She did not believe Jiang Nianxi had changed her ways so quickly. She assumed the old man must have used some kind of leverage to make her temporarily obedient, just to curry favor with Jiang Yuanshan.
She had to admit, that old man was a real obstacle!
As long as he was around, she and Lin Shuran could never take control of this household.
She had suggested many times that Lin Shuran change her surname to Jiang, but the old man had adamantly refused, insisting that Jiang Nianxi was the only granddaughter the Jiang Family had!
Ye Mei seethed with resentment. Things could not go on like this; she had to think of a way to send that damn old man to an early grave!
Once they had all gone upstairs, Jiang Bai said to Jiang Nianxi, "Niannian, if you see anything you like later, just bid for it. Consider it a gift from your grandfather."
A surge of warmth washed over Jiang Nianxi. "Grandfather, you are so kind."
Jiang Bai patted the back of her hand, speaking with earnest sincerity, "But I asked you to come along not so you could bicker with Lin Shuran. You are growing up, and you will have to take over the family business sooner or later. You need connections. Getting out and meeting people to broaden your horizons will be of great benefit to your future."
Jiang Nianxi nodded seriously, showing she had taken his words to heart.
*Heh*, what was a piece of jade compared to that?
What she wanted was the entire Jiang Family enterprise!
"Grandfather, don't worry. I will be careful. I will never disgrace the Jiang Family."
***
The next morning, after breakfast, Jiang Nianxi picked up her schoolbag and walked out the door. The driver was already waiting outside.
After she got into the car, the driver sat still for a long while without starting the engine, peering outside as if waiting for someone.
Jiang Nianxi frowned. "Drive."
The driver looked troubled. "This… Miss, the Second Miss hasn't gotten in yet."
He looked outside again, clearly still waiting for his "Second Miss."
Jiang Nianxi said coldly, "I will say this once more: Drive! This car was a coming-of-age gift from my grandfather. What does it have to do with her? Why should I have to wait for her?"
"But Mr. Jiang gave instructions that the Second Miss should come along…"
"Uncle Zhang." Jiang Nianxi cut him off, her voice colder and more imposing than before. "Your salary is paid by the Jiang Family, but the car is mine—it is registered in my name! Now, you either drive, or you settle your wages and leave! As the eldest daughter of the Jiang Family, I certainly have the power to fire a driver."
Wasn't Lin Shuran just eyeing this limited-edition car because it looked prestigious, pestering Jiang Yuanshan until he forced her to agree to share it, threatening to withhold her allowance if she refused on the grounds of being selfish?
In her past life, she had agreed just so she could get money to chase after Ji Yanxiu. Now, Lin Shuran wouldn't be able to mooch off her for even a second!
Uncle Zhang’s face turned pale. Not daring to say another word, he quickly pressed the gas pedal.
Jiang Nianxi glanced in the rearview mirror.
Lin Shuran, fully dressed and ready, came running out of the gates in a hurry, only to watch helplessly as the car sped away, leaving her impeccably made-up face twisted in fury.
Half an hour later, the car drove into Jingnan University. Jiang Nianxi got out, taking the gift she had bought for Xie Zhiyuan with her; she intended to give it to him tonight.
A gift was always more sincere when presented in person.
She took out her phone, intending to ask if Xie Zhiyuan was free, when she heard a group of students nearby whispering.
"Is that Jiang Nianxi? The one who chased the school heartthrob for a whole year and still couldn't win him over?"
"That’s her! Thinks that because she has a little money, she can get anything. She’s too full of herself."
"Yo, isn't this our 'infatuated young lady'?" A snide female voice came from behind her.
Jiang Nianxi knew who it was without turning around. It was Su Tang, one of Ji Yanxiu's fan girls and a friend of Lin Shuran. Her family had connections in both business and politics, and she held a significant status in Jing City. As an only daughter, she was a pampered, willful, and arrogant socialite.
She was in the same class as Lin Shuran. Lin Shuran would often let her copy homework or pass her answers during exams, and with Lin Shuran’s sycophantic flattery, the two had become friends.
The ridiculous part was that Su Tang never knew about the relationship between Lin Shuran and Ji Yanxiu, and she kept letting Lin Shuran scheme for her.
In her past life, she had viewed Su Tang as an enemy, never realizing that both of them were being played like puppets by that pair of scoundrels.
In a way, Su Tang was a bit like her.
Except that Su Tang eventually gave up on chasing Ji Yanxiu because of her family's strong opposition. Plus, since Ji Yanxiu was in love with Lin Shuran and focused solely on using her to seize the Jiang family fortune, Su Tang wasn't his target, so they had no further entanglement after graduation.
Only she, Jiang Nianxi, had remained stubborn, walking straight toward her own destruction.
"What is this?" Su Tang glanced at the gift in her hand, deliberately raising her voice so nearby students could hear. "Don't tell me this is another gift for Brother Yanxiu?"
The surrounding students slowed their pace, looking over with curiosity.
Jiang Nianxi remained calm and didn't respond.
"Don't waste your effort." Su Tang flicked her hair, mimicking Ji Yanxiu’s usual cold, aloof tone. "Don't think that just because you give him expensive gifts, you can get his attention. It's so vulgar!"
The students burst into laughter.
Jiang Nianxi smiled faintly. "Did you misunderstand something?"
"Misunderstood?" Su Tang opened her eyes wide in exaggeration. "The whole school knows you’ve been chasing Brother Yanxiu for over a year, confessing to him and giving him gifts every day. Why the pretense now? If I recall correctly, he even told you not long ago to stop playing these childish games because he finds it annoying!"
At that moment, Ji Yanxiu "happened" to pass by.
He was wearing a light-colored plaid shirt and black trousers that accentuated his long legs. Even simple clothing looked extraordinary on him, and as the sunlight hit him, he looked every bit the fresh, clean, and handsome college student.
As soon as he appeared, he immediately became the focus of everyone's attention, as always.
Jiang Nianxi didn't look at him; instead, she mocked Su Tang, "Is that so? Then, could you help me pass a message to your 'Brother Yanxiu'?"
She deliberately drew out her tone, shook the gift box in her hand, and then said, enunciating every word clearly: "This gift has absolutely nothing to do with him!"
"..." Ji Yanxiu froze.
He had seen the Jiang family car from the teaching building just now, thinking that Jiang Nianxi must have brought a gift to apologize to him, so he had decided to give her a chance. He never expected to hear such a thing.
His roommate, who was walking with him, felt confused. "Bro, didn't you say Jiang Nianxi still wouldn't give up and was coming to apologize? What's going on?"
Ji Yanxiu pursed his lips, his voice laced with sarcasm: "She’s still acting. She’s really deep in character."
"What do you mean?" Su Tang stared at Jiang Nianxi in confusion.
"Exactly what I said." Jiang Nianxi put the gift box into her schoolbag. "I haven't liked him for a long time. This gift is for someone else."
"Ha?" Su Tang laughed out loud. "Can you make your lies a bit more believable? Besides Brother Yanxiu, who else would you give a gift to?"
The surrounding students also whispered among themselves: "Playing hard to get, right?"
"She must be trying to get Ji Yanxiu's attention in a different way..."
"Tsk tsk, how pathetic!"
Jiang Nianxi couldn't be bothered to pay attention and turned to leave, but she heard Su Tang say behind her: "You really are ridiculous. The gift is clearly for Brother Yanxiu, yet you're pretending it's for someone else."
As she spoke, she suddenly spotted Ji Yanxiu in the crowd and immediately ran over to him. "Brother Yanxiu, she prepared another gift for you and insists it's for someone else. She's just putting on a show—it's hilarious!"