Chapter 37 Part 1

“Give me your phone.”

Ah Man ignored Jiang Yueyi’s theatrics. The tone Jiang Yueyi had just used was pitifully pathetic, but her eyes were cunning and mischievous — who knew what sly thoughts were running through her head.

So Ah Man didn’t soften her heart towards her. Instead, her attitude was cold, completely lacking the ambiguous tone from earlier in the Bar.

This cold-blooded, heartless woman suddenly turned her back on me.

I must not have been fierce enough and failed to intimidate her. Right, that’s it!

Jiang Yueyi thought to herself: I haven’t even gotten angry yet, and she’s giving me attitude. This hateful woman Jiang Man actually doesn’t respond to soft tactics! Didn’t she see that I’ve already yielded? She should be overflowing with gratitude towards me.

“On what grounds should I give it to you.” Jiang Yueyi folded her arms and provocatively lifted her chin at her.

Ah Man looked at her childish behavior and explained, “My phone is dead, and we’ve both been drinking. If we don’t call a designated driver, how do you plan to get back?”

Jiang Yueyi curled her lip and said carelessly, “Then I just won’t go back. Who said I wanted to go back with you? It was clearly you who dragged me into the car, you didn’t even ask if I agreed.”

As she spoke, Jiang Yueyi’s gaze involuntarily landed on Ah Man’s face. The fragrance of perfume filling the car instantly brought Jiang Yueyi back to their close contact at the bar. She looked at Ah Man, her mouth reacting faster than her brain. “What perfume are you wearing?”

Ah Man smiled, her features animated. “You’re curious? Then come home with me.”

Jiang Yueyi snapped back to her senses instantly, her face scrunching up. Look at this stupid mouth of mine!

Saying things I shouldn’t, blabbing nonsense. Isn’t Jiang Man just a bit good-looking, a bit fragrant? What kind of beauties haven’t I seen before? Why do I keep embarrassing myself in front of her? This person must be my nemesis!

“In your dreams!”

She felt that if she stayed any longer, she’d inevitably do something stupid again. To preserve her own dignity, Jiang Yueyi decided to open the car door and leave.

And then, she was dumbfounded.

“Open the car door for me!”

Jiang Yueyi panicked, glaring with her lively, spirited almond eyes, full of vigor.

Ah Man leaned against the car door, turned sideways to watch her. “Little brat, think I can’t handle you? Come home with me.”

The curse words were right on the tip of Jiang Yueyi’s tongue, but seeing Ah Man’s cold, piercing gaze, she chickened out and shrank her neck, switching to a more tactful tone. “President Jiang, Eldest Miss Jiang! We’re just a business marriage, don’t take it so seriously. Me hitting on someone at the bar was clearly a mistake, but the biggest problem lies with you. Just think, if you were a bit uglier, I definitely wouldn’t have approached you, right? So stop looking at me like that. Careful, I will get angry!”

After speaking, she puffed out her chest, looking full of confidence.

Crescent-moon-shaped brows, large eyes, a face full of collagen, brimming with youthful vitality — she was a girl of bright and unrestrained spirit.

These twenty-one years of life had been smooth sailing for her; she had never suffered any real hardship. The only major pitfall she’d stumbled into was Ah Man. After all, regarding their marriage, Jiang Yueyi had never agreed from start to finish.

Ah Man said calmly, “Others are others, I am me. I’m serious about this marriage, not doing that business marriage routine.”

Jiang Yueyi felt like she was casting pearls before swine. She spread her hands helplessly. “Then what do you mean? Planning to go the ‘marriage before love’ route with me?”

Finally they were getting to the point. Ah Man instantly perked up, smiling as she curved her lips. “I’m worth billions. I’m chaste and proper, with no little mistresses by my side. My family is harmonious, my looks are acceptable, and I don’t have any bad habits. Miss Jiang, don’t you really want to give it a try with me?”

Such self-praise from someone else might seem shameless, but on Ah Man, it felt more like self-deprecation. In fact, Jiang Yueyi even wanted to correct her wording.

Where does she get off saying she’s just ‘acceptable’ looking? She’s clearly a total knockout.

