Chapter 17

Xu Zhiyi wanted to say it wasn’t necessary, but Jiang Sixun had already stepped outside.

She quickly grabbed the suit and caught up with him, initially intending to return it. As the bar door opened from the inside, a chill wind blew in. She instinctively shrank her shoulders, her exposed arms breaking out in goosebumps, and the urge to return the jacket suddenly diminished.

Jiang Sixun looked back and said, “Put it on…” and then continued outside.

Noticing she had only covered herself with the jacket and wasn’t actually putting it on, he paused and said nothing more.

Xu Zhiyi followed him out of the bar.

The bodyguard was waiting at the door, handing the boss an umbrella with a long handle while keeping one for himself. By practice, the boss held the umbrella for himself, and the bodyguard held it for the boss’s female friends, including Xu Ningwei.

Today, he was standing still for the first time, waiting for the boss’s next move.

With a crisp “pop,” Jiang Sixun opened the umbrella and stepped next to Xu Zhiyi, holding the black umbrella over her head.

The wind was strong, and Xu Zhiyi clung tightly to his suit.

The London wind was wild, blowing in every direction.

They had barely walked a few steps when the umbrella was flipped inside out by a gust of wind, rain pouring directly on their heads. Jiang Sixun swiftly pulled the suit over her head to shield her.

The bodyguard quickly took the umbrella from Jiang Sixun’s hand.

One of the umbrella ribs was broken but still functional.

Xu Zhiyi hadn’t fully grasped what was happening before the umbrella was once again placed over her head.

She pulled the suit from over her head, which was now heavily wet.

Jiang Sixun said, “It’s alright. Watch where you’re going.”

The wind was especially strong. Facing the wind, Jiang Sixun kept the umbrella as low as possible, only able to see a small portion of the road beneath their feet.

No one spoke, and the sound of their breathing was lost to the wind.

Xu Zhiyi looked down, seeing the neon lights from the street signs reflected in the puddles on the cobblestone road, like a spilled palette of colors—blue and green watercolor scattered across the ground.

She and Jiang Sixun walked in sync through the shimmering lights.

The jazz music from the bar still echoed in her ears.

The bodyguard followed closely. Occasionally, passersby without umbrellas walked by them, but the alley was so quiet it felt like only the two of them were present.

The short hundred meters felt fleeting, and when she looked up again, they had already reached the sports car.

Inside the car, Xu Zhiyi placed the suit between the seats. The back was so wet it could be wrung out.

“Mr. Jiang, I’ll use a hairdryer to dry your suit when we get back to the hotel.”

“No need. I’ll wash it when we get back.”

Since he said so, Xu Zhiyi sat quietly.

The sound of the rain hitting the sports car’s roof was the only noise inside.

“Mr. Jiang, what was the name of the song we heard when we entered the bar?” she asked the man beside her.

Jiang Sixun replied, “Did you like it?”

Xu Zhiyi nodded, “Yes, it’s especially nice to listen to when you’re tired.”

Jiang Sixun told her the name of the song and instructed the driver to play it on loop.

As the prelude started, Xu Zhiyi, feeling extremely tired, felt as though she was still in the bar. The relaxing music, combined with her exhaustion, made her drift into sleep.

At first, she turned her face away, the back of her head facing Jiang Sixun. After about ten minutes, her neck became uncomfortable, and she instinctively turned back.

The multicolored bucket bag on the armrest was buzzing with a “buzz—buzz—” vibration. It was the bag she carried with her when she went out.

Not wanting to disturb her, Jiang Sixun picked up the bag and set it aside next to him.

Less than a minute later, the phone buzzed again.

Jiang Sixun glanced into the bag. It contained only a makeup bag and a phone, with the screen displaying “Ning Yinqi.”

Ning Yinqi, who had not returned home at midnight, must be checking on her safety.

He picked up the phone and answered, “Yinqi, it’s me.”

Before Ning Yinqi could put the phone to his ear, he heard what sounded like jazz music and then a man’s voice. Initially, he suspected he had dialed the wrong number, but upon closer inspection, it was correct.

“Yinqi?”

Ning Yinqi finally recognized the voice on the other end, “Hello, Mr. Jiang. Is Zhiyi with you?”

“Yes, she just left the bar. She’s asleep.”

“It’s fine as long as she’s with you. I was worried because she didn’t come back so late, and I couldn’t reach her by phone.”

Ning Yinqi was downstairs at the hotel, having come over to find Xu Zhiyi after finishing up work. He had planned to take her out for a drive. After knocking on her room door with no response, he waited in the hotel lobby. As it got late and began to rain, he grew increasingly concerned and decided to call.

Jiang Sixun asked, “Is there anything else you need from her?”

“When she wakes up, let her know that I’m free all day tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

“Didn’t you go to my sister’s party tonight?”

“I’ll go later.”

“Then enjoy yourselves.”

The call ended.

Jiang Sixun silenced the phone and put it back in the bag.

At that moment, lightning and thunder struck the city.

A loud crash of thunder boomed.

