Chapter 3: Five Star Girlfriend

Though it was dismissed as wishful thinking, upon further reflection, it surprisingly made some sense. That night, Guan Xi had such a dream. She dreamt that the biological daughter had returned, and she was kicked out of the house with nothing. To survive, she rushed to Jiang Suizhou’s house, sold all the high-end brands and designer items he had given her as gifts, and earned a substantial amount of money.

In the dream, she happily held the money and went on to enjoy herself. But upon waking up and staring at the ceiling, she suddenly remembered a terrifying thing.

That thing was, she had hardly ever bought anything for Jiang Suizhou!!!

Damn?! Was she that stingy?! How had she not spent any money on this damn guy?!

Guan Xi earnestly tried to recall. Wait, no, she seemed to have bought him cufflinks once before, but he opened them and just said a usual phrase, which infuriated her halfway to death.

Yes! It was from that time onward that she stopped buying him things, thinking that he didn’t appreciate her taste.

So, it’s not her fault!

**

At noon, by ten o’clock, Jiang Suizhou was no longer in the room. Guan Xi climbed out of bed and took a shower in the bathroom. When she came out, her phone on the bedside table rang. It was a call from her close friend, Lang Ningyi. 

While answering the phone, Guan Xi walked out of the room, “Morning.”

“Morning my ass… It’s already noon.”

“Oh.”

Lang Ningyi asked, “Did you sleep at Jiang Suizhou’s house yesterday?”

“Where else?”

“Okay.” Lang Ningyi lowered her voice, “Is he with you now?”

“No, he left early in the morning. Yesterday, he mentioned he’s going on a business trip today, so he’s probably on the plane by now.”

Lang Ningyi sighed in relief, “I’ll come to your place now, let’s talk.”

Guan Xi sat on the sofa, “No need, find a place. We can have lunch outside.”

Jiang Suizhou is extremely particular about having guests in his house.

“Alright, I’ll send you the address later.”

Guan Xi hung up the phone, went to the cloakroom, picked out an outfit, and carefully applied makeup. Then, she went down to the parking garage and drove away in one of the cars Jiang Suizhou had kept there.

Lang Ningyi chose a restaurant they often visited, and by the time Guan Xi arrived, she was already there. Seeing Guan Xi approaching, she quickly pulled her to sit down, “Will you tell Jiang Suizhou about these things?”

Guan Xi looked at her in surprise, “Why would I?”

Lang Ningyi said, “Good, that’s what I mean. This matter absolutely cannot be told to him.”

“Don’t worry, I haven’t gone crazy.”

The reason she and Jiang Suizhou were bound together in the first place was due to the matching status of their families and mutual benefits. If the Jiang family found out she wasn’t the real Guan family’s daughter, well… no one could predict how things would unfold.

“No matter whether that girl comes back or not, in the eyes of outsiders, you are still Guan Xi. You’ve just gained a sister from being an only child.”

“I know, I just…”

“Just afraid of losing your position slowly,” Lang Ningyi interrupted.

Guan Xi glanced at Lang Ningyi, and she continued, “I’ve known you for so many years, and I still don’t understand your temperament. In the past, anyone who dared to compete with you would have been torn apart by you. But now, you’re competing with your parents and family fortune, and unfortunately, you don’t stand a chance.”

Guan Xi’s face darkened, “Can you say something more pleasant?”

“Now is not the time for pleasant words!” Lang Ningyi said, “Let me tell you, to secure your position and prevent your parents from neglecting you one day, it’s quite simple. Just don’t let go of Jiang Suizhou. Oh, not only don’t let go, but also pull him closer.”

“And then?”

“Then, if being a boyfriend isn’t enough, you might as well go get a marriage certificate with him.”

Guan Xi immediately objected, “Impossible. We agreed not to get married before I turn twenty-eight.”

“No, it’s not about getting married early. Getting married is already part of your plan. Moreover, you know how much your parents like Jiang Suizhou. If you don’t want to be completely ignored by them, if you don’t want things to blow up one day and be gossiped about by those opportunistic women, you need capital. Look, if you marry Jiang Suizhou, even if you’re unlucky enough to lose the identity of the Guan family’s daughter, you’ll still be Jiang’s daughter-in-law. Who would dare to look down on you then?”

