Lu Chen’s brows drew together, and then he suddenly laughed.
He was just trying to protect the partnership between the Jiang and Zhou families, wasn’t he?
How could he possibly be seriously dating someone?
Although Zhou Sui’an was a little too straightforward and had recently become entangled with a C-list actress—hopelessly love-struck, to boot—his work abilities happened to make up for that flaw.
The LGT large language model recently launched by the Zhou Group had successfully squeezed out a host of competitors and forcefully seized thirty percent of the market with its unique approach to image processing and its upstart momentum.
And that project was precisely the result of a powerful collaboration between the Zhou and Jiang families, who had jointly invested in it.
At a time like this, Jiang Zongyan absolutely wouldn’t fall out with Zhou Sui’an.
—
On both sides of the bustling nighttime streets, neon lights shimmered everywhere, dazzling the eyes.
Zhou Suisui had barely had her wrist seized by a brute force before she was dragged and shoved into the back seat of a black Bentley.
“Brother, couldn’t you be a little gentler...?”
Her wrist hurt from being yanked. Rubbing it, Zhou Suisui looked up—and immediately collided with the blazing gaze of Zhou Sui’an.
Her brother, the decisive and ruthless head of the Zhou Group, was known outside the family as a CEO who brooked no opposition.
At that moment, however, his face was as dark as ink, and his gritted voice was packed with overwhelming fury.
“Zhou Suisui! Are you itching for a beating? Do you want me to give you a good spanking?!”
“What...?”
Zhou Suisui hunched her neck and sat in the back seat like a little quail avoiding a question, her head lowered as she twisted her fingers together.
Seeing her silent, uncooperative attitude only made Zhou Sui’an angrier.
“I’m asking you a question! When did you and Jiang Zongyan get together?!”
“Do you have any idea what kind of person he is? He’s a madman who can force his opponents into delisting without even blinking!”
“His heart is filled with nothing but grand ambitions. To him, women are nothing more than dispensable tools.”
“You’re only nineteen, yet you’re throwing yourself at him? Are you tired of living? Don’t wait until he kills you before you even realize what happened!”
“What have I always taught you? Not a single man outside is any good—especially Jiang Zongyan! Did a door slam on your head, or did someone drug you?!”
“Brother Sui’an, don’t be angry!”
A soft, sweet voice interrupted them.
Jiang Ruitian hurried over, her round almond eyes filled with confusion.
“Brother Sui’an, Suisui is already nineteen. She’ll have to get married eventually. I can’t bear to see her marry someone else. Although my brother has plenty of awful habits, if Suisui becomes my sister-in-law, no one will dare bully her. I guarantee she’ll be just as comfortable and free in the Jiang family as she is in the Zhou family.”
Zhou Suisui immediately nodded and added fuel to the fire. “Exactly! Uncle and Auntie Jiang are both so nice. There won’t be any mother-in-law conflicts.”
Jiang Ruitian chimed in as well, raising a finger with an earnest expression. “I guarantee there won’t be any sister-in-law conflicts either.”
Looking at Jiang Ruitian’s innocent eyes, Zhou Sui’an finally softened his tone.
Why was he even getting angry at them? They were just children who didn’t know any better.
He gently coaxed her, “Tiantian, the Jiang family’s driver is waiting over there. Go home first. I have a few things to discuss with Suisui privately.”
“Okay.”
Jiang Ruitian was still worried. Pressing her lips together, she walked away while looking back every few steps. Before leaving, she even mouthed “You can do it!” at Zhou Suisui.
Suisui, you must stand your ground. Don’t give up so easily.
Recalling how her brother had reacted in the private room just now, she let out an unhappy little snort.
He didn’t even know how to stand up for his wife. What a jerk!
It didn’t matter if he didn’t have a wife. She would protect her wonderful sister-in-law herself.
After getting into the car, Jiang Ruitian hesitated for a moment before taking out her phone and calling Jiang Zongyan.
“Brother! I want to discuss something with you!”
On the other end of the line, Jiang Zongyan had just walked out of the private room. His deep voice was cool and languid.
“What trouble have you gotten into this time?”
“Do you really think all I do every day is cause trouble?”
Jiang Ruitian gave an indignant little huff. But remembering that she needed to ask him for a favor, she softened her tone and pleaded pitifully, “Brother, marry Suisui. She really likes you.”
