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Inside the restaurant.
A waiter led the two of them into a private room, and when Tang Wan saw the decor inside, her heart skipped a beat.
"Miss Tang, I apologize, because you booked relatively late, only this large private room is available. If you want a smaller one, you might need to wait another half hour or so."
Inside was a large round table, enough to accommodate more than ten people. How were two people supposed to sit at such a table?
"Fifth Master, what do you think about this…" Tang Wan hesitated to seek someone's opinion.
"I'm fine with anything, you decide."
Outside the restaurant, in the public dining area, it was bustling with people—not a good place for a conversation. She gritted her teeth, "Then this room it is."
"Alright, please have a seat. Someone will be here shortly to serve you tea and take your order."
Naturally, Tang Wan let Jiang Jinsang sit at the head of the table, and he did so without hesitation. She herself lingered for a bit…
This large table, sitting too close seemed too intimate, sitting too far made it inconvenient to talk.
Hesitating, she chose a seat at a distance from him. Because they weren't familiar, the atmosphere was undeniably awkward, until a waiter entered with tea and to take their order.
"I'm not familiar with this place, you go ahead and order; don't order too much, just enough for the two of us." Jiang Jinsang pushed the ordering tablet directly in front of Tang Wan.
Tang Wan didn't hold back and ordered a few dishes: Biluo Shrimp, Squirrel Mandarin Fish, Cherry Meat, Stir-fried Seasonal Vegetables, and an additional Silver Fish Soup, all dishes she often ate and found delicious.
"Is there anything else you'd like to eat?" After ordering, Tang Wan, out of politeness, turned her head to once again seek his opinion.
As she turned her head, their eyes met. He was holding a teacup, sipping while watching her, his gaze direct, his skin pale and bloodless, making his pupils darker as ink.
He nodded, "It's fine as you decided."
Tang Wan's breath caught under his gaze. She turned her head to hand the tablet to the staff. As the waiter left, the atmosphere in the private room suddenly became strange again.
"Miss Tang, I'm not in good health, so my voice might not be that loud." Jiang Jinsang rubbed his cup, assessing the distance between them.
The implication was clear:
You're sitting too far away!
Tang Wan had no choice but to brace herself and move two seats closer to him. He still didn't say anything, but his pale, cold face exuded a chill that made him hard to approach.
He just stared at her until there were no seats left between them, then lowered his head to sip his tea before looking up again, focusing on her seriously.
Tang Wan's heartbeat echoed like a drum. The two were not familiar, and this distance crossed a safety line—a strong scent of disinfectant radiated from the man, a pungent signal of danger.
Out of the corner of her eye, she sensed something approaching. Just as she slightly lifted her head, she saw Jiang Jinsang extending his hand.
"Fifth Master?"
"Don't move." His voice was gentle, but his tone was overwhelmingly firm.
She felt those hands pass over her face, gently brushing atop her hair, seemingly picking up a lock of hair. The fingertips grazed her scalp, soft and warm, carrying a fine heat.
It was like a sudden summer storm, catching her off guard, disrupting her breathing.
"Your hair is a bit messy." Maybe it was the angle, but Tang Wan felt...
His shadow enveloped her, as if she were hugged within his shadow.
"Miss Tang, are you afraid of me?"
As he spoke, Jiang Jinsang had already returned to his seat.
"No." Tang Wan casually arranged her hair, warmth lingering in the place where he had just brushed, inexplicably making her heart tremble.
The Jiang Family members, at that moment, were standing against the wall. Someone was in poor health, and the family instructed not to stay more than a meter away from him.
Seeing their Fifth Master perform such an action, they were utterly speechless!
Tang Wan managed to appear composed, showing no signs of panic, but it was clear that she surely had awe for their Fifth Master. Earlier at the Tang Family, against that mother and daughter duo, he had been ruthless. Miss Tang was not foolish. Seeing him so eccentric and peculiar, she would surely keep her distance.
So, was their Fifth Master trying to smooth Miss Tang's hair?
Was her hair really messy?
Tang Wan adjusted her hair, took a sip of tea, and then heard a gentle voice from the side,
"Miss Tang, saying something like this the first time we meet might be a bit abrupt, but…"
"Do you want to marry me?"
"Ahem—" Tang Wan roughly guessed what he might say, but she never thought he'd be so direct.
Still reeling from the touch that smoothed her hair, she was almost choked by a sip of tea from the shock of his words.
The Jiang Family members exchanged glances, utterly astonished:
Oh my, Fifth Master, being straightforward is good, but… this seems a bit too blunt and rough.
"Our family has only two brothers. You probably know my brother's situation—he has a good temper, a son, is a serious and responsible man; my nephew is also well-behaved and cute."
Good temper?
Tang Wan awkwardly smiled. This Jiang Fifth Master really knew how to lie with his eyes wide open!
In the entire business circle, everyone knew his brother was cold, arrogant, and eccentric.
It's said that the little prince of the Jiang Family was even more extraordinary. Because of an unknown mother, the Jiang Family spoiled him, truly a little Demon King, quite overbearing. Without even thinking, one could guess he was a difficult person to serve.
However, Tang Wan played along and nodded, her lips curving upwards into a diplomatic smile.
Whatever you say, I'll just smile and not respond.
"I'm 25 this year, have no history of marriage, no experience in dating, no bad habits—I don't smoke or drink, just not in great health."
His tone was gentle and direct, yet Tang Wan felt there was something off about his words. She suddenly recalled some rumors about him, supposedly because of his health, that in some aspects, he might…
Tang Wan took a sip of tea: a man living to such a state was indeed pitiable.
In fact, marrying Jiang Jinsang equated to a living widowhood, waiting a few years to inherit his estate. Being wealthy and having the Jiang Family's protection, she could live worry-free forever—it wasn't so bad.
However, later on, she realized that with rumors, one shouldn't believe even a single word, or punctuation!
The Jiang Family members looked at each other: Weren't we here to break off the engagement?
This self-introduction sounded much more like a matchmaking appointment!
*
At that moment, the Jiang Family had already finished lunch, and Madam Jiang was still sighing, "I guess after finishing this meal, this bride-to-be will fly away."
"That girl doesn't seem foolish. Staying away from Xiaowu is a good thing." The elder brother slightly raised an eyebrow.
A little kid had just finished grumbling over carrots, "Even if she doesn't marry Second Uncle, she might not necessarily marry you either."
According to Second Uncle,
"You're just a middle-aged weirdo with a burdened kid."
If she doesn't fancy Second Uncle, would she go for you?
Someone simply glanced at their child, "You didn't eat much at lunch today, no appetite?"
"No." With such awful carrots, how could there be an appetite?
"I heard a lack of vitamin B can cause a poor appetite. Tomorrow, keep eating carrots to replenish vitamins."
"…"
A lousy dad was no better than a lousy uncle!
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