CH 3

Though she said that it was an impractible idea, when she gave it a second thought, this idea is actually quite feasible.

Guan Xi had a particular dream that night. She dreamed about being driven out of the house penniless when that real daughter returned.

To survive, she rushed to Jiang Suizhou's house to sell all the haute couture and various branded items she gave him during their relationship in exchange for a huge sum of money.

Inside her dream, she gleefully took that money to find happiness. But after woken up, as she stared at the ceiling, a horrible thing suddenly came to her mind.

That is, she almost never bought anything for Jiang Suizhou!!!

Damn?! Is she that stingy?! How come she never spent any money on this dog-man!

Guan Xi seriously tried to recollect her memory.

No, no, she seemed to have given him a cufflink once in the past, but as a result, the first sentence he said after opening it that time, is making her nearly faint with rage.

That's right! She started to stop giving him anything from then on, since she figured that he despised her taste anyway.

So yeah, you can't blame her for this!

At noon past ten, Jiang Suizhou had already left the room.

Guan Xi climbed out of bed and went to the bathroom to wash up. The moment she came out, her phone on the bedside table rang as her best friend Lang Ningyi called.

Guan Xi answered the phone while heading out of the room, "Morning."

"Morning my ass.....It's way past noon."

"I see."

Lang Ningyi: "You slept in Jiang Suizhou house yesterday?"

"Otherwise."

"Well."Lang Ningyi lowered her voice,"Then are you next to him now?"

"No, he left at dawn, I think I heard he's going on a business trip today, he probably is on a plane at this moment."

Lang Ningyi calmed down,"I'll go to your place then, let's talk."

Guan Xi sat down on the sofa,"Don't, choose somewhere else, it's just in time to go grab lunch."

Jiang Suizhou, this man, hated messiness, he wouldn't be happy if she brought other people to his house.

Lang Ningyi: "Sure, I'll text you the address."

After hanging up the call, Guan Xi made her way to the cloakroom to choose an outfit and meticulously applied makeup. Then she got down to the parking garage and drove away Jiang Suizhou's car that was placed at this place.

Lang Ningyi picked a restaurant where they frequently go, she's already there when Guan Xi arrived. Seeing Guan Xi coming over, she pulled and rushed her to take a seat,"Are you going to tell Jiang Suizhou about that matter?"

Guan Xi shot a flabbergasted glance at her,"Why would I."

Lang Ningyi: "That's great, all I'm saying is you must never let him know."

"Relax, I'm still not yet insane."

The reason why she and Jiang Suizhou were tied together in the first place is their family's well-matched social status and interconnected interests. So if the Jiang Family side found out about the fact that she's not the real Guan Family eldest daughter, then….no one can predict how things will pan out.

"Regardless of whether that girl returns or not, in the eyes of outsiders you're still the same Guan Xi, you just merely changed from being an only daughter to having a sister."

"I know, I'm just…"

"Just scared you'll slowly lose your position."Lang Ningyi said.

As Guan Xi turned her eyes towards her, Lang Ningyi continued,"You think I'm not aware about that terrible temper of yours after knowing you for so many years, ah? You always tear apart anyone who dared to grab things for you before. Now someone is grabbing your parents, grabbing the family property, but it happens that you don't have the slightest chance to win."

Guan Xi's complexion gradually darkened,"Can you say words that normal people could listen to?"

"You should heed my advice now!" Lang Ningyi said,"I'm telling you, if you want to establish your position and not to be ignored by your parents someday, it's actually quite simple, you just need to never let go of Jiang Suizhou. Ah right, on top of never letting him go, you should also properly draw him to your side."

"Then?"

"Then if him being your boyfriend is not enough, why don't you just go get a certificate with him?"

At once Guan Xi said,"That's out of the question, we agreed we won't get married until I turned twenty-eight."

Lang Ningyi: "Wait, then since you two have planned to get married anyway, why not just let it take place earlier? You also know how much your parents like Jiang Suizhou, don't you want to not be totally ignored by them? If things come to light one day, you don't want those women who ingratiate themselves upon the rich and powerful to comment on your background. Look, let's say someday you're out of luck and lose the Guan Family young lady title, if you married Jiang Suizhou, you'll still be Jiang Family daughter-in-law, no one will be able to look down on you."

