Chapter 17, "Two Men and One Woman".
After Jiang An got into the car, Wen Lingshuang had already tacitly taken a seat in the corner. She seemed to prefer this spot, probably because there were expensive wines and jewelry in the cabinet next to her. This was arranged by Lon. Now it seems that he really understands women better than he does.
The car slowly drove forward. Jiang An was a little tired. The high-intensity work made him sleepy. He closed his eyes and pretended to sleep, but the fragrance of the woman beside him lingered in his nose. Today it was a pleasant jasmine scent, very light, like the freshness of newly opened jasmine blossoms, which filled the entire space in no time.
It's quite a strange story.
Jiang An is very sensitive to the fragrance of flowers; he doesn't dislike it, but he certainly doesn't.
Wen Ling Shuang's favorite perfumes are floral scents, ranging from rich rose, musk, orange blossom, and raspberry to lighter notes like mandarin orange, jasmine, and iris. She pairs each perfume with a different outfit almost every day, yet never gets tiresome. Rose scents paired with bright and bold outfits attract attention wherever she goes, while jasmine scents paired with pure and elegant outfits are like a greenhouse flower that has just received rain and dew, equally captivating.
The more Jiang An thought about it, the less sleepy he became.
She slightly opened her eyes and turned her head to look, and saw Wen Lingshuang holding her phone and sending a message.
I don't know who it was sent to; I only saw the last message: [Just keep it down, otherwise if Jiang An sees it, I'll lose all face.]
Jiang An raised an eyebrow.
Pretend you didn't see it.
Soon, the car entered the alley. The two rows of security guards immediately opened the gate when they saw the car model and the driver. Wen Lingshuang was a little tired from the ride and leaned back in her seat, gazing absently at the scenery outside the window.
This was her first time visiting the Jiang family's old residence.
I knew a long time ago that the Jiang family had a hutong whose value was immeasurable. It was said to have been left by the family elders who went into politics in the last century. The hutong's layout basically continued the style of the last century. Apart from repairs and maintenance, there were not many changes. As a result, when the car drove into the hutong, a retro atmosphere came over us.
trench.
As expected of the Jiang family.
After the car came to a stop, Jiang An got out and walked to the car to open the door for her. She got out of the car listlessly, but she had regained a little strength when she got out. She turned her head and looked around at her surroundings.
Seeing her eyes darting around, looking cute and playful, Jiang An smiled and said, "Come in and sit down. I'll go call my grandpa."
What is Grandpa doing?
Jiang An raised his hand to look at his watch. "Shouldn't they still be resting at this hour?"
Wen Lingshuang said "Oh," and then asked, "Shall I wander around?"
"OK."
The alley was huge, with many rooms, each one slightly different. The Wen family also had an alley, but compared to the Jiang family, it was nothing. As soon as I entered a room facing south, I smelled a faint sandalwood fragrance. It wasn't from incense, but from the aged aroma emanating from the sandalwood tables and chairs in the room.
The room wasn't big, only about 20 square meters.
Some red banners hung on the brick wall, mostly from the period between the turn of the last century and the 20th century. She put her hands behind her back and looked at the banners on the wall. Further inside was a row of sandalwood tables, which also looked like products of the last century. On the tables were several photos of a group of children standing under the trees outside, about twenty of them, boys and girls, tall and short.
Among the group of children, Wen Lingshuang spotted Jiang An, who was standing in the far corner, as thin as a bamboo pole.
He looked to be about seventeen or eighteen years old, so thin that his shoulder peaks were protruding. The children next to him were all wearing thick clothes, but he was wearing only a thin T-shirt and jeans. His demeanor was no longer as noble and elegant as it is now; instead, he was gloomy and chilling, completely out of place with the children in the photo.
She picked up the photo frame to take a closer look, and suddenly noticed that there were words pasted on the back of the frame.
A line of very small text: [Jiang An will surely die.]
When Wen Lingshuang saw that line of small print, for some reason, her heart felt like it was being squeezed, a bittersweet feeling.
The photo is clearly a group photo of the direct and collateral descendants of the Jiang family. Among so many children, how could someone be so malicious as to write such words?
Wen Lingshuang couldn't understand, nor could she comprehend. Although she knew that the infighting within large families was severe and that they wouldn't stop until one of them was dead, when it actually happened around her, and to someone she was going to spend her life with, a nameless fear and complex emotions welled up in her heart.
What is frightening is that Jiang An lived in the Jiang family and was able to grow up safely and even became the sole designated person in charge of the Jiang family.
The complicated thing is, what exactly did he go through to stand out among so many outstanding descendants?
She didn't know him very well.
He was always gentle and self-disciplined towards her, and even if he briefly lost control due to alcohol, he could quickly regain his composure.
Wen Lingshuang admitted it.
She began to feel a little sorry for Jiang An.
From the initial negative rumors about him to now witnessing the undercurrents beneath the calm surface, every step he has taken has been difficult, as if he were walking on thin ice.
