CHAPTER 122: 119: SHE REJECTED HIM AGAIN (1 MORE UPDATE)_2

It was Ning Guiwan’s maternal grandmother who accompanied her through that most difficult year.

"Xiaowan, Grandma doesn’t know how much longer I will live. Grandma isn’t afraid of dying; what Grandma fears is not seeing you settle down in a good home. When I’m down there, I wouldn’t know how to explain it to your maternal grandmother... And Ayu... I’d like to see him marry and have children too..."

Most people cling to life and fear death because they have loved ones they can’t bear to leave behind.

"Grandma Quan, you should live to a ripe old age." Ning Guiwan crouched next to the rocking chair, her hands clasped over the old lady’s knees, lifting her face. "Not just a ripe old age, but you should also live to see your grandchildren’s children."

When she first returned to the country, Ning Guiwan was not accustomed to the old lady’s enthusiasm. Now, however, she had grown used to being close to Grandma Quan. Knowing that Grandma Quan still favored her even after she had done something wrong, Ning Guiwan was sure this meant she was genuinely cherished by the old lady.

No matter why the old lady cherished her so much, she was grateful.

"What’s the use of living so long? When you get so old that you lose all your teeth, it’s no fun." Madam Quan placed her hand over Ning Guiwan’s. Perhaps thinking of bygone years, her expression turned solemn, revealing a hint of melancholy. "I just need to see you and Ayu each start your own families and live happily; that’s enough for me."

Pausing for a moment, the old lady looked at Ning Guiwan. "Chengzong and his grandfather are coming to visit our home tomorrow. Do you remember Chengzong? You played together when you were little."

...

Lai Yang saw her second cousin’s car from upstairs and guessed it was bringing Ning Guiwan back. Seeing that Ning Guiwan was still not returning to her room, she felt a bit worried and decided to go down and check.

Ning Guiwan’s state that evening was indeed very off.

There were so many cars on the road at that time, and she crossed without looking, as if she had a death wish.

Who would have thought that as soon as she came downstairs, she would hear her grandaunt discussing introducing that fellow Hai Chengzong to Ning Guiwan? And that wasn’t all—Ning Guiwan actually smiled and said, "You make the arrangements."

Xiaowan meeting someone from the Hai family, what about her second cousin? Is she planning to cheat? That’s not right! If Xiaowan cheats, her second cousin will definitely be angry. She had such a good relationship with Xiaowan, and if things went south, it would be like getting caught in the crossfire. If her second cousin got angry and fired her, all her plans would fall through.

"No way!"

The more Lai Yang thought about it, the more unacceptable it seemed, and she blurted out in denial without thinking.

All three people downstairs looked up at the same time. Lai Yang, wearing pink cotton slippers, trotted down the stairs. "Grandaunt, you’ve forgotten that Xiaowan has a boyfriend. How can you still be meddling with matchmaking?"

Ning Guiwan smiled and stood up. "Grandma Quan, please go back to your room and rest. I will explain things to Lai Yang."

...

"Having your second cousin already, and still thinking about blind dates, that’s not very nice." In the bedroom, Lai Yang puffed up her cheeks, feeling indignant on behalf of her second cousin.

Ning Guiwan took off her coat and hung it on the rack; her long, dark red shirt covered half her thigh, the exposed part fair and slender. She walked over to Lai Yang and placed her hands on her shoulders.

"Lai Yang," Ning Guiwan looked at her seriously, "I’m not suitable for your second cousin. We’ve broken up."

"Eh?" Lai Yang was stunned. "Broken up? Why?"

"No particular reason, just not compatible, that’s all," Ning Guiwan looked at her. "Anything else you want to ask?"

Lai Yang had too many questions. She felt that Xiaowan’s future with her second cousin was like her future with Gu Langjun. It was hard to say why she felt this way. Perhaps it was because her situation with Gu Langjun was very similar to Xiaowan’s with her second cousin. When she found out on the cruise that Xiaowan and her second cousin were together, she felt she was closer to her ideal man. If Xiaowan could do it, so could she.

"Are you disgusted that your second cousin is too old, boring, and not romantic?" Lai Yang looked at Ning Guiwan and asked. "Or is it that he thinks you’re too young and immature?"

Ning Guiwan was a bit tired and responded indifferently, "A bit of both, perhaps. Anything else you want to ask?"

As she spoke, she covered her mouth and yawned lazily and elegantly.

Lai Yang was a bit upset by her unenthusiastic response. "Can you take this seriously?"

Ning Guiwan blinked and nodded; her beautiful eyes misted over from the yawn.

It was painfully obvious she wasn’t even putting effort into her dismissiveness.

"Others fall apart after a breakup, but you, you’re so calm about it and immediately go on a blind date with another man!" Lai Yang pushed Ning Guiwan towards the bathroom. "Go take a shower, you heartless woman."

...

「Baiyu Palace.」

Quan Yu walked into the private room, and Chi Zhengjun immediately smiled. He was holding a wine glass, lounging on the luxurious sofa with his long legs crossed, completely embodying the posture of a playboy.

"You rushed off after a phone call. Where did you go?"

Qiao Yishen’s lips curved upwards. "Do you even have to ask? Who else in Shencheng has this ability but the Ning Family’s third young lady?"

Quan Yu took off his coat, handed it to the waiter, and sat down. He poured himself a glass of wine and faced his two friends’ teasing, his face devoid of expression, the very picture of impartiality. "Let’s talk business."

"Come on, there’s always business; your gossip is rare," Chi Zhengjun replied with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. "This time you offended Uncle Qiao for my grandniece. Aren’t you afraid that Uncle Qiao will pull out his investment mid-way and stop cooperating with us?"

Quan Yu took a sip of wine, appearing calm and collected. "Uncle Qiao has been doing business for decades; he understands the importance of separating personal matters from business better than you or me."

Chi Zhengjun laughed. "What if he doesn’t keep personal and business matters separate? You’re allowed to show favoritism, but no one else is?"

Qiao Yishen’s smile was warm and gentle. "Youning received a notice from the Examiner Team in the evening to report after the New Year. I was thinking, why did you bother to make such a fuss? If you really wanted to teach Youning a lesson, you could’ve cut off all her chances. With your abilities, it wouldn’t have been difficult. Youning has some talent, but she isn’t so indispensable to the orchestra."

"But he wasn’t just making a fuss for nothing," Chi Zhengjun said. "You mentioned earlier that Uncle Qiao and his wife are grateful to my grandniece. She’s now the actual person in charge of the Tianchi Group, and to stand firm in the business world of Shencheng, connections are essential."

"..." Qiao Yishen suddenly understood, then raised his wine glass in the air towards Quan Yu and laughed despite himself. "You sly old fox, even my dad fell for your tricks!"