In this world of mixed interests and power struggles within such families and social classes, stability is essential.

Guan Xi propped her chin up and remained silent for a while, then said, “But…”

“Remove the ‘but,’” Lang Ningyi said. “Your parents are businesspeople, and they are much more cunning than you think. You and Jiang Suizhou have collaborated on many matters since you’ve been together, and they have benefited a lot from it. As long as you stay with Jiang Suizhou, you’re their money tree. Have you ever seen anyone neglecting a money tree?”

Guan Xi glared at Lang Ningyi, ready to argue that her parents had treated her well all along, pampering her all the way. How could they only see her as a money tree? But as she opened her mouth, her mother’s expression when talking about the biological daughter flashed in her mind.

Guan Xi suddenly fell silent again.

At least a money tree could still shake money.

If she, without any blood ties, lost even this advantage, could she still live in the Guan family without any worries? Would she still have a place in the company in the future? If the biological daughter didn’t like her, would she be marginalized by her parents?

The thought of a future where she might end up bowing and bending over backward to that girl sent a shiver down Guan Xi’s spine.

“You said…,” Guan Xi took a sip from the tall wine glass, “I need to improve my relationship with Jiang Suizhou now, yes, establish a good relationship. I have to make my parents think I’m very important, that without me, they would suffer a huge loss!”

“Right, don’t worry. Even though you’re currently holding a supporting female role script, sis is on your side!”

Guan Xi choked a bit, “What?!”

Lang Ningyi said, “A supporting female role script, your situation is something I’ve seen a lot in my novels. After the poor female lead regains her position, the supporting female character resorts to all sorts of schemes to maintain her status. But don’t worry, you definitely won’t have a tragic ending like the second female lead in there!”

“…………”

With a stern face, Guan Xi finished the meal and left the private room. Due to drinking, she planned to call for a cab. As soon as she opened the app, someone called her name from behind.

Turning around, she saw several young men and women walking towards her from the corridor. Among them were two people she was familiar with—her uncle’s son and daughter, Wei Xiuyang and Wei Zihan.

Guan Xi felt repulsed seeing Wei Zihan, and the feeling was mutual. When they made eye contact, they both looked away and walked straight to the door. They had never gotten along since childhood, accumulating grievances over the years, and couldn’t stand each other.

However, Guan Xi had a good relationship with Wei Xiuyang, which always puzzled her. She wondered how two siblings from the same mother could have such different tastes. The one who called her just now was Wei Xiuyang. He approached and asked, “You had dinner here today.”

Guan Xi, lowering her gaze and fidgeting with her phone, responded, “Mmm.”

Wei Xiuyang glanced at her screen, “Calling for a cab? You’ve been drinking.”

“Yeah.”

“No need to call, I’ll take you home.”

Guan Xi glanced at Wei Zihan, who had walked away, “Doesn’t your sister need you to take her?”

“No, she drove here.” Wei Xiuyang glanced at her, “Besides, you’re also my sister.”

Guan Xi’s hand, tapping on the phone, paused. She didn’t think much of it before, but now realizing that this brother had no blood relation to her, she felt a bit disheartened.

A few minutes later, Guan Xi got into Wei Xiuyang’s car.

“To Jialin Jingyuan,” she said.

Wei Xiuyang reached out to fasten the seatbelt, “Are you going to see Jiang Suizhou?”

“He’s not home today.”

“Then why are you going to his place? Why not go home?”

Guan Xi leaned her head against the seat, looking ahead lazily, “Why do you care so much?”

Wei Xiuyang frowned slightly, glancing at her.

She might be a bit tipsy, her eyes carrying a hint of drunkenness. At this moment, she lazily tilted her head, and the hand she rested on the car’s seat slid down, her delicate wrist shining white under the interior light.

Wei Xiuyang looked away, started the car, and said, “Why haven’t you broken up with him yet?”

Guan Xi replied, “Why should I break up with him.”

