Lin Tianya wrapped her arms around Jiang Qingtian, tilting her head up, "Brother Qingtian, as long as I can be with you, I’m willing to be someone else’s stand-in."
After Lin Tianya spoke, she went on tiptoe and kissed Jiang Qingtian.
Jiang Qingtian pushed Lin Tianya away harshly, his face looking terrible as he avoided Lin Tianya’s nearly tearful gaze.
Jiang Qingtian’s words struck Lin Tianya’s face like a whip, "Do you realize what you are doing? You are shaming yourself. Lin Tianya, leave my room immediately and never set foot in here again." With tears streaming, she quickly dressed and ran out of Jiang Qingtian’s room.
In the corridor, Lin Tianya bumped into Mo Qianhui, not bothering to speak with Mo Qianhui, she ran away heartbroken.
Mo Qianhui glanced at the direction Lin Tianya had run off to, called out a few times to no avail as Lin Tianya did not stop, then walked into Jiang Qingtian’s room, her face darkening at the overwhelming smell of alcohol.
"Qingtian, why have you drunk so much?" She couldn’t fathom when her outstanding and composed son had become so reckless.
Jiang Qingtian, weary, turned to look at his mother, "Mom, why did you come in?"
"Why did you make Tianya upset? She’s the daughter-in-law I am most satisfied with, your future wife. You should be cultivating a good relationship with her, do you understand?" Mo Qianhui’s voice was grave, and deep down she somewhat knew why her son was drinking—it must be because of that vixen named Qin Qin.
"Mom, I won’t marry Tianya," Jiang Qingtian objected. How could he marry someone he didn’t love?
"Nonsense, do you still have feelings for that Qin Qin? I’m warning you, I don’t like her, and you can forget about her stepping into the Jiang Family’s house."
After speaking, Mo Qianhui softened her expression, "Tianya likes you, and her family background is similar to our Jiang Family’s, making her the most suitable wife for you. Don’t let your father, mother, and grandfather down."
"Mom, I’m tired, please leave first," Jiang Qingtian, sitting on his bed, closed his eyes.
For so many years, he had constantly been taught by his mother to excel and to surpass Mo Yunchen; he strived hard, but he had always fallen short compared to his uncle Mo Yunchen. The immense pressure weighed down upon him, and just when he had someone he liked, he was told they couldn’t be together. He felt he was about to break down.
Lin Tianya didn’t go home after driving off; instead, she headed to the Jing Family’s house.
"Zhiyue, I feel so terrible," Lin Tianya said as she threw herself into Jing Zhimei’s arms, who smiled gently, "What happened?"
She pushed Lin Tianya away, annoyance flashing in her eyes; she disliked women’s whining and weeping.
Lin Tianya wiped away her tears, shook her head, and bit her lower lip, "Why can’t he accept me, what’s wrong with me?"
"Young Master Jiang?! What’s wrong?" Jing Zhimei looked perplexedly at Lin Tianya, her beautiful face showing a hint of cool detachment.
Lin Tianya let out a self-mocking laugh, "What else? He rejected me, and he’s utterly indifferent."
Jing Zhimei hadn’t expected Jiang Qingtian to be so staunch, indifferent to Lin Tianya’s temptation, just like that man who wouldn’t even spare her a glance and might even strangle her without a second thought.
After venting to Jing Zhimei, Lin Tianya felt somewhat calmer. She took a sip of the coffee offered by a servant, "What have you been up to lately? I’ve hardly seen you around."
Jing Zhimei, holding her coffee, paused momentarily, her downcast eyes gleamed darkly, "Nothing much, just some matters with the Divine Doctor Sect."
Nobody saw her grip on the coffee cup tighten. This time had been the most torturous for her; she could no longer enter Mo Yunchen’s villa, and her recent attempt to have someone kill that woman named Lu Xue Zhen had failed. She hadn’t expected Lu Xue Zhen to have an even more formidable person behind her—who could it be? She still hadn’t figured it out and had temporarily stopped any actions against the Heavenly Medicine Group. She needed to ascertain if Lu Xue Zhen was her junior sister, or if it was someone behind her instead.
The latest affairs of the Divine Doctor Sect and the entanglements with Mo Haoxuan recently meant she didn’t have the spare energy to attend to Lu Xue Zhen. Only after identifying the person behind Lu Xue Zhen would she take further action.
"Oh, you’ve really been working hard. I’ve also got to start an internship at the company soon. Oh, and today, when I went out to eat, I don’t know if I saw wrong..."
Jing Zhimei elegantly sipped her tea, asking casually, "Saw wrong about what?"
"I... I think I saw Master Mo dining out with a woman," Lin Tianya’s voice was tentative and unsure.
"Crash..." The sound of a shattering teacup startled Lin Tianya.