Chapter 192: Chapter 192: Dust Settles
Jiang Nanshu glanced at Mrs. Jiang again.
Her message was straightforward.
It essentially meant that Old Sir Song had granted her permission to hold her 19th birthday celebration at the Song Family’s residence next month.
Yet Mrs. Jiang had the tone of someone bestowing an immense favor.
Just like Lu Mother, they were all tools for business marriages.
Only, Mrs. Jiang was more fortunate.
Mr. Jiang truly loved her, and thus he was kind to the Song Family out of his affection for her, which prevented any rift from occurring between the Jiang and Lu Shang families, like it did with the Songs and Mus.
Jiang Nanshu lazily replied, “You handle it, I’m listening to you.”
Mrs. Jiang didn’t reply back; she was probably answering the Song Family.
Jiang Zhouye’s message was just to ask where she was, and he seemed quite anxious about it.
Jiang Nanshu curled her lips.
“Even if I went over, it wouldn’t change your doomed fate of being manipulated to death, huh? Poor fourth brother, used like a pawn.”
Her inner thoughts showed not the slightest pity for Jiang Zhouye; there was more schadenfreude instead.
Lu Qingyan exhaled softly.
He was still worried about Jiang Zhouye.
After all, in Jiang Nanshu’s view, he was but a stepping stone.
He was curious, what would Jiang Nanshu do after completing this task?
The car stopped outside the stadium.
Due to the concert inside, it was extremely crowded, and the car couldn’t get in, so they needed to walk.
Yang Jiashu took a special passage, parked the car in the parking lot, and then the three of them set off to enter.
Jiang Zhouye was waiting at the entrance; upon seeing them arrive, he finally relaxed.
Seeing her changed into different attire and then glancing at the aloof and ethereal Lu Qingyan, his eyebrows furrowed slightly.
“Jiang Nanshu, where have you been? Why is your phone unreachable?”
In front of Jiang Zhouye, Jiang Nanshu shyly glanced at Lu Qingyan, solidifying their relationship so that he couldn’t deny it even if he wanted to.
Hesitantly, “I didn’t go anywhere… just went to the hotel with Brother Qingyan.”
Jiang Zhouye’s eyes widened. “Fuck! You, how can a young girl like you go to that kind of place with a man?”
Jiang Nanshu was innocent to the extreme. “Ah? But Brother Qingyan is my fiance, I like him, and want to be with him.”
“Let’s throw in another dose of sweet talk. The devoted lover facade will never fall!”
Jiang Zhouye: “…”
So you’re still putting on an act.
But, it’s also true, given Jiang Nanshu’s nature it’s impossible for her to let herself suffer a loss.
He looked at Lu Qingyan, who was oblivious, with pity in his eyes.
Tsk, what a tragedy.
Jiang Nanshu is a heartless flower, who mercilessly consumes others; the people who fall for her are in for hardship.
He rubbed his temples: “Alright then, let’s go inside.”
Then he turned to Lu Qingyan: “Although your relationship is normal… hotels are still a place you should visit less often, especially since she’s still a young girl!”
Lu Qingyan, head bowed as he adjusted his cuff, spoke indifferently: “She’s of age.”
Jiang Zhouye: “!!!”
What is he implying!
Even if she’s of age, she shouldn’t just do whatever she pleases!
“You!”
“And our relationship is legal,” Lu Qingyan added.
They’re in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship, they can do anything.
Jiang Zhouye: “…”
His gaze turned vigilant as he looked at Lu Qingyan: “That’s not acceptable!”
Even though the Lu Family is all-powerful in Beijing, Jiang Zhouye isn’t afraid. What can they do to just a brother worried for his sister?
He turned and took Jiang Nanshu by the arm: “I’ll take you through the VIP passage.”
“Um? I feel like I haven’t done anything, so why are they suddenly being so nice to me? If it had been before, they wouldn’t have cared if I were dead outside, right? But now, after just going to a hotel room with Lu Qing, he’s acting like I’m in danger of being insulted; weird.”
Jiang Nanshu followed, feeling puzzled.
Jiang Zhouye had his lips tightly pursed, his eyes struggling with something.
Their change in attitude had started from hearing Jiang Nanshu’s inner thoughts.
She was right.
If it had been before, even if she were dying outside, he wouldn’t have given her a second glance.
