She continued slowly, “Once you become the master of the estate, Young Master Jiang, you’ll naturally hold all the power. You’ll be able to dominate the business world, surround yourself with countless women, and live a carefree, indulgent life.
“And because I’ll have lost my value and completed my usefulness, I’ll retire with nothing but the title of your wife. I’ll stay home and deal with every big and small household matter. Who knows? There might even be countless illegitimate children for me to worry about. I’d never run out of messes to clean up.”
The room fell silent.
Jiang Yifeng couldn’t understand it. He had offered her such a generous arrangement. Unlike his mother, who had only agreed to live with a man without marrying him, he had not even brought up a prenuptial agreement. And yet she still wanted to refuse?
“Let me put it this way.” Qiuyun recalled that rainy night by the window, when Madam had finished crying and clasped her hand tightly, earnestly warning her that she had to find a man whose heart and eyes held only her. Otherwise, she absolutely must not marry.
“I’m a very cautious person when it comes to marriage. I’m even somewhat idealistic. I believe marriage should be the result of two people loving each other, not an exchange of interests and value. Otherwise, just like Young Master Jiang, I’d rather remain single than settle.” She shrugged. “Clearly, Young Master Jiang, you don’t quite fit the bill.”
After all, she could pursue interests and value on her own.
Love, however, was different.
Jiang Yifeng let out a troubled breath. “Miss Qiu wants to find someone who will love only her for the rest of his life? I dare say there isn’t a single man in this world who can do that. I never thought someone as calculating and experienced as Miss Qiu would have such a naive, innocent idea. You’ve truly opened my eyes.”
Qiuyun remained calm. “Everyone has different pursuits. You have to allow for diversity in this world.”
“…”
Jiang Yifeng refused to give up. “Is there really no possibility at all? Do you think you’re not attractive enough to make me fall in love with you?”
“Isn’t the real problem that Young Master Jiang hasn’t given me any desire to show my charm?”
“You don’t like my type?”
Qiuyun replied tactfully, “I’m sorry, but just like Young Master Jiang, I only like pure eighteen-year-old boys.”
A man of his type, who had traveled through countless relationships and had his lips kissed by countless women, was clearly not her cup of tea.
“…”
Qiuyun sighed softly. “A person only has one life. You eat at one table and sleep in one bed. Even if you gave me several billion yuan, that would be enough to cover my expenses for the rest of my life. So why would I throw myself into your trap and trade away the thing I value most for something I don’t lack?”
Jiang Yifeng fell silent.
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll be leaving.” Qiuyun stood up and said politely, “The milk tea was delicious. Thank you for treating me, and thank you as well for your appreciation.”
Jiang Yifeng remained silent and said nothing more.
There was simply no point in trying to reason with an idealist about reality.
Qiuyun nodded at him and walked straight out.
The moment she left the teahouse, Jiang Chuling called her, sounding furious. “How could Fourth Uncle be like this? Sister Xiaoqiu, you mustn’t agree to marry him! Whatever he can give you, I can give you too!”
Qiuyun reassured her, “Don’t worry. Haven’t I already refused him?”
Although Jiang Chuling was young, she understood that being Fourth Uncle’s wife would give Sister Xiaoqiu far more social status than being her assistant.
Anyone else would choose Fourth Uncle. There was no need to look far—even Teacher Lan would definitely choose him over her.
Unable to bear the thought of Sister Xiaoqiu leaving, Jiang Chuling asked anxiously and pitifully, “Sister Xiaoqiu… did you really refuse him, or were you only pretending because I was listening?”
“Of course I really refused him.” Qiuyun became serious. “Think about it, Miss. Have I ever lied to you?”
No.
Jiang Chuling’s heart immediately settled.
No matter what it was, whenever she asked, Sister Xiaoqiu always told her the truth. She had never lied to her.
She giggled. “All right! I’ll wait for you to come back!”
Mingyue Tower.
The moment Qiuyun returned, the young miss pulled her upstairs to her room.