“Haven’t these few years been enough? Does he really like you that much?”

Guan Xi glared at him, “Wei Xiuyang, believe it or not, I’ll punch you right now.”

“I’m just stating the facts. You’re the only daughter of Aunt and Uncle. If you really don’t want to, they won’t force you to marry anyone. You don’t have to marry Jiang Suizhou just for those messy business interests.”

Guan Xi’s hand trembled slightly. The only daughter… Not anymore.

“Are you even listening to me?”

Guan Xi turned her head, feeling somewhat frustrated, “You don’t understand.”

She couldn’t be without Jiang Suizhou now. Raise an army for a thousand days, use it for a moment. It was time for Jiang Suizhou to play his part.

Break up? What breakup! Even if Mars collided with Earth, she would hold hands with Jiang Suizhou and enter a new era!

Later, Guan Xi and Wei Xiuyang parted ways without much joy, but she had gotten used to Wei Xiuyang getting mad at her. Her cousin was actually the same age as her, just a few months younger, but she had always been dominant. They were classmates in middle and high school. Wei Xiuyang had always disliked Jiang Suizhou, but it had partly been her fault.

Because when she was a child, she used to badmouth Jiang Suizhou in front of Wei Xiuyang, influencing him. However, after he grew to strongly dislike Jiang Suizhou, she ended up being with him.

So, whoever it was, it was a headache.

The next day, Guan Xi got up early.

She had thought all night and felt that she had to forget the terrible memory of giving a gift but being rejected by Jiang Suizhou. As a five-star girlfriend, she needed to be attentive, give surprises and gifts when he returned from business trips, move him, and deepen the relationship that hadn’t progressed much in the past three years.

If possible, she hoped he would soon happily come home, take out his ID, and happily go to the Civil Affairs Bureau with her. Certainly, this matter had a difficulty level of five stars, and she didn’t harbor too much hope.

Jiang Suizhou’s plane was scheduled to arrive at six in the evening, so he would likely get home around seven at night. Before that, Guan Xi called a few people to help her lavishly “adorn” the living room and the path from the entrance to the living room. Petals, balloons, candles – nothing should be missing. Additionally, she selected twenty-eight gifts, had them wrapped, and piled them on the coffee table, forming a small mountain.

At six thirty, the assisting crowd left. Guan Xi sat on the sofa, pouring herself a few glasses of wine. With the alcohol kicking in, she looked at everything in the house, moved by her own efforts.

What the hell kind of goddess girlfriend is she? If she were a man, he would definitely marry her!!!!

Guan Xi had mentioned to Jiang Suizhou before he boarded the plane that she would be waiting for him at home, so Jiang Suizhou returned right on time. At seven ten, she heard the unlocking sound of the front door.

She quickly set down her wine glass and stood up. Jiang Suizhou was on the phone while entering the door code. He didn’t expect to encounter such a scene when he opened the door. Petals covered the floor, forming a small path extending from the entrance to the living room. Alongside the petal path, two rows of neatly placed lit candles, and at the end of the path, floating balloons and stacked gift boxes. 

Guan Xi smiled warmly at him.

Jiang Suizhou’s gaze slightly paused. He said to the person on the phone, “Let’s talk tomorrow at the company,” and hung up.

He stood in place for two seconds, somewhat incredulous. “You—”

“Surprised or not surprised? Unexpected or expected?!” Guan Xi stood where she was, with a beaming smile, “Today is our anniversary. I thought, in the past, you always gave me gifts, so this time I should express my love for you.”

Jiang Suizhou, rarely puzzled, asked, “What anniversary?”

Guan Xi extended her fingers and calculated for a moment, “Today is our 880th day anniversary of kissing. Don’t you remember?”

“…”

What a wonderful day.

“Not remembering is not important; what’s important is my intention.” Guan Xi burped a little from the alcohol, unabashedly smiled, “Jiang Suizhou, I love you~ Love you so much that I can’t live without you~”

After drinking a few glasses, she reached this state.

Jiang Suizhou raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of amusement in his eyes. “Guan Xi, did you set your eyes on another limited edition bag?”

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