After Being Forced Into Marriage, I Became Very Successful - Chapter 24

24:

Li Zifeng was practically snarling over the phone, as if he could crawl through the signal to confront Jiang Yan in person. “Don’t play dumb! I told you my family’s plan to acquire the old shops for a packaged listing, and you secretly got Boss Qian to make snacks for your wedding. Now he’s famous, his business is booming, and the whole street shops won’t talk to us!”

Oh? The influence spread that quickly? Not surprising for an elite wedding. Jiang Yan pressed her lips to hide a smile, steadying her breath before sighing lightly. “You think I have the power to control the wedding?”

Li Zifeng paused. “What do you mean?”

“The wedding was entirely planned by the Xia family. I just cooperated. Do you think my opinion matters for something as important as the banquet menu?”

Recalling Jiang Yan’s subservient demeanor around Xia Yining over the years, Li Zifeng found her words plausible. But she still married her dream girl, so nothing was absolute.

“Don’t fool me. The wedding was yours too. How could you not have a say? And Boss Qian’s little shop was a nobody. Without you mentioning it, how would the Xia’s have noticed?”

Jiang Yan inwardly rolled her eyes—Li Zifeng, usually clueless, seemed to have grown a brain today. But she didn’t hesitate, explaining naturally, “The Xia’s and Yu’s are old Haicheng families. It’s normal for them to have a soft spot for traditional Haicheng snacks. And if the Xia’s want to find something out, do you think they can’t? If you found Boss Qian’s shop, why couldn’t they?”

Her words sowed doubt in Li Zifeng’s mind.

Jiang Yan’s lips curved slightly, pressing on. “It most likely happened because your family was too loud. You didn’t even secure all the shops before hyping it up. How could people not notice?”

Indeed, the Li family’s plan was to use the shops as a gimmick, not to run them properly. Holding them too long risked losses, so the strategy was to buy low and sell high.

Marketing and a few rounds of financing would ensure a profit. But Jiang Yan’s words suggested their loud promotion backfired.

Li Zifeng’s accusatory momentum faltered, and he fumbled for logic on the other end.

Jiang Yan feigned regret. “Business is about timing. Maybe this wasn’t your moment.”

Still clinging to hope, Li Zifeng pressed, “Why didn’t you tell me Boss Qian was helping with the banquet?”

He recalled waiting late after the banquet to remind Jiang Yan not to miss the opportunity, only to feel like she’d made a fool of him.

“I was busy greeting guests and entertaining at the main table. When would I have time to wander to the kitchen? Even if I did, I wouldn’t necessarily recognize Boss Qian, right?”

Li Zifeng was on the verge of tears, watching a fortune slip away. He’d hoped Jiang Yan would front the money, letting him ride his family’s business to a quick profit. Now it was all for nothing.

“You really have no status in the Xia family!” he lamented, pitying her. Such a lavish wedding, and she was just a backdrop.

But that fit Jiang Yan’s usual role. If she actually gained influence in the Xia family, he’d be even more annoyed.

Fine, no money made—call it bad luck. Confirming Jiang Yan’s lack of clout in the Xia family was satisfying enough.

Too proud to apologize for his tone, he offered fake consolation. “Your days in the Xia family will be tough. I hear Xia Yining’s two cousins aren’t easy, and their wives are hard to deal with too.”

Jiang Yan was amazed at how well he knew others’ gossip.

“Thanks for the heads-up.”

Finally, Li Zifeng said something decent to say. “We missed this chance, but next time there’s a money-making opportunity, I’ll make it up to you double.”

It seemed he accepted the acquisition’s failure was due to his family’s overzealous promotion.

Holding back a laugh, Jiang Yan replied in a muffled tone, “No worries. I don’t have that kind of money now anyway. There’ll be other chances.”

—

Jiang Yan officially joined Xia Corporation a week after the banquet, as Xia Yining had said. As for her role, Xia Langyan had asked her preference, and she wisely chose a low-profile department—the office.

Her status made a regular employee role inappropriate, but her lack of experience meant she could only be a deputy in a nominal position.

Thus, the Jiang heiress became Deputy Director Jiang of Xia Corporation’s office.

Everyone in the department knew her identity and that offending a “royal relative” was unwise, so they treated her with extra courtesy and warmth. With no specific tasks assigned, Jiang Yan spent the morning following the director to familiarize herself and the afternoon idly sitting in the office.

Jiang Daming’s call came right on time, and she knew it wasn’t just to congratulate her on starting work, as he claimed.