Jiang Chuling put on a solemn expression. “I thought about it carefully. Sister Xiaoqiu, you’re simply too popular, so I’ve decided to give you a raise.”
Qiuyun smiled. “Sure. How much do you want to raise it by?”
She had already made up her mind. “I’ll take another hundred thousand yuan a month from my allowance. And the money my family gives me every month for handling social obligations—whatever I don’t spend can all go to Sister Xiaoqiu.”
Another hundred thousand?
She had started by taking fifty thousand a month, and now she wanted to add another hundred thousand. That would bring the total to one hundred and fifty thousand, making up thirty-three percent of her allowance!
“I appreciate the thought, Miss, but then you won’t have enough spending money each month. You still need to buy wood, figurines, toys, and so on.”
Jiang Chuling insisted on giving her the money. “If you don’t take it, Sister Xiaoqiu, I won’t feel at ease! You have to take it. You absolutely must!”
Qiuyun coughed lightly. “Ahem. I never said I didn’t want it. But how can you use your own money to give me a raise?”
True to the way Qiuyun had trained her, Jiang Chuling understood immediately. “I’ll ask Dad! I’ll call him right now and tell him!”
Qiuyun left the young miss’s bedroom. “Then you can discuss it with your father. I won’t disturb you.”
Jiang Chuling clenched her fist and gave an encouraging pump. Today, she had to secure a really high salary for Sister Xiaoqiu!
In the office, when Jiang Yihua heard that Fourth Brother wanted to marry Qiuyun, he felt that it was both perfectly reasonable and completely unexpected.
There was no denying that if Jiang Yifeng married Qiuyun, she would become his strongest ally—and Jiang Yifeng his most formidable opponent.
“Raise it!”
A faint sense of danger surfaced in Jiang Yihua’s heart. “It must be raised. Add another hundred thousand!”
Meanwhile, on the first basement floor, Sun Bo nearly ground his back teeth to dust from jealousy when he received news of the salary adjustment.
A salary of one hundred and sixty thousand yuan—one hundred and forty thousand after tax—meant an annual income of 1.68 million, not even counting the year-end bonus!
He had worked diligently at the estate for more than twenty years and had only managed to reach his current position. His annual salary was merely four hundred thousand.
She earned more than three times as much as he did!
Though his heart was sour with envy, Sun Bo didn’t dare show it on his face anymore. He hurriedly called Assistant Qiu to congratulate her, showering her with pleasant words like water bubbling from a spring.
Qiuyun hung up and sighed.
For someone like Sun Assistant Manager—cowardly toward the strong, bullying toward the weak, unscrupulous, and willing to shift with the wind—to have climbed to his current position, he clearly possessed certain unique strengths.
For example, he was very good at flattery.
It sounded natural and sincere, without the slightest hint of affectation.
It was extremely useful as a reference.
The moment she hung up, another call came in from an unfamiliar number.
She was currently investigating that married couple, and she was no longer in the same helpless position as she had been at the beginning, so she wasn’t afraid of them coming to cause trouble again.
After answering, she found that it wasn’t her parents calling. It was Pei Cizhou, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time—and who was still under house arrest.
“Miss Qiu probably doesn’t know why I’m calling you,” he said.
Qiuyun naturally knew.
Today was November ninth, his eighteenth birthday.
But it seemed he didn’t want her to say it first. He simply stated, “Today is my birthday. Wish me a happy birthday.”
Qiuyun obliged. “Happy birthday.”
His voice turned cheerful. “Thank you, Miss Qiu. Goodbye.”
Qiuyun was puzzled.
“You called just to ask me to wish you a happy birthday?”
“Yes. I don’t have much time, so I’ll hang up for now.” Just before ending the call, Pei Cizhou added, “Can you wait for me at Chengyuan on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year? Please.”
Qiuyun hadn’t even had time to answer when he suddenly sounded anxious. “Someone’s coming. I have to hang up.”
Beep. Beep. Beep…
