Chapter 26

Jiang Muti was aware of this plot.

Yes, it was the storyline where the male lead, after revealing his serious attitude towards the relationship, faces his family’s efforts to break them up.

One of those efforts involved finding the male lead a wealthy, well-matched fiancée.

But if the plot followed the original story, this event shouldn’t have happened at this time. It was supposed to take place in the future when the main characters were already adults and had entered society.

Moreover, the marriage partner wouldn’t have been her. After all, without her coming here, the original protagonist wouldn’t have had anything to do with those characters at all.

The true marriage partner was supposed to be the book’s proper female antagonist, who was reportedly hot and sexy. Her family background was also good, and she was the character Jiang Muti had once liked when she first traveled here.

As for the current situation, it was as she had previously said. If viewed from the perspective of the original plot, she had basically completed the transformation from a cannon fodder character to a secondary female lead.

But who the hell cares about this kind of reversal?

She had her own pride and dignity, okay? What was the point of desperately trying to insert herself into the lives of two men who had their hearts set on other girls?

With Jiang Muti’s personality, having been pampered since childhood and being picky, what was the point of being with someone who wasn’t infatuated with her from the heart?

In the midst of her confusion, she blurted out her true thoughts: she only had that single-syllable perception of Zhou Lu.

But her parents were looking at her disapprovingly, so Jiang Muti had to snap back to reality.

To be honest, the awkwardness in relationships was the real problem. Jiang Muti had already integrated into the original character’s identity and even repaired the estranged relationship with her family due to years of self-esteem and sensitivity.

But when it came to father and mother Jiang, she still didn’t feel the closeness that should have extended. At first, she thought it was because she kept comparing them to her parents from her past life, setting the bar too high.

But when she thought back carefully, the warm moments between the original character and them were unremarkable.

So, though it might sound ungrateful, the house only felt like a real home when they weren’t around.

On the contrary, once they returned, the whole house seemed to be cloaked in a formulaic, polite template, and the atmosphere became awkward.

In fact, for the past few days, Yun Cheng and Yun Duo hadn’t been coming to the main house.

All of this essentially meant one thing:

A relationship without real feelings was really hard to maintain.

Even though she wanted to flip the table in front of everyone now, she had to consider the consequences. She couldn’t predict how Father Jiang and mother would handle it, so she chose to wait and observe the situation.

The two families sat down separately, and of course, she and Zhou Lu were seated across from each other.

They stared at each other in silence, and apart from the shock of their parents’ sudden actions, they also shared a layer of unspoken meaning.

Jiang Muti raised an eyebrow, and the message in her eyes was clear—

【Idiot, you got me into this.】

Zhou Lu, not willing to back down, responded—

【If I had known this was going to happen, I wouldn’t have left the house tonight even if I had to die.】

Zhou Lu felt that this moment might rank in the top three of his most awkward life experiences.

In his teens, he was dragged into a blind date, and it turned out to be with someone he knew. Not only that, but they were also co-conspirators (in his own mind) who had been trying to figure out how to cover this up. The funniest part was that, strictly speaking, this outcome was just a chain reaction caused by his and Jiang Muti’s actions.

It was like being an idiot who tried to be clever but ended up digging his own grave.

Fortunately, Jiang Muti didn’t know what he was thinking, or she would have definitely rejected him on the spot.

The idiot was him, not her. She just occasionally had a mishap, not that it was always like that.

However, the expressions and silent tension between the two were amusing to the adults.

Zhou’s mother smiled affectionately and said, “Muti has changed so much recently. I saw her at the Cui family’s banquet last month, and I thought you had switched daughters.”

“After all, she’s your daughter. With an older brother so outstanding, the younger sister can’t be too bad either.”

Huh? This was worth pondering. Jiang Muti thought for a moment, and indeed, given Zhou’s family’s picky nature, their choice of a marriage partner could never be based solely on the whims of their son. Simply picking a random high school girl to marry off was laughable.

