Chapter 9: Jealousy

Guan Xi was afraid of water; she was like a cat avoiding water at all times. Whenever her friends had swimsuit parties, she would just wear a swimsuit for photos or float around in the water with an inflatable ring.

Now that she was completely submerged, she felt panicked and desperately flapped her limbs, water entering her mouth and nose. The taste of choking water was unpleasant, and the feeling of suffocation accompanied the overwhelming flow of water, making her feel helpless and chaotic.

Fortunately, the sensation of impending death did not last too long. Someone grabbed her around the waist.

Terrified, Guan Xi coughed and, without hesitation, immediately clung tightly to the rescuer.

“You won’t die, let go a bit.” A familiar voice came from beside her.

Struggling, Guan Xi reluctantly opened her eyes, only to see Jiang Suizhou frowning slightly, his eyes gleaming coldly as he looked at her. He was still dressed in a suit, but it was clearly soaked.

Guan Xi was stunned, “How… how are you here?”

Jiang Suizhou paused, didn’t answer, and held onto her, swimming towards the shore. When they reached the steps, he guided her up. However, after just one step, he realized that the dress she was wearing now dripping water, and now clinging to the body.

“Wait.”

Guan Xi turned to look at him.

Jiang Suizhou gestured to the people on the shore and was about to signal Lang Ningyi to throw over a coat. However, a black suit jacket was already handed to Guan Xi.

“Miss Guan, here, take it” Xie Yan stood by the pool, offering the jacket just in time.

Guan Xi realized and quickly took the jacket, putting it on. “Thanks.”

Jiang Suizhou glanced at Xie Yan, and the latter nodded at him as a greeting.

“Oh my god, Miss, how did you end up in the water?” Song Li, who was also in the pool, swam over just now.

Lang Ningyi extended her hand from the shore, “Guan Xi, are you okay?”

Guan Xi waved her hand to indicate that she was fine.

Song Li, lying on a floating mat, chuckled, “There are people in the pool, so someone would have saved you. You wouldn’t have drowned.”

Guan Xi gave him a glare.

Song Li quickly added, “But we won’t take credit for it. After all, our Mr. Jiang here jumped in fast enough.”

Jumped in fast enough?

Guan Xi looked at Jiang Suizhou, who had just come out of the water. So, he had just arrived? He actually jumped into the water to save her?

Her point wasn’t that he would rather see her drown, but rather that there were plenty of people in the pool, and someone would have come to help her without needing someone neatly dressed on the shore to jump in. Based on her understanding of Jiang Suizhou, he should have been standing on the shore directing others to help.

“Why are you staring? Go change your clothes.” Jiang Suizhou said.

Guan Xi glanced at him a couple more times, feeling a bit sweet inside. Being extra nice and caring to Er Gou recently seemed to be quite effective.

Tightening her jacket, she was about to go up when she suddenly saw Wei Xiuyang emerging from the pool. His suit jacket was also soaked, and his shirt clung to his chest.

Guan Xi immediately frowned, “Are you insane? Why would you wear this into the water?”

Wei Xiuyang glared at her, “I was trying to save you!”

Guan Xi: “Oh.”

Wei Xiuyang directly took off his jacket, not in a good mood. “Are you okay?”

Guan Xi: “I’m fine.”

Wei Xiuyang twisted the jacket, relieved.

“Let’s go.” Jiang Suizhou pulled Guan Xi’s wrist.

“Okay.”

Once on the shore, as she passed by Xie Yan, Guan Xi remembered something important, “Mr. Xie, your phone—”

“It’s already been retrieved.”

“Sorry, I’ll buy you a new one.”

“It’s okay, it’s waterproof,” Xie Yan said. “Go change your clothes quickly, and thank you.”

Guan Xi felt a bit awkward. Thank her for what… for throwing his phone into the pool, or for jumping in with the phone?

“No need to thank me.”

The cheerful atmosphere was briefly disrupted. After Guan Xi and Jiang Suizhou entered the house, the excitement gradually resumed outside. Upstairs, in the room, Guan Xi sat on a chair, wrapped in his jacket, shivering slightly. Although the weather was warm now, coming out of the water suddenly still felt a bit cold.

Jiang Suizhou’s clothes were soaked, and the weight pressed against him made him feel irritable. He regretted why he had jumped into the water just now; it would have been more convenient for someone nearby to fetch her.

“Have they sent the clothes over?” Guan Xi sneezed.

“Go take a shower first. I’ll bring them in for you later.” Jiang Suizhou adjusted the temperature of the air conditioning, removed the jacket someone else had put on her, and threw it on the floor. “Go.”

Guan Xi nodded and went to the bathroom.

She quickly took a hot shower. After finishing, Lang Ningyi had already arranged for fresh clothes to be delivered. Jiang Suizhou helped her bring the clothes into the bathroom. When she was changing, he directly took off his own clothes and walked into the shower.

After Jiang Suizhou finished showering, put on his clothes, and stood in front of the mirror, Guan Xi turned off the hairdryer and looked at him in the mirror, “When did you come?”

Jiang Suizhou adjusted his collar and said, “When you were chatting with someone.”

“Chatting? With whom???”

Could it be that he was referring to Xie Yan?

Guan Xi immediately denied, “I didn’t chat with him.”

“I saw it.”

“What did you see?”

“What do you think?”

“I didn’t chat with him!”

“Okay, then why did you give him your number?” Jiang Suizhou said.

“That’s because—” Guan Xi paused. Huh? Was she being interrogated?

Not happy? Could Er Gou be jealous? Guan Xi raised an eyebrow, feeling a bit amused.

“Just getting to know each other. He’s a promising young man, what’s wrong with getting to know him?” she deliberately said.

Jiang Suizhou glanced at her, “Like him? Should I set you up?”