Thunder was rare in rainy London, and Jiang Sixun turned to check on the person next to him, who was soundly asleep.

What kind of sleep quality was this? Thunder couldn’t wake her up, and he had been worried she might be scared of the noise.

Xu Zhiyi had a kind of internal alarm clock; just over half an hour had passed, and she woke up automatically. After staying up late at the library, she’d developed a memory for how long she would be drowsy.

She was momentarily disoriented upon waking. Usually, when she opened her eyes, she would see bookshelves; today, she was in a car.

“Are you awake?”

“Mr. Jiang.”

She jolted upright.

Suddenly realizing something, she used her hand to cover her right cheek, hiding the red mark left by resting on the seatback.

How did she fall asleep?

Xu Zhiyi looked for her bag, which was not on the armrest where she had left it before falling asleep.

“It’s with me,” Jiang Sixun handed her the bag. “Yinqi called while you were sleeping. I answered for you. He said he’s available all day tomorrow.”

He also told her that he had silenced her phone and reminded her to turn it back on.

“Thank you.”

Now fully awake, Xu Zhiyi returned the call to Ning Yinqi.

Ning Yinqi had already returned home and brought her some fruit, asking her to pick it up from the front desk.

Xu Zhiyi told him there was no need to deliver fruit in the future, “The hotel provides fruit every day.”

“It’s different. The fruit I sent you is from my grandfather’s orchard, better than what the hotel offers.”

“Then I’ll try it when I get back.”

Jiang Sixun glanced at the person beside him, surprised at how comfortable they were with each other after just one meeting.

After dropping Xu Zhiyi off at the hotel, he headed to Ning Yun’s estate.

By the time they were halfway there, the rain had stopped, and the wind had calmed.

The driver retracted the car’s roof, and under the damp night sky, the sports car sped along.

With the strong wind in the car, Jiang Sixun put on the suit jacket from the empty seat beside him.

The estate was nestled in the mountains, surrounded by lush trees and flowing rivers.

Usually tranquil enough to hear a pin drop, tonight the villa was brightly lit, with luxury cars parked haphazardly around.

As soon as Jiang Sixun’s car arrived, the butler went to inform Ning Yun of his arrival.

The guests cheered, and Ning Yun, smiling graciously, set down her wine glass to greet him.

She had a habit of walking barefoot at home. Seeing the wet ground outside as she stepped out of the villa, she quickly pulled her feet back, standing at the entrance with her arms crossed, waiting for him.

The post-rain air carried a mix of soil and fresh grass scents. On the seemingly endless lawn, he stepped out of the sports car’s back seat.

Ning Yun rarely waited for anyone like this. In the middle of the night, a well-dressed man seemed like he had just returned from a high-society gathering. In such a beautiful scene, she should have rushed into his arms.

But unfortunately, there was a bit of lack of passion and impulse.

She wondered if that would change in the future.

Jiang Sixun approached, holding a gift, and said, “Happy Birthday.”

In the past, they had only made appearances for each other’s birthdays and never exchanged gifts.

Ning Yun accepted the gift with thanks, smiling, “Then I’ll have to prepare well for your birthday.”

Jiang Sixun replied, “No need. The gift you gave to Zhiyi before can count as an early birthday gift for me.”

“That’s great. I’ll just give the gifts I buy for you to Zhiyi in the future,” she said, not being good at choosing gifts for men.

It wasn’t that she wasn’t good at it; she was simply too lazy to spend time selecting gifts.

The gift box was very light, making one suspect it might contain a silk scarf.

The guests were curious about what rare treasure the tardy fiancé had brought, and Ning Yun was also intrigued, looking toward him.

Jiang Sixun took a glass of red wine from the waiter’s tray and said, “You can open it and see.”

Ning Yun unwrapped the gift amid several curious glances. It wasn’t a silk scarf; it was documentation for an auction item. With these documents, she could retrieve the auction item.

The well-known oil painting that had been anonymously purchased at the auction last month was now in her possession.

She had mentioned before that her newly renovated music room lacked an oil painting, but she hadn’t found a suitable one.

So, Jiang Sixun had instructed his secretary to look out for relevant oil paintings.

At that moment, Ning Yun felt a bit of truth in her grandfather’s words. Jiang Sixun was an excellent marriage candidate, rare among the heirs of wealthy families. Even without emotional attachment, if his heart was in the home, life after marriage would be good.

As dawn approached, the rain started again.

Jiang Sixun returned to his residence after the birthday party and found his father’s car parked outside his villa.

Lu Jianbo had come to London for his eldest brother’s matter. His brother, who had been divorced for over a decade, had recently announced his intention to remarry.

None of the nephews and nieces agreed, and the old man was adamant against it, urging him to be clear-headed. As the decision-maker for the Lu family’s current generation, he shouldn’t act on a whim.

However, the elder brother seemed enchanted, claiming he had found true love. They had a brief connection in their youth, but at that time, both had families and did not think of it in that way. After many years, their reunion felt as if they had known each other forever. The other party’s finances were already independent and had no interest in his money.

