Chapter 105: For the First Time, He Felt the Urge to Strike a Woman

Jiang Li, being stared at so openly, was displeased. In a cold voice, he said, “Miss Murong, may I ask if there is something you need?”

As if struck over the head, Murong Yan flushed scarlet and hurriedly apologized, “I’m sorry. I only thought Second Master looked very much like a Hollywood movie star.”

“I was thinking that if Second Master entered the entertainment industry, he would surely become a sensation.”

Jiang Li picked up his teacup, took a sip, and did not answer.

Fearing the atmosphere would grow awkward, Madam Jiang quickly said, “Father, Grandmother, the banquet is ready. Why don’t we go downstairs?”

The Old Madam was quite pleased with the excuse and could not help glancing at Madam Jiang a few more times.

She had not liked this granddaughter-in-law before, feeling that Madam Jiang came from too humble a background to be presentable. But the eldest grandson liked her, and there was nothing to be done about that.

So everyone went downstairs.

Xu An’an naturally fell to the very back.

Jiang Li followed behind the Old Madam and Old Master Jiang, with Murong Yan beside him.

Jiang Yu and Madam Jiang stood between them.

Those waiting below, upon seeing the Old Madam appear, hurried forward one after another to greet her and present their gifts, hoping to make a good impression.

Soon, the table was piled high with gifts.

The Old Madam smiled kindly, like a laughing Buddha.

Shen Ying also came over with Xu Wanwan to greet her. “Old Lady, it’s been so long. You still look just as vigorous as ever.”

Madam Jiang then introduced them at the proper time. “This is An’an’s mother and younger sister.”

Upon learning they were in-laws, the Old Madam, no matter how she truly felt, had to put on a show in public. “Very nice. The elder sister is beautiful, and the younger sister is also very lovely.”

“Come sit down, both of you. Don’t be shy.”

Xu Wanwan truly was not shy. She plopped herself down beside Xu An’an.

Actually, she would have preferred to sit beside Jiang Li, but unfortunately she lacked the qualifications. She could only look enviously at Murong Yan and lower her voice to say, “Xu An’an, you really have some nerve. You came up here on your own and didn’t even bring your sister. If the Old Madam knew, she’d dislike you even more.”

Xu An’an ignored her and sat quietly.

Xu Wanwan wanted to say more, but Shen Ying held her back.

“Serve the dishes,” Madam Jiang said to the butler behind her.

The butler immediately went to the kitchen.

Before long, one exquisite dish after another was brought to each table. Every single plate held precious delicacies from mountains and seas, luxurious to the extreme.

Even the well-traveled Murong Yan was somewhat startled.

She had been born into the Murong family and had been adored since childhood; she had seen everything. But now she truly understood what wealth meant. The dishes on each table had to be worth at least tens of millions altogether.

And that only made her goal clearer.

Other than Jiang Li, no other man in the world was worthy of her.

Of course, besides her, no other woman was worthy of Jiang Li either.

“Ali, pick a piece of braised pork for Yan’er. She’s too far away to reach it,” the Old Madam said, meaning to matchmake Jiang Li and Murong Yan. Yet Jiang Li did not even look at Murong Yan, which made her very anxious.

Murong Yan waited with a mix of expectation and embarrassment.

Xu An’an lowered her lashes and quietly ate her own plain white rice.

She appeared not to care, but in truth she already knew the answer. Since the elders had already spoken in this way, there was no way a junior could refuse.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Li did refuse.

“The braised pork is too fatty. It would be better to have the kitchen make Miss Murong a fat-loss meal. Female celebrities still need to keep their figures in shape.”

“That is basic professional discipline.”

Murong Yan really did eat diet meals all the time, and she did not particularly want to touch greasy meat anyway. Her new film would start shooting soon; if she looked bad on camera, everything would be ruined. The director was famously strict.

So she went along with it and smiled. “Second Master knows me best.”

The Old Madam was a little unhappy. She had gone out of her way to create an opportunity for them, and yet neither of them appreciated it.

“Then have the kitchen prepare a diet meal.”

Upon hearing this, the butler quickly had someone make the arrangements.

When the diet meal was brought over, Murong Yan rather regretted it. Compared with the feast before her, the food in front of her was utterly bland and dull.

And having to watch everyone else eat only made it more excruciating.

But she could not slap her own face, so she forced a smile and ate the tasteless purple cabbage.

As for Xu An’an, she was not much better off. The dishes placed before her were all things she disliked, and she could not reach too far, so she could only eat her plain rice in silence.

At long last, after enduring until the banquet ended, Xu An’an quietly slipped away first.

She was going to eat at the street stalls.

Jiang Li had originally planned to have someone send food to Xu An’an, only to find out she had already left. He clicked his tongue. “No conscience at all.”

At the very least, she should have called him along.

Assistant Wang said, “Miss Xu must have been starving.”

“Ali.”

At that moment, Murong Yan came over and just happened to hear Assistant Wang’s words. Her expression changed slightly. She had already felt that Jiang Li’s indifference toward her was suspicious.

So Jiang Li already had someone in mind.

The Miss Xu Assistant Wang was talking about must be Xu Wanwan, after all Xu An’an already had someone.

Recalling Xu Wanwan’s entire air of petty, small-household demeanor, Murong Yan found it almost laughable. In Jiang Li’s eyes, she was actually not even as good as Xu Wanwan?

“Now I need to go back to the film set. Great-Grandmother said you would take me there.”

“I’ve been drinking,” Jiang Li said.

Murong Yan froze, then blurted out, “When did you drink?”

She had watched Jiang Li almost the entire evening and had never seen him drink anything. Naturally, she was a little angry. “Second Master, if you don’t want to drive me, you can just say so directly. There’s no need to lie to me.”

Jiang Li picked up a glass of wine and drank it in front of her.

“I drank.”

“...”

Murong Yan was truly about to explode with rage. How perfunctory. He did not take her seriously at all.

And yet, even such a Jiang Li was enough to make her love him to death.

What an interesting man.

Murong Yan took several deep breaths and forcibly suppressed her anger. “Fine. Since Second Master has been drinking, I won’t make things difficult for you.”

“But one day, Second Master will willingly drive me himself.”

Those words made Jiang Li’s fist nearly clench.

For the first time, he had the urge to hit a woman.

After Murong Yan left, Jiang Li told Assistant Wang to investigate every detail of her background. He wanted every man who had ever had any ambiguous involvement with Murong Yan thoroughly checked.

Assistant Wang was astonished.

He had thought Jiang Li had no interest in Murong Yan at all. After all, Jiang Li had just treated her that way, but Murong Yan was still beautiful!

If Jiang Li knew what Assistant Wang was thinking, he would certainly have kicked him off to the African branch office and forbidden him from returning to the country for five years.

Jiang Li simply wanted Murong Yan to hurry up and marry someone else, so she would stop getting in his way.

After giving his instructions, Jiang Li asked Assistant Wang for the car keys. He needed to go find Xu An’an.

Assistant Wang said, “But didn’t you just drink?”

“You’ve got a problem with your eyes too? That was orange juice.”

Jiang Li snatched the keys back in irritation, then drove off, only to fail to notice at first that there was already someone else in the car.