Chapter 37: Jealousy

Wanli was a top-tier KTV, extremely expensive.

Li Qingji being here… so he really did have some sort of social engagement tonight.

As for Xu Yan… he was probably just one part of the event.

“Jiang Nai.” Just then, Pei Xuan came out from the private room and approached her. “What are you doing here? Are you drunk? Not feeling well?”

Jiang Nai glanced to the side. “I’m fine, just wanted some fresh air.”

“Yeah, it’s a bit stuffy inside.”

As they spoke, Li Qingji and Xu Yan approached. In the narrow hallway, it was impossible not to notice each other.

Pei Xuan quickly spotted Li Qingji, paused for a moment, and greeted him. “Mr. Li.”

Li Qingji stopped, looked at Jiang Nai, then at the person beside her. “Pei Xuan?”

Pei Xuan nodded. “Yes, what a coincidence running into you here.”

Li Qingji gave a slight smile, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “Just here on some business. You’re here for… a gathering?”

Pei Xuan: “A friend’s birthday.”

“I see. Which room?”

Although puzzled as to why Li Qingji was asking, Pei Xuan still replied, “826.”

Li Qingji nodded. “And when does it end?” He looked directly at Jiang Nai.

Initially, Pei Xuan didn’t notice anything, and simply said, “That’s hard to say for sure.”

But then he realized that Li Qingji hadn’t responded to him and was looking only at Jiang Nai. It seemed like the question was directed at her, not him. Pei Xuan was momentarily taken aback. Jiang Nai, noticing Li Qingji’s gaze, felt a warning bell go off inside. She hadn’t forgotten the trouble he caused her before over Pei Xuan.

But after a moment, she reminded herself she was there to celebrate Xue Lin’s birthday; she had no control over Xue Lin inviting Pei Xuan, and besides, there was absolutely nothing going on between her and Pei Xuan.

It’s not like he was any better — he had even brought along a major celebrity. What was he looking at?

“Boss, maybe around eleven or twelve, or possibly later. Do you need something?”

She didn’t want to appear too familiar with him in front of Pei Xuan or Meng Jie, as they’d been close to her company lately, and she didn’t want to stir up any complications. To Li Qingji, however, it looked like she was eager to distance herself from him in front of Pei Xuan.

“You tell me what I need,” he replied, his expression devoid of any trace of humor.

Jiang Nai hadn’t expected him to respond like this and took a quiet breath. The two stared at each other, and the atmosphere turned tense.

“Mr. Li, Miss Jiang, perhaps you could take this to a private room,” Xu Yan interjected, glancing at Pei Xuan with a hint of amusement. She was looking forward to the scene.

Xu Yan had learned about Li Qingji and Jiang Nai’s relationship during a visit to his office. She had feelings for Li Qingji and made that evident in her words.

However, he had simply responded with, “Miss Xu, I’m married to the person who just escorted you upstairs. But she prefers to keep it private, so I hope that when working with our company, you’ll refrain from mentioning it to others.”

Xu Yan had been stunned, wondering what kind of high-society game these two were playing. She soon backed off, knowing that as a top-tier celebrity, Li Qingji had the looks and wealth to choose someone he both liked and who liked him.

Pei Xuan noticed Xu Yan’s subtle hints as she spoke and looked at her briefly. But he wasn’t much focused on the starlet now; he was more interested in understanding why Li Qingji and Jiang Nai seemed to know each other.

Not in a superior-subordinate way, but… as if they were quite close.

“Miss Xu, go on ahead and let them know I’ll be there in a couple of minutes,” Li Qingji said.

Xu Yan could sense something intriguing among the three of them, feeling a tinge of regret at not being able to watch more unfold. “Alright then, I’ll head in first. Goodbye, Miss Jiang.”

Jiang Nai: “…Goodbye.”

Once Xu Yan left, Jiang Nai also wanted to wrap things up. “Boss, my friends are still inside, so I’ll head back now.”

But just as she turned to leave, Li Qingji reached out, took hold of her arm, and pulled her back. Pei Xuan, seeing Jiang Nai suddenly grabbed, instinctively grew wary. He didn’t know what Li Qingji intended, but it was clear that Jiang Nai didn’t want to talk to him.

Without hesitation, he grabbed Jiang Nai’s other wrist. “Mr. Li, what are you doing?”

Li Qingji glanced at Pei Xuan’s hand gripping Jiang Nai protectively and the defiant tone in his voice. His expression grew darker. “Jiang Nai.”

Jiang Nai felt a jolt in her chest and instinctively pulled her hand out of Pei Xuan’s grasp. “I need to talk to him. You go inside first.”

