Chapter 23

This scene felt quite familiar to Jiang Muti, in her past life, many self-important rich second-generation heirs had done the same in front of her.

However, their motives were different from Zhou Lu’s. For someone like her, who preferred a soft approach and was used to others lowering their stance to please her, the level of irritation was about the same.

She didn’t acknowledge him, ignoring his attempts to stop her and Yun Duo as they tried to leave. But just a few steps later, they were blocked again.

Jiang Muti frowned. “Is this how your family teaches you to harass ladies outside?”

Zhou Lu was momentarily speechless. He had never received such an evaluation before. Among his peers, he was quite popular, and no matter how forceful or unreasonable he was, he always received admiration.

Now, however, she was making him seem like a troublesome, unreasonable rogue. But it was clear that one or two words wouldn’t make him back down.

He sneered. “Your family didn’t teach you how to behave with grace and dignity in public either.”

As the daughter of a wealthy family, Jiang Muti had caused quite a stir both on and off campus. In recent conflicts he had encountered, she seemed to be involved in every one of them.

Jiang Muti, hearing his words, saw that he wasn’t going to back down. She shrugged.

“Fine, let’s talk then. But first, did you bring your quick-acting heart medicine and blood pressure pills? If you didn’t, I’ll suspect you’re deliberately trying to find trouble with me.”

Zhou Lu almost choked in frustration, gritting his teeth. “Just get in already!”

Jiang Muti had Yun Duo head back to their car while she got into Zhou Lu’s car.

Yun Duo wasn’t worried. It was broad daylight, and even though Zhou Lu was far from perfect, he would never lay a hand on a girl. As for verbal sparring…

Well, there was no need to overthink it.

Once they left the campus, Zhou Lu spoke. “I remember last semester, you and Qiao Yuqi couldn’t stand each other. Who knew that after just one summer, not only have you reconciled, but it looks like your friendship is quite strong.”

He glanced at her with a half-smile. “It really goes to show that life is unpredictable.”

“That’s not quite accurate,” Jiang Muti said casually. “After all, that’s an exception. It’s more about chance and coincidence. Take you, for example. I used to dislike you, but now I still dislike you, don’t I?”

Zhou Lu took a deep breath, forcing himself not to get distracted by her words. She had always been this way—talking back without any purpose. Was it worth getting upset over something so trivial?

He struggled to maintain his patience, feeling a rare sense of regret. “It’s a shame. I really thought we could turn enemies into friends.”

Jiang Muti, ever patient, watched him meander around the topic without ever getting to the point. He clearly lacked the patience and skill for this, yet still insisted on trying.

Zhou Lu, unable to tolerate her gaze, felt more irritated by her silent stare than her words. Even though she hadn’t said a thing, her presence alone made him feel restless.

He decided to throw aside his rehearsed speech and speak freely. “I asked a few friends and found out that a large part of Qiao Yuqi’s current opportunities and resources is thanks to you.”

“So?” Jiang Muti refused to engage, instead offering an ambiguous compliment. “Now that you mention it, Qiao Yuqi really does have you to thank for his success.”

Zhou Lu, despite being certain she was trying to lead him astray, couldn’t help but ask, “Thank you? For what?”

“He should thank you for your indifference,” Jiang Muti replied with a smile. “As a rival, that’s the best attitude to have.”

“If it weren’t for that, with just one word from you, Young Master Zhou, even with my introduction in the middle, his path wouldn’t have been so smooth, right?”

“To be honest, you’ve handled this with a lot of grace, which surprised me.”

Zhou Lu really didn’t expect to be praised after being on guard for so long. This was completely unexpected given her usual attitude of looking down on him.

It was probably such a big contrast that Zhou Lu felt, strangely, and a bit flattered—

But it was quickly cut off, and he wasn’t the type of person who was easily swayed by compliments.

Still, he couldn’t help but smirk, “Hmph! Of course. With his position, I could do anything and he’d consider it bullying. But, as for trivial matters, I won’t stoop to such low levels.”

Ah! Another idiot. Jiang Muti smiled sweetly, but inside she was already feeling a little speechless.

Admittedly, Zhou Lu, being trained as an heir, probably had talents and qualities that far surpassed hers when it came to serving the family.

After all, in her past life, her wealth was managed by a trusted fund manager, and she had never considered pursuing this kind of work herself.

