After Becoming the Family Head, I Got an Unofficial Fiancée (GL) - Chapter 2

During dinner, the two families intentionally arranged for Gu Weiyan and Jiang Man to sit together. Gu Weiyan had lost her temper, but she couldn’t refuse anymore, so she just sat down.

Jiang Man put her backpack behind her chair and sat at only a third of the seat, unlike Gu Weiyan, who immediately sat down without much care.

Sitting beside Gu Weiyan, Old Master Gu glanced at his granddaughter, furrowing his brows slightly. He coughed gently and said, “Weiyan, you and Xiao Man haven’t met before, have you? This should be your first time meeting.”

A middle-aged woman sitting not far away smiled and said, “That’s right, these two kids have never met before, so they must be unfamiliar with each other. Xiao Man, say hello to your sister Weiyan, why are you just sitting there not saying anything?”

Jiang Man looked a bit awkward, glancing at Gu Weiyan, who was casually drinking tea. She then whispered, “Hello, I’m Jiang Man…”

Gu Weiyan thought the girl’s voice was as soft as a quail’s, and couldn’t help but laugh. “How old are you? Are you an adult now?”

“Yes, I’m 18,” the middle-aged woman laughed. “She just turned 18 last month. She’s already a big kid.”

“18 isn’t that old, though,” Gu Weiyan smiled as she put down her teacup. “I remember when I was 18, I didn’t know anything. It’s been nearly ten years already, and I wonder if Miss Jiang and I even have anything in common.”

The “little quail” beside her froze at her words, holding her teacup and pretending not to care. But her darting eyes betrayed her feelings.

“Although, 18 is indeed a big kid,” Gu Weiyan turned to look at Jiang Man and asked, “What grade are you in this year?”

The question didn’t sound like it came from a fiancée, but more like a conversation between an elder and a child.

“What grade are you in?”

“What scores did you get on your exams?”

“What’s your overall rank in school?”

Jiang Man shyly looked up at her, speaking in a soft, polite voice, “I’m going into my senior year of high school.”

Gu Weiyan nodded, “In your senior year, you should focus on your studies, right?”

Jiang Man didn’t know if she should agree or disagree. Gu Weiyan’s aura was quite strong, and she felt a little intimidated, so she just froze, unsure of what to say.

The middle-aged woman noticed Jiang Man wasn’t responding and became annoyed. With a stiff smile, she said, “Academics are indeed important, but Xiao Man’s grades are pretty good, so college admission is not an issue. What’s more important is finding the right person to be with.”

Gu Weiyan glanced at the middle-aged woman. She remembered that this woman was the eldest daughter-in-law of the Jiang family, not Jiang Man’s mother.

“Aunt,” Gu Weiyan smiled and looked at the woman, then retorted, “Finding the right person to be with is important, but for a girl to live well, she can’t be lacking in herself. College may not be the only way, but it’s the easiest path. You can’t look down on the college entrance exam.”

Old Master Gu saw Gu Weiyan starting to argue again and couldn’t help but frown. He said, “Weiyan, don’t say such things right now. The dishes are ready, get up and toast to the elders from the Jiang family.”

When it came to toasts, this was Gu Weiyan’s strong suit. Though she wasn’t a bold woman, drinking a bottle of white wine alone was no problem for her.

Gu Weiyan stood up and began to toast each person at the table. She expertly navigated the drinking culture, making everyone at the Jiang family’s table laugh and smile, all thrilled by her manners. By the time the banquet ended, Gu Weiyan had managed to drink several people under the table.

The dinner started at 7 PM and lasted until 10 PM. Old Master Gu and the elderly members of the Jiang family couldn’t stay up late. Seeing no one left who could drink, Gu Weiyan couldn’t help but lean on Old Master Gu and said, “Grandpa, let me take you home.”

Having known Gu Weiyan’s personality for years, Old Master Gu understood she was being polite on the surface but didn’t want to be at the dinner.

He was also impressed that she could act so warmly despite it all.

“Alright,” Old Master Gu said without pressuring her. “I’ll ride with you. I need to talk to you.”

After the Gu family left, Jiang Man got up to check on her family. She saw her aunt was already tipsy, so she poured her some tea and gently patted her back, saying, “Aunt, drink some water.”

The woman’s face was flushed as she held her head with one hand and took the tea. She asked, “Did you talk to the third young lady from the Gu family?”

Jiang Man shook her head. Throughout the dinner, Gu Weiyan hadn’t spoken to her at all, except for a few words at the beginning.

The woman rolled her eyes and muttered impatiently, “You’re so clueless. How are you so dull? You’re just sitting there like a fool. If you go to the Gu family, you’ll just be treated badly.”

Jiang Man grabbed the corner of her clothes, lowered her head, and said nothing.

Meanwhile, Gu Weiyan sat in her Maybach, staring out at the torrential rain.

The oppressive pressure of the day finally lifted, and the rain poured down, slapping against the car windows with a loud sound.

“Weiyan.”

Old Master Gu was sitting beside her, looking at her nonchalantly and said, “What do you think of the Jiang family’s younger daughter?”

Upon hearing this, Gu Weiyan felt a headache coming on. She rubbed her forehead and pretended, “Grandpa, I just drank, my head hurts. I think I’ll sleep for a bit.”