Being in this kind of family and social status for years, she has learned that everything is intertwined with interest, those who have power will rule the world.

Guan Xi propped her chin and remained silent for a long time,"Is it?"

"Get rid of your hesitation." Lang Ningyi said,"Your parents are both more of a businessman than you might ever think they are. Following the relationship between you and Jiang Suizhou, the two families have cooperated in various things, which gained them a great deal of profit from it. So as long as you're with Jiang Suizhou, you are their cash cow. Have you seen anyone giving a cold-shoulder to their cash cow?"

Glaring at Lang Ningyi, Guan Xi was about to forthwith say that her parents are treating her well and are always doted on her, how could they see her as nothing more than a cash cow?

But the moment she opened her mouth, her mother's eyes when she talked about that real daughter were showing up in her mind.

Guan Xi once again went silent.

At least a cash cow can bring money.

Without the advantage of blood ties, will she still be able to keep on living in the Guan family free from all worries? Will there be any spot for her in the company in the future? If that biological daughter doesn't like her, will she be treated as insignificant by her parents?

Guan Xi got goosebumps, at the thought of how she might have to miserably bow and nod** towards that girl someday in the future. 

(**Metaphor of false respect or overly polite.)

"So you're telling me…."Guan Xi drank a mouthful of red wine from the glass,"Now I should build a good relationship with Jiang Suizhou, right, build a good relationship. I have to make my mom and dad feel that I'm really important, that leaving me will cause enormous losses!"

"Right, don't worry. Even though you're taking a female supporting character in this play at the moment. This sister will have your back!"

Guan Xi choked stiffly,"What?"

Lang Ningyi: "Yes, female supporting character, I've read a lot of such scenarios like yours inside a novel. A plot where after the poor female lead returns to her place, the female supporting character will play all kinds of tricks to persevere her position. But I assure you surely won't end up as tragic as that supporting character!"

"....."

With an ashen face, Guan Xi finished eating and left the room. She was going to call a designated driver as she had been drinking alcohol. However, someone was calling her name, when she tried to open the app.

She turned her head and saw a group of young women and men coming from another side of the hallway. She recognized two people among those who led the way, Wei Xiuyang and Wei Zihan, her uncle's son and daughter.

Seeing Wei Zihan, Guan Xi felt animosity. The same also goes for Wei Zihan, who didn't even bat an eye at her and directly went out of the door.

The two of them have been at odds ever since they were young, their grudges have accumulated for years, so much that they couldn't stand the sight of each other.

However, she got along pretty well with Wei Xiuyang, she always wondered how they came from the same womb, yet this older sister and younger brother liking towards her is poles apart.

The person who called her just now was Wei Xiuyang, he walked up and asked, "You're eating at this place again today?"

Fiddling with the phone in her hand, Guan Xi let out an 'Um' with lowered eyes.

Wei Xiuyang took a look at the screen, "Calling a designated driver? You've been drinking?"

"Yeah."

"Rather than calling them, let me just send you home."

Guan Xi turned her eyes towards Wei Zihan in the distance,"Don't you have to send your sister back?"

"No, she brought her own car here."Wei Xiuyang cast a glance at her,"Besides, aren't you also my sister?"

Guan Xi's hand that was scrolling the screen paused, she didn't think much of it before, but at this moment, remembering that she has zero blood ties with this brother, has unexpectedly made her feel a little dejected.

____

A few minutes later, Guan Xi was inside Wei Xiuyang's car.

"Send me to Jia Lin Garden."

Wei Xiuyang reached for his seat belt, "You're going to meet Jiang Suizhou?"

Guan Xi: "He's not home today."

"Then why are you going to his place instead of going home?"

Guan Xi stared ahead while propping her head,"You're too nosy."

With a slight frown, Wei Xiuyang glanced at her.

She seemed to have drunk a little too much and looked tipsy, there was a tinge of drunkenness inside her eyes. At this moment, she was sluggishly tilting her head sideways, causing the sleeve on the hand she used to support her head sliding down, her delicate wrist were dazzlingly white against the light that passed through the car.

Wei Xiuyang looked away then began to drive,"How are you still not breaking up with him?"

Guan Xi: "Why should I break up with him?"

"You guys have done enough of this for years, and it doesn't look like he has any feelings for you."