Not remarrying in youth, but now talking about love at his age.

He interacted most frequently with his elder brother and was tasked by the old man to persuade him.

When the old man couldn’t persuade him, he doubted his own ability and came over merely to fulfill the old man’s and the nephews’ request.

Coincidentally, hearing that the wayward son was on a business trip in London, he decided to visit.

“I heard Ning Yun is celebrating her birthday this week?”

“Yes.”

Jiang Sixun had not slept all night and had no energy to chat further. “Did you come just for gossip?”

“…” Lu Jianbo was used to his son’s sharp remarks and ignored them. He continued, “Last month, I visited Xu Xiangyi and also spent some time in Beijing.”

He hadn’t been to Beijing since his divorce, and the city had changed so much that he almost couldn’t find his ex-wife’s place.

Jiang Sixun picked up a glass of warm water and drank. “Beijing probably doesn’t welcome you.”

It was a harsh statement but true.

His ex-wife, and all her family members, wanted nothing to do with him.

“Your mother didn’t answer my calls.”

His number hadn’t changed and was easy to remember. His ex-wife wouldn’t have forgotten.

Jiang Sixun made it clear, “My mom allowed me to stay in touch with you because of your money. Don’t read too much into it.”

“…”

Lu Jianbo knew his ex-wife no longer loved him, but being directly insulted by his son didn’t sit well with him. He said sternly, “I’m not confused; I don’t need you to remind me constantly!”

Jiang Sixun put down the water glass. “I’m going upstairs to catch up on sleep. Please make yourself comfortable.”

Facing his son’s retreating back, Lu Jianbo said, “I’ll go see your uncle this afternoon. You should come with me. It’s been a long time since you two have met. It would be good to persuade him together. He’s disregarding the interests of your elder brother and sister and wants to remarry. It’s unacceptable.”

Jiang Sixun stopped on the spiral staircase, looked back at his father for a moment, and said, “You want me to use you as an example to persuade my uncle?”

Lu Jianbo was so enraged he nearly lost his breath, pointing at his son in frustration.

“I’m not available.” With that, Jiang Sixun turned and went upstairs.

While his son was sleeping, Lu Jianbo stayed behind, asking the butler to arrange lunch, which he decided to stay for.

Staring at the landline phone for several seconds, he picked up the receiver and dialed a number he remembered.

Jiang Yueru, without hesitation, answered the call as soon as she saw the number.

“Yueru, it’s me.”

The voice she hadn’t heard in over twenty years caused a brief pause on the other end.

Lu Jianbo continued naturally in Cantonese, “Long time no see.”

Worried that her patience might be limited, he didn’t waste time and got straight to the point, discussing his plans for his son to marry Ning Yun of the Ning family and asking for her opinion.

He spoke entirely in Cantonese and quickly, so Jiang Yueru interrupted, “I didn’t understand what you said. Speak in Mandarin.”

She had not only understood but also spoken Cantonese before.

For a man, she had learned Cantonese quickly.

After twenty-four or twenty-five years, having intentionally not spoken it, she had long forgotten some pronunciations.

This time, Lu Jianbo was the one stunned, unable to muster the courage to revisit the past. “Sixun is no longer young and should be considering marriage. Ning Yun is about his age, and they’ve known each other for a long time, even interacting intermittently. The Ning family is also interested in this union. I’m asking for your opinion.”

Jiang Yueru replied, “My son is not marrying to benefit your family; he’s not using his marriage to exchange for benefits for the Lu family.”

“Ning Yun is a good girl. You can get to know her better. Also, I’m not exchanging my son’s marriage for benefits. The advantages of the union will be for Sixun himself, and the Lu family won’t benefit.”

He could calculate for anyone but his son.

“I’m still his father; I’m not as unworthy as you think.”

Jiang Yueru responded, “Sixun will decide on his own marriage. I won’t interfere, and please don’t either.”

She hung up the phone directly.

Jiang Sixun slept for another six hours and only got up around one o’clock.

After freshening up and changing into a casual burgundy shirt, Jiang Sixun went downstairs, only to find his father waiting for him to have a meal.

Sitting at the dining table, his father’s first words were, “Your mother said she wouldn’t interfere with your marriage, and she won’t let me interfere either.” He spoke candidly, “I called your mother using your phone.”

Jiang Sixun remained unfazed and was not surprised.

Lu Jianbo continued, “I’m not interfering either. Ning Yun is great in every way and complements your personality. The way you two are interacting now is quite good, and there’s potential for feelings to develop.”

Jiang Sixun looked up. “What interaction are you referring to?”

Lu Jianbo suggested he check Ning Yun’s social media. Two hours ago, Ning Yun had posted an update: “Thanks to Mr. Jiang for his generous gift.”

The accompanying photo was of the oil painting.

Jiang Sixun took the phone and opened it. He didn’t pay attention to the caption or the photo itself. In the list of people who liked the post, he saw Xu Zhiyi’s profile picture.