章 10: Chapter 10: January's Appointment
The two women arrived at the villa's second-floor balcony.
"Yingxue, what are you thinking about?"
Faced with Lin Churan's questioning, Jiang Yingxue fell silent for a moment. Knowing how well her best friend understood her, she realized lying was pointless, so she sighed lightly and said, "Before, Chen Feng saved me once, and I still owe him for that. Now I have to annul our marriage agreement, I always feel somewhat apologetic..."
Lin Churan looked doubtful. "Do you really feel apologetic?"
"Maybe," Jiang Yingxue wasn't too sure, murmuring, "Last night at the hospital, when I saw him risking his life, desperately trying to protect his sister, I was deeply impressed... Later he saved me, yet he didn't seek any reward... I wasn't planning to let Chen Feng find out about our marriage agreement. I wanted to stay in Jiangzhou for a while, observe his behavior, and then make a decision..."
Hearing this, Lin Churan's mouth dropped slightly, a look of surprise on her face. "Yingxue! You can't be... you can't have fallen for this guy at first sight, can you? Even if you're looking for a man, there are so many eligible bachelors in the Imperial Capital. You could pick and choose at will! Why bother going to Jiangzhou, this backwater place, to find a guy from a rubbish heap?"
"Churan, I'm not happy with the way you're putting it," Jiang Yingxue frowned.
Although she didn't say she liked Chen Feng, her actions and words had already provided an answer.
Lin Churan simply couldn't accept it.
"Churan, actually I think you don't understand Chen Feng well enough. Though he comes from a humble background, given the chance, he can definitely make something of himself," Jiang Yingxue said confidently.
"I don't believe it." Lin Churan shook her head with scorn, "I only know that 'dragons beget dragons, phoenixes beget phoenixes, and the rat's son will dig holes.' No matter how hard this poor kid from the lower class struggles, he will never be able to leave this small place of Jiangzhou."
Jiang Mengxue gave a smile. "Since you don't believe it, why don't we make a bet? I'll give Chen Feng an opportunity and then give him a month. Let's see if he can make something of himself in Jiangnan Province."
"If he truly makes something of himself, it will prove that my judgment wasn't wrong, and I will keep this marriage agreement."
"If not, I will listen to you, annul the agreement, and return with you."
Lin Churan fell silent for a moment, thought it over carefully, and then revealed a playful smile. "Although Jiangzhou is a small place, Jiangnan Province is not. There are many capable people there. For this kid to make something of himself in Jiangnan Province, he would need to struggle for at least ten years to have a chance. So, I accept this bet."
"But... that said..."
"Yingxue, we haven't seen each other for several days, shouldn't you let me dote on you for a bit?"
A sly smile suddenly appeared on Lin Churan's pretty face. She then walked toward Jiang Yingxue, wrapped her jade hands around Jiang Yingxue's slender waist, and kissed her deeply on the cheek, on her lips.
Jiang Yingxue also responded actively.
...
Half an hour later.
The two girls straightened their clothing and returned to the living room on the first floor.
At this time, the two had temporarily reached a consensus, and the atmosphere was much more harmonious.
"Chen Feng, Churan and I just discussed it, and you should take this marriage letter back for now," Jiang Yingxue said with a smile.
"Huh?"
Chen Feng looked puzzled, having specifically delivered the marriage letter, and now having to take it back seemed like a wasted trip.
"Tomorrow evening, I will be hosting a banquet at the Hilton Hotel. Will you attend?" Jiang Yingxue looked at Chen Feng with anticipation.
Seeing Jiang Yingxue at this moment, Chen Feng couldn't help but feel his heart stir. He scratched his head and stammered, "Miss Jiang, it might not be appropriate for me to attend your high-society gathering..."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yingxue's face showed a trace of disappointment.
Lin Churan then laughed smugly, "Hmm, you are right, you really shouldn't attend tomorrow's banquet. Otherwise, if everyone knew about your relationship with Yingxue, they would target you. You would have endless trouble and it would be very difficult for you to get along in Jiangzhou. For someone without a background like you, it's wisest to keep your head down and stay out of trouble."
Actually, Chen Feng wasn't unwilling to go; he was just too embarrassed to agree directly. Hearing Lin Churan's words now made him feel a faint sense of humiliation.
Since he met Lin Churan, it seemed she had been constantly belittling him, never stopping.
Previously, Chen Feng had been submissive. Firstly, he was grateful to Lin Churan for saving him at the Xuntian Office, and secondly, he also felt unworthy of Jiang Yingxue. Rather than being brutally rejected, he'd rather voluntarily annul the marriage agreement to save face.
However, Jiang Yingxue's ambiguous attitude had given Chen Feng a glimmer of hope.
Thinking of what his grandfather had said to him in his dream, Chen Feng suddenly felt a surge of courage and said to Jiang Yingxue, "Miss Jiang, since you've invited me, I will definitely attend the banquet tomorrow evening."
"Good, then it's settled. Don't stand me up," Jiang Yingxue replied with a smile.
As it was getting late, Chen Feng didn't stay long at the villa and soon stood up to say goodbye and leave.
After Chen Feng left, Jiang Yingxue turned to Lin Churan, her eyes gleaming triumphantly. "See? Chen Feng might be a small fry, but isn't this kind of courage rare?"
"Hmph, what does this have to do with courage? It's just his pride acting up!" Lin Churan snorted coldly, unconvinced.
"If he doesn't come to tomorrow's gathering, the worst he'll do is embarrass himself in front of the two of us. But if he goes, with his status as the Jiang family's prospective son-in-law, he will undoubtedly be envied and hated by everyone. With his limited abilities, he's bound to end up very badly."
But Jiang Yingxue was full of confidence. "He won't. I believe Chen Feng is not ordinary. He can withstand the pressure and make a name for himself."
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