After Being Forced Into Marriage, I Became Very Successful - Chapter 16

16:

Jiang Yan wanted to discuss wedding banquet details with Xia Yining, so they arranged to have dinner together. Upon hearing that the shop closed in the evening, Ye Chenchen wailed over the phone in disappointment, her hopes for scallion pancakes dashed.

With no prospect of her beloved pancakes, Ye Chenchen lost interest in going out. She put on a pleading smile and said to her cousin, “How about I skip tonight? You and Jiang Yan enjoy your dinner.”

Seeing Xia Yining stay silent, she added, “I’ll eat turkey noodles at home while Mom’s away, hehe.”

“Don’t overdo it, or you’ll be complaining about feeling sick in the middle of the night.”

Xia Yining gave her a quick warning but didn’t insist she come along. After tidying up, she left her office and ran into Xia Chenyong in the hallway.

“Ningning, are you heading home?”

“Yes.”

“Is everything set for the wedding banquet?”

Xia’s mother had recently mentioned possible changes to the banquet, but without specifics, the family was left guessing whether it was good or bad news.

“It’s mostly finalized.”

“Good. If there’s anything you want to add or adjust, just say so, and we’ll make it happen.”

From childhood, the Xia family had rarely denied Xia Yining anything she asked for.

“Thank you, Big Brother.”

Xia Chenyong walked her to the elevator and pressed the button for her. “How’s the Jiang family’s attitude lately?”

Xia Yining looked at him, unsure of his meaning.

“Last week, the company invested another sum, and there are a few more collaborative projects in the pipeline,” Xia Chenyong said tactfully, pausing before continuing. “I heard Jiang Yan’s been hard to pin down lately, and she was pretty perfunctory when checking out the wedding house.”

“How perfunctory?”

“She didn’t seem invested. She only made a few casual suggestions, and they were about the guest room.”

Xia Yining raised an eyebrow but didn’t explain in detail, instead defending Jiang Yan. “The guest room is part of the renovation too. That doesn’t mean she wasn’t taking it seriously.”

Xia Chenyong gave a faint smile. “It’s your wedding house. Who plans for guests to stay over right after getting married? Unless she’s the one staying there?”

His tone carried clear skepticism, and Xia Yining pressed her lips together.

When the elevator arrived, she stepped inside and turned to face him. “Jiang Yan’s waiting for me outside. I’ll ask her to be more attentive during dinner tonight. But her suggestions about the guest room were to cover some details I overlooked.”

As the elevator doors closed, Xia Chenyong shook his head with a wry smile. His little sister, pampered by the family since childhood, was already defending an outsider before the wedding. He had never thought much of Jiang Yan, or the entire Jiang family, for that matter.

Jiang Yan’s car was parked in its usual spot. When Xia Yining got in, she turned up the air conditioning with a smile. “This year’s heat is really something else.”

Xia Yining was still thinking about her conversation with Xia Chenyong. The wedding house renovation was a minor matter, so why did he know exactly what suggestions Jiang Yan had made? Was it just him, or did the rest of the family know too?

Noticing her serious expression, Jiang Yan started the car and asked softly, “Busy day at work?”

“Work was fine. I just ran into my brother before leaving, and we chatted a bit.”

Jiang Yan focused on the road and didn’t press further.

They stayed quiet until they were seated in the restaurant. After each ordering a set meal, they finally started talking again.

“Boss Qian officially agreed to make crab shell pastries for the wedding banquet today, but he insisted on preparing the ingredients himself.”

“Good.”

Xia Yining had regained her composure, no longer dwelling on her earlier doubts, though she still seemed cool and distant. The only difference from before was a slight reduction in her guardedness.

“You seem preoccupied today,” Jiang Yan remarked casually, catching Xia Yining off guard.

If it was just about work, she wouldn’t share, but since it involved their marriage, it wasn’t just her concern. After a moment’s thought, she told Jiang Yan about the wedding house issue.

Jiang Yan frowned. “Your brother’s paying attention to details like that? Isn’t that a bit much?”

“I think he’s just looking out for me, but it’s a reminder that we’re not doing enough in some areas.”

Jiang Yan looked at her. “Such as?”

“We haven’t fully embraced our roles, so it’s easy for others to spot flaws.”

Jiang Yan couldn’t argue, Xia Yining was right.