Put the photo back on the desktop.
Jiang An's voice came from outside the door.
She composed herself, took a step towards the door, and saw Jiang An standing next to the cypress tree, in the same spot as in the photo. The difference was that he was no longer as thin and frail as in the photo, nor as gloomy and cold. He was a living, breathing, noble, elegant, and superior Jiang An.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Jiang An asked.
Wen Lingshuang shook her head and pointed to the room behind her, "Who used to live in this room?"
Jiang An glanced at the room she pointed to, "Jiang Qi."
"Jiang Qi?" Wen Lingshuang asked, somewhat surprised.
Jiang Qi is even gentler than Jiang Xu, probably because he is younger than Jiang Xu, and he gives people the impression of being refined and modest.
Wen Lingshuang felt a chill, an inexplicable chill.
Jiang An noticed something was wrong with her and walked over to her. "What's wrong?"
"No." She shook her head. "Then where did you live before?"
"Live in Nanxi."
"That villa in the suburbs?"
"right."
Rumors circulated that Jiang An wasn't living with the Jiang family anymore, but instead residing in the Nanxi villa, which was said to be where his birth mother lived... In short, there were many conflicting rumors, and it was unclear which were true and which were false. Now it seemed more reasonable for the Jiang family to send him to live in Nanxi because they couldn't tolerate him. Wen Lingshuang was a little angry and frowned, saying, "Why do you want to live so far away? The Jiang family owns so many properties, why do you have to live there?"
Jiang An raised an eyebrow slightly. "I've gotten used to living here."
How many years have you lived here?
"About ten years."
Wen Lingshuang snorted coldly, "You live so far away, how are you going to pick me up from get off work? It takes several hours to go back and forth."
She crossed her arms and said, "If you're going to pick me up, stay in the city center. Otherwise, don't come back."
She's a bit delicate.
Jiang An chuckled, "What kind of logic is that?"
"You dare to contradict me?"
Jiang An raised his hand, pinched the tip of her nose, and said in a low voice with a hint of pampering and punishment, "You're difficult to deal with, Miss Wen."
His sudden touch made her heart race.
The second time he called her "Miss Wen" sounded much better than when others called her "Princess" or "Miss".
She snorted twice, shook off his hand, and looked up at him haughtily, "Will you agree or not?"
Jiang An pondered for a moment, "Why don't you live closer?"
Wen Lingshuang could hardly believe what she was hearing.
He actually refused her request?
What was the point of signing the document beforehand, allowing the seller to dispose of the goods at will?
"No." She pursed her red lips. "Anyway, it's your choice whether you stay with me or live so far away."
Wen Lingshuang's affected temper flared up, insisting that he make a choice. Her haughty demeanor was like that of a Persian cat with its head held high, not allowing anyone to challenge her authority.
Jiang An pondered for a moment, then said, "I'll go back and think about it before giving you an answer."
After saying that, he gently took her hand and said, "Let's go, Grandpa is waiting inside."
Before Wen Lingshuang could recover, Jiang An led her inside.
She made a soft "eh" sound, her beautiful eyes fixed on his back.
What? You're just giving her this perfunctory reply? You want to go back and think about it before giving her a reply? Doesn't she know that the rich young master who's chasing after her will give her whatever she asks for?
Stepping inside, a faint scent of sandalwood mingled with the fragrance of pear blossoms. A whole wall of display cases came into view, filled with treasures comparable to those in a museum. Wen Lingshuang swallowed back the words she wanted to say, her gaze fixed on the treasures in the display cases.
From porcelain sculptures to antiques and calligraphy, and then to jewelry... almost all the priceless treasures on the market are here.
Grandpa Jiang had just woken up and was resting on a chaise lounge, drinking tea from a cup.
Seeing Jiang An lead Wen Lingshuang in, he put down his teacup, shook his fan, and said, "Come, sit down."
Jiang An led Wen Lingshuang to sit down.
Wen Lingshuang's gaze remained fixed on him.
pretty.
So beautiful.
Especially that lotus plate carved from jade, it's so beautiful... If it were placed in her room... She thought about it, and it would be a perfect match for the pair of jade screens.
I want it so badly...
Seeing that she was still unable to come back to her senses, Jiang An followed her gaze and saw the entire display case.
"Which one do you want?" Jiang An leaned close to her ear and whispered, "I'll get it for you."
The scorching heat brushed against my ear.
A strange restlessness spread from my earlobes throughout my body.
He looked away, shook his head, and said, "I don't want anything."
Wen Lingshuang is a very bad liar.
He was the worst liar Jiang An had ever met.
Her bright, grape-like eyes were full of affection, but she said she didn't want it.
He picked up the tea in front of him, took a sip, looked at Old Master Jiang, and said, "I'm sorry to disturb your rest. The ancestral worship day is in a few days. Ling Shuang and I both have things to do and can't come, so we bought some gifts to visit you in advance."
