So that was why they had insisted on bringing her here for no apparent reason. The real target wasn’t her at all—it was Sister Xiaoqiu.
Once they tricked her into coming over, Sister Xiaoqiu would naturally follow.
“Seventh Sister said there’s no chance?”
Jiang Chuyun instantly shook off her sadness and brightened up. “What do you mean, there’s no chance for my dad? Your Sister Xiaoqiu is only an assistant. Surely she wouldn’t reject my dad!”
Jiang Chuling found it baffling. “What’s so strange about that? Fourth Uncle is only average. Besides, just because he brought you along before marriage, Granny Ge introduced him to plenty of wealthy young ladies, and none of them were willing to marry him.”
Jiang Chuyun’s eyes immediately reddened. “What do you mean, I’m baggage? I’m not baggage!”
Uh-oh.
Jiang Chuling felt a little embarrassed. Whenever she argued with Jiang Chuyun, she automatically went into battle mode.
“Fine, fine, I was wrong. It’s not your fault that you were born, and it’s not your mother’s fault either. The main person to blame is Fourth Uncle for not being able to control himself. What I mean is that Fourth Uncle is only average, and besides, Sister Xiaoqiu is so beautiful and capable. There are plenty of people who like her.”
More accurately, among all the men her age, Jiang Chuling had never met one who didn’t fall for Sister Xiaoqiu after spending time with her.
Jiang Chuyun pouted, clearly still upset.
Jiang Chuling coaxed her gently. “All right, all right. What’s the big deal? Isn’t it better if your dad doesn’t get married? You don’t want a stepmother, do you?”
That was true.
Although the fact that the detestable woman surnamed Qiu looked down on her father made Jiang Chuyun feel a little humiliated, it would still be fine if her father couldn’t get married.
The two girls stayed in the bedroom for a while. Before long, Qiuyun came over and knocked on the door, calling for Miss to leave.
Jiang Chuling hurried over to open the door. Under Jiang Chuyun’s resentful gaze, she threw herself into Sister Xiaoqiu’s arms and whispered, “I know Fourth Uncle wanted to talk to you. Did you agree?”
Qiuyun patted her on the head. “Of course not.”
Jiang Chuling beamed. “Hehe, I knew it.”
As she spoke, Qiuyun straightened the girl’s rumpled collar. Then the two of them walked away hand in hand.
Standing in the bedroom doorway, Jiang Chuyun watched the scene with envy.
Actually… if that assistant surnamed Qiu were as gentle with her as she was with Seventh Sister, Jiang Chuyun wouldn’t have been completely unwilling to accept her as a stepmother.
Back at Mingyue House—
Since Jiang Yihua was still recovering, and the main residence had a top medical team on hand that was well equipped to handle postoperative recovery and emergencies, he took the opportunity to bring his wife back to the Annex First Floor, where the two of them could enjoy their own cozy little world.
The main branch’s family reunion dinner was moved from Mingyue House to the Annex First Floor as well.
But things were different now. Even though Sir and Madam had moved back to the Annex First Floor, everyone in the main branch, including Sun Assistant Manager, treated Qiuyun with the utmost courtesy.
“Miss, your bird’s nest.” Cao Xiuxiu placed the cup in front of the young miss, then turned to Qiuyun. “There’s another serving in the kitchen. Assistant Qiu, would you like some to warm you up?”
Qiuyun smiled and shook her head. “No, thank you. You all have it.”
Yu Xiang immediately had someone bring it over. “You were supposed to be on leave after being poisoned last time. Now that something has happened at home, we had no choice but to ask you to come back to work. If you don’t keep up your nutrition as well, how will you manage? I had some soup made this afternoon. Have lunch with us and make sure you replenish your strength.”
“Well…”
Jiang Chuling quickly grabbed her hand. “Oh, come on, Sister Xiaoqiu, stay and eat with us! You can tell my dad what happened just now.”
Yu Xiang asked, “What happened?”
