Chapter 34

Jiang Muti thought that after what happened yesterday, her “cheap” mom would just make a phone call to scold her, and that would be the end of it.

But she didn’t expect that the next day, her “cheap” dad would also call directly.

However, Father Jiang’s opinion was slightly different from Mother Jiang’s. After a whole night, he must have already figured things out.

Compared to Mother Jiang’s scolding, Father Jiang’s words were: “The kid from the Ji family is quite good, but at this stage, the Jiang and Zhou families are already inseparable. Business people are most afraid of fickleness.”

Then he complained about her, saying: “Why didn’t you— Forget it, things are already like this. If there’s no other fate, you’d better stay in line.”

Jiang Muti sneered inwardly. This father of hers really knew how to sell his daughter well. Of course, compared to the affection between kids, family harmony and solid benefits were far more important.

So even though Ji Feishi’s family was several levels above theirs, Father Jiang still stuck to the original choice.

The last sentence was especially interesting.

“If there’s no other fate”—which meant, if there was, he wouldn’t mind selling his daughter off more than once.

Jiang Muti obediently responded, pretending to prioritize family interests.

At this point, Jiang Yunjuan appeared at her door. He had originally planned to wake her up, but when he saw his sister looking so docile, he immediately felt sorry for her.

Jiang Muti had already noticed her brother and gave him a small gesture, saying a few more words before hanging up the phone.

With Father Jiang, she couldn’t be as perfunctory as with Mother Jiang. She had to be vigilant at all times, making sure not to say anything wrong.

Fortunately, the important person was busy and didn’t have much time to scold her early in the morning.

Jiang Muti was being a bit dramatic, after just a few minutes, she looked completely exhausted, lying on the bed and refusing to get up, simply wanting to act spoiled toward her brother.

Jiang Yunjuan sighed and, realizing what she was doing, went over to pull her up, then half-carrying, half-supporting her, brought her downstairs.

“Why are you getting lazier?”

“There are plenty of hardworking people in our family. One less doesn’t matter.”

“Don’t be upset. He’s always been like that, but your brother won’t let you marry off early for the family’s benefit.”

Only then did Jiang Muti smile: “Exactly. I’m still in my teens, why would I get married? If I were to marry, it’d be at least after 25.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she felt her brother stiffen on her back.

Jiang Muti reflected for a moment and thought maybe 25 was still a bit early, so she quickly corrected herself: “Then 30—”

But her brother’s back was still stiff!

“35?”

“40?”

Seeing that her brother still wouldn’t loosen up, Jiang Muti couldn’t take it anymore and said, “You’ve got to let me keep my beauty and figure when I wear a wedding dress, right?”

Jiang Yunjuan reluctantly continued walking ahead, muttering, “No, it’s just that I keep thinking about the day I have to give my sister’s hand to another man. I want to hide a couple of guns in my clothes.”

Jiang Muti couldn’t stop laughing. Not only was her brother so adorable, but in his mind, this big event had completely overshadowed Father Jiang’s opinions, and now he was no longer involved.

At breakfast, Jiang Muti mentioned what Mother Jiang had told her the night before—

She asked her brother, “Do you have any contact with Aunt’s family?”

Jiang Yunjuan shook his head. “A few years ago, I went to that country for a business trip and had a meal with them, but since they live so far away, they haven’t come back in years.”

That was true. Even Jiang Muti, the biological daughter, didn’t have much interaction with them, let alone Jiang Yunjuan. Mother Jiang seemed to be making an effort to have her adopted son bond with her family.

But with the geographical distance, forcing it would only make things awkward.

Jiang Muti nodded. They weren’t familiar with each other, so the best option was to be polite and formal when hosting them. This was something Old Yun would handle, and she didn’t need to worry too much about it.

After breakfast, they each went to school and work. Before parting ways, Jiang Muti ran into Yun Cheng.

That guy gave her a silly “all done” gesture, and Jiang Muti wanted to slap him.

When she arrived at school, she ran into Zhou Lu. The moment their eyes met, they both saw the same message in each other’s eyes—

Tsk! Pig teammate.

