Chapter 5: Jiang Jinnian: “I am marrying Nanzhi.”

Perhaps it was due to being overly immersed in her research recently, but last night, Shen Nanzhi found herself surrounded by an endless stream of incomprehensible data in her dreams.

Lying under the covers, she opened her eyes but was reluctant to get out of bed. Her head felt heavy and foggy, and it took her a long time to finally sluggishly crawl out of bed to wash up.

After getting ready, she stepped out of her room. As she reached the staircase, she caught a glimpse of Mrs. Jiang  on the sofa in the living room, looking displeased as she scolded someone on the phone.

Without needing to guess, Shen Nanzhi already knew who was on the other end of the line.

This kind of situation had occurred quite a few times over the past two years.

She had been eager to move out and had rarely returned to the Jiang family residence except on important occasions, all to avoid such scenarios.

Once Mrs. Jiang finished her phone call, Shen Nanzhi waited a few more minutes before heading downstairs.

Just now on the third floor, Shen Nanzhi had only seen Mrs. Jiang on the outer sofa, and she could tell from the sound that Mr. Jiang  was also present.

She hadn’t expected that, even after nine o’clock, Jiang Jinnian  was still at home.

As Shen Nanzhi came downstairs, both Mr. and Mrs. Jiang, along with Jiang Jinnian, who was sitting alone on a single sofa, turned to look at her.

She acted as if she hadn’t heard anything, her lips curving into a sweet smile as she greeted them one by one.

Seeing Shen Nanzhi, the anger that Mrs. Jiang had directed at Jiang Tingxu dissipated significantly. She smiled at Shen Nanzhi and waved her over, just like she had done many times before.

“Nanzhi , you’re awake?”

“Come sit over here with me, dear.”

Shen Nanzhi smiled and walked over, sitting beside Mrs. Jiang as she used to do when she was younger.

Mrs. Jiang genuinely liked Shen Nanzhi.

In her own words, who wouldn’t like their own child?

She had raised Shen Nanzhi as her own child, and the bond between them had deepened over the years. However, in recent times, as Shen Nanzhi and Jiang Tingxu’s relationship grew more distant, Mrs. Jiang felt both anxious and heartbroken.

She was anxious because she couldn’t persuade Jiang Tingxu, that troublesome boy, to reconsider his stance.

She was heartbroken that Shen Nanzhi had been distant, much like over the past half year. Mrs. Jiang had called her numerous times, but each time, the girl would say she was too busy with her studies and had no time to visit home.

Mrs. Jiang held Shen Nanzhi’s hand, scrutinizing her closely. After a few seconds, she gently patted her hand and sighed, “You’ve lost weight again.”

Mrs. Jiang’s eyes were filled with concern. “Nanzhi, no matter how busy you are with your studies, you should come home more often. Living alone in that apartment, there’s no one to take care of you. How can I rest easy knowing that?”

Shen Nanzhi smiled gently, responding affirmatively to Mrs. Jiang’s words.

After chatting for a while about mundane matters, Shen Nanzhi observed the atmosphere and thought for a moment before softly broaching the topic of the engagement.

“Uncle  and Aunt , today seems to be a good opportunity. Regarding the engagement, I wanted to…”

As soon as the word “engagement” left her lips, the relaxed atmosphere in the living room seemed to be pressed down by an invisible hand.

Mrs. Jiang frowned slightly, her grip on Shen Nanzhi’s hand tightening.

She had already guessed what Nanzhi was about to say.

Over the past half year, although Shen Nanzhi had rarely come home, she had hinted during their phone calls about the possibility of annulling the engagement a few times. However, those discussions had been put off, as Mrs. Jiang had suggested waiting until they could talk in person when everyone was gathered together.

This morning, when Mrs. Jiang had come from the airport and found it impossible to reach Jiang Tingxu, her frustration and anxiety stemmed from the prediction that without that troublesome boy’s cooperation, it would be difficult to maintain the engagement.

Shen Nanzhi understood Mrs. Jiang’s intentions.

She also recognized the concern behind her desire for her to stay.

But matters of the heart couldn’t be forced, let alone a lifelong marriage.

The Jiang and Shen families had been connected for decades, and the bond between her parents and the Jiang family was especially deep. After her parents passed away, the Jiang family had raised her as their own daughter.

To ruin decades of friendship for a forced marriage would be too costly.