It was likely that Jiang Muti had already been on their radar. After all, the Jiang family’s background could easily match Zhou’s, and the leader of the younger generation, Jiang Yunxuan, had already proven his extraordinary capabilities. The entire Jiang family was in a strong position.

Before, Jiang Muti had been a bit of a deterrent, but now she had completely transformed, and wouldn’t disgrace a wealthy family’s reputation. Zhou’s family quickly made their move.

Rather than waiting until adulthood to choose a female antagonist for the arranged marriage, it could be said that her brother, Jiang Yunxuan, was also a huge plus for her.

When Mother Jiang heard this, she smiled and said, “She had a weak constitution when she was younger and was sick, so she didn’t appear much. This child doesn’t have many other qualities, but the dignity and self-respect that we should have, we do have.”

Zhou’s mother scolded lightly, “How can you say that? Anyone who has that kind of perseverance is an extraordinary girl.”

“I do agree with your latter point.” Zhou’s mother glanced at her son with a subtle expression, “It’s not that we’re being practical, we don’t look down on ordinary girls, but a girl’s self-respect and dignity isn’t something that just any common person can cultivate.”

This was clearly directed at Zhou Lu, subtly mocking the girl he had chosen, implying that she was beneath standards.

However, Jiang Muti didn’t feel happy about the compliment. This was the first time she’d been praised but felt so uncomfortable.

On her side, she remained calm, while Zhou Lu, probably having received some warning after their previous confrontation, showed no signs of making trouble throughout the meal.

The meal ended in a bland atmosphere, and the parents decided to let the two of them go out for a walk alone.

“We have some business to discuss. We know you young ones don’t want to hear all that, so go ahead and play.”

Zhou’s father specifically warned, “Ah Lu, take care of the girl.”

Zhou’s mother, still concerned about her son’s past struggles, repeatedly said, “Of course. Muti is so beautiful, no boy would behave rudely in front of her. Haven’t you noticed how much softer his voice is today? He’s usually so loud at home.”

“Hahaha…” Father Jiang and mother laughed. “It’s good for boys to be lively.”

The two families continued chatting happily, while Jiang Muti felt that it was better to sneak away than to watch them go back and forth.

She glanced at Zhou Lu, tilted her chin toward the door, and Zhou Lu, clearly fed up, immediately understood. The two of them quickly made their way out, leaving the teasing behind them.

Once outside the hall, Jiang Muti kicked off her high heels and threw them at the glass door.

The furious look on Jiang Muti’s face startled Zhou Lu: “Hey, are you, are you okay?”

Jiang Muti looked up and sneered: “Heh! I’m fine. I’ve never been insulted like this before. As long as it maximizes the family’s interests, they’d sell me off without hesitation.”

“All that talk about dignity and respect—pfft! Haven’t you seen the dumb son of the landlord having to fight against his family just to be in a relationship? They want me to be the one to take over their mess. Tomorrow, ^[1]“I’ll dye my hair green like the North Star.” is likely a sarcastic or exaggerated way for Jiang Muti to express rebellion and frustration. In Chinese culture, green hair … Continue readingI’ll dye my hair green like the North Star.”

She didn’t believe Jiang’s parents didn’t know about this. Last semester, Zhou Lu had brought his friends to his family dinner without any discretion, and anyone with eyes would have understood. On the way back, it seemed like they even briefly discussed it, but her brother interrupted the conversation.

Even though the two of them were busy with their own affairs, they couldn’t have forgotten about the details from months ago. Zhou Lu’s mother’s warning at the dinner table wasn’t subtle either, and her mother’s reply came as no surprise.

What really made her angry was that they knew the son’s emotional mess, yet they still rushed to exchange benefits.

In their eyes, the dignity and feelings of the daughter were insignificant.

Zhou Lu choked for a moment and said angrily: “I can relate to how you feel, but why attack me? And what’s the difference between us? My emotions are also seen as a tool for maximizing family interests, that’s what a family is.”

