Chapter 10: Creating Anxiety

At the Jiang family’s old mansion.

Jiang Jingchu was lying in a wicker chair, eyes closed.  He felt a tap on his forehead.

Opening his eyes, he saw his grandmother’s angry face.

“You haven’t been back for a month! You come here to laze around.”

Jiang Jingchu stretched and sat up, his sleepy eyes slightly mischievous.

“I saw you were resting, so I didn’t want to disturb you.”

“You still have some filial piety.”

The grandmother chuckled, tapping his head, then sighing.

“Been busy with work lately? You seem thinner.”

“Thinner?”

Jiang Jingchu pretended to examine his face.

“Does that mean I’m even more handsome?”

The grandmother glared at him.

“You’re about to get married, and you still act like this.”

Jiang Jingchu’s smile vanished.  His grandmother noticed.

She turned to the maid.

“The soup for Jingchu? Bring it over. I’ll make sure he finishes it.”

After the maid left, she looked back at Jiang Jingchu.

“Why didn’t you bring Jingya back today?”

Jiang Jingchu hummed.

“She’s not my wife yet. Why would I bring her back?”

His grandmother frowned.

“You’re engaged.  You should visit more often.”

Jiang Jingchu smiled, looking at the sky.  After a while, he said,

“Grandma, when can people truly live as they please?”

The grandmother was startled, remembering how he had almost lost his life five years ago for that woman.

“What’s wrong?  Are you not getting along with Jingya?”

Jiang Jingchu shook his head.

“Nothing’s wrong.”

They hadn’t even properly dated.

The grandmother relaxed.

“She’s a good girl, gentle and considerate.  You two are a good match.”

Jiang Jingchu said nothing, stood up after a while.

“I have a business engagement. I’ll come see you and Grandpa next time.”

The grandmother watched him go. After his parents’ divorce, he’d become rebellious, always causing trouble.

Then, in his third year of college, he had a girlfriend and settled down for a few years, before experiencing heartbreak and falling into a slump for two years.

After that, he changed, becoming calm and taking on responsibilities at the company. He’d been dating Jingya for a few years, following his mother’s wishes. They were engaged, about to settle down.

But the grandmother felt uneasy. Things seemed too good to be true.

Just then, the maid approached. The grandmother slapped her thigh.

“Oh, the soup! He’s slipped away again.”

Jiang Jingchu left the mansion, heading to the company. Han Xian called, and he changed course, driving to Ueno.

“Wow, you’re here early.”

Jiang Jingchu thought only Han Xian and Xiangdong would be there. He found a group of people, men and women, some familiar, some not. They greeted him.

“Mr. Jiang.”

Jiang Jingchu nodded casually, noticing Han Xian with a glamorous woman, slightly unsteady on his feet. His gaze shifted slightly, and he sat down.

“What’s going on?”

Xiangdong shook his head.

“You see it too?”

Jiang Jingchu thought, It’s obvious. Since Han Xian started dating Zhou Tiantian, he’d been abstinent.

Han Xian slurred,

“What’s going on? I’m socializing!”

Xiangdong raised his thumb.

“Right. Socializing.

Let’s see how you explain this to Zhou Tiantian.”

When Han Xian heard Zhou Tiantian’s name, his eyes cleared for a moment, then clouded again with alcohol.

“What am I afraid of? She goes out with male colleagues, so why should I be faithful to her?!”

Xiangdong and Jiang Jingchu exchanged glances. He was reacting to Zhou Tiantian.

Jiang Jingchu raised an eyebrow, saying nothing, pouring himself a drink and leaning back.

A woman watched Jiang Jingchu, gathering courage to offer a toast.  He ignored her. Xiangdong smoothly intervened.

“Hey, all the pretty ladies are coming to me, the single guy. Mr. Jiang’s fiancée is strict, so don’t bother.”

Someone asked boldly,

“His fiancée? Ji Jingya?”

Xiangdong didn’t deny it.

“Who else?”

Just then, Jiang Jingchu clicked his tongue. He was tired of hearing Ji Jingya’s name.

He pushed his glass forward impatiently.

“Can’t we talk about something else?”

Xiangdong moved closer.

“What’s wrong?”

Jiang Jingchu glanced at him, lighting a cigarette.

“They’re pressuring me to get married.”

Xiangdong understood, smiling.

“I don’t get it.  No experience.”

His parents were open-minded and didn’t care about social status. He’d always been the most carefree of the group, changing girlfriends frequently, never bringing one home for the holidays.

Jiang Jingchu sneered.

“Sleeping with a new woman every night. Aren’t you afraid of kidney failure?”

“Kidney failure? Who’s got kidney failure?”

Han Xian, who had just returned from the dance floor, sat down next to Jiang Jingchu, looking at Xiangdong in surprise.

“Dongzi, are you having kidney problems?”

Xiangdong glared at him.

“You’re the one with kidney problems!”

Han Xian relaxed, leaning back, laughing drowsily.

“Good. Dongzi, call Zhou Tiantian. Tell her I’m drunk and need a ride.”

Xiangdong chuckled.

“You don’t want her to see these women?”

Han Xian scoffed, raising his arm.

“It’s called creating a little anxiety, a little marital fun.”

Xiangdong: …

Jiang Jingchu: Don’t mess this up.