On the second day of winter break, a light snow began to fall in Haicheng.
Every winter, the four great families of Haicheng would host a small gathering to socialize.
This year, it was the Si family's turn to play host.
Rong Yu and her youngest son arrived at the Si family's ancestral home, accompanied by several generations of the Ji family.
The surname Rong was not among the four great families, but Rong Yu's presence here didn't strike any of the four family patriarchs as odd in the slightest.
Old Master Si welcomed them warmly, "Old Ji, Miss Rong, please come inside."
Tang Che's health had improved somewhat, but a sickly pallor was still evident. Rong Yu walked over and sat beside him. Ji Jingchuan followed and sat down, pouring tea for the elders.
Old Master Hai waved his hand, "A-Chuan, there's no need for you to serve us here."
Ji Jingchuan, wearing an obedient expression, was just about to speak.
Old Master Si pulled him up, "We can't chat freely with you here. Go on, join the others."
Nonsense, this was essentially a matchmaking banquet in disguise.
Any junior deemed worthy by Uncle Tang was undoubtedly exceptional. That's why he had specifically called back all the unmarried young women of the Si family.
Old Master Hai quietly gave his granddaughter a meaningful look.
This Miss Hai was Hai Chang'an's younger sister, currently studying abroad, who had been urgently summoned home two days prior.
She had thought some life-or-death crisis had befallen the family, only to realize today that it was actually an arranged marriage setup.
She disliked the idea of an arranged marriage.
But, upon seeing Ji Yanting's increasingly handsome face, she relented.
She picked up a wine glass and walked towards Ji Yanting.
She wasn't the only one; the young ladies from the Si and Tang families also headed straight for Ji Yanting.
Ji Yanting: "..."
The one meant for the matchmaking was A-Chuan.
Not him.
Had these young ladies mistaken their target?
He should have claimed he was too busy filming and avoided this mess altogether.
He turned his head, "A-Chuan, come here for a moment."
Ji Jingchuan obediently walked over and stood beside Ji Yanting.
One was the dazzling, superstar film emperor of the entertainment industry; the other was an older high school student with a shaved head who seemed to fade into the background.
Moreover—
Everyone present knew that this fourth son of the Ji family had been lost since childhood and had only recently been recognized and brought back into the fold.
It was said Ji Jingchuan grew up in a village.
It was said Ji Jingchuan grew fruit trees in the countryside.
Who would look twice at someone without a proper aristocratic upbringing, someone who couldn't play music, appreciate art, ride horses, someone with no taste?
Marrying someone like that would be embarrassing, wouldn't it?
Tang Mi, the fourth daughter of the Tang family and Tang Tang's elder sister, swept a sidelong glance at Ji Jingchuan and curled her lip.
She understood perfectly well that the old man had brought them to the Si family banquet for the purpose of marriage alliances.
Among their generation, whoever could secure a marriage alliance with the Ji, Si, or Hai families would have a high probability of becoming the Tang family heir.
Given the opportunity, why shouldn't she fight for it?
The Ji family men seemed too difficult a target. She turned and walked towards the unmarried young masters of the Hai family.
Various thoughts swirled among the people in the banquet hall.
Ji Jingchuan sat quietly there. A faint trace of disappointment tinged his aloof eyes.
While others were sizing him up,
he was also observing them.
Originally, he could have accepted an arranged marriage, accepted walking into a marital union with someone he had no feelings for.
But the way these Tang young ladies looked at him made him deeply uncomfortable, reminiscent of the way Tong Lan, the campus belle, had looked at him back when he was still He Jingchuan.
Great-grandmother had said there was no need to force himself.
Ji Jingchuan set down his wine cup and was about to walk over to the group of elders.
Suddenly, his gaze paused.
The light snow had gradually grown heavier. A light dusting of snow lay on the shoulders of the young woman who entered, melting and dampening the fabric.
A sparkling hair accessory adorned her short hair, revealing her slender neckline. Small pearls dangled from her earlobes, setting off her snow-white complexion.
Tang Jin should have arrived much earlier. On the way, she had run into a client, a chatty aunt who kept her talking for over twenty minutes and even tried to set her up on a blind date. She had only managed to escape by offering a flimsy excuse.
After entering, she took off her pink coat and handed it to a servant, then quickly walked towards Old Master Tang. "Great-grandfather, Grandpa Ji, Grandpa Hai, Old Master Si, I apologize for being late."
Her gaze lingered on Rong Yu for a moment. Unsure how to address her, she smiled and nodded in acknowledgement.
Tang Che spoke up, "Xiao Jin, go mingle with the younger crowd."
Tang Jin agreed.
These past few days, her work responsibilities had shifted slightly, and she had begun to vaguely guess the reason.
Since the old man intended to select an heir from among the younger generation, then as the third young lady of the Tang family, she was also qualified.
If marriage could serve as a stepping stone to becoming the heir, she was certainly willing to give it a try.
Tang Jin's eyes swept over the people present.
She felt someone's gaze on her and immediately turned to look.
Their eyes met.
She was surprised. Wasn't this the high school student she'd seen running in the rain?
What was he doing at a banquet of Haicheng's four great families?
Ji Jingchuan unconsciously straightened his posture. He stepped forward, "Thank you for the umbrella you gave me that day."
He paused, then said, "My name is Ji Jingchuan, the fourth in the Ji family line. I only just returned to the family last month."
As he spoke these words, his fingertips gripping the wine cup tightened slightly, turning white. He seemed casual, but was actually keenly attuned to any subtle shift in Tang Jin's expression.
However, Tang Jin didn't seem to react much.
Her rosy lips curved into a smile, revealing two small dimples. "On the day of your homecoming, my mother happened to fall ill, so I couldn't attend the Ji family banquet. My apologies. Let me introduce myself properly. I'm Tang Jin."
She extended her hand.
Ji Jingchuan shook it briefly, then quickly let go.
Tang Jin couldn't help but glance at his head. "May I ask... why did you, um, shave your head?"
"To focus on studying." Ji Jingchuan pulled out a chair for her. "Please sit. What would you like to drink? I'll get it for you."
Tang Jin said, "Coffee, please. I have to work overtime later."
She sat down, propping her chin on her hand, quietly watching Ji Jingchuan's retreating figure.
The Hai family was domineering, the Si family was dissolute; only the Ji family was down-to-earth.
Among this generation of the Ji family's five young masters, Ji Zhiyuan was already married, and Ji Yanting was too dazzling. Her original thought had been to perhaps get to know Ji Mohan.
A researcher devoted to academia might not be a tender, attentive husband, but he would likely meet the baseline requirements.
Her standards for a partner weren't high; she could make do.
But, Ji Mohan wasn't attending the banquet.
Ji Jingchuan was an unexpected variable.
He had been through some difficult times, seemed obedient, compliant, easy to manage...
As Tang Jin was lost in thought,
A voice sounded by her ear. "Don't tell me you've taken a fancy to that country bumpkin?" It was Tang Mi. "Your father died long ago, your mother is always sick. You have no chance in the heir selection. I advise you not to meddle."
Tang Jin didn't even lift her eyelids. "The old master values vision and perspective in choosing an heir. Instead of concerning yourself with my family affairs, you'd be better off spending time improving your own professional skills."
She casually stretched out her foot. Tang Mi's high heel suddenly twisted, and a large glass of wine splashed onto her gown.
Tang Jin smiled. "How can someone who can't even stand steady hope to steer the Tang family?"
