Old Master Jiang took the warm damp towel and wiped his hands. "It's normal for a boy to have some spirit and backbone. Actually, I always thought you were too obedient before. Now that you've developed some edges, that's just right."
This praise was no small matter—it was so high that Qian Yuqiong nearly ground her back teeth to powder. She couldn't hold back and snapped, "Lin'an, I heard from Little Seven that your girlfriend broke up with you because she felt the family wasn't happy with her?"
Jiang Lin'an glanced at his sister, who was burying her head in her rice and didn't dare look up. "It was a mutual breakup."
"Then if she wants to get back together, don't let your pride get in the way and go making a fuss about moving out again."
"Won't happen, Auntie." Jiang Lin'an smiled. "We're not getting back together."
Qian Yuqiong wanted to keep needling him, but Jiang Yijie gave her a sideways kick under the table to shut her up. Only then did she notice how unusually quiet the room had become.
And that silence lasted until the meal ended. Even Old Master Jiang didn't ask his usual follow-up questions like he always did.
Afterward.
Jiang Chuling jumped off her chair and tried to run, but Jiang Linzhi caught her in a flash, saying "Slow down, don't trip," while smoothly pivoting and pushing his sister in front of their older brother.
"..."
The brother who loved to run around with his friends was definitely no good!
There were still people around, so Jiang Lin'an just held his sister's hand without saying anything. It wasn't until they walked down the steps to the golf cart that he asked, "Who told you to say that to Auntie?"
"Auntie was lying!" Jiang Chuling fumed. "What I actually said was that it was because Auntie was always coming to ask me about your girlfriend's news, and your girlfriend couldn't take it anymore and broke up with you! How dare she twist my words in front of Grandpa!"
Jiang Linzhi rolled his eyes. "No duh. If she'd repeated what you said literally, she'd have no brain at all!"
Jiang Lin'an continued, "Auntie asked often?"
"Hmph, every single time!"
Now he understood. "So you deliberately fired back like that?"
Jiang Chuling lifted her chin proudly. "Of course!"
Jiang Lin'an pressed her head back down and repeated, "Who told you to say that to Auntie?"
"I thought of it myself, obviously!"
He sighed helplessly. "Qiuyun taught you, didn't she?"
Jiang Chuling got flustered. "It has nothing to do with Sister Xiaoqiu! I came up with it myself!"
Qiuyun stood properly by the golf cart, smiling.
Jiang Linzhi glanced at her, then snorted at his sister. "You really think you have that kind of brains?"
"Who are you looking down on!" Jiang Chuling lunged to scratch him but was caught by her older brother and shoved into the golf cart. "Alright, everyone go get some rest."
"No." Jiang Chuling looked around. "Where's Mom?"
Jiang Linzhi: "Your dad dragged her off ages ago."
"Isn't that your dad too?"
"Your dad."
"Your dad!"
Jiang Lin'an rubbed his temples. "Stop. No cursing."
He gestured to Qiuyun. "You, take Little Seven back."
Qiuyun did as asked with a smile.
As the cart drove off, they could still hear Jiang Lin'an scolding his younger brother, "Little Seven is still young—why are you arguing with her!"
"Hmph, what's the fun of having siblings if you don't squabble? When I was little, I wanted to argue with you but you never even bothered to respond."
The distance stretched between them. Jiang Chuling tugged at Sister Xiaoqiu's clothes and said apologetically, "Sister Xiaoqiu, I didn't mean to sell you out. I had no idea Auntie would dare bring it up in front of Grandpa! It made my brothers misunderstand you."
"It's not a misunderstanding—I did teach you that." A smile spread across Qiuyun's eyes. "But I didn't expect the second madam to ask so bluntly at the dinner table."
Old Master Jiang had just said he was the one who decided to bring his eldest grandson home, and had even led the praise.
But what no one expected was for Little Seven's innocent outburst to provoke the second madam into truly believing that she was the cause of the girlfriend's breakup and the eldest grandson's return, so much so that she blurted out that foolish question at dinner!