Pei Xuan, visibly uneasy, frowned at Li Qingji. “If you have something to say, there’s no need to pull her like that.”

Li Qingji’s brows twitched slightly as he scoffed, his brief smile masking a smoldering anger. With ease, he pulled Jiang Nai into his arms.

“Do you really think you’re the one to tell me how to treat her?”

The innate authority in his tone was sharp, cutting through the air like a blade. Pei Xuan looked at their close posture, and in that moment, he seemed to realize something. Jiang Nai’s face changed slightly as she was pulled into Li Qingji’s arms, understanding he had no intention of hiding anything. He was doing this on purpose.

“Please tell Xue Lin that I’ll join you in a moment,” Jiang Nai said.

“…Alright.” Pei Xuan, with an unsettled suspicion now confirmed, turned and left, visibly shaken.

Once they were alone, Jiang Nai glared at Li Qingji. “What are you doing?”

Li Qingji released her. “What are *you* doing?”

Jiang Nai replied, “I told you already: it’s my friend’s birthday, and I’m here to celebrate with her.”

Li Qingji’s tone turned cold. “Seems like your celebration took you right outside.”

“I just stepped out for some fresh air!” Jiang Nai retorted angrily. “Why did you have to grab me like that? You did it on purpose, making people think all kinds of things.”

Li Qingji responded, “And since when does our relationship need to account for what he thinks?”

“His company works with ours, and I’d rather not complicate things.”

“Isn’t he your former classmate? Just ask him to keep it private,” Li Qingji looked down at her intently. “Or… is it that you’re afraid of him finding out?”

Jiang Nai shot back, “Of course not.”

“Good,” Li Qingji said coldly. “So what time will you be done?”

Jiang Nai turned her head away. “I don’t know!”

Li Qingji’s eyes narrowed slightly. He reached out and gently turned her face back toward him. “Let me know when you’re done. We’ll go back together.”

Jiang Nai deliberately tried to irritate him, “No need. Go take your big star home. I’ll drive myself.”

With that, she turned and left without looking back.

—

When Jiang Nai returned to the private room, she saw Pei Xuan sitting on the edge of the sofa. She knew Pei Xuan must have picked up on something. Just in case, she needed to clarify things with him. After organizing her thoughts, Jiang Nai sat down beside him.

“Senior, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about my relationship with Li Qingji before. Mainly, since I work at Siningte, I didn’t want my colleagues to think there was anything unusual, so I kept it secret.”

Pei Xuan’s suspicions were confirmed. “So, he’s the one you’re set to marry.”

“Yes.”

Pei Xuan was silent for a moment, then asked, “Did he give you a hard time just now?”

“No, he wouldn’t.”

Pei Xuan frowned, recalling some things Meng Jie had said while they were having dinner with Li Qingji earlier… No wonder he sensed hostility from Li Qingji toward him.

“Jiang Nai, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“What is it?”

Pei Xuan said, “There was a time after a meeting when we had dinner with President Li. Meng Jie drank too much and said some things he shouldn’t have. He mentioned Ming University and that you were working at Siningte. So, President Li learned about…our connection in college.”

Jiang Nai suddenly understood. “You mean, Li Qingji knew back then that I used to have a crush on you in college.”

Pei Xuan hesitated, then confirmed, “…Yes.”

So that’s how it was.

Jiang Nai finally understood where he got that information. She took a deep breath, wanting to say something, but ultimately realized there was nothing left to say. “Forget it. It doesn’t matter. That’s all in the past.”

“…”

The game in the private room continued, with everyone having a blast. They didn’t notice the two people sitting quietly on the sidelines, each lost in thought.

“Jiang Nai, if…just hypothetically…if your family hadn’t arranged for you to marry back then, would you have accepted my confession?”

Perhaps emboldened by alcohol or stirred up by their recent conversation, Pei Xuan finally asked the question he had always wanted to since reuniting with her. Back then, he could sense that she liked him. He liked her too, but they were both young. He wanted to wait until he found a stable job before confessing to her. However, by the time he was ready to come back and see her, she turned him down…

Jiang Nai glanced at him without answering immediately. After a long pause, she finally said, “Senior, I said it already. It’s all in the past.”

Pei Xuan was stunned for a moment, then smiled. “Yes… it’s in the past. Sorry, I’ve had too much to drink.”

Jiang Nai shook her head. She didn’t want to answer that question. No matter what her answer might have been back then, it held no meaning for her now. 

At eleven that night, Xue Lin’s birthday party ended successfully. Everyone was laughing and talking as they took the elevator downstairs.

“We’ve all had a lot to drink, so make sure to call a designated driver. Don’t drive yourselves,” Xue Lin reminded them one last time.