Jiang Zongyan lit a cigarette and held it between his long, slender fingers. He took a languid drag, then exhaled a plume of smoke through his pink lips.
When he spoke, his tone was calm and gave away nothing.
“She likes me? How come I didn’t know?”
Jiang Ruitian grew anxious. “She told me herself! Brother, just do it for me, and get together with her, okay?”
“You’ve got a pig’s brain. Didn’t you realize she was lying to you?”
Jiang Ruitian’s eyes widened, and she immediately shot back, “Why would Suisui lie to me? Are you paranoid?”
Hmph. What a terrible brother.
He actually doubted her best friend.
The young heiress was angry now—the kind of angry that couldn’t be soothed.
“...”
Jiang Zongyan rubbed his throbbing temples. This girl could sit at the same table as Zhou Sui’an.
Both of them had been completely led around by Zhou Suisui, yet they still kept jumping around like excited puppies.
“You like her that much?”
After a brief pause, Jiang Zongyan continued, “Give me one reason.”
“What reason?”
“Give me one reason to marry your best friend.”
Jiang Ruitian reached up and scratched her head. “Once you’re married, we can all play together, go shopping together, play games at night, and even sleep together.”
Jiang Zongyan was so exasperated that he actually laughed. “You want me to bring you a wife home? And sleep with you too? What do I get out of it?”
Jiang Ruitian fell silent.
After a long while, she stammered, “Well... you’re going to marry someone anyway. What difference does it make who you marry?”
Her voice grew quieter as she spoke. She probably realized herself that the idea was rather absurd.
A vein throbbed at Jiang Zongyan’s temple.
“Jiang Ruitian, what exactly goes on in that head of yours all day? You’re clearly too idle. Starting tomorrow, you’re going to intern at the company.”
“I’m not fooling around! Suisui is really wonderful...”
“Go home. If you’re not home in half an hour, forget about buying new clothes this year.”
“Brother, how can you be like this?”
Before she could finish her aggrieved complaint, Jiang Zongyan hung up.
By the roadside, his assistant, Lin Zhou, had already been waiting beside the car.
“President, are we going back to the Jiang residence or to Oriental Supreme?”
“To the hotel.”
The black Bentley glided steadily along Riverside Road. Outside the window, the city’s dazzling lights streamed past, while the neon glow flickered across his sharply defined, cold features.
His pale fingers rubbed the edge of his phone. For some inexplicable reason, the scene from the private room earlier flashed through his mind.
The young girl whose arm had been caught by Zhou Sui’an hadn’t been afraid at all. She had even looked up and secretly made a face at him.
The corners of her eyes had curved like those of a sly little fox.
Three years without seeing him, and she had grown bolder.
In the past, she would run the moment she saw him, like a rabbit that couldn’t bear to be seen.
Yet today, she had dared to cling to him in front of so many people without getting up. She had even deliberately leaned close to his ear and teased him.
After a few seconds of silence, he unlocked his phone and made a call.
“Young Master Jiang.”
“How did the investigation I ordered yesterday go?”
The person on the other end answered nervously, “Young Master Jiang, Miss Zhou has been staying at home every day for the past two days. At school, she spends all her time with the young lady. She hasn’t had any chance to date anyone.”
After saying that, he seemed to remember something and added, “Kids these days are all into online relationships. If you suspect Miss Zhou is dating too young… it’s probably an online relationship!”
An online relationship?
Jiang Zongyan’s brows immediately drew together, and a trace of imperceptible chill flashed through his deep, dark eyes.
The man continued, as if seeking credit, “Would you like me to hack into Miss Zhou’s phone? We’ll know right away if she’s in an online relationship.”
“No need.”
Jiang Zongyan refused coldly, a hint of unmistakable irritation in his voice.
He wasn’t some kind of pervert. Why would he monitor a young girl’s phone?
The man quickly apologized. “Yes, yes, that was thoughtless of me.”
He hung up.
Leaning back in his seat, Jiang Zongyan secretly ground his back teeth.
An online relationship?
Because it couldn’t see the light of day, she used him as a scapegoat and made him bear her brother’s fury?
Fine!
Zhou Suisui, you’re really something!
