"What are you thinking about? Aren't we leaving yet?" Jiang Zhao's haughty voice broke through Zhou Yi's thoughts.
Jiang Yonghe smiled at Zhou Yi. "Brother Zhou Yi, my eldest brother is out too. Could you please lead the way in your car?"
Zhou Yi snapped back to reality and noticed another Porsche parked next to the Ferrari. Suppressing his thoughts, he glanced at Jiang Zhao in the Ferrari's driver seat. Instead of indulging him, Zhou Yi replied coolly, "Miss Jiang knows the address. It's at Mimi's Hometown. Don't tell me a luxury car like yours doesn't even have a navigation system?"
Jiang Yonghe was taken aback.
Jiang Zhao was even more surprised that Zhou Yi would talk back to him.
Zhou Yi continued, "If you don't know how to get to Mimi's Hometown, maybe we should just call off this meeting with Lili Yuanshang. It's not like I'm begging you to go."
With that, he rolled up his window and drove off, not bothering to see Jiang Yonghe and Jiang Zhao's reactions.
Only after Zhou Yi's car had left did Jiang Zhao finally process what happened. "Damn! What did he mean by that?!"
Jiang Yonghe felt a pang of unease. She never expected a 'simp' like Zhou Yi could get angry with her.
Jiang Xing, in the back seat of the Porsche, rolled down his window and asked, "Xiao He, your friend's car has already left. Why aren't you moving?"
Jiang Yonghe quickly said, "Eldest Brother, you go ahead first."
Eager to meet [Lili Yuanshang], Jiang Xing nodded and told his driver to follow Zhou Yi's car.
After some thought, Jiang Zhao could only come up with one reason. "It must be because my Ferrari sports car made him feel inferior! Poor people are so easily insecure! With his attitude, is he really acquainted with the great author Lili Yuanshang?"
Jiang Yonghe said, "Second Brother, he really is a well-known author on the same website as Lili Yuanshang. He wouldn't lie to me. Let's just go over there first."
"Fine." Fuming, Jiang Zhao punched 'Mimi's Hometown' into the navigation and sped off after them, quickly leaving Zhou Yi's car behind.
Zhou Yi watched the Ferrari speed away with an expressionless face. He put on a Bluetooth earpiece and dialed Jiang Youli's number to confirm the situation Old Zhou had told him about.
...
Jiang Youli was just about to head to the garage to drive to the appointment when she saw Zhou Yi's call and answered.
"Brother Zhou Yi."
"Old Zhou just called me. He said you came to Jing City to be taken back by the Jiang family as their real daughter, to replace the fake daughter in marrying the eldest young master of the Qi family?"
"That's right. Why?"
There was a brief silence on the other end. "I'm sorry, I didn't know. The friend who asked me to arrange this meeting, Jiang Yonghe, is the Jiang family's fake daughter you're replacing, isn't she?"
So that was it. Jiang Youli chuckled dismissively. "It's fine, Brother Zhou Yi. You didn't know the circumstances. I only agreed to meet, I didn't promise to sell the copyright."
Zhou Yi laughed. "True."
Jiang Youli joked, "I just didn't expect it to be such a coincidence that your friend is Jiang Yonghe. How do you know each other?"
Zhou Yi said regretfully, "There was an event in Jing City where well-known online authors visited campuses. I was invited. At the time, Jiang Yonghe brought my book to get my signature, saying she was a fan. I thought she was pretty, my type, so I tried asking for her WeChat. She agreed. After that, we chatted on WeChat from time to time. Looking at her social media, she seemed like a woman who loved life, was positive, and multi-talented. Who would have thought... some people's character is only skin deep."
Jiang Youli raised an eyebrow. "How so?"
"Probably because my car, worth about two hundred thousand, was looked down upon by her second brother, and she actually tacitly agreed with him."
"Don't be upset. There are plenty of good women out there."
"I'm not really upset. More like annoyed that I misjudged someone and almost betrayed you unintentionally. Old Zhou specifically told me to look after you. Anyway, if the Jiang family bullies you, just tell me. I won't stand by and do nothing."
"Alright. But you know, who in this world can actually bully me?"
"That's true. If anyone really had that ability, and Old Zhou and the others found out, all of Jing City would probably be in an uproar. Okay, see you soon at Mimi's Hometown."
"Okay."
After hanging up with Zhou Yi, Jiang Youli felt like laughing again.
It seemed Jiang Yonghe, this talented Jing City beauty with her nose in the air, the higher she wanted to climb, the less she would get her wish.
Although the Zhou family wasn't as prominent as the top-tier Qi family, they were still a very influential wealthy family in Jing City. Marrying into the Zhou family would be considered a step up for the Jiang family given their current status.
If Jing City's wealthy families were divided into three tiers.
Then the century-old aristocratic Qi family, the Zhou family with its scientific research background and long-standing joint ventures with the state, the Duan family who were among the first to benefit from the internet boom, the Long family that her third aunt Jiang Li married into, and several influential figures from Jianshan Village with political backing—these were all first-tier families.
Families like her Jiang family, Qin Yulian's maiden family the Qin family, and her beautiful new mother's maiden family the Zhang family were second-tier families.
As for third-tier families, most were families that rose to prominence in Jing City in recent years by capitalizing on certain booms, like the new energy sector. Their influence in Jing City wasn't fully solidified yet, but they had gained some standing.
But now, after giving up on Qi Huan, the eldest young master of the top aristocratic Qi family, Jiang Yonghe was about to miss out on another hidden wealthy young master, Zhou Yi.
From now on, her chances to climb higher would become fewer and fewer.
...
Jiang Yonghe and Jiang Zhao arrived at Mimi's Hometown first. They got out of the car and waited for Jiang Xing and Zhou Yi.
Suddenly—
Jiang Yonghe spotted Qi Huan at the entrance of Mimi's Hometown, and her eyes unconsciously lit up.
"Second Brother, isn't that Brother Qi Huan? Let's go say hello."
Jiang Zhao, however, said, "Forget it. Your engagement with Qi Huan is off, and at the welcome dinner last time, he clearly sided with Jiang Youli."
"It's fine." Jiang Yonghe walked over anyway, and Jiang Zhao had no choice but to follow.
"Brother Qi Huan, what a coincidence! Are you here for Mimi's Hometown too?"
Jiang Yonghe had to admit, seeing Qi Huan always made her heart flutter.
It was just a shame he was now disabled.
Otherwise, the most outstanding man in Jing City would have been her fiancé, and in the future, her husband.
Whenever she thought about this, she still felt deep regret.
Hearing the voice, Qi Huan turned his head. He offered a distant smile and said, "Yes, I'm here with Xiao Li'er to meet a fellow townsman of hers."
Hearing he came with Jiang Youli, Jiang Yonghe's smile instantly became strained. During her entire engagement to Qi Huan, they had never spent time alone together.
Every time she took the initiative to invite him out, Qi Huan would either say he had family matters or work matters to attend to.
But now, how long had he known Jiang Youli, and they were already going on dates?
"How is your leg, Brother Qi Huan?" Jiang Yonghe changed the subject.
Qi Huan gently stroked his thigh. "It's recovering quite well. Xiao Li'er has been giving me treatments lately. She says she can cure my leg in three months."
Jiang Yonghe was stunned, then asked tentatively, "... Sister Youli said your leg can be cured?"
Qi Huan nodded, his dark eyes holding a trace of mockery. "Yes, that's right. What? You're not happy for me, hearing that my leg can be cured?"