“Don’t try to be clever with me,” Old Master Gu, though in his seventies, still had plenty of energy in his voice. Looking at his granddaughter acting this way, he said in frustration, “I think Jiang Man is a good, sensible child. You should spend more time with her. She doesn’t have parents. She’s been living with her uncle’s family, and those two who came today are her uncle and aunt.”

Gu Weiyan put down her hand from her forehead and asked, “Where are her parents?”

“They died in a car accident when she was in her teens,” Old Master Gu looked at Gu Weiyan and said, “She’s not well-liked in the Jiang family, but she’s still part of it. The elderly members of the Jiang family care about this little granddaughter, and I like her too. Take good care of her, okay?”

“But Grandpa…” Gu Weiyan lazily said, “There are so many people in the world who are pitiful. I can’t marry them all.”

Old Master Gu was angry and said, “But you like girls, don’t you? I found someone I think is perfect for you. Why aren’t you willing?”

Gu Weiyan stiffened her neck and replied, “But a forced marriage isn’t sweet. What kind of times are we living in? Free love and arranged marriages are completely different!”

“I don’t think there’s much difference,” Grandpa Gu said with a cold face, not wanting to argue today. “Today is just the official introduction. You should start focusing. You’re almost thirty, it’s time to think about your future.”

Gu Weiyan quickly corrected him, “I’m 27, Grandpa! I’m only 27 this year!”

Grandpa Gu shrugged, “It’s almost the same.”

“Not even close!” Gu Weiyan muttered to herself.

After dropping Grandpa Gu off at his home, Gu Weiyan leaned against the car, gazing at the pouring rain outside. She couldn’t help but think how tough her life was.

Along with the rain, besides the Gu family, the Jiang family was also heading home.

The elderly couple from the Jiang family lived alone, and since they were the elders, they were sent home first. Afterward, Aunt Jiang took Jiang Man home.

Uncle Jiang had drunk a little too much today and went straight to rest when they got home. After taking a shower, Jiang Man came out and saw that Aunt Jiang, who had already finished washing up, was sitting in the living room watching TV. When she saw Jiang Man come out of the bathroom, she waved her over.

“Aunt.”

Jiang Man walked over, looking at Aunt Jiang who was applying evening cream, and asked quietly, “Is there something wrong?”

“Well, today you finally met the third young lady of the Gu family,” Aunt Jiang said to Jiang Man. “Did you exchange contact information with her?”

Jiang Man shook her head. She hadn’t even spoken to Gu Weiyan, let alone exchanged contact details.

Aunt Jiang rolled her eyes in exasperation, “How could you be so clueless? The Gu family holds much more power than our Jiang family. Do you have any idea how hard your uncle and your grandpa worked to get close to them?”

Jiang Man didn’t say anything, just lowered her head and pinched the edge of her clothes. She knew she wasn’t very clever and didn’t have much insight. Whenever she saw Gu Weiyan, she didn’t know what to say. After all, Gu Weiyan was stunning, had an undeniable presence, and could draw anyone’s attention just by sitting there without saying a word.

Every time Jiang Man was caught in those greenish eyes, she felt as if she were being watched, a strange shiver creeping from her heart to her fingertips.

Aunt Jiang, seeing the girl’s reaction, was clearly not pleased. “Your parents passed away early, and all these years I’ve been the one taking care of you, giving you food and shelter. I’m just your aunt, and I’ve done my best. Now that you’re over eighteen, you’re an adult. You should start thinking about your future. Do you understand what I mean?”

Jiang Man nodded, “I understand, Aunt.”

“Alright then, I don’t want to say too much,” Aunt Jiang said. “Go to bed now. In the future, spend more time with Gu Weiyan. After all, she will be your partner.”

Partner?

Jiang Man thought about that word as she shuffled back to her room in her fluffy slippers.

Would someone like Gu Weiyan really like her?

Just as Aunt Jiang finished applying her evening cream and was about to rest, she received a call from Gu’s mom.

“Dear,” Aunt Jiang said with a smile, holding the phone, “Why are you calling so late? Have you both gotten home? Did Grandpa Gu get home as well?”

Gu’s mom smiled on the other end of the line, “Thanks for asking, we made it home safely. We thought you should be home by now, so I called to check in.”

“We’re all home. You’re too kind, really. Now that we’re all family, there’s no need for such formalities.”

“Exactly, it’s because we’re family that we need to care more for each other.”

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Gu’s mom got to the point. “The reason I’m calling so late is that Grandpa Gu had the idea that since Weiyan has been living alone, if it’s convenient for Jiang Man, she could stay with her for a while. This way, the two of them can get to know each other better. What do you think?”

Aunt Jiang’s eyes lit up with excitement, “Sure, when would be a good time for her to move in? I think it’s a great idea for them to spend more time together.”

Gu’s mom responded, “How about this weekend?”

Aunt Jiang agreed, “That sounds perfect. I’ll have Jiang Man pack her things.”

Gu’s mom replied, “Great! I’ll come to pick her up then.”

After hanging up, Gu’s mom turned to her husband, giving him a gentle nudge. “What Grandpa Gu said makes sense. Who says a forced relationship can’t work?”