“Marriage cannot be forced. I think the engagement between our families should be…”

Jiang Jinnian, who had remained silent until now, raised his eyelids and looked at Shen Nanzhi, abruptly interrupting her mid-sentence.

“Over the past few decades, the Jiang and Shen families have become inseparable. Abruptly breaking off the engagement would be a significant blow to both families.”

Shen Nanzhi paused, her words caught in her throat.

She instinctively looked across at him.

She had anticipated that Mr. and Mrs. Jiang would try to stop her, but she never imagined that Jiang Jinnian would intervene.

“Furthermore,” meeting her gaze, Jiang Jinnian remained motionless, his knuckles silently rubbing the teacup. He added, “The engagement was agreed upon by both families. If we were to cancel the wedding, the Jiang family wouldn’t be able to explain it to Mr. and Mrs. Shen.”

Mr. and Mrs. Jiang were also somewhat surprised.

Jiang Jinnian frequently stayed abroad and rarely returned home. He had seldom involved himself in the matters concerning Jiang Tingxu and Shen Nanzhi.

They hadn’t expected Jiang Jinnian to intervene at this moment.

But no matter his motivation, the effect was the same.

Their intention was also to maintain the engagement.

Mrs. Jiang didn’t think too much about it, following up on Jiang Jinnian’s words. She said to Shen Nanzhi, “Yes, Nanzhi, we don’t need to rush this. Let’s wait for Tingxu to come back, and then I’ll give him a good scolding——”

“Mom.”

Jiang Jinnian’s gaze shifted from Shen Nanzhi to his parents.

“I have a suggestion.”

“Tingxu is resistant to the family marriage, and forcing him won’t help.”

“Why not I marry Nanzhi instead?”

Jiang Jinnian spoke slowly, his tone calm and measured.

However, those two sentences struck like a sudden thunderclap, hitting Mr. and Mrs. Jiang like a bolt from the blue.

It left them momentarily speechless.

The entire living room fell into a deathly silence.

Shen Nanzhi, as if she had misheard, looked at Jiang Jinnian in disbelief.

Yet, he maintained an expression of calmness, meeting her gaze steadily, as if what he had just said was the most ordinary piece of “small talk.”

Chapter 6: “Marrying Nanzhi, Seriously?”

Shen Nanzhi was stunned for a long time by Jiang Jinnian’s words.

She had stayed in the bedroom until around one or two in the afternoon before finally opening the door again.

Her intention was to leave the Jiang family home for some fresh air.

However, as soon as she stepped into the hall, she noticed a tall and elegant figure by the camellia tree on the west side of the courtyard.

Upon seeing her, Jiang Jinnian turned slightly to look over.

His long, slender fingers extinguished the cigarette he was holding.

His gaze swept over her, and his voice remained calm. “Are you going out?”

Shen Nanzhi paused, standing still without moving forward, her fingertips unconsciously tightening around her phone.

“It’s a rare holiday; I just wanted to go out for a bit.”

“Well…” She deliberately avoided Jiang Jinnian’s deep, dark gaze, but his earlier proposal about their marriage kept echoing in her mind.

Shen Nanzhi’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, and the knuckles of her fingers gripping the phone turned a bit pale.

“The engagement… Brother…”

“I’m not your brother.” He suddenly interrupted.

Shen Nanzhi paused.

Looking at him.

Hearing him say calmly and coldly:

“Nanzhi, your surname is Shen, mine is Jiang. I have never been your brother.”

“You called me ‘Big Brother’ because of Tingxu’s position. Now that the engagement is between you and me, you should no longer address me based on his status.”

That’s what he said.

And it’s not wrong.

Jiang Jinnian is Jiang Tingxu’s older brother.  Since childhood, she had called Jiang Jinnian “brother,” firstly out of politeness living in the Jiang household, and secondly, because of her relationship with Jiang Tingxu.

Now that she had severed ties with Jiang Tingxu, naturally, she shouldn’t call him “brother” anymore.

However, hearing this logic from Jiang Jinnian, carried an unspoken sense of dominance.

The unyielding authority of someone used to being in a position of power, even though Jiang Jinnian deliberately restrained himself in her presence, still created an indescribable pressure on Shen Nanzhi, who was not yet twenty years old.

The difference between her and Jiang Jinnian was far more than just seven years of age.

As it stands, she hadn’t even officially graduated from university.