Sure enough, after urging her to take the job seriously, he shifted gears to the Jiang family’s affairs. “The agreed-upon projects have started smoothly. Thank Xia Yining for us when you get the chance.”

“Okay.”

“And remember what I told you. You’re just a deputy director now, but use this to meet supervisors in other departments and learn about Xia Corporation’s developments.”

“Brother, I’m at headquarters. Everyone’s watching me. I can’t just wander around to other departments. Besides, why would business units share details with me? Poking around would just expose me.”

Jiang Daming knew it was tough for her, but no opportunity should be wasted. “Use your brain and be strategic, dig indirectly. Our family’s counting on you. The sooner you reach Xia Corporation’s core, the sooner our company escapes this crisis.”

Jiang Yan was irritated, fed up with being pushed to trade herself for benefits. “I’ve already done what I promised with Xia Yining. What you’re asking isn’t so easy.”

Not even Xia Yining was a core executive, how could an outsider like her dream of it?

“You can’t ignore the family’s situation. If the Jiang’s collapse, you’ll have even less standing in the Xia family!”

Jiang Yan hung up, tossing her phone onto the desk in frustration, turning her chair to stare out the window. Xia Yining, passing by after a meeting, stopped to check how she was settling in.

Through the glass, she saw only the back of Jiang Yan’s chair, daydreaming at this hour clearly meant she wasn’t focused. Knocking twice, Xia Yining entered and saw Jiang Yan’s sour expression as she turned around.

“Unhappy on your first day?”

Jiang Yan adjusted, flashing a professional smile. “No, everything’s fine.”

“Getting used to the work environment and tasks?”

“I’m just getting a general sense. It will take time to settle in.”

Seeing Jiang Yan wasn’t being open, Xia Yining assumed it was first-day nerves. The role was a cushy one, as long as Jiang Yan stayed out of trouble, there’d be no major issues.

Xia Yining had placed her there for peace of mind, not expecting help but hoping she wouldn’t embarrass her.

“Wait for me after work.”

To reassure their parents, they would try to arrive and leave together. Now working at the same company, there was no excuse to go separately.

Jiang Yan waited leisurely until closing time, with no call from Xia Yining, who was likely still busy. In no rush to shut down her computer, she browsed recent promotions about Boss Qian online.

Others in the office, seeing her stay, hesitated to leave early, unsure of the new Xia family member’s temperament. They nudged a representative to ask, “Anything else, Director Jiang?”

Propping her chin, Jiang Yan looked up from the screen. “I’m fine, just waiting for Manager Xia to finish. You can go.”

Of course, newlyweds leaving together made sense. Relieved, one person left, and others followed, soon emptying the department.

Jiang Yan waited another half hour, then decided to call Xia Yining.

“It’s Jiang Yan. When are you finishing?”

Xia Yining was discussing an urgent proposal revision with colleagues, losing track of time. Jiang Yan’s call reminded her it was past regular hours.

“Maybe another half an hour,” she said, slightly apologetic, as the work had to be finished today.

“Is it okay if I come and wait for you?”

Xia Yining glanced at the colleagues in the meeting room and agreed. “Go to my office. I’ll head there once I’m done.”

Jiang Yan packed up and went to Xia Yining’s department, the Promotion and Development Division, where Xia Yining was a manager.

Her office mirrored her bedroom’s style—clean, sharp, and brisk, with no delicate frills.

Jiang Yan set her bag aside, sat on the sofa, and pulled out her phone to review videos of her scallion pancake practice. She was serious about her passions, striving for perfection in every detail.

To avoid missing anything, she recorded the process, analyzing it later when free.

Xia Yining finally finished the revisions, fifteen minutes past the half-hour she’d promised. She told her team they could leave. “Thanks for the hard work. Morning tea’s on me tomorrow.”

Qin Yishan, however, stayed behind, helping Xia Yining tidy the meeting materials while saying, “I’ll send the proposal to the partner tonight and follow up.”

She was the manager of the second office, a high school friend of Xia Yining’s. Though they attended different universities, they’d stayed in touch.

“Thanks. Let me know their response right away.”

Qin Yishan walked out with her, intending to discuss more work, but entering the office, she saw someone on the sofa.

She’d met Jiang Yan at the banquet and knew she would start working today, but her mood sank instantly.

Xia Yining, unaware of her friend’s disappointment, felt a bit guilty about keeping Jiang Yan waiting.

“Have you been waiting long?”