But when it came to social dynamics, this guy was painfully clueless, though that did fit his character and the logic of the original story.

In just a few words, he had already lowered his guard and let go of his defensive attitude.

At that point, Jiang Muti said, “So, you’re looking for me to talk about Qiao Yuqi? Just to be clear, while I did help him, I’m not interested in his personal information. I probably know less about it than you do.”

Zhou Lu replied, “I’m not interested in his business. I’m just happy to see his development.”

Achieving his dreams, becoming successful, and turning into a star inevitably meant separating from his current social circle, flying all over the world, and ideally disappearing from their view.

But there was still more than half a year until graduation, and Zhou Lu had a strong intuition that he couldn’t let Li Xi and Qiao Yuqi maintain their old relationship. So, he needed an opportunity to break the comfortable balance they had maintained for over ten years.

In his mind, Jiang Muti was the perfect candidate.

She liked Qiao Yuqi, had helped him, and had become so beautiful. For someone like Qiao Yuqi, who was skilled at weighing the pros and cons, it was clear how rare a choice this was.

Since the start of this semester, their relationship had visibly improved, and Zhou Lu thought Jiang Muti still had feelings for Qiao Yuqi. The tension from last semester was likely just frustration from a wounded pride.

Otherwise, how could she have been there to protect him on his road to fame? Whether it was based on sound judgment or sincere gratitude, the situation was clearly in his favor now.

Zhou Lu believed that with just a little push from him, everything would fall into place.

So, he said directly, “I just think you two shouldn’t remain so distant.”

When Jiang Muti looked over, Zhou Lu, who was never good at analyzing such things, braced himself and continued, “I’m a man, so I understand how men act towards girls they care about.”

“Although he’s not particularly warm, you need to realize, the person who can get him to instinctively share his joy of success with them holds a very special place in his heart.”

“If it wasn’t someone he thought about every day, he wouldn’t be so eager. So, even though I understand you two had some unpleasantness last semester, and your pride as a girl might make it hard to take that first step again…”

“But you have to think about it—everything is different now. You’ve become a better version of yourself, and he can’t possibly be unaware of his own feelings. If you just give a little signal…”

The rest didn’t need to be said more clearly, but Jiang Muti couldn’t help but roll her eyes in her mind.

Although she hadn’t expected this guy to react so quickly to his girlfriend’s indecisiveness, gradually, as he began to show his cards, she could almost guess what he was thinking.

If she were still the original person, or if she had even the slightest romantic interest in Qiao Yuqi, she might have been tempted to read more into his words.

But now, Jiang Muti could only feel pity for his terribly inadequate and presumptuous way of trying to persuade her.

As for her, she really didn’t want to get involved in this emotional tangle between the three of them. But, from time to time, due to some unexpected situations, and since she wasn’t the type to back down or let things slide, she kept getting dragged into it.

Now, with her complicated relationship with Qiao Yuqi, she had unexpectedly become a catalyst for their conflicting emotions.

The entire situation was something Jiang Muti could figure out with a quick thought.

However, a normal person who truly wanted to keep their distance and protect themselves would have explained things clearly and then distanced themselves, severing any connection.

But who was Jiang Muti? A weirdo who loved stirring up trouble whenever she was in a bad mood, especially when the trouble was right in front of her.

She didn’t have any personal grudge against him, but Zhou Lu, this idiot, wanted to use her to his advantage—if she tangled with Qiao Yuqi, he could rest easy, right?

In reality, if she really pursued Qiao Yuqi again, he definitely wouldn’t have the same courage to reject her as he did before.

Forget about Qiao Yuqi’s ambiguous feelings—looking at his current situation, while his talent and abilities certainly played a role in his success, his smooth journey was undeniably linked to her.

If she were to offend her now, his future wouldn’t be easy. So, she understood Zhou Lu’s intentions.

At this point, if she confessed, even if Qiao Yuqi didn’t happily accept, he wouldn’t be able to reject her. Once that guy had someone else, even if Li Xi, his childhood friend, was still conflicted, she was the type of girl who had her emotional boundaries. Their feelings would likely no longer get tangled up.

The plan seemed well thought out, but if she had any intention to follow through, it would be a win-win. If not, it would only leave her feeling unpleasantly manipulated by this idiot.

