Chapter 725 - 486: Carrot and Stick (Part 2)

"Hello..." Jiangg Ruxue said, puzzled.

The woman pouring tea heard her voice and quickly looked up, setting down the teapot before promptly standing.

"Hello, Madam Jiangg."

The woman had a competent and professional air about her, her attire sharp and neat. She exuded the kind of sophisticated confidence that came from a top-tier education and years in a high-ranking position. Even her high heels were tasteful, a perfect blend of business and comfort. Based on her clothes alone, Jiangg Ruxue judged that she had to be a senior executive somewhere.

The woman came forward to shake her hand and introduced herself, confirming Jiangg Ruxue’s suspicions and leaving her slightly stunned.

"I am Zhou Cha, secretary to Jiang’s board of directors and an assistant secretary in Chairman Jiang’s office. I do apologize for disturbing you so late... Here, Madam Jiangg, please have a seat."

"So you’re Secretary Zhou."

Jiangg Ruxue was a little flustered. As she sat down and Zhou Cha poured her tea, she quickly reached out a hand to steady the cup.

Her unease was understandable. Her current situation was less than ideal—she was still in a detention center, after all. On top of that, the other woman’s position was much higher than her own; a secretary to the board was a core member of a corporation’s upper management.

She had expected someone from the Jiang family to make contact, but she hadn’t thought they would be this eager, showing up before she was even out.

"Meeting so hastily in a place like this was not my original intention, but there are important matters to discuss, and I have admired you for a long time, Madam Jiangg, so I came... Please, drink your tea."

"You’re too kind, Secretary Zhou." Jiangg Ruxue did her best to maintain her composure, taking a small sip of the Biluochun tea in her cup.

The sweet fragrance filled her mouth. ’It really is good tea.’

"I imagine you’ve already met our young master," Zhou Cha said with a faint smile. "Young men can be so impatient, coming to see you ahead of time. We had originally intended to wait until your situation was resolved to arrange a formal meeting. This has made things a bit rushed and improper. I hope you can forgive our poor etiquette, Madam."

"I have indeed met him. The young master is a fine and talented man; it was no offense at all. In fact, I should be the one expressing my gratitude. If not for Young Master Jiang’s tremendous help, whether or not I could even get out would be an open question. To insist on formalities at a time like this would be terribly unreasonable," Jiangg Ruxue said graciously.

Two women, each as cunning as a thousand-year-old fox spirit.

And they spoke with matching subtlety.

A flicker of appreciation showed in Zhou Cha’s eyes; she was rather impressed with Jiangg Ruxue’s performance.

Before arriving, she had prepared for anything. She wouldn’t have minded using a mix of carrot and stick and crossing swords with this woman, who had once been so renowned in Mingzhu City. Yet, to her surprise, the other party was being so pleasant and agreeable... ’It seems life’s circumstances really can change a person from the inside out.’

’In that case, this will save me a lot of trouble.’

"Oh, Madam, you needn’t say that. When a family faces problems, of course we must help each other. That boy, really... Instead of telling his elders right away, he went and solved it himself, putting in a great deal of effort... But our young master has certainly grown up. Isn’t that what society is like? You adapt to the rules, use the rules, and master the rules. Only then can you secure your place."

"A very astute observation, Secretary Zhou."

"Ah, just a passing thought. It’s a relief to us elders that he can handle things independently. To be honest, even our Chairman was a bit surprised."

"Then why have you come today, Secretary Zhou?" Jiangg Ruxue probed.

’In truth, I could already tell from how Zhou Cha deliberately stressed the words "one family" that she was here to discuss the engagement of our children. And by pointedly dismissing Chen Yuan as a ’boy’ and acting the part of an elder, she was undoubtedly making a statement: no matter what promises Chen Yuan had made to me before... ’

’...they no longer counted.’

’A child’s words carry no weight; they’re merely said in jest.’

’Any future arrangements had to be decided by the "adults".’

Unquestionably, Jiangg Ruxue had understood this deeper meaning, which was why she began to probe.

"In the blink of an eye, our young master has reached an age to be discussing marriage. How fated it must be for him to meet such wonderful girls as Ningning and Yaoyao. The connection between the three of them feels like it was written in the stars. I wonder what you think, Madam Jiangg?"

"Me? As a mother... I naturally want my daughters to have a good home to marry into. As long as they are happy themselves and their husband’s family isn’t cruel to them, that’s already a blessing."

"Yes, yes, all of us elders think that way. But the key is still the younger generation themselves. Young people have so many of their own ideas these days. It’s no longer a time when parents can just dictate their lives," Zhou Cha said in agreement.

"It’s just this matter of both my daughters liking your young master... It’s certainly unexpected," Jiangg Ruxue said, putting on a show even though this was secretly what she hoped for. "Two sisters marrying one man—such cases are rare. I’m afraid it would invite public censure."

"Madam Jiangg, you have no need to worry about that. As long as you give your consent, we will arrange everything perfectly. To be frank, we’ve already started the preparations. The Jiang family is currently focused on the overseas energy market, working in close cooperation with Qatar. Our young master also has an alternate identity under a different name. Whether he stays in Huaxia or goes abroad, the matter can be settled permanently."

"Is that really true?"

"I would not lie about this."

"Then as their elder, I of course want my daughters to live happily. Young Master Jiang is an exceptional young man. If both my daughters are willing to marry him, I have no objection," Jiangg Ruxue said, trying her best to remain calm as her heart pounded in her chest.

"But that’s precisely where the problem is," Zhou Cha said with a sigh. "Young people can be uncertain about the future, and they are wavering now—especially your daughter, Jiangg Ning."

"What about her?"

"She is reluctant to marry... In truth, it’s not that she won’t marry, but that she has too many worries. I was hoping you might persuade her, Madam Jiangg, so that she doesn’t miss out on this rare, hard-won connection."