Chapter 115: Little Sister, I’ll Go For You?

Chapter 115: Chapter 115: Little Sister, I’ll Go For You?

Jiang Jingshi lowered her head to continue examining the documents and photos, then flipped through his academic records.

She suddenly let out a snort of laughter, looking quite amused.

It was as if a fun idea had just occurred to her. "I wonder what Qianqian’s reaction will be when she finds out the fiancé she’s so reluctant to meet is the very same Lin Zhengran she’s been keeping an eye on lately."

Fang Meng replied honestly, "To be honest, I’m dying to see her reaction too."

Jiang Jingshi gathered the documents. "Actually, I just had an idea. I’ll figure out what to say in a moment..."

She turned and left the study, and although Fang Meng was confused, she quickly followed.

Jiang Jingshi walked back to the living room, holding up the documents. "Grandpa, I’ve printed out the files. Qianqian, want to take a look?"

Jiang Qian, who was sitting on the sofa, showed little reaction. "Give it to me," she replied flatly.

She held out her hand.

But just as Jiang Jingshi was handing them over, she suddenly pulled her hand back and turned to their grandfather with a curious question.

"Wait a second, Grandpa. I remember you told me a long time ago that I was originally supposed to be this boy’s fiancée. It was only arranged for Qianqian because he was born later, right?"

The old man nodded while sipping his tea. "Yes, that’s what happened. When I arranged the marriage with my old comrade, your mother had just become pregnant with you. But his son’s side of the family didn’t have a child for quite some time. It wasn’t until several years later that they were expecting, so we arranged it for your younger sister."

Fang Meng had no idea what the Eldest Miss was up to.

Jiang Jingshi looked at the photo on the documents again.

Her cheeks flushed slightly as she recalled meeting and chatting with Lin Zhengran at the town competition venue yesterday and today. A playful idea popped into her head, and she asked her grandfather,

"Grandpa, this boy is only three years younger than me, right?"

"Four years. You’re twenty, and he’s sixteen."

Jiang Jingshi clicked her tongue and corrected him, "What do you mean, twenty? I’m nineteen. I have a late birthday in November."

Her grandfather sighed helplessly. "Alright, alright, nineteen works too. Then you’re only three years older than him."

"Mm, a three-year age gap isn’t that big of a deal, is it? Besides, relationships with an older woman are pretty popular these days. How about this, Grandpa... if Qianqian doesn’t want to meet him, what if I do instead? I’ll go on the blind date."

Her grandfather stared blankly at his eldest granddaughter. "You?"

Jiang Qian remained expressionless. Though she had no idea what her sister was planning, she felt a sense of relief.

However, she failed to notice Fang Meng’s eyes widening in shock, completely baffled by the Eldest Miss’s intentions. "Eldest Miss, you...!"

Jiang Jingshi turned to Fang Meng, pressed a finger to her lips with a SHUSH, and Fang Meng fell silent.

So, Jiang Jingshi, still holding the documents, continued, "So, what do you think, Grandpa? Someone has to meet him, right? And since Qianqian isn’t willing, I’m more than happy to."

"Well... that’s one way to put it." He looked toward Jiang Qian. "But you’ll have to ask Qianqian. After all, the arrangement was made for her."

"Nonsense," Jiang Jingshi said with mock seriousness. "Didn’t we just establish it was originally arranged for me?"

"Oh, right. I meant because he was born later, it was passed to Qianqian. In any case, if she doesn’t want to go and you do, that’s fine too. Your age difference isn’t that significant."

Biting her lower lip with the look of someone whose little plan was succeeding, Jiang Jingshi slowly sat down beside her sister and asked gently, "Qianqian, what do you say? Do you want to go meet him yourself, or should your big sister go for you?"

Feeling a weight lift from her shoulders, Jiang Qian picked up her teacup and took a sip. "If you want to go, Sister, then go. I’m not interested in this sort of thing anyway."

Jiang Jingshi gave her a meaningful look. "Are you sure? Really sure? Just to make sure you won’t have any regrets later, I’ll ask you again: are you sure you’re handing him over to me?"

Jiang Qian remained expressionless. "Yes, I’m sure."