“Got it,” they replied.

“And if you take a taxi, stay safe and let us know when you get home,” Xue Lin said, pulling Jiang Nai aside. “Did you call a driver?”

Jiang Nai replied, “I’m calling one now.”

Meng Jie, who had also driven, had drunk quite a bit and was leaning against the counter, summoning a driver on his phone. After someone accepted his request, he put his phone away and looked up, about to say something, when he saw a familiar figure emerging from the elevator.

Instantly, he stood up straight and respectfully greeted the person. “President Li.”

Everyone’s attention was drawn by Meng Jie’s sudden seriousness, and they followed his gaze to the man approaching from not far away. Wanli often saw big bosses and wealthy heirs come and go… Some people naturally drew attention—not just because of their appearance, but because of a commanding presence that conveyed authority without anger.

The room fell silent instantly. Li Qingji glanced at Meng Jie and gave a slight nod.

Meng Jie stepped forward. “President Li, you’re here too. Are you leaving now?”

Li Qingji gave a light smile. “Yes.”

Then, he looked directly at Jiang Nai in the crowd. “Are you heading home?”

Meng Jie, taken aback, looked toward Jiang Nai, completely confused.

Jiang Nai pressed her lips together and turned to the people next to her. “Senior, Xue Lin, I’ll head out first.”

Xue Lin waved. “Alright, bye!”

Lin Yuanyuan blinked in surprise. “Jiang Nai, who is this…?”

Xue Lin answered, “Her husband.”

Lin Yuanyuan: “…?”

Jiang Nai added, “Take care getting home, everyone.”

Xue Lin replied, “Will do, will do.”

Jiang Nai turned and headed toward the door. Li Qingji nodded slightly to Xue Lin, then quickly caught up to Jiang Nai, taking her by the wrist as they walked out together. A car was already waiting at the main entrance, with Zhao Siyuan there to open the door for them. The people in the lobby watched in awe and curiosity as the car drove away into the night.

Only Meng Jie and Pei Xuan looked on with different expressions. Pei Xuan’s face showed resigned sadness, while Meng Jie was completely stunned.

“Xue Lin! Why didn’t you tell us Jiang Nai’s husband was this handsome?!” Lin Yuanyuan exclaimed after they’d left, finally letting her excitement show.

Xue Lin laughed, “Well, no description could do him justice—you had to see him in person. He’s really something, right? I was shocked the first time I saw him too.”

Lin Yuanyuan sighed in amazement, “Absolutely stunning. How tall is he? He looks so tall!”

Xue Lin shrugged, “No idea; you’d have to ask Nai Nai.”

“And who is he anyway, with his own driver? That car costs over eight million yuan!” another person nearby asked, wide-eyed.

Xue Lin: “After all, we’re talking about wealthy people here. Let’s stay calm and not act so inexperienced.”

[Laughter erupts]

“Hey Meng Jie, you seemed to know Jiang Nai’s husband just now. What does he do for a living?” someone asked.

Meng Jie’s face turned pale and green: “He runs a company…”

“I know he runs a company, but which one? Hey, where are you going?”

Pei Xuan: “He probably had too much to drink. I’ll take him home. You all should head back too.”

“Alright, alright.”

…

Pei Xuan quickly caught up with Meng Jie, and as soon as they reached the parking lot, Meng Jie’s anxious expression came through.

“How could Jiang Nai be Li Qingji’s wife? Is Li Qingji even married? There’s been no news about it! And why didn’t Jiang Nai say anything about it?”

Pei Xuan, with a calm expression: “She has the right not to say anything. She doesn’t owe us an explanation. Just don’t bring it up with others, especially anyone from Stinet.”

“I won’t mention it to others, but is that the main issue right now? The real issue is what I said during our last dinner together! Pei Xuan, what do we do now? I let slip that Jiang Nai used to like you and that things didn’t work out because her family introduced her to a potential husband. What’s Li Qingji going to think about that?”

Meng Jie was pacing nervously. “What if he minds? What if he gets upset? Wouldn’t that make things hard for you?”

Pei Xuan frowned slightly: “He won’t. Don’t overthink it; he doesn’t seem like that kind of person.”

“But that’s his wife!”

Pei Xuan: “It doesn’t matter. Talking about it now is pointless. Just act as if it never happened, and don’t mention it again.”

Meng Jie looked downcast and apologetic: “I’m really sorry. It was all my fault. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“It’s fine.”

“But it’s probably for the best that you two never got together. If Jiang Nai can marry someone like Li Qingji, her family must be pretty remarkable, though she never really gave off that impression…”

Pei Xuan paused for a moment: “Let’s get in the car.”

“Alright…”

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