Then let bygones be bygones; he should let go of the grudges in his heart and treat her well.
With that thought, Jiang Zhouye felt much more at ease.
Yang Jiashu patted Lu Qingyan on the shoulder, “Haha, I remember your uncles used to pity you, why are they so wary now?”
Lu Qingyan shrugged his shoulders, his brows cool and his thin lips slightly parting, “Who knows, maybe they’re sick.”
Yang Jiashu: “…”
He carefully pondered the recent changes in the Jiang Family.
Somewhat horrified, “Maybe they really do have mental issues. Before, Yun Chuan kept saying how annoying Jiang Nanshu was and even said he’d take the chance to kick her out of the house. Now he’s sticking up for her, and nobody can bully his little sister.”
“Is that so?” Lu Qingyan’s eyebrows quirked.
He didn’t know about these things.
Before, he just avoided contact with Jiang Nanshu, and he was busy, with no time to dally over trivial matters.
Yang Jiashu lamented, “Yeah, I used to advise Nanshu not to obsess over you anymore, and she even cursed me out.”
Lu Qingyan: “…”
Their tickets were in the front row.
Jiang Zhouye had reserved the best seats for everyone.
As the music started, the five members of M.RE boy group took the stage.
The dazzling, colorful lights were painful to the eyes.
The surrounding screams made Jiang Nanshu’s scalp tingle.
But the five on stage took great pleasure in it.
The pink-haired, handsome young man in the lead wore a white suit, looking like a prince on a white horse.
The other four were all dressed in black.
So Jiang Nanshu recognized him at a glance, this man was Lian Xingze.
[I wonder if Su Ran is here, given that Lian Xingze has connections with international bigwigs, she must have met him. Will she come?]
At that thought, Jiang Nanshu started looking around.
Lu Qingyan took her hand, “Don’t move around, there might be flash photography.”
It was then that Jiang Nanshu noticed there were indeed numerous flashes, but they were all aimed at Jiang Zhouye.
She touched the mask on her face, and because of the need for discretion, Zhou Ye had seated her next to Lu Qingyan.
Those paparazzi probably wanted to snap “Jiang Zhouye’s girlfriend.”
Jiang Nanshu just instinctively leaned her head on Lu Qingyan’s shoulder, her fingertips softly tracing his palm, the sensation tingling.
Lu Qingyan turned his head, a hint of confusion in his eyes, “Is something wrong?”
Jiang Nanshu, who was always ready to flirt, “…”
[Darn, what a clueless straight guy.]
She shook off his hand, frustrated, and turned her head away, “Nothing!”
“Oh, okay.” He returned to watching the stage performance with seriousness, seemingly engrossed.
Jiang Nanshu was also put out of the mood.
[Why hasn’t my fourth brother run into bad luck yet! When will they finally announce that the boy group won’t disband and piss everyone off?]
Jiang Zhouye: “…”
Why was he being cursed along with Lu Qingyan?
He felt depressed.
And then, a song concluded on stage.
Lian Xingze’s gaze swept towards Jiang Zhouye from the stage, his eyes holding a hint of challenge.
He was slightly out of breath as he spoke into the microphone, “Here, I have good news and bad news for everyone.”
The atmosphere suddenly became silent.
Su Jianlin’s gaze was angry but to no avail.
He had no say in this boy group.
He found Jiang Zhouye, and his eyes softened with compassion.
If Zhou Ye knew… how despairing he would be.
Lian Xingze’s pink hair shimmered in the light; he smirked slightly and raised his other hand, loudly proclaiming, “M.RE will not disband.”
Then his tone turned regretful, “Due to the former leader Jiang Zhouye’s persistent vocal issues, he may not sing again. He will exit the boy group and won’t participate in our upcoming schedules. I will take over the affairs of the group.”
The crowd erupted into chaos.
There were fans waiting for Jiang Zhouye’s return who started crying on the spot.
This morning’s Weibo post was still saying “long time no see.”
How could it be that in just one day, he was suddenly quitting the industry and not singing anymore?
Jiang Zhouye’s gaze was poisonously cold as he took a deep breath, restraining his impulse to rush out; it wasn’t the right time yet.
Jiang Nanshu was even more tense than Jiang Zhouye.
Seeing that it had finally come to this point.
She finally relaxed.
[Hehe, how much more could the plot diverge? The dust has settled~]