Grandpa Jiang smiled but didn't say anything.
Jiang An had never participated in the Jiang family's ancestral worship ceremony before. In previous years, he rarely even came to visit, let alone participate. But this year was different. He had a fiancée and knew to bring her to visit him.
really.
Once a person has a family, things change.
Jiang An was no exception.
Grandpa Jiang's gaze slowly fell on Wen Lingshuang. She was a very pretty and delicate young lady, a little pretentious, but it was harmless. Compared to those rich young ladies outside who were full of tricks, he was quite satisfied with this granddaughter-in-law. He fanned himself and said, "There's no need to make a special trip."
“How could it be unnecessary?” Wen Lingshuang withdrew her gaze and spoke slowly, her voice as sweet and endearing as ever, “You are an elder, so it is very necessary for me to come and see you.”
Grandpa Jiang was amused and said, "Ling Shuang, I remember your nickname is Yang Yang. Your maternal grandfather and I are very good friends. I even held you when you were very small."
"Huh?" Wen Lingshuang looked at Grandpa Jiang in surprise. "You've held me before?"
"Yes." Grandpa Jiang nodded, gesturing with his hand, "He was this small back then, crying in my arms, wanting to drink milk."
"..."
How annoying, why did you have to bring up her drinking milk?
"Time flies, the baby has grown up so much in the blink of an eye."
Grandpa Jiang sighed, looked out the window at the scenery, and asked, "How about we eat here tonight? I'll have the kitchen prepare it."
"No need," Jiang An said. "I have company business tonight, and Ling Shuang also has a social engagement."
"I see..." Grandpa Jiang pondered for a moment, then looked at Wen Lingshuang, "Then take a look and see what you like. Since it's your first time here, Grandpa will give you a return gift."
Everyone could tell that Wen Lingshuang really liked the things in the display case.
His gaze was fixed, undisguised.
She could look at it, but she wouldn't dare accept such an expensive gift as a gift.
Just as she was about to wave her hand, Jiang An stood up first and walked towards the display case, picking up the jade she had been staring at and saying, "I want this one?"
I asked for her opinion.
Wen Lingshuang was extremely embarrassed.
Jade of such high quality must cost at least ten figures; how could he possibly ask her if she wanted it?
"No, no," she said, feigning modesty. "It's enough that I've come to see Grandpa."
Jiang An: "Okay, this one will do."
Wen Lingshuang: "..."
*
When leaving the Jiang family's old house, Old Master Jiang gave Wen Lingshuang many return gifts. In addition to antique vases, calligraphy and paintings, he also took several boxes of nourishing and beautifying supplements. He originally had other gifts, but the car was too full to fit them all, so he had to give them up. Among them, she held the jade plate in her arms as if it were a rare treasure.
Seeing how much she liked it, Jiang An remembered that he owned several jade mines, so he took out his phone to look up information about the mines.
Those mines were investments made in earlier years.
Besides mining, there are also real estate, internet, overseas projects... Because of the large investments, many projects have been managed by professionals, and all that's needed is to look at the data and net profit each year.
The phone displays the profit and loss situation of this year's investment projects.
He scrolled down and found the information about the mine.
"Do you really like jade?" he asked as he looked at the jade. "If you do, shall we go to the mine in a few days?"
Overjoyed, Wen Lingshuang, holding the jade plate, said, "Whatever."
Jiang An turned to look at her, seeing her excited and agitated appearance, and said with a smile, "Now, is it that you won't listen to anything I say?"
Wen Lingshuang did not answer.
Jiang An turned slightly to the side, his deep eyes fixed on her, and said, word by word, "Miss Wen, did you hear what Grandpa said earlier about the wedding being held on New Year's Day next year?"
Wen Lingshuang still did not answer.
Now it was Jiang An's turn to get a little angry.
Is he not as important as that piece of jade?
A cold stone.
He tapped his index finger lightly on the seat, making a rustling sound. His dark eyes narrowed slightly before he took out his phone and sent a message: "[I've got my sights set on real estate. I want all the south-facing plots of land along the Beijing coast.]"
Upon receiving the message, Jiang Hanyu thought he had misread it.
He gave Jiang An so much information about real estate, and he never asked for a single piece. Why is he suddenly asking for it now?
Jiang Hanyu called, pressing, "Are you sure? Is it Ling Shuang who wanted it?"
“No.” Jiang An looked at Wen Lingshuang beside him and said, word by word, “It’s me who wants to see if your fortune telling is accurate.”
His tone was neither too high nor too low, just enough to carry throughout the space and reach Wen Lingshuang's ears.
Upon hearing this, Wen Lingshuang finally snapped out of her daze and slowly shifted her gaze to Jiang An's face.
The streetlights outside the car window scattered into the car at an extremely fast speed.
Jiang An's profile was sharp and sleek under the light and shadow, and his tone left no room for argument, "Two men and one woman."
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