Jiang Mian steadied herself and looked up at the man.
He wore a black velvet coat today, making him appear tall and elegant. The buttons were undone, revealing a white turtleneck sweater underneath, adding a touch of asceticism.
His mere presence was imposing, let alone with his current cold, handsome face.
She thought he was about to lose his temper.
But Ji Zhixiu merely frowned, a hint of confusion in his eyes. "Are you angry?"
Ji Zhixiu assumed Jiang Mian was upset because he hadn't replied to her messages.
Jiang Mian wasn't actually angry; she just wanted to play hard to get for a bit.
She leaned down, her small feet dangling, and said sweetly, "You didn't reply to my message."
She extended her arm, showing off her bracelet and its dazzling diamonds under the light. "Does it look good?"
Ji Zhixiu let out a sigh of relief. "It looks good."
His reply was too brief, and Jiang Mian was not satisfied. "Perfunctory."
Ji Zhixiu said seriously, "I drew the design for this piece a long time ago, but I only encountered this Paraiba tourmaline a few months ago when I was on a business trip in Europe and attended an auction. It's only when I see it on your wrist that I feel it was worth all the effort I put in."
Tourmalines were easy for him to find, but finding one that matched his preferences and had sufficient purity was extremely difficult.
Therefore, at the auction, when he saw this Paraiba, he didn't hesitate to spend fifty million to acquire it. Not to mention the diamonds inlaid on this bracelet, which also involved a huge expense.
Compared to the limited edition bags and expensive jewelry that men had given her in the past, Jiang Mian clearly preferred this gift.
It seemed to represent the man's feelings for her.
Every time Ji Zhixiu indulged her, Jiang Mian felt loved, rather than being a mere convenience from Ji Zhixiu's impulsive shotgun marriage or a substitute for Shen Tingyu.
A smile bloomed in her eyes. "I like it very much."
Jiang Mian was never stingy with her affection. She hooked her fingers at the pajamas she was wearing, a hint of seductiveness in her eyes. "I specifically picked out these pajamas for you at the mall today. Do you like them, Mr. Ji?"
The address "Mr. Ji" was clearly playful.
Ji Zhixiu's gaze followed her. A ripple appeared in his usually calm eyes, and his breathing deepened abruptly. "They look good, very beautiful."
The woman's figure was graceful, her skin was tender, and her waist was slender. Even though she was no longer in front of the camera, she still held herself to high standards.
Just the skincare products Jiang Mian bought every month cost a considerable sum.
Ji Zhixiu turned his head. "I'm going to take a shower first."
Jiang Mian was pleased with his reaction. While he was in the shower, she took out her phone to browse gossip and replied to a few private messages.
...
Ji Zhilan had been staying at home for a week without going out.
But Shen Tingyu called her several times, asking her to meet up and catch up.
On the phone, Ji Zhilan hesitated. "How about you come over to my place, Tingyu?"
Shen Tingyu's heart skipped a beat. Go to the Ji family's house? She wanted to, but she knew Ji's mother didn't like her, and it wasn't the right time to make her move.
After a moment of stunned silence, she quickly recovered and said gently, "We haven't seen each other in a long time, so it would naturally be more enjoyable to meet outside. I don't want to disturb Auntie. Let's do this, Zhilan. We'll meet at Ting Ao Cafe at three this afternoon."
As soon as she finished speaking, she hung up the phone without giving Ji Zhilan a chance to refuse.
Ji Zhilan had no choice but to get up and change her clothes.
To avoid Jiang Cheng, she specifically took the back door.
Although the driver at home was confused, he didn't dare to ask any questions and drove Ji Zhilan to Ting Ao Cafe as arranged.
Shen Tingyu had been waiting for a long time, stirring her cappuccino. When she saw Ji Zhilan walk in, she quickly got up and called out, "Zhilan! I'm here!"
Ji Zhilan's eyes lit up, and she walked over. "Tingyu, long time no see."
Shen Tingyu smiled at the corners of her mouth. "Long time no see. Shall we see what you'd like to drink first?"
She beckoned to a waiter, and Ji Zhilan glanced at the menu. "The same as yours."
As soon as she said this, Shen Tingyu couldn't help but tease, "You're still the same as you were before."
Ji Zhilan smiled. Meeting an old friend made her feel unusually relaxed.
"You've changed a lot after being abroad for three years. Your fashion sense has changed considerably," she sighed.
In the past, Shen Tingyu wouldn't have been so generous and natural. When she first came from the countryside, she used to hide behind people timidly.
Shen Tingyu also recalled when she was eighteen and her mother had just arrived in Kyoto. Her father had died early, and her mother had caught Shen's father's eye due to an accident.
Living in the mountains as a widow and an orphan was difficult. Her mother hesitated for a long time before finally calling the number left by Shen's father.
The next day, she was taken to Kyoto.
When she first arrived in Kyoto, she wasn't dazzled by its prosperity because she didn't even dare to lift her head.
But the Shen family treated her very well, and her so-called brother... it was also because of him that she got to know Ji Zhixiu.
Gradually, she adapted, even changing her surname to Shen.
Thinking of that person, Shen Tingyu's heart was filled with complex emotions.
She raised her small face, her eyes filled with a faint sadness. "I studied acting abroad for three years. I gained a lot, but I also lost the most important thing."