Zhou Lu walked up and gritted his teeth. “Because ^[1]“You dropped the ball halfway” means that someone failed to complete their responsibility or task properly, especially after starting it. you dropped the ball halfway, I got beaten up when I got home. No matter how I explain that it wasn’t my fault, it doesn’t work. My sister handed my dad a stick, and my thigh is still bruised.”

“That’s your own fault!” Jiang Muti whispered back, “You couldn’t even handle the people around you, yet you report everything up to the top, every little detail. Have you ever reflected on yourself?”

“At your age, still acting like a big baby. If you’re going to act like a big baby, stay in your mom’s arms, and forget about pursuing freedom in love.”

Zhou Lu couldn’t believe it. “You’re seriously saying that about me? Oh my, before you were so righteous, I thought I was the only one with this kind of problem. Turns out, when Mr. Ji saw my behavior, you two had already been scheming behind my back and threw all the responsibility onto me, like you were helping me.”

Jiang Muti scoffed. “That’s not my fault if I’m more popular. Stop trying to use this as leverage. If you tell your parents, not only will you not benefit, but they’ll also immediately become aware of the crisis and will force us to meet more often.”

“Senior year! Watching the person you hate all the time makes your mood worse and affects your studies. Or do you think it’s no big deal to meet me more often? Hey, I’m going to have to straighten things out with Li Xi.”

Seeing how sharp she was, Zhou Lu realized she was cornering him. Although he didn’t back down, he reluctantly agreed, “Fine, fine! Yesterday, I was just unlucky. But keep your distance from Li Xi, my situation hasn’t been cleared up yet.”

Before he could finish, he saw Jiang Muti’s look of disdain, which almost made him grit his teeth in frustration.

However, it was midterm week, and everyone was busy preparing for exams.

Thanks to the pervasive atmosphere of academic pressure, Jiang Muti also spent extra time studying outside of class.

The exam questions were quite difficult, but in the end, Jiang Muti still managed to secure a spot in the top three. As a reward, her brother gave her a horse.

It was said to be of noble, pure blood. Jiang Muti wasn’t sure where her brother had gotten it from. Although this horse might seem like a gem hidden in the dust, she actually really liked it. She often rode it to stroll around the golf course.

Yun Cheng couldn’t help but eye it with envy. He kept pestering Jiang Muti to let him try riding it. The kid was surprisingly good with animals, getting along with the horse far more quickly than Jiang Muti.

He even named the horse Ross!

Jiang Muti laughed at the time: “Jack, Mary, Ross, are you trying to turn our house into an animal battlefield?”

She then frowned and said, “Tsk! The Great Dane turned you into a husky. If the horse ends up like that, won’t we have four huskies in the house?”

Yun Cheng, who had been happily playing with the horse for a while, suddenly realized he had been pranked. “Hey! Who are you calling a husky—”

But before he could finish, he turned and saw the two girls had already run off to the small woods to pick oranges.

The Jiang family estate was so large that, aside from the main house, the golf course and private woods in the back were the real focal points.

In addition to ornamental plants, the gardeners also took care of a variety of seasonal fruits. When the wind blew this way, the sweet scent of the fruit could even be smelled from the main house, making people feel refreshed.

After picking plenty of oranges with Yun Duo to make juice and orange jam, Jiang Muti saw Old Yun walk in.

He informed her that Xiao Yi’s family had confirmed their flight and should be arriving the day after tomorrow in the afternoon.

Since they lived in a country that wasn’t a popular destination for immigrants, it was quite far away, with a one-way flight taking over ten hours, which could be exhausting. So preparations needed to be made in advance.

To be honest, due to her poor opinion of Father Jiang and Mother Jiang, Jiang Muti was rather indifferent toward interactions with extended family.

As long as the task was handled by others and there was no risk of disrespect, she remained aloof and detached.

Moreover, there was something even more troublesome than Xiao Yi’s family coming.

Tomorrow was Ji Feishi’s birthday party.

To be honest, Jiang Muti actually enjoyed socializing, much like a child showing off a new dress.

But thinking about the incident last time, she felt that attending would make her appear weak, so she decided to hold off until the afternoon of the next day.

Yun Cheng and Yun Duo had already gotten ready, while Jiang Muti was still lounging without a care.

Yun Cheng saw her and asked in surprise, “Why haven’t you changed into your gown yet? Hurry up.”

