Chapter 1: Graduation

It was drizzling the day Jiang Nai arrived in Minghai City.

In the arrivals hall, a middle-aged man stood waiting eagerly. After about ten minutes, he finally spotted a slender figure emerging.

Dressed casually for the long flight, she wore a loose fog-blue slip dress and white canvas shoes. Her long hair was tied up, and her fresh face was makeup-free. In her right hand, she pulled a large suitcase, and a white, thin jacket was draped over her left wrist. She glanced around as she walked out, a bit of weariness on her face.

The middle-aged man waved her over.

Seeing him, she walked up and greeted him with a smile, “Uncle Zhong.”

“Oh, Miss, you must be tired. Let’s get you home,” Uncle Zhong said, taking her luggage.

Jiang Nai released her hold. “Thank you, Uncle Zhong, sorry to trouble you.”

“No trouble at all, it’s my duty,” Uncle Zhong replied kindly. “The meal at home is ready, and everyone’s waiting for you to come back so we can celebrate your graduation.”

Jiang Nai was surprised. “Everyone? Who else is there?”

“The young masters and ladies are all here today.”

The Jiang family had two grandsons and two granddaughters in this generation, with Jiang Nai being the youngest. Since her parents were no longer around, she was the only one who lived at the old house with her grandparents.

She had always maintained a somewhat distant relationship with her older cousins, so she found it hard to believe they would gather specifically to celebrate her graduation.

It was probably at her grandfather’s request… just a formality.

After getting in the car, Jiang Nai set her jacket aside and leaned back wearily against the seat.

The rain showed no signs of stopping. She gazed at the blurred cityscape outside, her thoughts drifting.

Ding ding—

Her phone rang, pulling her back to reality. She picked it up.

“Are you back?” came the voice of an elderly woman.

Jiang Nai nodded. “Yes, Grandma, I’m in the car now.”

“Good. How about Qingji?”

Jiang Nai hesitated for a moment and said, “He went on a business trip a few days ago and probably hasn’t returned yet.”

“Probably? You don’t keep in touch with him? Didn’t you tell him you were coming back today?” 

The elderly woman’s tone carried a hint of reproach and dissatisfaction, but it was more about Jiang Nai not contacting him than the fact that he hadn’t shown up to pick her up on the day she returned home after graduating.

“Grandma, he’s really busy,” Jiang Nai replied, trying to placate her.

The elderly woman on the other end took a sharp breath as if she had more to say but stopped herself, finally choosing to hang up without another word.

Uncle Zhong, who was driving, heard the conversation and glanced at Jiang Nai through the rearview mirror before discreetly looking away. Out of all the young masters and ladies in the Jiang family, Uncle Zhong favored Jiang Nai the most. Although he had watched the others grow up since childhood and Jiang Nai only officially returned to the Jiang family at sixteen, she had a good nature.

Children from prominent families often had an air of entitlement and pride, which inevitably led to condescension and neglect towards those serving them. But Jiang Nai was different; she was always kind and polite to the drivers, chefs, and housekeepers at home.

When she was in high school and returned home, she would even share stories about what happened at school, creating a sense of closeness. Perhaps it was because he genuinely saw her as one of the younger generation, Uncle Zhong sighed inwardly.

Marriage for people in their world wasn’t like ordinary folks, where they could choose for themselves. While the young master was excellent and came from a distinguished background, the lack of emotional connection in a marriage was still lamentable. 

Poor young lady, so young.

Jiang Nai was unaware of Uncle Zhong’s silent sympathy for her. 

After the call ended, she didn’t feel any particular way. She adjusted her posture and planned to rest her eyes for a while. Unexpectedly, her phone buzzed again. She thought it might be another message from her grandmother, but it turned out to be her college roommate, Xue Lin.

A hint of relaxed cheer appeared in Jiang Nai’s eyes.

Xue Lin: [Have you arrived, have you arrived?]

Jiang Nai replied: [Just got here, heading home now]

Xue Lin: [When are we meeting up?]

Jiang Nai: [Anytime, tomorrow or the day after? Just let me know when you’re free.]

Xue Lin: [You’re willing to see me so soon? What about your husband?]

Jiang Nai: [He’s on a business trip, not sure when he’ll be back.]

Xue Lin quickly sent several eye-rolling emojis: [What’s up with your husband? You guys just got married last month and are still in your honeymoon phase, right? He didn’t even pick you up when you returned home after graduation?]