Finding someone visually appealing was truly a wonderfully mysterious thing. And this woman before her happened to fit Jiang Yueyi’s taste perfectly.

After Ah Man finished speaking, Jiang Yueyi fell silent, her head lowered. With her finger resting on her chin, from Ah Man’s angle, she could clearly see Jiang Yueyi’s chubby cheeks. Her baby fat made her truly adorable.

A hint of laughter flickered in Ah Man’s eyes, while also silently noting: She really is just a young girl.

There was an eight-year age gap between them. She had ample patience and tolerance to treat her well. Not just because she was the White Moonlight in the book, but even more because she was her wife.

Jiang Yueyi pondered for a moment, finally making a decision. Hesitantly, she said, “I’m not as rich as you, because the company is managed by my sister, but I’m not short on money either. As for my romantic history… well, it’s a blank slate. And mainly why? Others think my temper is just too awful. Being with me is like serving an ancestor — they have to pamper me. You know what I mean?

Bad habits? I can drink and smoke, but I’m not addicted. At most, I’ll have a drink or smoke one when I’m in a bad mood. If you don’t mind all that, I can give it a try with you.”

Jiang Yueyi had just carefully considered every acquaintance she knew, and it seemed none could compare to Jiang Man. Though, come to think of it, she was a good-for-nothing herself, so how could the people she knew be the elite either?

So, thinking of it this way, giving it a try with Jiang Man wasn’t out of the question. At the very least, she was good-looking. Being with her, she wouldn’t be the one losing out.

After finishing her self-description, Jiang Yueyi couldn’t help but make a ‘pained’ expression. Wouldn’t saying all this just scare Jiang Man away…

She couldn’t help but reflect. How could I be so honest?! Was it because Jiang Man’s aura was too strong? Whatever, it’s all her fault anyway!

Ah Man covered her forehead and chuckled softly. I must have a filter on when it comes to Jiang Yueyi to think these demands are nothing, and even find her frankness endearing.

Her voice was pleasant to hear, and paired with that face, it inexplicably gave off an alluring air.

Especially when Ah Man rested her head on her hand, the knuckles of her fingers became increasingly distinct. The slightly bent joints looked long and exquisitely refined.

Jiang Yueyi blinked, her ears hidden beneath her long hair turning red.

For no other reason, she just thought Ah Man’s hand must feel wonderful to touch. Yes, that was definitely it. It absolutely wasn’t that her mind wandered elsewhere.

“What are you laughing at? You’re making me so embarrassed!”

“Sorry.” She raised her eyes, her gaze smiling and soft.

Jiang Yueyi puffed out her cheeks, looking down at her hands. “Anyway, I’ve told you everything. If you agree, just be straightforward about it. If not, then hurry up and let me out of the car, save me from my temper flaring up and getting into a big argument with you.”

At this moment, Ah Man leaned over and ruffled her hair, sighing with a smile. “Agreed. How could I ever disagree?”

Jiang Yueyi raised her head in surprise. Their eyes met. Her fidgeting fingers stopped, and she clasped her hands tightly together, a little nervous and shy.

Because Ah Man was too close, far too close. She could even hear Ah Man’s breathing. Jiang Yueyi quietly shrank into her seat, not daring to move.

Ah Man chuckled lightly, opened the door, and said, “There’s a hotel here that I invested in. Let’s stay here tonight.”

“No way, the progress is this fast?” Jiang Yueyi’s eyes couldn’t help but glance at Ah Man’s lips before shifting away. Actually, it’s not impossible.

Hearing this, Ah Man curled her lip, exerted force with her hand, and closed the door again, teasing, “Oh, you’re thinking about it?”

“I absolutely wasn’t! Why did you shut the door again?” She refuted Ah Man angrily. Who told her to say ‘go home’ earlier, and now not go home but go to a hotel instead? Wouldn’t that make anyone misunderstand?

“Because I think you should fulfill some obligations of being a girlfriend now.”

Jiang Yueyi cocked her head, puzzled. “What?”

She found that she couldn’t keep up with Ah Man’s pace. The topics were jumping around way too fast!