Jiang Suizhou’s eyes were dark, as if still immersed in the annoyance of getting his suit wet. Guan Xi dared not nod under his gaze.

“Just getting to know each other, why talk about liking. Look at you, always joking around. Although I admit he’s quite handsome, but no matter how handsome, can he be more handsome than my precious?” she said.

“…”

Jiang Suizhou remained indifferent to her praise.

Guan Xi asked, “But you know him?”

Jiang Suizhou replied, “Had a few meals with him.”

“You even had meals with him, looks like you’re quite familiar.” Guan Xi said, “So, you also know about him…”

“What?”

“It’s nothing. I just heard Ningyi say he’s the adopted son of the Xie family, but he seems quite capable. They say he’s even more favored than the biological son.”

Jiang Suizhou buttoned his cuff, his tone still icy, “Just an adopted son, can’t compare to the biological one.”

Guan Xi was stunned, turning her head abruptly to look at him.

Jiang Suizhou lowered his gaze, not seeing the sudden change on her face, “Just being favored, in the end, can’t compare to being biological. So now he needs—”

“Why can’t he compare to the biological one?” Guan Xi slammed the hairdryer onto the table as if she had been stepped on her tail, “He has the same feelings for his parents, has lived in this home for so many years, he loves this family as much as the biological son. You don’t know anything, why say he can’t compare to the biological one!”

Jiang Suizhou hesitated, “Why are you so angry?”

Guan Xi choked, “I just feel what you said is wrong!”

“Wrong?” Jiang Suizhou looked at her anxious explanation, his face turning cold, “I’m just stating the facts. The Xie family’s performance is just for show, and Xie Yan himself is well aware of his situation. Guan Xi, it’s only been one night, and you’re already so familiar with him that you’re standing up for him?”

Guan Xi’s makeup had been washed away, revealing a slightly pale face.

She glared at him, and the panic in her heart seemed to be completely pulled up, “Do you think being an adopted son is shameful and deserving of contempt? Others don’t have a choice either.”

Jiang Suizhou reached out to pull her, “What’s wrong with you…”

Slap—

She slapped away his hand.

Jiang Suizhou frowned, “Guan Xi!”

“Don’t talk to me.” Guan Xi turned and left the bathroom.

Outside, the people had had enough fun, and Song Li invited everyone to his restaurant for drinks and food. When Guan Xi went downstairs, there were only a few people left in the living room. Wei Xiuyang saw her coming down and walked over, “Where are you going?”

Guan Xi picked up her bag, “Tell Ningyi for me, I’m leaving.”

Wei Xiuyang said, “The party is just getting started.”

“I’m not feeling well; I want to go home.”

Wei Xiuyang immediately offered, “I’ll drive you.”

“I came by car myself, and besides, you’ve been drinking. You want to drive me when you’re drunk, do you want me to die?”

Having known Guan Xi for so many years, Wei Xiuyang could tell from her demeanor that she was not in a good mood. “Such a big fire, did you have an argument with him?”

“I don’t have the mood to argue with him!” Guan Xi walked straight towards the front door.

Wei Xiuyang frowned. Turning around, he saw Jiang Suizhou coming down from upstairs. When he saw Guan Xi falling into the water by the pool, his immediate reaction was to go down and rescue her. But at that moment, he also saw another figure not far away moving faster than him.

He didn’t know who it was, but when Guan Xi was pulled out of the water by someone, he saw that it was Jiang Suizhou. It was a bit unexpected, but it still didn’t make him think that Jiang Suizhou was a reliable person.

Jiang Suizhou also overheard their conversation just now, but he and Wei Xiuyang had never exchanged words. After giving Wei Xiuyang a glance, he walked away. In the restaurant, Song Li had prepared fine wine and delicious food. The people who had played by the pool changed into dry clothes and gathered there.

Seeing Jiang Suizhou coming in, Song Li stood up and waved to him, “Here, here, here.”

All eyes in the room followed Jiang Suizhou’s movements. Jiang Suizhou ignored it and calmly sat down next to Song Li.

Song Li asked, “Where’s Guan Xi? Is she not feeling well yet?”

Jiang Suizhou said, “Feeling a bit unwell, so I’m heading back.”

Song Li asked, “Is everything okay? Did our miss got a scare just now?”

Jiang Suizhou replied, “Yes.”

“Wa… will she hold a grudge against me? Having a birthday banquet and pushing her into the water—uh, you have to help me apologize to her. Otherwise, the next time we meet, she’ll surely shoot cold arrows at me.”

“I’ll go back in a while.”

“Okay, okay, okay. You go back early and soothe her when you get home.”

However, Jiang Suizhou was not sure where Guan Xi got her anger from. He took a sip of his drink and looked at Xie Yan, who was sitting a distance away from him.

Is it really because of him?

Guan Xi drove away, speeding all the way. As she drove, she suddenly realized that she was heading in the direction of Jiang Suizhou’s house. Feeling annoyed, she abruptly stopped by the roadside. She gripped the steering wheel, frustration written all over her face.

That damn Er Gou! Is his mouth contaminated? What nonsense is he spouting!

Can’t be presentable? I was born with outstanding qualities; I can trample on any stage!

In her mind, Guan Xi cursed Jiang Suizhou countless times and tortured him endlessly. But after calming down, she felt that her outburst was abrupt. Probably, in Jiang Suizhou’s eyes, it was even more inexplicable. But at the moment, she couldn’t control herself. She knew he wasn’t talking about her, but she still personalized it.

In fact, she had thought about it. Considering Jiang Suizhou’s style and their relationship, if he knew about this, he would definitely reassess their relationship. Breaking up was highly likely.

But what she didn’t expect was that, in a situation she had anticipated, hearing his true thoughts would make her so angry.

Previous

Next