“I’ll interrupt right here—stop with the self-pity.” Jiang Muti said, “To me, a family should serve me. Wealth and resources are meant to make my life better, not the other way around.”

“You’re so used to this mindset, don’t drag me into it.”

Her family had always been well-off, and her parents’ approach was to use money to make their family’s life better, not as an endless sacrifice.

Later, when she sat on her billions, she lived however she pleased.

She could never understand the noble family mindset where a girl is raised by the family to one day give back to it.

Zhou Lu thought for a moment and felt a bit awkward, saying: “I admit this was my idea to bring up, and staying quiet inside was a bit ungrateful. But you don’t know—they threatened me that if I made a scene in front of outsiders and embarrassed them, they’d send me abroad. Right now, tonight!”

Jiang Muti waved her hand irritably: “Go, go, go! I’ve never relied on others for my business, especially not on a fool like you who can’t do anything right.”

“Sigh, do you really think that just because we’re in this mess together now, you can act all smug? Try insulting me one more time and see what happens?”

Jiang Muti slowly turned around, looking at him with direct eyes, her gaze firm—

“Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!”

Zhou Lu’s temples throbbed as each of her words seemed to add another vein to his forehead. His lungs felt like they were burning with anger.

Then, his mind quickly worked out something, and he smirked slyly: “Forget it, I won’t argue with you. You’re angry now, but you need to understand, right now, we’re both stuck on the same vine.”

“You don’t want to help, but you’ll have to,” he said with a bit of relief, “Actually, thinking about it, it’s lucky it’s you. At least we’re already on the same page without discussion. If it were some other girl, that would be real trouble.”

He then asked Jiang Muti: “So, what’s your plan now? Do you have any ideas to make them drop this? Just tell me, I’ll cooperate.”

Jiang Muti sneered: “Pathetic! Who says I want to make them change their minds?”

Zhou Lu was stunned, clutching his chest: “I-I didn’t expect that. When did this happen? Don’t you like Qiao Yuqi? I thought you were safe.”

Jiang Muti scoffed: “I just can’t understand how thick-skinned someone must be to be this self-absorbed.”

“But if you want to keep the family quiet for now, just do as I say.”

“You’re right, if it’s you, it’s definitely more convenient. If it were someone else, I’d have to deal with the guy’s side too. Now, I just need to focus on the family.”

Zhou Lu hurriedly said, “You mean we pretend to comply to buy some time? That’s actually a good idea.”

However, Li Xi needed a good explanation first, so the rumors didn’t reach her ears and cause an uproar.

But Jiang Muti had no interest in the typical love story clichés of the hero and heroine enduring conflict and making various sacrifices.

Although she hadn’t cared about it before, this time she abandoned her long-held detached stance as an observer and took up her old, sharp and ruthless approach of protecting her assets, facing her situation head-on.

Zhou Lu asked if she had any ideas.

Sorry, but she was never one to passively react. If she didn’t want to be controlled, avoiding the situation was useless.

Face it and then become the one in control.

Originally, she just planned to relax behind her brother and take it easy, but it seemed she had underestimated her own situation.

After returning home, Father Jiang revealed that both sides were satisfied with the meeting, so they wanted the two young people to spend more time together.

After all, a wealthy family marriage was a big deal—it was about profit, but also about maintaining dignity. On the surface, it looked like they were just allowing the children to develop feelings naturally.

So, there was time. Jiang Muti listened to her parents and appeared obedient without any objections, which made her father and mother very pleased.

But Jiang Yunjuan frowned and said, “Zhou family? Didn’t he bring his girlfriend home a few months ago?”

Father Jiang didn’t care much: “They’re young. We’re not so strict that they can’t even have a past.”

Hearing this, Jiang Yunjuan immediately realized how naïve they were. They hadn’t considered this factor at all. Of course, if the Zhou family were truly sincere, they’d resolve this issue themselves.