Jiang Muti replied, “I’m not feeling well. You guys go ahead.”

“Where do you feel sick?” Yun Cheng asked quickly.

Before Jiang Muti could come up with an excuse, Old Yun walked in and announced that the young master of the Ji family had personally come to pick them up.

Well, this guy really…

In order to avoid ruining Yun Cheng and Yun Duo’s excitement, Jiang Muti grabbed a random gown and changed in a few minutes. She quickly combed her hair and then went downstairs with them.

It was fortunate that she was still in her teens, with flawless skin and a vibrant state of mind.

If she were older, this level of carelessness would have made her appear as a tired, crazy woman at the party.

As the three of them got in the car, Yun Cheng excitedly bumped Ji Feishi’s shoulder.

“Alright, brother, you’re so loyal, even came to pick me up,” he laughed. “What’s up? Afraid I wouldn’t come, huh? I told you before not to be so cocky when you talk. In the end, you’re still scared of being lonely. It’s alright, it’s alright, how could I not come? Look at how nervous you are.”

Ji Feishi wasn’t the type of person who relied on Jiang Muti’s moods to determine whether he’d be disappointed tonight. That’s why he made the special effort to come.

Fortunately, she also came out, with a smile curling at the corners of her mouth, just as she heard this ridiculous statement from Yun Cheng, almost making her feel nauseous.

With one arm, she shoved him aside: “Why don’t you just get out of the car and go back?”

“Don’t, come on, stop pretending. If I really get out of the car, you’d probably cry. I’m not gonna argue with you today,” Yun Cheng said, still completely unaware.

Jiang Muti, eager to stir trouble, asked, “Does Old Yun agree to this marriage?”

Yun Cheng was startled, covering his shoulders with both hands and stepping back: “I… I only see you as a buddy.”

Ji Feishi laughed: “But I don’t. I still have to take responsibility for the average IQ of my social circle.”

“Give it a rest. My Yun Cheng is a man who can change species,” Jiang Muti scoffed. “Some people just don’t know it.”

Ji Feishi looked at her and suddenly smiled: “I’ve already agreed to the request from last night. Please take care of me from now on.”

Jiang Muti was momentarily stunned, biting down on her back teeth without breaking them. This bastard was taking advantage and still acting cute.

Strictly speaking, the Ji family wasn’t far from the Jiang family—just under half an hour by car.

It was still early, and most of the guests who had already arrived were people who were close to Ji Feishi or his family.

Some of them knew Yun Cheng, so as soon as they arrived, this guy was called away.

Ji Feishi then pulled her aside: “Come on, help me pick a suit.”

Jiang Muti was a bit confused: “What does that have to do with me—”

Before she could finish speaking, she was dragged away without further explanation.

She then noticed that he was still dressed in his usual clothes. Although his appearance was handsome and his aura magnificent, even though his outfit didn’t exactly match the occasion, it didn’t look out of place at all.

It wasn’t just girls’ clothes that needed a separate room to be laid out, people like them, who often needed to socialize, also required a similar level of attention.

Ji Feishi led her into the closet, then placed both hands on the table, leaning slightly against it: “I’ll leave the decision to you.”

“How about I just pin you down and rub you on the floor?” Jiang Muti replied.

To her surprise, he still wore a completely indifferent expression, as if waiting for whatever she wanted to do. Jiang Muti felt underestimated—how could someone as dull as Yun Cheng, who could be outdone in clumsiness, suddenly become a completely different person overnight?

So, she slowly walked over, her steps not quick but straight toward him. The distance between them continued to shrink, yet she showed no sign of stopping.

Then, her hand pressed heavily onto the table nearby, the sound making Ji Feishi’s heart jump.

They were now very close, and he could even feel her breath and the warmth of her body.

This sudden closeness disrupted Ji Feishi’s previously calm thoughts, stirring up a wave of uncontrollable anticipation.

From his angle, he could look down and see her face—pale and simple, a stark contrast to the luxurious dress she wore, yet somehow it felt like no embellishments were needed.

And her lips, with their full, delicate feel and sweet taste, were unforgettable.

Ji Feishi couldn’t help it, just as he was about to lean down, he felt the drawer next to him being pulled open.

Jiang Muti pulled out a tie from inside and nonchalantly stepped back from in front of him.