Jiang Nai: [It’s not a big deal. I don’t need him to pick me up, and he really is busy with work.]

Xue Lin: [You’re still defending him! Honestly, I think your marriage was too sudden and doesn’t seem reliable!]

Jiang Nai smirked lightly, as if she could imagine Xue Lin getting all worked up. She wasn’t sure if the marriage was reliable, but it definitely wasn’t sudden. It had been decided back in her senior year of college. If not for her ongoing studies, it wouldn’t have been delayed until now.

Jiang Nai: [Alright, let’s talk later when we meet.]

Jiang Nai exited the chat with Xue Lin, her eyes drifting down to a blank profile picture.

The image seemed to have been taken on a snowy slope, with snow-laden fir trees on the right side and a small portion of a snowboard peeking out on the left. Other than that, it was a vast expanse of snow, desolate and wide.

The photo was casually taken, yet oddly artistic.

And the owner of this subtly poetic profile picture was her husband of one month, Li Qingji.

When she opened the chat, the last messages were from two days ago. She had informed him that she was returning to the country. He had responded apologetically, saying he would be away on a business trip. She replied that it was fine. They hadn’t said anything more, and frankly, she didn’t know what else to say.

Li Qingji was still someone she barely knew.

——

An hour later, the car drove down a quiet, paved road.

It was early autumn, and the plane trees on either side showed signs of turning yellow, their leaves rustling softly in the evening breeze. After the car turned off the main road, it entered the gates of the Chongyun Junting residential community. It then continued down a lush path and finally stopped in front of a grand, elegant villa.

Uncle Zhong got out to open her door and took her luggage.

Jiang Nai had actually been back last month when her elders had chosen an auspicious day for her and Li Qingji to register their marriage. But because she still had matters related to her graduation to settle, she left right after getting the marriage certificate and only returned now that she had her degree in hand.

When she entered the house, she saw her older brothers and sisters sitting in the living room, surrounded by her grandfather and grandmother. They had seemed to be chatting and laughing before she arrived, an atmosphere full of warmth and harmony.

Her arrival, however, slightly disrupted this scene.

“Grandpa, Grandma, I’m back.” Jiang Nai stepped forward and greeted everyone.

Her grandfather acknowledged her with a nod and said, “Go upstairs and change your clothes, freshen up, and come down to eat.”

“Alright.”

Jiang Nai complied, nodding gently to the others present, who returned her gesture in a similarly lukewarm manner. After changing into a clean outfit, she came back downstairs, where dinner had already started. The elders and younger members sat in a row, with two empty seats available. She chose one and sat down.

“Where’s Qingji? Why isn’t he here?” Grandfather Jiang Yuantao, a man who still carried an imposing presence even in his old age, frowned.

Faced with the same question her grandmother had asked over the phone, Jiang Nai had to repeat her answer: he was on a business trip.

The old man’s brow furrowed. “Nai Nai, I didn’t say much when you insisted on going abroad for your graduate studies, which delayed the wedding. But now that you’re back and you and Qingji have your marriage certificate, you need to cultivate your relationship, understand?”

Jiang Nai lowered her eyes, staring at the food in her bowl. “I understand.”

“Then you should have contacted him as soon as you got back. Today isn’t just any ordinary day; it’s the day you graduated. You two should—”

“Grandpa, why force people?” A woman on the other side spoke up. She appeared to be three or four years older than Jiang Nai, with refined features, short hair, and wearing a chic, tailored outfit.

She took a bite of her food and said slowly, “It’s already been said he’s on a business trip. Work must be more important than a wife, after all.”

“Jiang Yao,” the old man’s face darkened.

Jiang Yao fell silent at the warning, but the mocking glint in her eyes was still evident.

Jiang Nai had long been accustomed to Jiang Yao’s barbed comments and had no intention of arguing with her. Besides, what Jiang Yao said wasn’t entirely wrong. To Li Qingji, she likely wasn’t more important than his work.

Grandfather continued, “In any case, since you’re married now, you should act like a married couple and make decisions together…”

He spoke at length, and Jiang Nai listened quietly until he finished.

After dinner, she went upstairs to her room. After freshening up, she sat at her desk, looking over documents from companies to which she had sent her resume. The idea of a Jiang family heiress applying for jobs might seem strange to some, but that was exactly what she wanted to do.

