"Grandfather... you're not joking, are you?" Jiang Cheng stuttered, obviously shocked by the condition.
The old man said with a smile, "Do you think I would joke about something like this?"
"But... but... I'm only eighteen!"
"Eighteen is already considered an adult. If it were ancient times, adding two nominal years, you'd be twenty years old (in ancient times, because women carry a child for ten months, nearly a year, a child is considered one year old at birth, and another year is added at the New Year, so twenty in ancient times is equivalent to eighteen today). It's the right time to get married," the old man explained slowly.
"But now it's the new century, and people value free love!" Jiang Cheng protested.
The old man replied calmly, as if expecting this reaction, "Even in free love, one still has to listen to their parents' opinions. If both sets of parents disagree, how can there be a result? Do you believe in eloping? Trust me, child, such relationships do not last long. Although it sounds very vulgar to match based on family status, that's the reality!"
Jiang Cheng fell silent, knowing the old man was making sense. Stories of princes and Cinderellas, princesses and poor boys are just fairy tales; in reality, it's hard to achieve a happy ending, and even if it happens, it has to withstand the test of time.
He had seen such things time and again in his previous life, but they often ended in tragedy.
"Do you already have someone you like?" Seeing a struggle in Jiang Cheng's expression, the old man couldn't help but ask.
Jiang Cheng thought of Liu Yifei and silently nodded.
"What does that girl do?" the old man inquired.
"She's an actress like me. We met while filming," Jiang Cheng replied.
"Have you already confirmed a romantic relationship?" the old man asked urgently.
"No," Jiang Cheng said with a wry smile, "We've only met a few times, and right now we're just closer friends."
"Do you think that girl likes you?"
"I... I'm not sure," Jiang Cheng said somewhat bewildered.
Hearing this, the old man was relieved and said, "From what you say, it seems that girl is also quite young, right? Probably younger than you, correct?"
Jiang Cheng nodded.
"I suppose she has some fondness for you, but it's likely just a young girl's feelings for an older brother, and you probably think so too."
"Uh-huh."
"Have you thought about a future with her?" the old man asked a deeper question.
Nodding, Jiang Cheng said, "I have, but later I realized it's not very practical. After all, we are both very young, and our thoughts aren't mature (specifically, Liu Xiaomimi is indeed too young now). And in the entertainment industry, a big melting pot, one can be exposed to all sorts of temptations at any time. Over time, it's hard to guarantee that the initial thoughts won't change, so it's better to let nature take its course."
In fact, he had another reason he didn't mention: Liu Yifei's mother, Liu Xiaoli, was a difficult character to deal with. Her strict supervision over Liu Yifei made it nearly impossible to develop a relationship with Liu Xiaomimi under her watch.
Additionally, there was a subtle reason: Jiang Cheng actually had some inferiority complex, stemming from a lifetime of being single in his previous life, making him somewhat hesitant in front of women.
This was also why, despite his deep fixation on Liu Xiaomimi, he still treated her just as a good friend. The young man was indeed full of contradictions!
The old man gave a knowing smile and said, "You can think like this shows your thoughts are already very mature. So, what's your answer?"
After thinking it over, Jiang Cheng still shook his head, "I still hope to find someone who I truly like and who likes me back, so I'm sorry, grandfather, I can't agree to your request!"
"Can't you consider it again?" the old man asked, "Think carefully, this is 100 million US dollars we're talking about! With this additional 100 million US dollars, your success rate increases significantly, at least you'll have enough money to invest in making the movies you like."
Jiang Cheng's cheeks twitched as he inwardly exclaimed, "Impressive!"
The old man was truly the head of the Jiang family, his skills in negotiation profound. With just a few words, he nearly dismantled all of Jiang Cheng's defenses. If it weren't for Jiang Cheng's much older mental age compared to his appearance, he would have surrendered by now.
Biting the bullet, Jiang Cheng said, "No matter how much money there is, if I can't spend my life with the person I love, it's meaningless. On the contrary, I would have to spend my days with someone I didn't even know before, and I absolutely don't want to live like that!"
The old man looked at Jiang Cheng's serious face and suddenly laughed, "Cheng'er, have you misunderstood something? When did I say you must marry that girl?"
Jiang Cheng was astonished, "Aren't you implying that?"
"Of course not!" the old man shook his head and laughed, "I know your generation is different from ours. You're rebellious and hate living life according to others' opinions. If I made you definitely agree to this marriage, you'd surely be unwilling. So, I only suggested arranging the marriage for now, but I never said you had to marry that girl."
Hearing this, Jiang Cheng's face was a picture, so he'd been struggling and hesitating for so long, and this was what the old man meant!
