Chapter 36: Your Second Uncle Only Wants What Is Best for You

"Miss Jiang, Mr. Jiang would like to see you."

Just as Jiang Mian stepped out of her apartment complex, her path was blocked by a car. Stepping out of it was the assistant to Jiang Zhouyi.

"What does he want with me?"

She frowned. Recalling what Jiang Zhixuan had said earlier, a vague sense of unease settled in her heart.

The assistant lowered his head, avoiding her gaze, his voice indifferent. "Mr. Jiang only said to bring you over; he didn't tell me what it was about."

"I'm busy." She instinctively declined, having no desire to go.

"Miss Jiang, please, you’re making it very difficult for me."

At these words, Jiang Mian turned to look at him. The assistant’s expression was one of helplessness. He was, after all, just an employee following orders from his superior; the consequences of failing to complete the task were clear enough.

Jiang Mian bit her lip, her expression sour. After a moment of hesitation, she nodded. "Let's go."

The assistant opened the car door. She climbed in, her face cold as she leaned forward to fasten her seatbelt.

Upon arriving at the Jiang Corporation, the assistant led her upstairs. This had been her parents' company, after all, and Jiang Mian had visited many times in the past. Many of the employees still remembered her. Seeing her being escorted upstairs by Jiang Zhouyi’s assistant, a few couldn't help but huddle together to gossip. Ever since Jiang Zhouyi had taken control of the company, they hadn't seen much of Jiang Mian, and many had assumed the former heiress had already left Beijing.

On the twenty-sixth floor, in the president's office suite, Jiang Mian followed the assistant out of the elevator. The door to the guest lounge was ajar, and the sound of laughter drifted from within. Jiang Zhouyi’s voice was particularly grating. She frowned, struggling to keep her emotions in check, and walked toward the room with a blank expression.

The assistant tapped lightly on the open door to alert those inside. "Mr. Jiang, Miss Jiang is here."

The man sitting on the sofa turned his head. He was a stranger to Jiang Mian—a man in his early thirties with a plain, unremarkable face.

Jiang Zhouyi waved his hand, looking at Jiang Mian with a smile. "Come in and sit down. Why are you standing at the door?"

She nodded, walked over to a single armchair, smoothed her skirt, and sat down. The assistant closed the door, cutting off the noise from outside.

The stranger’s gaze swept over Jiang Mian from head to toe before he turned to Jiang Zhouyi with a smile. "Mr. Jiang, you didn't lie to me. Your niece is quite a catch."

She instinctively frowned. Ignoring the presence of the stranger, she looked straight at Jiang Zhouyi, her eyes filled with irritation.

"What is the meaning of this?"

Jiang Zhouyi ignored her, instead picking up a cup of tea from the table and taking a slow sip.

"You aren't young anymore. Xuan'er is already engaged, so it's natural to be concerned about your marriage prospects. After all, I am your uncle. It isn't unreasonable for me to look out for my niece’s future, is it?"

So, he had insisted on her coming today just to sell her off?

She clenched her fists, let out a cold laugh, and shifted her gaze between the two men. After a moment, she leaned back in her chair, warning herself internally not to lose her temper.

"You don't seem to have the right to manage my affairs. My household registration is independent; I decide what I do."

The stranger sitting across from her spoke before Jiang Zhouyi could, a playful smile on his face as if he had just discovered something novel.

"Mr. Jiang, your niece is much more interesting than I imagined."

She was not an object; she did not need the judgment of others. She looked up, her gaze icy as she stared at Jiang Zhouyi, her fingernails digging into her palms. Even so, she could barely contain her temper. How could Jiang Zhouyi have the audacity to act on her behalf? Did he think that because she had nothing left, she had no power to resist?

"Jiang Mian, I know you have a temper, but a girl has to marry eventually. Your uncle is doing this for your own good." He shook his head as he spoke, his tone patronizing. "Look at you—your studio is struggling, how are your employees supposed to make a living? Managing a household and raising children is what a girl like you should be doing."

Every word he uttered felt like a curse to Jiang Mian's ears. The man before her was truly shameless to an extreme degree.

The stranger smiled at her, unbothered by her attitude. "My name is Zhang Qian'an. If you don't mind, Miss Jiang, perhaps we could get to know each other better."

The Zhang family?

Jiang Mian frowned. She had heard of them before. They were a family with deep roots in Beijing. It was said they occasionally used underhanded tactics in business, though they had never faced serious repercussions. Her father had once mentioned in passing that while a family like the Zhangs might not collapse overnight, if they offended the wrong person, it would take only a moment to make them disappear. It seemed only someone as short-sighted as Jiang Zhouyi would be so eager to associate with them.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not interested." With that, she stood up from the sofa.

Jiang Zhouyi’s face darkened instantly, his voice turning stern. "Jiang Mian! Your uncle is doing this for your own good!"

She walked a few steps, then paused. As she slowly turned back, her gaze skimmed over Zhang Qian'an before settling on Jiang Zhouyi. Something occurred to her, and her brow twitched.

"Uncle?" She let out a dry laugh. "I call you 'uncle' only because I was raised with manners."

"If you think this man is so wonderful, why didn't you introduce him to Jiang Zhixuan? Is it because she's already with Wen Yan, so you had no choice? Is that it?"

What Jiang Zhouyi hated most was her detached, airy way of speaking—it was exactly like her late mother. Years ago, when Jiang Mian’s father had argued with Jiang Zhouyi, her mother would stand to the side, delivering the same cool, biting sarcasm.

*Bang!* He slammed his teacup onto the table with a deafening crash.

Her eyes darkened, but she remained unmoved by his outburst. Beside her, Zhang Qian'an leaned back against the sofa, a cryptic smile playing on his lips.

The tension between the two was palpable. Seeing that Jiang Zhouyi was about to lose control, Zhang Qian'an finally spoke. "Mr. Jiang, since Miss Jiang is not interested, perhaps we should leave it at that."

The Jiang Corporation was in decline, and having finally found someone willing to help, Jiang Zhouyi could not afford to let it go. "She just hasn't shed her spoiled heiress temperament yet. Please, don't take it to heart!"

Jiang Mian sneered, and for a moment, the air seemed to stand still. She took two steps forward, placed her hand on the doorknob, and looked back one last time.

Jiang Zhouyi was gritting his teeth, seething with rage, but he was trapped by the setting—they were in the office, and there was little he could do. If he caused a scene and the employees saw, he would be the one to lose face.

"If you think I'm easy to bully because I have no parents, you should remember that I am on my own now, and I have nothing to fear."

At worst, they would all go down together. She had plenty of time and energy to drag this out.