Chapter 27: She and Jiang Li Belong to Two Different Worlds

"Uncle, you really have a girlfriend now!" Jiang Yu was utterly shocked. As far as he knew, although there were always many women around Jiang Li, he had never seen him become intimate with any of them.

Even the old man at home was troubled by this. He believed his strict rules had been too harsh, causing Jiang Li to shun women altogether. As a result, the old man repeatedly amended many family rules, claiming it was to make up for what Jiang Li had suffered.

Behind the door, Xu An’an pressed her forehead in exasperation. Auntie, you really have a knack for showing up at the worst moment!

"So you're the nephew of the handsome young man? How come you look even older than he does? Clearly, you don't get enough exercise. Young people should keep active," Aunt He remarked.

Jiang Yu, who was only two years younger than Jiang Li, could only force a smile. Ning Xiyue patted his shoulder in consolation.

Aunt He continued, "Your uncle's girlfriend is truly beautiful—more stunning than any movie star, even more so than Ning Xiyue."

The veiled barb shot straight at her, and Ning Xiyue's face turned green with envy. She managed to squeeze out a smile. "Hello, I am Ning Xiyue."

"What? Really? You don't look anything like you do on TV. You're much prettier there! Could it be those beauty filters my daughter talks about?"

"I..."

"Never mind. Just stay with me for a few more days, eat lots of organic vegetables, and you’ll have your skin glowing in no time," Aunt He said cheerfully before leaving.

Ning Xiyue was fuming. "What kind of people are these!"

It was true she’d been plagued by scandals lately, and lack of sleep had worsened her complexion, but surely she didn’t look that bad!

When they looked around again, Jiang Li had already disappeared.

Ning Xiyue was disgruntled. "Ah Yu, do you remember last time at the Starlight Club? Didn’t we see your uncle leave with a woman in his arms? Could it be her?"

Jiang Yu recalled that woman as well. "Maybe."

"I doubt she’s some rich heiress. The bracelet she wore was no big brand, probably just a few bucks from a street vendor."

Still eavesdropping, Xu An’an rolled her eyes. So what if it was only a few bucks? She bought it with her own hard-earned money, without stealing or cheating anyone!

Jiang Yu was surprised, then laughed at the thought. After all, Jiang Li was the most dazzling figure in all of Shanghai. The only ones who could match him were heiresses from families of immense wealth.

But Jiang Li chose someone with a trinket from a street stall?

"Heh, who would have thought my uncle would take a liking to a street vendor’s wares," Jiang Yu sneered. "I suppose after feasting on delicacies, one might crave something plain and simple. But one thing’s for certain—this woman must be quite resourceful. If we can find her and offer her some money... I bet we could learn a lot about my uncle."

With that, the two of them entered the room together.

Xu An’an, belittled as worthless, was so angry she almost burst in on them. These shameless people!

Still, they were right about one thing. She and Jiang Li belonged to completely different worlds.

Xu An’an let out a cold laugh. So what? She had never expected anything more to begin with.

Her stomach rumbled. She had planned to skip dinner if she fell asleep, but since she was still awake, she had to eat. But she didn’t dare to leave the room recklessly.

How vexing! What a cursed fate—to bump into these two even after escaping to the suburbs!

Just then, her phone rang. Misfortune never comes alone—it was Shen Ying calling.

Normally, Shen Ying wouldn’t contact Xu An’an unless she wanted something from her, like asking her to cozy up to Jiang Yu for the family’s benefit.

Xu An’an answered the phone. "Mother."

"What’s going on with you? Another leave from the magazine? You ought to be grateful. If it weren’t for my connections at the TV station, would you have ever gotten into the magazine?"

"I’m here to interview a writer, but there was a problem with the roads, so—"

"Don’t give me excuses. Go and find Young Master Jiang right now and have him let our Xu family join the West City project."

With the order delivered, Shen Ying hung up without giving Xu An’an a chance to refuse.

The West City project? Xu An’an’s eyes grew cold. She remembered clearly that Jiang Li had already turned down Jiang Yu’s involvement—there was no way he’d let the Xu family in. This was an impossible task.

Unless she could wrangle a different project as a substitute.

Recalling what Shen Ying had just said, Xu An’an burned with anger. She had worked hard to get into the TV station, but Shen Ying had interfered behind the scenes, getting her transferred to the magazine instead. The official reason was that she was a newcomer and had to go wherever she was needed.

Xu An’an raked her fingers through her hair in frustration. In the end, she could only message Jiang Yu, asking if there were any Jiang Corporation projects available lately.

When Jiang Yu received her message, he was discussing life with Ning Xiyue and was clearly annoyed by the interruption. He refused outright.

Jiang Yu: [Xu An’an, have you no shame? The moment you open your mouth, you’re asking for a project! I’m truly disappointed in you!]

"What project?" a cold voice startled her so much she nearly jumped out of her skin.

She spun around and crashed right into Jiang Li’s arms.

Jiang Li raised his hand just in time to keep the food from spilling. "Even something like this can scare you? What are you up to? Guilty of something? Flirting with men behind my back?"

"Second Master Jiang, do you know you could scare someone to death?" Xu An’an patted her chest to calm herself.

Jiang Li set the food on the table, pulled out a chair, and sat down, crossing his long legs. "You think Jiang Yu would give your Xu family a project? That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard all day."

"He’s just a playboy, and only you would take him seriously."

Xu An’an knew full well that the man before her was the real patron here—clinging to his leg was her best bet. But this patron’s temperament was unpredictable; he wasn’t someone you could cozy up to whenever you pleased.

Without ceremony, she picked up a spoon and started eating.

"Second Master, surely the Lakeside Island Resort project would interest you? It’s a hot commodity—plenty of people are eyeing it," she said, recalling the news she’d read that morning.

Jiang Li was busy with his phone and didn’t even glance up. "Don’t tell me you planned to ask Jiang Yu for that project."

The project hadn’t been finalized yet. They still needed word from the government. He didn’t bother telling Xu An’an any of this—there was no need.

"If I could give you some information you want, would you change your mind?" Xu An’an propped her chin in her hand, tilting her head like a scheming little fox.

At that, Jiang Li put his phone away and looked up, his gaze probing and scrutinizing.

"You can provide me with information?"

"Absolutely. It’s highly confidential," Xu An’an declared with confidence. "If you don’t believe me, just hear me out first—you can decide afterwards."

"Very well. If your information is useful, I’ll let the Xu family participate."

But Xu An’an shook her head.