Extra 2.8

“No.” Jiang Xue pressed Gu Zhanwang’s hand, “I’m not worth this price. I won’t allow you to give so much.”

One should know that Su Xiaoxiao bought a courtyard for just around 10,000-20,000, but Jiang Huai asked for 100,000 yuan. Isn’t that too much?

Gu Zhanwang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. 100,000 yuan was not too much for him.

“You…” Jiang Huai was almost driven to a heart attack, truly wanting to beat his rebellious daughter to death.

Jiang Xue looked at Jiang Huai, “I forgot to tell you that I just resigned. If you like to make a scene, come and make a scene every day. If you want to report it to the police, go ahead. If you want to make a fuss at the Civil Affairs Bureau, do it. I want to see what kind of trouble you can cause with your old face and what good it will do you after the fuss.”

Jiang Huai wanted to take action again, but Gu Zhanwang grabbed his wrist and looked at him coldly, “My temper isn’t very good. You’d better be careful.”

Jiang Huai was both embarrassed and angry. He retreated two steps and fell into a chair. He was old, truly old. His son was unambitious, and his daughter was unreliable. The Jiang family was really going to fall apart.

Did he really want to make a scene? He could throw away his old face, but Jiang Xue didn’t even want her job and might cut off their father-daughter relationship later. The money was in Gu Zhanwang’s pocket. What could he do about it even if he didn’t give it? Was money really what he wanted? Jiang Feng was useless, but he still had two grandsons. Jiang Xue’s marriage to Gu Zhanwang wasn’t without benefits. In the future, if the Jiang family declines, they might still help the two nephews.

After much consideration, Jiang Huai changed his strategy and took a softer approach. He said to Gu Zhanwang, “I don’t really want the money. I just want to see how much Jiang Xue is worth in your eyes. Whether Jiang Xue acknowledged me or not, it was not easy for me to cultivate her to be so excellent. My original intention was not to exchange her for benefits. It’s just that our Jiang family…”

“10,000”

Jiang Xue interrupted his deliberately emotional words. “Gu Zhanwang will give you ten thousand as a betrothal gift. We don’t plan to hold a banquet or need a dowry. I will visit my mother when I have time. If something big happens at home, we will help, but you cannot use Gu Zhanwang’s name to get benefits outside. Don’t bother us with trivial matters. You live your life well, and we’ll live our small lives well. Let’s not interfere with each other.”

Jiang Huai had a deep understanding of his daughter’s nature. He knew she might completely sever their father-daughter bond if pushed to her limits. He planned to take some money, but his true aim was never just money. The name “Gu Zhanwang” carried significance beyond mere money in the city. Being known as “Gu Zhanwang’s father-in-law” held more value than money, and this could not be purchased. Even without taking any action, his standing within the community would naturally improve. He was not foolish enough to undermine his own future.

Although Jiang Huai had devoted himself to nurturing Jiang Xue with the intention of reaping substantial benefits, he did not see this as contradictory. Sadly, Jiang Xue was on the verge of disappointing him. Her decision to remain unmarried had made him the subject of ridicule throughout the city. Unexpectedly, a glimmer of hope appeared. Despite his age, she had found a prospective son-in-law who matched Han Cheng’s talent.

Jiang Huai was infuriated by her decision to marry without even notifying him. Now that he had calmed down, he felt a sense of pride. This was the daughter he had cultivated. If she was to marry, it was to marry the most valuable man in the Four Nine City. He wondered who would still dare to laugh at him in the future.

No one knows a daughter better than her father.’ Jiang Huai knew Jiang Xue’s temper. She would always give in to soft words and not to hard ones. A hard approach would not do him any good.

Jiang Huai stood up, descended the steps, and said to Gu Zhanwang, “We are now a family. Even if Jiang Xue doesn’t acknowledge me as her father, her mother will still care for her. Since there will be no banquet, let’s find a time for the whole family to have a meal together to mark the occasion.”

