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As the situation on the chessboard gradually became clear, with pieces densely packed, a wry smile appeared on Su Jiang’s face. The game was already beyond recovery.
While Su Jiang’s chess skills were decent, they still paled in comparison to An Mingjie’s skills before him.
He could sense that An Mingjie wasn’t giving his all, or the game wouldn’t have lasted this long.
He really wished the system would grant him a skill like Chess Mastery right now to decisively defeat An Mingjie.
As the game concluded, An Mingjie looked directly at Su Jiang and asked, “What are your plans for the future?”
Su Jiang shook his head slightly, “I don’t know. I’ll take it step by step. I really want a peaceful life like before.”
An Mingjie chuckled lightly, his gaze profound, “But you understand that’s wishful thinking. Regardless of why you hid your strength in the past, from the moment Lin Hui noticed you, your life was destined to be anything but peaceful.”
“Even if you were to kill Lin Hui, it wouldn’t change this fact.”
Su Jiang nodded silently. He wasn’t unaware; he just didn’t want to face this reality.
All these sudden changes were too much for him.
From the appearance of the system to the indescribable subtle feelings for An Rou, and the conflict with Lin Hui… it all stemmed from that confession.
Sometimes Su Jiang wondered if things would have been less complicated if he hadn’t confessed to An Rou back then.
But whenever he saw An Rou, a strange sense of gratitude welled up in his heart. If it weren’t for An Rou, he might have regretted it.
This complex and conflicting emotion left Su Jiang feeling at a loss.
An Mingjie keenly sensed Su Jiang’s inner turmoil and straightforwardly proposed, “Su Jiang, would you be willing to join the An family?”
Su Jiang’s eyes showed a hint of surprise at the proposal.
Then, he heard An Mingjie continue, “As long as you can promise to wholeheartedly treat An Rou well, you can join my An family.”
“So I, An Mingjie, can guarantee that in Jiangdu City, no one can disturb your lives.”
“Even those leading families lurking in the gray areas won’t dare. Whoever touches you two will face consequences.”
An Mingjie’s eyes sparkled with sharpness as he stared at Su Jiang, his tone exuding arrogance and confidence.
Su Jiang knew that the person before him now was the real An Mingjie, the true king of the An family.
He remained silent, while An Mingjie patiently waited for his response.
After careful consideration, Su Jiang ultimately shook his head slowly.
Seeing this, An Mingjie stood up, his brows furrowed, his voice slightly stern, “Are you rejecting me? Aren’t you worried that by refusing, the An family might become your enemy?”
Su Jiang also stood up, looking directly into An Mingjie’s eyes, and said earnestly, “I won’t join any family, let alone accept your protection. For me, it would be a form of restraint and shackles.”
“An family is different, we won’t ask anything of you.”
“I understand, but how should I put it.” Su Jiang paused, then continued, “I am someone who values complete freedom. I want to control my own destiny, free from the influence of any power.”
“I’m not joining the An family, not to oppose them, but simply because I don’t want to join. That’s my reason.”
“As for An Rou, I’ll let things unfold naturally. I’m willing to care for her and look after her, simply because she is An Rou, not because of the An family’s backing.”
After Su Jiang’s words, An Mingjie’s eyes sharpened like a hawk, and the atmosphere around them instantly tensed up.
“Hahaha…”
However, after a long silence, An Mingjie suddenly burst into hearty laughter.
He walked up, patting Su Jiang’s shoulder, his eyes filled with admiration.
“That girl Rou Rou has good taste. You haven’t disappointed me,” An Mingjie smiled.
He paused for a moment and continued, “If you had agreed to my proposal just now, I would have been disappointed. I would have kicked you out without hesitation, never allowing An Rou to see you again.”
“A true strong person will never settle for less. If you truly care for An Rou, you wouldn’t accept my help either.”
As An Mingjie spoke, he nodded frequently, clearly very satisfied with Su Jiang’s response.
“Su Jiang, I rarely truly trust someone, or acknowledge them.”
“To be honest, before you came, I had many doubts about you. But now, I’m willing to set aside those doubts and trust you…”
“Because, from childhood to now, my judgment, An Mingjie’s judgment, has never been wrong about anyone.”
A warm feeling surged in Su Jiang’s heart. He could deeply feel the sincerity in An Mingjie’s words. This trust and approval gave him a new understanding of the An family.
With someone like An Mingjie in the An family, there was no need to fear other underworld families.
“Knock, knock, knock!”
The abrupt knocking broke the silence in the study.
An Mingjie slightly turned his head and succinctly uttered, “Come in.”
The door of the study opened slowly, and the person who entered was familiar to Su Jiang, it was Li Cai.
Su Jiang also noticed that An Rou was sneakily hiding behind Li Cai, her bright eyes full of curiosity, peeking into the study.
Li Cai’s gaze swept over Su Jiang, then turned to An Mingjie, and in a low voice, he said, “It’s about time. Feng Chengye has arrived at the Fengting Restaurant, and the Lin family’s people have also set off.”
An Mingjie nodded slightly, indicating he was aware.
After a moment of contemplation, he turned to Su Jiang and said, “Later, I’ll need you to accompany An Rou and go somewhere with us.”
“Where to?”
“Fengting Restaurant,” An Mingjie answered decisively. “Tonight, both the Lin family and the Feng family will be there.”
“Brother!!!” An Rou, upon hearing this, immediately became anxious. “I can let go of family matters, but why do you want Su Jiang to go?”
Su Jiang lightly furrowed his brows, “I can go, but you have to tell me the reason.”
“I’ll tell you when we get in the car.”
With that, the group left the study. An Mingjie gently covered An Rou’s mouth, reassuring her in a low voice, “It’s okay, Rou Rou, rest assured. We won’t harm your little boyfriend.”
“Wuwuwu…” An Rou widened her eyes, her mouth covered, only able to emit a faint sob, her eyes filled with embarrassment.
What little boyfriend, An Mingjie, you big jerk!
She was full of confusion, wondering what these two jerks had been plotting in the study, making her brother suddenly act so strangely.
“Chuckle!” Su Jiang found An Rou’s expression somewhat amusing.
He never expected the usually fearless Miss An Rou to be so obediently controlled by her brother. The scene was quite comical.