He, on the other hand, had already become a supreme decision-maker, feared and flattered by all, in the ruthless world of business.

“Nanzhi.”

Shen Nanzhi’s thoughts were abruptly pulled back by Jiang Jinnian’s sudden voice.

“I know, it’s still difficult for you to accept this.”

“But I just want to tell you one thing, the engagement between the Jiang and Shen groups is a marriage between two families, not two individuals.”

Shen Nanzhi understood what Jiang Jinnian meant.

Arranged marriages between families were always just that—between families.

It wasn’t a binding agreement specifically between two named individuals.

Like the engagement between the Jiang and Shen families, according to the customs of the wealthy circles, this marriage, decided since birth, would prioritize her and Jiang Jinnian.

However, Jiang Jinnian had been abroad for many years, resulting in little interaction between them. Their age gap was also less advantageous than that between her and Jiang Tingxu.  Added to the fact that she and Jiang Tingxu grew up together, everyone subconsciously assumed the engagement would be between her and Jiang Tingxu.

By the glass window of the second-floor study.

Mr. and Mrs. Jiang watched the two people downstairs.

Neither of them spoke.

Until Shen Nanzhi walked past the camellia trees and left the villa under Jiang Jinnian’s gaze.

Mr. Jiang then asked:

“Wife, what do you think about what Jinnian said about the marriage?”

Mrs. Jiang frowned.

She didn’t speak for a moment.

Mr. Jiang patted her shoulder and said, “I’ll go talk to our son for a bit.”

Mrs. Jiang nodded.

Over the past three years, Jiang Jinnian had single-handedly founded the E.R Group abroad.  This time, with his return to China, the E.R Group’s headquarters would also be relocated to the country and merged with the headquarters of Tian Sheng Group.

Mr. Jiang was a man who longed to retire every day.  Since Jiang Jinnian joined the company, he had stepped down from the company early on.

He only held a nominal position on the board of directors.

He no longer concerned himself with company matters, whether at the Tian Sheng Group headquarters or its various subsidiaries.

As for Jiang Tingxu, let alone taking over the company, he wouldn’t even step foot inside the company building, as if it were haunted and entering would shorten his lifespan.

The affairs of the two group headquarters, both domestic and international, were already overwhelming, and with the relocation of the E.R Group’s headquarters, Jiang Jinnian’s phone had been ringing almost day and night.

He didn’t stay downstairs for too long. After Zhou Lin called, he quickly went to the study on the third floor.

He had just opened an email on his computer and hadn’t had time to reply when Mr. Jiang knocked on the door.

“Jinnian, are you busy?”

“Not busy.” He closed the email. “Come in, Dad.”

Mr. Jiang pushed open the door, a bottle of wine in his hand, clearly intending a long conversation.

Jiang Jinnian understood and glanced at his father, standing up to approach him, first asking:

“Is Dad here to ask me about the engagement?”

Mr. Jiang cheerfully poured the wine. “I did intend to ask, but since we haven’t seen each other for two whole years since you went abroad, you finally came back, so I thought I’d come and share a couple of drinks with you.”

As he spoke, he handed over a glass of wine.

Jiang Jinnian accepted it and sat down opposite Mr. Jiang.

The first question was his father’s:

“How many days can you stay this time?”

Jiang Jinnian casually swirled the wine in his glass, his movements relaxed. The liquid refracted cold white light against the angular edges of the glass, accentuating the length of his fingers.

“The headquarters of E.R has already moved to Huaihai City. If nothing unexpected happens, I won’t be coming back for a while.”

Mr. Jiang was pleased to hear this.

The Jiang family’s influence had long reached an unshakeable position, and during Jiang Jinnian’s years abroad, he had already expanded sufficient business ventures overseas.

Compared to having their son stay abroad for years, both Mr. Jiang and Mrs. Jiang hoped their son would return to Huaihai City so that the family could be together.

Mr. Jiang asked a few questions about the recent developments of the E.R Group and Tian Sheng headquarters, then shifted the topic to the engagement.

“Marrying Nanzhi, Are you serious?”

“Serious” Jiang Jinnian’s brow furrowed slightly, his eyelids half-lowered as if he were looking into the transparent liquid of the wine glass, though it was unclear whether he was truly focused on it.

It wasn’t until Mr. Jiang posed that question that he finally lifted his gaze to meet his father’s.

His thin lips parted slightly as he countered, “But what about you and Mom? Are you opposed?”