Jiang Muti didn’t rush to, as usual, crush him with her sharp words. Instead, a malicious gleam flashed in her eyes.

Then, she put on an unbelievably angry expression and exclaimed, “Oh—now I get it. I saw Li Xi getting emotional today. She must be feeling very confused and conflicted, even possibly reconsidering her feelings.”

“So you realized the crisis and want to use me to clear your path, right?”

Zhou Lu opened his mouth. Isn’t it typical that people in love are blind? Why was this girl still thinking about his motives when she was right there within his reach?

The most embarrassing thing was that she guessed it right. Zhou Lu wasn’t exactly good at these things, and he had already done well by his usual standards.

Seeing that the situation was exposed, he awkwardly muttered, “No, that’s not it, even if—”

Jiang Muti didn’t let him finish and interrupted, “You know, even though I’ve hated you in the past, there’s one thing I do acknowledge—you still have the courage and responsibility that a man should have.”

“I clearly misunderstood. You’re really just a boy who avoids responsibility and tries to cover up everything.”

“Who are you calling a boy?” Zhou Lu furrowed his brows.

To his surprise, Jiang Muti was even more agitated than him. “Isn’t it true? When your girlfriend is feeling unsettled and confused, shouldn’t the man immediately reflect on what he’s done wrong?”

“Even if you push Qiao Yuqi away, so what? The issues you two have will still be there.”

Zhou Lu was also angry. Actually, these weren’t things that should have been discussed with her, but the atmosphere had shifted, and now that everything had been revealed, it seemed like it was time to give up and throw caution to the wind.

Through gritted teeth, Zhou Lu said, “What can I do? That bastard has been her childhood friend for over ten years. During the time I wasn’t involved, whenever they’re close, something is bound to come up.”

As soon as Jiang Muti saw he took the bait, she immediately said, “So this is the reason you came up with for yourself? Since the girl chose you, it means you’ve really touched her heart.”

“I understand that if a girl has someone who’s been pampering and protecting her since she was young, her expectations for her boyfriend will naturally be higher. But can you say it’s your girlfriend’s fault for having such high expectations? Can’t you meet her needs?”

“So, what should I do? Am I not good enough for her?” Zhou Lu said, getting agitated. “I even brought her home—”

“Oh, you brought her home? Are you serious?” Jiang Muti looked at him as if he were an idiot.

“This is the crux of the problem. Don’t you get it, you fool?”

“You think you’re making an effort by integrating her into your world, but all you’ve done is make her feel insecure. What’s your family like? And from what position did she come to you at first? My God, as a girl, I can hardly imagine the situation she was in, it’s unbearable.”

“If she hadn’t faced the reality of your family’s situation, she might not have thought too far ahead, but now, with your half-hearted gestures and no real commitment, all you’re doing is making her feel even more insecure about this relationship.”

“And then she have a childhood friend living across the street who’s always there to listen to her. What would you do if you were her?”

Zhou Lu furrowed his brows, replaying her words in his mind. He had to admit that girls really did understand other girls better, and he suddenly felt enlightened.

At this point, Zhou Lu completely forgot about their previous positions, let alone his original intention to get her to entangle herself with Qiao Yuqi. All of that was pushed out of his mind.

He quickly asked, “So, what should I do?”

“Propose to her!” Jiang Muti replied.

The air in the car suddenly froze for a moment. Zhou Lu initially thought he had heard wrong, but seeing her calm demeanor, he realized that this crazy suggestion was made without a second thought.

“You—did you just tell me to propose?” Zhou Lu’s heart raced. “I’m still in high school!”

Jiang Muti sneered, “You say it like getting engaged in high school is such a rare thing in our circle.”

“Safety for a girl—what’s more reliable than promising her a future? That’ll show her you’re serious about the future, not just some fleeting dream from your youth.”

“Besides, getting her to strongly identify with being your girlfriend, even your fiancée, is better than setting her up with some girl for her childhood friend. In the end, the key issue is with Li Xi. If she’s decided on you, nothing Qiao Yuqi does will matter, and besides, he’s so busy right now.”

Zhou Lu was actually somewhat convinced, though he still felt it was too fast.

He then heard Jiang Muti continue, “But you better think it through. Given your family’s situation, it’ll probably be hard to get their approval at first. This is a long-term battle, so it’s better to face it early.”

