里番acg之工口火影忍者乳影

Jiang Ron was taken aback by his comment, and she chuckled, saying, “You really have a great bond with my sister.”

“Of course, I’m absolutely set on marrying Yining,” Lu Zhi declared with unwavering confidence.

Gu Zhanqing cleared his throat, sensing the tension.

Jiang Rou quickly changed the subject and asked, “Yining, what have you been telling my sister about me?”

Jiang Yining’s response was icy, “Just some childhood memories, nothing worth mentioning.”

Jiang Yining had endured a harsh childhood, a fact well known to Jiang Rou, which left her feeling awkward.

Lu Zhi suggested, “Let’s head inside. It’s getting chilly in the evening. 1 recall you’re not in the best of health, and falling ill from the cold wouldn’t be ideal.” “Thanks for your concern, Brother-in-law,” Jiang Rou replied, walking over to Gu Zhanqing and holding his hand.

“Uncle, let’s head inside,” she proposed.

“Sure,” Gu Zhanqing replied, leading her towards the entrance.

Lu Zhi noticed the close relationship between Gu Zhanqing and Jiang Rou and found it somewhat peculiar, but he didn’t dwell on it.

Jiang Yining lagged behind, following them at her own pace.

Lu Zhi adjusted his stride to match hers and asked, “Is something bothering you?”

She had been in good spirits just a moment ago, so why the sudden change?

Jiang Yining’s dark, grape-like eyes locked onto him as she calmly asked, “Lu Zhi, in your opinion, who’s more attractive, me or Jiang Rou?”

Lu Zhi was momentarily taken aback by her question.

Then he chuckled lightly and replied, “Jiang Rou.”

Jiang Yining abruptly stopped in her tracks, her demeanor turning cold.

It seemed that everyone who met Jiang Rou couldn’t help but be drawn to her, no matter how impressive Jiang Yining was.

Jiang Yining felt like a bucket of icy water had been dumped on her, sending shivers down her spine.

She decided to ignore Lu Zhi and quickened her pace.

“Are you feeling jealous?” he inquired.

“Jealous? You’re not someone special to me, Lu Zhi. Let’s be clear: we have a strictly professional relationship, so don’t overstep your bounds,” Jiang Yining retorted, sounding irritated.

She wasn’t really jealous. It was just her competitive nature as a woman, acting on instinct.

When Lu Zhi first saw Jiang Rou, he was completely captivated.

Jiang Yining had anticipated that he would be enchanted by Jiang Ron’s beauty.

As he tried to hold her hand, she firmly shook him off.

But instead of getting angry, he grasped her arm again and commented, “Physically, Jiang Rou does have the edge. She’s a bit more refined, but…”

Jiang Yining cut him off, her anger flaring, “I get it, she’s prettier and more refined than me. There’s no need to keep emphasizing that, right? If you’re interested in Jiang Rou, I can help set you two up.”

She was about to break free from his grasp and leave, but she didn’t anticipate that Lu Zhi would firmly seize her shoulders and kiss her without hesitation. Jiang Yining was left completely stunned.

After kissing her for a few seconds, Lu Zhi pulled away and said in a deep voice, “This way, you won’t interrupt me while I’m talking, will you?”

“Lu Zhi!” Jiang Yining’s eyes widened, clearly indicating her genuine anger. Her gaze was intense, as if she was about to strike him.

But Lu Zhi wasn’t afraid. He calmly remarked, “However… aside from physical appearance, she can’t hold a candle to you in any other aspect. Your demeanor, your abilities, your appeal to men… she falls far short. If I had to choose someone to spend the rest of my life with, I’d pick you without hesitation, not her.”

“I swear, what I said just now came from the bottom of my heart, not a single word was insincere. If 1 lied, may I never find a wife and live a life of loneliness,” Lu Zhi asserted solemnly.

Jiang Yining bit her lower lip lightly, lifting her chin ever so slightly.

She knew she had her merits. Even though Gu Zhanqing didn’t like her and neither did his family, there were still people who liked her. For years, the injustices she’d faced seemed to dissipate in this moment.

“You don’t need to make such a harsh vow,” she said.