"You mean just an engagement, but not necessarily marriage, right?" Jiang Cheng still asked uncertainly.
"Yes, just an engagement. Then you can try to communicate well with the other party. If you feel it's suitable, then continue; if not, you can choose to cancel the engagement. The choice is yours!" the old man spoke slowly.
"But why are you doing this?" Jiang Cheng asked curiously.
The old man sighed and said, "It's still because of your father."
"My father?"
"Yes." The old man nodded and continued, "I'm already eighty this year. It's rare to live beyond seventy, so I'm already very satisfied to have lived an extra ten years. Even now, as my days are numbered, I have no complaints. Moreover, fate has been quite kind to me. Although my five children aren't exceptional, they've all achieved something; and while my family isn't large, we have four generations under one roof (Jiang Cheng's older brother, Jiang Peng, is already married with a child). By rights, I shouldn't ask for anything more.
However, not being able to attend your father's wedding to your mother is my biggest regret in life, as I failed to fulfill my duty as a father. And with the current situation, I fear I will never meet your mother, my daughter-in-law, in this lifetime, nor hear her call me 'Dad.'
I don't want to take this regret to my grave. So, I hope to make up for this regret through you."
The old man finished, his gaze fixed on Jiang Cheng
.
Jiang Cheng inwardly smiled bitterly, understanding that he had been conscripted. "You're not expecting to hear a 'Grandpa' from my future wife, are you?"
"Exactly!" The old man confirmed with a single word.
"But Peng Ge is already married, right? Sister-in-law must have called you 'Grandpa'?" Jiang Cheng asked.
"Peng is Peng, you are you, you can't mix the two. Besides, among your generation, you're the only one who hasn't settled down yet. No matter the purpose, I hope to see you settle down too, have a place to return to. Whether you end up together or apart, I just hope to see my little grandson's wife before I breathe my last!" the old man said calmly.
Jiang Cheng fell silent again, knowing the old man was playing the emotional card, but he couldn't refuse.
After all, Jiang Dejun did indeed handle some things incorrectly. He's been married for nineteen years without bringing his wife home for the family to see, and even after having a child, he never returned, which must have been hard for the old man. The father and son, due to some past events, misunderstood each other, and the grudges only deepened over time, neither willing to step back.
Now, knowing his time was short, the old man wanted to reconcile with his son but was not accepted. He had to place all his emotions and regrets on Jiang Cheng, his grandson, whether it was Jiang Cheng's fortune or misfortune.
"Do you have any more objections to this matter?" Seeing most of the hesitation in Jiang Cheng's eyes had dissipated, the old man seized the moment to speak.
"My parents..."
"Don't worry about them. Your aunts will handle their thinking. I don't think that will be an obstacle," the old man said with a confident smile.
As his resolve was already crumbling, Jiang Cheng seemed to find no strong reason to refuse the old man's condition.
"Here's what we'll do, I'll add something more for you, give you a helper!" Saying this, the old man turned to Chen Bo, "Ah He, let Xiao Xu follow Cheng'er from now on."
"Yes, Master!" Chen Bo nodded in agreement.
The old man smiled at Jiang Cheng and said, "Your Chen Grandfather's youngest son, Chen Xu, is also a very talented person. At only twenty-five, he's already a doctoral graduate in business administration and will be of great help to you. Plus, he's been learning martial arts since he was young, truly skilled in both letters and martial arts, and can even act as your bodyguard."
"Xu'er has been learning martial arts with me since he was young, and now he has 80% of my skills. I believe he will be able to protect Young Master Cheng well!" Chen Bo added from the side.
What a deal, and with benefits!
Although he hadn't met the Chen Xu mentioned by the old man, if he was praised by him, he must be a capable person. Jiang Cheng was severely lacking people under him. Zheng Hai was undoubtedly capable, but he was just one person. If the company were to grow and strengthen in the future, he'd need truly talented and reliable people under him. The old man was truly providing timely help!
Finding no reason to refuse anymore, Jiang Cheng, a decisive person, simply said, "Alright! Grandfather, I accept your conditions!"
But his heart still ached, "Yifei, it seems we are destined not to be together in this life!"
"Good, good, good!" The old man laughed heartily, "Cheng'er, you are truly a good grandson of mine!"
Then, turning to Chen Bo, he said, "Contact the Liu family and have them come over this afternoon!"
"Yes, Master!" Chen Bo took the order and left.
Jiang Cheng knew the old man didn't have much time left, so he didn't blame him for being impatient. But he didn't notice that the old man had just mentioned the "Liu" family!
In his heart, he kept thinking, "300 million US dollars, a helper, and a cheap wife, no matter how you look at it, it's a good deal! But why does my heart still ache?"