“So, we need to try harder to act the part. Otherwise, those three months living with the Xia family after the wedding will be challenging.”

She was referring to the agreement to live at the Xia family’s home for three months post-wedding. With so many eyes watching, judging how well Jiang Yan treated her and whether their marriage was harmonious, failure could jeopardize not just moving out but the marriage itself.

“Alright, how do we act more invested?”

Jiang Yan asked sincerely, seeking Xia Yining’s input. But her earnest yet clueless expression made Xia Yining glance at her a few extra times.

In the past, Jiang Yan would have eagerly listed a dozen ways to get closer without being asked, seizing every chance to bridge the gap. Now, she seemed more passive than Xia Yining, as if she hadn’t given their future interactions any serious thought.

“We should try treating each other like real partners.”

Xia Yining’s words came out stiffly, like an AI-generated voice. Jiang Yan nodded in agreement. “It’s a bit challenging, but it’s the only way.”

Lately, she had been told repeatedly, both directly and indirectly to take the marriage seriously and treat Xia Yining wholeheartedly. She could recite the advice by heart; her ears were practically calloused from hearing it.

On the other end, Xia Yining was also somewhat curious about Boss Qian and his shop, having tasted his craftsmanship and recognizing his skill.

“Not everyone wants fame or a bigger business. He might just enjoy the simple life of running a small shop.”

“With such talent, sticking to one old shop feels like a waste,” Jiang Yan said, recalling the afternoon conversation between Boss Qian and Tian Sheng. She sighed softly. “Great craftsmanship needs someone to pass it on. It requires hands-on teaching and personal guidance to be preserved.”

Both owners had remarkable skills but no successors, and now both were contemplating retirement.

“There are too many ways to make a living in modern society. Who wants to spend all day in a kitchen getting dirty?” Jiang Yan echoed Qian Ming’s words, agreeing with the first half.

“You have to love it to stick with it,” Xia Yining said, and Jiang Yan fully agreed.

“It’s a shame that today’s capital only cares about quick profits. Even when they find a reputable, skilled old shop, they don’t think about preserving its image or deepening its operations. They just want to use its name to scam more customers.”

Jiang Yan thought of Li Zifeng’s eager expression, desperate to acquire all the old shops, standardize them, and cash in. She felt both indignant and helpless.

Xia Yining hadn’t expected such a thoughtful perspective from Jiang Yan, who used to focus on sharing trendy food and entertainment.

“If it were you, what would you do?”

Jiang Yan shook her head with a smile. “I haven’t thought about it.”

Xia Yining couldn’t tell if she was unwilling to share or simply had no ideas. Though a bit disappointed, she knew such things couldn’t be forced. Perhaps Jiang Yan lacked a knack for business.

She recalled family discussions about arranging a job for Jiang Yan at Xia Corporation after the wedding, administrative roles with no real authority, far from core business operations.

After dinner, they didn’t plan further outings, skipping the typical couple activities. Exhausted from the day, both just wanted to rest.

Jiang Yan dropped her off at the Xia family’s gate. “I won’t go in. Please say hi to Uncle and Auntie for me.”

“Alright. Drive safely.”

Jiang Yan waited until Xia Yining entered the gate before driving off. As she left, she passed Xia Yining’s parents’ car.

Xia’s mother turned to Xia’s father. “I think Xiao Jiang’s starting to settle down. Ningning seems to have her under control.”

“Let’s hope so. I want Ningning’s insistence on this to be the right choice. Marriage is a lifelong commitment, after all.”

“Langyan, since we’ll be in-laws, shouldn’t you be less harsh on the Jiang family?”

Xia Langyan looked at his wife and explained seriously, “Jiang Corporation has major operational issues, and its financial holes are essentially unfixable. The previous investments was a token from the Xia family, but I can’t keep pouring money into a bottomless pit just because we’re in-laws.”

Xia’s mother’s expression darkened. “You’re saying Jiang Corporation is beyond saving?”

“It depends on their luck.”

But Xia’s mother wasn’t worried about business success or failure, she cared about how the Jiang’s troubles might affect her daughter’s marriage.

“If Xiao Jiang finds out, it won’t be good.”

“She’ll be part of the Xia family. Whether Jiang Corporation succeeds or fails will no longer matter much to her.”