“Kiss me.” Ah Man pointed to her own right cheek.

Jiang Yueyi sneered a few times, pushed her away, opened the door herself, stood outside the car with her hands on her hips, and said, “You dirty pervert, in your dreams!”

Ah Man shook her head, laughing helplessly, and also got out of the car. “Are you hungry?”

“Sort of. Why? You planning to cook me a meal?”

Ah Man glanced sideways. “Sorry to disappoint you, but in twenty-nine years of living, I’ve never cooked.”

“Tsk, the famous President Jiang, is this all you’ve got?”

Ah Man raised her hand and patted her head. “Nobody ever decreed that I must know how to cook.”

Jiang Yueyi grabbed her hand with both hands, removing it from her head, and said sarcastically, “Then as your girlfriend, shouldn’t I request that you learn to cook?”

“Can do.”

“Oh? Then I’ll be looking forward to it.”

Ah Man raised an eyebrow, smiling but saying nothing.

She could see that Jiang Yueyi was making things difficult for her, but so what? Cooking a meal was no difficult feat.

“Let’s go. We’ll walk there, help sober up from the alcohol.”

Ah Man walked a few steps, only to find Jiang Yueyi hadn’t moved. She looked back at her, puzzled.

Who knew Jiang Yueyi simply extended her hand towards her, looking displeased. “President Jiang, when people are dating, they usually hold hands, you know. And you? You just turn around and walk away. Do you even want to be in a relationship with me?”

Without a word, Ah Man turned back, walked over, took her hand, and intertwined their fingers tightly.

Jiang Yueyi pursed the corner of her mouth and silently fell into step beside her.

Just… how to put it. Jiang Man isn’t nearly as unyielding as Mom and Dad said. She’s pretty obedient.

“I want to stay on the sixteenth floor.”

“Okay.”

“You’re not even going to ask why I want the sixteenth floor? How come you don’t care about me at all?”

“Then why do you want to stay on the sixteenth floor?”

Jiang Yueyi smiled. “Because it’s my lucky number.”

Ah Man paused in her steps, putting on a thoughtful expression. “Then your phone’s lock screen password must have something to do with sixteen.”

Jiang Yueyi’s eyes widened in shock. She covered her mouth. “Oh my god, how did you know?”

Ah Man pointed at her head. “Guessed.”

“Wow, you’re so smart!”

A smile lingered in Ah Man’s eyes. She wore a serious expression as she responded to Jiang Yueyi’s words.

How did I guess… I didn’t. Back at the bar, the lights were too dim for facial recognition, so Jiang Yueyi had manually tapped in the numbers to unlock her phone to make the call.

So, her lock screen password was technically seen, not guessed.

Ah Man looked down at the adoring Jiang Yueyi beside her, the laughter in her eyes deepening.

Teasing the kid now and then, it’s actually pretty fun.

So thinking, she patted Jiang Yueyi’s head again. Soft and fluffy, but her temper certainly wasn’t soft.

“Is this how you usually pet dogs?”

“……You’re the one insulting yourself here.”

“Jiang Man!”

I must have been crazy to agree to her words. Marriage before love? I want a divorce right now!

“President Jiang.”

Ah Man sat opposite Jiang Yueming. The project proposal was beside her hand; she had just finished reading it and had no objections. Thus, the collaboration with the Jiang Group would proceed smoothly.

Jiang Yueming was a very beautiful woman, gentle and graceful. She was also a capable manager for the company. Her only flaw was being a love-brain.

Ah Man smiled distantly. Her peripheral vision caught Qiao Jinge beside Jiang Yueming, and her smile turned slightly cold.

“No need to be so formal, just call me by my name.”

Jiang Yueming was two years younger than Ah Man. They had been high school classmates and were relatively familiar with each other — after all, in the same circles, they inevitably ran into one another.

This meeting was primarily for business. She didn’t want to seem overly familiar and leave a bad impression on Ah Man.

Hearing Ah Man’s words, Jiang Yueming naturally didn’t stand on ceremony, going along with her: “Alright, Ah Man.”