly as she vaguely replied, “We’ve met, but we’re not very familiar.”

Su Miwan thought about it. Although they were in the same circle, it didn’t mean they were all friends. So she didn’t ask further and changed the topic, “You and Xiaoshen kept everything about your relationship very tight. He didn’t tell me anything, and he didn’t let me ask too much, but as a mother, I’m really curious…”

Walking around the house was just an excuse. Su Miwan’s real intention was to spend more time with Jiang Xiao and subtly inquire about things she couldn’t learn from Zhou Qishen.

Facing her straightforward gaze, Jiang Xiao felt great pressure for a moment but could only pull her lips and obediently promise, “I don’t know what Auntie wants to ask?”

Su Miwan glanced at her, and jokingly said, “You’re already married. Why are you still calling me auntie?”

Jiang Xiao choked up, not knowing what to say for a moment, and a hint of shyness flickered in her anxious eyes.

Su Miwan couldn’t help but admire the advantages of being young, but she also knew that if she joked too much, Zhou Qishen would definitely be upset with her. So she didn’t tease further and quickly changed the subject, “How long have you known each other? And when did you get the certificate?”

Jiang Xiao had prepared herself mentally before coming, these questions were bound to be asked. She chose to tell the truth, “We…we had a flash marriage. We only knew each other for a few months, and we got the marriage certificate about a month ago.”

This answer actually isn’t very good, as in the eyes of many elders, marriage is a major life decision that requires careful consideration. Flash marriages are definitely not seen as a rational choice. Moreover, they got the certificate before informing anyone, which for many elders, is quite controversial.

Jiang Xiao had prepared herself to face Su Miwan’s disapproval, but unexpectedly, Su Miwan’s mindset was more open-minded than she had anticipated, and her level of acceptance was high. In such a situation, Jiang Xiao could even laugh about it: “It seems like you young people are brave, daring to love and hate, deciding to marry just like that…”

As Su Miwan spoke, she suddenly paused, then continued with a hint of excitement in her tone: “Although it might be a bit offensive, I have to ask, Xiaoxiao, you’re not pregnant, are you?”

Upon hearing the question, Jiang Xiao’s face immediately flushed red, shaking her head frantically. “No… no!”

“No,” Su Miwan visibly sighed, looking disappointed. However, her disappointment didn’t last long before another emotion took over. “Since you’ve got the certificate, what about the wedding? Has Xiaoshen mentioned when you’ll have it?”

Startled by her rapid change in mood, Jiang Xiao stuttered in response, “Not… not yet.”

“Not yet?! How could that irresponsible brat…,” Su Miwan’s voice suddenly rose, surprised that Zhou Qishen, who was usually thorough in everything, would drop the ball on such an important matter.

For the heirs of their Zhou family, a wedding must be grand and well-prepared. Excluding unforeseen circumstances, at least half a year of preparation time was necessary. If they didn’t discuss it now, then when?

Su Miwan wanted to say more, but when she looked up and caught Jiang Xiao’s slightly surprised gaze, she struggled to find the right words and ultimately controlled her emotions.

After careful consideration, Su Miwan softened her tone and said, “I’m sorry for the inconvenience. It’s our fault for not handling this well. I’ll talk to Xiaoshen about the wedding and make sure we set a date as soon as possible.”

Meeting Jiang Xiao’s gaze, filled with apologies, she reluctantly spoke up, “Can we skip the wedding?”

“Skip the wedding? How can that be?” Su Miwan didn’t quite understand.

“I feel like as long as we’re together, that’s enough for me. Whether we have a wedding or not doesn’t matter to me.”

To be precise, a wedding was not in Jiang Xiao’s plans at all. Her initial idea was to ride out the wave of attention and end this relationship. If that’s the case, why waste time and energy on some trivial matters?

But as she thought about it, she felt a strong sense of unease. She inexplicably recalled the day in the car when Zhou Qishen told her, “It’s not up to you to decide when this ends.”

Before she could fully grasp the deeper meaning behind his words, Su Miwan’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “I respect your decision, but I still need to talk to Xiaoshen about it. Whether or not to have a wedding in the end will be up to the two of you.”

Su Miwan was a reasonable elder, easy to talk to, and pleasant to be around. Perhaps sensing Jiang Xiao’s hesitance, she didn’t pry further into the couple’s private affairs but earnestly began introducing the layout and furnishings of the house.

As they reached the fifth floor, nearing Zhou Qishen’s room, Su Miwan received a phone call and asked Jiang Xiao to wait in the room first while she attended to the call.

Following Su Miwan’s instructions, Jiang Xiao walked along the left corridor towards the end. Just as she was about to reach it, she spotted a familiar figure coming out from a side room.

Jiang Xiao’s face lit up, instinctively picked up her pace and taking a few quick steps towards him. “Zhou Qishen, what are you doing here?”

Shouldn’t he be looking for his father? How could he be here so soon?

But perhaps her voice was too soft, he didn’t react at first. It wasn’t until she raised her volume that he turned his head. However, the face that met her wasn’t Zhou Qishen’s.

Jiang Xiao halted in her tracks, locking eyes with the person in front of her. After a moment, a slight smile curving her lips disappeared.

“Zhou Wenting, why are you here?”

Zhou Wenting had changed out of his black sportswear and into a suit that matched Zhou Qishen’s color scheme. His hair was no longer as sleek as when they first met; instead, it was styled with more formality and precision.

Despite being related, Zhou Wenting’s profile bore some resemblance to Zhou Qishen’s, but their frontal views were completely different. Nevertheless, their stature and height were equally impressive, making them seem like they were cut from the same mold even from a distance.