Guan Xi glared at him,"Wei Xiuyang, believe it or not, I can beat you up right now."

Wei Xiuyang: "I'm simply telling the truth. You are aunt and uncle's only daughter, they won't force you to marry anyone if you don't want to. You don't need to marry Jiang Suizhou for the sake of those messed up business interests."

Guan Xi's hand trembled lightly, only daughter......

She's no longer one now.

"Do you hear me?"

Feeling somewhat exasperated, Guan Xi turned her head away, "You know nothing."

She cannot live without Jiang Suizhou now.

It takes a thousand days to keep an army, and a moment to use it**. The time has come for Jiang Suizhou, this dog-man, to be useful.

(**Extensive preparation eventually pays off.)

Break up? To hell with that! Even if Mars were to hit Earth, she's going to march into the new era hand-in-hand with Jiang Suizhou!

Guan Xi and Wei Xiuyang parted on bad terms afterwards, but she was already accustomed to Wei Xiuyang getting angry like this.

This cousin of hers is actually the same age as her, he was only a few months younger and she has been keeping him under her wings. They were classmates during junior and high school. Wei Xiuyang has hated Jiang Suizhou guts for a long time now, but this happened partly because of her.

When they were young, she always spoke ill about Jiang Suizhou in front of Wei Xiuyang, and influenced by what he constantly saw and heard, he was eventually led astray by her. However, after hating Jiang Suizhou to that point, she of all people ended up dating Jiang Suizhou.

So she couldn't blame anyone for this.

_____

Guan Xi woke up early the next day.

After pondering for the whole night yesterday, she decided to overlook the bad memory about Jiang Suizhou's disdain for her gift. As a five-star good girlfriend, who is caring and attentive, she's going to give him a proper surprise and gift once he come back from a business trip. She will make him feel touched and deepen their relationship that seemed to be getting nowhere over the past three years.

And if luck would have it, she hopes he can happily return home to take out his household register in the near future. She can't wait to go to the civil affairs bureau together with him.

Of course, this matter is extremely difficult to attain, so she wasn't too hopeful about it.

Since Jiang Suizhou's plane landed at six, then he will be home at around seven tonight.

In the meantime, Guan Xi asked a couple of people to come and help her to do a massive 'beautification' on the living room as well as the path towards it with flower petals, balloons, and candles, not one can be left behind.

On top of that, she also has prepared twenty-eight presents and let someone wrap them up then stack them into a small mountain next to the side table.

Under the effects of alcohol, she looked around the house and was feeling all touched by herself.

Huhuhu, what a fucking dream girlfriend, if she were a man, she definitely will marry herself!!!!!!!!

Guan Xi has told Jiang Suizhou that she will wait for him at home before he boards the plane, so he came back on time. At seven past ten, she heard the sound of the door opening.

Putting down her wine glass, she hastily got up.

Jiang Suizhou was in the middle of call when he pressed the passcode, he was not expecting that as soon as he opened the door he would meet with such a spectacle.

There were flower petals on the floor that arranged into a path and spread all the way to the living room. The flower petals path was lit up with two rows of small candles neatly lined on the side, and at the end of the path, balloons were floating about, gift boxes were piling up, and Guan Xi was smiling gently at him.

Jiang Suizhou's eyes slightly stalled, he told the person on the other side of the phone 'let's talk in the company tomorrow' then hung up the call.

He stood in the same place for two seconds, and was caught a little off guard,"You—"

"Are you surprised? You don't expect this, do you?!" Guan Xi stood still, her face was beaming with happiness,"Today is our anniversary, I realized that you always been the one who give me present before, so this time I want to show my love for you~"

Jiang Suizhou displayed a hard to come by confusion,"What anniversary?"

Guan Xi stuck her fingers out, and counted for a little while,"Today is our eight hundred eighty french kiss anniversary, you don't remember?"

"......."

What an auspicious occasion.

"It's okay if you don't remember, what matters is my heart." Guan Xi break into a smile and hiccuped, she said sweetly regardless of conscience,"Jiang Suizhou, I love you~ I love you so much that I can't live without you~"

This woman is talking nonsense after drinking.

Raising his eyebrows, Jiang Suizhou eyes were filled with a little smile,"Guan Xi, which limited-edition bag did you fancy this time?"