Chapter 38: The Invitation

"But I just feel uncomfortable~" Jiang Zhixuan whined coquettishly.

Even though she had become a stray dog, the aloofness in her bones always made her look so striking. There was no telling how many boys' eyes had been on her in the past, but whenever Jiang Mian appeared, those people would always say, "Is that your sister? Your sister is so beautiful, she has such an aura."

Aura? Where was the aura? That head-held-high, dismissive look—what was there to praise? Both women studied the same major, yet in any competition or activity involving Jiang Mian, others would never see Jiang Zhixuan. The closest Jiang Zhixuan ever got was taking second place in a competition, but when people offered their congratulations, they still talked about how talented first-place winner Jiang Mian was.

Why was everyone’s gaze always on her?

That was why, on the night Jiang Zhouyi took over the Jiang family business, Jiang Zhixuan kicked open Jiang Mian’s bedroom door for the first time, looking at the person who sat silently in a chair. She sneered, mocking her: "Now, I’d like to know, what do you have left to compete with me?"

How had Jiang Mian answered back then? She remembered that Jiang Mian was looking at her phone, and only the bedside lamp was on in the room. The light from the doorway only illuminated half of Jiang Mian’s face. Her lipstick-stained red lips slowly curled into a subtle arc in the light. She then stood up from the chair, walking step by step out of the darkness toward the door, stopping in front of Jiang Zhixuan.

With her slender fingers, she gently pushed against Jiang Zhixuan’s shoulder, forcing her back a step. Her condescending gaze looked as if she were staring at trash.

"Jiang Zhixuan, do you even deserve to compete with me?"

From beginning to end, she had never even been within the range of Jiang Mian’s rivals. Perhaps it was from that day on that Jiang Zhixuan decided that one day, she would make Jiang Mian admit with her own mouth that she was a thousand, ten thousand times better than her.

Jiang Zhouyi sipped his tea, watching his fuming daughter, and smiled indifferently. "Why get angry with her? She has nothing left now; she’s bound to fail sooner or later."

Jiang Zhouyi had sent people to investigate the operational status of that studio. Without orders to support it, and with a group of employees to feed, Jiang Mian’s available capital was nowhere near enough. If she wanted to keep the studio afloat, she would either have to sell the shares she held in exchange for funding, or dissolve the studio to preserve her shares, which would buy her some time to live comfortably.

Want both? Unless she could find someone to help her, it was impossible. As for this, Jiang Zhouyi wasn't really worried. Not to mention that most peers or people in the circle knew the current situation of the Jiang family and wouldn't rashly help Jiang Mian, Jiang Zhixuan was now Wen Yan’s fiancée. Who would offend Wen Yan for the sake of Jiang Mian?

Counting them up, there were only a few people who could help Jiang Mian, but as far as Jiang Zhouyi knew, those people in high positions had very shallow relationships with her. He couldn't think of any reason that would make that group of people help a useless Jiang Mian.

Comforted by his words, a smile finally appeared on Jiang Zhixuan’s face. Remembering why she had come to the company to find Jiang Zhouyi today, she coughed lightly. "Dad, A-Yan said that Old Master Wen’s seventieth birthday is coming up, and I’ll be going. Do you think I should order a new gown?"

Jiang Zhouyi’s eyes flickered; this was a good opportunity. "Have we been invited?"

"Yes, A-Yan said he would send us an invitation."

When Jiang Mian returned to the studio, it was just in time for lunch. Xiao Li and the others were busy on the first floor; seeing her enter, they nodded as a greeting. While she was walking up the stairs, Xiao Li glanced at her sideways and, sensing that her mood was off, immediately put down her things and followed her up.

The villa had excellent soundproofing; what was said upstairs couldn't be heard downstairs. Once inside the office, Xiao Li followed closely: "Sister Mian, are you okay?"

Having been behind Jiang Mian for so long, Xiao Li understood her moods and habits to some extent. Jiang Mian had clearly hidden her emotions when she walked in, but having been seen through anyway, she felt a bit helpless. She let out a long sigh, calmed her inner thoughts, and looked up at Xiao Li, who was standing in front of the desk with a worried expression.

"I'm fine. I just ran into something this morning and wasn't in a good mood, but I'll recover."

Xiao Li scrutinized her for a few moments, and upon confirming that Jiang Mian was speaking the truth, she relaxed a little. Jiang Mian sat in her chair, picked up a pen from the desk, spun it between her fingertips, and shook her head silently.

"Sister Mian, I have news—I'm not sure if it's good—would you like to hear it?" Seeing that Jiang Mian seemed listless, Xiao Li thought of the item she had received in the morning, which she had placed on the folder on the desk.

Jiang Mian, who had just sat down, hadn't noticed it. Looking up at the sound, she turned toward Xiao Li: "What is it?"

Xiao Li reached out and handed over the thin invitation lying on the folder, waving it in front of Jiang Mian. "It's an invitation that President Wen specifically sent Assistant Xiao to deliver, but you weren't here at the time."

When Xiao Li heard someone visiting in the morning and saw it was Xiao Ming, she had been taken aback. After all, their status and positions were vastly different; there was nothing about a small studio that should be worth Wen Jinghuai’s attention.

Xiao Ming had handed the invitation to Xiao Li with a smile: "This is from our President Wen for Miss Jiang. He hopes she will be able to attend."

The gold-foiled invitation felt hot in her hand. After delivering it, Xiao Ming had left.

Jiang Mian held the invitation and looked it over twice, unable to grasp Wen Jinghuai’s intentions. He was such a busy president—did he have the spare time to worry about a small fry like her? Besides, she didn't have much of a connection to the Wen family; attending the seventy-year-old patriarch’s birthday party seemed inappropriate, didn't it?

Xiao Li didn't know what Jiang Mian was thinking, but it was clear she was puzzled by the matter as well. "Sister Mian, do you think... could President Wen be...?"

"Don't overthink it. I am of no benefit to him." Jiang Mian frowned. She was very clear about her own status; in no aspect could she bring any advantage to Wen Jinghuai. He wouldn't help someone so useless; his status and position were set in stone. Being able to know him was purely due to the engagement she had just broken off; otherwise, how long would she have to struggle before she could even touch a feather of Wen Jinghuai’s?

"Go get back to work. I'm aware of this now."

"Oh, okay." Xiao Li nodded, gave Jiang Mian a worried look, and went back downstairs.

Jiang Mian opened her phone and stared at the chat box with Wen Jinghuai, unsure whether she should ask. She was afraid of overthinking things and causing him a disturbance.