Seduction Is Useless, But the Marriage Is Real

“Xixi, aren’t you forgetting something?”

Jiang Yin’s voice went quiet for a few seconds over the phone before she spoke.

“Forgetting what?” Wen Xi asked blankly.

“Didn’t you say Jiang Jibai personally said he has a hidden illness? And you’re still planning to seduce him?”

“…Oh right.”

Wen Xi suddenly realized, then grew even more distressed.

“I totally forgot. So my carefully planned seduction strategy is completely useless now?”

“Obviously,” Jiang Yin said bluntly.

“If he can’t even react to women, you could cling to him and rub against him all you want, and he’d just stare at you without feeling a thing.”

She continued, vividly cruel.

“I can already picture it. If you throw yourself at him and try to kiss him, Jiang Jibai’s only reaction will be lowering his eyes to look at you with that expression that says, ‘Other than smearing saliva all over me, what else can you do?’”

“……”

Wen Xi fell silent.

“Stop worrying,” Jiang Yin comforted her.

“He won’t be so petty as to stop you from going to the company. Right now, the important thing is you tell me exactly what happened in that private room. I’m dying for the gossip.”

…

After leaving Hesheng Bay, Jiang Jibai drove toward his apartment near Ning University.

On the way, he took a call from Bo Yu.

Not long after hanging up, Madam Zou’s call came in.

“Jiang Gu, where are you right now?”

Her voice echoed through the car’s Bluetooth, eerily calm—like the stillness before a storm.

“On the way back to my apartment,” Jiang Jibai replied.

“Bo Yu just called me. He said you had him send all the blind date girls away? Jiang Gu, are you really treating me like I’m not your mother anymore?”

Her teeth were practically grinding.

“If you want to leave the Jiang family, just say it! I’m not so shameless as to beg you to stay!”

“I’m not disregarding you,” he said calmly.

“Didn’t you say you would keep arranging blind dates until I found someone I wanted to marry?”

“So? You think I was threatening you, and this is your rebellion?” Madam Zou snapped.

“I found her,” Jiang Jibai said, cutting her off.

“What?” Her voice faltered.

“Jiang Gu, speak clearly. What do you mean?”

“Exactly what it sounds like,” he said.

“I found someone I want to marry. There’s no need to continue blind dates.”

“You’re joking.” Her tone sharpened.

“I have all eleven girls’ contacts from today. You sent the first five away. You didn’t even see the last six. How could you possibly have found—”

“It’s someone else,” he said.

“Not one you introduced.”

“Who?” Her tone softened slightly but remained suspicious.

“Let me tell you something. Every girl I introduced was carefully selected—background, ability, looks. Don’t you dare pick some random ordinary little girl. Compatibility matters.”

“She’s suitable enough. You can rest assured.”

“What’s her name? Which family in Ning City? Let me hear it.”

He didn’t say Wen Xi’s name.

“I’ll bring her to dinner the day after tomorrow. You’ll see for yourself.”

“I want to see her today!” Madam Zou demanded.

“How do I know this isn’t another excuse?”

“I’m busy today. She’s busy tomorrow,” he replied calmly.

“I checked with your Third Uncle—you’re not going to the lab this afternoon!” Her voice rose again.

“What could possibly be more important?!”

“Walking the dog,” Jiang Jibai said evenly.

“You’re telling me walking the dog is more important than introducing your future wife? And in the rain?!”

“He likes rainy days.”

“Fine!” Madam Zou exploded.

“I’ll book the hotel for the day after tomorrow. If you bring some random girl to fool us, Jiang Gu, your father and I might as well die! Your older brother already left home. If you don’t care about us either, what are we even living for?!”

“Understood. Goodbye.”

He hung up.

The car fell quiet.

Rain pattered softly against the windows.

He parked at his apartment, went upstairs, grabbed an umbrella, leashed the dog, and went back down.

The WeChat notification chimed while he stood under an umbrella on the damp lawn.

The neighborhood was empty.

Only the white noise of rain tapping the umbrella.

He bent down to unclip the P-rope and let the dog run freely. Then he checked his phone.

A new friend request.

Profile picture: The Little Prince and the Fox.

Remark: Hello, is this Jiang Jibai? I’m Xixi.

He tapped accept.

A message arrived instantly.

RiceCake: [Is this really you? I searched the number you left. Just checking if this account belongs to you.]

Jiang Jibai: [Yes.]

A flashy, colorful sticker popped up.

RiceCake: [When can we see each other again?]

Jiang Jibai: [Tomorrow.]

RiceCake: [Will you come find me, or should I find you? Do you live with your parents or alone? You know where I live now. Can you tell me your address?]

Jiang Jibai: [I’ll come find you. We’ll talk in person.]

RiceCake: [Okay! See you tomorrow!]

He didn’t reply further. He slipped his phone back into his pocket.

The dog came bounding back at the lift of his hand.

…

It took Wen Xi nearly two hours on the phone with Jiang Yin before she remembered to add Jiang Jibai.

Rain still drizzled outside the tall windows.

The villa was quiet. Too quiet.

Lying on the sofa, she held the sticky note in one hand and her phone in the other.

She saved his number in her contacts first. Then searched him on WeChat.

After learning he would come see her tomorrow, her heart floated again.

Tomorrow, she’d definitely ask him to take her to Fangke Entertainment.

She was so close to meeting her idol.

A moment later, she realized she forgot to ask what time. She sent another message.

After a while, he replied.

Jiang Jibai: [5 p.m. Tomorrow. First floor of Ning University Library. Wait for me.]

Relieved, she went upstairs to pack.

She planned to return to school tonight. Not because she was too excited—

She usually went back around this time anyway.

The villa was too quiet at night. Aunt Wang left in the evenings. She preferred staying in the dorm.

If her roommates hadn’t gone home this weekend, she wouldn’t have come back at all.