She didn’t want to join Jiang Corporation, where she’d be overshadowed by others and never be allowed to touch anything meaningful, turning into a useless person. That was why, at the dinner table earlier, when her grandfather mentioned having her cousins take her to tour the company and find her a position, she refused.

She wanted to forge her own path.

As she typed on her keyboard, searching for information, someone suddenly knocked on her door.

“Miss, sir is here,” said the housemaid, standing outside.

Jiang Nai turned, surprised. “Li Qingji?”

“Yes,” the maid said. “He just arrived and is talking downstairs. The madam asked you to come down.”

Jiang Nai had already changed into her nightwear and was preparing to go to bed. She hadn’t expected Li Qingji to appear tonight.

Wasn’t he supposed to be on a business trip?

“Miss, let’s go.”

Jiang Nai responded, grabbed the coat she had draped nearby, and went downstairs.

Faint voices could be heard coming from the direction of the living room. Jiang Nai saw the man sitting at the center of the living room sofa as she came down the stairs.

The temperature had dropped sharply in the evening, and he had just come in from outside, bringing a hint of chill with him. He was dressed impeccably in a shirt and trousers, slightly turned to face the elder beside him, nodding courteously from time to time.

Their conversation paused, probably due to the sound of her footsteps, and his gaze shifted over.

Jiang Nai stopped moving when she met his eyes. The man before her had a gentle, refined appearance, but his eyes made him seem unapproachable. His eyes were distinctly beautiful, shaped like phoenix eyes, but their light color often gave off an illusion of indifference and coldness.

“Qingji, it’s already so late. Why don’t you stay the night? There are clothes prepared for you in Nai Nai’s room,” Grandma said.

Li Qingji withdrew his gaze from Jiang Nai and smiled, “No, Grandma, I have some work to take care of at the company tomorrow morning.”

“Alright then, I won’t insist,” Grandma said, looking at Jiang Nai. “Nai Nai, pack up anything you need. Now that Qingji is back, you two should go home.”

Jiang Nai had thought Li Qingji would be away from home for a while, which was why she had been staying here. She hadn’t expected to leave so soon.

“Okay.” She turned back and headed upstairs.

“Qingji, stay a bit longer,” the old man’s voice called from downstairs. “What have you been busy with lately?”

…

She hadn’t fully unpacked her things, so packing her luggage was relatively easy. As she walked out of her room, she ran into Jiang Yao, who glanced at her suitcase and then walked back to her room with a cold expression.

Chongyun Junting was located in a quiet district of Minghai City, somewhat far from the city center.

However, Li Qingji and Jiang Nai’s marital home was in the bustling center of the city, near the Hengchuan headquarters, making it convenient for Li Qingji’s work.

The butler loaded Jiang Nai’s luggage into the car and opened the car door for her. When she sat in the car, she realized she was still wearing her pajamas under her coat. She pulled her coat tighter around herself.

“Are you cold?” Li Qingji’s voice suddenly came from beside her.

Jiang Nai looked up. “Huh?”

Li Qingji glanced at her outfit and said lightly, “Is that not warm enough?”

Jiang Nai cleared her throat. “It’s fine.”

Nonetheless, Li Qingji said, “Turn up the temperature.”

“Yes, sir,” the assistant in the front promptly adjusted the setting.

The car drove down the road, and the assistant remained silent, with no music playing, making the car feel especially quiet. Jiang Nai murmured a thank you but felt somewhat uneasy because of Li Qingji and the unknown future of their post-marriage life.

“Do you no longer need to go back to school?” Li Qingji spoke again, breaking the silence.

Jiang Nai replied, “No, everything in the U.S. has been taken care of.”

“Alright.”

Jiang Nai didn’t look at him directly, only glimpsing his hand in her peripheral vision. It rested casually on his trouser leg, with clean, slender fingers and faint, raised veins on the back.

Unable to help herself, she asked, “Why did you come back today? Weren’t you on a business trip?”

“The project is nearly completed, but I couldn’t make it in time for dinner tonight. My apologies.”

Although he said ‘apologies,’ his tone carried little genuine regret.

Even so, Jiang Nai felt unsettled and instinctively sat up straight. “You didn’t have to rush back just for this; it wasn’t that urgent… I could handle things with Grandpa and Grandma.”

Li Qingji turned his gaze to her.

Jiang Nai said earnestly, “Work should come first.”

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