“Jiang Xiao Li, what kind of boyfriend do you plan on having when you date in the future?” When Tong Yi asked this, his palms were slightly sweaty, anticipating her response.
“Why do I even need to date?” Jiang Li replied without hesitation.
Tong Yi was momentarily stunned. “Normally, you’d eventually date, right?”
Jiang Li shook her head, “My third uncle is over thirty and he hasn’t dated yet. I think he’s perfectly normal.”
Tong Yi: “…”
That’s… pretty normal indeed. But he still hoped that Jiang Xiao Li’s normal would be somewhat different from Third Master Feng’s!
“Big nephew, what kind of girls do you like?” Jiang Li inquired. Before Tong Yi could answer, she continued, “Certainly not the pure and innocent type.”
“Why would you say that?” Tong Yi was puzzled.
Jiang Li replied matter-of-factly: “Just now when we left the police station, that girl clearly showed interest in you, and yet you didn’t respond to her.”
Tong Yi chuckled, “She really isn’t my type, because I like someone smart, beautiful, and so witty she could frustrate people to death.”
Jiang Li looked at him sympathetically, “That might be hard to find.”
“How do you know it’s hard to find?” Tong Yi asked.
“Because the traits you just described are exactly how you describe me. But I, Jiang Xiao Li, am a unique individual who cannot be easily found elsewhere, so you might as well prepare to take a vow of chastity and become a monk!”
After saying this, Jiang Li made a face at Tong Yi and then entered the hotel without looking back.
“…” Left alone, Tong Yi fell into contemplation.
He didn’t want any Jiang Xiao Li-like people.
In his life, all he wanted was the one and only Jiang Xiao Li.
…
After discovering Jiang Zhou’s feelings for Jiang Ruo, Feng Yun had been wanting to find an opportunity to have a good talk with Jiang Huai to gauge his attitude. However, Jiang Huai was always busy, and on the rare occasions he did come home, it was usually after she had gone to sleep. It was also not a topic that could be talked about over the phone, which meant Feng Yun never really had the chance to bring it out.
As time passed, she gradually began to forget about it, and by the time she remembered, it was almost time for the college entrance exams. One day, she saw her son leading Ruoruo by the hand. Ruoruo’s expression appeared quite awkward, but she didn’t outright reject it, and A’Zhou had a big, almost foolish grin on his face.
At that moment, Feng Yun suddenly felt that it would be good for A’Zhou and Ruoruo to be together, as it would spare both of them from a possible conflict between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.
That evening, when Jiang Huai happened to be home, Feng Yun started a conversation, intending to slowly probe his attitude. As they lay in bed, Feng Yun remarked softly, “Time flies; A’Zhou is already twenty years old. I see other kids his age already bringing girlfriends home.”
Jiang Huai sighed, “Our family has been declining these past few years and people in our circle are no longer eager to marry their daughters into our family. If it were a few years ago, those girls would have been tripping over themselves to marry A’Zhou.”
Feng Yun disagreed with his view, “Actually, it’s not necessary to find a girl who matches our social status. I think as long as it is someone A’Zhou loves, it doesn’t matter if her family background is not as affluent.”
Jiang Huai immediately objected, “What are you talking about? A’Zhou is good-looking and outstanding. Even if he can’t find a girlfriend from a better family than ours, he definitely shouldn’t be with someone from a poor family. Not only would she not be able to support him, but she’d just drag him down.”
Feng Yun looked hurt, “Is that how you thought when you married me?”
Jiang Huai raised his voice, “How can you compare the two? You and I fell in love mutually; it’s different. But A’Zhou is our son, don’t you hope for him to have a good future?”
Feng Yun gave a bitter smile, “When we were together, my father opposed us too, claiming it was for our best, but I still chose to be with you without any regrets.”
Jiang Huai turned on the bedside lamp and sat up, “I finally come home early for once, and you just have to pick a fight, is that it?”
Feng Yun felt that Jiang Huai was being unreasonable, but remembering her objective, she decided not to argue this point for the time being. “I just think that whether A’Zhou likes someone or not should be his decision to make. We, as parents, shouldn’t interfere, right?” Feng Yun softened her expression.
Jiang Huai frowned, “Does A’Zhou have someone he likes?”
Feng Yun immediately shook her head, “No, not at all. I’m just expressing my opinion.”
“He doesn’t have someone he likes, then there’s nothing to talk about. Let’s go to sleep!” Jiang Huai turned off the bedside lamp and lay back down.
Feng Yun remained silent for almost a minute before she spoke up again, “Ruoruo is now of age, and I don’t know if she can perform well in her college entrance exams this year.”
Jiang Huai’s expression softened somewhat, “Ruoruo has always been intelligent and ambitious. Although she may not compare to Jiang Li, she far surpasses those young ladies in our circle who only know how to compete in mindless endeavors. If she can get into Capital University this year, it would be advantageous when arranging her marriage later.”
“But I can’t bear to see Ruoruo enter a business marriage. She’s not very healthy and is so naïve; I don’t want to see her unhappy because of an arranged marriage,” Feng Yun said in a low voice.
Jiang Huai sighed, “I know you care for her, but you can’t keep her forever. She will have to marry someday. Finding her a good match is all we can do.”
Feng Yun hesitated for a few seconds, gathering her courage, “Even if she has to marry, we don’t necessarily have to marry her out. I would actually like to keep her at home.”
Jiang Huai couldn’t help but laugh, “What, are you planning to take a son-in-law into our family for her?”1
Feng Yun half-joked, half-seriously said, “It doesn’t necessarily have to be that. I see that A’Zhou and Ruoruo are about the same age, and they aren’t related by blood…”
“Are you out of your mind? What nonsense are you talking about?!” Jiang Huai turned on the bedside lamp again and threw back the blanket, looking grimly at Feng Yun.
Feng Yun was frightened by his gaze, “W-what are you… Why such a big reaction? I was just speaking casually.”
“Casually?” Jiang Huai scoffed repeatedly. He grabbed Feng Yun by the collar of her nightgown, lifting her up, “I don’t want to hear you say such things again; otherwise, I might think you’ve gone mad.”
Feng Yun’s feet kicked around, struggling, “What are you freaking out about? I told you, I was just speaking casually. Do you need to be so angry?”
Jiang Huai threw Feng Yun back onto the bed, “If you dare to spout such nonsense in front of the kids, don’t blame me for being harsh.” After saying this, Jiang Huai got up from the bed, walked out barefoot, and slammed the door heavily behind him.
But less than two minutes later, he returned, his gaze dark as he looked at Feng Yun and asked, “Were those words just now your own thoughts, or did A’Zhou send you to test me?”
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- In China, there are two kinds of marriage, reflecting traditional gender roles and familial dynamics: “娶” (qǔ) and “嫁” (jià). “娶” is used when a man marries a woman, indicating that the groom is taking the bride into his family. On the other hand, “嫁” is used when a woman marries a man, indicating that the bride is entering into the groom’s family.
Oh my god, is this man actually using his brain?? Hopefully, Feng Yun slips up and says the truth so that he can blow up all of them. I hope Jiang ruo is that creepy b*st*ds half-sister. Oh, the drama that will unfurl.😂