At this, Fang Meng couldn’t help but interject, "Qianqian... I’d advise you to answer carefully, because..." Seeing the Eldest Miss shoot her another look, she had to find another way to give her hint.

"Because I think there’s no harm in just meeting him. You should at least look at his profile first. You might be interested, you never know."

Jiang Qian sipped her tea, her gaze fixed on the coffee table as she thought about everything that had happened with Lin Zhengran recently.

’Growing up, she’d never once thought about marrying any boy, or even liking someone.’

’Her mind had always been on the Jiang Family; her thoughts were consumed with how she would make the family even stronger when she grew up.’

’If there was anyone she could possibly care about, Lin Zhengran was the only one.’

’After all, not only was he exceptional, but their personalities were also quite complementary.’

’But romance was the biggest stumbling block to academic progress. Many books said that people stagnated the moment they fell in love, only to make great leaps forward after a breakup.’

’At the very least, she couldn’t imagine herself snuggled in some boy’s arms. The very thought felt decadent and pointless.’

’That was all time that could be spent studying. Hug a boy, and the time it takes to turn a page is gone.’

’Kiss a boy, and the time for two pages is gone. Besides... kissing seemed rather unhygienic. Why did such a thing even exist? Weren’t lips for eating?’

’Besides, she knew she didn’t actually *like* Lin Zhengran. She was simply overwhelmingly curious about why he was so amazing.’

’So, if she couldn’t even bring herself to like a boy as incredible as him—one she might never surpass—then Jiang Qian figured she would probably never like anyone, let alone marry them.’

Jiang Qian took another sip of tea.

Of course, at this moment, she couldn’t possibly realize how flawed her perspective was. After all, one cannot understand things they have never experienced.

It was the same principle as being unable to earn money beyond the scope of one’s own understanding.

So, after Fang Meng’s reminder, Jiang Jingshi asked the same question once more. "Qianqian, are you sure you want to give this boy to your big sister?"

Jiang Qian nodded slowly. "Yes. No matter how many times you ask, my answer is the same. I’m not interested in blind dates."

The corners of Jiang Jingshi’s mouth curled into a smile. Her gaze, as gentle as water, fell back upon the documents as she remembered having her secretary investigate him after that instant noodle incident.

’I really never would have guessed that the boy who was so gruff with me back then was Lin Zhengran.’ "Thanks," she said aloud, "though ’thanks’ isn’t quite right. After all, he was originally mine to begin with."

Hearing his granddaughters’ conversation, their grandfather chimed in from the side, "Well then, since this is how things have turned out, we’ll just have Jingshi go instead. Both of you are excellent, anyway."

Fang Meng watched Jiang Qian, whose expression was like that of a Buddha who had achieved enlightenment, and sighed. ’I hope she doesn’t regret this later...’

’Although Fang Meng didn’t approve of the Eldest Miss acting on a whim driven by curiosity, she still had a feeling that Jiang Qian was the one who would end up regretting this...’

Jiang Jingshi folded the documents and put them away, eagerly anticipating the blind date. "So, Grandpa, when is the meeting?"

"Isn’t there a holiday next week? National Day. Let’s set it for the evening of the second day of the holiday. I’ll talk to his grandfather as well."

"Okay, let me check the date." Jiang Jingshi pulled out her phone to look at her upcoming schedule and thought for a moment.

’My schedule is packed this week. I’ll have to quickly finish everything I need to do these next couple of days. Then I can clear a whole day for a date with him. And for the evening...’

She bit her lip. ’Maybe a candlelight dinner? I really do have a lot I want to talk to him about... But what does one wear to a blind date?’

She stood up. "Grandpa, I’m heading back to my room. I need to find something to wear for the meeting. This is my first blind date, after all. I have to look pretty."

Her grandfather grunted in acknowledgment. ’Girls really are different when they grow up,’ he thought. ’She’s so proactive about this whole blind date business.’

Finishing his tea, the old man stood up. "Well, since that’s settled, I’m going to head to my room to rest. I’ll be staying here with you girls for the week. By the way, has my room been prepared?"

Fang Meng explained, "Grandpa, we had someone prepare it for you long ago."

"Thank you, Meng." As he spoke, Fang Meng watched the old man head upstairs, noting that he was still quite hale and hearty. "Goodnight, Grandpa."

