Come with Me

"Those two—how much do you know about them?" Jiang Qiao asked quietly.

Shen Guiyi thought for a moment. "They were classmates in middle and high school, though I think they were in different classes. Duan Xu went abroad for college, and after she finished graduate school and came back two years ago, they got engaged."

"They're fucking childhood sweethearts too?" Jiang Qiao felt like cursing.

Shen Guiyi nodded. "Yeah. Back in high school, Duan Xu even stayed with our family for a while. The two of them rode to and from school in the same car, ate and lived together."

She was an honest person. If Jiang Qiao dared to ask, she dared to tell him. She said whatever she knew, with absolutely no regard for Jiang Qiao's wellbeing.

Jiang Qiao's face darkened. "Ate and lived together?"

"They ate at the same table and slept in the same bed," Shen Guiyi said.

Jiang Qiao: ???!!!!!!!!

Shen Guiyi could practically hear Jiang Qiao grinding his teeth.

She started laughing again. "Just kidding. Your guy is fussy as hell—how could he possibly share a bed with someone? Duan Xu stayed in the guest room on Shi Jiao's side."

Jiang Qiao did not feel like laughing at all.

He asked, "What else?"

"That's it."

"That's it?"

"That's it. The Shi family's place is huge, you know. Living there was basically like being neighbors upstairs and downstairs. Duan Xu probably figured no sparks would fly if things kept going like that, so she went home not long after."

Shen Guiyi said.

Only then did Jiang Qiao finally pull himself back from the brink of a heart attack.

He had been about to ask about what happened after their engagement when Duan Xu looked over.

He lowered his eyes, hiding the complicated look in them.

Duan Xu was somewhat surprised to see Shen Guiyi. Wearing those slender high heels sharp enough to stab someone to death, she walked over gracefully.

"Guiyi, what a coincidence," Duan Xu said gently.

Resting his chin on one hand, Jiang Qiao watched Duan Xu sit across from him, less than two meters away.

His eyesight was excellent. At this distance, he could clearly see every one of Duan Xu's eyelashes.

She was still very beautiful.

She had been Shi Junyi's classmate. Shi Junyi was twenty-seven, so Duan Xu had to be at least twenty-six—at least four years older than this body of Jiang Qiao's.

Yet her face still carried a hint of youthful innocence. Her nearly flawless skin made her look very young, as though she had only just come of age.

Every gesture of hers revealed the elegant nobility of someone raised in luxury.

Jiang Qiao could not help wondering whether Shi Junyi truly did not like someone as seemingly perfect as Duan Xu.

His mind began to wander.

He thought of clichés from Mary Sue novels and dramas like The Overbearing CEO Falls for Me, The Rich Young Master's Runaway Bride, and The CEO's Contract Wife.

The handsome, wealthy, aloof, ruthless, genius male lead with an IQ of 180 always ignored the beautiful, gentle, capable, well-born rich heiress who served as the second female lead.

Instead, he fell for the kind-hearted female lead who was plain-looking, strange, bad-tempered, not particularly bright, orphaned, burdened with a sick younger brother and a sister in school, and drowning in debt.

He considered whether it might work if he changed tactics and followed the Mary Sue heroine route.

But the more he thought about it, the more nauseated he felt. Fu Zhilan's green-tea approach still seemed more reliable.

"Oh my, Miss Duan? What a coincidence indeed. I heard you were abroad just a few days ago. When did you get back?" Shen Guiyi put on a surprised expression as though she had only just noticed Duan Xu.

"I got back yesterday. I was even thinking of visiting you all in a couple of days. How has Shi Jiao been lately?" Duan Xu asked.

"Her? Same as always—idle and irresponsible," Shen Guiyi said.

Duan Xu covered her mouth and chuckled. "With Junyi around, Shi Jiao doesn't need to busy herself with anything serious."

Jiang Qiao changed positions, sitting with his legs spread wide and leaning sideways against the armrest.

Just hearing Shi Junyi's name from Duan Xu's lips was enough to irritate him.

Shen Guiyi glanced at Jiang Qiao and asked Duan Xu on his behalf, "How long are you staying this time? Have you met with the eldest young master?"

Duan Xu shook her head and said shyly, "Not yet. We met in Belgium a few days ago and discussed the wedding. The elders want us to hold it early next year. Since I'm back this time, I won't be leaving again."

The moment she finished speaking, there was a crack.

Jiang Qiao had forcibly torn the armrest off his chair.

Duan Xu jumped in fright and cried out.

Jiang Qiao said in a low voice, "Sorry. Poor-quality chair."

Shen Guiyi: ...

The handsome technician, who had unintentionally overheard so many secrets of the wealthy families and was secretly gossiping in his heart: ...

Duan Xu looked Jiang Qiao over. "And this is?"

Shen Guiyi let out an "ah" and smiled. "My new colleague, Jiang Qiao."

Duan Xu smiled at Jiang Qiao and playfully stuck out her tongue. "Hello, I'm Shi Junyi's fiancée. You're very handsome. Once I marry into the Shi family next year, come work for me."

Expressionless, Jiang Qiao held the armrest in his hands, crossed his arms, and leaned back in his chair. In his heart, he had already cursed Shi Junyi to hell and back.

That dog of a man. He'd dodged the important parts. When I asked him, he only said the two families met in Belgium for a meal.

Why didn't he mention that he was getting married early next year?

He forced out a cold laugh. "Sorry, but I'll be resigning next year."

Duan Xu froze. "Why? Is the Shi family's treatment not good enough?"

Jiang Qiao curled his lips and looked at Duan Xu. "The treatment is quite good, but the person isn't—especially Shi Junyi. If I have to serve him until he gets married, I'll probably poison him and make you a widow."

Shen Guiyi: ...

The young technician: ...

Duan Xu had not expected Jiang Qiao to say something so blunt. For a moment, she was speechless.

Somewhat awkwardly, she asked, "Did he abuse you?"

Jiang Qiao said, "Yeah. He abused me so badly I was half-dead. I kept watch over him twice and couldn't get out of bed for three days."

Duan Xu frowned. "He wasn't like this before..."

"But he is now. He's especially inhuman. You're so pretty, like a little fairy. How about not marrying him? He isn't worth it."

Jiang Qiao cut her off.

The other three people present were all stunned. None of them had expected Jiang Qiao to suddenly start driving a wedge between them.

Looking at Duan Xu's exquisite, beautiful face, Jiang Qiao's train of thought somehow took a sharp turn.

He leaned forward, closing the distance between them.

The smile on his face changed, and his tone suddenly turned improper.

"Marry me instead. I have a good temper, a good personality, and I know how to take care of people. Other than not having as prominent a family background, I'm better than him in every way."

Shen Guiyi was deeply shocked by Jiang Qiao's sudden attitude of if I can't have you, I'll make you cheat on him.

She gave Jiang Qiao a look that said, [You really are shameless.]

Jiang Qiao secretly winked his left eye at her.

Duan Xu was the same. Growing up, whether because of her family background or her status as Shi Junyi's fiancée, she had never encountered anyone daring enough to openly flirt with her.

Much less someone who so brazenly tried to steal Shi Junyi's fiancée.

But there was something about Jiang Qiao that was hard to put into words. Perhaps it was because he sounded so sincere when praising someone that even his frivolous, improper remarks did not make people dislike him.

Duan Xu's face immediately flushed red.

"What nonsense are you saying..." she reproached him coyly.