Regardless of whether he was telling the truth or not, she believed it.

Lu Zhi asked, “Not angry anymore?”

She was like a cat, her mood flaring up briefly but easily calmed with a few kind words.

“Who’s angry? I wasn’t angry in the first place. Did you think I’m as petty as you?” Jiang Yining denied with a hint of playfulness.

Lu Zhi chuckled, putting his arm around her shoulders, “Alright, you weren’t angry. And tonight, you mustn’t get upset. We need to maintain harmony within the group. If you get upset with me and Gu Zhanqing or Jiang Rou see that, they might blame me for not helping you.”

Jiang Yining nodded, and the two of them reached a silent agreement.

Jiang Rou noticed that Lu Zhi and Jiang Yining were trailing behind, so she couldn’t help but stop and wait. Coincidentally, she witnessed their little interaction.

Unable to contain herself, she said to Gu Zhanqing beside her, “Uncle, Yining and Mr. Lu seem to have a great relationship. Why should we try to separate them? Maybe…”

“Lu Zhi is not a good person, Ah Rou. Are you willing to stand by and watch Yining fall into the abyss, just like your mother did?” Gu Zhanqing interrupted her, his expression darkening.

Thinking about her mother, Jiang Ron’s brow furrowed with worry.

“No.”

“Good girl, listen to me. I won’t harm you two.” Gu Zhanqing realized he had been too harsh and comforted her in a softer tone.

Jiang Rou nodded, placing her full trust in him. “Okay.”

She trusted him completely. Even if the whole world said he was a bad person, she would unconditionally stand by his side. Because, from childhood to adulthood, he had always been the best to her.

The four of them entered the estate.

Lu Zhi instructed the chef to bring out the dishes for the evening.

Despite having only a few people to feed, there were over a hundred dishes, each prepared by top international chefs. The extravagance was astonishing.

This showed just how much Lu Zhi valued Jiang Yining’s family.

Lu Zhi invited them to take a seat and said, “Yining and I weren’t sure about your food preferences, so we prepared a variety of dishes. Please help yourselves.”

His words were quite diplomatic.

Jiang Yining was their family, yet he claimed not to know their preferences.

There were only two possibilities: either Jiang Yining didn’t care about them, or the relationship between them was strained.

Everyone in the room understood the reason behind his statement.

Gu Zhanqing and Jiang Rou’s expressions became somewhat complex.

Lu Zhi paid no attention to them. He tenderly picked up a dish for Jiang Yining and said, “These prawns were just flown in from Hokkaido. I’ve already peeled them for you. Give them a try.”

Jiang Yining cooperatively accepted the dish and said, “The servants can handle this. You don’t need to do it.”

“No, I enjoy taking care of you. Haven’t you always said you never got to enjoy being loved and cared for properly since childhood? From now on, I’ll take care of you, and you won’t have to suffer any more injustices,” Lu Zhi said with a hidden meaning, not giving any face to Gu’s family.

Jiang Yining smiled and accepted the dish he prepared, then looked at Jiang Rou and Gu Zhanqing, saying, “Uncle, Ah Rou, why don’t you eat too? Don’t keep staring at me.”

Jiang Rou forced a smile on her face and nodded.

Gu Zhanqing, on the other hand, remained cold.

Jiang Yining propped her chin on her hand and said with a smile, “All Rou, do you still remember when you were sick? I would always stay by your side. If you couldn’t eat, I wouldn’t eat either.”

“Yes, I remember. You were very kind to me,” Jiang Rou replied.

“It’s not that I was kind to you. You just wouldn’t eat, and Uncle wouldn’t let me eat either.”

Jiang Rou’s hand froze in midair, her eyes moist. “I’m sorry, sister, I didn’t know…”

“No need to apologize. It’s all in the past. The Lu family now treats me very well, especially Ah Zhi, who treasures me dearly. I’ve let go of any past grievances,” Jiang Yining blinked innocently and continued, “Uncle, Ah Rou, when I talked about the past, it wasn’t to dwell on old issues. Just reminiscing a bit. Please don’t overthink it.”

Saying this in front of Lu Zhi and claiming it wasn’t intentional? Who would believe that!