"Mm, you two have fun."

After her grandfather and Jiang Jingshi had both gone to their rooms, Fang Meng watched Jiang Qian, who was still sipping her tea, and let out a long sigh.

Still, that family meeting had made Fang Meng curious about something: why was the Eldest Miss so interested in Lin Zhengran?

’Shouldn’t they be strangers?’

Jiang Qian also spoke up unexpectedly. "By the way, why is my sister suddenly so interested in a blind date? She has a lot of hobbies, but this doesn’t seem like her kind of thing, right? I thought she hated being alone with guys."

Hearing Qianqian’s question, Fang Meng replied, "Well... I don’t know the reason, but maybe it just depends on the person. By the way, Qianqian, I know it’s a little late to ask, but do you want to see who your fiancé is?"

"No."

"Alright. I’ll ask you again tomorrow."

The next day at school, Fang Meng noticed Jiang Qian continuing to observe Lin Zhengran’s every move. While she rarely seemed to blush anymore, her curiosity hadn’t abated in the slightest.

So that evening, she asked again, "Qianqian, are you sure you still don’t want to see who your fiancé is?"

"No," Jiang Qian replied casually.

On the evening of the third day, Fang Meng began, "Qianqian... are you sure..."

Jiang Qian looked at her, confused and a little exasperated. "Meng, why do you keep asking me that? What are you getting at?"

"It’s nothing. I’m just reminding you that the National Day holiday starts the day after tomorrow. If you don’t look now, it’ll be too late. I could just tell you his name, but if you won’t even look at the file, then I’m not going to just say it."

"After all, I also don’t think you should have to meet him for something like this. But I’m also worried you’ll ask me later why I didn’t warn you, so I’m just keeping at it."

Jiang Qian: "..."

The idea still hadn’t crossed her mind at all.

On the fourth day, school finally let out for the National Day holiday, a cause for celebration across the country.

After school, as Fang Meng and Jiang Qian sat in the car, Fang Meng gazed out the window and casually asked again, "Qianqian, want to see it?"

To her surprise, this time Jiang Qian answered.

"I wasn’t curious at first, but you keep asking, and now I actually want to know his name. Let me see it. Not that it matters who he is. Even if he were Lin Zhengran, so what?"

She muttered to herself, "Though that’s impossible. He’s the grandson of Grandpa’s old comrade, so he must be the son of a businessman. I’m fine with making friends with businesspeople my age, but a blind date is out of the question."

"Is that right? So that’s what you were thinking. No wonder." Fang Meng turned her head and blinked.

"But since you’re so nonchalant about it, that’s good. I was honestly worried you’d end up regretting it." She pulled a copy of Lin Zhengran’s profile from her pocket and handed it over.

"Here, take a look."

Jiang Qian was puzzled that she would be carrying his file around. But when she took the paper, she found it was a report card with a perfect score—and it was Lin Zhengran’s report card.

Jiang Qian was confused. "Why are you giving me Lin Zhengran’s report card? I thought this was my fiancé’s file."

Fang Meng just hummed. "I don’t have the actual file on me, but it’s all the same. The name’s the same."

"What do you mean?" Jiang Qian’s face was a blank mask. "What do you mean the name’s the same?"

"Exactly what it sounds like. The name on the fiancé’s file is also Lin Zhengran. In other words, your sister is going on a blind date with Lin Zhengran."

In that instant, Fang Meng saw Jiang Qian seemingly turn to stone.

She was frozen in place like a statue, which was now beginning to crack, shedding little bits of stone.

Fang Meng brushed the stone dust that had fallen onto her lap. "No need to be so shocked, Qianqian. You just said it yourself, it’s no big deal even if it is Lin Zhengran. It’s not like you like him or anything."

As the Rolls-Royce drove on, the driver asked curiously, "Why does the car feel so heavy today?"

Fang Meng replied, "Well, we are carrying a big stone, so it’s normal for it to feel heavy."

With that, she brushed another bit of stone dust off her clothes.

’Sure enough,’ Fang Meng thought. ’Qianqian might talk tough, but deep down, she’s already starting to care about Lin Zhengran, isn’t she? Even if it’s not love yet... with one more little push, it just might become the real thing.’