After Being Forced Into Marriage, I Became Very Successful - Chapter 2

2:

After finishing her call with Jiang Yan, Xia Yining got into the car with her mother. As the car smoothly pulled out of the Xia family mansion, her mother asked, “Isn’t Xiao Jiang picking you up today?”

Xia Yining replied lightly, “She’s at the suburban equestrian club. We’ll meet at the shop later.”

Noticing her mother’s slight frown, she added, “She said she’s already on her way and won’t be late.”

Her mother nodded, a trace of regret in her tone. “If your father and I had taken charge of your prospects a few years earlier, we wouldn’t have ended up with Xiao Jiang now.”

At 29, Xia Yining had reached an age where her entire family was concerned about her marriage, and the pressure was mounting. In previous years, she had always found excuses to delay, but this year, she surprisingly agreed to move forward.

To everyone’s surprise, after much consideration, she chose Jiang Yan. The Xia family wasn’t particularly pleased with the choice, but since Xia Yining had insisted on having the final say as a condition for even considering marriage, they couldn’t object to her decision.

Xia Yining understood her mother’s concerns and reassured her, “Jiang Yan’s been good to me. You’ve seen that over the years.”

“It’s true she’s been chasing you for years, but marriage isn’t just about finding someone who’s good to you in the moment. At its core, it’s about living with that person’s character. I’m worried that Xiao Jiang might, in the future…”

“Mom, don’t worry. After we’re married, I’ll keep her in check and make sure she doesn’t hang out with that crowd all the time.”

The circle of second-generation elites wasn’t large, but it wasn’t small either. People naturally gravitated into groups: those who worked hard and those who indulged in pleasure. Jiang Yan had never been part of the ambitious crowd, and Xia Yining had no fondness for the hedonistic bunch either.

Two people who seemed to have nothing in common were about to enter marriage. Aside from Jiang Yan’s relentless pursuit finally winning over the beauty, it was hard to find another plausible reason.

Her mother sighed softly. Since her daughter seemed confident, she let the matter drop.

When they arrived at the shop, Jiang Yan was already there, five minutes early. Seeing that she wasn’t late, her mother’s earlier dissatisfaction eased slightly.

“Hello, Auntie,” Jiang Yan greeted.

“You too,” her mother replied.

Xia Yining stood by her mother’s side as Jiang Yan gave her a simple nod and a smile, a far cry from her old habit of eagerly fawning over Xia Yining the moment she saw her, grinning ear to ear before even speaking.

Now, Jiang Yan was much more restrained, almost like a normal person. But to those who had watched her play the devoted simp for years, this change seemed anything but normal.

A store assistant brought over a catalog of dresses with detailed descriptions. Twenty sets had been prepared for selection. The wedding gown was still in production, so today’s focus was finalizing the banquet attire.

Jiang Yan sat about half a meter away from Xia Yining, offering little input. Most of the discussion was between Xia Yining, her mother, and the store manager.

Once they had narrowed it down to five sets, Xia’s mother gestured to her daughter. “Ask Xiao Jiang for her opinion too.”

When her name was called, Jiang Yan only smiled. “I think all five sets are great. No objections here.”

Even Yining’s mother could sense her perfunctory attitude, but with outsiders present, she couldn’t call her out directly. After all, Jiang Yan was soon to be her daughter’s spouse. Giving her face was giving her daughter face.

“I have some matters to attend to at home, so I’ll leave the rest to you two to decide,” Yining’s mother said, preparing to leave. Jiang Yan stood up to see her off.

Near the door, her mother suddenly turned back and said softly, “Xiao Jiang, I don’t mean to meddle, but this wedding isn’t just about the two of you—it’s a big deal for both the Xia and Jiang families. I hope you’ll put in more effort.”

Jiang Yan was momentarily taken aback but nodded in agreement.

After seeing Yining’s mother off, Jiang Yan returned to the shop with Xia Yining, still sitting half a meter away. Xia Yining had assumed Jiang Yan’s earlier distance was due to her mother’s presence, but even now, with her mother gone, Jiang Yan didn’t seize the chance to close the gap as she would have in the past.

Xia Yining glanced at her out of the corner of her eye. Seeing Jiang Yan’s lack of enthusiasm, she handed her the catalog. “Take another look. Anything you’d like to change?”

The dresses were for both of them, and the five sets chosen naturally included Jiang Yan’s share.