Jiang Chuling grinned mischievously. “Oh, Mom, let’s wait until everyone’s here and tell them together. It won’t be fun if you’re the only one who doesn’t get to be surprised.”
Yu Xiang shook her head helplessly and tapped her daughter on the forehead. “You little imp. You’re far too clever for your age.”
Qiuyun accepted the bowl of bird’s nest Cao Xiuxiu brought over and thanked her. Then she smiled as she watched the warm scene unfold beneath the winter sun.
At noon, Jiang Yihua slowly got out of bed. Following the doctor’s instructions, he took a few small steps to exercise the muscles in his legs before making his way to the dining table for a light postoperative meal.
The two young masters arrived as well.
Since the family had been eating together so often lately, the bond between the parents and their children had finally begun to deepen.
Sun Assistant Manager bustled around, attending to everyone’s needs. He wasn’t surprised in the slightest to see Qiuyun seated at the dining table and served her with great care, even thoughtfully asking whether she wanted more soup.
Yu Xiang said, “Little Seven had something to say, didn’t she? Everyone’s here now, so can you tell us?”
“Hehe.” Jiang Chuling waved to him. “Sun Assistant Manager, have everyone else leave. We have something to discuss as a family.”
“Of course, of course.” Sun Assistant Manager hurriedly asked the others to leave the dining room.
Once only the main branch family remained, Jiang Chuling began mysteriously, “Today, Fourth Uncle proposed to Sister Xiaoqiu again!”
Jiang Yihua and Yu Xiang already knew about the previous proposal, so they were surprised this time—but only mildly.
Jiang Lin'an and Jiang Linzhi, however, had known nothing about it. They exclaimed in unison, “Again?!”
“That’s right! He proposed once before.” Jiang Chuling was brimming with excitement. “But our Sister Xiaoqiu rejected him again. Hahaha, Fourth Uncle really went all out! He tried to poach her by every possible means and even had Jiang Chuyun trick me into going over there. With such a lack of sincerity, Sister Xiaoqiu was absolutely right to reject him!”
Jiang Lin'an fell into thought.
Jiang Linzhi was utterly stunned. “He proposed because he wants to marry her? And Qiuyun still rejected him?”
“That’s right!” Jiang Chuling replied. “Jiang Chuyun told me Granny Ge has already agreed. They’re just waiting for our Sister Xiaoqiu to say yes.”
“Why did she reject him?” Jiang Linzhi found it puzzling.
If Qiuyun wanted money, wouldn’t marrying Fourth Uncle clearly bring her even more of it?!
Ahem.
Qiuyun set down her chopsticks. If they were alone with that shameless, relentless Jiang Yifeng, she could simply tell him that she liked virgins and drive him away for good. But there were children present now, along with her employer…
She cleared her throat and chose a different way to put it.
“Sir and Madam’s marriage—how they’ve supported each other through all these years and remained so loving and harmonious—has had a profound influence on me. It taught me that marriage shouldn’t be a sacrifice made for power. In this life, people should marry someone they truly love, so they can live comfortably and happily for the rest of their lives.”
After she finished speaking, Qiuyun glanced around at everyone’s expressions.
Madam and the eldest young master’s eyes were filled with approval. Sir seemed to agree with her privately, while Miss listened attentively, taking the lesson to heart.
Only Fourth Young Master wore a look of astonishment, as if he were saying: I never expected you to be such a hopeless romantic.
Jiang Yihua was the first to speak. “Fourth Brother is indeed not a suitable match.”
A minor celebrity and major internet influencer who had been chasing women since he was a teenager—men like that were fine for dating, but absolutely not fit for marriage.
Remembering how much his daughter admired Assistant Qiu, Jiang Yihua quickly took the opportunity to educate her. “Little Seven, you should listen carefully to Sister Xiaoqiu’s views on choosing a partner. In the future, you must never find someone like Fourth Uncle.”
Jiang Chuling raised her head and planted her hands on her hips. “Of course I know! Just like Sister Xiaoqiu, I like them pure!”
