Jiang Zhe then lifted his eyes slightly, a captivating red at the corners making them especially enchanting, "I want to call off the engagement."
"That's possible," Qin Jingchen leaned forward slightly towards her, "give me a reason."
"Okay, you first give me a reason for wanting to keep this engagement," Jiang Zhe remained nonchalant.
Fen Ye looked on in shock at these two; Qin Jingchen always seemed to dictate the room with his commanding presence.
Jiang Zhe, in his presence, didn't seem to fall short in the slightest.
"I think, that is a reason," Qin Jingchen said with a slight smile.
"I don't think so, is also a reason," Jiang Zhe's eyes and eyebrows were cool.
"I respect your opinion of not wanting the engagement, Jiang Zhe, but shouldn't you also respect my wish to keep it?" His tone was impeccably polite, even verging on gentle, but his stance was firm.
This man, as always, appeared gentle as water on the surface, with dangerous undercurrents hidden below.
Dangerous.
"Since we disagree, there's even less reason to keep the engagement," Jiang Zhe's tone remained indifferent.
The sound of Buddha Beads in Qin Jingchen's hand hadn't stopped throughout their exchange; he chuckled, "What to do, I disagree."
Jiang Zhe actually heard the tone of a child acting spoiled in his voice.
Jiang Zhe: "..."
Fen Ye dared not even sip his water anymore.
Had the man before them become possessed?
Jiang Zhe casually picked up her teacup with a nonchalance as if the matter had nothing to do with her.
But at that moment, the atmosphere was completely controlled by Qin Jingchen and Jiang Zhe, leaving Jiang Yaowang and Jiang Xiruo with no opportunity to speak.
After a while, Qin Jingchen finally relented and leaned back, "Eighteen years old, make your decision when you're eighteen."
"How can I trust you won't contest my decision then?" asked Jiang Zhe.
"You originally have the power to refuse right now. Giving one more year is giving me a chance."
Though his words were of concession, his powerful aura made it seem as if he were still in full control.
Jiang Zhe twirled her phone with her slender fingers, too lazy to argue any longer on this endless topic: "Whatever you say."
"Then it's settled," Qin Jingchen's lips curved into a smile, seemingly harmless.
If Fen Ye hadn't known him since childhood, he might actually believe he was a nice guy who was easy to talk to.
Jiang Yaowang and Jiang Xiruo exchanged glances, having no objections to Jiang Zhe making her own decisions.
Since both parties had reached an agreement, they had a simple meal together.
As they were leaving, Fen Ye reminded Qin Jingchen, "Jingchen, about these gifts..."
Jiang Yaowang and Jiang Xiruo hurriedly glanced at the mountainous piles of valuable gifts and gestured with their hands, "We really can't accept these gifts."
"Alright," Qin Jingchen agreed amiably.
Jiang Zhe glanced at those things, thinking the rich really do shop as if money was no object.
The group exited together.
She was accustomed to going her own way, quickly keeping her distance from the others.
Jiang Fanyue and Gu Jiaheng were seeing off Master Yue as they spotted Jiang Zhe, causing Jiang Fanyue to frown.
She couldn't possibly be thinking of soliciting Master Yue herself, could she?
Jiang Fanyue discretely positioned herself in front of Master Yue, blocking his line of sight to Jiang Zhe.
As Jiang Zhe drew nearer, Jiang Fanyue clutched at her palms anxiously, considering how to deal with the trouble Jiang Zhe might bring, only to see Jiang Zhe pass by Gu Jiaheng and Master Yue without a sideward glance.
She let out a breath of relief, fortunately, Jiang Zhe hadn't noticed Master Yue.
"It was truly commendable for Master Yue to make the time for this," Jiang Fanyue said, finally relaxing, a full smile on her face.
"It's only right. Jiaheng has recommended you to me several times, and I too was quite eager to witness your talents..." Master Yue said with a smile.
His gaze suddenly shifted ahead, and his expression turned to one of pleasant surprise.
"Master Yue? Master Yue?" Jiang Fanyue followed his gaze, "What is it?"
"I thought I saw an important person... Never mind, I must have been mistaken." Master Yue averted his gaze. How could the son of the Fen Family be in Jincheng?
That person was of unapproachable status in Beijing, and Master Yue had only seen him in social settings.
If it weren't for Jiang Fanyue blocking his view just now, he might have even had the chance to go up and greet that son of the Fen Family.
As for the others with Fen Ye, Master Yue had no idea who they were.
But why was Fen Ye behaving so respectfully towards one of them?
"An important person? In today's Jinyuan, who could be more distinguished than you?" Jiang Fanyue complimented without missing a beat.
Jiang Zhe walked quickly, leaving Jinyuan in no time.
Qin Jingchen and the others arrived slightly later by her side.
"Xiaozhe..." Fen Ye casually called out the name before feeling as if he had been targeted by two sharp gazes.
A chill ran down his spine. The weather in September suddenly felt like winter had arrived.
He quickly corrected himself, "Miss Jiang, shall we give you a ride?"
"Just call me Jiang Zhe. No need, the bus is very convenient."
She was standing right next to a bus stop sign.
Qin Jingchen stepped beside her, handing her a beautifully crafted small brocade box with an even tone, "Accept something as a token of sentiment."
After refusing the multitude of gifts earlier and their offer for a ride, Jiang Zhe did not refuse this one and casually put it in her bag, "Thanks."
The bus arrived just as they spoke, and Jiang Zhe's trio quickly boarded.
"That's way too arrogant. I'm not even talking about how she rebuffed Brother Jingchen normally, but even someone like me, when have I ever been rejected?" Fen Ye was somewhat indignant.
Qin Jingchen, on the other hand, was quite interested, his fingers still flipping the Buddha Beads, his gaze lingering on the departing bus.
"However, she did say 'thanks' this time. Just now, when we helped her out of a tight spot, she didn't even say thank you, I thought she didn't know how to express gratitude at all."
Qin Jingchen's eyes were calm as water, "She didn't need to thank us for helping her out of a tight spot."
"Why not?" Fen Ye didn't understand.
"She has no need for us to rescue her from a situation she can handle on her own, so why thank us?"
Listening to Qin Jingchen, Fen Ye felt a bit confused. She can handle it?
...
Jiang Xiruo was always somewhat anxious about Qin Jingchen wanting to keep the engagement.
"Dad, what do you think his intentions really are?"
"He always makes his own decisions. Since Xiaozhe agreed, let's just leave it at that for now. After all, there's still a chance to withdraw later."
Jiang Zhe listened to the low-voiced conversation between the two, her expression unchanged.
It wasn't until bedtime, as she was tidying her school bag, that she casually flipped to the gift from Qin Jingchen.
She opened it and discovered inside was a jade bracelet of a rare variety worth over a hundred million.
The value of this gift, it was a bit too much.
Fortunately, she had exchanged WeChat contacts with Qin Jingchen that evening.
The next day, Qin Jingchen messaged Jiang Zhe on WeChat to meet in the evening.
"My grandma is coming over today," he added.
Jiang Zhe was intending to return the item to him, so without much thought, she agreed.
She hadn't officially reported to No. 1 High School yet. Casually walking out of the alleyway, a Lincoln pulled up beside her.