Ji Zhilan pouted. "Are you talking about my brother?"
Her brother wasn't the type to be ostentatious in his relationships. In fact, she found out about the two of them dating by accident.
Shen Tingyu tightened her grip on the spoon. "Were you very disappointed in me after I left back then?"
Well, Ji Zhilan thought about it. She had always found it difficult to decipher her brother's emotions. Ji Zhixiu had a cold expression most of the time, and no one could fathom his thoughts. Was he very disappointed and heartbroken? It didn't seem so.
If she hadn't discovered that her brother and Shen Tingyu were together back then, he probably wouldn't have even mentioned it.
But that was her brother's first relationship in over twenty years, so he must have liked her very much.
Looking at Shen Tingyu's expectant gaze, Ji Zhilan nodded. "I don't know if he was disappointed, but his mood was certainly bad during that period."
Shen Tingyu felt both joy and bitterness, confirming her place in his heart once again through his sister.
The cold words she had received from the man last time didn't seem to matter as much anymore.
Shen Tingyu grasped Ji Zhilan's hand, her voice filled with excitement. "I wonder if it's too late for me to come back now, and if I still have a chance to become family with you."
Her movements were too large, revealing a bracelet on her wrist. Ji Zhilan's eyebrows shot up, and her gaze fixed on her hand.
She didn't even hear what Shen Tingyu was saying and exclaimed in surprise, "This... is this bracelet a gift from my brother to you?"
This bracelet was exactly the same as the one she had seen in the jewelry store a few days ago. Could her brother be the customer who ordered it? Had he and Shen Tingyu rekindled their romance?
Shen Tingyu was surprised that she also recognized the bracelet. Her eyes flickered, and she asked instead of answering, "Does it look good?"
Ji Zhilan glanced at it with envy. "It looks good, it's just..."
It seemed to be slightly different from what she had seen in the store that day.
She couldn't quite articulate it for a moment.
"What's wrong?"
Ji Zhilan shook her head. "It's nothing. It looks like you and my brother are close to getting married. You've already won him back as soon as you returned."
Shen Tingyu's face flushed shyly, but she was happy inwardly. At least Ji Zhilan was on her side.
She said with feigned shyness, "How could that be? The last time I saw your brother, he gave me a very cold reception."
Ji Zhilan shrugged. "My brother is just like that, always cold and unapproachable. I don't know what you like about him to have liked him for so many years."
She was the first person to know that Shen Tingyu liked Ji Zhixiu.
Girls were always sensitive.
Moreover, Shen Tingyu's gaze was too obvious.
When you like someone, even if you cover your mouth, it will escape from your eyes.
She had quietly asked Shen Tingyu back then, and Shen Tingyu had admitted it with a blush and asked her to keep it a secret.
Shen Tingyu naturally didn't intend to aim too high to marry into the Ji family. A man like him was someone she was content to admire from afar.
But who knew that later, Ji Zhixiu would actually ask her to be together?
Shen Tingyu was overjoyed and pretended to be reserved, saying she needed a night to consider.
She hadn't slept all night, staring at the ceiling, as if it were a dream.
Such a beautiful thing could actually happen to her.
The next morning, she couldn't wait to ask Ji Zhixiu out to say she agreed.
And so, they dated for less than a month.
Everyone thought it was Shen Tingyu who broke up with Ji Zhixiu to go abroad, but only Shen Tingyu knew that the man had initiated the breakup.
Shen Tingyu smiled faintly, her eyes filled with infinite affection for that man. "He just has a cold exterior but a warm heart. In fact, your brother is a very good person."
Ji Zhilan remained noncommittal.
Shen Tingyu's smile held a hint of bitterness. "Your brother seems to still be angry about me leaving back then."
Back then, when Ji Zhixiu proposed the breakup, she was both shocked and bewildered, unsure if she had done something wrong.
Moreover, the Shen family had already arranged a school for her in the US, where she would receive the best education as soon as she arrived.
Shen Tingyu hesitated for a moment before making her decision.
She went to the US alone. She didn't dare to tell Ji Zhixiu, fearing that she wouldn't be able to bear to leave if she did.
At the same time, she harbored a fantasy: perhaps in this man's heart, her position was important enough for him to cross the ocean to seek reconciliation.
However, she had ultimately thought too much.
For three years, Ji Zhixiu hadn't sent her a single word.
Ji Zhilan put herself in his shoes. "It's normal for him to be angry, isn't it? After all, you left without saying goodbye to anyone."
Shen Tingyu said firmly, "You're right, Zhilan. That's why I must win back your brother this time. You have to help me."
Ji Zhilan took a sip of her coffee. "What can I do to help you?"
"You don't need to do anything. Just keep an eye on your brother's marriage for me. I'm afraid Auntie might introduce him to someone."
Ji Zhilan thought to herself that his mother probably had no say in her brother's marriage.
But she nodded outwardly and said, "Okay, so what are your plans next?"
Shen Tingyu breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I want to find an entertainment company and enter the entertainment industry as an actress."
Rich families nowadays didn't necessarily hold prejudices against actors. Every profession could produce a master, and those from wealthy families would be delighted to nurture a dazzling superstar.
Ji Zhilan couldn't help her with this matter, nor was she familiar with the entertainment industry. "Then, let me congratulate the future superstar in advance!"
The two women smiled at each other.