NOVEL NEXT Chapter 3 - Sister, keep your wealth hidden
Before Tang Yuan’s itinerary information even arrived, a message from Chu Yu popped up in the chat box.
[See you at Crane Tower tomorrow.]
Though Chu Yu was interested in her, his persona was that of a cool, aloof figure, so his messages were brief and to the point.
Jiang Zi, with her even colder demeanour, was equally sparse with her words, merely replying with a simple “Okay.”
Looking through the chat history, no matter what was said, her responses were always “Okay,” “Mm,” or “Sure.”
Jiang Zi stared at the chat box, annoyance evident in her eyes, a hint of gloom settling between her brows. After staring at Chu Yu’s profile for a long time, she eventually just turned off her phone and tossed it aside.
She lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep due to an eerie sense of anticipation. Finally, her hand reached for the small knife on the nightstand, leaving a few red stains on the bed. Her heartbeat eventually calmed.
(Author note: The protagonist’s actions are driven by plot control to stay alert. This behaviour isn’t good, so please don’t imitate. Love yourself!)
The bloody knife was tossed casually beside the bed, and she finally managed to fall into a peaceful sleep.
Jiang Zi arrived at Crane Tower at the agreed time.
She had arrived precisely, so the reserved table already had a woman sitting at it. The anticipation in Jiang Zi’s heart was finally dispelled, and her eyes remained calm and indifferent as she sat across from the elegant woman.
The woman set her phone aside and scrutinized Jiang Zi with a critical eye, snickering, “How arrogant, making me wait.”
Jiang Zi had already guessed her identity but still asked, “Where’s Chu Yu?”
The woman crossed her legs and leaned back, exuding an air of inherent nobility. Her red lips parted slightly as she spoke dismissively, “Are you the woman who’s been pestering Ah Yu?”
Jiang Zi cast her gaze blankly at the glass on the table, staring at the water’s still surface, wondering if this cup of water would be splashed on her later.
Seeing that she was being cold-shouldered, the woman was not angered. “Although I know Ah Yu has some feelings for you, a pheasant can never become a phoenix. The difference in social standing is something you’ll never overcome in your lifetime.”
“If you had any sense, you should take advantage of the situation and leave my son. Otherwise, you’ll end up with nothing but a wasted effort, gaining nothing.”
Saying so, she pulled out a check from her handbag, which had already been signed, and placed it on the table in front of Jiang Zi. “Miss Jiang, you should be smart enough to know how to choose.”
Jiang Zi didn’t move her gaze an inch, showing no interest in the amount on the check. Instead, she said, “I don’t want your money.”
With that, Jiang Zi finally turned her gaze to the woman’s face, locking eyes with her. Her expression remained calm, devoid of any trace of shame or anger. When she spoke again, her tone was as flat and emotionless as if reading lines from a script:
“I like him. I’m not going to leave him for money.”
Infuriated by her words, the woman slammed her hand on the table. “You’re truly ungrateful! Do you think he really likes you? What kind of woman hasn’t he seen before? Ah Yu is just playing around with you!”
Jiang Zi let out a laugh. Ain’t this woman quite polite, not splashing any water.
The woman snatched the check back, crumpling it into a ball. “Fine, since you’re so ungrateful, don’t think you’ll get a single cent!”
After saying that and was about to stand up, a sudden force abruptly pushed her back into her seat.
A light, cheerful voice came from above her: “Don’t be in such a hurry to leave~”
The girl, pressing her shoulder, looked down at the crumpled paper and clucked her tongue. “Fifty thousand? Who are you trying to insult? It should be at least five hundred thousand.”
The woman’s face turned a mix of red and white as she snapped, “Fifty thousand is already generous. She’s just an uncouth country girl who’s never seen the world.”
Jiang Zi raised her eyes to look at the visitor, her gaze flickering. Huh, she hadn’t even seen the amount on the check, yet she already knew it was fifty thousand?
The noblewoman slapped away the hand on her shoulder. “Tang Yuan! I am Ah Yu’s mother. If you want to become our family’s young lady, you’d better show me some respect.”
“You think being the young lady of the Chu family is like being on a throne? I don’t care about that or your little bit of money.” Tang Yuan moved to Jiang Zi’s side and pulled her up. “Sister don’t care about it either.”
Seeing Tang Yuan pulling Jiang Zi to leave, Madam Chu quickly stood up, her face as dark as a bottomless pot. “Tang Yuan! How dare you speak to me like that!”
In the past, Tang Yuan had gone to great lengths to win Chu Yu’s favour by flattering her, and now she was treating her with such an attitude!
Neither of these women was worthy of her respect! None of them would be allowed to enter the Chu family’s doors!
Tang Yuan rolled her eyes, too lazy to say another word. She pulled Jiang Zi away, not looking back.
Once outside, Jiang Zi quickly pulled her hand away from Tang Yuan and distanced herself, her eyes, as dark as ink, fixed intently on Tang Yuan.
Tang Yuan’s gaze remained on Jiang Zi’s hand. She walked over with a frown and took Jiang Zi’s hand, examining it. “Sister, what happened to your fingers? You’re even wearing a bandage. Is the wound deep?”
Jiang Zi’s fingertips trembled slightly as she looked down at their intertwined hands, pursing her lips.
Tang Yuan lowered her head and gently blew on Jiang Zi’s fingertips. “Sister, Chu Yu’s mother is so rude, you won’t find happiness with him. Please don’t fall for Chu Yu.”
Jiang Zi pulled her hand back as if shocked, rejecting the touch that made her heart palpitate, and walked away. “Mind your own business.”
Tang Yuan stopped talking but continued to follow her. Eventually, Jiang Zi stopped to hail a taxi, yet Tang Yuan remained standing there.
Feeling helpless, Jiang Zi asked, “Why are you following me?”
“I want to talk with sister.”
“I’m not your sister.”
“Okay,” Tang Yuan murmured softly, lowering her head like a drooping-eared rabbit, making it hard not to feel softhearted.
Jiang Zi remained impassive, ignoring her. She watched as Tang Yuan took off her backpack and rummaged through it.
Finally—she pulled out a gold bar.
Jiang Zi: …?
Tang Yuan cheerfully stuffed the gold bar in Jiang Zi’s hand. “Sister, this is my apology to make amends. I shouldn’t have been so hostile towards you because of that bad man and caused you to have a bad time at work for two years.”
“I’ve already arranged for someone to speak with the crew. I will withdraw from the production and let the original lead actress return. I know I don’t have much talent for acting, and since the filming has just begun, it’s not too late to make changes.”
In addition to compensating the production crew, Tang Yuan also invested more money, becoming the largest investor behind this show.
A pearl shouldn’t be left in the dust; with her capabilities, she shouldn’t have only reached this point.
When Jiang Zi’s taxi arrived, Tang Yuan helped her open the car door and let her get in. After settling into the seat, Tang Yuan suddenly leaned close to Jiang Zi’s ear, her warm breath brushing against it.
“Sister, keep your wealth hidden.”
Hinting at the gold bar, she had just stuffed into Jiang Zi’s hand.
Tang Yuan waited for a few seconds with a slight pity in her heart; why wasn’t she inviting her to sit in the car with her?
Straightening up, she waved goodbye to Jiang Zi. “Stay safe on the road.”
Suddenly, a long, slender arm, as white and smooth as jade, reached out from the car, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her inside.
Tang Yuan, caught off guard, fell directly into the warm, soft embrace. The delicate fragrance of freesia enveloped her, wrapping her in its scent.
The bony, pinkish hand closed the car door before smoothly pushing the person in her arms to the seat next to her.
“Mister, let’s go.”