Chapter 27: She Has a Spirit of Her Own

Watching Wen Jinghuai depart until even his shadow had vanished, Jiang Zhouyi finally let his smile—which had stretched almost to his ears—fade.

He leaned back, raising a hand to gently knead his lower back. Turning around to see Jiang Mian still standing there, his tone instantly dropped.

"Jiang Mian, you go do whatever you need to do. Your second uncle won't keep you any longer."

She lifted her eyes, thinking to herself: if Wen Yan weren't here, Jiang Zhouyi probably wouldn't have even bothered with that second half of his sentence.

"Fine."

Since Jiang Zhouyi had said as much, she naturally had no desire to linger. However, she had only taken a few steps forward when she was called to a halt by Wen Yan.

She turned around, and Wen Yan walked over, stopping in front of her. His voice was low, meant only for her ears: "Jiang Mian, I don't know what the situation is between you and my elder brother, but I advise you to stay away from him. He is not a good man."

Not a good man?

Jiang Mian raised her gaze. Whatever Wen Jinghuai might be, he had, at the very least, never infringed upon her interests. She had no right to judge him. But as for Wen Yan, what right did he have?

"Do you know? You are the very last person in this world qualified to judge Wen Jinghuai."

Having said this, she cast a scornful glance at Wen Yan and turned away with a cold look.

Watching her retreating figure, Jiang Zhixuan waited a moment before reaching out to nudge Wen Yan’s arm.

"Yan, what were you talking to my sister about?"

"Nothing. She wouldn't listen anyway."

He waved a hand, feeling inexplicably irritable. When he had seen Jiang Zhimu greeting Jiang Mian earlier, they had appeared so familiar and natural with each other, and when Wen Jinghuai looked at her, his expression had been so soft. They seemed like a perfect match.

The thought flashed through Wen Yan’s mind, and he was startled by it himself. He immediately comforted himself: how could that be? They hadn't even known each other before this; it must be his imagination.

"Brother Huai, weren't you here to meet the Wen family’s in-laws? Why is Jiang Mian here too?"

Jiang Zhimu was a man who occasionally enjoyed a bit of gossip. Wen Jinghuai glanced at him sideways; the look of expectation on Jiang Zhimu's face was far too obvious.

"Did no one tell you that she is Wen Yan's former fiancée?"

"I know that!"

"Then why ask?"

Wen Jinghuai lowered his eyes, clearly speechless.

"Oh." Jiang Zhimu rubbed his nose, suddenly recalling the relationship between Jiang Mian and Jiang Zhixuan. He scratched his hair and leaned against the side, falling silent.

Seeing him wilt, Elder Wen glanced at Wen Jinghuai. He was standing with his head bowed, his hands resting naturally in front of him, clutching his phone. He didn't seem to be looking at anything in particular, his thumb tapping rapidly against the screen.

The old man gave a light cough. Seeing Wen Jinghuai look up, the elder’s tone softened. "Are you feeling indignant on that girl's behalf?"

Wen Jinghuai had been raised by the old man; the elder knew exactly what he was thinking.

"No, I just find it a pity."

Knowing he couldn't hide anything from his grandfather, he spoke his mind. Jiang Mian was a woman with talent in her own field; it was a shame her parents had passed away so early, otherwise...

Jiang Zhimu listened to the conversation between grandfather and grandson in silence. The old man sighed, leaning back in his chair, seemingly lost in melancholy. He tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest, his voice gentle and lingering.

"Jinghuai, you have always been a man of your own mind. Now that you stand at the heights, you can do whatever you wish. I won't stop you, but you must be clear about the consequences of your actions."

Wen Jinghuai lifted his eyes; his grip on the phone tightened unconsciously before he relaxed his fingers. He understood his grandfather’s meaning: there were few who could dictate his actions now, and if he wanted to show kindness and help Jiang Mian, the old man would not interfere. But the consequences would be Wen Jinghuai's alone to bear.

However, Jiang Mian might not even accept such help. He chuckled, pressing a hand to his forehead. "Grandfather, she has her own pride."

If Jiang Mian were like others—eager to suck up to him at the slightest opportunity—he might not even spare her a glance. But she had her own ideas and wanted to strive for success through her own abilities.

"Besides, I have no such intentions."

Wen Jinghuai felt it necessary to clarify his stance to his grandfather, especially since the old man was so eager for him to settle down. He didn't want any misunderstandings that might lead to awkwardness.

When Jiang Mian arrived at the Central Office Building, someone was already waiting for her downstairs.

"Are you Ms. Jiang Mian?"

The man wore thick, black-rimmed glasses and looked rather exhausted. Jiang Mian nodded and smiled at him. "I am."

"Hello, my name is Cheng Qi, the liaison for the domestic market."

"Hello."

The two shook hands lightly, and Cheng Qi pushed up his glasses. "Ms. Jiang, please follow me."

The domestic headquarters had been scouted by Xu Mu beforehand, and Cheng Qi had been in charge of the follow-up matters. Now that the domestic studio was built, it was time to gradually push it into the market.

"Ms. Jiang, this is your office. Perhaps in the future, I should call you Director Jiang." Cheng Qi said with a half-smile as they walked into the room.

The office featured floor-to-ceiling windows, and the side connecting to the lobby was the same; if the blinds were drawn, the view from outside could be blocked. For now, the office held nothing but a bookshelf and a desk. She walked in and felt the space; it was quite roomy. Standing before the floor-to-ceiling window, one could see nearly half of the capital.

The Central Office Building did not come cheap.

"It must have cost a pretty penny for Senior to rent this space," she remarked softly, though Cheng Qi heard her.

"Not expensive. The landlord has some history with Mr. Xu, so the rent was reduced significantly."

I see. Jiang Mian nodded. Her senior indeed knew many people; after all, his reputation was not small.

After viewing the studio, they went downstairs together. Xu Mu's plan was to transfer a few capable people from abroad to support the domestic branch temporarily while simultaneously screening for high-caliber designers locally. Jiang Mian agreed with this; after all, the studio would likely not thrive if it relied on her alone. As for recruiting, Cheng Qi had more experience, so she left that to him.

Xu Mu hoped that Jiang Mian would lead the domestic design team to create accessories that better suited the aesthetic standards of the local market.

"Ms. Jiang, let's exchange contact information so it's easier for us to reach each other." During lunch, Cheng Qi remembered this and opened WeChat on his phone.

She nodded and quickly scanned his QR code. Indeed, they would be colleagues from now on; it wouldn't do to rely on phone calls for everything.

By the time the day ended and Jiang Mian returned home, she was physically and mentally exhausted. Lying in bed, she couldn't help but drift off, remembering the look in Wen Jinghuai’s eyes today. There had seemed to be a hint of pity in them.

What was he pitying? Was it her?