Jiang Yan flipped through the catalog dutifully but offered no objections. “They’re fine. I don’t want any changes.”

It was a contractual marriage, just going through the motions. The dresses were professionally designed and meticulously crafted, what could Jiang Yan possibly complain about?

Xia Yining raised an eyebrow, quietly sizing her up.

Turning to the staff, she said, “We’d like to discuss a bit more. Could you give us some space?”

The assistant understood and left with the others, leaving just the two of them in the room.

“Jiang Yan, are you upset because I called you away from the equestrian club?”

Jiang Yan, who’d been itching for an excuse to leave, couldn’t possibly be upset. “No, I’m happy to be here.”

“But your attitude doesn’t look happy. The wedding may not need much from you, but you could at least show some sincerity. Even Mom noticed how half-hearted you were.”

Jiang Yan’s demeanor was indeed a bit detached, but it hardly counted as half-hearted. From the start, Xia Yining and her mother had taken the lead, barely giving her a chance to speak. Only after they’d made their choices did they ask for her opinion as formality. Who was being perfunctory here?

When Jiang Yan transmigrated, the original owner had already eagerly agreed to Xia Yining’s proposed contractual marriage, and the wedding preparations were well underway. She understood why the original owner, after years of being a simp, couldn’t bear to miss a chance to get closer to Xia Yining, even knowing her feelings weren’t returned.

Every devoted simp probably had a bowl of “sincerity will prevail” chicken soup in their heart.

Thankfully, it was just a contractual marriage. If it were real, Jiang Yan would’ve backed out no matter what.

Seeing her stay silent, Xia Yining softened her tone but didn’t let up. “There are still plenty of wedding details to finalize in the coming days, and other Xia family members will be involved.”

The implication was clear: she hoped Jiang Yan would be more mindful and at least put on a convincing act.

“Got it,” Jiang Yan replied.

She recalled that morning, being called to the study by her grandfather and father, who’d repeatedly urged her to treat Xia Yining well. They stressed how hard-won this marriage was and how she must cherish it.

But their words boiled down to one thing: the resources and support the Jiang family could gain from the Xia family through this alliance. It was like they were starving people eyeing a big, steaming bun about to fall into their hands.

At this point, no hiccups could be allowed to derail the marriage—not even if Jiang Yan herself wanted out.

“Then sit closer to me,” Xia Yining said, having noticed the assistant’s earlier glance.

Though the staff wouldn’t say anything outright, they’d seen their share of elite couples. Xia Yining didn’t want to stand out as an odd pair.

Jiang Yan understood her intent and moved to sit beside her before the assistant returned.

As she got closer, Xia Yining’s fragrance wafted over. There was no denying that Xia Yining’s beauty justified the original owner’s four years of devotion. Only a few could resist such a stunning woman.

But Jiang Yan didn’t approve of the original owner’s dignity-sacrificing pursuit. She refused to follow suit. She was searching for a balance, hoping to reclaim the dignity the original owner had lost.

To keep up appearances, the two put on a show of discussing the options in front of the assistant, eventually swapping one of the previously chosen sets for another.

When they parted ways outside the shop, Jiang Yan waved goodbye and headed to her car.

“Wait.”

Jiang Yan turned back to see Xia Yining had something to say.

“I hope you’ll cut back on spending time with Li Zifeng and that crowd, especially after we’re married.”

After the marriage, Jiang Yan would technically be “marrying in” to the Xia family. Though Xia Yining would move out of the main house, their new home wouldn’t be far from the Xia estate.

“Your reason?”

“They can’t offer you anything worthwhile and will only drag you down. The Jiang family’s needs can be met by the Xia family, but I hope you’ll consider the Xia family’s reputation.”

In short, she looked down on that group of fair-weather friends and was worried Jiang Yan’s antics with them would cause trouble and implicate the Xia family.

Xia Yining had hesitated before making this request, knowing Jiang Yan’s habit of hanging out with them wasn’t new.

To her surprise, Jiang Yan agreed readily. “Alright, I’ll keep my distance from them.”

In the month since she’d transmigrated, Jiang Yan had been exasperated by their constant invitations to hang out every few days. All they did was indulge in mindless eating, drinking, and partying—utterly boring.

Now, with Xia Yining as a legitimate excuse, Jiang Yan couldn’t have been more relieved.