“Or maybe, you just want to have fun with her while you’re in school? Then after graduation, you’ll end up with the girl your family chose for you, and you never really thought about these things?”

Could a hot-blooded young man really be provoked like this?

Zhou Lu waved his hand, “Don’t worry about it. I know my own business.”

Seeing him get all defensive again, Jiang Muti didn’t push further. After all, this idiot had already fallen for it.

By the time they arrived at the Jiang family home, the two cars parked one after the other. Just before Jiang Muti got out of the car, Zhou Lu, still trying to keep his composure, said, “Hmm, I’ve realized you’re actually quite sensible.”

Jiang Muti smiled, “You’re welcome. I’ll be waiting for your good news.”

She then got out of the car, and for the first time, the two of them parted ways peacefully.

When Yun Duo, who had just gotten out of the car behind, saw the situation, she watched the car disappear from view and remarked, quite oddly, “You can actually talk so calmly with that guy the whole way?”

Jiang Muti replied, “No, idiots should have it rough. But out of humanitarianism, I won’t be mean and mock him anymore.”

Yun Duo didn’t quite understand but had a strong feeling that Zhou Lu was going to be in trouble.

Of course, Jiang Muti had no good intentions—though it couldn’t be said like that. In the original story, the main couple faced family opposition, and she just made them confront this difficulty early on.

As for if Zhou Lu chose to have an honest talk with his family, he would definitely get scolded. In a way, she had set the stage for herself today.

^[1]Thinking he could get her to count his money? He should be ready to be sold out himself. “帮别人数钱还被卖了”, which means “helping someone count their money while being sold out by … Continue readingThinking he could get her to count his money? He should be ready to be sold out himself.

At this point, Jiang Muti didn’t know that the events of today would lead to certain results, and she would also be involved.

However, she was in a good mood, having gotten over the conflict with her brother. She was already thinking about making soup for him when she got home.

Since Jiang Yunjuan hadn’t returned yet, and Yun Cheng always came back later because of training, Jiang Muti decided to go to the kitchen with Yun Duo to make food.

On the way, they ran into Butler Yun coming in from outside. Seeing them laughing and joking, he casually asked.

But Jiang Muti couldn’t tell if it was because she was being overly sensitive or what, but although Butler Yun’s expression and demeanor were as usual, she could clearly sense that he seemed to be in a bad mood.

With so many years of experience, there was nothing in the mansion that could easily make him uneasy.

So, while handling the ingredients, Jiang Muti reminded Yun Duo, “Your dad seems to have something on his mind. Bring him some of the soup later and give him a shoulder massage to cheer him up. And tell your brother not to be so foolish when he comes back.”

Yun Duo had noticed as well and nodded in agreement.

After they finished cooking, Yun Cheng came back, riding in Ji Feishi’s car.

But what was rare today was that Ji Feishi also came in with him. Both were wearing their school uniforms, just having finished training and fresh from their showers, their hair still damp.

This made the two distinct, handsome guys look even more youthful and charming. Even though they had seen each other many times, when they walked in, it still felt like a breath of fresh air.

Speaking of which, after visiting the school for the friendly match, she hadn’t seen Ji Feishi again, had it been almost a month?

Jiang Muti was still happy, “You actually decided to come in and visit? I’m honored!”

Ji Feishi ignored her teasing and said nonchalantly, “Nothing special. I just suddenly thought that after passing by so many times, it would be impolite not to stop by.”

Yun Cheng looked at him in confusion. It had been two years, and only now did he think it was impolite?

Jiang Muti shrugged, “Alright then, we’ve made plenty of dishes. Stay for a simple meal, and I’ll introduce you to your friend’s two brothers.”

Seeing that things were going so smoothly, Ji Feishi nodded with a pleasant expression, not realizing that he and Yun Cheng were being played.

He took out his phone and said, “I just realized, after knowing each other for so long, we don’t have contact information. Let’s exchange, in case something comes up.”

Yun Cheng was about to say that didn’t he already have her phone number, why go all the way here just for that.

But just then, Jiang Yunjuan walked in through the door.

At this moment, Jiang Yunjuan was a little dazed. What was going on?

Why, when he came back home, did he see some brat asking for his sister’s phone number in front of him?