But he didn’t speak further. A dark flicker crossed his eyes.

He looked at his sister again. Although she appeared calm on the outside, she didn’t seem happy at all.

Something sharp in his heart seemed ready to burst forth in this moment.

From a long time ago, they had been willing to sacrifice anything for profit and ambition. How could he think that because Muti was his biological sister, things would be different?

It was laughable that he had hesitated, distracted by this temporary, precarious peace.

Jiang Yunjuan took a sip of tea, suppressing the coldness on his lips.

Not long after returning to his room, he sat silently on the balcony chair, staring at the expansive night scenery, lost in thought.

Suddenly, he heard a knock on the door. Jiang Yunjuan got up to open it, only to be enveloped by his sister.

He snapped back to reality, feeling both guilty and regretful. He had overthought things, trying hard to hide his true feelings, but had forgotten to comfort his sister.

He had no idea how helpless and scared she must feel right now.

Just as he was about to speak and comfort her, he saw her lift her head, her expression cold.

“Brother! I want us to completely take control of this family and figure out how to push them out of their positions.”

Jiang Yunjuan’s pupils contracted. For a moment, he even had the illusion that she already knew everything.

He quickly pulled his sister inside and shut the door.

After Father and Mother Jiang returned, seeing that everything was going smoothly, they didn’t stay long and left again a few days later.

The daily routine of the mansion resumed the moment they left, but no one knew that a silent and rising undercurrent of understanding had developed between the siblings.

Jiang Muti didn’t even try to hide her happiness. As soon as her parents left, she personally went into the kitchen to make breakfast for herself and her brother.

After having a good meal together, they each went off to work and school.

Before leaving, she specifically reminded, “Don’t wait for me for dinner tonight. I’m meeting some friends after school.”

“Is it that guy from the Ji family who asked you out last time?” Jiang Yunjuan obviously had a good memory.

Jiang Muti nodded, and immediately saw her brother’s expression drop. She couldn’t help but laugh, “It’s also Yun Cheng and the others. You’ve never looked this unhappy when I went out before.”

Jiang Yunjuan replied, “You should be thankful for Ah Cheng, or else who would agree to you hanging out with that little brat alone?”

Jiang Muti secretly smiled. If she had a brother like him in her past life, she imagined all the boys around her would have been cleared out.

She thought it was just a normal day, but unexpectedly, at noon, Qiao Yuqi found her.

In a private place, he directly asked, “Are you and Zhou Lu getting engaged?”

“How did you know?” Jiang Muti muttered in disbelief.

She only asked out of instinct. In fact, the connection didn’t require much thought—Zhou Lu must have told Li Xi, and Li Xi had told Qiao Yuqi.

But Li Xi was also quite interesting. It was certain that she wasn’t feeling well about it at the moment, considering the external pressure.

However, at that moment, as she vented her frustrations to a man other than her boyfriend, Jiang Muti felt like the plot of breaking up after high school graduation might come earlier than expected.

She had already grown impatient with all this, and waved her hand, saying, “Stop asking about irrelevant things. This is none of your business.”

“If you want to stand up for Li Xi, then the right move would be to go beat up Zhou Lu. Go ahead! After all, his skin’s tough.”

She decisively confined the conflict to just the three of them, rejecting any involvement from others.

But Qiao Yuqi stopped her. “It’s not just for Li Xi.”

“It’s also because I don’t understand this matter.”

As he spoke, he gestured for Jiang Muti to sit down. He bought two cans of drinks from the nearby vending machine, handed her one, and sat down beside her.

“I don’t know if there are other factors in your family, but you’re a proud person. You should have no interest in an engaged man who has feelings for someone else. So why do you agree with this matter?”

“You can’t possibly be doing it just to help Zhou Lu out of a tight spot, can you?”

Jiang Muti laughed. “I’ve noticed that when it comes to topics like this, you’re always so certain. Do you really think everything’s just as you expected?”