Jiang Huai looked at Jiang Xue as he spoke, “You can’t even meet this small request? Besides hoping you marry a good man to help our family, Jiang Xue, have I done anything to wrong you?”

Jiang Xue’s feelings toward Jiang Huai were indeed complex. He had raised and nurtured her but had never hidden his intentions. He was severely lacking emotionally, but materially, he had never been stingy with her. Except for his attempt to control her marriage for his own selfish purposes, which was not for outsiders to know, she had always been the well-off and elegant eldest daughter of the Jiang family in the eyes of others.

“I’ll find a time to go back,” Jiang Xue compromised.

Jiang Huai gazed at them intently. “I understand your thoughts, but regardless of what you think, marriage is not just about two individuals; it concerns two families. Prosperity and hardship are shared. Tendons bind broken bones together. No matter how much you wish to sever ties, you cannot alter the fact that Jiang Xue carries the Jiang family’s blood. I wouldn’t approach you if it weren’t for this critical situation. I will naturally use this stubbornness of yours when it’s necessary.”

Jiang Huai remained steadfast in his role as the antagonist. After delivering his statement, he turned on his heel, opened the door, and exited.

After Jiang Huai left, Jiang Xue lit a cigarette and took a few deep drags. Gu Zhanwang took it from her and had a few puffs himself, “Is this how you got addicted to smoking?”

Jiang Xue shook her head: “I don’t know. It may be because of Han Cheng. At that time, Jiang Huai pressured me and always urged me to chase Han Cheng, but I could never do it. Anyway, I would smoke whenever I was upset, and it became a habit.”

As she lit another cigarette, Jiang Xue asked Gu Zhanwang, “Are you surprised?”

Gu Zhanwang looked at her, “Surprised about what?”

Jiang Xue leaned on the table, half-closing her eyes and exhaling smoke. After a while, she flicked the ash from her cigarette and said, “The relationship between me and my family. I am the ‘young lady’ of the Jiang family with nothing but appearance.”

Gu Zhanwang shook his head: “I don’t know. I don’t have a family. The closest I have are Han Cheng’s family and my adoptive father. I probably don’t have much of a relationship with elders. My parents, Han Cheng’s parents, and my adoptive father all passed away early. Western parenting views differ from ours, and their relationships are not close. To me, clear and mutually beneficial exchanges aren’t necessarily bad. In addition, you are not nothing but appearance. You have always been a real young lady. “

Jiang Xue probably didn’t know that, during their adolescence, anyone who could say a word to Jiang Xue, the first-class young lady, would be enough to make them happy and brag about it endlessly.

Gu Zhanwang’s last sentence did not convince Jiang Xue but she still agreed with his earlier point, “I also think it’s fine to clarify things this way. I was most afraid of him making excessive demands and pestering me endlessly. But it seems my father is quite smart.”

Gu Zhanwang pulled her into his embrace, took away the cigarette butt, and transferred the smoke from his mouth to hers…

This kiss, flavored with smoke, was particularly long and tender.

“If he weren’t smart, how could he have a daughter as clever as you? If you acknowledge them, I will do everything I can to meet their requests. If you don’t acknowledge them, then I won’t either.”

Jiang Xue put out the cigarette butt, held Gu Zhanwang’s head, and gave him a deep French kiss,  equally infused with smoke. She rubbed her forehead against his and gently said, “I’ll try not to let you lose out. After all, I’m worth a hundred thousand.”

Gu Zhanwang also extinguished his cigarette, lifted her by the waist, and placed her on the table, holding her face gently. “You heard wrong. You’re not worth a hundred thousand. To me, you’re priceless.”

Gu Zhanwang leaned close to her ear, whispering, “I really want to have you right here.”

Jiang Xue tilted her head back to him, allowing him to nuzzle her. She softly replied, “This place isn’t suitable. Let’s try your office next time.”

Gu Zhanwang gritted his teeth, smiling and cursing, “Little Enchantress!”