"So, you're going to wait until the money owed to you is paid off?"
It's been more than half a month since Xiang Wan returned to the Ji residence, and that Indian guy still hasn't moved out and keeps showing up in front of her from time to time.
The Ji family mansion had a large courtyard, and after Ji Meiniang got married, her courtyard had remained empty. Now that she had returned, she moved into her former west wing. The west wing was some distance from the guest rooms, but it was still within the same mansion. They would see each other all the time, but Xiang Wan noticed that she kept running into him near the rockery lately.
"Miss seems to have a prejudice against me. May I ask what I have done to displease you?" Ah San held a jade fan in his hand, his long hair was all tied back, and the white ribbons hanging down his shoulders swayed back and forth in the wind.
Xiang Wan flicked her sleeves and said, "You're too idle."
Ah San chuckled, "I'm just a free spirit. I look for small business opportunities, do a couple of odd jobs, earn a few cents, and spend the rest enjoying my time. Don't you think, Miss, someone like that is perfect for a family, one in a million?"
To be able to say something like that so calmly requires an extraordinary amount of shamelessness.
"Your so-called business opportunity is to use my coming-of-age ceremony to set up a stall on the street to display your goods? Little do you know, your goods are too conspicuous in the capital. Ordinary people can't afford them, and the ladies of wealthy families are too proud to buy them. Such an act seems to offer no profit other than attracting attention. A losing business is not something a merchant like you would do. Unless, you want to use this to attract the attention of certain people," Xiang Wan said.
"You finally noticed? Then all my hard work hasn't been in vain." Ah San closed his jade fan and said seriously, "Now many people know that you have broken away from the Cao family. From now on, no one will dare to associate you with the Cao family. Are you satisfied now?"
All this elaborate and high-profile action, just to please her? Her departure from the Cao family doesn't need to be announced to everyone; those who need to know will know, so what does it have to do with ordinary people? Besides providing some fodder for gossip, it seems to serve no other purpose.
"The Ji family today is not what it used to be. Everyone in the capital knows the Ji family has a history with the Jiang family, and the Wu and Feng families also have deep-rooted ties with the Jiang family. You can probably guess why your uncle hasn't received his official appointment. In this world, anything that can be solved with money isn't a problem. The problem is, even with money, problems aren't guaranteed. And now you've returned to the Ji family with Madam Ji, inadvertently pushing the Cao family aside, essentially crippling them. If the Ji family wants to pursue an official career in the future, the most direct path is through marriage. I suspect you, Miss, won't choose such a path of no return, and the Ji family doesn't want to use your marriage as a bargaining chip to revive the family. Therefore…"
Ah San looked at Xiang Wan, but smiled without saying a word. However, the expression in his eyes said it all.
She had never met him in her past life, yet he had tricked her. In this life, he had come to her of his own accord, so why would Xiang Wan refuse?
"So, you want to cooperate with me and make profits together, right?"
Seeing that Xiang Wan was calm and no longer targeting him, Ah San's eyes flickered, and he nodded, saying, "That's not a bad method. However, the most reliable relationship between cooperating parties is..."
"The contract. You've thought of everything, but I can't think of anything else. Apart from the dowry my mother prepared for me, I don't seem to have any money to offer. You'd be better off contacting my uncle."
"No, Miss, you've misunderstood. For me, the wealth you can bring is far greater than what I would invest."
"You're gambling. Aren't you afraid I'll run off with your money and disappear without a trace?"
"If you're not afraid that I'm a swindler, then I'm willing to gamble."
Xiang Wan smiled, walked around him, and said, "You like to drink black rice porridge and don't like it sweetened. This morning, the kitchen made steamed buns, but you only ate the vegetarian ones. You barely ate any pickled vegetables, but you ate quite a few snacks. You like your tea to be too hot to drink, and you like to grind your own ink for writing. You take care of all your own clothes and attire. You're not used to the way the people of Cui tie their hair up, so your maid helped you with it. You didn't come here because you were bored; you came here specifically to wait for me. Before I came, you were still thinking about how to change my opinion of you. Congratulations, you've succeeded. If you were still wearing the same clothes and shoes as yesterday, I could tell you exactly what you did all day, believe me?"
Ah San was momentarily surprised, then cupped his hands and said, "Miss's insight is truly remarkable; I humbly admit defeat."
"No, you're faking it. Your index finger is longer than your middle finger, and you have calluses on the base of your thumb. When facing strangers, you subconsciously clench your middle finger. You say you're a businessman, so let's just say that, since money is very important to you. You appear gentle and agreeable, but deep down you have an arrogance, which you hide very well. The longer you spend time with me, the more likely your identity will be exposed. If that really comes to that, what will you do? I may not have many other skills, but if anything threatens me or my family, I will not hesitate to act. So, do you still want to continue?"
Xiang Wan stood in front of him, staring at him intently, not missing a single emotion from him.
People have many facets. When choosing a partner, the first thing Xiang Wan needs to confirm is whether the other party harbors ill intentions.
Perhaps in this capital city, there's only so much she can do as a girl; secretly eliminating the original owner's enemies one by one wouldn't be difficult. But she didn't want to arouse anyone's suspicion, including Ji Meiniang. She wanted to be a good girl, so she could only entrust matters outside to trustworthy people.
Ah San gazed at the woman before him, his heart churning with increasing emotion. From rejecting him to agreeing to discuss cooperation, only two or three months had passed, yet it felt as if they had known each other for a long time.
Having met all sorts of people, he realized how difficult it is to find someone who truly understands him. Over the years, he had encountered many remarkable women, some of whom had even fallen deeply in love with him. Yet, he remained unmoved, always feeling that the person he was waiting for was somewhere waiting for him.
Indeed, coming to the capital was the right decision, even if my purpose here wasn't entirely pure. As long as I met her, that's enough.
A smile emanated from Ah San's eyes, and Xiang Wan felt relieved.
No matter how well someone disguises themselves, their eyes can't lie.
"Miss……"
"I trust you, just as you trust me."
"good!"
The agreement was reached, and the very next day, Xiang Wan brought over all the goods he had previously given to Ji Pengyu and placed them all in front of his door.
"I will sell them all within three days, and the proceeds will be used to obtain your identity document in the capital. You will be staying in the capital permanently. This is my way of thanking you for saving me on behalf of my uncle."
"Do you need my help?"
"Of course, in your name."
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