Even Old Master Jiang, who was usually so composed, had an unpleasant expression and didn't say another word afterward. That alone showed just how big a blunder she'd made!
After listening to Sister Xiaoqiu's explanation, Jiang Chuling couldn't help covering her mouth. "So we accidentally did a good thing while meaning bad?"
"Pretty much."
"Tsk, no wonder my brother said I didn't have the brains for it." Jiang Chuling's eyes sparkled. "Sister Xiaoqiu, you're amazing!"
Qiuyun's lips curved slightly. "It was a lucky accident."
She truly hadn't planned any of this, but when the opponent essentially handed themselves over to her on a silver platter, there was nothing she could do about it.
Elsewhere.
Jiang Yijie and Qian Yuqiong had just finished a fight about this very matter in the second building's second-floor bedroom.
The room was a mess. Qian Yuqiong sat on the sofa crying: "Back then, you said you wanted our son to be the eldest grandson, so you had me induce labor early to deliver Ah Wen! But that Yu Xiangsheng gave birth so smoothly, and Jiang Lin'an still came out half an hour before our Ah Wen!
They were born on the same day, the same month, the same year, and they've been compared to each other their whole lives growing up! Do you know how much it pains me to see Jiang Lin'an always being one step ahead of our Ah Wen in everything? His was a full-term birth—strong and healthy—but our Ah Wen was premature and difficult, and he had to spend the better part of six months in an incubator!"
Jiang Yijie's face stiffened. "He's my son too! You think I don't feel for him?"
"You feel for him?" Qian Yuqiong threw something. "If you really did, you would've shown more care! Don't think I've forgotten the look on your face when you heard Ah Wen was half an hour late in becoming the eldest grandson. You looked like you wanted to travel back in time, rip open my belly, and drag the baby out!"
"Was I wrong?" Jiang Yijie roared. "Was I wrong for wanting my son to be the eldest grandson? You know how traditional the Old Master is. Both Jiang Yihua and Jiang Lin'an were taken under the Old Master's wing the moment they turned eighteen! I wanted our son to have a good future—was that wrong?"
"No, you weren't wrong!" Qian Yuqiong wailed. "That's why I couldn't sleep for nights on end when I saw Jiang Lin'an acting out and misbehaving! That's why I couldn't hold back today—how dare you blame me! Would the Old Master take away your position as chairman just because of a few words from me?"
"You're being unreasonable!" Jiang Yijie slammed the door and left, leaving Qian Yuqiong alone in the bedroom, sobbing.
They'd thought the main branch had made a misstep.
But judging by the Old Master's attitude today, he still valued Jiang Lin'an—this eldest grandson who had excelled at everything since childhood—very highly.
The next day.
Morning light was just beginning to show. The vast estate was still wrapped in a thin veil of mist.
Ripples spread across the artificial lake beside the lawn of the Bright Moon Pavilion. A gardener named Sister Zhang was finishing her work and feeding the koi fish by the lake. Dewdrops on the freshly trimmed grass tips reflected the morning glow, like a scattering of glittering gold.
"Good morning, Sister Zhang. Feeding the fish again?" Qiuyun jogged past, greeting her with familiarity.
Sister Zhang turned around: "Yeah, in summer, the fish only come up to the surface in the morning."
"I think you've fed them so much they're too fat to swim."
Sister Zhang laughed and scolded her: "You little rascal, keep running! When you get back, remember to take a shower. Don't catch a cold."
"Got it! The sun's up now, you should go rest too."
Her voice trailed off as Qiuyun jogged further away. She returned to the Bright Moon Pavilion at exactly 6:50, finished washing up by 7:10, sat down for breakfast in the guest dining room, and at 7:20 Yu Heng arrived to have breakfast with the young lady. At 7:50, Qiuyun walked them to the negative first floor to take the car to school.