Seeing his flirtatious demeanor, she smirked and said, “Hmm? Didn’t you ask me to help you pick a suit? I just picked a tie, why is your face so red? Are you really that happy with my taste?”

Ji Feishi turned his head, somewhat awkward, realizing he had been played by her.

He felt both embarrassed and irritated, but also a bit wronged—why was it that this person could always easily disrupt his thoughts?

Making all his calmness and composure disappear?

Ji Feishi turned around and saw that in such a short time, she had already made her choice.

Feeling somewhat defeated, he went to change clothes. When he came out of the changing room, the moment Jiang Muti looked up, he truly felt as if he were some sort of fashion master.

To be honest, it hadn’t taken long, and she had only chosen a combination that didn’t clash with the color scheme. It was a rather conservative choice, safe and error-free.

The low-key, understated dark-colored dress that he had thought wouldn’t match his temperament actually looked unexpectedly—

It was stunning to this degree, and it clearly wasn’t about the dress, he could pull off anything.

Ji Feishi didn’t even complain, just took her downstairs.

By now, most of the guests had arrived, and Ji Feishi had to deal with some social obligations, so Jiang Muti finally managed to slip away.

Yun Cheng had already found some familiar faces to hang out with, so Jiang Muti went off in search of Yun Duo.

However, she didn’t find Yun Duo right away but instead bumped into Zhou Lu, who was clearly reluctant, though he had to come.

As soon as they saw each other, they were about to pretend they didn’t notice and walk off, but Mother Zhou spotted them with sharp eyes.

“Ah! Isn’t this Muti? You came too? You should have told me earlier! I could’ve had Ah Lu come to pick you up.”

She immediately shoved the two kids together, forcing Zhou Lu to look after her.

If the situation didn’t require such caution, Jiang Muti really wouldn’t have bothered to give face to these elders who loved making decisions for others.

But the fact was, she had no choice but to stand there with Zhou Lu, each holding a drink, staring at each other awkwardly.

“How about I get you something to eat?” Zhou Lu, feeling uncomfortable under her intense gaze, tried to ease the situation.

Jiang Muti replied, “Sure, go ahead and get it. Bring it back in two hours.”

“Hey, my mom’s paying attention to us here! Are you trying to get me in trouble by leaving me alone?” Zhou Lu was unhappy that she wasn’t sharing the burden.

In the end, Zhou Lu went and brought back quite a bit of food. Normally, he wouldn’t eat much at events like this, but the situation forced him to.

The two sat at a small table, making small talk here and there, neither really engaging the other.

“Why are you just sitting here?” When Ji Feishi found Jiang Muti, he immediately frowned when he saw Zhou Lu sitting opposite her.

But Zhou Lu was different—this was the first time he felt Ji Feishi’s arrival was so timely. He had been so bored that he started counting the lines on a salmon fillet.

He quickly signaled Ji Feishi to take Jiang Muti away—really, when others approached her, his mom would never admit that it was her fault for not being proactive, right?

Ji Feishi ignored the fool and said to Jiang Muti, “Want me to take you to find Yun Duo?”

Jiang Muti really felt that people were only truly understood through comparison. Initially, she found Ji Feishi annoying, but after spending some time with Zhou Lu, seeing Ji Feishi again made her feel incredibly relieved.

It wasn’t that Ji Feishi had immediately taken her to find Yun Duo. Instead, he turned to her and said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t consider it properly.”

“Hmm?” Jiang Muti picked up the decorative cherry in her cocktail and popped it into her mouth.

“Having someone controlled in my place, making them do things they’re unhappy with,” Ji Feishi seemed to care deeply about this.

He said seriously, “If you can’t accept control from your biological parents, how could you accept it from others? You shouldn’t have to go through such discomfort.”

Jiang Muti looked at him, feeling a slight stir in her heart. For once, her sharp tongue seemed to find no words to say.

She opened her mouth several times but couldn’t say anything.

Just then, a voice came from behind them: “Ji Feishi, so you’re here. Everyone’s looking for you.”

They turned around to see a beautiful girl. Jiang Muti recognized her from when they visited Yun Cheng’s school.

This girl was a natural beauty, the epitome of everything excellent in a girl, unforgettable once seen.

