Chapter 29: Never an Option

The man sat to her right, which made Jiang Mian feel somewhat pressured.

Wen Jinhai was a natural-born ruler; even without uttering a word, a mere glance from him was enough to make others wary of making any rash moves.

The three of them remained silent until most of the guests had taken their seats, and Jiang Zhouyi also approached.

“President Wen, why are you sitting here? How about—?”

Jiang Zhouyi bowed slightly and pointed toward a spot closer to the runway, hoping Wen Jinhai would move.

But clearly, his little tactic didn’t work.

With a light glance and a slow smile curling at the corner of his lips, Wen Jinhai said, “I think this spot is perfect. Don’t you agree, President Jiang?”

“Yes, yes, it’s quite good!” Jiang Zhouyi replied awkwardly, gritting his teeth and falling silent.

His gaze flicked toward the expressionless Jiang Mian beside him, and a trace of anger flickered across his face as he shot a fierce glare at her.

She felt utterly baffled—what could this have to do with her?

The host spoke from the stage while Jiang Mian lowered her head, finding nothing worth watching.

If Jiang Zhixuan could avoid mentioning her in such a public setting, perhaps she might even say thank you.

“It wasn’t easy for Ayan and me to reach the engagement stage, so I hope to receive everyone’s blessings.”

“And also, my dear sister, I hope to have your blessing too.”

Perhaps the lighting technician thought he was being clever, shining the spotlight directly on her, forcing her to look up.

A calm smile rested on her face, her eyes cold and distant.

Jiang Zhixuan smiled from the stage and even tilted her head slightly with a raised brow toward her.

Only Wen Yan might believe Jiang Zhixuan was a gentle, delicate flower.

But if you looked beneath the surface, she was probably like a black sesame glutinous rice ball.

Honestly, Jiang Mian felt that description was a bit unfair to black sesame rice balls, as at least those were sweet.

She stood up unhurriedly, reached for the microphone the staff had just placed in the center of the table, and cleared her throat twice.

Her voice came through the microphone clear and without distortion.

“Of course, congratulations to my sister on finding her happiness. I also hope that in the future, you will hold tightly to your happiness.”

“Don’t stumble and fall so badly that you can’t recover.”

After speaking, Jiang Mian set the microphone down and smiled faintly at Jiang Zhixuan.

If she wanted to smile for the moment, let her—time would prove everything, and Jiang Mian understood that better than anyone.

She sat back down, her features calm and aloof, letting out a cold snort.

Jiang Zhouyi naturally heard it; she made no effort to hide her feelings.

He was about to turn and say something to her, but the host suddenly mentioned the bride’s father, so Jiang Zhouyi could only smile and pick up the microphone to respond.

Wen Jinhai glanced sideways. The girl lowered her eyes, clearly upset but still trying to restrain herself.

He had asked some people who had known Jiang Mian in the past. The girl had always been headstrong—if she liked design, she studied design.

If she wanted to open her own studio, she did it relying solely on her own abilities.

He’d heard from her classmates that when she first started her studio, she hadn’t sought much help from the Jiang family. She handled all the business herself and recruited her own partners.

In that regard, Wen Jinhai admired her.

But admiration alone wasn’t enough; there were others he admired as well.

He withdrew his gaze, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Jiang Mian, work a little harder—I want to see if you have what it takes to make me help you unconditionally.

By the time the engagement banquet ended, Jiang Mian felt an indescribable exhaustion, both physically and in her heart.

“Mianmian, when you get married, how about Mom personally making your wedding dress?”

“Mianmian, you’re not a child anymore. What if one day Dad and Mom are no longer here? What will you do?”

“Mianmian...”

Memories flashed through her mind, making it hard for her to breathe for a moment.

She steadied herself, stood up from the chair, and staggered toward the exit.

Jiang Zhouyi noticed her and furrowed his brow. “Jiang Mian, remember what your second uncle said and consider it carefully.”

“Absolutely not.”

Without pausing, she strode out of Jiang Jin Restaurant.

Only after sitting in the car did some of the heaviness in her chest finally ease.

There was a water cup on the dashboard. She picked it up and sipped the water slowly.

Suddenly, tears fell without warning.

Her vision blurred, and she curled up in the seat, letting the world around her dissolve into obscurity.

After a long while, once she had cried enough, she placed the cup back on the console and fetched a tissue to wipe her face.

The makeup she had put on that morning was now half washed away by her tears, so she used a makeup remover wipe to clear it all off.

By the time she finished tidying up, she had been sitting there for half an hour.

Originally, she had planned to go back to the studio to work on some sketches and see if she could continue collaborating with remaining clients.

But considering her current state, she gave up and decided to drive straight home.

Jiang Zhixuan’s social media feed had been updated nonstop all day, almost entirely with photos of herself and Wen Yan, and videos from the engagement party.

Especially the segment where Jiang Mian spoke—she had even posted that separately.

Jiang Mian stared at the notification for that post but swiped away and then backed out.

It was truly considerate of Jiang Zhixuan, fearing she might pretend not to see it.

Cheng Qi messaged Jiang Mian, saying the office in the city center building had been fully renovated and would soon be ready for use.

Xu Mu had arranged for some designers to return, but a complete headquarters required more than just designers.

After discussing it, since they were serious about developing the domestic market, they couldn’t do without professionals.

Why not start by recruiting talent from Jingjiang University? It would also give juniors an opportunity.

As for how to finalize candidates, Teacher Chen could help recommend some.

Xu Mu thought this was a good idea and suggested they proceed and see how it worked out.

With their approval, Jiang Mian patted her chest confidently, deciding she would handle it.

For several days without harassment from Jiang Zhouyi’s family, Jiang Mian was in an excellent mood, smiling uncontrollably on the way to Jingjiang.

The security guard saw her again and chuckled, “Here to see Teacher Chen again?”

“Yes, and to take care of some business.”

She parked at her usual spot and walked toward the academic building.

When Teacher Chen heard about her plan, he had already picked out some promising prospects from the college, just waiting for her to come and take a look.

She had just entered the office when Teacher Chen stood up. “Mianmian, come quickly—these are all the ones I think are good!”