Qiao Yuqi didn’t seem bothered by her sarcasm. “I might not be this arrogant with others, but with you—”

He smiled, as if everything was understood without words.

Jiang Muti looked at him with a hint of meaning in her eyes. “You’re projecting. But how can you be so sure that we’re on the same wavelength about everything?”

“Just like how you’ve done things you thought were impossible, haven’t you?”

Qiao Yuqi’s smile faded. He knew she was talking about Li Xi, so he said calmly, “I can’t, she’s already found the one she loves.”

“Don’t speak too soon.”

Where are we in the current timeline? We’re only a small way in, and there’s still a decade-long entanglement to go.

But her firm tone pricked Qiao Yuqi like a needle. He suddenly blurted out, “I don’t like her anymore.”

Seeing Jiang Muti’s surprised expression, he continued, “You understood me correctly. I don’t have much of a moral compass when it comes to feelings. If I really cared, even if she already had someone in her heart, it still wouldn’t stop me.”

“But I don’t want to anymore. Right now, she and Zhou Lu are in a precarious position, and when I realized that just one more step forward would get me what I want…”

“I don’t want to take that step.”

As he spoke, he looked at Jiang Muti seriously. “Whether to intervene or let go, both are choices I make by following my heart. What about you? What’s your choice?”

Now it was Jiang Muti’s turn to look upset. If she had a choice, she would have blown up the roof of the house long ago.

Unfortunately, the crying child gets candy, but the candy is only given to the ones who cry in front of the ones who love them. Cry in front of those who don’t love you, and they’ll probably think you’re too noisy and sell you at a low price.

Qiao Yuqi could see her expression and finally understood something. He said sincerely, “If you’re feeling conflicted, why not just say it? We can always find a solution.”

Before Jiang Muti could respond, they heard a sound from the corner.

Both of them turned around and saw Li Xi standing there, a trash can knocked over at her feet.

Her eyes were already filled with tears, and as they looked over, the tears suddenly fell. She clumsily covered her face and ran away.

Jiang Muti was confused. Why did she look like she had been betrayed?

But now, having decided to team up with her brother to usurp power, Jiang Muti had no interest in analyzing the female lead’s emotional state.

Even though it was obvious and didn’t require much thought. Of course, don’t expect her to feel guilty for making someone cry.

She quickly pushed the responsibility onto Qiao Yuqi. “You’re the one causing trouble. You should be comforting her, not coming here to try and offer some fake warmth. Don’t expect that after this, the debt of gratitude will be paid off, there’s no such deal.”

“Go comfort your childhood friend. Get lost! I don’t want to see the three of you.”

Qiao Yuqi almost choked. How dumb could he be to think that this person was helpless? Even if she was forced to do something she didn’t want, she’d probably make everyone around her uncomfortable and live just fine.

He decided to stop getting involved in other people’s business from now on.

However, this wasn’t the last time he would remind himself of this, but that’s a story for later.

In the afternoon, the lessons were mostly about working on assignments. Jiang Muti, now ranked high in her year, had originally thought that after a few years of college, she’d forgotten everything from high school.

But she was surprised that with just a little guidance, everything became clear. Now, as long as she focused on completing her schoolwork seriously, even if she didn’t touch her books when she got home, she could still maintain her grades.

This made Yun Duo very envious. She still had to study regularly at home and couldn’t understand how someone who had needed tutoring just months ago could be so at ease now.

After school that afternoon, the two of them were about to get in the car to go to the agreed location to celebrate Ji Feishi’s birthday.

But just as they were about to get in, they heard a voice from the side.

“Xiao Duo!”

They turned to see a woman in her forties standing nearby. She was dressed elegantly, well-maintained, and her features resembled Yun Cheng and Yun Duo’s.

Jiang Muti glanced at Yun Duo’s expression. Sure enough, the woman’s identity was obvious.