Ji Feishi nodded slightly when he heard her, but didn’t rush to leave.

Instead, he picked up the earlier conversation and said to Jiang Muti, “You stay here for a bit, I’ll have someone find a way to get the Zhou family people to leave.”

His serious tone made Jiang Muti feel a bit awkward. “There’s no need to go through all that trouble. I can just hide in another area.”

Ji Feishi smiled but his eyes remained serious. “You don’t have to hide from anyone here.”

Jiang Muti thought, this guy was really damn handsome at times like this.

At this moment, the voice behind them urged again: “Hurry up, Ji Feishi, everyone’s waiting.”

Ji Feishi then said, “I’ll go first.”

Jiang Muti nodded. She couldn’t keep him here, or there wouldn’t be enough oxygen to breathe.

She watched him leave, but the girl who had come to find Ji Feishi didn’t leave with him.

Instead, she walked over with graceful steps and smiled at Jiang Muti in a friendly manner.

“Miss Jiang, how nice to meet you! I’m Yu Wei.”

“Hello!”

After the introduction, the girl smiled and said, “Since we last met, Miss Jiang’s elegance has been unforgettable. I was just going to come over and talk to you, but I saw you were with your fiancé, so I didn’t want to disturb you.”

Then, with a slight natural curiosity, she added, “Where’s your fiancé? I didn’t see him just now. Letting your partner be taken away by another woman—such neglect!”

Jiang Muti raised an eyebrow. Oh, this girl was interesting, truly skilled at insulting without using any bad words.

Not only was she insulting without any curses, but she was also subtly shifting the responsibility onto Zhou Lu. Yet, she kept referring to him as her fiancé, directly poking at the fact that she was in a relationship while still glancing around.

A girl with a thin skin would surely turn red with embarrassment after this subtle hint.

But Jiang Muti just brushed her hair and helplessly said, “Yeah, I’m just as puzzled. My male companion is standing right beside me, so why are these people coming over to find me?”

“I haven’t even passed Grade 10 in piano, and the only thing I have going for me is my looks. When will this attraction finally cool down?”

She suddenly seemed to think of something and smiled at Yu Wei, saying, “By the way, I haven’t congratulated you on your piano solo at the concert last time. Although I didn’t go to watch, I’m sure it was wonderful.”

Yu Wei’s face turned red. She had never seen a socialite or young lady so proud of being unskilled and relying solely on her appearance to attract men.

She bit her lip and turned to leave. Jiang Muti wasn’t even interested in this kind of half-hearted provocation.

After that, the evening passed without much incident.

The next day, her aunt’s family was coming, but it didn’t stop them from doing their own thing.

They were supposed to arrive on an afternoon flight, but Old Yun had already arranged for a car to pick them up early. It wasn’t clear if they were delayed on the road or if something else had happened.

In any case, by the time the car returned with the guests, it was already almost dinner time.

Even though Jiang Muti had been too indifferent to go pick them up personally, once they arrived at the gate, she still had to show some politeness.

So, once the car entered the premises, she went outside to wait.

When the car stopped, the first to get out was her aunt. It was easy to tell she was Mother Jiang’s sister by their striking resemblance. They looked alike and were about the same age.

However, compared to her mother’s graceful and dignified demeanor, her aunt had a gentler, more delicate aura.

Next was her uncle, a well-maintained middle-aged man who looked handsome for his age. Standing with her aunt, they made a truly enviable couple.

Finally, the two kids got out. One was a beautiful girl about the same age as Jiang Muti, and this was Xuanxuan, as Mother Jiang called her. The other was a little boy around five or six, with a chubby face.

As soon as they got out of the car, they saw Jiang Muti. Her aunt immediately walked up warmly and took her hand.

“This is… Muti? Oh my, if your mom hadn’t sent me a photo, I wouldn’t have recognized you. You’ve really grown into a beautiful young lady.”

Naturally, Jiang Muti responded warmly, “Aunt, you haven’t changed a bit over the years. My mom could learn a thing or two from you.”

The atmosphere was just right when the little boy loudly exclaimed, “This place is really beautiful! Can I stay here with my sister?”

Hmm? Jiang Muti raised an eyebrow. That statement was quite intriguing.